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NFL Conference Championship Previews | How Much Semenyo Meant to Bournemouth | NBA Trade Deadline Possibilities
12 Plays4 days ago
Who’s Got The Ball? – NFL, NBA & Premier League Breakdown | Conference Finals, Premier League Analysis & NBA Debate.
On this week’s episode of Who’s Got The Ball?, Shane and James break down the biggest stories across the NFL, Premier League, and NBA.
🏈 NFL Breakdown
The lads start with Kenneth Walker’s monster performance for the Seattle Seahawks in their statement win over the San Francisco 49ers. They then react to the fallout from last week’s NFL action, focusing heavily on the Buffalo Bills game, controversial calls, and the wider debate around refereeing standards across sport. The episode wraps up with previews and predictions for this weekend’s Conference Finals.
⚽ Premier League Analysis
In the Premier League segment, Shane and James are joined by Bournemouth fan and host of the Golden Hour Film Pod, Harry Bailey to discuss:
- What Antoine Semenyo truly means to Bournemouth
- Who is driving the club’s transfer strategy
- Why Bournemouth have become such a solid Premier League side
They also analyse Manchester United’s massive win vs Manchester City, before previewing Bournemouth vs Liverpool this weekend.
🏀 NBA Talk
To finish things off, Michael returns with a huge NBA topic — the NBA trade deadline. The lads provide their thoughts on trades that simply need to happen and on others that would shock the NBA world.
📊 Gan Seans Update & Power Rankings
As always, there’s the latest Gan Seans update, with James up to three point lead, plus a fresh edition of the Power Rankings as the competition heats up.
👉 Subscribe, rate, and follow Who’s Got The Ball? for weekly NFL analysis, NBA debate, Premier League breakdowns, predictions, and bold opinions.
Harry's Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGoldenHourFilmPodcast/videos
🎧 Listen if you’re into:
- Football (soccer) analysis
- NBA previews & predictions
- Weekly NFL reactions
- Underdog betting tips
- Draft-style sports debates
- Power rankings across multiple sports
- Sports content from an Irish perspective with global takes
🔁 New episodes drop weekly!
Follow/subscribe so you never miss a breakdown of the latest in the EPL, NBA, and NFL.
💬 Connect with us:
📸 Instagram → @whosgottheballpod | X / TikTok → @wgtbpod
📩 Send your takes → wgtbpod@gmail.com
🌍 Based in Ireland | Talking global sports weekly
(0:00) Intro
(3:32) Kenneth Walker Dominates 49ers
(6:33) Divisional Round Fallout in Buffalo
(13:01) Conference Championships Preview
(24:46) Man United Batter Man City
(32:10) Harry Bailey Joins
(33:03) What Semenyo Meant to Bournemouth
(36:56) Bournemouth’s Transfer Strategy + Future
(47:59) Bournemouth vs Liverpool Preview
(54:13) Gan Seans: Our Underdog Picks
(57:41) NBA Trade Deadline Possibilities with Michael
(1:21:35) Multi-Sport Power Rankings
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Milestone
00:00:09
Speaker
Alright lads, welcome back to another episode of Who's Got the Ball. We are only a couple of episodes now away from 60, so I guess if you if you celebrate your 60th birthday, why can't we celebrate our 60th episode coming up soon?
00:00:21
Speaker
What was the crack with you Shane? Not a whole lot. We're hoping to get to 100,000 subscribers by the 60th episode there, lads. So if you wouldn't mind getting on that soon, it would be
Hosts' Health Challenges
00:00:30
Speaker
absolutely great. Other than that, I think I've had a pretty quiet week for a change. I wasn't running up or running up to down to Dublin, still trying to get over this illness that has been plaguing both of us for the last couple of episodes since. Not as many pauses this week, but there is a, i up sorry, not pauses. as There's not as many ah using things muting episodes, for one to be better at putting it. Yes, even yeah, muting issues. So it's not as bad as that week, but we're definitely not back to 100% yet, but we're getting there. What about yourself? Feeling better now?
00:01:02
Speaker
Yeah, we're both just hammering antibiotics. To be honest, at this point, it's definitely more than a flu. And so I think, yeah, trying to, trying to recover the last like day or two is a little bit better since taking them. So they were definitely needed, but I, yeah I think you can probably hear from my voice. It's still hanging around.
NFL Playoffs and Kenneth Walker's Performance
00:01:20
Speaker
but yeah, as you said, improving, which is the important thing.
00:01:23
Speaker
and We had a lot this week, a lot to cover, a lot to get through, obviously and with the NFL playoffs and in full, in full flow.
00:01:34
Speaker
We started by talking about our, Clutch player of the weekend for last week for the NFL. So we we both thought that Kenneth Walker basically won the games of his career in a massive moment and helped dominate for the Niners. So we went in on his performance and how we thought it was deserving of that award.
00:01:53
Speaker
Divisional round fallout then, A lot of that is surrounding the the Bills right now. What's going on with their GM? What's going on with Sean McDermott? What went on with some of the refereeing in that game between the Broncos and Bills? And then we moved into the conference championships to give a full preview, gave you our picks for each game, and a score prediction and kind of all all the things we see as key key matchups in that game.
00:02:17
Speaker
Next up, we had Harry Bailey on, special guest, Bournemouth fan.
Bournemouth's Semenyo and Team Impact
00:02:20
Speaker
He chatted to us. about what Semenyo meant for the team. He was at his very last game there for Bournemouth as they beat Spurs and and how special he was as a player and as a person. He talked about the club ownership and and where he sees them going in the future and we also previewed Liverpool versus Man United.
00:02:40
Speaker
Not Liverpool versus Man United. Where am I going here altogether? We also previewed Bournemouth versus Liverpool. I was just thinking since we had two fans on the show it's usually Liverpool
NBA Trade Deadline Scenarios
00:02:50
Speaker
Man United but We had a Bournemouth fan this time around to chat with Shane.
00:02:54
Speaker
Before we got into that stuff with Harry, though, we did talk about Man United and we talked about They were probably the performance of the weekend in the Premier League for what they did against City. And and we dived a little bit into that performance. We hit gone chance as usual. And then we had Michael on, um as we usually do every two weeks for the and NBA topic. So he came with some trade deadline questions as that is coming up on the 5th of February. So he he kind of gave us a couple of questions and and one closing one then that was a bit wild for us to give our trade suggestions. So we had a good back and forth there about different trades that we could see going down.
00:03:27
Speaker
wrapped up with the power rankings and that is all for you so let's just jump straight into it okay so let's get into the clutch player of the week for the NFL divisional round behind us bit of a mixed bag really and we had a Like a lot in the wildcard weekend, we were kind of an spoiled by the games we had. A lot of one-score games. I think it was four one-score games. It was the most ever in a round of playoff football in the NFL. And then I had a a lot of high-scoring games too. This had a couple of good games and a couple of duds. But there's one standout player for both of us, and that was Kenneth Walker.
00:04:02
Speaker
Biggest game he's had on the ground since his rookie season in terms of total yards. And then he's he's had one three-touchdown game before. he he went and grabbed another one in his first playoff appearance since 2022.
00:04:15
Speaker
Really stepped up to the plate with Charbonnet going down injured. And he kind of took over the game and he was like, this is mine for the taking. Obviously, they had planned to throw the ball or or run the ball a lot, should I say, and and stay away from the passing game as much as possible.
00:04:29
Speaker
But he really took advantage of that. 6.1 yards per carry on 19 touches. And he had another 29 yards from three catches as well. So he definitely contributed to this absolute battering that the 49ers took from the Seahawks.
00:04:44
Speaker
Yeah, it was the absolute game of his life. and He just came out here and said, this is all about me today. 118 yards, the two touchdowns on the floor were just exceptional. Sam Darnold, as you said, he didn't want to throw the ball and he really didn't have to because he was able to trust Kenneth Walker with his life in this game.
00:05:02
Speaker
He just absolutely annihilated 49ers every time he had the ball in his hands. He was just running through them like they weren't there. um JSN just didn't even need to get a look in. He was basically rested for this game because Kenneth Walker was doing absolutely everything.
00:05:15
Speaker
Catching the ball, three targets, three catches. Yeah, it's there's very little left to say from what you've said. Like losing Charbonnet was massive for And then he was like, oh, no, no, I really need to step up. And off he went and just carried the ball like his life depended on it. He was not coming out of this game without winning. And Yeah, joe what they were 7-0 up after 12 seconds and that is a great way to start at any game, but he's the one that made sure that they were not chucking this away.
00:05:42
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, 100%. They kind of played it to a tee because the Niners had a situation where They were down a lot of players on the D-line and then in the linebacking core, especially with Fred Warner still out.
00:05:57
Speaker
They didn't have a lot of their even backup linebackers. They were down to third or fourth choices. and So obviously that was something that was like a weak core and they were...
00:06:08
Speaker
just literally pounding through it and at all times the the Seahawks and they knew that from the start so good on them and that led to a good game from Kenneth Walker so raily relief really really like happy for him because it seemed at times in his career that things weren't going to kick off to the level that they could but now with Clint Kubiak there he's just going to continue to draw up game plans like this so really really happy it worked out for him but We'll look at a bit of the fallout from the divisional
Controversial Broncos vs. Bills Game
00:06:35
Speaker
round. I think the main thing that we want to touch on is the Broncos and Bills game because so many storylines come out of that.
00:06:41
Speaker
Broncos win it 33-30 in overtime with a field goal. and But it's it's kind of outside of Bo Nix being injured, which will play a factor into the games we're going to preview, so we might touch on that then.
00:06:55
Speaker
It'll be... The Bills that take away a lot of the headlines here because, first of all, Sean McDermott was basically blamed for this loss, which is insane given what he's done there over the years. so Since the 2020 started, the Bills have scored the most points in the league. They allowed the fewest points in the league.
00:07:15
Speaker
They have the best record in the league and they have the best points differential of 902. No other team is over 600. So he has coached them up to the absolute peak And then you're looking at a roster that's literally getting worse every year because their GM is not able to draft properly.
00:07:32
Speaker
And then he gets a promotion after it because he's in the owner owner's ear. It's all just an absolute shambles after this game. And Sean McDermott is after getting the bullet for it. I think he would be happy to be out of there there um in one sense over that GM, as you just mentioned. Like he's there saying, oh, I wouldn't have drafted
Bills' Season Analysis
00:07:50
Speaker
Keon Coleman. I would have.
00:07:52
Speaker
done X, ys ed and And then there's literally him in an interview on some television show saying it was Cian Coleman or no one. Unless someone really excited us in the draft, we were taking Cian Coleman. He's come out then and basically bashed Cian Coleman by saying, oh, we we didn't want him. The coaching staff took him.
00:08:09
Speaker
We then decided to back him. It was just unbelievable. Like every the stuff he was saying in that interview was just wow. There was clip after clip after clip coming out and every single one of them was almost worse than the one before.
00:08:21
Speaker
Yeah, Sean McDermott's better off out of there, but this game goes a different way if the referees don't make that scandalous call on the catch that wasn't a catch.
00:08:33
Speaker
they should it like The next night the same thing happens and they get it's given straight away as a catch. It's the inconsistency, but I feel like it's not the first time this year we've mentioned referees. and It seems to be across all sports at the moment where the standard refereeing across all professional sports is just, i think it might be at an all-time low.
00:08:51
Speaker
The Premier League, the refereeing is abysmal. The NBA at times is absolutely chronic. To see the goaltending call last week that wasn't given and joy that drove Steve Kerr to get sent.
00:09:04
Speaker
um excuse again And then we have this one where like it's it's so clearly attached that if they just went and looked at one of the hundred camera angles they have, they'd see it straight away instead of rushing to get the game back underway for no reason. They go to an ad break and come back and say, yeah, that decision is made.
00:09:21
Speaker
They haven't looked at again. They haven't felt the need. in In a game of such fine margins at such a high magnitude, you have to make sure you're right. I don't want understand the rush. like It's the slowest game in the world as it is. It's a three and a half hours. What's an extra five minutes on three and a half hours when you think about it really? like you know yeah It's not like they're slowing down in a really, really fast moving game.
00:09:40
Speaker
Just go and get the decision correct. Josh Allen didn't have his best game, obviously, but for it to come down to something like that, it's the only wonder he was so upset in that interview after. Yeah, he felt like he let the team down because he probably felt like if he didn't make that mistake at the end of the first half, they win it.
00:09:55
Speaker
But at the same time, a lot of things need to go your way and there's a lot of things that haven't
Refereeing Standards Across Sports
00:10:00
Speaker
gone his way over the years. so I feel for him in a sense because they're basically asking him to go out there and be Superman on the offensive side of the ball.
00:10:08
Speaker
They've not given him a proper wide receiver one. And he's feeling like he has to do it all on his own. Now, he did make bad decisions, but as you said, you're looking there at What? I don't know what a catch is because they don't know what a catch is and yeah how it can be given the very next night where the same thing happens, as you said, with Devontae Adams. The ball is pulled out of his own hands as he hits the ground the exact same way. And then it's called a catch.
00:10:34
Speaker
Like it's caught by Cooks. He hits the ground, his elbow and leg are down. This need to make a football move crap that we're hearing come out now. is nuts and i i don't i don't agree with it and and i think what was worse than any of that was okay if that's the call you're going to make that's the call you're going to make what was worse than any of that was brandon cooks in the end zone getting his handy eight and a clear pi before the bills scored their field goal to tie the game at the very end or to put them in a position where the game was still ongoing
00:11:07
Speaker
like going to overtime, they would have scored a touchdown on that drive. If he gets pulled on his hand there, we saw what the touch push did in that game. And in the week previous, they just literally just keep doing the touch push for as many times as they had timeouts. If they had no timeouts, they'd draw something up until they needed to do the touch push. They would have gotten the end zone and they would have won the game if that was called P.I. in the end zone to get put in the one-yard line. And it wasn't.
00:11:30
Speaker
And then Tredavious White is called P.I., which was absolutely outrageous to basically seal it for a very short field goal for the Broncos. So I just, I can't my town stomach the way the refs behaved in this game and the way they made it about themselves too.
00:11:45
Speaker
They always make it about themselves. the The referees in the NFL seem to have such a
Broncos vs. Patriots Game Predictions
00:11:50
Speaker
complex about... It's just that meme where it's a fella pointing in the mirror like, go out there and make it about you. The NFL refs are the biggest example of this, of anything I've ever seen.
00:12:00
Speaker
It's like, whatever wrote the first PI call i on the Bills in overtime, that one is probably correct, the one down the sideline. The second one is literally just to make sure the game is over. It's like, how easy can we make this field goal? Oh, here we go. Like, players don't lose their head that much and slam their helmets on the ground, on the field of play, unless they feel like they've been properly done in.
00:12:20
Speaker
And that's one of the ones where I completely didn't blame him for tossing his helmet. I'm actually surprised didn't hit the referee with it the way he was taking it off. There was so much anger in him. And for him just bounce off the floor, it was like, can you not look it and say, OK, we might have done something wrong here. But they actually just don't care. They want to just get out of there, keep the kept the phone home fans happy.
00:12:40
Speaker
And the Broncos move on to what is going to be and a bit of a tough watch, to put it lightly. Yeah, yeah, no, I agree. agree it wasn't a good end and I don't blame White for doing that because the game is over already.
00:12:53
Speaker
It doesn't matter if you commit another penalty there for taking your helmet off or whatever else he did afterwards. and But I think we'll move into the games then at the weekend, as you said.
00:13:05
Speaker
We have the Patriots and Broncos. So it's a situation where, I don't know, like, Drake May, they won the game, but he was under pressure. More fumbles this time, twice as many as he had the week before. Twice as many lost as well. and But then he's playing against Jared Stidham, who has no passes in the last two seasons. and Regular seasons, should I say. and he's the latest player to ever come into a starting lineup in...
00:13:30
Speaker
the NFL so he's the first time a player has started in the conference championship after not throwing a pass all regular season so it's really hard to say how this is going to go but yet New England are only four and a half point favourites and I think that's because the Patriots might have a tough time with this Broncos defence they're going to send everyone at May they've seen his problem holding the ball they're going to send a power rush they're going to send Benito they're going to send Cooper they're going to send Tufanga they're going to send whoever they can And then they have Pat Sertan on the back end to keep kind of ah things under wraps. So, yeah, I think there's a reason this is still close despite a backup, having not thrown a pass all season, being in for the Broncos.
00:14:12
Speaker
Yeah, so I had quite a poor week in my predictions last week where I went one and three. One correct, three wrong. I think the only way to get the Patriots out of this now is to back them in this game because they've gone against them the other or two weeks and they've gotten through. So...
00:14:26
Speaker
All just to say, I do think the Patriots will sneak through this. Both May and Stroud were very bad in that game last week, but they were bad and in different ways. So CJ Stroud just couldn't find a pass.
00:14:40
Speaker
He was nearly crying after one of the interceptions where Drake May just kept dropping the ball. he If he protects the ball, in any way better than he did last week, then it puts the Patriots in a great chance. And the weather last week was obviously very unhelpful. I don't think he's going to get anything next to near what he faced last week. So the weather shouldn't be an issue for him this week.
00:15:00
Speaker
He's who I believe should probably win the and MVP over Stafford, but he won't. Stafford is going to get it now. But if he just goes back to Drake May for the regular season, then I don't think Gerard Stidham will have any answers for him.
00:15:13
Speaker
Yeah, i'm I'm on the opposite side here, to be honest. I think regardless of quarterback, I think the Broncos are just a better team. And I'm going to take a better team. the The Patriots are a couple of years away in terms of their draft classes. They have a lot of veterans now.
00:15:30
Speaker
If they get a couple of good draft classes, and similarly to what they've had the last couple of years, and get a better wide receiver one in, then... They're a type of team that from there I think would be really successful in a few years.
00:15:44
Speaker
They've obviously had a really successful season this year, but I do think that they're going to fall short because I prefer the whole Broncos team. and the defensive side of the ball. The Patriots were able to bully the Texans O-line.
00:15:57
Speaker
They won't be able to do that against the Broncos. It's not an easy O-line to play against. Stevenson had a nice game, 70 yards against against the Texans. That'll be more difficult now against the Broncos, who are a very good run defense.
00:16:10
Speaker
I think that they're they're not going to have their own way. There's going to be a lot of challenges here. I i still think the game will be close. The Patriots are the first team ever, though, to win since 1987.
00:16:22
Speaker
So that was their luck. They've been given wild card, lucky lotto ticket to game,
00:16:36
Speaker
so thats their luck they've been given a wild car ah loki locko take a lot of take it to get into this this game and i think it's where it ends i'm going bronhos twenty three patriots twenty i really didn't want to pick scores after what i did last time I'm going to say Patriots twenty six seventeen Okay.
00:17:00
Speaker
Okay. Decent enough one. There's no basis for that at all. um I think I wrote down what i what I cooked up last week and it's it's nothing short of an absolute chamel. Let's see if can find... Yeah, so I had...
00:17:14
Speaker
I had 23-13 the Bills to beat the Broncos. That didn't go very well. 21-14 the Niners and the Seahawks. That game was over after 12 seconds. 23-10 the Texans to beat the Patriots. Yeah.
00:17:25
Speaker
And Rams-Vers 34-23. it was a lot less lot lower scoring than that ended up being. So, yeah, I don't even want to write down my scores this week. I'm just going to put them out there and then forget I've ever done them.
00:17:38
Speaker
Yeah, see, last week I didn't write any down. I just did them off the cuff. So i can't remember what I did, but i'll I'll check those. And this week I have them written down. So we're going with differing approaches here. ah We'll get into the last one.
00:17:51
Speaker
Rams and Seahawks. This is massive. This is the game of the season. They played each other in two huge games already. The last one ended... still can't imagine how that game ended. I still can't quite understand how it ended with the three two-point attempts converted for the Seahawks.
00:18:10
Speaker
One of them, the ball just being picked up in the end zone. So many freak things needed to happen for the Seahawks to get that win, but yet they did. They're two-and-a-half-point favourites now because essentially you're looking at Sam Darnold having only played two and a half quarters of football. He threw 17 passes and he didn't throw a pass after the eight minute mark in the third quarter.
00:18:34
Speaker
He just simply didn't have to. And they really preserved him for this one. So there's a reason why they're kind of under our favorites as well as the fact that they're playing at home. And so I think this game is, is, it's very tough to call. And I think, yeah, it's going to be the game of the season. I think whoever wins this wins a Superbowl for me.
00:18:53
Speaker
Yeah. This is one where, I really, really want to back the Rams, but it's so hard to do it because they're going to going to Seattle.
00:19:03
Speaker
That crowd, I texted you when nas and that game kicked off last week in San Francisco and I said, before i it even kicked off, is like I regret my decision to back the 49ers here. The fans are wild.
00:19:14
Speaker
And then 12 seconds later, I was like, yeah, i forget about everything I said. it's I just think this this game is so hard to call. They're two really, really good teams. they can If this ends up in a shootout, then I'd bat Matt Stafford. But if the Seahawks can shut him down in any way and they're really good defense, then it's it's hard to see past the Seahawks getting over the line here.
00:19:36
Speaker
i'm I'm really glad I don't support either of these teams because I would be up for nights. I'd probably be up for now until Monday morning waiting for it now. So, yeah, I think this is this a game, and an absolute...
00:19:47
Speaker
just a sloak fest written all over it and Stafford is going to have to do better than 20 and 42 which he was against the Bears he's going to need to up that to 30 or 42 if he's going to throw the ball 42 times because he's not going to get away with what he did against the Bears and getting away with it is probably inverted commas almost but Yeah, this game is just, it's it's so hard to call. Even when I was doing the notes out for this, I was over and back, over and back, over and back. But I am going to stick with the Rams on it because I've backed them um so far this way. I really do think they're going to get to the Super Bowl.
00:20:21
Speaker
I think the fact that coming into it as underdogs will suit them as well. Just don't give up Raheem Shaheed. God, forget about it Don't give the returning fella a chance to run 95 yards for a touchdown and you'll you'll have some hope. Raheem Shaheed.
00:20:37
Speaker
I don't think anyone is going to kick in Raheem Shaheed's direction anymore on kickoffs. They won't want him to return the ball. and but I agree with you that it's very hard to call. And I do, to an to an extent, they like Stafford didn't have a good game, but I think it was almost by design sometimes.
00:20:55
Speaker
Like there's some throws there that you look at and you go, oh, that was a bad throw. I don't think it was a bad throw at times from Stafford. I think he was wary of the Bears' defense and how much...
00:21:07
Speaker
how high they are and how high a level they are at kind of being ball hawks and catching these interceptions. And he just threw it in a way that nobody could get it because he knew wasn't on. And the pressure was coming on him down the middle. They were funneling to him.
00:21:20
Speaker
And he was just kind of throwing balls away more than he was throwing kind of inaccurate passes. And I think that was smart. It preserved them in the game. They didn't have a turnover to kind of end the game for them, essentially, and give the Bears an extra possession.
00:21:33
Speaker
So they they did what they needed to do. Certainly, you'll need to be better I think the Rams will use 13 personnel a lot here to run the ball. Three tight ends, block and try and run the ball heavy down the field like they did with Kyron Williams against the Bears.
00:21:46
Speaker
But then you've got the likes of Ernest Jones, Tariq Wollin, Lawrence, all sorts of guys that are just huge and big physical units on the defensive line and in the secondary and at linebacker, all for the Seahawks that are willing to stop that.
00:22:00
Speaker
And then on the other side, you have guys who are really capable of getting past that O-line for the Seahawks in Braden Fisk and Jared Burris jard v and late Nate Landman. So I think these two teams kind of cancel each other out at parts, and then I always look when when that happens and I can't see a clear mismatch.
00:22:18
Speaker
I'll always look at the quarterbacks. 57.1% completion for Stafford in the two games against the Rams this season. Now, Daniel was better. He had 65.4%. 587 yards for Stafford in the two games against the Seahawks. And then you look at what Darnold did in those two games against the Rams, 549 yards. So you say, actually, these two guys both played pretty well. Actually, Darnold might have done better.
00:22:44
Speaker
But then five touchdowns and zero interceptions for Stafford, two touchdowns and six interceptions for Darnold against this Rams team. They have his number.
00:22:55
Speaker
Kobe Durant, I believe, was said earlier I don't know if it was earlier in the season or recently, but he kind of feels that they're in his head and they have pressure on him because they beat him in the wildcard round last season and absolutely destroyed him with the Vikings.
00:23:08
Speaker
I think that they just have the better hand here at quarterback, and that's why I'm going to go with Rams 27, Seahawks 24. Yeah, I can't remember if I gave a score or not, did I?
00:23:19
Speaker
No, I don't think you did. If you want to, you can't. Okay, I'm going to go...
00:23:25
Speaker
I'm going thirty one twenty four Okay. A nice one touchdown. To the Rams. Sorry, yeah. Yeah. yeah I think it goes to the situation. I picked 27-24 because I think I see them, like the Seahawks, being up by a field goal.
00:23:39
Speaker
Or four points, should I say. And then the Rams having to need more than a field goal to win it. And they go and grab a touchdown late. I think that would just be a great game script. But we've got We've got our picks locked in now for for the AFC and NFC Championship games. So I've got the Broncos to win against the Patriots, the despite Jard Siddham, I think.
00:23:59
Speaker
Overall team and overall scheme is going to is going to win out here. And that's why going with the Broncos. And then on the other side, I'm going with the Rams. So going with two underdogs, the Rams, to beat the Seahawks. Just because, as I highlighted, Stafford just has that edge that Darnold may not be able to reach. And it seems like the Rams have Darnold's number.
00:24:19
Speaker
Yeah, I have gone the opposite way then. I've gone with the Patriots and the Rams. The Rams, for the same reason you've given, really. I just think they are probably a better team, so we'll see where they get on. And then I'm just backing the Patriots, and I'm going based on the quarterbacks, the way you are going the opposite. You're going against the quarterbacks. So you're going in spite of the quarterbacks, I'm going for the quarterbacks.
00:24:39
Speaker
Yeah, nice nice. Those are our picks. So for the AFC and NFC Championship games, that's a roll on to Sunday. Okay, so let's move into the performance of the weekend for the Premier League. and It was probably a clear one, one of the clearest ones you're going to get because it was very unexpected, but also it was a complete battering. And it was Man United beating Man City 2-0.
00:25:01
Speaker
So we previewed this game last week and neither of us saw this game going the way it did. and I think I was... Being a bit generous, giving as a draw and Shane saw City battering United. But United set up like really, really well.
00:25:15
Speaker
And they could have won this game five or six or seven nil, to be honest. Like they had two lovely goals and then hit the bar, hit the post, three offside goals and numerous other potentially threatening situations that they had.
00:25:30
Speaker
were one pass away from or or made a mess of. So I think City were just rattled. It was the lowest and XG shots on target shots. It was either the lowest or the second lowest in all those stats for City this season.
00:25:44
Speaker
It was the most XG they conceded. United just battered them basically from start to finish. And a lot of props to Michael Carrick because he set the team up in a way that he said after the game he didn't want to go in on Pep and explain how he beat them because he said you know he has massive respect for him so he had his ideas of how to play but he wasn't going to air them out publicly to kind of try and diminish pep so arnie slot could probably take a leaf out of his book on that one but you know he had the team set up in a way that minimized spaces he took away all the things that city liked to do like play between the lines especially with turkey in between The centre-back and full-back, Ahmed, was like a workhorse, dropping back to fill that space constantly. And then as soon as the ball was shifted back, he was snapping forward into the press again.
00:26:31
Speaker
So he was key to that. There was no Ahmed. I don't think they could have played the way that they did. and But really, really impressive. And I think we'll see how they play against Arsenal because I'm sure to have some some ideas about how to play against them too this weekend.
00:26:46
Speaker
Yeah, so I think every prediction I made last weekend across all the sports was... ah Really, really poor. I think I went 0-3 in Ganshant as well and I went 1-3 in the NFL. So everything I said went completely against me the weekend just gone. But this United performance is the best it's been, in my opinion, in years potentially.
00:27:05
Speaker
From minute one, they were absolutely all over City. They never gave him a break. 11 shots to 7, outshot him. First five saves and ye from Donnarumma. Seven shots on target get to one shot on target. and As you mentioned, three goals drilled out.
00:27:17
Speaker
Hit the post, hit the crossbar. But even in jewels, United won 37 the jewels, ground jewels, 9 of 16 aerial jewels. We won't talk about dribbles, that doesn't really matter in a game like this, but it was five completed dribbles for United and six for Man City. But where it this came from is something i I can't get my head around because it was it was a completely different team to the one we were watching even the week before under Darren Fletcher.
00:27:43
Speaker
Michael Carrick came in and obviously did an unbelievable job in training over the week and really He really got them fired up for this and they were just, they were so deserving of their win. And like, I normally turn United matches off and they go turn it up because it's kind of like to the fun is over for me at that point.
00:28:00
Speaker
And this is kind of ones where I like, I need to see where this goes. So I watched for 90 minutes. i was I was like, I need to see, can they keep doing this for 90 minutes? And they did. So credit to him, honestly, I thought...
00:28:13
Speaker
Bruno was brilliant. As you said, Ahmed straight back from AFCON, absolutely brilliant. And Bruno just dragged him all over the place. And then Mount came on. I thought he was very good in his limited minutes. He had the goal ruled out as well. just Very, very tight offside call. So, yeah, everyone just, everyone played their part. I said before the game, I didn't think Harry Maguire would start.
00:28:31
Speaker
And he did, and he was exceptional. and He probably should have scored with that chance in the first couple of minutes. The thing for me was, that we both said it, that if you United were going to win this game, they were going to need an early goal.
00:28:42
Speaker
And when the early goal didn't come, they didn't panic. They didn't say, oh, well, that's our chance gone now. they just kept They just stuck with the game plan, kept playing it to an absolute T and, as I said, fully deserved a win. They absolutely battered City all over place. City ended up with more possession, a good bit more possession, but it really didn't matter because the game was pretty much done by the time City started trying to do anything.
00:29:04
Speaker
Yeah, a lot of possession was pointless because they continued to try and get into those channels. And every time they got there, United had it closed and they didn't know what to do, apart from trying to recycle it to the other side and go again, because that's the way they play.
00:29:20
Speaker
um But every time it just wasn't there. Apart from the chance that was cleared off the line by Dalot and kind of Lammans at the same time, i i can't remember City having really any chance. Haaland was non-existent.
00:29:32
Speaker
Lisandro Martinez did an excellent job with him. I think they faced off seven times and Haaland has only scored in one of those games. So he clearly knows how to defend him probably better than most, considering how prolific Haaland is.
00:29:45
Speaker
and He's struggling a little bit lately, but then I think Martinez did a super job. And Dorgu was brilliant as well in that left wing role. I think he's a real player. And if he continues to train and focus on the skills needed to go forward, he's definitely not a fullback.
00:30:01
Speaker
That left wing seems to suit him a lot. and If he can just work on his final product a little more, but is his finishing was exceptional. And I think, as you mentioned, the subs, they got them spot on. I think the coaching staff and Carrick, like bringing in and Konya, he did very, very well when he came on and you already mentioned some of the others. But I think, yeah, from the start of the week, apparently the training sessions were, he only had them for three days, but apparently they were more intense, but shorter.
00:30:31
Speaker
and The players seemed to enjoy that. I think in general, that's what players prefer. And then they arrived at the stadium later than usual and they'll continue to do so because he doesn't want them waiting around. He wants them to arrive when some fans are there and to get a good reaction. So he knows, obviously, he's played there for years. so He has all the tricks of the of the trade. but and Yeah, the thing about the training sessions, before I read that article as well, and I was like, normally you read those things thinking, what is this crap?
00:31:02
Speaker
It's like someone is peddling this out now just to, oh, character's on the end door and look at the changes he's making, but clearly wasn't crap, and it actually did make a difference because they looked fitter, they looked hungrier, they looked stronger.
00:31:14
Speaker
They just, they absolutely wanted the more, which I thought was very, very un-City like that. They're so close Arsenal. Like there's no one really putting pressure on Arsenal. They're the closest ones putting pressure. Villa as well, obviously. was But I think it's, I really do think it is between Arsenal and City. Probably just Arsenal now at the moment. But that wasn't a City team that we're used to seeing. It was a City team. They were meek. They were really, really laid back. They thought, oh,
00:31:37
Speaker
like yeah they I think they might have thought it's going to come from at some point and it it just never came. And they didn't really do anything over the course of to change the way the the flow of it was going. It was United from the start and yeah, they ah fully deserved what they got out of it.
00:31:52
Speaker
Yeah, and I think Pep, he did give credit to United, but he also alluded to the fact that said he had a lot of games um in no universe would have to play a full strength team against Exeter. So that's exactly um his own fault.
00:32:05
Speaker
But we've got a lot to cover. A special guest coming on now, so let's jump into that. All right, lads, we've got Harry Bailey joining us this week. Special guest. Big Bournemouth fan. and If you're interested in movies or you want to expand your your brain in the movie scene, that all you need to check out is Golden Film Hour Pod.
00:32:23
Speaker
and Well worth a listen. But Harry, thanks a million for coming on. How are you, man? Yeah, great. I feel like when it comes to anything sports, I seem to be the Bournemouth guy. I was on Today FM talking about Bournemouth a couple of months ago.
00:32:36
Speaker
i think i'm I feel like I'm Ireland's resident Bournemouth fan. Ireland's only Bournemouth fan, probably. Yeah, it's ah it's a pretty interesting interesting one. Like when you see someone pop up, like I followed you for a good while. We followed each other and seen your film stuff and your different things you made through the years but then you know you always see that Bournemouth story coming up and you're like ah keep that in the back your mind there you know he's Bournemouth but ah I think we'll start with Semenyo because obviously he just recently left um we'll do this and based off we don't want to get into that we always stick with the same thing we always stick with transfer market and euro fees for this so 72 million euros is what he went for according to that and in January um you were at his last game
00:33:22
Speaker
Massive win. the The last minute winner, which was a great moment. So we'd love to hear about that. But we'd also love to hear about, in general, like what he meant for the team beyond the statistics, just how big of a loss it is.
00:33:36
Speaker
Oh, it's massive. There's very few players who come into a club like Bournemouth or say Brentford or Brighton. And when you can tell early on that they are going to end up at a an Arsenal, a City, a Liverpool or a Real Madrid or whatever, most of them you can tell that they're just there until they get there.
00:33:55
Speaker
Whereas you get the odd player like Semenya who was like properly integrated into the club, was doing charity work with local children's charities. I'm sure you saw when he left, he took out the back page of the Bournemouth Echo to thank the fans. Like he is, he's just he is a special player.
00:34:12
Speaker
I think when you think about the last transfer window, the last summer transfer window, and everyone was talking about all the losses that we had, you know, Hausson going to Real Madrid, Zabarni going to PSG. We obviously had Kepa, who we don't have anymore. And then Caracas going to Liverpool.
00:34:29
Speaker
None of them really felt like as big a loss as Semenyo does just because he was so integral to the the team. He's so obviously the best player as well. like That's terrible to say, but like it's it's it's a fact. like He's one of three players, I think, in the league to have double-digit goals.
00:34:47
Speaker
and um i think our second top scorer is Junior Kruppi, who... is incredible but he's literally a teenager so he's amazing but he's a teenager like it's a lot of pressure to put on a teenager whereas Semenyo he's 26 I believe he's 26 at some point this year yeah 26 this year know he was born in 2000 like he was able to deal with the pressure took the pressure and he'll be a he'll be a dream under Pep because he's one of them players there's no ego there he just does what the manager tells him and does it amazingly he's going to be a monster Man City
00:35:21
Speaker
Yeah, and he has that two-footed ability that not many players have. I know they've got that with Chelsea and Semenya, so it's scary hours for for some teams around that top. But I think one thing you mentioned is about how he could like handle that load as like a star of the team that he could take it on his shoulders.
00:35:40
Speaker
I think that was probably something that's immeasurable because he could come out with like incredible goals out of nowhere. One game that stuck out to me, I think it could have been like a Friday night game or a Monday night game. I'm not sure. It was earlier in the season when Bournemouth played Fulham.
00:35:54
Speaker
And it was like one one Yeah, it was Friday night. Yeah, was heading for like the last five minutes. He had already scored. And then he just scored whirly, like a beautiful finish. And he set up another goal as well, and which was a whirly as well. It was a crazy, crazy finish of the game. But I just...
00:36:09
Speaker
that really showed to me like his value to the team because he just pulled them out of that game that was very even. And then in the last few minutes, it was like, right, this guy's just taken over that's just it. Yeah. It's the same as a Spurs match. Like I was obviously there at the ground and you're talking to some of the past players, talking to Steve Fletcher and Jimmy Glass, like club legends. And, you know, whenever you meet them, you want get the inside scoop. You want to know. And they were literally just saying he's gone. Like this is his last match.
00:36:37
Speaker
But, it was so him coded to then go and bag a 95th minute winner against Spurs. Like that is just so unbelievably Semenyo coded because even after the match, all the players were literally laughing about They were of course, of course he did that. like Yeah, it was just, it was written in the stars. It was a nice way to end the zone. You mentioned as well some of the losses in the summer, like Zabarnia, Heuss and Kerkhez. You're looking at basically a full back line.
00:37:02
Speaker
And I think yeah almost... Not under the radar, but the loss of Dango Wattara and Jadon Anthony, although they weren't like exactly stalwarts, they're doing good at other teams. So it shows the talent that was there.
00:37:14
Speaker
um And in the last two windows, Bournemouth are up $160 million in the bank on profits. So Shane, I'll ask you, what did you think of how they're going to adapt to all these losses and also how how would they have done this? It seemed the start the season it was okay, but it has been a little bit harder to sustain.
00:37:33
Speaker
Yeah, I think especially when you do basically lose your your whole backline, like you were never going to qui into the season and be as defensively resolute as you were last year. You're going with your two backups or your backup from last year and the new kids you brought in who's only 19 or 20 beside Sineci.
00:37:50
Speaker
But like you're you're still scoring goals. You've outscored Liverpool in the league this year. You've 35, Liverpool have 33. I know you've lost 10 of those goals now in Simeon, but... It's kind of, it's always been the way that Bournemouth do it is they bring in players who are unbelievable and then they have the next person, the next tab on the rank, let's say.
00:38:07
Speaker
Like what's the soppy like junior groupie coming in now and him getting six or seven goals and down at the end of the season and him kind of stepping in for Semenyo because it's just kind of what teams like Bournemouth, it's what you have to do, but it's what you're so good at doing as well. It's the reason you have a 12,000-seater stadium and you're still in the league.
00:38:25
Speaker
Like that's that's not a fluke. Like you're not just out here you like you're not making up numbers for one to a better way the opponent. You're a really, really decent, solid Premier League team. And I know you're on a bad run at the moment. like You're still 10 points above West Ham.
00:38:38
Speaker
and you're You're obviously not going down. It's only if, like can you push up a bit more from 15th and try and get that top 10, top 12 finish again? And obviously the summer losses then was like, oh are they in trouble for relegation now? They're not. But Can they sustain any sort of a challenge now to push this top 10 for the end of the season?
00:38:58
Speaker
Obviously, they're signing your man Ryan there from Basper de Camo. Now it looks like it's almost done. He looks an absolute superstar. And another one that Bormann has stolen a match on, it's seemingly the whole world in getting this lad in under the radar before anyone even started looking at him.
00:39:13
Speaker
i just I'd love to know like who's behind. like Semenyo wasn't exactly well known when Bournemouth signed him and they've sold him now for the bones of 75 million. Who is the person, who's the Tony Bloom of the operation for want of him to put in it? Who's the one that's seeing these players in four years, he's going to make us a bomb of money. Same with Dean Huysin, robbed him off Juventus and then sold him to Real Madrid. It was another one that's unbelievable. like how did the likes of Liverpool, Man City, miss out on this.
00:39:42
Speaker
When Juventus wanted rid of him, everyone should be like, oh my God, he's 6'5". He plays on the left, he's right footed. It's like he's out and almost a unicorn. But Bournemouth like, oh no, he's ours now.
00:39:53
Speaker
Yeah, and to be honest with the scouting, our sporting director, I know Liverpool poached him a few years ago. Yeah, I'm sorry with that. There was a fear around the club that you know the magical transfers were going to come to an end. But to be fair to him, the owner of the club, Bill Foley, is just unbelievable. He will spend whatever he has to spend. He will just do it.
00:40:14
Speaker
There's no fear at the club that the owner's going to pocket the money. like We know that that money will get reinvested. Now, in our case, with the Semenyo money, it is getting invested into the stadium.
00:40:25
Speaker
They're expanding the East stand like to a whole new level. like renovations that Like, bigger renovations than when I... like I've seen us from League 2 to the Premier League, and the renovations that we're about to get on our East stand are nothing I've ever seen before. like it's It's going to be huge, and he's pumping that money into that. We are obviously signing Ray-Anne, hopefully.
00:40:48
Speaker
We signed Alex Toth today, which I saw. the yeah The headline was that Robbie Keane cried when he found out because he's obviously the Ferenc Vairos manager. But that was more so tears of happiness that he got his Premier League move more than anything. But no, I have to say, Bill Foley is just like an incredible football club bow owner. He will dip into his pocket when he needs to.
00:41:09
Speaker
Sometimes we get it right. Sometimes... Like, you're not going to be able to replace Zabarni and Hoyssen with a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old. Like, that's just not going to happen.
00:41:21
Speaker
That's not to say that Diakite and Mija Slavovic won't be amazing signings in the future. Like, nine times out of ten, they do seem to work out for us. We get the odd... We get the odd one who doesn't, but yeah, I think with Sanessi as well, like Sanessi last season was injured, which is how Zabrania and Howsen ended up becoming a back line partnership. So we all we were always kind of hoping Sanessi would click, but now there's rumors in the last couple of days. He's contact, isn't he?
00:41:49
Speaker
Yeah, there's rumors he's going in this window for like 35 million, which I think would be a steal if anyone got him for that. He is really, really good, but... No, i have to say when it comes to the money side of things, our owner is always willing to invest in the club. I think that's why the likes of Southampton back in the day did struggle because they would sell all these players, their their're Van Dykes, theirre lalannas their their Ward-Prowses, and they wouldn't replace them properly. And then they'd go down and spend a few years in the championship. Whereas in our case, in Brentford's case, in Brighton's case, they're always willing to spend the money if they have to.
00:42:26
Speaker
Yeah, it's good as well to hear from a fan that that is your feeling towards the owner because you can always hear that from journals like in the industry that, oh, everybody loves him.
00:42:37
Speaker
Like most of the time, that's a small sample size of people they're talking to of also people who yeah know the person personally. Whereas as a fan of a club to say that, then that's kind of worth its weight in gold and how long the team is going to stay up. And obviously it's been seen like,
00:42:54
Speaker
Like you mentioned, like these type of teams similar to Bournemouth and Brighton, there's no fluke as to why they're staying up, as you as you put it, Shane. Like there's a reason and investment is one of them. Scouting network is another. And and also smart management moves like Areola is is an and an exceptional manager.
00:43:13
Speaker
He did a great job in Spain, came over, and he started off a bit shaky. and I know like you talk to some guys, and namely like members of my family, like my grandfather, who'd just be watching games down the pub, and he's just like, nah, this Bournemouth lad, no good, this new fella. And I'm just kind of like, no, like the way he plays football is very interesting. It's not how they do it in England. You need to give it a little bit of time.
00:43:36
Speaker
But what you made of Areola since he came in? Oh, he's amazing. he's He's even better for the neutrals. We have, as you said, we've the fifth best attack in the league and the third worst off defense. Like, we are There's guaranteed goals in a Bournemouth match. Like, get it's insane. Literally, no team at outside of the relegation zone has conceded more than us. But we've outscored Liverpool.
00:43:58
Speaker
We've outscored Villa. We've outscored the majority of the top 10. It is Pretty funny. It's also terrifying. like That United game was terrifying. The Spurs game was terrifying. The Newcastle 3-0 was terrifying.
00:44:12
Speaker
it's It is really scary, but The fun thing is, I guess, the bad sides, obviously, whenever we're winning, I never expect us to hold the win. We've literally... No teams drop more points from winning positions this season than Bournemouth.
00:44:27
Speaker
But the flip side of that is if we're ever a goal down, I always fancy us to bag an equaliser. It's... Yeah, it's it's terrifying. And that is Iriola's football. he Yeah. I remember he made a comment and...
00:44:41
Speaker
The press really kind of hammered home. This was back when Amorim was the United manager, that he was regimented to his system and would just lose and say, well, at least we lost playing our system. And then they interviewed Arayola, and Arayola was like, no, I'll bring on five attackers if we're goal down. I will throw the system at the window if I have to. he just...
00:45:03
Speaker
he just I think he's a quick thinker, but yeah, sometimes it ends up where we have like six attackers on the pitch and like two defenders and it's terrifying. And then there's also points where we're winning a game and we've like eight defenders and no attacker. And it's like, if they score, we're doomed. But it seems to it seems to work out most of the time.
00:45:22
Speaker
But yeah, we are 15th. Kluivert's out injured. a lot of injuries. Young defense. You can blame all these things. I wouldn't go blaming the manager. I think it's just one of them. We went through a bizarre period. It was like 12 games in a row where we didn't win.
00:45:36
Speaker
yeah And then, of course, Spurs. Typical Spurs. But Yeah, that was just a bizarre period that like no one could really figure out. Very, very strange. But yeah, we've come at the other side of it. We players who we can kind of rely on. Obviously, Kluivert's out injured, but there's other players there like...
00:45:54
Speaker
They say never fall in love with a lone player, but Alex Jimenez has been our best player in the last sort of three months. He's a monster at right back. He is. I've never seen a fullback just beat their man every single time. Defensively, yeah don eat I've never seen him make a tackle, but he is i mean he's incredible bombing forward. He is such a threat every time he goes forward, which, again, is just very Bournemouth coded. We love to have fullbacks who don't defend, like Carriques, for example.
00:46:22
Speaker
Yeah, true fair is nice fit as well. Yeah, there's one thing you mentioned there about that Bournemouth are great for the neutrals and it was something going to bring up that if I'm not watching Liverpool and there's five 3 o'clock games on it, I pick the Bournemouth game every single time because I really do love watching the football they play.
00:46:41
Speaker
yeah I love everything about them and just it's the The likes of Truth Beard are the kind of players that get you up out of your seats. Alex Jimenez, when he played left wing there, think was against you United, he started left wing.
00:46:52
Speaker
and Another lad that was beating men left, out and centre, he was like, oh my God. like He was playing right back last week. Now he's doing a Patrick Dorgo and he's up on the left wing this week. We'll see where he ends up next week. m's There's players in that team that were kind of, they were laughed at and discarded. The likes of Van Clive was like, oh he's never going to live up to the Premier League standard. His father is disappointed, blah, blah, blah.
00:47:14
Speaker
He's now a really, really, really solid Premier League player. Really, really good. He's a wonderful shot on him. He's obviously a great penalty taker. had the hat-tricks of penalties last year. yeah There's just players in this former team that just make football really, really enjoyable to watch in a league that this year...
00:47:28
Speaker
had just become so sterile with set pieces and long throws and all that kind of stuff. Bormer, one of the few teams that are still doing it they're the right way, for want of a better way of putting it. Yeah, to be fair, we yeah we did used to expose the L long throws, but Semenu's gone now, so I don't know how we're going to do that.
00:47:47
Speaker
Oh yeah. Yeah, I was thinking they were going to go for one as well at the weekend city he was when he was on the pitch, but they didn't. Pep is not stooping into that as of yet, but I think it should be soon that they'll use it. Well, we'll we'll talk about this weekend, then.
00:48:01
Speaker
We've got Liverpool heading to Bournemouth to face off against the Cherries, so... 5.30pm on Saturday. It should be a great game. and It was a great game earlier in the season as well.
00:48:12
Speaker
think it was the season opener. but Shane, obviously, is Liverpool fan. was yeah we've got We've got you on now, Harry. Bournemouth fan. so I'll let you two guys give your takes here first. As the guests, you can go first. What way do you think it's going to go?
00:48:25
Speaker
but I can say with absolute conviction, I think we've lost 12 of our last 13 against Liverpool. So I don't think anything's changing there. um Look, we people will look at our form and see that we're unbeaten in four.
00:48:42
Speaker
Or maybe it's three. I'm not sure. i don't i don't see us beating Liverpool. Like when we beat Liverpool that in that 1-0 match, we were we looked amazing heading into that match.
00:48:53
Speaker
And i actually that was actually a match where I went to the pub to watch it because I just had a good feeling and we ended up winning it 1-0. I don't know. There's certain teams, City are another one, that I just never fancy us against. I'd always fancy us against you United it or Arsenal or Chelsea. I don't know why I have that like confidence, but I will always fancy us against those teams because we just seem to have a good track record.
00:49:16
Speaker
Liverpool and City, we are absolutely abysmal against. So, look, I'd love... another 3-all, 4-all draw and I don't even think that's an insane thing to say which is terrifying but I'd say it's more likely it's almost definitely going to be a Liverpool win but if I was to make a prediction I'd say 2-all Alright, we've got 2-2 first prediction I have backed Liverpool for most of the reasons you've said there it's 13 the last on against gone Liverpool
00:49:53
Speaker
The mad thing when I was looking it up, like both teams have only one win in their last five. But Bormitt's run, it feels like it's a lot worse than Liverpool because Liverpool have drawn their last four. I just can't see Liverpool going on a run where they draw five games in the league in a row. I think it's just absolutely bizarre. I think one some team's going to win this.
00:50:11
Speaker
it's probably going to be high scoring and I'm just backing Liverpool to get over the line. Mo Salah's back now, they looked at lot more fluid last night against Marseille as well, which, thank God, it was finally Liverpool that looked like a team that wanted to win and not just sit back and hope for the best. And I think Bournemouth are more likely to play like Marseille did than Burnley did at the weekend. So I think that kind of...
00:50:33
Speaker
open themselves up for Liverpool as well. Bournemouth aren't going to come in here and sit in and play for nil all. Bournemouth are going to try and win this game and Liverpool might be able to pick them off on the break a couple of times. So I've gone Liverpool 3-1. Okay, we've got Liverpool win and i'll I'll give my prediction. I think you bring up that Marseille game and it it was an interesting one but at the same time i look back to the last four Liverpool Premier League games where, as you've said, they got four draws against poorras yeah teams that are, you know, they kind of played similarly. Barring maybe Fulham play a little bit differently than the rest, but Burnley, Arsenal, Leeds, it's funny to say they all played the same way against Liverpool, and that Arsenal are in there with those two. But Bournemouth will not play that way.
00:51:16
Speaker
And they won't play the same as Marseille either because they'll play similarly, but they play that chaotic style that we already mentioned under Areola, which means there will be goals. they won't be afraid to throw things at Liverpool, which this season under slot we've seen when Liverpool push the full-backs up, they have no issue in leaving that system completely wide open.
00:51:38
Speaker
And it doesn't seem like they have answers for it at times. So I do see a lot of goals. I see both teams scoring here. but I've gone with the same prediction as Harry and I've gone with a 2-2 because I think it's it's kind of open. I think Bournemouth deserved a point earlier in the season and Liverpool, that was the start of when we saw Liverpool can go up but they can fall apart and it's just continued into this season as we go and it's probably the most underwhelming 13 game unbeaten streak I've ever seen from a top team with Liverpool at the moment. So give me a 2-2, extend it on unbeaten streak but
00:52:13
Speaker
Bournemouth get something out it at home. Yeah, Liverpool somehow have the longest unbeaten run in Europe now and not one Liverpool fan is happy about it. it's It's such a weird place to be where they keep like they keep not losing, but some of the draws have just been absolutely abysmal and the way they play football has been abysmal at times. It just drags the mood down.
00:52:32
Speaker
I honestly think I would rather watch Bournemouth than Liverpool at the moment. I'm glad that they're playing each other the weekend because I get the best of all worlds out of it, suppose. Yeah, Joe, the two all wouldn't surprise me at all. I'm just hoping Liverpool can kind of just build on what they did in Marseille and get one over the line. Another clean sheet would be lovely.
00:52:49
Speaker
I'd be surprised if it starts Kirkus here after what happened. Kirkus in the first game of the season, Bournemouth knew him like the back their hand. There was one balls over the top and Kirkus was gone. i wouldn't be surprised if Andy Robertson was dropped back in for this one and Kirkus like, yeah, we're going to give you the vitality off. You can come back in again the week after. So yeah, if Kirkus is on the bench, then I wouldn't be one bit surprised. Andy heard it here first.
00:53:12
Speaker
Well, Harry, we've kept you for a long longer than anticipated. So thank you for your time. Really appreciate it. we want I want one final s nugget from you. So if you were to give a recommendation to us and everyone listening of one movie that came out in 2025, but that's under the radar that we need to go and watch, what would you say?
00:53:33
Speaker
Well, I mean, it's a football podcast. So have you got have you seen Saipan? No, haven't seen it yet. I have to say, Aina Hardwick is a fantastic Roy Keane. He is good in that film.
00:53:44
Speaker
He's a good El Roy Keane. if you Took a few liberties with the old truth, but overall, it's an enjoyable film, well-directed, and yeah, Aina Hardwick, by far the best thing that you could take away from that film, his performance as Roy Keane is actually brilliant.
00:54:00
Speaker
Okay, okay. I was avoiding it because of that like story being overdone. But if it's if it's a good shout, I'm going to trust you. So we'll get on it. Appreciate you for coming on again, man. And chat to you again soon. Yeah, course. Thanks for having me.
00:54:12
Speaker
Okay, Shane alluded to earlier during the football section. and He did go 0-3 and gone chance this week. ah So... First time ever, I think. Yeah, it wasn't a good week. Definitely first time this season, but I did go two and one so the lead is out to twenty two and to nineteen now, I'm three ahead currently.
00:54:32
Speaker
um I did have United to beat City, which you've already touched on that game, and that was a win. I had the Texans to beat the Patriots, which did not come off. The Clippers to beat the Raptors, which did come off.
00:54:44
Speaker
And then Shane also had... um United to beat Arsenal. No, sorry, that was that's a different one. Let me say that again, because I'm looking at my this week. Shane also had the Texans to beat the Pats, which, as I said, was a loss. And then he had Wolves to beat Newcastle and the Pacers to beat the Pistons. And that Pacers and Pistons won, like, that was an absolute slapping. Couldn't have went worse. I think the Pacers had, like, 25 points at halftime or something like that. Yeah, I think they were down by 25 or 30 at that half. I was like, all right. Yeah, you were just trying your luck there at that one, I think, to see how far you could go with these predictions. Yeah.
00:55:22
Speaker
This week i'll I'll go first. I have vi United to beat Arsenal, so they're 19-4. Arsenal are 4-7. It was between that and Villa to beat Newcastle, because I'm surprised Newcastle were money on, even though they're at home. and But I just said I'd stick with United, because they beat City.
00:55:37
Speaker
Worked for me last weekend, so let's go for it again. have the Broncos to beat the Patriots. and They're 2-1. The Patriots are 20-49, so about 2-5. Quite heavy favourites because of Bo Nix's injury, but I'm going with the Broncos.
00:55:51
Speaker
And then lastly, I've got the Jazz, who are 15 and 29 to beat the Heat, who are 23 and 21. The Jazz can beat anybody. They can put up a lot of points. Now, a lot of games, they still throw them away, but they're well within the the reaches of getting a win against anyone. So I'll go with them this week.
00:56:07
Speaker
Who have you got? Yeah, so we've gotten three different ones, which I'm surprised by, because I thought we both end up on the same NFL game. But I've gone with the Rams to beat the Seahawks. We discussed it in our NFL section a while ago, the kind of pros and cons of it. But I am sticking with the Rams here to get over the Seahawks.
00:56:25
Speaker
You back the Rams to win it out. I'm kind of getting on that train as well, but I think this is the toughest matchup they could have possibly gotten out of all the games they play, but I backed them in eight. The Rams are 11-10. The Seahawks are 8-11. Obviously, the Seahawks are at home, so that makes a big difference.
00:56:40
Speaker
um I've gone with Palace to beat Chelsea at home. So Palace are Chelsea are nineteen to twenty I was on this and I was on United-Arsenal. Yeah, it's just... I chickened out of back in the United last week and I've done it again this weekend. it might come back and bite me two weeks in a row. And then I've gone with the Rockets, twenty six and fifteen to beat the Pistons, who are 32-10.
00:57:01
Speaker
We mentioned last week that the Pistons are in the weaker division, so their record is a bit bloated. If they were on the other side, we'd see or they'd fall. And this is the kind of game that will show if they were on the other side, where would they fall? So I just think it's as close to the five as I could guess without cheating.
00:57:18
Speaker
And I really need at least one point coming out of this week. So Rockets Pistons are 32-10. So yeah, I've kind of snuck one in on just just under the line there.
00:57:29
Speaker
Yeah, that was actually what I was looking at as well, but I just wasn't sure about how hot the Pistons are right now. Probably a better shout than the Jazz, but look, there's a risk for you. Yeah, so that's gone, Shantz. Okay, so bi-weekly, you know what time it is. Michael is back with his topic of the week. This time, trade deadline based, as I teased in last week's episode, so we'll throw it to the main man.
00:57:51
Speaker
What have you got, Mike? First of all, I'd like to take a moment of silence for Jimmy Butler. Okay. My favorite player. i had to get some respect on his name. This is a Sixers jersey. Only half a season. We didn't even pay him.
00:58:05
Speaker
Okay.
00:58:08
Speaker
Hot take. I don't even think the Warriors make a trade until the offseason. they I have so many opinions on them. They're delusional. We'll quickly smooth, smoothly transition into our first question. So,
00:58:23
Speaker
Trade deadline, February 5th. We're coming up to it now. lot of talk going on. A lot of players on the list. A lot of players on the rumor wire. Who do you think is most likely to get traded?
00:58:35
Speaker
And ah your best guess of where they're going to go. I know the cap and the the salary, everything's confusing, but we'll give it our best shot. Shane, go for it. Yeah, I like Michael Porter Jr. here from the Nets.
00:58:50
Speaker
The Nets are having in a better season than they probably anyone expects them to be. And he's kind of, he he's top man in that sense for him. So he's averaging 25.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists.
00:59:02
Speaker
It's only himself, Jokic, Edwards and Lennards and Jamal Murray, sorry, who are averaging 25 plus points. He probably needs be on a team that's better than than the Nets. The Nets might see this as a really good chance to catching them, get a good few picks. They're still in the early stage their kind of another rebuild.
00:59:20
Speaker
Obviously, they'd be happy to keep him as well because when he's on the court, they have net rating of zero, which is obviously helpful for them to be doing what they're doing. But yeah, he's 38.3 million contract this season, 40.8 million next year.
00:59:33
Speaker
The Bucs, the Warriors, the Pistons, they're the teams who kind of would be looking at someone like him. If he went to the Pistons, it kind of puts them right and properly in a conversation for going a long, long way this year. So I'm going to say Michael Porter Jr. to the Pistons.
00:59:49
Speaker
I didn't put into trade calculator. I don't know what the salary stuff is. I'm sure they can get rid of enough people to get him in. So there you go. You heard it here first. Michael Porter Jr. is going to be a Piston.
01:00:00
Speaker
Yeah, I like that. I like that. I think he'd be a good one for a team to go for. and I've gone for kind of a sadder one, to be honest. Not like... anyone would find this one outside of maybe the Bucks might be happy with this for some reason, but I've gone with Jamerant to be traded and I'm going with him going to the most desperate franchise right now.
01:00:22
Speaker
And that is the Milwaukee Bucks. I think they're just so desperate that they would do something like this right now because they're like, please, Giannis, please. They're like holding onto him as he's walking out the door. Giannis is like,
01:00:36
Speaker
inches away from slapping Doc Rivers on the court. And we don't want to talk about Doc Rivers as a previous Sixers coach. Yeah, that is frustrating. But I think the Bucs are the only team who would probably be, don't know what to say stupid enough, but stupid enough to go after Ja Morant right now because he's a depreciated asset. No one is interested in him.
01:00:59
Speaker
And they're willing to do whatever they can to get Ja. So I think they would take the hit on paying him. and give up whatever is needed if if that would be something that would make Giannis even a little bit happier.
01:01:11
Speaker
and But yeah, I know that that is not exactly yeah an exciting and trade for people. It would be kind of one that's just like, seriously, they're doing this. But I see that as something that could happen. So what have you got, Michael?
01:01:24
Speaker
No, I just wanted to say, first of all, fully agree with you. Ja is in this kind of space where he isn't even wanted by tanking teams and is definitely not wanted by the top teams.
01:01:38
Speaker
And you have to be like, if the Mavericks didn't have Cooper Flag, I think they would be like a prime candidate to go for Ja Morant. But with Cooper Flag, even they're knocked off. The only team that it makes sense that they would just take a swing on this.
01:01:54
Speaker
is the Bucks. And god I hope they don't do it because there's no way it works out. There's absolutely zero way it works out. Yeah, I'm not going to lie.
01:02:07
Speaker
When I was looking at teams that needed trades, I almost talked myself into the Rockets needing Jammerant. That's how desperate I am. so like I don't think it's going to happen, but I got to the point where you know what?
01:02:18
Speaker
Jammerant's not a bad option here, actually. And then I was like, wait, Jammerant most definitely is a bad option here. What is wrong with me? But yeah, i I can see it with the Bucs as well, 100%. I could see, as you both said, like they want someone that's going to get Giannis excited, stop him throwing punches on the sideline at Doc Rivers. And do you know what, if Giannis put his armour on the shoulder and said, it's me and my four brothers will pick you up and down this court if you do anything stupid, I think he'd be pretty stupid to try and start butting heads in Milwaukee. So it could work out for him there.
01:02:51
Speaker
Yeah, my personal, I also, I'm boring. I said Michael Porter Jr. as well, but I, for some reason, there's a lot of talk about him going to teams that are trying to contend and stuff. And I think a lot of them don't really want to give up a lot of their roster for the sake of depth and stuff, especially in the the time we're in, in the NBA. Yeah.
01:03:14
Speaker
that's why Miami going out and putting like half their roster in packages ah in half of these rumors is unbelievable. So I think like we get down closer to the trade deadline and the Nets just go, okay, no one's giving us a better option. We'll take Terry Rozier and Kyle. away And like, give us it give us your, like, give us our second round pick for this year back quote so we can get another draft pick. Like,
01:03:43
Speaker
It just seems like the last three years Pat Riley has been sitting in mediocrity and trying to go for all these superstars. And I think he eventually realizes that like, okay, Giannis is probably not coming here.
01:03:58
Speaker
Let me just try and get someone. one And there was mentions of it talking with Michael Porter Jr. i think... they would be mid still. what like You know how Pat Riley is. I don't know. He could just believe in Michael Porter Jr. and stick with it.
01:04:15
Speaker
I think that would be a sad turn of events for the for the Heat from where they used to be because it used to be like Superstar and Magnet. Which next Superstar are they going to get? And then if it's Michael Porter Jr., I think that's pretty underwhelming.
01:04:29
Speaker
But even though he is a good player, it's just he's not like an A1 option on the championship team.
01:04:36
Speaker
And i I think another thing is they don't have their first round. Their first round pick for 2027 is one to 14 protected. So they can't even like, if they like flame out of the playoffs again, they can't even blow it up.
01:04:49
Speaker
So Michael Porter Jr. on a two year contract, at least next year, he'll be there. And then if it sucks after that, you can then blow it up. But yeah it it kind of makes sense for him, but it does it would just be really sad.
01:05:02
Speaker
Okay. Well, have you got them for us for our next question? Okay, so second question is, what team desperately needs a trade? We kind of touched on it with the Bucks. And what trade would you execute? So there's actually, you think about it, there's quite a lot of teams that I think we would think that definitely need a trade. I mean, the Warriors have to if they want to do anything.
01:05:29
Speaker
the the Pelicans and the Mavs as well. But we know a lot of the time these bad organizations love to, well, we'll just see what happens until the offseason. And then they just do nothing year after year.
01:05:41
Speaker
So we'll we'll start. i I'm excited to see your guys' opinion. who Who do you think? Well, I've gone along those lines that you've just said of one of these teams that's not going to do it, but they need it the most, and that is the Warriors.
01:05:57
Speaker
They're in desperate need. They were in need of someone before Jimmy went down. Now they are in desperate need. they that did It's desperation time. What do they do? Do they go small move and, you know, try and contend? But really, you know, you're only going to crash out in the like first or second round of the playoffs and just try to appease Steph. But e like he's not going to be happy with that.
01:06:20
Speaker
If you do nothing, you're basically throwing away the end of his career. So I think they need to do something big. They need a forward forward. They need someone who can score but also get to the line effectively like Jimmy did and take some of the heat off Steph.
01:06:33
Speaker
I think they need to head to the Kings. And the Kings are looking to blow this whole thing up. And I don't think they go and say, give me Zach Levine. I think they say, hey listen, let's be smart about this. Let's do something a little bit different.
01:06:48
Speaker
Let me see if I can if i can take Sabonis off your hands here, fellas. And, you know, if you really want to tank, I'll take Levine too. And you can have Jimmy Butler. You know, you want to tank, you can just have him. he he'll be he'll be He'll be there for you.
01:07:02
Speaker
just Just take him. He'll be there in a couple of years. Kaminga, you know, you can have him as well. He's pretty good if you want to tank. He'll just put up shots and help you lose. And then we'll give you a couple of second round picks just thrown in there. We're helping you. do You help us.
01:07:16
Speaker
And let's build a proper team here for Steph's last couple of years. I think it's good. I think it's... oh It would be okay, I feel like. It would just extend mediocrity in the Warriors franchise, which seems to be their MO for the last two years.
01:07:35
Speaker
i think I think I'm exactly right with you, though, won't
NBA Trade Possibilities and Strategies
01:07:40
Speaker
do it. And one of the bigger things I read about is it's Steve Kerr's last year on his contract. And his assistant coaches are currently looking for head coaching jobs around the league.
01:07:50
Speaker
So... It might be done. I think they just do nothing and let it ride off this offseason. But... At least it would be fun see Sabonis passing to to Curry running around the place.
01:08:04
Speaker
Yeah, i think that would be sick. And he'd finally have all-star big that isn't Draymond Green, which he is also an all-star big, but you guys know what I mean. Yeah, yeah. Let's get your one second like a lot of you got.
01:08:18
Speaker
ah Honestly, i was also going with the Kings, but I think the Raptors are kind of in, we need to make noise this playoffs.
01:08:31
Speaker
I think they've spent far too long in mediocrity, and they seem to be so desperate for a center at the moment because... They're not super happy with everybody coming up.
01:08:45
Speaker
I just think it would be interesting to see them just go for it and get Sabonis on the team. If the Kings, hey, like you said, you want to tank, right?
01:08:55
Speaker
Here's Jakub Pertl. He plays half the games and has chronic bacchitis. You want R.J. Barrett? We can give you R.J. Barrett or we can finagle away to get you guys Emmanuel quickly. Whatever you want, man. Just give us that DeMontis Sabonis.
01:09:12
Speaker
No, ah I like Jamal Sheed, though. He's a young guard. Could be someone that would be interesting on a developing Kings team over the next two years if they want to seriously take some younger assets. But, I mean, especially if you do that, you've got ship DeMar off somewhere because you still have so much cap, even if you just want to ride out with Zach Levine. One of those two have got to go in that situation. yeah.
01:09:40
Speaker
Maybe the Warriors then step up. I heard they were looking for DeMar DeRozan and not for Sabonis, which is right in line with a bad move from the Warriors to say, in our three-point system, let's go with another two-point shooter that is less athletic than Jimmy Butler and does less playmaking and rebounding and everything else than Jimmy Butler.
01:10:02
Speaker
I think De Maher would be a good sixth man on ah on and and a very good team right now because he can score if he's willing to do that. But yeah, I don't think he will, not seeing his career trajectory. But yeah, we've both gone with Sabonis moving around there, which is pretty interesting. But Shane, what have you got?
01:10:18
Speaker
Yeah, I haven't gone with Sabonis moving around, so there is a bit of change up here. I'm using this as my personal plea to Raphael Stone to please trade for a guard.
01:10:31
Speaker
The Rockets are so desperate for a guard, it's actually beyond belief. They're playing players out of position, they're turning the ball over left, right and centre and it's cost them in a couple of games they really shouldn't be losing.
01:10:42
Speaker
As I said a couple of minutes ago, I almost talked myself into Jammerant. But I think you James just made it a lot easier for me here. We're going to Milwaukee. We're taking Ryan Rollins.
01:10:53
Speaker
They've just gotten Jammerant in the door. They can have Terry Eason. He's running out of contract anyway. So I don't know if he's going to sign or if they'll even want him to sign. He's missing a couple of games. Rafa, just come on, man. You're friend of the show. Let's just get get the finger out and go and do something for us if you wouldn't mind. We they really, really need something.
01:11:11
Speaker
He's apparently had discussions about around half of the league. Doesn't have any firm offer in either direction that is cause for serious internal discussion. Well, then he hasn't spoken to the box because the box have just signed Jammer Ant. They might as well get, they need to get rid of someone.
01:11:25
Speaker
they They can have, they can give away Ryan Rollins. They can take, Eason, Clint Capella, Dorian Finney-Smith, there's your five. The three them, Giannis, Jan Morant, title winning is is what Rafa Stone can say to him. And off we go. We'll take Ryan Rollins into our starting five.
01:11:41
Speaker
Off we pop. Let's do it. Let's make it a three-team trade while we're at. We might as well just just make it easier for everyone. i I just think there is, was, see the Rockets do need a point guard and I fully agree with you, but I think the front office look at this as like, this is year one.
01:12:03
Speaker
We don't want to make any rash decisions. And it's like, no, just go for it. Just go for it and just go for it. But like, I just think so many organizations get so scared of making the wrong move that they make no move and they think that's better. Yeah.
01:12:19
Speaker
And I just feel like they just wait until the offseason and then they go, OK, we need to address this issue right now. Yeah. And sometimes they still don't do anything like the Cavs.
01:12:32
Speaker
Good old Cavs. I still think they're not going to trade anybody. think they just ride it out and they go like, oh, I'm really sorry, Donovan Mitchell. You didn't even get All-Stars started this year. Sorry we suck so much. We just get to the playoffs and everyone will be injured. You're going to shoot 50 shots again. That's what you came here to do, right?
01:12:51
Speaker
Anyway, give us your last question, Michael. Last question now is ah give us your most undercover, surprising, random Luka Doncic to the Lakers trade that you think could actually feasibly happen in the next two weeks and give me your insane red string theory reasoning behind it. So I've got another Jimmy Butler trade here, but it might not be what you think.
01:13:21
Speaker
So I've got Jimmy Butler. Jonathan Kaminga and Buddy Heald, plus a pick of some description. Heading on over. So like Jimmy's going with his buddy, Buddy, and then he's going, getting rid of Kaminga, and they're saying to the Mavs, look, we're going to take AD. We're going to take him right now because Jimmy, you know, he's injured.
01:13:44
Speaker
AD may not play this season, but if he does, good for us. And they're going to say, yeah, that's what we're going to do. And then they're going to say, oh, wait, let me reunite the Splash Brothers. We're taking Klay Thompson too.
01:13:56
Speaker
And that's what they're going to do. That's my surprising trade. They're going to send Jimmy. They're going to send Kaminga. They're going to send Hiel. And they're going to take back Anthony Davis, quite hobbled. And they're going to reunite Klay Thompson with Steph Curry, at least to make him happy on until the end of his career.
01:14:11
Speaker
Huh. That's not bad, actually. I can see that. for For Steve Kerr's last year, just bring the gang back. Although Klay might just retire.
01:14:24
Speaker
he If he doesn't forgive him, he might just retire immediately. But that's good. i kind of like that now. All right, Shane, you go. you go.
01:14:35
Speaker
Yeah, so I actually also have Anthony Davis on the move. But I have him on the move to the Hawks. o So... Porzingis, 30.7 million contract, expiring deal. Andy Davis played 29 regular stephen season games for Mavs, and I think they just want to cut their loss on him. It's been an absolute disaster for trade for them, losing Luka and getting me in.
01:15:01
Speaker
Basically nothing for him. Now at this stage, okay, they got Cooper Flagg out of it, so fair enough. But bringing over Andy Davis hasn't worked out. 29 regular season games. He's really, really living up to his Data Davis nickname since he's joined.
01:15:14
Speaker
over there. They get rid of the 30.7 million per Zingas contract to get Anthony Davis. Hope they can get 15 games out of him. Bit of a playoff run and see then in the summer what they do. Okay, nice. I actually would like the Hawks to get, I thought they would go for him earlier. And i think this would actually be a smart move right now.
01:15:32
Speaker
But yeah, I don't know. What think, Michael? I think my only thing about it is the injury. I feel like there's no rush to get him before summer now.
01:15:44
Speaker
You get Yeah, no, I do. I could see them holding on to Porzingis till the summer and then dealing with his £30.7 million coming the offseason. But I think if they were looking for a really good time to do it, then now is the time. Ante Davis' stock has probably never been lower.
01:16:02
Speaker
So they wouldn't really have to give up too much to get Porzingis. And they're like, well, we're taking the contract off you. we're giving you an all-star centre here when he's on the court. So why wouldn't you take it? So, Joe, what like I do think it's obviously more likely it doesn't happen.
01:16:17
Speaker
But these are one of the ones that could very well come out of nowhere under the radar last second and bang, there he goes. is Like, wow, where does that come from? And also that team next year with maybe AJ DeBanco, maybe on that team, might be might be crazy, you know? Possibility with that Falcons pick.
01:16:35
Speaker
Yeah, you're right. What have you got then for your one, Michael? All right. So I'll be completely honest. My crazy one was Jammerant going to the Bucs. That's what we discussed.
01:16:49
Speaker
So apparently not that crazy. you It was the most likely for you. So not that crazy. But I think. I'm to Nostradamus this now. I think a trade that nobody has seen happening. I think Daryl Murray, he's got his finger on the pulse.
01:17:09
Speaker
He's listening. He knows this is probably the best chance, the best year. There's a lot of fluctuations going on, right? There's a lot of parody in the NBA. And unfortunately,
01:17:21
Speaker
I think he does actually trade Jared McCain or Quentin Grimes. I would prefer Quentin Grimes, but I think he's played his value super low.
01:17:35
Speaker
And that like four years, 20 million a year that he was asking for. Thank God we did not give him that because he does not look like a 15 million dollar player. Right.
01:17:49
Speaker
I'm looking at McCain for the Bulls. And I think he's looking at a Kobe White. Yeah. afterbackja That's what I'm thinking.
01:17:59
Speaker
I think the Bulls just say, let's get another young asset. Looks super promising last year. Or they say, you know, we're contending now. We need another, like, stronger scorer. And for some reason, we value Quinton Grimes last year's 20 points per game over Kobe White because their asset valuation is horrible.
01:18:21
Speaker
And ah I think Maury just makes another smart move. Yeah, would like to take another step. I would like this because Kobe White is depreciated right now as low as he'll ever be because he's coming off the injury and he's playing badly this season.
01:18:35
Speaker
so But that's not going to last because he's a very good player. Whereas McCain is only in his second year, so it's a lot harder to judge with sample size. So if as a Sixers fan, if they did this, it would make so much more sense to have a viable option off the bench. if they're not going to trust McCain comes back to it, which it doesn't seem like um with the minutes they're giving him and stuff.
01:18:55
Speaker
So, you know, he does need to develop somewhere. I hope it's with the Sixers, but this makes the most sense if you are going to ship him away. Yeah, I actually really like that as well, I think.
01:19:06
Speaker
Considering what you've come from there where you're about to throw his jam rant to the box as your trade that comes out of blue, for you to pull this one out as your second backup option is really impressive. And i actually, I do like it. I think everything you said, especially your both, you both are obviously Sixers fans. So it if it's something that would get both to be excited, then why not?
01:19:27
Speaker
Absolutely, why not go and try and pull pull this out of the bag? Yeah, 100%. You're right. well I've just got like one more question. One more question for Shane himself. no just for the sha We slightly mentioned it. How would you feel about a Quentin Grimes for Terry Eason? You needed a point, Garrett, right? To expire in contract.
01:19:47
Speaker
You going to go for it? Yeah. Quentin Grimes for Terry Eason. Like think Terry Eason, he mightn't sign new contract, but I think he's so well versed in this system now that he's probably one that we will keep until the end of his contract and then work it out. He's not someone I'd willing to give up willy-nilly now at the moment unless you want to offer something mad on top of it. I know he's not exactly static.
01:20:14
Speaker
Goddammit. I just think it would be mad to get rid of a mid-season. and If you want to do that, you should have done in the off-season when you didn't sign the extension. So might as well hold on to him now and see what he can do by the end of the year.
01:20:26
Speaker
so I also heard you talking about Reid Shepard from Live Is Away and no matter what you're offering, he's going nowhere. he's so he's like he's my boy we didn't want him anyways okay good he's liars we didn't want that guy yeah we've got every team in the league would take him you're mad you're mad every team the league would have him he's absolutely class okay okay four man defense when he's on the corp anyway let's leave it there ah thanks again Michael for another week we'll catch you again in a couple of weeks time and peace out see you guys
01:21:02
Speaker
I'll let you leave Michael before I end this because the other guy is there and he's probably going to join in straight away. Cool. All right. Nice one, bro. Thanks so much. I'm good to just close out.
01:21:14
Speaker
Yeah. just Just leave the call and leave the app open and see if it uploads your... i can check actually now. Hold on. Yeah, you're still uploading. It's got a green tick for me. and of it if it's got a green tick, you're good then. Perfect.
01:21:29
Speaker
All
Weekly Power Rankings and Conclusion
01:21:30
Speaker
right, man. Talk to you. Nice to meet you. See you in and Okay, so another week at a power rankings. This is week 20 of doing them this season. and I'll throw it to you first if you want to give your last week and what you've gone with this week.
01:21:44
Speaker
Yeah, perfect. So last week I had OKC on top, Texans second, Pistons third, Arsenal City and Seahawks were in a sixth. Bit of a shake up this week. So for me, the Seahawks have jumped from sixth to first.
01:21:57
Speaker
And the way they saw off the 49ers last week was insanity. It was it was all over after 12 seconds because 49ers scored six points in the end. So it was literally over after 12 seconds. They were just...
01:22:10
Speaker
They were dominant and they they could very well be dominant again this week against the Rams, even though i have the Rams backed. We'll have to wait and see. OKC in that case dropped to second for me.
01:22:21
Speaker
There's no NFL team that's really on, sorry, no NBA team that's really on a massive run at the moment. OKC are just, they're the legacy best team, they are staying in around the top for me. Pistons are in at third, so they were third last week, they stay at third this week.
01:22:34
Speaker
Arsenal stay fourth. and Patriots are back in for me, they're in at fifths. Yeah, again, it's what they did to Cedric's show. They almost made him cry on the pitch. So I think that's quite powerful, to be fair.
01:22:46
Speaker
And then my final Premier League team is Newcastle. So they're the only team that have, outside Arsenal, that have three wins in their last five. All of the top six are dropping points left, right and centre. So I just brought in Newcastle as a team who are on a a good run at the moment.
01:23:01
Speaker
Yeah, nice, nice new additions there. And... We actually had quite a similar start to our list. So last week I had Seahawks, OKC, Arsenal, Pistons, Texans and Villa.
01:23:13
Speaker
My first four are still the exact same. Seahawks are number one. Like you said, just battered the Niners. So no reason to drop them off there. OKC second. They're 37-8, 7-3 in their last 10. Arsenal are third.
01:23:25
Speaker
Still going on all fronts, all competitions. Pistons staying for 8-2 in their last 10. Then moved the Rams then i move the rams in At fifth, because I think although the Patriots did a good job, I think I see it more as the Rams actually had to win their game, more as the Patriots had to try not to lose because CJ Stroud did want to hand it to them the best he could.
01:23:48
Speaker
Broncos did a good job as well, but I think I'd rather the Rams in there for right now. which one of those teams is going to be falling out next week because Ramsey oxy each other obviously this weekend. And then sixth, I stuck with Villa. um I just think they're they've been good over the last month or so.
01:24:05
Speaker
They have dropped a few points, but ah I think they're probably still up there in the city or on a bad run. But I like the Newcastle shift. And so that's our that's our power rankings for this week. All right, so that is it for another episode of Who's Got the Ball.
01:24:18
Speaker
Appreciate you for listening. An absolutely packed episode. Two guests on. Well, Michael's part the team now, so one guest and the usual Michael appearance, but another one in the books. Shane, throw it to you to wrap it.
01:24:29
Speaker
Yeah, cheers lads. As I said at the top of the show, we're two weeks away from episode 60 and the aim as always is 100,000 subscribers. So just keep keep hitting the subscribe, keep hitting the follow, comment and on all the TikToks, all the YouTubes, whatever you want, and we'll do our best to get back to you. And we're happy to have a bit of a debate if people who want to have a debate under a TikTok video, Anton as well. So yeah, just just keep keep listening, keep enjoying this. And as always, we'll see you next week. And thank you very much.
01:24:57
Speaker
Welcome back to another episode of Who's Got the Ball with Shane and James.