You're listening to the FootGlish podcast. Love
football, learn English. How sweet was Arsenal's
victory over the reigning champions of Europe,
Real Madrid? How good was Declan Rice and his
two magical free -kicks? Will Arsenal win the
Champions League this year? And what are some
ways to say thank you in English? Hello everyone,
welcome back to the FootGlish podcast. My name
is Zdenek Lukas and I'm the host of this project.
It's a podcast for English learners around the
world who want to improve or who would like to
improve their English through football. And as
always, there is a guest and today it's none
other than Carl. Welcome back, Carl. Hi Zdenek,
thanks a million for having me again. Great to
be back on under such good circumstances. Exactly.
We're definitely going to be talking today about
the Arsenal win, a fantastic result against Real
Madrid. But first things first, a little birdie
told me, Carl, that you've started your own podcast
now. Yes, this is true. This is true, Zdenek.
After many years of threatening to... to set
up our own podcast uh fearing for what people
might actually think of us when we when they
hear our football views that we usually keep
behind closed doors myself and uh my housemate
we decided to set up our own podcast it's called
um tlc sports and what does it stand for you
have to explain that so tlc is um It's an old
phrase that some of your listeners and viewers
might know from tender, loving care. However,
my housemate, Brian, who's my co -host on the
podcast, his dog that he got two years ago, his
name is Ted Lasso Cantwell. So TLC comes from
Ted Lasso Cantwell. But the podcast is called
On Current Form. TLC Sports podcast on current
form. We're kind of workshopping the names. Long
name. Trying to shorten it down. Trying to shorten
it down. How can I find it if I search for it
online? Yes, so you can find it. It should hopefully
be easy enough for you to find us. We do have
a YouTube channel, which I put the podcasts onto
as well as Spotify. So if you have Spotify or
YouTube, you can find it on both of those. We'll
put a link in the description of this podcast
then to make it easier for the listeners to check
it out. But for me, it's fantastic news that
you have started your own podcast about football
because now you are my colleague. That's great.
You will have even more insights than you normally
do about football games. So that's why it's a
great opportunity to have you here again. And
I think, you know what we're going to talk about?
I wonder, I wonder, I wonder. I wonder too. That
magical night that we all witnessed. I don't
know if all of us, but those of us that follow
football. follow English teams and definitely
if you are an Arsenal fan like the two of us,
you will have known about Arsenal beating Real
Madrid 3 -0 at home in the Champions League quarter
-final. How does that sound, Kyle? Oh, music
to my ears, Zdenek, is what it is. It's absolutely
fantastic. I have to say, beforehand... I wasn't
overly confident that we could, you know, score
that many goals, certainly. But, my God, just
by far the best European night I've seen under
Arteta and maybe even under Wenger or previous
over the last 10 years, at least. I can't remember
a better night. Honestly, such a... What makes
it even better is the fact that we beat the reigning
champions. So they are the ones who have been
winning it so many times in the last decade.
I don't know how many times, at least five times,
maybe six or something. Yeah, it's six of the
last 11 they've won. Oh my goodness, right? And
now they won it again last year. So beating such
a team in such... A manner, in my opinion, as
well. Because you know what can happen sometimes
if you have a bad day in the office, right? Like,
it's football. You play well, you have like 20
chances and you score no goals and then the opponent
has one half chance and they score. It happens
in football. We've seen it before. It wasn't
the case, was it? It sounds an awful lot like
a lot of Arsenal games so far this season. Smashing
drabs, yeah. Yeah, a lot of chances created by
us, but not necessarily putting away the chances
created. But this was a deserved victory, wasn't
it? 100%, 100%. I can't remember the last time
we were this dominant against this quality of
a side, you know, perhaps just a City game where
we won 5 -1, but even that was an outlier before
that. I can't remember. Just from front to back,
I mean, I'm sure we'll go on to Heroes of the
Week at some point, but there's so many to choose
from, so many different players that stood out
from their performances. That just, yeah, it
was just fantastic to watch from front to back.
Exactly. Well, we have to mention especially
one name, Declan Rice, scored two world -class
free kicks. So I think we haven't seen a converted
free kick from Arsenal since maybe 2021 or something?
2021? Martin Odegaard scored last time. So many
years, even. So many games without us scoring
a free kick. And then Declan Rice, of all people.
I mean, he is good. He has been taking corners,
right? I didn't know that he was that good. Yeah,
when he first arrived and talking to some West
Ham fans, they said what you see from Declan
Rice physically is obviously quite apparent what
you're going to get from him. Someone who's very
strong, tall, is able to drive with the ball
at his feet. But certainly something that a lot
of them had said to me was that he is so technically
gifted from dead ball situations. And it's amazing
that he hasn't, you know, been our free kick
taker up until now, at least those direct free
kicks up until now, if that's what he's had in
his locker, you know? Yeah, I think he's going
to be the free kick taker for the rest of the
season. At least maybe even beyond that now.
After this. Definitely. It's the type of shots
that the goalkeeper really can't save. Even the
goalkeeper of the qualities of... Courtois oh
yeah I mean and that's I think that kind of adds
to it as well the fact that it's you know Thibaut
Courtois in goal like we often see you know if
you ever look at those YouTube compilations of
the best free kicks ever scored and you know
a lot of the time the keeper maybe doesn't position
himself in the best way it's often a great strike
but you know Thibaut Courtois is a top rated
keeper one of the best in the world and to do
that not once but twice Simply incredible. Now,
I saw a lot of pundits afterwards kind of saying
that, you know, there should have been five in
the wall for the first one, which meant that
he wouldn't have been able to go around. But
I don't think anyone can say anything against
the second one, which is literally just postage
stamp goal, as they say. So brilliant. And then
we added one more goal. Miguel Mourinho. How
do you pronounce his name? Mourinho. Mourinho.
I would say Mourinho. Merino, because there is
also a famous manager, Jose Mourinho. So I keep
confusing those two, mispronouncing his name.
But that player, honestly, he has been getting
better and better. Oh, yeah, for sure. And it's
one of those things where Arteta has said in
numerous interviews that Merino knows that it's
obviously not his. position that he's playing
in but he's filling in he's doing a job and that
um he's like learning all the time he's always
asking questions he always wants to know how
can he improve himself and do better and maybe
his movement for the goal wasn't you know the
typical number nine in the box movement but his
instincts kicked in and Whether it was, I don't
know, it could have been a set play that they
had been working on from before, but certainly
not something I would have always thought, you
know, those situations you'd see the likes of
our attackers in years gone by, the likes of
Olivier Giroud would always be darting towards
the front post or the back post to kind of nick
it in at the back post. But yeah, just dropping
off and the contact that he got on the ball as
well was incredible. perfect yeah it was absolutely
spot on and so I think it's just for the keeper
like zero chance like he couldn't no keeper would
save those three shots they were just perfect
finishes and then on top of that Arsenal had
a lot of other chances that the keeper saved
like he was one of the best players of Real Madrid,
I thought, on the night. He had a great time.
He had a great performance and conceded three
times. I would have given him, I don't know,
at least seven or maybe eight out of ten for
that performance. Definitely. The double saves
were incredible. Yeah, absolutely. So any other
performers that stand out for you in that game?
Yeah, I think a lot of people will... point the
finger at Bakayosaka coming back and performing
very well or Miles Lewis Skelly you know stepping
into midfield being very young but one thing
that one player in particular that I want to
highlight is Thomas Partey and how well he you
know controlled the middle of that midfield just
it's as good a performance I've seen from him
in a long long time just He never seemed under
pressure. He never seemed out of control. It's
one of those things, it's a sign of a good midfielder
when they look like they have time on the ball.
And he always looked like he had time on the
ball yesterday. Just picked Madrid apart, intercepted
when he needed to, stepped up and just dictated
the game from start to finish, I think. I think
Arteta has really managed to sort of transform
the team mentality. That's the main thing for
me. So I know when he started and even from the
Wenger era, everybody kept saying that Arsenal
were soft touch and that we were, you know, but
what Arteta did, he's a bit of a, he has this
cynical sort of trait in him, right? Doesn't
he? playing for Rangers will do that other fans
hate him other fans can't stand him oh they hate
him they hate him and I feel like if he wasn't
my manager I'd hate him too because he's one
of those characters that just complains and complains
and gives out and he's always very animated at
the side of the pitch and as a as a fan you're
there going I love that I love the passion I
love the energy but as an opposing fan well as
someone who lives in the same house as a Manchester
United fan I can tell you they don't like it
at all wait so that's Brian Brian Brian your
mate from the podcast is a Manchester United
fan yes yeah yeah now he was happy for he was
happy for Arsenal to do well yesterday he says
he likes he'd like to see Arsenal do well I'm
trying not to look at it as a kind of condescending.
Oh, you're doing very well, you know. That's
a good attitude, especially considering that
you don't like to see Manchester United do well.
Oh, not at all. Not at all. I can tell. I know.
Okay, well. What else can we say about this?
I mean, how significant could it be perhaps for
the rest of the season? Does that mean now that
the tie is over? or is it not done yet? Is it
half of the job done or is it 70 % of the job
done? What do you think? Well, I think it's definitely
more than half the job done. I think any Arsenal
fan with an ounce of sense before this game would
have taken a 1 -0 win or a 2 -1 win or something
like that going back to the Bernabeu. Possibly
a draw. A draw, exactly. Keep us in the tie.
Exactly. exactly being in the tie with a chance
to win in a one off game is definitely something
that I certainly was expecting at the very least
but the season as a whole I don't know in the
grand scheme of things it's not going to help
us really kick on in the league I think the league
is definitely done barring some catastrophic
fall off if Liverpool lose the rest of their
games basically if Liverpool lose every single
game we would have to win every single hour game
and that's never going to happen so yeah and
but certainly it does put a much more positive
spin on the season as a whole I think being able
to do this I think if they what they really need
to do is they need to get to the final I think
in order for this season to be considered somewhat
of a success because it's not really a success
if you haven't got any silverware but which is
I guess a good thing though now as an Arsenal
fan to be thinking like that and to be viewing
the season like that because before top four
was a success and before you know challenging
top three even to second place would have been
viewed as a success but now you know Second place
isn't good enough. I'm sorry, but even the Champions
League final, it's not going to do it for me.
And the main reason is because Tottenham have
done it. Well, there you go. We have to go one
better. Not very long ago as well. I still have
it in vivid memory. So I don't want to see that.
Let's go for it. Let's go all the way then. beating
Real Madrid I think now we will be feared we
have become a force to be reckoned with hopefully
yeah I think you can't we can't really talk about
the game yesterday and of course next Wednesday
as well without like talking about the fact that
Madrid are very understaffed in a lot of places
you know like The other likes to chew him and
he was missing yesterday because of suspension.
But then they've like two of their starting back
four are out with serious long -term injuries
with Militao and Carvajal being out. So I think...
And one with a red card now as well, right? Camavingo.
I think Camavingo was going to miss the next
game anyway because he was on the yellow. So...
Getting a red, I guess, just sets them back to
zero. Gets them reset. But yeah, certainly I
think playing Valverde at right back, while it's
done well, it's like brought them a lot of success
in a lot of games, especially in La Liga. They
missed him in midfield. Kamavinga and Modric
just... they couldn't they couldn't control the
game the way i suppose modric is what 40 years
old now so it's it's uh it's tough for him to
control the game the way he used to but they
still have bellingham they have mbappe come on
like those players are like oh yeah no i and
absolutely i think that i think that on balance
as well we have had our share of injuries as
well obviously saka coming back from that long
-term injury and gabrielle not being around and
but like the fact that we aren't speaking about
Kivior at all. Exactly. None of the analysis
is talking about Kivior at all. It just shows
how great of a job he did. Yeah. And the fans
generally have been thinking that he is the weakest
link. When you saw him in the lineup, you get
a bit worried. But no, he was all right. Yeah.
Everybody just put in such a shift. And I think
it was something... Arteta must have prepared
the players so well psychologically. That, for
me, was the main thing. Because if you're facing
Real Madrid, it's a different kind of game than
playing against, I'm sorry, like Bramford, Crystal
Palace and these kind of teams. But maybe that
City victory... There have been a lot of green
shoots of us not being, like I said, a soft touch
anymore. Us being able to... deliver in these
big games and even Declan Rice spoke about the
fact in the post -match interview that he loves
these kind of games and that he's able to just
he's like in trance or something when he plays
these games you know I saw that when I was obviously
following Wes Hamm when he was there and he's
just like he likes to be in that position you
know in the position of a leader when often when
the odds are against him as well. That's something
that he thrives in. For sure. And I think that
what you've just said, leadership, that is something
that for the longest time we haven't had. And
then you look out onto the pitch yesterday and
you can almost, you can use two hands to count
the amount of leaders that were out there on
the pitch. That's true, yeah. leaders not just
in the way that they play but the way that they
hold themselves the way what they demand from
each other and you know like the fact that we
have califuri ben white gabrielle tommy asu missing
from our back line was timber playing it was
also timber was playing yeah so yeah yeah he's
one of he's one of those players that i think
steps up he just came back yeah yeah yeah i think
he's just like The fact that Timber is, like
Vinny was so quiet. Vinny was so quiet yesterday.
Mbappe obviously had, yeah, he certainly was
very, he was very quiet. Mbappe did have a few
chances, which I think going back to the Bernabeu,
those kind of chances, you can't be giving away
too many of those. Certainly, yeah, Timber just
was so, so strong on the right -hand side. Lewis
Skelly just seems like such a lockdown for that
left -back spot. One of the best in the league
now, I think we can probably say. Definitely.
Yeah, and then obviously Saliba at the back is
always going to be just the rules Royce in defence.
Which is the nickname he's been given, right?
Yeah, Carl, this is great news, obviously. So
now we can look forward to the... second leg
next week against Real Madrid at the Santiago
Bernabeu Stadium let's see what they have in
store for us hopefully if we lose it won't be
by a large margin so that we qualify to the semi
-final and then you're three games away from
winning it right so anything could happen anything's
possible yeah and against a team that we like
possibly against a team that we've already beaten
in the competition already in PSG or a team that
we're very familiar with with Aston Villa so
the draw does seem you know like one that you
would think we'd be able to pass her given if
we put in a performance like we did last night
or somewhere close to last night yeah okay do
you think we can we can make it then to the final
or to the next round Two very different questions,
Edenic. Can we make it until tomorrow? Well,
I don't know. I definitely can. I've watched
so many highlights and breakdowns and, you know,
fan watch -alongs today and last night. I could
definitely make it through. No, I think that...
Yeah, I think that definitely we can definitely
get through to the next round and then, you know,
With the confidence that that would bring. Exactly.
I think the focus, there will be so much focus
now. And there is, as you said, there are enough
leaders, there's so much experience and there
is also a lot of quality and sort of like youth
energy as well. So I think it's a great, great
elixir, great combination. Obviously in the league,
some inconsistencies. So there's still stuff
to fix, but now maybe because it's... You only
have one shot. You mess up, you're out, kind
of thing. I know there are two games, semifinal,
but you know what I mean. You can't afford to
make too many mistakes. So maybe we will go for
it then. Yeah, absolutely. I think the only team
that's been the same or on par or better than
us in the Champions League in terms of defence
has been Inter. And they obviously did a number
on Bayern, but... in a knockout tournament, having
such a strong defense like that is always going
to give you a chance because if you don't concede
too many, you don't need to score too many to
win. That is true. That is a great equation.
Thank you for all your mathematical knowledge
that you bring to this podcast, Carl. It's a
real Michael Owen take. Lovely to have you on
the podcast again and all the best to you, Arsenal,
and to your new podcast as well. Thanks very
much today. Thanks for having me as always. You're
very welcome. Take care. Welcome back to the
Language Corner. Did you miss me? Well, the Footgrish
podcast is back. I don't know if you missed the
Footgrish podcast. Basically, you can always
let me know in the comments on the YouTube channel,
on the Teachers' Denek YouTube channel where...
These episodes get published as a video. Obviously,
this is a podcast, so there is also an audio
version. Whichever version you prefer, one thing
is for certain, and that's the fact that there
is always the language corner, which is the part
of the show where I go through some language
which appeared in the episode and I clarify it.
Because I'm an English teacher, so it is my job
actually to do that. And hopefully you will be
able to come along for a ride. You will be able
to benefit from it as English learners and you
learn something new. That is the idea. The idea
is that you develop your listening skills because,
you know, everybody needs a lot of exposure to
English language, different accents. And it should
be different topics. But let's be honest, if
it's your passion, the thing that you're really
interested in, and I think, I hope so, I hope
that you are into football. And then I think
you learn a little bit faster because you don't
consider it hard work. It all comes to you naturally
because you're enjoying yourself. Hopefully,
that's the method to the madness. Basically,
that's the idea. of this podcast. Hopefully it
works. I'm pretty sure it does. I have studied
this stuff in university as well, so it should
work. But let's talk about some ways we can say
thank you in English. At the beginning of the
podcast, I welcomed my guest Carl to the Food
English podcast and his response was thanks a
million. for having me back on, which means thanks
or thank you for inviting me onto the podcast
again. He said thanks a million, which is a nice
little expression, a nice little way to say thank
you. Another one, of course, is thanks. That's,
I guess, more informal and kind of friendly sounding
and very short as well, right? You can, of course,
always say thanks a lot. And then another one
that is a little bit more formal and I often
see it at the end of emails is many thanks. This
one is more formal and definitely kind of British.
My favorite way of saying thank you however is
cheers which is a word that can be used for a
lot of things. For example when you're having
a toast when you have you know Some pints of
beer and before you drink, you say cheers, right?
But also it's used in British English to say
thank you. So if you buy something in a shop
or a waiter brings you your meal in a restaurant,
you can just say cheers. And there's one more
which is also informal, like cheers. And that
one is more common in Northern Ireland. And that's
ta, ta. I don't think it's just in Northern Ireland,
but that's what CGPT is suggesting here. I've
heard it from other Brits as well. I've heard
it from the English, ta. But I think it's maybe
slightly more old -fashioned. I think it's not
as popular as it used to be before. And then
there are some other ways to say thank you. You
can say something like... I really appreciate
it. It's kind of saying thank you. I've heard
people say thank you very much indeed. And even
thanks ever so much. And then you can also say
much, much obliged. Much obliged, which is, again,
a bit old -fashioned and formal, but still understandable,
of course, to people. Okay, well, I hope this
episode has been useful. I hope you learned some
new ways to say thank you. And I think the main
idea of this episode, of course, was to talk
about Arsenal and their fantastic win over Real
Madrid. What do you make of this game? What do
you think? Do you think Arsenal will make it
through? Please? Let me know in the comments.
And I can't stress this enough how important
comments are for this podcast. You may have noticed
that I haven't published many episodes lately.
You know why? Because I have been a bit, let's
say, lazy. I was feeling a bit lazy. And one
thing is for sure. If I saw more comments from
you, more likes, it would push me more. So please
give me some feedback because then... I will
have more motivation to keep going, right? That's
the idea. And if you want to give me even more
motivation, you could even support this podcast
on my HeroHero page. You will find everything
in the description of this episode, including
a link to Carl's YouTube channel where you can
find his podcast. Okay, that's it from me. Thank
you very much and speak to you soon. Take care.
Bye -bye. Cheers.