CLUB FOOTBALL IS BACK! Southampton vs Arsenal | The Opposition View With (AFTV)

Welcome back to the channel. I've got a very, very special guest joining me for the Arsenal preview.

We're going to get the inside scoop on all things Arsenal with AF TV legend, Cecil.

Thank you very much for joining me, my friend. I really appreciate you coming on.

No problem. It's a pleasure to be here. Thank you all. You gave me the message and I said,

you know what? Of course, and I'm going to do the same favor as well and do vice versa.

You're going to be on AF TV as well. So it's going to be, it's going to be a good hour.

We need to know a lot about Southampton. I can give you all the information around Arsenal.

And yeah, let's, I mean, let's get into it. It's a big game. It's a quarter final.

Yeah, it's a quarter final. And when the draw was made, did you look at anything?

I get a lot of awesome fans looking at you. I drawed to Southampton, a championship club.

I bet you were quite happy it was fair to say.

Yeah, I'm not going to, I'm not going to shy away from that. Listen, Southampton and the past

being to set me as a few times and it's been, it has been quite a difficult place to go at times.

If I'm actually being honest, I don't know why I have bad memories. I think last season wasn't too bad.

Well, the last time I'm sorry to play you guys weren't too bad before that.

Like, I remember Eddie and Katie are missing a few charts.

I remember Fraser Foster being a goal for you guys and having a mad game.

Yeah, he did.

Oh, yes. That's amazing.

Yeah, so there's a few, there's a few memories I've got.

But when I saw you, you guys names being pulled against us, I said, you know what?

We've had a nice run to the Champions League. Let's say semi's if we get there.

We've had a nice draw to the Cowbell Cup.

We obviously didn't win that.

But yeah, so this one, I'm hoping, you know, we get past you guys and then we can have a kind of,

we haven't really played it. We haven't played a Premier League team yet until

maybe after you guys we probably will. So yeah, it was quite a favorable draw if you're an Arsenal fan.

But I don't want to talk too confident because football is a funny old game.

Yeah, potential banana skin.

But there is, there is. Like again, I started with just saying, you know,

some of the tough times have had a down that sent Mary. So like, I just, I do.

There's an air of caution, mine, I must say. There is an air of caution.

However, and the reason why also I'm top of that as well is, I mean, I don't know if these

players, if everyone's going to be injured, as they've said, to pull them out of the international

injuries, but if all the players that are injured on the injury list and it's true,

this could be a here nor there game. It could be quite difficult. So there could be a potential

banana skin and and and a lot of rival fans are saying now that we lost the Cowbell Cup final.

This is where all unravels. This is where Arsenal bought it. So in the back of my mind,

I don't believe that happens. I still think we're going to win the league, but in the back of my

mind, hearing all that noise, you do worry that, okay, we could get, we could slip up here,

Champions League. We've got those sport in next week as well. I'm flying over. That's

Portugal. So like, this could be a difficult week of football, not Premier League, because I

think that's kind of, I feel like we're going to still win the league, but in the cup competition,

we're in, this could be a difficult week for Arsenal. But I'm staying on the positive side.

I think I think we do go for it. I think we do go for it.

You spoke about the the internationals and a lot of those withdrawals. There's been a lot of

talk around it. And give me the facts behind it. The facts behind why players are pulling out of

international football. They're March International's, late March International's. A lot of players

are saying they're injured. But do you just think there's, there's a little bit more to it

like looking, looking at it from the outside as a as a fan. I just think like the the

friendlies that we're playing are they're friendly internationals. They're not, they're not,

you know, the biggest of games. They're not qualifiers. They're not the major tournaments. And

and people will say, look, you don't care that you're letting down your country. I've seen some

crazy stuff online for players pulling out. I will remind people that they've been doing this

for years. So it's folks, they need to do it for years. And this doesn't make it right. I'm

aware of that. However, it does happen. It's been happening for ages. Arsenal on course to win a

treble. And right now for me, I've been a club fan as well. It club seems more important. However,

because it's an international friendly. I want to make that very clear. And and players are getting

injured. Noni Madwake. Let's not forget he played in one of these games and go injured. So

and right now we have soccer injured. That's our backup. And now he's injured off the back of

of of a meaningless friendly as much as I love international football. Listen, I was up last night

to 2 a.m. watching Jamaica not making to the World Cup. So I do enjoy the international breaks

and stuff and World Cup qualifiers. When it comes to friendlies, I think they're not as serious

right now as a club. I also want to mention as well. Thomas Tuchel did actually say the boys wanted

to play for the nation. They really wanted to play. They did everything they could. He said

he's press conference. They want to play. But they were in discomfort. And he said, look,

there's not worth risking it. And if that's coming from the manager. I don't know what anyone says.

That's the real solid facts. That's not coming from the players. That's not coming from

Mikko Ahtel. That's coming from the England manager. Obviously, there's obviously other nations

that way our players have pulled out of risk. I'm sorry, I've took the way of the risk of injury.

But right now, that's the facts. Like he said, it's fine. He said, you know, he want

they want his play. So I'm going with his word. And on top of that, we've got a lot. We've got a lot

to play for in the night. There's a huge amount of play for. There's a huge amount of people.

And like you say, their friendlies and I just think players are burnt out as well. I don't know

about you. I think the Canada's too big. It's crazy. There's a world cup that's been extended.

It's, it's relentless, isn't it? Yeah. It's a joke. It's like, you think about, yeah,

like I said, listen, we're privileged enough now to cover cup stun. But was it probably not

to be in every competition? It's like, and obviously I'm, I'm here at AFTV recovering. It's like,

I know, I'm not playing. I'm aware of that. But I know how crazy it is every three days. And we're

like back to back prep this, prep this preview that do this, do review this. And it's like, it's back

to back to back to back to back, which is, listen, of course, people say being a football and also,

I suppose, following football is a dream. And I'm not, I'm not the night and that. But it is very

full on. And then like you said, there's a world cup, even for Arsenal, we normally have a

preseason tour. We normally go to Asia or go to America. We're going to Dublin, we've reduced that.

We're not going, we're not doing an international massive preseason tour because it's just,

it's just so much on the players. They have no break. I think they get a week, I think they get two

weeks off max, max until this tour is starting to next year. There's not a lot. You spoke about

injuries and issues, certainly around soccer. How's it looking ahead of the game of the weekend?

There hasn't been a press conference yet. So we've not heard from the manager.

Correct. But injury wise, how are things looking from an Arsenal perspective?

I'm partly in the dark, if I'm honest, Mike. I mean, I'm pretty, a lot of my prep will be

coming today, but for what I know, it just seems that because the press conference hasn't been done,

that I don't really know whose home is set available, who's not. I have a friend who saw

Noni Madwake and not too long ago and he said he'll be fine. So that's, that's interesting. But

some of the major injuries that have been around, like Mickey on Maureen, I don't think it's going

to be available. Martin Ode to God, I think they're trying to get him back, but I don't have

he'll be available. I think some of the, I think some of the defenders will still be there,

the William Celeba's and that and the Gabrielle's. But yeah, I'm not fully, fully sure on the four

availability apologies to come to this preview, not fully present. Like I said, press conference

hasn't been done. So we haven't had much information and my inside sources haven't given me enough

back yet. So yeah, he go full strength in this. Obviously, there's a, there was a lot of criticism

around his team selection, certainly around the goal, keeping situation in the car about

what's final. I watched a lot of the AFTV coverage afterwards. I saw your interviews outside

Wembley and a lot of the fans were, were angry. They were disappointed that David Rea didn't play

in goal. Correct. You're thoughts looking back on that cup final and reflecting upon it after

a couple of weeks. How'd you feel now? Good question. Martin Ode, good question. I just posted the

vlog of it yesterday and I said, I'm still hurting like, I'm only just had the courage and the

the want to release it. I've been still in it for so long watching it back and seeing that arch

being blue. Yeah, it was a tough one. I'm still still sad because I thought that would be the kick

start to some great success this season. However, we have to move on. I wouldn't want the players to

still, I'm not a player. I wouldn't want the players to still dwell on it. The whole David Rea

kept a thing. I mean, my content, I said, actually, on AFTV, I said, as well, you started a

stronger team. You started David Rea. I obviously didn't choose to do that. Yeah, I'm aware that in

certain contracts, especially for goalkeepers, they can have it in their clauses. They have the cups,

but I don't know. I still think, forget all that. When you're going for a trophy, play your

strongest team and it was evident in the goal that Kepa conceded. You mentioned about at the

start as well, Mick Carter, he will go with his strongest side mind. So whoever's available,

our team doesn't take any competition lightly. In the Cowboy Cup, while the goalkeeper, I think,

yeah, Mick Carter throughout kind of went strong. And this one, FA Cup, it gets us to a semi. I

think, yeah, you're going to get the strongest Arsenal side there can be. Even though we have a

Champions League game in Lisbon in a few days after, he's going to want to be serious. So,

yeah, I mean, I'm still a little bit pain-pained over the Cowboy Cup final, especially because it's

city as well. And we've got to go there as well in a few weeks, actually, I think two weeks time.

So, yeah, it's a tough one to take. A lot of fans, all there will be other fans, all like

the legacy fans that will say, our Cowboy Cup League Cup, forget that. It's not a major,

forget all that. I was never in that camp. I think if you, like you said, you watched

some of the content. I was like, I haven't won this trophy since I was before I was born. So,

I've never seen us win it. It's a trophy at the end of the day. I don't turn my nose up at any

trophy, considering there's only four to win in a season. And that's tough to do. You only got four

to choose from. And then some of them against European sides as well. So, for me, I was really,

I really, really wanted it. I really, really wanted it. And I think some fans are a bit revisionist,

revisionist, revisionists after saying, I say, hey, don't worry about it. There's other things to

focus on. The trebles of forget all that. I was never in that camp. I think when you're in a trophy,

in a competition story, and that deep into it, you've got to take it seriously and you've got to

try and go for it. And if you lose it, you should be upset with Godless because it's a final

at the end of the day. So, yep, still hurting, but we move on. This trophy now, Savantan, you're the

next victim. It's a big, it's a big, it's a big free hit for us because, but again, like,

we have a big game on Tuesday because we pay rex and one Tuesday now. We're trying to get

back to the Premier League. So, we're a massive game. It's a huge game. We're vying for a position

in the playoffs. So, where are rex and because you're sick fight, where's rex and in the league?

Just they're just behind us. They're a place behind us. If they play on Friday. So,

we've lost the game on Friday because we were due to play Ipswich on Friday in the league and

then play rex and it was a big game, but it's kind of probably favored us actually because the

Ipswich game gets moved to the end of the season. But then I look at the Arsenal game, it becomes

a little bit more of a free hit for Saints. So, I think defensively, we're not going to have the

ball. So, it's going to be, it's going to be difficult for us. We do have threats. Have you seen

anything of Southampton this year? Have you seen any Southampton players you think, I quite like

a look at him? That's a good question. I can give you the Saints low down when I come on AFTV

this way. Yeah, I mean, oh, do you know what? Do you know what? It's actually, sorry.

Karl Larrin, yeah. So, I work with him. Some people that are watching that may tune into

what I do. So, I work with ConquerCalf. So, I do all there, I do all of the ConquerCalf stuff.

So, I do all in Southampton's Gold Cup, Nations League and all of that. So, so, I've worked with

Larrin and he always sees a Canadian international and I've worked with a kind of team. There's

him. There's a guy called Promised David as well. I've really raised a striker there, but Larrin,

I've worked with very relaxed, good striker, but it's him and Promised David that are the main

the main two up front. Obviously, there was another one, Daniel Jefferson, who's the other.

Sorry, this is a very, I've gone off of school. It's either another Canadian international. So,

they're the three main strikers, Larrin, Jefferson and Promised David. If I'm honest, Larrin's

probably second choice because Promised David has been really, really good, but Larrin's been

there before Promised David. So, I've worked with Larrin and I think, like I said, he's very relaxed.

He is a good finisher, but he's quite, it's quite nonchalant. Yeah, he's quite, but he's

hands, we're right, he's big, he's big, he's strong and he can, and he can hold up the ball very well.

Now, against Celebra and Gabrielle, it's going to be a tough day if I'm being honest, but I know,

I know Larrin. So, that's kind of the one that I just looked at, I just looked at you all your,

your, yeah, your, your fix, I saw your team sheet and I was like, okay, that's a player that,

I know quite well. And like I said, I've worked, Calamart, Calamart, a Cameron Archisserie as well.

He's been a good player for, for years, I think he can be, he's electric, he's quick.

But yeah, I think Larrin's the one I'm mainly no, but I don't know if he causes

awesome new problems, but I'm quite glad I've looked at the 11 and said, okay, okay, I know what

we're kind of facing. Our best player has been out, our best player Leo Sienzes, he's been injured

for the last three, four weeks. He, he, he, he, he, he, he plays wide left, but he's, he's

destined for the Premier League, Sienzes, so he's a really good player. Where's the number 13,

Brazilian, he's 27, but he's been the best player in the championship this year. We're all hoping

that he's fit. He'd be desperate to play in it. I know, I know him fairly well, he'd be keen

to play in this game. It's just whether the manager will hold him back, thinking about the game on

Tuesday against Rex and in the league. So yes, big decisions for both managers tonight.

We've both got big games on the on the Tuesday, but it's under the lights. It's an 8 p.m. kickoff,

live on national TV, a free hit. What, what's his score prediction? Obviously, the odds are massively

stacked with Arsenal to win this, a 74% chance that Arsenal win this Southampton that only giving

a 10% chance of a home win. Oh, this is tough. Do you know what? The reason why I say it's tough.

I don't like what the people say is a free hit. It worries me. Yeah. Because then they haven't,

they can, they can, they haven't gone, not that I haven't gone much to play for, but they can play

how they want to. They can play with, with, with expression and freedom and, and they can't catch us

cold. And the reason why I bring this up because I went to Port Smith for a way and they scored for,

and it was like, it was like, oh no, what is happening here? Is this going to be an upset? Is this

going to be, you know, the, the giant killing? Obviously, I didn't happen in the end, but I went

to Mansfield Town as well. And even that, listen, we won that game, but it wasn't comfortable. So

when you say is this could just be a banana skin, there is, there is a slight air to that. If

Arsenal want fully concentrated, if they're still in their feelings and emotions from the, the

Cowbell Cup exit and all that, all these little things, I'm not going to say we're going to lose.

I don't think we're going to lose. And I'm not trying to say it, but I'm just saying it, it's not

going to be a comfortable game in my opinion. I'm going to go free one. I'm going to go

that you do score. And I mean, free one, people might say it's still quite a comfort at school,

but I don't know that, that could go, that could be a, that could be a one new one you guys sit in.

And then we, we struggled when it might end up being, I don't know, a tight two one. But I'm going

to go, I'm going to go, I'm going to try and better boys be confident. How I'm free. And I think

we should get the job done free one. But I want people that are listening nonsense that

Arsenal, I shouldn't even say it, can we go at, um,

Yeah, how do you say it's get asked? Where do we get asked? If we're going to get asked,

no, where, where, where would they do it? I think, I think, listen, at, at times,

you've got to be organized. You've got to frustrate Arsenal. That, I think that's, that's our biggest

Achilles heel. When I say frustrate us, I mean, now we do this, but use the dark arts against us.

You slow the game down. If we get into a rhythm, we become dangerous. If we try and play

football against us, we become dangerous. Okay. Um, the only team that kind of really,

really done it well was Manion Knight at home. They, they came for us. They, they, they,

they don't, they, they football, they just had no fear. They didn't buy into the, you score set

pieces. You are the best defense. They didn't bind in that they had no fear and they came at us

and they won that game. I don't think Southampton, no disrespect, have the quality to be able to do

that because Manion Knight really on, they're on perfect. But I will say if you do the things that

annoy us, slow the game down, stop us from getting into a rhythm, um, win set pieces and, and,

and work on set pieces in a sense of, I know we're, we're in the set piece, kings or however,

we've conceded from set pieces a few times. We, we, I don't think the fence, we were the best, um,

set pieces. So, uh, long throws as well. We're very, like, that sort of game can cause

Arsenal, um, Arsenal some problems. That's, that's kind of it. I think it's the dark arts,

it's slowing it down. It's maybe the low block, um, it is the low block actually sitting

in everyone behind the board and making it hard for you to break down. If you're an organized team,

I think Arsenal do struggle. And if you are that, I'm going to, I think the score prediction is

going to be because of the confidence from just my team. But if you are going to go with that

approach, I don't know, I'm going to be watching Southampton all season and you're, you're

organizing that good. Then it's probably going to be, oh, two, one, it could be a draw, then go

into extra time and then we nick it to one. So that's kind of where I'm at right now. I should have

more confidence in this, but that's, that's how I'm feeling. So I'm feeling right now. Hopefully

that changes, but um, might have talked to me, give me, how'd you think this game's going to play out?

We've had a real mixed bag. Like we started the season. We didn't start particularly well at all.

We'll still was a manager. A lot of like, there's a lot of feeling around.

They let me interview him at the start of season. So I went into the training ground,

I'll sat with him and interviewed him. And I, and I felt he seemed quite a nervous character.

I really liked him. Interesting. But he, I maybe wonder if he had a, it was, it was maybe a

two bigger job, you know, the wrong man at the wrong time. He was young. Yeah, he hadn't done his

badges or anything. He didn't have his, like, there was time to like, to be a manager because he

didn't go for the, the proper process of it. Yeah, he was a bad star.

Bad star. We bring in a young guy that, no one knew anything of. He's never managed a men's

senior team. Tonderecker. He was with the under 21s. He only come in in the summer from Germany.

They promoted him to become the, you know, the caretaker, the assistant. He did a really good

job. He made an impact with the players. Each week things, he made things organized. He,

he added a bit of tactical now to, to the way he was approaching games. Got awesome results.

They give him the job and we went on a really good run. We were superb under him. And then we

wobbled over Christmas. But since Christmas, he's changed the system. He's brought a really good

goalkeeper in from Bayern Munich, like Daniel Perez. He's, he's mustard. He's really good. He's,

he's, he's good enough to play in the Premier League. And he's, he's settled us down. And he's made

us, he's made us harder to beat. We don't let as many goals in. We can frustrate sides now.

We don't play as much football as we did. And he's got paid out wide. He's, he's got Cienzer.

I said, he's got a bit of pace, fellows, Azaz plays in the hole. I just think Saints do have

some dangerous players. The spine and the teams are a bit stronger. And I just think he's

tactically been really good. We went to Coventry with the leaders and we beat them. We're on a 14

game on B and run at the moment. So I just, there's confidence in the camp. There's confidence in

the camp. I'm sorry. I think Eckert goes into it and he's a bit, he will see it as a really

big test for him. He wants to prove himself at the, at the top level. And I think we've got

players that, that deem themselves to want to play in the Premier League. So they see it as a

bit of a shot window for them. Cienzer being one of those Azazs. But I just think that they'll

be bang up for it. I think we will try and frustrate Arsenal. I think we're struggling to beat you.

But I think we will frustrate you. And I think it could potentially be quite tight. It will,

it will all depend on when the first goal scored in my games. It will all come down to the first

goal. I can't wait. I'm looking forward to it with a terrible time in the Premier League last

time round. So, you know, this is just an opportunity to put a marketer if we don't win and we

don't get a result. Just put performance in. That's all I want to see. Fair, fair, fair. You didn't

give me a score for it. But I like what you said. Two, two, one, two, one, defeat. I'm going with.

Okay. And like, and do you know what? Like I said, that could happen. I think like the first

goal is important. I think it could, you could frustrate us. You go to extra time and then we

can re-end up within two, one, but okay, good. Okay. Well, good for me as an awesome fab. We'll see.

We'll see. Football's a funny old game. It isn't funny. It's been great. Are you coming down

for the game? Are you traveling? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I'll be there. Yeah. TV guys will be there. Well,

I will look out for you. Whatever happens. It's been a pleasure speaking to you. I really

appreciate your time and insight on also in just a good football chat as well. You're on camera.

I need to say you're a massive inspiration of what you do as a presenter with AFTV. I watch it a

lot, even though I'm a safe fan. I watch it because I'm watching the best people in the game

do their business and I'm trying to learn all the time. So a massive shout out without knowing

you're helping me. Thank you. Thank you so much for that, mine. That's very kind words. And like

I said, tomorrow, mine is going to be on AFTV. So make sure you look up for that. And then also,

whether you win, lose or draw us up to you, you'll be able to see us or still be in the way

outside the away and doing fan counts. If you want to come on, you'll be more than welcome. If

you come around, I'll get you straight on as well to do your, give your insight of the game after

as well, whether you win, lose or draw. I know some fans say, sometimes we're safe. We win or

come on. We lose. You won't see me. So I always even on this opinion, like I do an instant reaction

at the end of every game. And there's some of my best content because you're always honest. And

you say how you say it and just never, I'm just saying I was, how was it? Hopefully I'll see

it soon. I also hope to see you on on the weekend as well. Thank you so much.