Lowe Down: Will De Zerbi survive at Spurs?
Rebecca Lowe answers Robbie Mustoe's and Robbie Earle's most pressing questions from Matchweek 3, including her thoughts on Chelsea's performance against Arsenal, Spurs' slow start, and more.
Video Transcript
Welcome to this week's edition of The Lowdown.
Rebecca Lowe, Robbie Earl, Robbie Mustoe in attendance.
Five questions, 30 seconds I have to answer each one.
Don't know what they are.
Robbie Mustoe, I know, though, that you have number one.
I do.
So after the London derby, where Arsenal overcame Chelsea- Mm-hmm do you think Chelsea are the strongest rivals for the title for Arsenal?
I think that's really d- wow, that was a very early whistle.
I mean, I've barely even started the answer.
But we're gonna carry on, it's okay.
Well, the whistle will come in again later.
I think it's difficult to answer, because I don't know how much Manchester City have been tested yet.
Because Chelsea weren't blown off the park today.
So I think, I don't think I'm like, "Oh, okay, yeah, it's gonna be Manchester City because City are top of the league, and they've, you know, they've won every game, and they've got Haaland," based on Chelsea losing 2-1 Arsenal.
So you still think Chelsea are better than, could be better than City?
Yeah, I think they could be.
I think they could be.
If they can work a lot on the training ground with that defense, I think they could be.
Because City is just, I don't know.
There's something about them that's not, right now, doing it for me.
Yes, Earl.
Can I take you to Tottenham Hotspur, who spent a lot of money in the window.
They're 18th in the league, they've got one point, and they haven't scored a goal in the Premier League.
That's a first.
Is everything okay for De Zerbi and Spurs?
Oh, are we okay?
Everything's okay.
Everything's okay.
Okay.
No, no, no problem.
We need to speed up the process a bit, though.
Okay.
I mean, it's not like he just turned up.
He has been there- Yeah since March.
I think the- Yeah 31st of March is when he came in.
He's new.
And so we need to see some more progress pretty soon.
I would say- before the international break, we need to get ourselves a victory, and we need to speed up this whole, like, it's gonna take time, it's gonna take time, I've got lots of new players.
Well, I'm sure you wanted all the new players.
I'm sure you didn't want the same squad as last year.
Mm-hmm.
So we're okay right now.
Home to Everton next week.
I think that might be the first win.
Okay.
If it's not, how many more games before- No, no, no.
We're not, we're not- you're not going now firing Roberto De Zerbi.
We're just settling in for a bottom half finish.
Oh.
But we're not firing Ro We're stopping firing managers.
It's silly.
We've got to stop until at least November.
Mustoe.
Okay.
So after watching Everton, do you think they can finish in the top half after their- No lackluster window?
No.
With David Moyes?
No, I don't, no.
I know you guys absolutely love David Moyes, and you're like, "He's n- they're not gonna get relegated because David Moyes-" Yeah is the manager.
I think they might be a relegation contender.
I mean, Ainsley Maitland-Niles ain't doing that every week- is he?
And Tiago Barri- Yeah, but it's not his fault.
Who, who's fault?
The squad's super thin.
Who, it's not who's fault?
David Moyes.
I'm not blaming him.
I'm just saying I don't think he's a good enough manager to manage a, a, a group of players that has one striker and hardly any backups when the injuries come.
When the injuries come in December, and they're having to play kids, I, I think they might struggle.
I think they could They finished 13th last season.
It wasn't a failure like the owners said, but it certainly wasn't the heady heights of eighth or seventh.
Why would they finish in the top half now- Yeah when they have, like, no players, when they finished 13th last season?
Not for me.
Sorry, David.
The transfer window closed this week.
Who won the transfer window?
Oh, ooh, that's quite a difficult question.
I mean, C- you could say City because they've got some really- blooming good players through the door, but they had to spend a lot of money.
But they also made a bit of money.
Yeah.
I think looking at Liverpool, no.
I mean, Brentford always win the transfer window.
Brighton might have won it, too.
It's too early to say.
Chelsea?
Rob, it's too early to say.
No?
Yeah.
D- I suppose financially, Chelsea- Chelsea, with what they sold and- won, because they hardly s- actually had to shell out much in comparison, considering how much money they took in.
Mm-hmm.
I think Chelsea are starting to look interesting as a philosophy.
It's taken them five years.
Okay.
It's taken them a long time to get this.
Yeah.
But actually, yeah, possibly Chelsea.
But I probably would say Manchester City right now.
Although I'm yet to see it.
But at some point.
Yeah.
But we can't, you know, we're making snap judgements- Early, yeah.
Three weeks in which we don't like doing on The Lowdown.
No, no knee-jerk.
No knee-jerk.
Okay, last question.
Phil Neville- Uh-oh is gonna join us in the studio next weekend.
No.
Got a week to prepare.
I've not worked with him before.
Oh, God.
How do I prepare for that?
All right, you gotta pack your patience.
You've gotta pack your patience, 'cause Phil's level of energy- right, starts, you know when you- Even on a long Saturday.
Rob, you know sometimes we're like, "Robbie, you've peaked too soon"- Yeah about 7:00 AM on a, on a Saturday morning.
We're like, "Oh no, you've got too much energy."
And you're like, "Yeah, I have.
I've peaked too soon."
Phil doesn't, Phil's, like, constantly at peak.
So when he comes in 4:00, 5:00 Saturday morning, okay, that level will still be there right now on a Sunday of next weekend.
So what, so, so you've just got to either stay with him- Can I just, can I just- I can't wait to see this, by the way sit back and enjoy.
No.
You've got to stay with him.
Ooh.
I, I'm g- Oh.
Yeah, you've got to stay with him, otherwise it's gonna be too much of a drop-off from him to you.
You're g- I think you might get tired sort of through him.
I think you're just gonna be like- Unless he's durable, Beckers "This is physically taxing."
He's gonna exhaust me.
Is he durable?
I don't know how durable he is.
I've gotta be honest with you.
Phil Neville, he's like a whirlwind- when he turns up, and that is next weekend.
Robbie Mustoe, Phil Neville, it's also must-watch television.
Very good.
The NBC and USA Sports YouTube channels are where it's at if you want Premier League update.
The two Robbies, you recording a podcast in a minute?
We are.
Yes, we are.
Okay.
They're recording one, so make sure you listen to that when it comes out later on tonight.
The Lowdown, of course, is where you can watch all of that, on NBC and USA YouTube channels.
