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Tapping Into The Top Flight - Episode 1
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Welcome to Tapping Into The Top Flight - A brand new series that sees Tom Jolley and Craig Birtwistle bring together the wider GSPN network to talk all things Premier League. In this episode, Tom and Craig are joined by Jools (Man City), Tom.C (Ipswich), Chris (Spurs), Niall (Man Utd), James (Nottingham Forest) and Tom.E (West Ham Utd).
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Tapping into the Top Flight'
00:00:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Welcome to the very first episode of tapping into the top flight brought to you by the Global Sports Podcast Network hosted by Craig from the VillaPod and myself, Tom Jolly from Daily EPL English. Me and Craig have brought together the wider GSPN network to discuss debate and probably really cool the o ongoing ongoing in the world's biggest sporting export, the Premier League.
Manchester City's Crisis: What's Going Wrong?
00:00:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Craig, a plethora of options to start from throughout the 20 teams. Where do you fancy stepping into first?
00:00:35
Craig Birtwistle
Well, there's only one place I want to go and that's the Effie Hard Stadium. Guardiola has recorded four losses in a row for the first time in his career. So Jules from our GSPM Man City is joining us. Jules, are you guys in crisis or what?
00:00:51
Jools - Man City
Yeah, I think it would be it would be wrong to say otherwise at this point. and You could look at City season as a whole and you'd say are only you know only five points away, still in second, four points clear in second, still in the top three positions in the Champions League. However, four losses in 11 days at a club like Man City is unacceptable. So the fans, the players and the staff all seem to be reeling a little bit at the moment. The injuries keep piling up.
00:01:21
Jools - Man City
and I'm sure people will get the world's smallest violin out for City having a squad to not not deep enough but that is the truth of the matter at the moment. Any team loses two of their best players in Rodry and De Bruyne being in and out of the team all year you're going to struggle.
00:01:36
Jools - Man City
especially when they're so effective. And we know how PEP utilizes his midfield to dominate games. And that's just not been able to happen this season. Even the games, the city have one. And it's not been flowing football. It's been struggling to get over the line. Home wins against Ipswich and Slampton could have easily not been so. And you' that's their teams. You'd expect city to comfortably dispatch. So, yeah, it's um not a great time at the moment. And a lot of people don't have the confidence that City are going to turn it around immediately too.
00:02:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Jules, on Manchester City, the ball retention for me is a big significant start for this season. How it's taken you, on average, I want to say six or seven seconds longer to retain the ball. When playing against certain opposition, you look at the style of play, peps implemented this season, it's been a little bit different. What needs to change?
00:02:24
Jools - Man City
Again, I think it comes back to the midfield. and The midfield ah being in um so weak, let's say, because it's now Kovacic playing in the as a sole pivot, has done all season.
00:02:35
Jools - Man City
And he's had flashy moments like the assist for Holland on the weekend and a couple of goals here and there, but in general, he's being quite ah quite defensively poor, let's say, and City keep getting and pressed and keep getting um attacks.
00:02:50
Jools - Man City
cutting through them through the middle. So the style of play seems a lot slower as well, but that's because there's ah inexperienced wingers that are getting more of the ball due to no Rodry and De Bruyne being in the middle and Foden still um looking a bit jaded from a long summer, let's say. So, yeah, it's not flowing. um And I think that midfield being in um so inconsistent affects both yeah the style of play and how how we set up defensively.
Ipswich's Triumph Over Tottenham
00:03:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, you mentioned the word flow there, and one team that's certainly flowing after their win against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend was an Ipswich 2-1 win away from Tottenham, should I say. Tom Crack from the Daily Ipswich pod is in the house. Tom, a huge three points.
00:03:36
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Uh, it's, it's had to wait a long time for it. That's for sure. We were, I think coming into the weekend after, I think we'll was victory and maybe Burton, uh, another league as well. We're the only team of a 92 not to have a victory in the English football pyramid.
00:03:48
Tom Crack - Ipswich
So it was getting a bit taxing. I think if we went into the weekend, uh, the international break without that first one on the board, it would have been all that anyone was talking about quite rightly.
00:03:57
Tom Crack - Ipswich
But we got it done. I would like to say the football that we played actually, obviously in the second half, we were quite rightly defending for our lives. But I think that first 45, we were having some fantastic chance and Schmodix and Dilap took full advantage of that. So very, very happy and relieved is the biggest word, I should say, coming out this weekend for sure.
00:04:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
And on hipswitches, well, Tom, I think Kieran McKenna has been a man that's quite a bit of hot property in the Premier League at the moment. Are you confident
Kieran McKenna's Impact on Ipswich
00:04:24
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Yeah.
00:04:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
that he's going to keep you up and be staying there next season?
00:04:29
Tom Crack - Ipswich
I've got no reason to doubt him, that's for sure. If you look at where we were this time two years ago, we drew one off of Cheltenham in league one. So he's obviously the right man to be at the helm of the club. I was very nervous this past summer with none of you guys here today, but a few clubs who were interested in him bringing into their dugout, like the likes of Chelsea were definitely floating around. He's fantastic. And you know,
00:04:49
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Rob from our team has said he will be a Premier League manager next season, whether we're in the league or not. And I very much agree with that. Hopefully that will be of us. But, you know, if he does go on to bigger and better things, which I fully expect him to do, we'll be very proud of him because, you know, he he cut his teeth at a very difficult start to his career in League One.
00:05:05
Tom Crack - Ipswich
No one expects him to be here where he is now. So whatever he does, whether it's with us or a bigger team, we'll be rooting for him regardless, unless he goes like Norwich or something.
Spurs' Struggles Under Ange: Why the Inconsistency?
00:05:13
Tom Crack - Ipswich
That's what happened, isn't it?
00:05:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Craig Man City ticks off already where we head into next.
00:05:17
Craig Birtwistle
So, well, with Ipswich, we have to bring in Spurs, so we'll talk to Chris. So Chris, it's a confusing time at Spurs, being a Spurs fan at the moment. Big old Ange is in danger, as you guys sit in template.
00:05:31
Chris _Spurs_ Mervyn
Really worried about him, to be honest. um um ah and I have been an Under supporter and I still am. I believe in a project. I believe in what he's trying to do, bring the youth through, et cetera. But we've had some really inconsistent performances, well, all season, even in within games as well. And now, obviously, we've got a tassel right last week. It was just the focus. And there's something missing. Something's happening there. I don't know what it is. um International breaks are always a problem for us. um For instance, it was the last six.
00:06:00
Chris _Spurs_ Mervyn
um Games of International Breaks we've we've actually messed up. um But hats off to Ipswich, I thought they played really well the first half, they they did what they needed to do. um But we weren't at it weren't out at all.
00:06:10
Craig Birtwistle
Chris, I have to ask.
00:06:13
Chris _Spurs_ Mervyn
It's almost ah like we turned up at a two hour gun thinking we're going to beat them because everybody else has. Well, Ipswich, I'm from Plymouth, so obviously the championship is a really hard lead to get out of and then you need to invest and they have invested.
00:06:28
Chris _Spurs_ Mervyn
ah Not to the same degrees as my club, but yeah, it's some difficult times for range. It's body language is not great at the moment.
00:06:38
Craig Birtwistle
What do you think the inconsistency is down to? Is it a mentality? is it um What do you think is going on there?
00:06:45
Chris _Spurs_ Mervyn
Yeah, i I said this to somebody the other day, actually. I think in elite sport, to be the very, very best, you need to have a real different mindset. And everything you do throughou throughout your life goes towards that. And but not many people get to be the best of the best. And I think sometimes we've um with players in the Premier League in particular, they theyve they think they've made it you know when they're very young. And I think some of the players just just aren't good enough, I don't think, in our in our team currently. um Or they don't. They say the right social media message messages, but obviously every player does now. But I don't think they've
00:07:20
Chris _Spurs_ Mervyn
Any fan would say that if I could play football, I'd give my 100%, I'd give my left arm for the club and be on on the pitch. And that doesn't seem to happen. um There are some players who are doing okay, like Saar, et cetera. And obviously the new players, the youngsters, I think they've got great futures, but you do worry then that actually Angela will be there and they are going to go back to a different mindset of how we develop the club moving forward and the young players won't get a chance and they go elsewhere.
00:07:48
Chris _Spurs_ Mervyn
I think they're good enough, so especially Roger Gray,
Comparing Spurs and Aston Villa's Progress
00:07:51
Chris _Spurs_ Mervyn
I think he's a great player. so
00:07:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Craig, do you still see Spurs have a little bit of threat for that top four race in being an Aston Villa fan?
00:07:59
Craig Birtwistle
It's one of those that if, if Spurs show us the Spurs that came against Villa, for example, um, and I would be very concerned ah about Spurs, but like, uh, what's the term they use?
00:08:04
Chris _Spurs_ Mervyn
Yeah.
00:08:10
Craig Birtwistle
They're very spursy. Yeah. The inconsistency is, um, is the biggest thing that he's got to fix there, to be perfectly honest.
00:08:11
Chris _Spurs_ Mervyn
yeah
00:08:17
Craig Birtwistle
Like, uh, we've showed a lot more consistency of last season, slipped away a little bit they towards it at this point in the, of the season for Villa. But with Spurs it's a case of finding that consistency like Unai Emery has found at the Villa over a long period of time. If he can find that, then I think there would be a threat to most teams looking for those European spots.
00:08:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
You mentioned the word consistency. A man who wasn't very consistent and since found the sack was Eric Tenharg. Niall moving to Manchester United. I'm surprised it's taken this long to talk about a team that I'm also a fan of.
Manchester United's Tactical Evolution
00:08:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
What's going to change under Ruben Amry?
00:09:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think on that call as well in particular, sorry sorry for interrupting you then, Craig, but from a Manchester United point of view, they need, they they they should not be when they are in the table right now.
00:09:39
Craig Birtwistle
No, do you feel?
00:09:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
The tactics from a sport in Lisbon for one of you that Reuben Amriem implemented to win 11 out of 11 in the league, they put 33 points before his exit. How does that suit Manchester United's squad? There's big questions, especially on the left-hand side as well.
00:11:20
Craig Birtwistle
You talked about as well how um the players performed on a 10 hard. Do you feel that they downed tools in order to make the change happen or do you feel something else happened?
00:12:18
Craig Birtwistle
And time will tell, right, to see if he's the man, as you say, there's a lot of comparables with 10 Hark and from Mid Tableman United, sorry to get that dig in there, ah but to top four.
Can Nottingham Forest Reach Europe?
00:12:32
Craig Birtwistle
So we'll move on to top four contenders, Nottingham Forest. um Some at the city ground think Nuna wasn't the right man for the job. but James, how have you found it? um And do you see a potential push for Europe?
00:12:45
James NFFC
um So when Nino first came, I was skeptical. um i'm very I was very Saudi, kind of anti-Saudi, people who'd gone there, kind of gone for the money, um and kind of tarred in with that brush. My last experience of him was Spurs, obviously, and ah that didn't go well. So when he came in,
00:13:06
James NFFC
kind of thought you know can he really do anything um can he do with us what he did with wolves um and then last season we scraped through by the skin of our teeth even after some really really dodgy points deductions from the FA and so Europe
00:13:20
Craig Birtwistle
Thank you.
00:13:26
James NFFC
Absolutely. um I don't see any reason why we can't be contending. I wouldn't anticipate us contending for the top four, to be honest. I think as the season goes on, it's a marathon, not a sprint.
00:13:40
James NFFC
And, you know, things will happen. There'll be a lot of ups and downs, especially for some of the bigger clubs. and Not that Forest aren't a big club, we're the biggest club in the league.
00:13:47
Chris _Spurs_ Mervyn
you
00:13:50
James NFFC
But for ah some of the clubs like Man United, you know, with that um new manager bounce that's clearly going to arrive after the international break.
00:13:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
in fact
00:14:00
James NFFC
um Yeah, Arsenal come good. Man City, there's no problems there. Is there really Chelsea a flying and and villa? I can't see us coming ahead of those teams. So around seventh, um, if we can get the conference league, you know, from our position last year to go into conference league trips away to random places in Europe. Amazing. and
00:14:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just on Forest as well, James, I wanted to jump in and ask you about the squad depth, because a push for top four, we've seen it with Villa at the moment. We'll get onto Craig's opinions on Villa's squad depth in a few moments. on how How can Nottingham Forest deal with that squad depth if they were to push for a conference? with Because the recruitment under Steve Cooper prior to Nuno, you brought in, what was it, 22 odd players? And I think only one of them still stands now. So what's your opinions on that?
00:14:50
James NFFC
Yeah, so we've only got um Ryan Yates, the enforcer, um who is Forrest through and through. He's the only surviving player from ah the promoter team and and from any team um from that first season, really. So we we did have a lot of players go the other way as well. I think we we only actually netted maybe two or three extra players um with the comings and goings. um But yeah, we we have been building, and especially on the wings with Callum Hudson adoy and Doy and Elanga. We do have Jota now and Sosa, um who can stand and and are coming on um as subs regularly in their places towards the end of games. So we're doing well.
00:15:40
James NFFC
the problem I think that we've got at the moment is probably in the striking position Chris Wood's done a fantastic job but it only takes a small injury and for that to all come crashing down so that that would be the worry at the moment upfront defensively like um Matt Sells as a goalkeeper seems to have found a new lease of life um who knew that would happen after his ah
00:16:06
James NFFC
efforts at Newcastle um but yeah he's doing really well um and I think the one benefit is that we don't have Europe's content with right now. um All of the other teams have got the extra European games um in order to play them and keep their place in the Premier League, whereas we're coming with a clean slate. We've got the rest and we've got to use that because next season, if we do get Europe, we won't have that. And that's sometimes a bit of ah a curse if you're not prepared for it.
00:16:45
Craig Birtwistle
Yeah, I couldn't agree more there, James. um So should we move on with Villa there, Tom, or you want to go somewhere else?
00:16:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
awesome I think Villa's probably the place to go. i think ah That was just me looking at the little script there, just going, oh, if I've got Newcastle there. But we've not got anyone in Newcastle here, because ah even though they won 3-1 away at Nottingham Forest, none of them decided to turn up. So going through into Aston Villa. Unai Emery's done an unbelievable job at Aston Villa thus far. Three wins from four in their return to the Champions League. But winless in their last four domestically. Craig, you're our Villa correspondent in this episode. What's the worries in the form in the Premier League at the moment?
Aston Villa's Form and Team Chemistry
00:17:23
Craig Birtwistle
I think it just had to come at some point. um We've been on a high for a long period of time. um I feel the main issues with Villa at the moment is and we're going to sound like the opposite of Man City at this point. I think our problem is the fact that we've got players coming back from injury that has upset the status quo if you will within like the lineups we've had to we've tried to mix teams up a little we've lost Matty Cash to injury so we've already got a weakness there at the right back position where we're now shifting cons are out wide
00:18:00
Craig Birtwistle
and bringing in a different centre back in Diego Carlos then so I feel that as a coach myself I was always told to not weaken one position by recovering for another one so I think we've taken one of the best in my opinion centre backs in the Premier League and made him a right back which is now weakened both our right back position because he certainly isn't a right back and it's weakened our centre back position We've also tried to bring in players. We've had the likes of Ming's return, Kamara return, Wendia return, and those players coming in, every Villa fan was very excited about those three coming in because it's kind of like three new signings coming in because we lost them for such a long period of time.
00:18:42
Craig Birtwistle
But now with them coming into the fold and pushing forward for like we tried in the League Cup to take on Crystal Palace with a lighter team and it didn't work. So we've been mixing our rosters up and I feel their chemistry hasn't quite been working there because of that reason.
00:18:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
And you mentioned on your squad there as well, squad depth has got to be the thing that's going to hurt you, even if players are coming back from injury when trying to compete on all fronts. Are you going to continue to see problems, domestically and in Europe, with such a thin squad?
00:19:14
Craig Birtwistle
I don't think our squad is that thin. Unai wanted to um have two position two people per position for everyone. So when you look at our roster, if we actually go back to that philosophy because he's had McGinn playing on the right, he's had McGinn playing on the left, we're traditionally McGinn's a centre mid, right? So if he goes back to that kind of philosophy, we do have the rotation of a good 22 to 25 players that we can use.
00:19:42
Craig Birtwistle
Obviously, that is still a very light squad. So all it takes is two or three injuries. And yes, it would become a worry. Like we've lost Jacob Ramsey recently to another hamstring injury. The guy just can't seem to keep fit at the moment. Bailey's struggling with form, which is a worry. um But we do have Philogene, a youngster that's coming into the group now, who's showed really well, was very good against Bayern Munich. He was thrown in at the dogs.
00:20:09
Craig Birtwistle
ah So we know we have a capable player there. So squad depth doesn't really worry me at the moment, barring injuries. What does worry mean me is about the chemistry once we start rotation in the squad. It just doesn't seem to be there yet.
The Competitive and Unpredictable Premier League
00:20:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
i think I think from the the squad point of view, it's a really interesting factor. And it seems to it seems that every every team is going to somewhat struggle with injuries and squads, Barman City, even though that is the case at the moment with the squad that they've got.
00:20:37
James NFFC
Thank you.
00:20:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Greg, last but not least, where are we heading to?
00:20:44
Craig Birtwistle
Let's stick on the Claret and Blue theme and ah let's have a look at West Ham. The Hammers are struggling and some are targeting their Spanish to be sacked. So Tom, from the West Ham podcast. Tom, is it as bad as it seems?
00:22:03
Craig Birtwistle
Realistically, what was your aim at the beginning of the season? Where did you see West Ham finishing?
00:22:51
Craig Birtwistle
Who's underperforming?
00:22:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
auto I want to open it to up to the floor a little bit before the end. it just I mean, this is probably one of the strangest Premier League seasons we've seen probably over the last decade. We're in 11 games in and there's what, four points between 3rd and 13th? It's the most competitive, but with that comes probably, unarguably, the most entertaining league off the pitch as well. There's been so many unexpected, controversial, funny moments so far this season, so we've already gone through everybody once, and I'm going to come back at you again. What's been your best, most unexpected moment so far this season, putting you all on the spot a little bit more? And we'll go back in ah the same order as we did before, so Jules, Man City, we'll start off with you.
00:23:32
Jools - Man City
um I'm not sure about best, there's been two particularly out outstanding things that have happened this season, one not surprising at all and one very surprising. and So, Erwin Harland scoring at this rate, we keep taking for granted, he's still got more goals than games, but we're not surprised by this at all.
00:23:52
Jools - Man City
He's got 12 and 11 in the Premier League, which is incredible. And he'll probably finish possibly with a touch in his record of 36 from two years prior. But um again, to harp on what we I talked about the first time, I don't think anyone would have expected City to have lost four in a row.
00:24:10
Jools - Man City
ah at any point this season. So, and yeah, I refute the best part of that question, but definitely the most surprising from City's perspective, and I think from the Premier League fans' perspective, City losing in four in a row in all competitions. um Yeah, i don't I think you read good odds on that at the start of the season.
00:24:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
On is yours for Ipswich, going to be the fact that you scored at Spurs won the game with the first three points of the season with an overhead kick?
00:24:36
Tom Crack - Ipswich
Definitely the manner of the first goal was very unexpected. I think, you know, we've we've seen this season, I think performances wise, I would, I would say on the pitch doesn't necessarily reflect where we should be. And we've Craig, you know, we went almost had a fantastic draw against you. You go on to beat Bayern Munich a few days later, so it shows we can compete with teams of that quality opening weekend. I think that first 45 might've been the.
00:24:57
Tom Crack - Ipswich
high of just being back in the league against Liverpool and obviously their first game on the spot may have helped us out slightly there. But, you know, I think unexpected for me and it sounds strange to say unexpected considering how great he's playing, you know, new league, new team, but just the revelation that is Liam Delab.
00:25:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
in.
00:25:12
Tom Crack - Ipswich
I'm just so impressed by the guy, not necessarily just his goal scoring, you know, six goals already in the league. It's fantastic. But it's just the way in which he precious centre backs off the bull and on the bull. It's just brilliant. So we haven't really had a big number nine under McKenna or even before that in recent years. So to have that each week, hopefully each week, injuries not forthcoming, its it should, it's definitely a factor, I think.
00:25:35
Tom Crack - Ipswich
that could hopefully keep us up. I saw a fantastic stat in the week with him as well, where I think in the top five leagues, lads 21 and under, he is, he's the most, I think beneath him with five is the likes of Musiala and Lamini Amal.
00:25:47
Tom Crack - Ipswich
So he's in very good company. Obviously we need to move him forward as the season goes on, but you know, couldn't ask for a way better to do that this past weekend. So the laps unexpected, but he's showing them why we shouldn't even be unexpected because he's been fantastic.
00:25:57
James NFFC
And.
00:26:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Chris from the Spurs Podcast, we've mentioned the word Spurs you want already. The most Spurs-y thing for me is beating Man City then losing to Ipswich. What's your most unexpected moment so far this season?
00:26:12
Chris _Spurs_ Mervyn
Unexpected, I would say, is probably the rise of Kudaszewski playing in the centre, and how Madison has sort of dropped out of favour, and it's going to be hard for him to get back into the squad, or team at least, as a starting 11. And his confidence has knocked, you can see that when he comes on. He tries a little bit too hard, and he's now in a position where if he gives the ball away it's difficult. So, Kudaszewski um and He was always good, his good games on the wing were good, but you could see he actually wanted to come inside. um Now he's given that freedom and he's just very creative. He sees passes other players don't see, so that's been a really positive positive thing. The other surprising thing has been um how other teams are supposedly as well this season, I would say.
00:26:56
Chris _Spurs_ Mervyn
and I'll use my own term because I'm looking at the league here and the win losses etc and they're all red and green and grey for draws so yeah apart from Liverpool who have also been surprised, themly because I thought they they would take a while so yeah um ah apart from us being inconsistent well we were inconsistent last season as well just hopefully we we would have been better this season but we're not and it's also been a surprise on how the fans have turned on Anj relatively quickly this so far because we're only 11 games in.
00:27:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
from Spursy to one to calling everybody else Spursy from another. It's been changing quite a lot. Nailed a lot of chopping changing in at Manchester United as per usual over the
Unexpected Developments at Manchester United
00:27:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
last decade. Most unexpected moment at Old Trafford.
00:27:49
Chris _Spurs_ Mervyn
but that
00:28:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think from a Manchester United point of view, I can definitely say I didn't think that Ahmad Diallo would be benched as much as he did, and I was certainly one sat in the strep for then over the last few weeks singing his name. From Old Trafford to the City Ground, James for Forest, it's got to be just your form this season, hasn't it?
00:28:57
James NFFC
Yeah, absolutely. And the month of October, October, 2024 has been the most random time to be a forest fan, starting in the month with over £800,000 worth of fines, 10 matches worth of bands um to the owner, the manager, um ah you know, Talisman, Gibbs White and to Ward Prowse. And ending it with third place that like boggles the mind.
00:29:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
And.
00:29:27
James NFFC
Nottingham Forest in third place, but then Chris Wood getting player, Premier League player of the month and Nuno getting Premier League manager a month.
00:29:30
Craig Birtwistle
Oh.
00:29:34
James NFFC
Every time Chris Wood scores, I want to go buy a lottery ticket. Cause I'm like, you can't happen again. You know, you're just waiting for it to, uh, to like, I don't know.
00:29:46
James NFFC
It's crazy what's going on. Um, how long can it last? Who knows?
Aston Villa's Rising Star: Morgan Rogers
00:29:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Craig, from everyone in this podcast, Villa's probably the one that I can't really take a pick of the bunch for an unexpected moment. Maybe the win over by Munich.
00:29:59
Craig Birtwistle
No, we always beat Bayern Munich every time we play them. Yeah, we're actually undefeated against Bayern Munich, so that's no shock there. For me, at the only surprising thing for Villa is the rise of Morgan Rogers. I feel that we bought him last January and When he came in from Middlesbrough, everyone expects him to be a good squad player, someone we could call upon when he was there.
00:30:24
Craig Birtwistle
Now he's one of the first names on the team sheet and rightfully so now he's got a call up for England. So he just keeps rising up. He's gone from championship to first time, ah ah first starter for Villa.
00:30:35
Craig Birtwistle
He's now played in the Champions League and he's even been called up for England. So that's the biggest surprise for me coming from Villa this season.
00:30:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
And as we mentioned before, Clarin blew one way to the next. And the final post we're going to come to on today's episode of tapping into the top flight, Tom Elkins from West Ham. This again is a bit of a tricky one for an unexpected moment. What have you got?
00:31:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think that about rounds us off.
Premier League's Unexpected Moments and Controversies
00:31:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
For me, the unexpected moment of the Premier League is going to be just PJ Moel. There has to be nothing else said around that. You've got the David Koot controversy.
00:32:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
We've just booked Tom from West Ham.
00:32:03
Craig Birtwistle
Thank you.
00:32:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Ten Hog might be in a job if they got the decision right on the pitch, but who knows? In hindsight, I guess you could say that. But with that being said, it brings us to an end of the very first episode of Tapping into the Top Flight, brought to you by GSPN.
00:32:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
After 11 games, Liverpool fans start to dream. Southampton at the foot of the table, Saints fans might be starting to scream. Thank you very much for all of our participants in today's episode, it's goodbye from me.
00:32:27
Craig Birtwistle
and it's goodbye from him.