Today, we unpack football’s most fabled shirt number and position: the number nine.

Marcus, David and Vish steer you through the evolution of the position, from the sneaky goalhangers, to the all-action centre-forwards at the turn of the century, to… Vithushan Ehantharajah at university? Each iteration mirror broader changes in the sport. Especially Vish.

Tweet us @FootballRamble and email us here: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive live events, ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble.

***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***

Arsenal fans who watched Chelsea vs. Fulham last night must have concluded that not paying a high price for Mudryk’s services was the right decision.

Although Mudryk gave Liverpool a run for their money for 35 minutes when Chelsea played last week, Liverpool haven’t been at their best. Many expected him to continue where he left off in his full debut Friday night against Fulham, but Fulham completely shut him down.

If Arsenal had been playing Fulham and Mudryk was an Arsenal player, he would have been the wrong player to look at for something spectacular. The Ukrainian Sensation received a 3 out of 10 from Ryan Walker of the Daily Mail for his poor 45 minutes on the field before being replaced at halftime.

“Chelsea supporters expect a lot from the Ukrainian winger, and rightfully so after his £88 million January arrival. Against Fulham, however, the pace merchant struggled to demonstrate just why the club paid so much for his services and was hooked off at halftime by Graham Potter,” Walker wrote on the Daily Mail.
“It hasn’t yet been revealed whether his untimely departure was injury or performance related, but judging by his first-half outing, the latter is more likely.

“Mudryk caused Liverpool’s defence all sorts of problems last time out, against Fulham he was suffocated of space and was easily managed out of the game. A real welcome to Premier League football if ever there was one.”

Arsenal’s January transfer window can only be praised; Arteta and Edu went shopping and returned with what they wanted.

Leandro Trossard, Jakub Kiwior, and Jorginho are all excellent title-charge acquisitions. Alan Hutton has singled out Jorginho for praise among the three January signings. Hutton believes the Italian’s ability with the ball at his feet, as well as his experience, will be beneficial to what is going on at Arsenal.

“So I think it is a good move for Arsenal; I think it is an intelligent one. Even though at first glance he might not fit into their way of playing, I think there will come a time where he will be needed,” said Hutton to Football Insider about Jorginho’s Arsenal switch.

“Later on in the season, he is cool with the ball and that could be something that they could need later on because he has got that experience.”

Meanwhile, Paul Brown tells Give Me Sport why he feels Jorginho will easily guide Arsenal to the PL title. “I honestly feel like people are underestimating just how brilliant a signing this is going to be for Arsenal; I genuinely think this could be the signing that wins them the title,” Brown said.

The Gooners don’t brag about it, but signing Leandro Trossard was a brilliant move. The Belgian international is versatile, and he may be having his best season in the Premier League since his debut.

Trossard has been in the Premier League for three seasons and scored eight goals last season. Prior to that, he had scored five league goals in a row. Trossard is on pace to set a personal goal record this season with 7 goals in 17 games.

Stan Collymore believes Arsenal’s signing of Trossard alone is a better deal than Tottenham’s determined pursuit of Sporting Lisbon’s Pedro Porro. Tottenham’s major winter signing was Pedro Porro, who was signed on a £5 million loan deal with a £39 million option to buy clause.

“Pedro Porro came in from Sporting Lisbon. It’s a great move for him, but he’s an average player that’ll be told to do a job. When you compare that kind of signing to the ones Chelsea are making, sure, it may be unfair to compare any club to them because they’re blowing everyone out of the water at the moment, but even Arsenal’s signing of Trossard, Spurs fans must be pulling their hair out thinking, “Why couldn’t we have got him?” Stan Collymore said on Caught Offside.

It’s amusing to hear Spurs being teased about why they couldn’t muster the courage to beat Arsenal to Leandro Trossard’s deal. Nevertheless, for all the brilliant moves Arsenal made last month, Arteta and Edu deserve all the credit.

Ian Wright is not happy about Arsenal’s 1-0 loss at Everton this afternoon, but the Gunners’ legend insists they must learn quickly and move on from the setback.

Arsenal is in an unlikely title race and has dealt with the pressure of leading the league standings very well so far.

After beating the likes of Tottenham and Manchester United in recent weeks, everyone expected another win against the Toffees.

Champions do not have to go through a campaign unbeaten, but it is important that they recover after every setback.

Wright knows this and tweeted:

Darren Bent has given Everton credit for how hard they worked to secure a 1-0 win against Arsenal this afternoon.

The Toffees have had a bad season, which cost Frank Lampard his job and Sean Dyche was brought in to help the team perform better.

We all expected this game to be a tough first match for the former Burnley man. However, that never happened and the Gunners saw their unbeaten run end with just their second defeat of the season in the league.

Everton deserved something from the game and former striker Bent admits they worked well for the victory.

He tweeted:

Talk Sports editor Tom Rennie believes the midfield Arsenal used in the second half of their match against Everton is simply not good enough to win the league.

The Gunners had an off day at Goodison Park as they lost only their second league game of the season against a very determined Everton side.

Gooners have come to expect top performances from their team in this campaign, but the quality was lacking in the side, which forced Mikel Arteta to make some changes in the second half.

However, things did not exactly get better and one area the Gunners were terrible at was in midfield.

After the game, Rennie tweeted:

Sky Sports’ Peter Smith insists Arsenal had no answers to breaking down Everton in their Premier League game today.

The Gunners took on the struggling Toffees in a game that fans expected them to win, but with their new manager on the touchline, Everton secured a 1-0 victory.

Sean Dyche has been their latest gaffer for just a few days and the players enjoyed a new manager bounce with that win.

Arsenal struggled to make the kind of impact we are used to seeing from them and they could not break down a Toffees side that looked well-drilled.

After the game, Smith said on Sky Sports:

Danilo, Nottingham Forest’s winter midfield signing, was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal for the better part of 2022.

According to reports, Arsenal’s offer for the Brazilian’s services in the summer of 2022 was rejected by Palmeiras.

Back then, Arsenal’s signing of the 22-year-old was dubbed a “shrewd signing” by BBC Reporter Zach Lowy. He tweeted, “Did not expect Arsenal to prioritise a midfielder over a winger in the final day of the window, but Danilo would be a shrewd pickup for them if they can get it over the line.”

Many expected a new offer this winter, but Arsenal were slow to return to convince Palmeiras to do business with them, so Nottingham Forest beat them to the Brazilian’s signature.

Although it is difficult to see the impact of Arsenal’s failure to sign Danilo, Football Fan Cast believes Arteta simply missed out on having his own Gilberto Silva. Those who watched Silva at Arsenal’s midfield knew he was the real deal.

Arsenal will make the long trip back to London disappointed after losing 1-0 to Everton on Merseyside.

The Gunners named the same starting line-up for the fifth consecutive game, but despite the consistency on the teamsheet, we struggled for form early on.

The first half was a real struggle for us, with Sean Dyche’s appointment bringing an immediate improvement from their side, and we eventually made it to the break level. Bukayo Saka had come closest to scoring in the opening 45 minutes, but two chances for Dominic Calvert-Lewin really should have been put away also.

After the break, the deadlock was finally broken, and it was no shock that it was another dangerous Everton corner which bared the fruit for the opener. James Tarkowski managed to find space between a sea of players to get his head onto the ball and send it into the goal, leaving us just 30 minutes on the clock to put things right.

Despite bringing on all of Jorginho, Leandro Trossard and Fabio Vieira, we still struggled to break through an organised Dyche defence. Odegaard tried to place an effort into the far side of the net, only to send his effort wide of the post with time ticking on.

Marcus, Jim, Andy and Luke preview a big ol’ weekend of the FA Cup!

Jim brings a troubling Mauro Icardi update, Roy Hodgson swoops down onto the pitch at Craven Cottage, and there are stunning revelations that Marcus once watched an entire Scottish Cup final in John Lewis’ TV section.

Plus, can Duncan Ferguson try to convince King Charles to become a Forest Green fan? And will his sausage fingers be allowed through the turnstiles?

Tweet us @FootballRamble and email us here: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive live events – our next one is on Sunday 5th February! You'll also get ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble.

Dotun and Andy are joined by Italian football expert Nicky Bandini to get their heads around the chaos at Juventus. We discuss what could come next, how much money the club owe Cristiano Ronaldo, and the possibility of the deduction being reversed entirely. Plus, could title-chasing Napoli really get dragged into this?

We also discuss a truly ridiculous goal-fest in Germany and the one surprise contender that could leave Bayern looking nervously over their shoulder. And over in Spain, how have Sevilla gone from Champions League regulars to relegation strugglers?!

Tweet us @FootballRamble and email us here: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive live events, ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble.

***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***

Jules, Luke and Jim jump into the pocket of big Carabao for a bonus Ramble! Seriously though, why is the River Tyne so green and fizzy today?

Elsewhere, Everton are in talks with Big Sam – seriously – and we find out that referees might be about to get a new card. Plus, the narrative couldn’t be stronger north of the border: a sixth-tier team whose owner makes Scotch pies beating Aberdeen. Vintage fitba. 

Tweet us @FootballRamble and email us here: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive live events, ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble.

***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***

Today, we turn the Ramble spotlight onto the master puppeteer himself: José Mourinho.

From the moment he sprinted into our footballing lives at Old Trafford with his coat billowing behind him, to his almighty fall from grace at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester, we relive all his charm, flaws, and that absolutely unrelenting chip on his shoulder.

We explain why Real Madrid ruined his career and we settle it once and for all: who has had the most successful managerial career, Guardiola or Mourinho?

Let us know what you thought of today’s episode on Twitter @FootballRamble and email us here: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive live events, ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble.

There are barn cinders all over North London! Marcus, Jim, Vish and David react to an epic tussle between Arsenal and Manchester United.

In more exciting news, Jim meets Jack Wilshere, Kate meets Frank Lampard, and everyone wishes that Liverpool didn’t meet Chelsea. Surprisingly, David then makes the case for Dychey at Everton and we discover why Kaoru Mitoma is so bloody good. And a Ramble legend returns to the fold in the Championship. He’d bite your hand off for a draw.

Tweet us @FootballRamble and email us here: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Join us for our next live watchalong in London in February! Just sign up for our Patreon to get involved. You'll also get access to ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble.

***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***

Marcus, Luke and Andy see in the weekend! We check in with Charlie Kane, struggle to translate a very unrelaxed and dehydrated Pep Guardiola, and bring news from Cristiano Ronaldo’s debut! Is that… Kasabian’s guitarist on the left wing?

Plus, Luke finally completes his long-anticipated transformation into Richard Keys and Andy and Marcus face off in a Jack’s Encyclopaedia that will probably go immediately out of date. STOP SIGNING PLAYERS TODD FOR GOD’S SAKE!

Tweet us @FootballRamble and email us here: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive live events, ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble.

***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***

Where else to start this week but in Naples! After Napoli steamroll Juventus, Dotun, Lars and Andy explore just how Napoli have become the most exciting team in Europe – the secret is all in the midfield and one former Fulham man…

Elsewhere, Barcelona’s young guns prove why they can edge Real Madrid’s trophy juggernauts in the title race, even if Joan Laporta is up to more antics. Plus, how are Bayern placed without their key man between the sticks as the Bundesliga returns – and why have a team in Italy rehired their manager after 36 hours?!

Tweet us @FootballRamble and email us here: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive live events, ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble.

***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***

Two managers have defined football in the 21st century more than anyone else. And luckily for us, they have also both absolutely hated each other! Across two special Ramble Guides, we’re exploring their influence and their hatred in all its glory. 

In Part 1, Marcus, Andy and Vish look at the career of Pep Guardiola. We discuss how he built Barcelona and simultaneously pissed everyone off, how his rivalry with Mourinho at Real Madrid almost broke him, and his unrivalled influence on English football.

We’ll be back next Tuesday to discuss the fallen angel himself: José Mourinho!

Let us know what you thought of today’s episode on Twitter @FootballRamble and email us here: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive live events, ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble.

How do you build a football team from scratch? That’s exactly the dilemma today’s guest has had to overcome!

Lutz Pfannenstiel is the only footballer in history to play in all six FIFA continental confederations. And now, he’s sporting director of St Louis City, a brand new football club entering MLS next month. We asked him what it’s like to build a squad - and a fanbase - from nothing and how he’s drawn on one of the most unique playing careers in the sport to guide the club forward.

Who would you like Kate to speak to next? Tweet us @FootballRamble and email us here: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Sign up for our Patreon for exclusive live events, ad-free Rambles, full video episodes and loads more: patreon.com/footballramble.

***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!***