Indo Sport
The Football Show | Parrott soars | No pep in Pep's step | Slot bemoans pesky low blocks
22 Jan 2026
Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
This is an Irish Independent Podcast.
Now, welcome everybody. Football show. We have Gary Breen on the way to chat to us all things Champions League and a little look ahead to the weekend. Happy to say before that, Ronan Mullin here in studio. Hi, Ronan. Hi, Joe. And Conor Doherty.
Chapter 2: What are the highlights from the recent Champions League matches?
Conor. Hello, Joe. Our football show is sponsored by Sky Sports and Sports Extra, where you can watch every live Premier League match this season. So this weekend, what have we got? West Ham, Sunderland, Saturday lunchtime, TNT, followed by City Wolves at three on Premier League.
the Saturday night football offering is half past five Bournemouth at home to Liverpool and then of course Super Sunday half past four Manchester United Michael Carrick's Manchester United away to Arsenal you can get Sky Sports and Sports Extra on Sky or you can stream them with now there's your weekend
Michael Carrick has already beaten Michael Arteta, of course, in his previous stint as Manchester United manager. Do you remember that game? No, not really. Ronaldo scored. Do you remember the one where De Gea lay down on the goal line, but he was actually stood on by his own player? And Emile Smith-Rowe was like, all right, I'll just kick it into the empty net then. And I still won.
So, yeah, Michael Carrick has put Arteta to the sword already.
It's just a blur of inadequacy that time.
Then he handed it over to Ralph Ragnick. Here you go. You're in the top four. I got you through the knockout stages of the Champions League. You take it from here, big man.
Martin O'Neill-esque. Here you go. I've left this job nice and pretty for you.
Michael Carrick, a couple of years later, is like, OK, I'll come back. Yeah. I should mention, by the way, Will Slattery. People right about now might be saying, where is that guy? He's over in Tenerife and based on the WhatsApp he sent, watching Celtic matches on TV.
Yeah.
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Chapter 3: How is Manchester City coping with their current crisis?
He's played a lot of games, by the way. 31 games. He's, of every Premier League player, he's 12th on a list of minutes played on the pitch. So... I don't know if they needed to play him in their 10-1 win against Exeter City in the FA Cup, but that's where they are. Here's Haaland on his situation, situation generally.
I don't have the answers and again as I said I take full responsibility of not being able to score the goals I should do so I just apologise to everyone every single Man City supporter and every single supporter that travelled today because in the end it's embarrassing and in the end I mean they played some incredible football and in the end it's deserved so honestly I don't know what to say because I don't have the answers and what I can say is sorry
Liverpool, meanwhile, they... It was like unexpectedly comfortable away to Marseille. 3-0 win. Saab's lie with the first free kick under the wall. It was interesting when he scored and he put his hand straight away towards the bench as if to say, thanks, mate. Whoever had told me to hit that under the wall had done due diligence. There was an OG then in Cody Gakbo with a good finish.
Ekotika hit the crossbar. So they were pretty much on top. Arne Slott... If it wasn't for the pesky low block, Liverpool, where would they be, wondered Arne Slot.
I know so well why we're not consistent. And that has mainly to do with when a game is more open. When tactics are involved, when players can play through the lines, when they can show how good they are, that's a completely different game than against a low block. You need completely different quality against a low block.
And in a low block, it has not so much to do with what you prepare before the game. You just have the ball a lot. You get in the final third and something should happen. I think Pep said something very good about that, what I've said 15 times this season already as well, what the importance is of facing a low block.
And you cannot compare that with a game tonight where both teams want to play out from the back, where both teams want to press.
And every game we've played this season when this was the situation, we've played very good games, we've lost at City, we've lost at Chelsea, but many of these games we've got results, but our reason why we're inconsistent, if you want to call 14 times unbeaten inconsistent, And then that has all to do with us struggling against low blocks. Not sure that stacks up.
Not sure that's the issue this season.
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Chapter 4: What are the implications of Arsenal's recent performance?
He's brilliant. He is a player that when your team was coming to play against United he was the one that was constantly terrifying. The balance, the both feet that he has, the dynamic runs, the
the vicious strike is actually nice to watch on the football pitch but um and united's point of view and obviously it wasn't in great taste they were thinking well a is a really good player we wouldn't mind keeping him or b is a big asset that we could sell for close to 100 million so it seems like a a waste of money they were thinking about it through that prison but um i wonder because he's so good on such a level and he's carried it on from the united days like i
if Bakaya Saka wasn't there in England, would this be a bigger deal? Would there be a bit more support? I know that sounds bad to even think about that, but would there be a few more people being like, we've got a big gap on the right-hand side. This guy's tearing up trees in Ligon. Short version, yes.
Yeah, it's just because they have somebody who would be starting anyway if Greenwood was part of the England factor. Saka would still be playing, but it's just an interesting thing to think about.
Yeah, no, I think it's absolutely true. Money then, Deloitte have published their really rich clubs list again. Real Madrid are top 1.2 billion in revenue per year. Barcelona second, so Madrid first, Barcelona second, Bayern Munich third, PSG fourth. You know, you kind of think, God, it'll be Premier League dominated.
Fifth is Liverpool, sixth is Manchester City, seventh is Arsenal and down four places Manchester United who... Match day revenue, TV money, all well down. Interestingly, if you were to ask most people, like, what's the bulk of the revenue? I think people would say TV money.
So like, you know, TV money with Madrid is like 300 odd million, with Liverpool 320 million, City 330, Arsenal 324, United it's dropped to 205. But so TV money is a big part of it.
But the big kind of the match day revenue is up and actually match day revenue is growing at 16 percent year on year because, frankly, they're putting in lots of things like, you know, the corporate sector and sit in this box next to the tunnel and pay stupid money and we'll take your money if you're stupid enough to want to do it. So match day revenue is up 16 percent.
broadcast revenue has flatlined I think that's the interesting thing you know I don't know if TV money is going to the bubble will burst but broadcast revenue has grown 10% but the only reason it grew 10% was because of the FIFA Club World Cup but domestic revenue has plateaued not dropping but it's plateaued but the commercial revenue kind of across the board has shot up
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Chapter 5: How is Troy Parrott performing in the Eredivisie?
Could we take 10 seasons of... What would we call it? Manchester United? United? I don't know. God, that'd be bad.
I'd watch it all the time. I'd watch it, yeah. Like, I'm wondering for me, United, a club point of view, though, it's like a really interesting period. One of the most interesting is going to be this period. For sure. What happens when the Queen is gone? You know, what's... And if you can get the right guy to play Ferguson.
Do you want to give me an early casting shout? For anyone? Anyone.
Jeez, that's hard.
Matt Busby. Ray Fiennes.
Matt Busby, Ray Fiennes.
I'll be stunned, and I will be playing a dream sequence sound effect in years to come about this. I'll be stunned if James McAvoy isn't somewhere in this. Playing someone.
Sorry, I've got my Ferguson. Who? I've got my Ferguson. Hit me, hit me, hit me. Why can't I remember his name? Oh, you've got him, but you can't think of his name. No, sorry. He's in the top five greatest actors of this generation. Timothy Chalamet. He was the dad in Adolescence. Stephen Graham. Stephen Graham, sorry. Stephen Graham as Ferguson. Wow, that's good. He's a scouser though.
Oh, I think Stephen Graham could pull off an accent.
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Chapter 6: What is the significance of Manchester City refunding their fans?
Oh, yeah. Yeah, definitely. Certainly with the Ireland jersey, because, you know, it meant so much to you. You know, for me, you think about the iconic ones. I mean, I've got a picture of me as a young boy wearing that O'Neill's one. And I actually have that as an adult version now, because that's my kind of throwback one that I would put on.
when there's a big games and I haven't had like kind of an opportunity to put it on that much recently, but I certainly will have in March.
Yeah, I was just looking as well. The early feedback was 105 euro. No, thank you from lots of people. They are getting steep, aren't they? And by the way, that's the kind of, oh, I don't know, like just the every person one. If you want to get the ones that the players are wearing, which I presume absorbs your sweat or something, it's 145 euro for that one.
Yeah, and I don't know about those player fits on the average Joe. You know what I mean? I think he can be quite tight and unforgiving. I always remember John Artson in that Wales Kappa kit. Looked great on the Italians, didn't it? The Kappa, not so much on the Welsh.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, it's all out and ready for sale. We are 63 days away till Czechia, so it's going to creep up. Let's talk about Troy Power at the moment because we just mentioned him before you were with us. He has now scored 20 goals in 26 appearances. Really...
You know, and this is with the side, by the way, who are seventh in the Dutch top flight, who are 23 points off PSV, whose coach was sacked last week. So it's not like he's, you know, performing in a team which is operating all systems go. And I guess his goal last night, similar to the two he scored against Ajax, he sort of has a nose and an anticipation of where to go, when to go.
And it looks it looks a nothing tap in, but there's more to it than that.
He's an incredible form of his life, really, isn't he? And the confidence that those five goals would have given him for Ireland. But he's always... I mean, I said this to you before, Joe. Even when he's played for Ireland, I think he's not particularly had a great opportunity. But when he got it, he took it. But I've always liked him. I said to you, I saw him as a young player.
And I know that he was...
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Chapter 7: What strategies does Liverpool need to overcome low blocks?
back to where they belong not just having because when you know when the new manager comes in there's always a little bit of a bounce and everyone's got a clean slate and that's why you worry about these players is that were they when they revert to type i hear what you're saying i think there's going to be some quality managers available that's been well documented but that's not to say that just because they succeeded elsewhere they can succeed at united
The flip side of that, Joe, is that just because you play for United, it doesn't mean you understand it. It doesn't. I know that they say that, but clubs move on. I couldn't go back to my old clubs and say that I know them inside out because I haven't been there for so long. And everyone says, oh, he knows United and he knows Ferguson. It's Alex Ferguson who had the success.
It's not essentially the Man United way. It's Alex Ferguson. They weren't successful before him.
Completely. Well, so it's going to be interesting for sure. Arsenal, San Siro, 3-1 win against Inter who were top of Serie A. And that was on the foot of, God, they drew at Nottingham Forest. Like, what's going on with this title challenge kind of vibe? So they look to be still in a really good place or are performances like the Nottingham Forest one giving you pause for thought?
No, I think at times you're looking at it and thinking, well, I certainly look at them games and think, the game against Forest was at risk at times, and the game against Liverpool was certainly at risk, yet they didn't lose. And I know people can say, it's only really Villa with that late winner that have done that to Arsenal.
So there's so many times in every game for Arsenal where the opposition feel like they're in it, like Bournemouth, Everton in recent weeks, and yet they don't get over the line, Arsenal just get it done. Even against Inter... At the San Siro, there was a moment where you're thinking, oh, they could be under a bit of pressure. They just saw it out. And that was with seven changes.
And, you know, that's effectively showing the strength and depth within that squad. The only thing I'm looking forward to really seeing on Saturday is that, does Jesus start? Will he lead the line? Or will Jokers come back in? Jesus. It was so fascinating because I think about Jesus initially coming to Arsenal with Zinchenko. That brings him into the city. I'm sorry.
Arteta brings him in from Pep City as players who know about what's required to win so he did elevate that squad it's part of the kind of the culling of that Arsenal team that was serial underperformer so they come in but Arsenal have now benefited from those players, but they've gone beyond them. Sinchenko's gone out. There was a lot of talk that Jesus was.
But it looks like Jesus has now identified, listen, there's still a role for me here. If I can score goals, and the two goals that he got against him were Fox in a Box type of goals. They weren't the type of ones, because he's a fabulous footballer. He's quite fluid, isn't he, running around that forward line. He really stays in that box.
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