'Did you feel empty watching this?' - Haaland runs riot vs. Ipswich | Football Weekly
Football Weekly asks why watching Haaland score has become routine and why Manchester City fans' inflatable-banana protest is controversial after the win over Ipswich
The show starts from Manchester City's 3-2 win over Ipswich, praising Ipswich's survival prospects before focusing on whether City fans' inflatable-banana protest is appropriate after the club was found guilty of serious breaches. It then discusses Kovacic and City's squad depth, and argues that Haaland's relentless scoring is taken for granted.
- Ipswich deserved credit despite losing and are the promoted side with the best chance of staying up — He has been impressed by them since their return to the Premier League, the new manager has started well after a hard act to follow in McKenna, and the 3-2 scoreline was not as close as it looks
- City fans' inflatable-banana protest is distasteful and sad because it has lost its original meaning — It began as a fan-led symbol of anarchic defiance and the fun of being a supporter, but has been corporatized by the club and is now used against a finding of serious cheating
- City fans should show at least some contrition and acknowledge that the club has been found guilty in the relevant process instead of attacking journalists who point it out — Even with appeals pending, they should recognize the finding, and they could question whether the owners have really been good for them
- Kovacic is still a quality player and was very good in City's midfield, while City's squad depth makes life hard for other teams — Kovacic rarely plays but shows his quality when he does, and City can rest Fernandez, Elliot Anderson and wide players
- Haaland's goal output is taken for granted, which is ridiculous because scoring this many goals is not easy — He scored twice and almost had a hat-trick, and his run for the header, physical challenge for the second and finishing for the hat-trick that wasn't were all brilliant
After Manchester City's three points against Ipswich, the panel discuss just how empty they all feel watching Erling Haaland run riot. Max Rushden is joined by Jonathan Wilson, Dan Bardell and Mark Langdon to sift through the meaning of it all. Watch the full podcast episode ► https://youtu.be/UKVwj-fvwwk Subscribe to Guardian Football ► https://www.youtube.com/@guardianfootball?subconfirmation=1 We want your feedback! If you had any thoughts on our coverage of the World Cup, please let us know here ► www.theguardian.com/YTWorldCupSurvey The Guardian publishes independent journalism, made possible by supporters. Contribute to The Guardian today ► https://support.theguardian.com/ Guardian Football Weekly: https://www.tiktok.com/@guardianfootballweekly https://www.instagram.com/guardianfootballweekly/ Website ► https://www.theguardian.com Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/theguardian Bluesky ► https://bsky.app/profile/sport.theguardian.com Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/guardiansport/ The Guardian on YouTube: The Guardian ► https://www.youtube.com/@theguardian Football Weekly podcast ► https://www.youtube.com/@footballweeklypodcast Guardian News ► https://www.youtube.com/@guardiannews Guardian Australia ► https://www.youtube.com/@guardianaustralia Guardian Sport ► https://www.youtube.com/@guardiansport
Transcript
Manchester City 3, Ipsswichtown 2, uh, Moresca the first manager to win first seven league games in charge of a club uh, in the Premier League. Did you all feel empty watching this, Dan? You know, like what was your what's I don't know if it felt different this one to the Liverpool game, you know, in this sort of fast period that we're in. >> I mean, last week disappointed me a little bit because it wasn't as intense and the maybe the hatred from Liverpool wasn't what I what I thought it was going to be. I think when they're at home, you almost forget about it for for one of a one of a better phrase. And but Manchester City are expected to beat Ipsswitch, but I actually was really really impressed with with what Ipsswitch did. And I've been quite impressed with them since since their return to the Premier League because Gary O'Neal, there was a lot of turnover again at IPS. Obviously a new manager. When you're newly promoted, you tend to have lots of outs and ins. O'Neal's come in and a hard act to follow in Kieran McKenna and that job's no gimme at all, but I think he's got them off to a a really really good start. And out of all the three, I actually think they've got the got the best shot of of staying up. I still think Hall might get get dragged into trouble. And I think Coventry will have big problems defensively this season. Gary O'Neal's done a done a really good job there. And 3-2. It maybe wasn't as close as as it looks. And look, Mark Ghee would have fitted him perfectly with the Crystal Palace back line this weekend cuz he had the worst game I think he's had as a as a as a Manchester City player. Culpable for both goals. But I just thought I switch were really really good. took took their chances well and they they've been good ever since they got promoted really they've got a good chance of staying up in my book. >> I spent quite a lot of time Wilson thinking you know a bit like be you know after co you're like well if I just invested in PPE uh you know I'd be I'd be in if I just invested in inflatable bananas before this this case you know I'd be sitting on a gold mine. Um, what's your general feeling about, you know, where we these City games that are happening? And Dan is right to pick out the opposition. They they still definitely count. Yeah. Yeah. Well, do they? I mean, if the games I don't think it'll happen, but it's not totally impossible. The games get enulled at the end of the season and or midway through the season, in which case you may as well put out a second string, not tie your players out, and get beat 300 nil and who cares. Um, but I probably that won't happen. Um, I mean the bananas thing, City fans get very worked up if you tell them how to think. Um, >> as does anyone, right? That is that is true for life. >> Well, yes, but it's more annoying when it's people who are clearly in the wrong as City fans are. Um but you the bananas when they first came in in the late '8s it was sort of a anarchctic surreal um moment of opposition to the sort of pervading sense that fans were all violent and all terrible and it was sort of representative of the the sort of fun of being a fan. And for that now to have been corporatized, to be handed out by the the club rather than being a fan initiative, for that to be the the gesture of defiance against having been found guilty of the most serious cheating in English football history, I'd say it's pretty toy and pretty sad that it really undermines what it stood for in in, you know, in 889. And so >> I'd feel I think yeah I think it's pretty distasteful but I >> I heard one city fan saying hey yeah people don't like being told what to think but also that actually you can have serious thoughts and serious misgivings about all of it but when the game happens you are still supporting your team in the game and so you will do that in whichever way I don't know what I don't know what like how would you want city fans to kind of be at these games? Um look during the game fine but I think some measure of contrition you know they have been found guilty some you even if you say well you know the who knows what the appeals say but at least acknowledge that there has been a process in which they've been found guilty of the most serious cheat in history. >> But but then some sense of >> maybe these owners haven't been good for us rather than you know literally attacking journalists for pointing out that they've been guilty. Of course, and I understand that and and I suppose social media is just people who have more sensible views just aren't heard or aren't retweeted, aren't reposted as much. I mean, I agree with you. There's a lot of lots of football fans and lots of clubs who are just who would be be doing exactly the same thing. I I think >> Yeah, but I mean, there City fans who doing it and therefore City fans would be criticizing. >> Yeah. Yes. Probably other fans would do it. They'd also be wrong. >> Okay. Uh Mark, >> whenever Kovacic pops up, I always forget that he plays for Man City still because he he very rarely um sort of um gets a game um and then every now and then he just shows how quality he is. um and thought he um was was very good in that city midfield and when you're able to rest Fernandez and you're able to rest Elliot Anderson and and other players um you on the wings so doesn't play you don't need to play Churkey um yeah I mean that uh um it's quite difficult for for other teams it it's a very strong squad >> how is Kovichic only 32 like of all the mystifying numbers at >> [laughter] >> over the last 18 years. But has he somehow been paying his years to the state of Abu Dhabi? I don't understand how that works. >> Big scandal. >> His that his move was so good. I thought it was Turkey for the second goal. I was like, "Oh, yeah. Turkey so great." And then I saw it was coverage. I was actually, you know, fair enough. Um maybe just because if he hangs around with lots of old people, you think he's old. I mean, that is highly possible when you play for Croatia. Max, we haven't I mean Harland scored two goals and um almost had a hat-tick and like this is the first mention of him um just in in this this game. Like it's just ridiculous, isn't it? The amount of goals that he scores that we now just go, oh, you know, of course he scored two goals in that game. Like it's just not easy to score the amount of goals he does, but we just we we just we do take it for granted. >> Just check his run so that he's running at pace for the header is is brilliant. Um he just pushed someone over for the second and then the hattick that wasn't was a really brilliant finish, wasn't it?