This Week: Desperate Measures

Hello my name’s Jack and welcome to the weekly round-up called This Week on Premier Skills English.

In This Week, we’ve got lots of interesting words and phrases to help you talk about football in English.

If you are listening to this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify you can also visit the Premier Skills English website at premierskillsenglish.britishcouncil.org where you’ll be able to download the podcast.

On the Premier Skills English website, you can read the transcript and join the Premier Skills English community by completing a language task in the comments section. This will really help you remember the new words and phrases from the stories from the Premier League.

This week, I’ve got two derby matches to talk about. Derbies are always exciting to watch as the rivalry is greater and the atmosphere is always tense. I’m talking about the West London Derby that was played between Chelsea and Brentford at Stamford Bridge and the Manchester Derby that was played between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford.

The words and phrases I am going to talk about today are:

• To muster
• Lax
• A sinking feeling
• To go begging
• To go full throttle
• To yank
• To take your eye off something
• To seal the deal

I’m also going to talk about the proverb: Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Listen out for this vocabulary in the stories.

After the story there will be a language focus and then there will be a language challenge for you to complete and then at the end of the podcast there will be a new football phrase.

But before that, I want to look at last week’s football phrase. If you didn’t hear it last week, here’s one more chance to guess now.

Last week’s football phrase was ******-*****. It was a good one. We’ve had some new commenters. Last week I wanted to know what you call the defenders who play in front of the goal in the middle of the pitch.

Congratulations to Vietnguyenngo from Vietnam, Linas from Lithuania, Alex from Ukraine, Wojciech M from Poland, Denis 2000 from Belarus, Ryohei and Goku from Japan, Ken from Japan, AndreTorre102 from Brazil, Hasan from Turkey and Bicooz from Egypt. And congratulations and welcome to Premier Skills English Mauroİcardi from Turkey, Garycham from the UK and to@21 from Japan.

You all managed to work out that the phrase I was looking for was centre-backs.

Keep listening till the end of the podcast for a new football phrase.

Now it’s time for the first story.

Desperate times for Chelsea in the West London Derby

Chelsea hosted Brentford at Stamford Bridge on Saturday for the West London Derby. The home side started well and enjoyed most of the possession. Pochettino’s high press kept the pressure on the visitors, but pressure was all they could muster. There were a couple of shots; Madueke came close but was denied by the woodwork and Chelsea only managed 2 shots on target all game. There was no attacking drive and the longer Brentford held out, the more confident they became.

When Brentford attacked in the 58th minute, Chelsea’s marking was lax. Bryan Mbeumo ran the ball to the goal line before cutting it back across the goal. Ethan Pinnock was left with too much time and space at the far post and headed the ball past the keeper.

The atmosphere in the stadium became subdued as that sinking feeling crept through the ranks of supporters; behind again at home ... losing to Brentford again; confirming the Bees reputation as Chelsea’s newest bogey team.

Chelsea didn’t give up, they kept on pressing and created opportunities, but they just couldn’t catch a break, the team was just not communicating properly and the opportunities went begging.

6 minutes into added time, Chelsea won a corner and Chelsea’s keeper Sanchez joined his teammates in Brentford’s box leaving his own goal undefended. As they say, desperate times call for desperate measures. The ball was headed out by Kristoffer Ajer and fell for Neil Maupay who had nobody between him and the goal. He sprinted down the pitch with Mbeumo in support. Snachez did his best to chase down the Brentford attackers and got to Maupay. But all he needed was to tap the ball to Mbeumo who rolled the ball into the goal.

Final score: Chelsea 0-2 Brentford

The words and phrases from the story that I want to talk about are:

• To muster
• Lax
• A sinking feeling
• To go begging

To muster

The verb to muster means to produce or encourage. It’s similar to gather or bring. It’s often collocated with support so a politician campaigning for an election will work hard to muster support, to get people to vote for them. The first time I remember reading the word was on a ferry on the way to France when I was a child. The cross channel ferries are huge and carry hundreds of passengers. All over the boat, there were signs for muster stations which were places that people should gather if the emergency alarm went off. In the story, I said that Chelsea could only muster pressure. They could produce pressure, but no goals.

Lax

Lax is an adjective that means careless or without attention. I think it comes from the word relax. We normally use the word to talk about security controls or official processes. If you visit some countries, when you cross the border, the security is very tight and everybody is checked and searched and careful records are kept. In other countries, the situation is much more relaxed. I once crossed a border and the only check that the border guard employed was to ask me who the captain of the England Cricket team. The security at that border was very lax. In fact, I crossed another border once and the border guard made a joke about finding something in my bags before bursting into laughter and welcoming me to the country. I understand the need for tight security, but I much prefer visiting countries with lax security.

A sinking feeling

This idiom describes a kind of mild sense of dread; a feeling that something bad is going to happen. We don’t use it for really serious situations. Imagine you are at work and you’re about to do a presentation in front of all of your colleagues and your boss and the moment you turn on your computer, you realise that you haven’t saved your powerpoint. At that point, as you slowly realise that the presentation is going to be a disaster, you would get a sinking feeling. It was the same for the Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. As the seconds ticked by, the prospect of another home defeat increased and all the fans would have experienced a sinking feeling.

To go begging

This is a strange idiom and a little bit complex. If something goes begging, it is wasted or at least not used. Often it’s used to say that something is available because nobody else wants it. You might hear someone ask ‘is that last slice of pizza going begging?’ Normally, the verb to beg is associated with poor people who ask others for money. So the verb to beg means to ask for something, and it implies the person begging is somehow lower, poorer or less powerful than the person they are asking. When a last slice of pizza is going begging, there’s a sense of shame that it’s not being taken. When Chelsea couldn’t take advantage of their opportunities, there was that same sense that it was a shame that nobody was able to take advantage which is why I said the opportunities went begging.

I also want to talk about a proverb that I used in this story. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I heard this in the commentary and couldn’t resist sharing it with you. The adjective desperate is used in two different ways in this proverb. The first use, desperate times, means very serious or very bad times. If a situation is desperate, it is one step away from being a disaster. The second use, desperate measures, describes the actions that can be taken when a situation is desperate.

When Chelsea’s keeper abandoned his post and joined his teammates before a very late corner, this was a pretty desperate move. In this situation, the adjective desperate describes an act that is very risky. A desperate move is a high risk move that would only be done by someone who felt that there was no alternative, that there was no hope of solving a problem or improving a situation another way.

So if you ever have to do something risky because you’re in an impossible situation, you can explain yourself with this proverb: Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Let’s move on to the next story.

Haaland and Foden, derby destroyers!

The Manchester Derby is always exciting. With two of the most successful clubs in English football, the atmosphere in the city is electric on derby days. The love of football runs deep in the city’s DNA and while there is rivalry, there is also respect for the greats of the game whether they played in red or blue. The match on Sunday started with a minute’s applause for the English football legend Bobby Charlton who played in 27 Manchester derbies between 1956 and 1973 and was part of the English World Cup winning team of 1966.

When the referee blew his whistle to start the match, both clubs went full throttle and the goalkeepers at both ends were called on to make some great saves.

After 26 minutes, City were awarded a penalty when Rodri was yanked to the ground by an over enthusiastic Rasmus Højlund. This was City’s first penalty at Old Trafford since 1992. Haaland stepped up. He sent Onana the wrong way and placed the ball in the opposite corner.

Guardiola’s side was full of high-grade performers: Stones, Grealish, Silva, Foden, Rodri and Álvarez all need to be marked carefully, but if you take your eyes off Haaland then you’re doomed. And that’s what happened in the 49th minute. Grealish took the ball to the edge of the box while Bernado Silva whipped around behind him. Grealish fired a quick pass and Silva played the cross. The ball streaked over the United defence to where Haaland, who had slipped free of Lindelöf was running towards the far post. Having lost his marker, the towering Norwegian got his second with a free header.

City sealed the deal in the 80th minute. Rodri ran the ball into range and powered the ball towards the goal. Onana blocked the shot but couldn’t hold it. The ball dropped to Haaland who could have gone for a hat trick, but when he saw Foden running in he put his club first and tapped the ball through for Foden to score.

Final score: Manchester United 0-3 Manchester City

The words and phrases from the story that I want to talk about are:

• To go full throttle
• To yank
• To take your eye off something
• To seal the deal

To go full throttle

OK - I’m sorry about the length of this description. The meaning is quite easy to explain, but I think the origin is fascinating. The word throttle is a really old word that means to strangle someone, that is to kill someone by squeezing them around the throat so that they can’t breathe. So to throttle someone means to cut off someone's air supply by squeezing their air pipe, their throat. On a car or motorbike, there is a valve that squeezes the pipe that supplies fuel to the engine. This valve is the throttle. When you release the throttle, you let more fuel through. On a motorbike, the handle that you turn to release the throttle is called the throttle. In a car you have an accelerator pedal. If you put your foot down on the accelerator pedal in a car or twist the throttle all the way back so that the pipe is fully open and the engine is running at full speed, you are at full throttle. So ... if you do something at full throttle, you do it at full speed or with maximum effort.

To yank

The verb to yank means to pull something with a quick hard pull. It’s quite an expressive verb, it sounds like a forceful movement. You might accidentally yank a phone charger out of the wall or if a door is stuck, you might have to yank it to get it open.

To take your eye off something

This idiom is quite common. It means to stop watching something. I think that it’s most commonly used in negative statements. People say don’t take your eye off something if they are warning you that something might be dangerous. So when you are driving you shouldn’t take your eye off the road or you could have an accident. The opposite is to keep your eye on. So if you have an appointment, you should keep your eye on the time to make sure you’re not late. When you are cooking a sauce, you need to keep an eye on the temperature so that it doesn’t boil. If you’re playing against Manchester City, you need to keep your eye on Haaland or rather, you can’t take your eye off him.

To seal the deal

This last idiom is common in football English and I’ve spoken about it before, in fact, only a couple of months ago. In general English, it means to finalise or complete a deal so that everyone is happy and people can sign a contract. In football English, it means to score a goal that settles the result of a football match. When Foden scored a third goal for Manchester City in the 80th minute, nobody believed that United had a chance of a comeback. I’m afraid that the writing was on the wall for United much earlier than that, but Foden’s goal made it clear. City was going to win the match. The result was no longer a question. Foden sealed the deal when he scored that goal.

Today, I’ve spoken about 8 useful words and phrases. The phrases I have spoken about are:

• To muster
• Lax
• A sinking feeling
• To go begging
• To go full throttle
• To yank
• To take your eye off something
• To seal the deal

Listen to the stories one more time to hear this language in context.

Desperate times for Chelsea in the West London Derby

Chelsea hosted Brentford at Stamford Bridge on Saturday for the West London Derby. The home side started well and enjoyed most of the possession. Pochettino’s high press kept the pressure on the visitors, but pressure was all they could muster. There were a couple of shots; Madueke came close but was denied by the woodwork and Chelsea only managed 2 shots on target all game. There was no attacking drive and the longer Brentford held out, the more confident they became.

When Brentford attacked in the 58th minute, Chelsea’s marking was lax. Bryan Mbeumo ran the ball to the goal line before cutting it back across the goal. Ethan Pinnock was left with too much time and space at the far post and headed the ball past the keeper.

The atmosphere in the stadium became subdued as that sinking feeling crept through the ranks of supporters; behind again at home ... losing to Brentford again; confirming the Bees reputation as Chelsea’s newest bogey team.

Chelsea didn’t give up, they kept on pressing and created opportunities, but they just couldn’t catch a break, the team was just not communicating properly and the opportunities went begging.

6 minutes into added time, Chelsea won a corner and Chelsea’s keeper Sanchez joined his teammates in Brentford’s box leaving his own goal undefended. As they say, desperate times call for desperate measures. The ball was headed out by Kristoffer Ajer and fell for Neil Maupay who had nobody between him and the goal. He sprinted down the pitch with Mbeumo in support. Snachez did his best to chase down the Brentford attackers and got to Maupay. But all he needed was to tap the ball to Mbeumo who rolled the ball into the goal.

Final score: Chelsea 0-2 Brentford

Haaland and Foden, derby destroyers!

The Manchester Derby is always exciting. With two of the most successful clubs in English football, the atmosphere in the city is electric on derby days. The love of football runs deep in the city’s DNA and while there is rivalry, there is also respect for the greats of the game whether they played in red or blue. The match on Sunday started with a minute’s applause for the English football legend Bobby Charlton who played in 27 Manchester derbies between 1956 and 1973 and was part of the English World Cup winning team of 1966.

When the referee blew his whistle to start the match, both clubs went full throttle and the goalkeepers at both ends were called on to make some great saves.

After 26 minutes, City were awarded a penalty when Rodri was yanked to the ground by an over enthusiastic Rasmus Højlund. This was City’s first penalty at Old Trafford since 1992. Haaland stepped up. He sent Onana the wrong way and placed the ball in the opposite corner.

Guardiola’s side was full of high-grade performers: Stones, Grealish, Silva, Foden, Rodri and Álvarez all need to be marked carefully, but if you take your eyes off Haaland then you’re doomed. And that’s what happened in the 49th minute. Grealish took the ball to the edge of the box while Bernado Silva whipped around behind him. Grealish fired a quick pass and Silva played the cross. The ball streaked over the United defence to where Haaland, who had slipped free of Lindelöf was running towards the far post. Having lost his marker, the towering Norwegian got his second with a free header.

City sealed the deal in the 80th minute. Rodri ran the ball into range and powered the ball towards the goal. Onana blocked the shot but couldn’t hold it. The ball dropped to Haaland who could have gone for a hat trick, but when he saw Foden running in he put his club first and tapped the ball through for Foden to score.

Final score: Manchester United 0-3 Manchester City

Language Challenge

Right, now it’s time for you to think about the language again. I have found examples of the words and phrases in stories online and edited them slightly. I have removed today’s vocabulary so I want you to fill in the gaps with the correct form of the language from the podcast.

Number 1. The actor explained, “When a film doesn’t do well, you’re left with a ______________. However, I take full responsibility because I’m the face of it all.”

Number 2. After two years of Pandemic Goa went ____________ in celebrating the Festival of lights. Effigies of the demon Narkasur, were seen in every nook and corner of the State.

Number 3. A recent study argues that ______ standards have hurt the lowest-performing students.

Number 4. Brave kid lets big sister _______ out his loose tooth by blasting a golf ball tied to the tooth.

Number 5. The driver was behind the wheel of his Vauxhall Corsa when he __________________ the road causing the car to collide with a lorry.

Number 6. The winners of Thailand's election are confident they can _________ support to form agovernment

Number 7. The clock is ticking on a staggering £11.4 million of unclaimed lotto cash – after £1 million ____________ yesterday.

Number 8. A series of 00 bids were exchanged and eventually a winning bid _______________ as a beachfront home went under the hammer.

Leave your answers to the language challenge in the comments section on the Premier Skills English website.

Football phrase

Now it’s time for this week's football phrase.

This week’s football phrase is the ********. The ******** means the goal posts and crossbar. In the past, these were made of **** and the phrase is still used for parts of a building that are made out of wood, the frames and roof supports. I suppose a goal does look a bit like the frames that are used when building a house so this may be where the term comes from.

If you know the answer, be sure to leave it in a comment on the page for this podcast on Premier Skills English.

Before I finish, I am going to go through the answers to last week’s language challenge.

Number 1. Sam Neill seems to have dashed any hopes we had about his ‘Jurassic Park’ character appearing in ‘Jurassic World 2′ by claiming Dr. Alan Grant “may have died”.

Number 2. Joe Powell tried his luck from distance for Burton, with the Blackpool keeper just about tipping the ball over the bar.

Number 3.Crystal Palace have been dealt a major blow amid fears Eberechi Eze is set to miss six weeks with a hamstring injury.

Number 4. Mercedes has signalled their intent to remain in Formula 1 by announcing an expanded five-year partnership with INEOS.

Number 5. Almost a month's worth of rain could fall in less than 24 hours in southern parts of the UK. People planning on travelling face the prospect of delays or sudden cancellations to trains and buses.

Number 6. A baby beaver was born this summer in Enfield, a large town in north London, to the delight of eager UK ecologists.

Number 7. A rare invasive species of locust was intercepted by U.S. Customs agents during a cargo inspection at the Port of Detroit.

Number 8. Jenna Dear collected the ball in the opposition half on the right wing. She lobbed the keeper at the near post to score Sunderland’s opening goal from range.

And that’s all I have time for today. Before I finish, I just wanted to say that I hope you found this podcast useful, and I hope all of you stay fit and healthy and safe.

Bye for now and enjoy your football.