Tim: 0:11

Welcome back to episode 28 of the Pattern Play Podcast. It has been a while since we had match on the show, so I am pretty excited about this conversation. We are gonna chat about Arsenal mostly anyway, but I'm sure we will with Dally all over the place. So if you are not interested in Arsenal then yeah, stay. I think it's gonna be an awesome conversation. How you feeling yesterday was was derby day and we absolutely smashed the mate. Are you are you feeling as happy about Arsenal as I'm feeling right now?

Mash: 0:50

No, like, I'm not gonna lie. Yeah.

Tim: 0:54

tell

Mash: 0:54

Did so. The, the dot, it's so annoying. It's so annoying After four One Smashing, not feeling happy about it. Like I, I struggled to even watch the game. I was not looking forward to the game the whole day. And then we, the goal with it, and I saw Dec Rice do the focus thing. I'm like, oh fuck. Like, I don't know,

Tim: 1:20

we gonna

Mash: 1:21

I just, it, I just. So I, I wasn't really good, but then we won and credit to the boys, they kept fighting and probably only won the second half, if we're being honest with ourselves. And I think the guys who needed to perform did, like your careers has been under quite the, is it a microscope? And to put in the strikers goals that we bought him for, I think will hopefully boost us and get us to the end.'cause I mean that's the nine we bought, right? Like sure. He does a lot of work off the ball and blah, blah, blah. And as also, fans always find reasons to make it sound like he's doing a good job. Those goals that he scored at the derby, woo. That's what we wanted to see all along. Right? So it's so cool to see.

Tim: 2:08

100%.

Mash: 2:09

How are you feeling about it?

Tim: 2:11

did the first goal, the one from the edge of the box where he just slams it into the side of the

Mash: 2:16

Hmm.

Tim: 2:17

remind you a bit of RVP in the five two or was it the five three against

Mash: 2:22

Yeah.

Tim: 2:22

Spurs or Chelsea? The one on the edge of the box where he just slams it and it, the, the comeback, I think it was Spurs when we were too nailed

Mash: 2:30

Yes, yes. Oh, wow. Like that brought it up, but yeah. Yeah.

Tim: 2:39

kind of

Mash: 2:40

I It's more, yeah, that's more what we wanted from him, right?

Tim: 2:44

and, and,

Mash: 2:45

That kind of like ruthless finishing. Half chances are full chances at his feet.

Tim: 2:51

Yeah. If anything, this. This kind of goal is, this is the sort of goal that when you buy a Stryker, you hope that they're gonna score a lot of tap-in a lot of penalties, a lot of goals where you, you expect them to score it, but it's about them getting a good

Mash: 3:09

Yeah.

Tim: 3:10

But the ones on the edge of the box where you just slam it and, and make a statement. That doesn't happen very often. And, and even for the best strikers, they don't do it very often, but being able to pull that one

Mash: 3:23

Yeah.

Tim: 3:24

the moment that a centre back didn't wrestle him on initial phase of play and left him free, he showed what happens when you do

Mash: 3:34

Hmm.

Tim: 3:34

Yeah, I, I thought it was a really good performance mate. Even outside of the finishing, like laying the

Mash: 3:41

Yeah. Working hard. Yeah. Did what, what do you think enabled him? Like what, what was different about this game?

Tim: 3:51

I thought he was really good against Brentford. And I think recently he's been getting better and better, and I have to say he looks fitter, like he does look less cumbersome, less falling over his own shoelaces style of play. He, he looks more. Lean and mean, and I think so one, one factor I think is he, he is genuinely starting to play better, I think in this team.

Mash: 4:16

Right.

Tim: 4:16

you, when Haitz came into the team, I felt like they for a moment created a bit of a partnership and I thought, oh, we've got

Mash: 4:23

Yeah.

Tim: 4:24

Then Ode, God comes back, have. Gets injured, ode just don't quite gel again. And then it's EZ and EZ interestingly, who seem to be aligned and one makes space for the other, it seems,'cause the same thing happened against Spurs in the first game. Same thing happened against buy-in in our best game of the season really. Then there's this one, the four one again against Spurs. The game against Brentford. I thought they, there were signs of, of this happening, so yeah, I dunno man. But then the

Mash: 4:58

Oh, that was a tough game though.

Tim: 4:59

the second part though of it is like, suppose just horrible. Like they're genuinely terrible.

Mash: 5:06

know, right? I know.

Tim: 5:10

I haven't seen like that in a long time.

Mash: 5:12

Let's see what he does against Chelsea,

Tim: 5:15

Hmm.

Mash: 5:16

because Chelsea, yeah, Chelsea I think will be the real test, right? I don't know. B Brentford was supposed to be the real, like you're saying, he played well against Branford and was it enough?

Tim: 5:30

Hmm.

Mash: 5:32

Right?

Tim: 5:33

he put timber through right with that lovely, like back to,

Mash: 5:37

Yeah.

Tim: 5:38

to golf flick, timber goes through, we mess it up again. in that game, which we do so often, and even in this game, macho like we, we scored four, but you know, we're ending that first half with. Almost a sort of tension there mate, where, you know, we score the first

Mash: 6:00

Yeah.

Tim: 6:01

we throw it away, you know, and

Mash: 6:04

Yeah.

Tim: 6:04

this a lot. You know, you said Declan Rice did that thing where, know, focus, focus, focus. And then he tries to dribble out of his own box. I mean,

Mash: 6:15

dude,

Tim: 6:16

did you expect.

Mash: 6:17

the same thing happened at wolves. It's like at wolves, they, they're, they're like, it's, it's like their, their, their mentality is like, yeah, let's let's close up the game or whatever. So like, let's go to our call, but. I, I don't know. Are we just shit at it? Like, because you, you can see the intent. The intent is like, let's game manage at this point. Very intentional about trying to do it and we just, we just like immediately concede. It's like when we try, do it, do it, dude. I, I don't know. Maybe it's just'cause we don't play in that style enough. Maybe. I dunno. Whatever.

Tim: 6:57

I dunno, I don't get it.'cause we're, we are good off the ball. Our thing is how good we are defensively. Why can't we apply maximum defensive intensity immediately after we score? Or if that's the plan like. I don't think it should be the plan. I still feel like

Mash: 7:19

Yeah.

Tim: 7:19

surrender our momentum by doing that, and I still think that we should be looking to throttle teams.

Mash: 7:26

Keep pressure up or something. I agree. I agree. It's the wrong move to to make, to just be like, okay, let's start passing sideways and I dunno, whatever. I'm getting frustrated. You could tell because it's like PTSD where we are in the driver's seat. It's, everyone knows it's our season. Well, everyone said it was our season. I guess there are still the doubters for good reason and then we just can't close.

Tim: 8:01

It's interesting because I think the na the, the narrative that the media needs for this season is. That arsenal are bottling it and C are catching them, and it's gonna become a really interesting title race and Citi will eventually win it. That narrative works for the mainstream media because otherwise it's a pretty boring season. all intents and purposes so far, the, the defending champions are not defending anything and don't look like champions, right? A team that wins the league spends 400 something million and looks worse. That's not great. Citi are

Mash: 8:43

Yeah.

Tim: 8:44

good, but you wouldn't say they're anything like the city that has been in the league for the last eight, nine years.

Mash: 8:52

Not at all.

Tim: 8:53

I guess we're just.

Mash: 8:54

No way is there, City two years ago, lets us get away with what we've been doing this past month, right?

Tim: 9:02

No, and

Mash: 9:03

Yeah.

Tim: 9:03

seen it, right? Like I posted that stat before the city versus Newcastle game, which was saying on, on Christmas Eve. We were five points ahead of Manchester City and they had a game in hand. Now they ended up blowing that game in hand and didn't catch us up and, and, and drop the lead to two points. In this case, they did beat Newcastle and did cut the lead to two points. It was, it, it showed to me that despite it being two months on and our supposed crisis in January, which was pretty much a, very poor turn of form, we still didn't get caught by city despite the

Mash: 9:46

Yeah.

Tim: 9:47

good run they were on.

Mash: 9:48

Hmm.

Tim: 9:49

right? And, and so I don't think.

Mash: 9:53

Yeah,

Tim: 9:53

as good as people are making out, and I don't think we're as bad as people are making out.

Mash: 10:00

yeah,

Tim: 10:01

So it's gonna be, it's gonna be interesting.

Mash: 10:04

It kind of feels like they have a similar issue to us where. Once they're in the driver's seat, their mentality shifts and they start allowing other teams to play. And like all city, or two years ago, city buried games, it's like whether they're three now up, they're like still looking for five. Now it's kind of like, it was it. Who was it? Newcastle. Like Holland, I guess, was playing well the whole game, but still like it, it gets to the point in the game where they take the foot off the gas and allow teams back in when they shouldn't be. They're not as good as they used to be, but they're getting there. They have potential.

Tim: 10:54

Yeah, and you always know I, I think with Citi. You know, you're not supposed to say past performance is an indicator of future performance. You know it, that's too simplistic. But I do think that you generate a culture and a reputation and a track rec based off your track record, and have built that sense of immortality or invincibility in the second half of seasons where it's like eight point lead, no problem, five point lead, no problem. It can be

Mash: 11:26

Yeah, we're gonna win till the end.

Tim: 11:29

Gonna hunt you down.

Mash: 11:30

Yeah.

Tim: 11:31

I,

Mash: 11:31

How do you feel about us at the Etha?

Tim: 11:34

I, I think it's turning into the game of the Premier League season that it will be the decider that if Arsenal lose, that

Mash: 11:45

Hmm.

Tim: 11:45

city will make a way, an arsenal will make a way of the other points being made up. If Arsenal draw it or win it, I think Arsenal will win the league. And I think it's almost coming to that point where it's as simple as that do have some tougher fixtures, mash, like to Chelsea away. Then the final three games of the season I think are, I think it's. Villa on the final day of the season. then there's two other games which aren't simple either. And then we have really winnable fixtures in a row. And I think we are in the lead when we go into those final three games, we will land it. Villa in particular, I think could be the curve ball for Citi on the final day of the season. I just

Mash: 12:33

Hmm.

Tim: 12:34

I can just see them being a banana skin, but the Etti had made.

Mash: 12:38

Was it this season where they were like, really disappointing against it? Why am I thinking of a different time?

Tim: 12:45

You're right. When I was really

Mash: 12:47

It's like they just folded it. Oh, it was so painful to watch. Oh yeah. Okay.

Tim: 12:53

us.

Mash: 12:53

But yeah. Yes.

Tim: 12:57

Do you think that the players themselves are just feeling the pressure of the occasion because the Declan rights dribbling

Mash: 13:04

Yeah.

Tim: 13:04

the riot jump over.

Mash: 13:07

Raya, Gabriel, dude,

Tim: 13:09

mistakes.

Mash: 13:10

I do. Yeah. And I don't know, at the beginning of the season when it wasn't like, I don't know, so close or scary, they they were playing with such con that kind of shit doesn't happen. The keeper has a strong shot to come out. I guess you, you blame both of them in that situation, but like one of them would've taken charge of the situation and it kind of feels like they were both hesitant. It does. It does feel like the pressure's getting to us, but it doesn't mean that like we can't turn it around. I, I, I trust Mika. Like, have you heard him speak in, he, he seems to understand psychology pretty well and I, I back him to get the boys in the right mental space.

Tim: 13:55

If who listen to Mikel speak can't see beyond the rivalry and, and. And here, pure man and squad management, then they're missing a trick because there are things that I'm learning from Michel, which I'm trying to apply in, in how I lead and manage teams, and how I understand people's motivations and try to. Manage high pressure and high intensity scenarios because I thought his,

Mash: 14:29

Interesting.

Tim: 14:29

his press conference mate the other day was outstanding. You know where he said

Mash: 14:34

Mm-hmm.

Tim: 14:35

what we're gonna do is lower the temperature? Remind ourselves why, why are we in the position we're in? We're we're at the top of the Premier League. We won the Champions League group stage. With six wins. We're in the Carrabelle Cup final and we're in the FA cup, what is it, fourth round or fifth round. and just to remind ourselves, let's go have some fun, you know, and let's do this. I, I thought it was excellent. And he's

Mash: 15:02

Yeah.

Tim: 15:03

in many of these recent, recent press conferences. What do you what do you wanna see? Like, play out?'cause we've had. We've had different formulas, different front threes, different midfield setups.

Mash: 15:16

Right,

Tim: 15:16

like I may, it looks like we're doing chemistry, you know, like saka playing 10

Mash: 15:22

right.

Tim: 15:22

on the right. And

Mash: 15:24

Yeah. Yeah.

Tim: 15:27

do you,

Mash: 15:27

Yeah.

Tim: 15:28

strong opinion on, on how we are setting ourselves up in the attack and do you have like a, a Mikel do this and things will be better or, yeah. What's your view on the current. There.'cause it's a bit strange to be experimenting in the middle of a title charge season, right? Like putting our best forward in a different position and just saying, Hey, let's see what happens.

Mash: 15:52

It is interesting that. Like with depth, what depth brings is a bunch of rotation that, so essay hasn't looked like. He's been able to settle, let, let's be honest, minus, minus his last game. He hasn't found his place and it might be due to the fact that we keep rotating our. The way we play. So it's Trsad or Martinelli or Nani or I don't think they're able to find a good rhythm with each other minus the last game. And maybe it's a good sign of things to come, but what I would like to see, to answer your question is it's so hard. I, geez, I don't even know, to be honest. I think your career is upfront. I think he's earned the starting spot. I do like the rotation option of bringing I, I like Kai in midfield. He's, when he's available we still have burrito. Oh, by our, our squad is too big, but okay. Having Kai

Tim: 16:58

won't

Mash: 16:58

in midfield.

Tim: 17:00

I, they're saying now it'll be the second week of May, so he probably. Really won't play another game for us this season.

Mash: 17:08

Oh, shame. Shit. What, what, what? Broke

Tim: 17:13

I don't, I don't know, can't remember what the, the specific injury was, but

Mash: 17:18

Wait.

Tim: 17:19

I think it was metatarsal or, or ankle. Yeah, I saw him in the boot at the at the Emirates in one of those pretty intensive looking Yeah, cast, I suppose. But yeah, we wish him the best of health. It's a shame'cause Marino is such a clutch player to bring in, in a champions league

Mash: 17:37

Yeah.

Tim: 17:37

semifinal

Mash: 17:38

Yeah.

Tim: 17:39

a goal in the 92nd minute. Right. He is that kind of player. Yeah.

Mash: 17:44

Yeah. I feel like if we do win the title, he's gonna be such an underappreciated here. It'll be like when we telling our kids about the squad, we'll name him lost or something. And his role was so vital. That sucks, but. The depth, at least. At least. But I enjoy Kai. I enjoy Kai and York playing,

Tim: 18:03

me

Mash: 18:04

I guess, and is our captain. But I, I, I would like to see what it's like with, with the three as Zui, Mandi, rice, and Kai, if and when available, and then York. Sucker and the left wing is such a pain in the ass.

Tim: 18:32

I'd like to see EZ for a bit.

Mash: 18:33

every time, every time I choose really As, as a down the wing.

Tim: 18:37

for a bit.

Mash: 18:38

That is interesting.

Tim: 18:40

I, I think he, he was

Mash: 18:41

That is interesting,

Tim: 18:42

was given the role for what, basically the villa game. He doesn't mark Matty Cash, who runs off his shoulder and scores the goal

Mash: 18:50

right?

Tim: 18:50

us. Mikel then clearly lost faith in as if for a while and has barely played him since.

Mash: 18:58

Wide.

Tim: 18:59

I still

Mash: 19:00

Yeah.

Tim: 19:00

that that's not enough and that if we are gonna play habits in midfield, you increase our midfield intensity already and our ability to move through the spaces. And so surely maybe Declan can cover as a more defensively on the left side. Like there has to be a way Mikel can make that work. But I just think that. TROs Hot streak. This season is over and he is looked very

Mash: 19:28

Yeah.

Tim: 19:28

and he is looked very, I think, pretty poor. I think he looked poor yesterday. Even in our four one win. I think Martinelli

Mash: 19:36

Yeah.

Tim: 19:36

one goal in 21 games in the Premier League, one goal in 21

Mash: 19:40

Yeah.

Tim: 19:42

ideal.

Mash: 19:43

And he doesn't clutch moments. Your martinelli has hurt me too many times where it's the winner. Right. Like at the last moment of a game, and we need this one-on-one to go in and it doesn't happen.

Tim: 19:59

the, the, the, the, the one he has scored.

Mash: 20:02

one.

Tim: 20:03

This season, which was the one against

Mash: 20:04

Yeah, the city,

Tim: 20:06

That's it.

Mash: 20:07

The, yeah, yeah,

Tim: 20:09

No other Premier League goals.

Mash: 20:11

yeah. Yeah.

Tim: 20:13

I am, I'm one of those people who sometimes tries to say. Managers don't need to, to, to choose the best player for or sort of the player who's supposed to play left wing. Sometimes it's okay to say, I'm just gonna play the 11 best players I have. And sometimes it may mean

Mash: 20:34

Right.

Tim: 20:35

in. A couple of people like to give you an example. When Ben White comes back, at least until he gets up to full fitness, I'd play mascara right back. Even though he's a centre back, he's just playing really, really well and he's clearly got quality,

Mash: 20:52

Yeah.

Tim: 20:53

let him play right back. He was

Mash: 20:54

Yeah, I was actually, I was thinking when you were telling, when you were bitching ez doubt the wig in by head. I'm like, and maybe if like mascara is behind him.

Tim: 21:04

Yeah.

Mash: 21:05

We, so we don't have like this roaming, inverted thing that kurian

Tim: 21:13

Yeah.

Mash: 21:15

hin capi do. We just have somewhat like solid

Tim: 21:18

I gotta

Mash: 21:19

behind him.

Tim: 21:20

has looked. I wasn't convinced, you know, I, I, I took, I said to you that it was like that, that tweet I'd seen around you know, it's like watching. A dog drive your car. You know, it's like, this is, this is awesome. It's a dog driving a car. there's that tension of like, it's also a dog driving a car. I think Cierre is a bit like that. And he filled, he

Mash: 21:47

Mm-hmm.

Tim: 21:48

with equal parts excitement and fear, and now he's balancing that out and he's more like 90%. I trust this guy and 10%. Hmm. So think if we asked him to play more defensively, he could do it. And Za just

Mash: 22:07

right.

Tim: 22:07

more of a free role Maybe.

Mash: 22:10

Right.

Tim: 22:11

I think we need him in the team.

Mash: 22:13

I'm interested what? What do you think we do against Chelsea?

Tim: 22:17

Oh It's a difficult one. I, we have such a good record against Chelsea that it feels like. It feels like we should be able to beat them just going toe to toe with talent that it, it, it

Mash: 22:34

Hmm.

Tim: 22:34

be as difficult a game as maybe even going up against a Newcastle or a, a Manchester United, or, I just feel like we've got Chelsea's number. You know, it's been almost 10 games, I think now since we lost Chelsea. And Nia set them up in the, in the, the semi-final second leg, as if didn't wanna, didn't wanna jam.

Mash: 23:01

Yeah, that was odd. That was odd, right? I doubt they do that again though.

Tim: 23:07

can't. Surely

Mash: 23:08

Yeah. And he got such criticism for it shape, so I, I rate they, they're gonna come at us and that's gonna be interesting.

Tim: 23:18

I suspect this could be an absolute. I think it could be game of the Weekend.

Mash: 23:23

Hmm.

Tim: 23:23

and I'm hoping it is. I'm hoping it, it, it, it's a, it's a really interesting encounter.'cause again, I think if we go punch for punch with Chelsea, I think that they're a really good team. But I

Mash: 23:34

Hmm.

Tim: 23:34

an immature team and I think someone's gonna get a red card, someone's gonna do something stupid. And I,

Mash: 23:41

Oh yeah. That's, Ooh,

Tim: 23:43

know, compared to their.

Mash: 23:44

that's what happened in the first game against them. Hey,

Tim: 23:47

Yeah. And in the

Mash: 23:49

that was when they, yeah.

Tim: 23:51

situation,

Mash: 23:52

Yeah.

Tim: 23:53

I think,

Mash: 23:54

You the way Chelsea fans were so excited after that game. Yes.

Tim: 23:59

yeah, they won the game. One, one

Mash: 24:01

Yeah.

Tim: 24:02

in the title race. Well, we entered this game in a very different situation in that respect. No, look, I think, I think match, it's almost got to the point, mate, where it feels like every game, every weekend is a cup final. And I would like to say, let's not treat it like that. Let's just enjoy it and take the pressure off the boys. it's not like that. And nothing I say or do is

Mash: 24:27

Yeah.

Tim: 24:28

off. It feels like it every weekend. So

Mash: 24:31

Yeah. It you saying that was the exact same thing I saw of ized. When it does focus, it's like you saying that, but. It's not, it's not. Yeah. We have to be realistic about where we are. It is a cup game every, every game. Deal with the pressure. This is, yeah.

Tim: 24:53

This is, this is Big

Mash: 24:54

I, I don't think we can guess light ourselves into like, comic down. We just need to grow up.

Tim: 24:59

Exactly. Mate, I want your predictions then.'Cause who knows when I'll get you back on the podcast. I'm gonna ask for your predictions across four competitions.'cause we are of course still in all four. I'm gonna start mate with car about cup final, which is just around the

Mash: 25:15

Did we Winning the quadruple, what are you saying? What are you saying? We're winning the quadruple in all honesty, I think, I think we take caribou up.

Tim: 25:26

city. Yeah. Alright.

Mash: 25:29

Hmm.

Tim: 25:29

be a big

Mash: 25:30

And then I think we take the league. Yeah, I, I think we take the domestic hubs. I, I don't think we have it in US to win the ufa. And I say that's with like a really sad heart because if I had to choose, I'd probably choose ufa just'cause it hasn't been done before. But if I'm being honest, I you need a level of consistency that I, I don't, it looked like we had it at the beginning. I'm not seeing it anymore.

Tim: 25:59

Yeah, I do feel,

Mash: 26:00

We're too shaky,

Tim: 26:01

we are too shaky at the moment and unless we, unless we revert to, you know, our Tet has also made us into. A team that has managed some second halfs of the season really, really well. So like last year

Mash: 26:17

right?

Tim: 26:18

absolutely smashed the second half of the season, but we were so far behind Liverpool. There was no competition. It wasn't, it was not a, a con competitive environment, but we went on a crazy run. If we can do one of those again, I feel we could do something in the Champions League, but I can't shake the feeling that we are having such an insane season where. We'll be in all the cuts and it'll be go, go, go, go, go. That someone will catch us on a week where two big Premier League games or focused

Mash: 26:51

percent.

Tim: 26:52

and then a PSG or a Real Madrid or someone will catch us just off our game.

Mash: 26:57

Yeah.

Tim: 26:58

So you're saying Caribou Champions League. Do you think we're gonna win the Premier League?

Mash: 27:06

I do. I I do. Yeah,

Tim: 27:10

Okay.

Mash: 27:10

I do. I, I'm, I'm saying it with less confidence than I did like a month ago, but I still think we do.

Tim: 27:16

Historic. Damn. That'll be a a a A double. Okay. And then is it gonna be a treble? Are we gonna win the FA cup as well?

Mash: 27:26

no,

Tim: 27:27

Nah,

Mash: 27:28

no.

Tim: 27:29

I think we'll also lose it.

Mash: 27:30

And you?

Tim: 27:31

I'm, I'm actually with you. I think, I think we win the Caribou Cup final against Citi and if I, if we lose that, I think there will be a, a bit of a spiral effect where Citi will end up

Mash: 27:42

Hmm?

Tim: 27:43

up in the league as well. But I think we win the Caribou, it becomes momentum domestically that leads us to win the title. think we lose

Mash: 27:52

Yeah.

Tim: 27:52

League in a semi-final against someone. Problematic. Even maybe a city actually someone annoying. Like a

Mash: 28:00

Yes. Was also thinking like that. Yeah, like a premier league club that we've been beating the whole year. They're just like, okay.

Tim: 28:08

It'll be, it'll feel like yeah. G Park for Man United in the, in the Champions League, what was it? Quarter final, 2008. Oh, I hate that game. and then FA cup, I also don't think, I think if we land the caribou. Mikel will shift focus maybe away from the FA Cup toward the Champions League and Premier League saying,

Mash: 28:29

Yep.

Tim: 28:29

one of the two landed. I don't need FA cup. And that shift in focus will mean that our rotated boys get, get beaten by someone. Okay. I mean,

Mash: 28:38

Yeah,

Tim: 28:39

both going with a double, that's not bad. But.

Mash: 28:44

I would take a double. Would you consider it a successful season?

Tim: 28:47

Would I find it successful? Nom mate. We have to win a Premier League or a champions league this season for the project to feel like it's going. Boom. We've waited too long. We have to. We

Mash: 29:01

Yeah.

Tim: 29:02

Yeah. Actually, I'm gonna go further. We have to win the Premier League mate when we are five points or four points up or whatever we were a few weeks ago with the team that we

Mash: 29:13

Yeah.

Tim: 29:14

Everybody will agree that we've got the strongest squad in the league, even if it's not the strongest first 11 maybe against someone like a city. I think we've got the strongest squad. I think we've put ourselves in a position where we're ahead of city and we've got better fixtures. We're in London pretty much the whole rest of the year. Rest of the season. We don't really travel very much at all. We just gotta land it. Otherwise, after many years of doing this where we get into a lead and then we throw it away to Citi, it will become, I think it'll become a defining feature of ML'S project. And then maybe he walks actually.

Mash: 29:56

Yeah,

Tim: 29:57

What about you, mate? Do you agree with that?

Mash: 30:00

I do, and it'll sadden me to see him walk, but I wouldn't be able to defend the, like if, if, if he bottles this again. I don't think we can defend it. We can still accept, to me, he's still a good coach, right? It's like he's still what he's done for us and is pretty incredible. It just, it almost just feels like we need to try something different. It's like, thanks for getting us here, but like,

Tim: 30:29

You know,

Mash: 30:29

if it was a DAO, then it doesn't feel like it'll happen.

Tim: 30:32

reminds me a little bit, and I'm gonna give an analogy of. You know, the big, like oil tankers and, and cargo ships when they, when they are travelling across the oceans, there's a captain, and the captain does captain things, makes ship go in the direction it's supposed to go. When it arrives at a port. A boat comes out to the big ship, a pilot gets on called basically a port pilot or a port captain, their job is to steer massive vessels into the unique Enter exit system that any port might have because they are the experts in that specific part of this

Mash: 31:16

Right. I hear you.

Tim: 31:18

sometimes it feels like maybe Mika Lata has been the guy who got us from. Port Shanghai all the way around the Cape of Good Hope, and we're up maybe to, you know, go into Rio de Janeiro, but we've arrived in Port. And just to make that final step of the journey, if he's unable to dock this, this ship in the port, we might need a specialist to get us over the line who just knows how to win with a really, really good group of players, mature group of players.

Mash: 31:46

Yeah. I hope that's not the narrative. Yeah, I, I really hope because that's, I think that's definitely going to be the narrative that's pushed if we bottle all this,

Tim: 31:55

be. Yep.

Mash: 31:57

I think he can do it. Like I was saying, I think his psychology is on point and he has so many tactical options. I don't see him slipping city or not. Like all the cards are pointing to this being our seasoned. he's gonna grab it. I think he's gonna grab it

Tim: 32:17

I'm with you. I'm with you. And I think we should probably call it on the positive note of us winning multiple trophies our te

Mash: 32:27

the quadruple.

Tim: 32:28

goals. Machu thank you as ever for coming on the podcast and for chatting about Arsenal. It's been nice and refreshing to have a. Convo about Arsenal with an Arsenal fan and no other comments from our rivals in the room. Yeah, I, I'm, I'm, I'm hoping and secretly believing that it's gonna, I dunno if you saw yesterday, I made a bet at halftime and just threw all of my cash in my betting

Mash: 32:56

Oh yes.

Tim: 32:57

a, a bet that we were gonna win. I'm gonna keep doing that and keep, I'm gonna, I'm gonna lose my money actually if I keep doing that. But I'm gonna keep doing it when I believe we're gonna actually win and hey, who knows.

Mash: 33:09

Let's do it for Chelsea Game.

Tim: 33:10

definitely gonna do it in the Chelsea again.

Mash: 33:12

Let's do it.

Tim: 33:13

Thank you again Ash and chat to you next time.

Mash: 33:16

Cool. Thanks Timbo.

Tim: 33:17

Cia.