Football 3

1. Arsenal lose in the Champions League final.

2. Liverpool part company with Arne Slot.

3. The Reds appoint Andoni Iraola as their new manager.

4. Southampton put out strange Spygate apology video.

5. James Milner retires from football.

6. The England squad arrive in the United States.

7. A Poem Verse poem.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Um, I'm afraid it's bad news for Arsenal. They have just lost the Champions League final to PSG after a penalty shootout. It was Gabriel who missed the penalty. That game was the best game I've seen in a Champions League final since Liverpool beat AC Milan in 2005. The game had everything. Arsenal took the lead from a Havertz left foot shot, an amazing goal. They scored with a Dembelli a penalty. The game had everything emotion, drama, um, penalties, shots, um lots of fouls, um, controversy. It had everything, but Arsenal played amazing. Um, it went to it went to extra time, it went to um penalties. Um we missed, they missed, and then Gabriel missed again, and then um yeah, it was all over. Um I'm not an Arsenal fan, but Arsenal were heading to become the first um UK team and country to win all three Euro um titles. That is the UEFA Euro Conference trophy, the UEFA um title, and also the Champions League um title. Um yeah, I can't believe it. Uh I feel so I feel so sorry for Arsenal. They came so close, but at the last hurdle, again, it was penalties that um cost Arsenal the game. Um every player played their heart out. Um I'm not sure what to say. Um Arsenal lost and PSG win back to back Champions League um finals. Um yeah, I'm just I'm gutted for Arsenal. Um I'm gutted for all the Arsenal fans, I'm gutted for Mikel Arteta, and the wait goes on for Arsenal to win their first Champions League um trophy, but they played their heart out. Um yeah, I'm not sure what to say now. Um yeah, I'm just gutted for Arsenal, the club, and all the players. Um yeah, um I can't see how much more Arsenal could have done and played better. Every player played their heart out. Um yeah, and sometimes it's not meant to be your night. Um as I say, Arsenal took the lead and they held the lead for about an hour, and then they scored, and then obviously you know the rest. It went to extra time, it went to penalties, and Arsenal lost it. So, yeah, that's it for another year for Arsenal. Um that's the first news.

Liverpool part company with Arne Slot

SPEAKER_00 3:34

The second news is um I turned on the news and um Liverpool sacked um the manager slot. Um I know that he never had a good a good season. Um they came fifth in the league. They they qualified for the Champions League, but um Liverpool did not win um a trophy all season. Um it's only a year ago since um slot and Liverpool won um the Premier League, but that was mostly due to um that was mostly due to the previous manager um and his players, it was mainly that same team. So um yeah, and also the controversy with um Mohammed Salah and um his falling out with slot as well, and I know this hasn't got a lot to do with it, but it was also the pressure that the club were under since sadly losing um Diogo Jotta last year to um a car crash. Um yeah, so all those things um were building up in the club, and I think the owners felt that um slot had nothing more to give, and they believed that um he took the club as far as it could go. Um yeah, I was surprised. I thought that they would give him another season, but um maybe the owners came to the conclusion that it's time for a new page in Liverpool, and the search goes on for um to look for a new manager. Um yeah, as I say, um I thought they'd keep him on for another season, but it wasn't meant to be for slots. Um yeah, I think as well that they'll probably um sell off um two or three players to keep the team um fresh. Um when they do get a new manager, I think they'll have to give the um new manager some money to spend. I know that um slot spent over 250 million, it could be more, I think it was more, but I'm not sure. But he was given a lot of money to spend in the transfer windows, and um those those signings and the team could not get a trophy all season, so um yeah, Arsenal lose their first Champions League final, and um Liverpool sacked their manager slots, so yeah, um bad news on all fronts, I think. So yeah,

The Reds appoint Andoni Iraola as their new manager.

SPEAKER_00 6:50

some more um big news stories in the Premier League. Um, Liverpool have signed Andoni Ayola as the new manager to take over from Arnold Slut, who they sacked. Um Ayola um came from Bournemouth, he was due to leave at the end of the season after having interest from other clubs, but he decided to sign for Liverpool. What do I think of him? He's a good manager, um, he led Bournemouth to sixth, the highest in the history of the club. Um, I see him as a kind of um a similar manager to Eddie Hale, who was also um coincidentally at Bournemouth and went to Newcastle. I think he's a good manager, he's um he's well liked by most or all of the players that he's managed. Um so yeah, he's a good manager. Some fans or some people might have thought that Liverpool might have chosen a bigger name, but then I don't see how a bigger name is gonna guarantee the wins and trophies that um Ayola could bring to the club. So yeah, um he's got big shoes to fill. Um slots won the Premier League title um 12 months ago. Um Bournemouth have won no trophies, I don't think, um, under Iola. So yeah, he's got big shoes to fill in slot, and then before him, um Jürgen Klopp. So yeah, um will he do it? Will he become a top manager at Liverpool? As always, it all depends on his wins and losses. If he goes through a bad spell of losses, they'll most likely call him in the office and say, look, right, you need to improve. Otherwise, we're gonna sack you and or look for another manager, or they might not even call him in. Lots of um lots of deals these days go through a clause where if you leave if you lose four, five, or six games on the bounce, then as part of your contract, the club can um start looking for new managers or new possibilities to help you get more wins or things like that. So, yeah, I think he's a good manager. Um a lot of fans will think that he's a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. Um, and I think he's gonna surprise a lot of people. Um, he's no nonsense. Um, yeah, so I wish him all the best on this two-year deal. Will he have money to spend? I think he will, but not as much as slot. Slot had over 250 million pounds to spend on new players, and that brought the club no trophies. So I think they will give him funds, but it'll be a lot less than the 200 million that slot got. Um, so yeah, I wish him all the best.

Southampton put out strange Spygate apology video.

SPEAKER_00 10:17

Um there was also a um like not an interview, but there was some kind of like video of the Southampton manager Eckert, is it? Um he was the guy behind the Spygate scandal. But when I saw this um video, at first I thought it was AI. He seems very robotic. Obviously, he's reading off an auto cue. And when he finishes it, it's like I don't know, it doesn't it doesn't sound right, and it's very strange to me how the manager is taking the wrap for everything. Um in my opinion, surely he must have asked people at the club, is this ethical? Is it the right thing to do? And surely, surely there must be people at the club who must have said, you know what, it's never been done before, and it's not right, it's not ethical, and we advise you or I advise you not to do it. But according to his own Um video evidence, he says that he's to blame. Um, he's sorry to all the club, the fans, um, he's sorry to everyone that's linked to the club, um, and it's all down to him. And I don't think it is all down to him. There must be um other people that advised him that this was okay, but he has ignored all the advice and he's broken um he's broken the mould because no other manager in the history of the league has done this. I mean I feel sorry for the players because they have done all the hard work in training winning games, drawing games to get to the playoffs, and then to get dumped out of the playoffs before you've played that important match against Hall. I find it very hard to believe, but you know, by his own admission, it's all down to him. Um the other question is if they do keep him, he's asking for a second chance. Um does everyone deserve a second chance? I suppose they do, but then I think the club will give him a second chance, but it'll be a short-term chance. That means if the team goes through a period of losses, that's five or six losses without a win or a draw, I think they'll sack him. If the club goes through a period of say eight, ten, twelve wins on the bounce, they'll keep him. But there'll be a lot of fans who will say, you know what, he's brought this club um a lot of dirty headlines, you know. He's put a stain on this club, which I don't think they'll get over with. It's the first time that a club has been found guilty and admitted guilt to spying on other clubs. Um, so I think there'll be a lot of fans who will be asking for, you know what? Let's get rid of Egg Hurt, um, the manager, in in the pre-season, and let's start the new season with a new manager and a clean slate because wherever Southampton go, this dirty stain is gonna follow them, and the fans are gonna say, you know what, we don't care what is done, how good the club is doing, you know, they had a chance at getting to the Premier League. It wasn't a guarantee, but it was a chance. They never even got the players, never even got to play the game against Hall. They could have won that fair and square and gone up as of right, but the club admitted their wrongdoing and they got dumped out of the playoffs, which is a shame for the fans and the players and everyone linked to the club. Um But talking about it now, I don't know how you could have done it. Some people would say it's unforgivable. Um I would say, you know, was the team that desperate for wins that they had to resort to spying? I've said it before, but he could have easily watched the reruns. The reruns are there for everyone to see, you know. He could have worked out how they would have played against Hull. You know, from defence midfield to attack. It was all there. Um on the reruns, so why he had to get an employee of the club to go and spy behind the tree of all places. Um the mind just boggles, but anyway. Um yeah, he's asked he's asked for a second chance and forgiveness. As I say, I think it won't be down to the fans, it's gonna be down to the owners. Um, I think they'll give him the benefit of the doubt until things go wrong. Um, but I don't think he'll last long. Um, I think it will be a short-term forgiveness, and then they'll most likely sack him because the owners won't want this stain linked to the club, and the only way that you can separate the stain is by getting rid of the manager. So I think that's my opinion on that.

James Milner retires from football.

SPEAKER_00 16:25

Um, the next thing is um I would like to say a thank you to James Milner, who has just retired from playing football. I think at the age of 40, the guy was a servant, he was a great leader, he was a great player, he was a midfielder, and he played for some top clubs. Liverpool, among the suppose the best club that he he played for. Um, I think um he played for England. I think I'm not sure. Um, yeah, I I think he did play for England. If he did, I don't think he got that many caps because um as a midfielder, I think he would have been competing against David Beckham, um Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard, um, Stephen Gerard. So when you was up against those players at the peak of their um at the peak of their talent, I think James Milner would have fallen short. But yeah, um a top player, a great servant. Um I think he played 658 times so over a 24-year career. So so any player that has more league appearances than the likes of um Ryan Giggs, Frank Lampard, and the late amazing Gary Speed, um yeah, deserves to walk away from the game with the most appearances. So, yeah, um, I mean what can I say about James Milner that hasn't been already said? Um great player, great leader. He was a workhorse, he was a good tackler, you know, he would show up. He'd I mean the thing about Milner, he done all the basic things right, and all top players, all world-class players, um do the basics right, good in the air, a good tackler, good marker, um good good at making um bursts into midfield from midfield, um good at tracking back. Yeah, a great um a great player who'll be a loss to the league, but you know, as always, as I keep saying, every person has a time where age or injuries um catches up with them. I think Milner has kept himself in shape up until the age of 40. Um He's been blessed to have that to have not that many injuries that have kept him out of the game. Some players have to early, some players have to retire early in their um late 20s, early 30s because of injuries. He was lucky enough to be um injury free, or he didn't get that many bad injuries that he had to retire until you know he chose to, and he chose to go at 40, having achieved everything in the game. So, yes, James, thank you for your um contribution to football in the Premier League. Um, 658 caps is an almighty number of times that you've played at the top level. Um, will somebody beat it? Most likely. But as we all say, as I all say, all records are meant to be beaten. Um, maybe the person who's gonna beat it hasn't been born yet, but eventually it will get beaten, probably in 20, 30, 40 years' time. Um, who knows? It may never get beaten. But yeah, thanks, James Milner, for all you've done for foot the football and to all the youngsters coming up. Um, he's a great example for all those coming through the game and somebody to look up to and follow and try and emulate. So, yeah. Um

The England squad arrive in the United States.

SPEAKER_00 20:49

lastly, um England have uh arrived in the training camp for the upcoming World Cup in 2026. Um the first game is against um well the pre-season the pre-season game before the World Cup, sorry, is against New Zealand um on Saturday. Will I be watching it? Um most likely not. I'm not a fan of friendlies. Um I think they are they are necessary for teams to get match fit. They are good to get players who can't get in the A team, um, on the verge of getting in the A team, a chance to show the manager what they've got. Um they raise money for the FA of which country they are playing for, in this case, England. Um, and also the thing of friendlies that I don't like is that um depending on what club. They're playing, um, a lot of players won't want to play for their country in case they get injured. And if a top player has got a very important club match coming up, like a cop game or European game, um obviously I'm not gonna name names, but they'll probably say that they've got the injury, they've got a knock, so they can't play in that particular game. And then when the game um for the club comes up, they will miraculous miraculously um overcome the injury and say, Yes, my injury cleared up, um, so they can play for the club, but not for the country. Um so yeah, um, I don't think I'll be watching it. If I will, I'll probably be dipping in and out of it. I'm not too bothered about the results because friendlies are just um, as I've just said, for for players to get into the England team to play for their countries. Um what else? Um I don't like friendlies because um there's a chance that if a top player gets injured, they can't play for their country in an upcoming tournament like this Year's World Cup, which starts in about a week's time or something. So yeah, um I know that you can't protect all players, but um I think he'll probably have to play two or three or four um top players to give a performance that's worthy of an outing for the England team. But yeah, um it's not it's not a match I would have advised for England. Obviously, when the FA set these games up, I think they have to set them up two or three years before, because if teams want to play top countries like England or Brazil or France or Germany or Portugal, etc., Italy, they have to go on a waiting list. Um, and I think, for example, to play like Brazil, which every team would love would love to play, I think there's something like a four or five year um sort of waiting list. I might be wrong, but it's a long list anyway, of a few years to get to play them because every every every country wants to play the best national football team in the world that's won the World Cup five times, I think. So, yeah, um New Zealand. I'm not sure if New Zealand have have qualified for the World Cup, they might have, they might not have. I didn't look it up before this um this episode, but yeah, um I don't care if England win or lose, if I'm honest. All I care about is that we win our um knockout games, so we qualify for the knockout stages. So yeah, um wish England all the best. If they lose, it's not a problem. If they win, again it's not a problem, it's not important. All I care about is winning our group games and obviously the knockout rounds. So yeah, that's

A Poem Verse poem.

SPEAKER_00 25:34

it. And finally for this episode, um a poem. Um this one is called a poem verse and it goes something like this Poetry is emotional expression using our mind and soul. How people determine each one is now their thinking goal. The beauty of each verse is to take you where you've never been. So close your eyes and imagine that wonder scene.