Soccer Saturday react as Liverpool, Man City and Fulham all win
Soccer Saturday reviews wins for Liverpool, Man City and Fulham, with debate on Brentford, Hull and Foden
The show reviews Premier League action as Liverpool beat Brentford, Fulham dominate Hull and Man City win despite not being at their best. The pundits back Brentford for Europe, say Hull must start picking up points, doubt Foden can become a regular starter and argue City's togetherness will only be tested after their first defeat.
- Brentford's red card was idiotic and completely unnecessary — The player put his head into an opponent's face while his team were 1-0 up, so there was no need for it
- Brentford will get into Europe this season — They are a very good team, took the game to Liverpool, Keith Andrews has done a great job and the match was even
- Liverpool's match-winner showed top-class finishing, but the game itself was even — He would have taken the player off because he looked worried about pushing himself too hard after injuries, yet the touch, finish and reading of the situation were excellent; overall there was nothing between the sides
- Fulham thoroughly deserved their win — They had nearly 80% possession, kept Hull City without a shot on target and showed control, ambition and character
- Charles is a Rolls-Royce in midfield, and a big club like Manchester United need that kind of legs in midfield — He drives with the ball and has real ability, while another midfielder also had full control
- Hull cannot just be hard to beat; they must start getting something from games — They hardly created a chance today, played anti-football to stay in the game and are under relegation pressure
- Hull's manager deserves respect because he is not managing for his own principles or a move, but pragmatically trying to keep them up — If Hull do not want him, no one else may take him because of how his team sets up; his approach is designed to keep them in the Premier League
- Foden will find it difficult to become a regular starter for Man City — He wants to play as a number 10, but there is a lot of competition there and the player probably ahead of him was rested today; he must take his chances
- Man City's togetherness will really be tested when they lose their first game — While they keep winning, it is easy to talk about togetherness; the first defeat will show what this team is made of given the background issues
- Without Haaland, Man City do not win that game — He is lethal in and around the box and could have had a hat-trick; the only worry is that he limped off after the final whistle
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Transcript
Mercy, you're watching this game. Before we talk Liverpool, just a quick word on Brenford because they were one nil up through Keen Lewis Potter and then comes that idiotic sending off from Yamalook is his first sending off putting his head into the face of Jac. It was so so unnecessary. And up until that point, how good had Brenford been? >> Well, very good. Very good. Nothing. Well, they're one nil up, but they're probably just I wouldn't say the better team cuz Barcola misses a real good chance at nil nil. But they're playing Liverpool, one of the top teams in the country. Nothing in it and they're one nil up. So that, you know, for me, I don't want to put pressure on Keith Keith Andrews. Think he's done a great job, but I'd be shocked if they didn't get into Europe this year. >> I think they're a very good football team. They're a good team. They pushed they pushed Liverpool. They have a go. They didn't like go, "Oh, we got Liverpool coming. We're going to sit everybody back. They got pace." You know, they took the game to Liverpool, you know, you know, Barcola, as I said, went through one-on-one. He's got pace, so he's going to do that. But for me, I I like Brenford. Brenford ain't going away in my opinion. >> Uh, in the end, the winner coming from from ESAG, 12 points Liverpool have picked up so far this season. He's been responsible for seven of them. His fifth Premier League goal this afternoon. It felt after coming back from his latest injury, he was holding something back, but holding nothing back from that finish. >> Yeah, I I was sort of saying I would bring him off because he he just looked he looked like he was a bit worried about pushing himself too hard and and I understand he's had some injuries and he don't want to set back again for another month or two, but his finish is different class honestly. His touch and then the finish, the way he reads the situation as well was was amazing. And that's why you pay top dollar for them players cuz their finishing is unbelievable. But if you look at overall the game, nothing in it in my opinion. Nothing. But both the sending offs easily given >> and Tim it was a dominant performance in terms of possession nearly on 80% possession. Not a single shot on target for Mull City. We come on to talk about Hull shortly. But but first of all I mean when you're in the situation they were he was coming to this game. You do not care. Just get the job done. And they did. >> Yeah. No matter if you've managed Real Madrid or not, you know, you just want your first result. They've deserved better um over the period, but they've thrown away leads what they've had in games and today they could have done the same again, but they didn't deserve to. They played very well. They in control. He used them words control, didn't he? He used ambition. He used character of his team. They showed all of that today. Um and they thoroughly deserved it. I I just think they got some good partnerships there. Charles is a Rolls-Royce in midfield. You know, we talk about big teams like Manchester United needing legs in midfield. This boy drives with the ball. He's got real ability, real good ability. Burger in midfield as well has full control of it. And King and Oscar Bob up top, you know, King is he he talked about King there, >> but he called him amazing. >> He is he he was amazing today. He can still develop. He needs to still develop. He needs to work on his finishing. He could score goals. He could add goals to his game. Um but he looks like a real good type who wants to learn. And Aobi's must be one of the most underrated players in the Premier League. The amount of games he turns out, different >> different positions where he plays. He was excellent today. He was a goal scorer, but he was absolutely fantastic today. But I have to say, but they're up against whole city. Whole city newly promoted. I know they started very well, but on the evidence of what I see, it's the first time I've seen them today. They're in a relegation with and I and I I think um Yukanovich, the manager, absolutely knows that. And all of them players know it. They have to stick together. They have to dig in. They hardly created a chance today. They didn't deserve to. They played anti- football trying not to win the game just to try and stay in the game. And they did stay in it. And they should have been. They should have been put to bed a long time before the final whistle. But um it was only because Fuller never took their chances. I mean, three clean sheets had in six Premier League games coming to this. He's trying to make them hard to beat. But the thing is you've also got to get something as well at some stage. You can't just be a hard to beat team in the Premier League. >> Yeah, absolutely. And I think you they dig in really well and I say they know what they are. They play five across the back. They play four in front of them and Mc Bernie's up top. He's in a different post code to the rest of his team. You know, they can't get up in support of him. You know, it's really really difficult for him to hold the ball up for two minutes while they get in support. They're going to need to elaborate on what they're doing. They have to pick the games to be able to do that. I thought one of them games would have been today. I thought they th should have thrown caution to the wind a little bit earlier because the anxiety was starting to breathe. We had 60 minutes um from the crowd. But in the end, you'd have to say they thoroughly deserved the win today. Fulham and whole I've got a lot of time for him because the manager, he's not managing this team for his own benefit. He's not trying to play sticking to his to his principles and however he wants to play so he can get a move to another club. There's no one else taking him if Hold don't want him because of the way your team set up. But he's doing his utmost to keep them in the league and the way he feels to keep him in the league is exactly the way he's playing. >> Just a quick word on on Phil Fodden. First of all, the first goal in 38 the club and country back from suspension today. Overall, how did he fare? >> I done well. He wants to play in that number 10, but as I said, it's going to be a struggle to get into that number 10 because they've got a lot of them at the moment and Churkey is probably the number one and he rested him today. But all Phil Foden can do is when he gets these opportunities, take it. I think he's a fantastic um footballer, but it's going to be difficult to become a regular in that Man City team, but when he's been when he gets given the opportunity, he's got to grab it with both hands. Is the question marks over whether this togetherness that the situation has put upon them going to raise itself more when things start to go against them? As long as they keep winning in the Premier League, then they could talk about the togetherness and doing it for the fans. But but once that first defeat comes, that's when we find out really what this team are made of given everything happening in the background. >> Yeah, definitely. But I I think they seem like a good group and they are going to stick together. be very surprised if they go the whole season unbeaten to be fair. That would be really difficult and then they would go on and probably claim the trophy. We don't know obviously what's going to happen with other stuff that is going on at that football club. But as as Phil Fen said, all they can do is take care of business now. But you're right side once they lose that first game then we'll see how it was. It at times it was nervy today. They weren't on their best. >> Could have been a banana skin. It could have been a banana skin and I switch came to came to Manchester and had a right goal. But you know what? That's the sign of a good team where you're not at your very best, but you still go manage to get over that line and get the three points. But that's just down to it's not one man, it's a whole team collective. But without Harland, they don't win that game. He just he he's just lethal in and around that box. He could have had a hat trick. The only thing I think City fans and the players will be worried about is he limped off and as soon as the >> he was a real hobble when he came out, >> final whistle went, he went straight down and that was at the end where he tried to get his hat trick, he kicked the bottom of an Ipsswitch um town players boot and they can be sore ones. I think he'll be all right. But him and Semano both had niggles.