Transcript
Global Sports Podcast Network: Good morning, everybody. Welcome to the Daily Premier League podcast.
Nick B: Why? once I can't wait.
Global Sports Podcast Network: I don't know what I'm doing. Welcome to the Daily Premier League podcast, your daily deep dive into all things Premier League. Welcome, by the way, everyone, to November. Today is November the 1st.
Global Sports Podcast Network: ah We're all here. It's nice, bright, shiny morning in the UK. ah By the way, big shout out to all our
Nick B: um one
Global Sports Podcast Network: all our listeners, wherever you may be. By the way, leave us a rating, subscribe wherever you find this, because it will help other people find the Daily Premier League podcast. I'm Ken Davis. He is my mate, my chum, my homie, my mucker, my fellow manatee.
Global Sports Podcast Network: It's Nick Britton. are you doing?
Nick B: I'm really well. There's only one manatee in this building, mate, and it's not me. and It's Saturday. It's Saturday. And that's great news. I've got two really good games of football. I've two very important games of football to watch today. So I'm very excited. Neither of them are in the Premier League.
Nick B: I will be watching all the Premier League stuff, as I always do.
Global Sports Podcast Network: what What are these important games of football watch?
Nick B: to So obviously, Derby are playing away at Sheffield United.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Good game.
Nick B: but So interesting game, sort of two teams wallowing around.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Interesting game.
Nick B: Well, actually, Derby picked up after a couple of wins, be fair. But more important than that, there's a bigger game going on in America that I'm watching ah at four o'clock UK time, ah which is the um playoff final for the um college regional leagues in the in the New York State, where my son goes to the
Global Sports Podcast Network: Now you better explain why this is important you, Nick.
Nick B: Because my son, who's 18, went to college in ah in August.
Global Sports Podcast Network: This is Will, Britton.
Nick B: ah says well And his team have done it had a great season because the American season is kind of over in terms of the league season already. only runs so couple of months, September to end of October.
Nick B: But if you do well enough, you get a shot at going to the Nationals. There's only 12 teams across the whole of America go to the college Nationals.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Come on, Will Britton.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Send us a link if I wanna watch it.
Nick B: And if Will's team wins today, they'll go to the Nationals.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Go on, my son. Well, your son, actually. He's not my son. that would that would be That would be a big reveal, wouldn't it, on the podcast?
Nick B: Yeah, but
Global Sports Podcast Network: Anyway.
Nick B: yeah but you you know him well enough. He's like a son to you.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick B: ah yeah So, yeah, so that's the biggest game in the day for me. And come on, the Tribunes is all I can say.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Go on, those tribunes.
Nick B: Go for it.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Right. Well, we'll keep you poached on that. with thought wed be We'll probably do podcast just reviewing that game tomorrow. um If, by the way, and this is salient, you want to get in contact with us and send us your views, news, analysis, whatever, it's dailypremierleagepodcast at gmail.com because I've made an executive decision, Nick, and that executive decision is this.
Nick B: yeah
Global Sports Podcast Network: We're dipping into the postbag today, and there's some really interesting questions, actually, so it's a good time to do that. But in fact, wouldn't it be great if every first Saturday of the month we did a post-bag edition?
Global Sports Podcast Network: Because we get loads now.
Nick B: yeah sure. that money Yeah, I'm up for that. Definitely. It's always good to, it's great to hear from our listeners and viewers. It's great to have a chat about what's interesting to them. And um that's a great idea, Kim.
Nick B: That is a great idea.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Thank very much.
Nick B: after i say that feel but that is a great idea
Global Sports Podcast Network: Right, okay, then moving on then to the first three questions want to deal with, but they're all actually quite chewy subjects. ah So i think I think we should have quite an interesting discussion about them. um So this is from Darren in Portsmouth. He says, casting our minds forward to 2030, which teams do you think will make up the Premier League, i.e.
Global Sports Podcast Network: which six, five or six teams currently in the Premier League won't be long term and which six teams not in the Premier League will be long term.
Global Sports Podcast Network: What an interest interesting question. So um so thanks Darren for that. So I made a little list ah Because to be honest, only told you about this ah very short time ago.
Global Sports Podcast Network: But I have actually made little list of the teams that won't be. And I've made a list of the teams I think will be. I'm very happy to go through my list, unless you want to go through your list first.
Nick B: going you No, because I don't have a list yet. I'm still compiling it. ah You go through your list.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah. And you tell me if any of these things are absolutely ridiculous, which I know you will you like to do anyway.
Nick B: make
Nick B: yeah Let me just say this.
Global Sports Podcast Network: and
Nick B: These things are absolutely ridiculous.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Okay.
Nick B: ah yeah but yeah You make these executive decisions on the hoof, so no I'm just trying to catch up with you as always, mate.
Global Sports Podcast Network: But...
Nick B: So you go first. Well, we'll discuss them. We'll discuss them. I'll tell you whether I agree.
Global Sports Podcast Network: yeah and ah this these These are my six that I think won't be in the Premier League by 2030. And there's a couple that are kind of maybes, but I'll leave them to one side for now. Firstly, Burnley, I don't think a long-term Premier League team.
Nick B: Yep..
Global Sports Podcast Network: Brentford, I don't think are long-term Premier team. Fulham, I don't think are. And that's a bit debatable.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Brighton, I don't think are.
Nick B: ru i
Global Sports Podcast Network: Wolves, I don't think are. Well, they certainly not. And I think they're struggle to get back. And here's the big one. Nottingham Forest are not a long-term Premier League team.
Nick B: So here we are.
Global Sports Podcast Network: They're a championship team. The only other two that I've got here, which you might want to think about, which I did think about and I said no, because I can't do it to them, is Bournemouth as a long-term Premier League team, but they're flipping second, and Sunderland.
Nick B: I've got here.
Nick B: I'm
Global Sports Podcast Network: who aren't a long-term Premier League team, but I think they're fourth.
Nick B: going to.
Global Sports Podcast Network: So ah anyway, then I'm taking Bournemouth and Sunderland out.
Nick B: ah
Global Sports Podcast Network: I'm saying Burnley, Brentford, Fulham, Brighton, Wolves and Forest are not long-term Premier League teams and won't be there in 2030. Discuss.
Nick B: ah think I think that's all they're all fair. You can't disagree with any of those. I suppose in terms of Nottingham Forest, it depends on whether Malinakis remains in charge.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick B: Because if he does, if they get relegated, and there's every chance they'll get relegated this season, they're third from bottom, so that's not me saying that. It's just that the table doesn't lie.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Thank you.
Nick B: Then he will just spend another 200 million getting him promoted again. and And it will just keep going like that, you know. So... I think in Forest, it depends on who's owning them. I think that's that's the key.
Nick B: that's There are bigger clubs than Forest in the championship. And it kind of just, but it's all down to money. It's all down to money. And it just very much depends on who's owning The others, I mean, you look you're looking at Burnley who are just a yo-yo club anyway at the best of times. Wolves, you know, been up and down. and Brentford's an interesting one because we all, well, we didn't.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick B: I did. I tipped them to go down this season because I thought the the shock of losing Thomas Frank and their entire, pretty much their entire front line and indeed Christian Northgaard. Remember him? He to used to play for Brentford, barely kicked a ball for Tottenham.
Global Sports Podcast Network: yeah
Nick B: and Arsenal. Sorry. Let get my facts right. And, yeah. But they've they've they've they're 11th and they've they've kind of kicked on and they've found form and the new strikers are coming in and Thiago's an amazing replacement for the ones who have left.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick B: So, and Buemo, Wisser and before that, Tony. So, I'm starting to think maybe Brentford are are going to do a bit like bit A bit like what? That's terrible grammar.
Nick B: That's awful grammar.
Global Sports Podcast Network: No one understands what you're on about.
Nick B: ah No, neither do I.
Global Sports Podcast Network: bit like what?
Nick B: bit like what? I was going to say a bit like what?
Global Sports Podcast Network: What like this?
Nick B: bit like what Palace have done in my best South London accent. No, a bit like Palace in terms of they got up, they've stayed up and now they've built and they're now seen as an established Premier League side.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick B: i think I think as we're seeing this season though, Ken, the trap door is forever open. And as long as you've been in Premier League, you could be in the Premier League for 10 years. That doesn't make you any kind of, give you any kind of immunity in terms of staying up.
Nick B: And...
Global Sports Podcast Network: I think it's getting even more competitive, to be honest. I think it's getting even more treacherous for for clubs that have, like the Everton's of this world, have never quite done well enough.
Nick B: Thank you.
Global Sports Podcast Network: just think the teams coming up, certainly this year, have been ah been a lot more switched on, a lot more competitive.
Nick B: Well, I think Everson have just about done everything right at the at the right time in as much as they've been with the relegation for a while.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick B: But they've got their ownership issues sorted out. They've got their financial issues sorted out. They've paid their financial endpoints, all those all those penalties they had. And they've got a new stadium, which will massively increase their revenue. So I think they've they've landed on this just at the right time, because so if this had been the Everson of two years ago, they'd be in the bottom three. And would give them very little hope of getting out of it.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick B: So they've they've they've done all right here. West Ham are the ones I'm looking at.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick B: ah don't see I don't see West Ham as having a long-term sustainable future as things stand. They've been circling the plug hole now for for a couple of two, three years. There's big problems with the ownership. and I mean, as you pointed out the other day on this podcast, they've spent a lot of money, but they can't get the manager right. They can't get the players right. They can't get the stadium right. They can't get the supporters on board.
Nick B: And all of that, when you sort chuck it into the mixer, signals a club on a downward spiral. Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Well, that's what I was going to ask, actually. When you ask these kind kind of questions of who you think is going to be there in 2030, you're actually looking for clubs who are in long-term decline.
Nick B: yes that's what i'm looking at yeah that's what i'm
Global Sports Podcast Network: And and any on the other side of the equation, you're looking for clubs who are in the long-term ascent in terms of who's going to go up.
Nick B: so
Global Sports Podcast Network: ah It's hard to say that those teams are in long-term decline. There aren't many teams in long-term decline, but I'd say West Ham probably are, actually.
Nick B: all westham wolves are westham wolves are and it's no secret that they are
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick B: bottom two in the Premier League as they stand. And I think they've got a really hard job but to get out of it. I think ah think you can't say, i think they're probably the only two in the Premier League who look like that at the moment.
Nick B: You Forrest is just up and down. We've talked about Fulham, you know, for...
Global Sports Podcast Network: So who would you replace on M6 if you're going to put West Ham in as a to team in long-term decline? Which one of Burnley, Brentford, Fulham, where a Brighton, Wolves and Forest would you take out?
Global Sports Podcast Network: Hmm.
Nick B: As long-term,
Nick B: that's very difficult. I think probably Forrest on the basis that up until three years ago, they spent a very long time out of the Premier League. But fullham Fulham don't spend...
Nick B: When they get relegated, they tend to get promoted fairly quickly. beley Burnley kind of just come up and down quite a lot in recent times.
Global Sports Podcast Network: They're just not big enough. They're just not big enough to be a long-term penalty team.
Nick B: No... No, no. But when I'm looking at clubs in the Championship who might replace them or League One, who might replace them long-term, you know, ah who are you looking at that is similarly...
Global Sports Podcast Network: Well, I'll tell you who we're looking at.
Nick B: it
Global Sports Podcast Network: We're looking at six clubs, obviously.
Nick B: I just know where this is.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Birmingham City.
Nick B: I know where this is going, by the way. no and
Global Sports Podcast Network: Birmingham City.
Nick B: ah well Don't bother naming the other five.
Global Sports Podcast Network: okay
Nick B: Just go straight to Wrexham because you're bound to...
Global Sports Podcast Network: and and no No, no, no, no, no. I've got Birmingham City, Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Leicester, Portsmouth and Srexham.
Nick B: what to ask and So I wasn't going to pick this letter out, by the way. out of all the letters, go on.
Nick B: absolutely
Nick B: Right, let me just go let just go back 30 seconds. We get lots of things to discuss. And i was quite I was quite keen on discussing ah ticket prices because somebody written in about that, we're going to do that one at some stage.
Nick B: But no, you had to talk about this just because Wrexham won last night against previously unbeaten Coventry City, ah who are top of the table.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Did you watch the football last night?
Nick B: Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Wrexham 11th now with a bullet.
Nick B: You've decided that Rex and we're going to get promoted. and So who are the other who are the other ones? Who are the other six potentials?
Global Sports Podcast Network: Birmingham City. I just think Birmingham City are a big enough club to to support that. Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Leicester, Portsmouth and Wrexham.
Nick B: disagree.
Global Sports Podcast Network: The three that i had as maybes, Southampton, Coventry and Derby County.
Nick B: Yeah, I don't think...
Global Sports Podcast Network: the county's a football city.
Nick B: Yeah, I think that's it. I mean, look, you can make a case... The case against Birmingham is that they are... they are Birmingham's, as in the city's Birmingham's, second club. You know, Villa are the biggest club in Birmingham and will always remain it. So I know that they've got plans to build a new stadium and redevelop the area and all that kind of stuff. and And they've got loads of money under under the new American owners.
Nick B: But that still doesn't make you ah massive club. If you know...
Global Sports Podcast Network: No, but Nora Brentford and Nora Sunderland, well, Sunderland maybe, but Nora Bournemouth.
Nick B: lots sun Sunderland, i mean, they're in the Premier League, so i can't count them in this, but if they were in the Championship, I would have them on my list as as potential.
Global Sports Podcast Network: oh yeah What about one of the Sheffield sides?
Nick B: one
Global Sports Podcast Network: Do you not think one of the Sheffield sides is a long-term Premier League?
Nick B: Well, you said 2030. Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah. Yeah.
Nick B: yeah I mean, if you want to include one the Sheffields, you could include a club like Derby in it because they get big crowds. They're one-club city. They're well supported.
Nick B: They've got decent... the same as Southampton. Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Same as Forest, really. Very similar to Forest. Apart from Forest, Nottingham's got two clubs.
Nick B: Nottingham's got two clubs, but Notts County's lot smaller. It's not like Birmingham, who've got two potentially big clubs.
Global Sports Podcast Network: No.
Nick B: Sheffield's the same. They've got two clubs who are... I mean, Sheffield won't they're a bigger club in Sheffield by size, by history.
Global Sports Podcast Network: No.
Nick B: um But they are in financial meltdown. They'll be a League One side next year. Obviously, they've got... 12 points taken off them last week when they went to administration. They're currently sitting on minus six points.
Nick B: So, 2030 is, if you're talking about 2030, you're not talking about any of the Sheffield clubs or Derby or anything like that. I think you might be looking at Wrexham because they've got the money.
Nick B: ah You might be looking at Southampton because they've got, they they should, they should have done better. They just were unfortunate they had Russell Martin in charge.
Global Sports Podcast Network: I
Nick B: What is that? Wrexham Teddy, do you take that to bed every night?
Global Sports Podcast Network: do.
Nick B: ah but i bet you do im safe
Global Sports Podcast Network: I do.
Nick B: do. By the way, on Monday morning, ah auditions are opening up for a new host for the Premier League podcast. but This is what's going to happen for the rest of the season.
Nick B: ah so
Global Sports Podcast Network: So come on, give us the six that are going to it.
Nick B: Well, can we go, if we go, 2030 is different to long term.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, OK, 2030 is what we've what we've been asked to do.
Nick B: but i'm going to take I'm going to take clubs like Derby out of it. going to clubs like Sheffield Wednesday out of it. Take Sheffield United out of it. and So Hampton's 20th in the table, which is extraordinary.
Global Sports Podcast Network: know, they're shocking there. Leicester
Nick B: They've got they've got a capability. I i mean, literally Leicester City, you know, they won the Premier League not that long ago.
Global Sports Podcast Network: should be a Premier League team.
Nick B: I don't know. Should they? Why? Why should they be? Yeah. I don't know. I'm looking at the table now.
Global Sports Podcast Network: what a Football City, decent catchment, taste great training facilities, spent a lot of money on training facilities and the whole facilities thing.
Nick B: smaller than small um Smaller than Derby and smaller than Forest, who are the other two East Midlands seats.
Global Sports Podcast Network: They've got a good setup.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, but my argument would be both of those need to be in the Premier League.
Nick B: Smaller than...
Nick B: Maybe. I'm looking at the table now, and I'm thinking, right, looking at look at the clubs who we are saying aren't going to be in it, it's a real struggle to see who should be in terms long term. Maybe you've got a point about Birmingham, but I'm not sure.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Ipswich. Ipswich, I think, should be up there.
Nick B: Do you? Why?
Global Sports Podcast Network: Again.
Nick B: Why? They had the chance. They had one season in the Premier last year, and they were were terrible. It relegated.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Because the main reason, Nick, is that we've just taken six teams out and we've got to replace them with other teams.
Nick B: I know.
Nick B: i know Yes, I know that. I know that, but I'm struggling to replace them with teams that are better, teams that have better.
Global Sports Podcast Network: So we're going have a 16-team Premier League in the 2030.
Nick B: I feel like...
Global Sports Podcast Network: You heard this here first.
Nick B: No, but I think there's only two. I think six is too many because I think you can replace... If you want to take four out of your six, you could replace them with any team in the championship, pretty much, any team, and make the same argument.
Global Sports Podcast Network: So give me two teams then that are going to be in the Premier League from the...
Nick B: So...
Nick B: I think that's more realistic. And the two teams that have got greatest longer long-term prospects, i would I'm going to go for...
Nick B: I'm not looking at the screen. i'm looking at my computer, which has got a table up on it, because I know that you're holding your stupid Rex and Teddy bear up to the screen. a I'm going...
Nick B: Yeah, all right,
Global Sports Podcast Network: Go on, say it. Go say it. Come on, say it.
Nick B: Millwall and Stoke.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Right, that's all we can do on that one. Right, as we know in football, as Phil Parkinson knows, it pays to get your team selects right. Here at Global Sports Podcast Network, we spend of time selecting our g delivery partner.
Nick B: one of his horsepower.
Global Sports Podcast Network: We chose Zencaster because Zencaster makes it easy to bring your vision to life, share it with your audience. If they're in Wrexham, if they're in Derby. with 4K video recording, easy AI editing tools, and top-tier distribution tools, all in one place, it couldn't be easier. So if you've got a story to tell, tell it with Zencaster.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Check the show notes for more details.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Right, didn't know I had the Wrex and Pledygook, did you? Anyway, question two, interesting one.
Nick B: I'm sorry, you did.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Charles from... Charles from Cleveland in the in US. Hello, Charles. Nice of you to send us an email. And he sent it, by the way, to dailypremierleagepodcast at gmail.com.
Global Sports Podcast Network: He says, he writes, a few years ago, there's a lot of talk about the European Super League. This caused a lot of consternation. ah Do you think the ESL is a project that's gone forever?
Global Sports Podcast Network: Or do you see it being resurrected at some point? Nick?
Nick B: There's a good reason why we're talking about this this morning, because ah but things have moved in the last two or three days. And that is that the ah courts in Spain have thrown out an appeal by UEFA against the...
Nick B: um against the formation of the European Super League. If you can remember back to, if you if you just go back maybe to 2021, if people are thinking about what on earth they're talking about here. Well, it was announced. It wasn't even mooted or run up a flagpole or the things that happened in politics and sport. And this is a political story as much as it is a sports story.
Nick B: um It was just suddenly announced one one morning that actually 12 of the world's biggest clubs were quitting UEFA yeah quitting UEFA, club competitions, and going out on their own and forming a European Super League. Now, of those 12 clubs, six of them were from England.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Which ones, Nick?
Nick B: that were ah Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man City, Manchester United and Tottenham, which is interesting because it' happened again tomorrow, i think yeah Newcastle, as potentially the world's richest club, would would argue they should be in it ahead of maybe Wrexham or Birmingham.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yep.
Nick B: The Hollywood clubs. ah Yeah, okay. do you think Rexham would be in European Super League? Would Kiefer Moore score hat-trick in the European Super League? I don't know. maybe um Anyway, there was a huge, thinking back, there was a huge uproar from
Global Sports Podcast Network: Outcry.
Nick B: um football fans, particularly in England, more so than anywhere else, to be fair, particularly in England, and the whole thing got ditched. The government got involved and the whole thing kind of ditched. and Real Madrid took UEFA to the Spanish courts claiming that they had... they had essentially could have earned, not they'd lost, it's not they'd lost money, they could have earned about a four and a half billion pounds.
Nick B: And UEFA appealed and all of that. And anyway, this week, the courts in Spain have thrown out UEFA's appeal. Now that leads to two things. It opens up the door if Real Madrid were to take a view that they wanted to sue or try to sue, i think try to being the main phrase here.
Nick B: UEFA, they've got the opportunity now. The door is open for a legal pathway. and The second thing is, of course, what it does is open back it opens back up the door to the European Super League.
Nick B: And A22, which is the Spanish sports management company behind the whole idea, are being very vocal about it, as you would expect, and go, right, okay, here we go, let's give it another go. So the European Super League, I think, maybe may find its way back onto the agenda. Now, whether or not that means it's going to happen, i certainly not. No, it doesn't mean it's going to happen, but it does mean that it's back on the table, I think, as a discussion point.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Well, Real Madrid and Barcelona have always been very keen. Obviously, there was i think there was shock amongst the he and a lot of government pressure amongst the EPL teams, ah just how badly the whole idea was received.
Global Sports Podcast Network: But by the way, just FYI, separate judgment in 2023 by the European Court of Justice, no less, that banning clubs from... from banning clubs from joining the European ah Super League was illegal ah because it yeah constituted an abuse of the dominant position.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And it essentially was stopping ah perfectly legitimate organisations from doing what they wanted to do. And you you can't do that.
Nick B: like help
Global Sports Podcast Network: So it's competitive.
Nick B: but So you a have been on the wrong end then of a big issue.
Global Sports Podcast Network: So...
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, they're just consistently on the wrong end of this. Now, what UEFA have said is that we've changed our rules now.
Nick B: Yeah, think can that.
Global Sports Podcast Network: We've changed the way we we do things, ah which mitigates that. But it doesn't really. But just on UEFA's side, the European Parliament have said in in a in in a recent ruling that breakaway competitions undermine the overall European ecosystem.
Nick B: you
Global Sports Podcast Network: That doesn't make a lot of sense, to be honest, because the EU pan-European organisation and what the European Super League will be is, guess what, i not a national but a pan-European organisation.
Global Sports Podcast Network: so it's very difficult for the EU to take the moral high ground on that when they're, let's be honest, a pan-European organisation as well. so
Nick B: It's very difficult for the EU to take a moral ground on anything, isn't it?
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, it is. That's probably a completely different podcast. but so So, yeah, I mean, there's a number of things on this. Yeah, it's not going to work.
Nick B: It's not...
Global Sports Podcast Network: and And in fact, I think, and it's an interesting segue ah into what we were just talking about in 2030, because actually I wouldn't be at all surprised if there is a European Super League by 2030, and therefore the Premier League does change completely, going back to question one.
Nick B: It's not...
Global Sports Podcast Network: Two questions for you, Nick. What's your general view on the European Super League as a positive thing? Are are you in favour of it And secondly, if it comes to me, what effect will it have on Premier League?
Nick B: Well, essentially, it essentially replaces the Champions League, doesn't it? becomes It becomes the Champions League. mean, they were they were talking about, initially, they were talking about two leagues of 10 teams, each of 20 teams from across Europe.
Nick B: I'm not sure what they were talking about, promotion and relegation. um i don't think they were initially.
Global Sports Podcast Network: They were not. and and and And I think that goes to the American experience, the NFL, and it's a very odd thing.
Nick B: means
Nick B: It's stupid. There's no point playing in the second division of the European Super League, is there? So it's kind of anti-competitive, but there are there are there are merits in it in as much as you want to see the best players play against each other all the time.
Nick B: and That kind of happens already in the European Super League. I think it would be interesting though, the effect it would have on the Premier League because and there there are two strands to this. One is broadcasting rights, but two is competitiveness.
Nick B: And it would make the Premier League suddenly really competitive. Whereas the Premier League has become massively uncompetitive in terms of who wins it in recent years. You've got maybe two or three teams.
Nick B: That's it out of 20.
Global Sports Podcast Network: But it doesn't it make it incredibly devalued?
Nick B: Really?
Global Sports Podcast Network: Doesn't it just make it into Championship 1 and Championship 2?
Nick B: love
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick B: and Well, it depends on what you mean by devalued. Does it make it devalued in terms of monetary value to broadcasters' rights? Yes.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick B: Does it devalue it in terms of supporters and actually who are the lifeblood of every single club and every single yeah and and of the game generally? No. It doesn't.
Global Sports Podcast Network: I don't know. ah Because obviously there's no prospect, even if you win that league, of ever getting into this European Super League hierarchy.
Nick B: It doesn't. Yeah, yeah.
Nick B: no um
Global Sports Podcast Network: You're never getting in there.
Nick B: yeah
Global Sports Podcast Network: It's, yeah, it'll make it like the Championship. I do think it will fundamentally undermine the Premier League. I really do. I think the Premier League will just become... for all Championship.
Nick B: and
Global Sports Podcast Network: People will consider it like the championship and all that focus. And we will be still doing the Daily Premier League podcast. We'll probably be also doing a daily European Super League podcast, won't we?
Nick B: Well, I think the other thing to consider is can these clubs who do leave it, if there are clubs who leave it, will still be eligible to play in the FA Cup and the League Cup?
Global Sports Podcast Network: No.
Nick B: Because they're only leaving the Premier League, which is a separate entity. It's not it's not an FA competition.
Global Sports Podcast Network: It is, it is, it is, it is.
Nick B: So they might leave the Premier League, but will they still be eligible? Well, they will be still eligible to play the FA Cup.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Hmm.
Nick B: So, look, it's a weird one, and we don't really know how yeah how the internet is going to work. and And there might be, there might be, and there should be, some kind of link with the...
Nick B: teams and clubs and leagues in these comes through in the countries that these teams are from. So in other words, there should be relegation and promotion. So if you're talking about there's the the devaluation of the Premier well, why don't we say, well, if if a Premier League ah team, sorry, if ah if a European Super League team that comes from England, like Tottenham, for example, finish in the if yeah finish in the relegation zone, then they should be replaced by the team that wins the Premier League.
Global Sports Podcast Network: I agree with that. won't happen because what what what they're trying to do is create something create something like the NFL, where actually you can say we're going to have this franchise in place for the next 30 years with no danger of ever not being in the competition, which is the key thing.
Nick B: one No, won't happen. No, won't happen. No, because it's all about money. It's all about money. It's just money.
Nick B: Yes, I agree.
Global Sports Podcast Network: and And that's what they're trying to establish, I think.
Nick B: um Yeah, I mean, look, i'm I'm trying to make a case for it. ah I don't want to just dismiss it out of hand in a kind of Neanderthal or, you know, it's not like the old days kind of attitude of, think...
Global Sports Podcast Network: Is that on the end of the file she used
Nick B: Yeah, they they'll also be like, yeah. All of them. If you think back to the cavemen, yeah, oi, oi, Gertrude, I'm going out to kill a yeah leopard.
Global Sports Podcast Network: to speak?
Nick B: Yeah, saber-toothed tiger, and then we're going to skin it and eat it and have its teeth and everything, you
Global Sports Podcast Network: Right, fair enough.
Nick B: oh
Global Sports Podcast Network: That's how Danny Dyer speaks.
Nick B: ah Okay, well, I'm not one to make that link, by the way.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick B: That's you. That's you making that link, not me. um So, yeah, but I'm trying to not dismiss it completely out of hand. I'm trying to see if there is value in it. I'm not saying I'm all for it. I'm trying to see if there's value in it and what that value might look like.
Global Sports Podcast Network: That's fair enough. I think the genie's the bottle on this. I think these things extricably go in that direction, whether we like it or not, wherever our views or wherever our Neanderthal or traditional thoughts are on it, that's where it's going.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Genie's out the bottle. It's been out the bottle. We all crammed it back in the bottle. And that cork has got a little bit looser in the course of the last week or so.
Nick B: Yes.
Global Sports Podcast Network: So we expect to see the genie reappear in the next few years, I would say. ah So Global Sports Podcast Network is partnered with Bionique, the world's most personalized supplements, because your body's unique.
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Nick B: um
Global Sports Podcast Network: So why don't you click the link in the show notes and use the code GSPN2025. You'll get 40% off your first order. off your first order
Nick B: And, know, it's a
Global Sports Podcast Network: Right, 28 minutes. God, we can talk about football, can't we? But we've got one question left to do. we've got five minutes to do it in there because i've got to go to the shops. um It's from Jeremy in London.
Global Sports Podcast Network: He says, what are your thoughts on the mysterious case of the missing england English managers? Why do English managers struggle to get Premier League jobs?
Nick B: good thing.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And do you see this situation changing?
Nick B: I'm just...
Global Sports Podcast Network: Good question, Jeremy in London.
Nick B: I'm just, is before ah before I address it, it's 9.38 a.m. on Saturday morning here in the UK. Does the shot shut at 10 o'clock where you are?
Global Sports Podcast Network: No, but i'm I've been told you better be off this by 10 o'clock because we're going to food shopping.
Nick B: in ah
Global Sports Podcast Network: And when you get told about that kind of stuff, I mean, you get told, don't
Nick B: And I bet it wasn't in as polite manner as you've just said.
Global Sports Podcast Network: No. No.
Nick B: Right. What's the question again?
Global Sports Podcast Network: What are your thoughts on the mysterious case of the missing English managers? ah Why do English managers struggle to get Premier jobs?
Nick B: yeah so
Global Sports Podcast Network: And do you think that will continue?
Nick B: Okay, if you'd asked this question about
Nick B: six months ago, if I'm right in thinking, although, don't I'm just trying to think of the relegated teams. Who got relegated last year? Kieran McKenna was in charge of Ipswich. He's Irish.
Global Sports Podcast Network: ah Southampton?
Nick B: it was a child It wasn't English. And Leicester wasn't English. Ruva Nistroi was the manager. So Eddie Howe was the only English manager in the Premier League.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick B: English places well yeah english or or kind of yeah UK. It's up to you.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Nick B: Right now, there's three of them. Hurrah. So you've got Eddie Howe. You've got Sean Dyche, who's just been appointed at Forest. And you've got Scott Parker, who's in charge at Burnley. If you wanted to broaden it out, you've also got Keith Andrews ah from Brentford and David Moyes from Everton.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Come
Nick B: Nonetheless, there is a lack, a massive lack of English managers in the Premier League. Now, what you've got to ask yourself is, is that because they're just not good enough? And if they were good enough, they'd get a job there?
Nick B: Or is it that foreign managers have this sort of sexy appeal of, oh, yeah, get in a Spaniard, get Portuguese? a oh yeah
Global Sports Podcast Network: on to you.
Nick B: Or owners kind of look at these things and they they think, oh, it's much more glamorous. yeah Sam Allardyce always used to talk about this. He used to say, I'm much better and much more astute in terms of all the tech I use and all the analysis I do and all of this kind of stuff.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah,
Nick B: But I always lose out because I'm Sam Allardyce and I'm from the north of England.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Samanadz has just never been described as glamorous, has he?
Nick B: Absolutely. He's never been described as c glamorous, but he was a very good manager. And what a lot of people never really understood is that he was way ahead of his time in terms of some of the techniques he used and some of the analysis he did.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Very effective.
Nick B: I know analysis and data are everything now in football, but he he used to do a lot of this stuff and nobody really ever knew it. and But the way he looked, the way he came across, and he was kind of known for this, A, long ball football, which is a bit unfair, but was also known for, he's the guy you turn to when you you don't want to get relegated and he'll always keep you up.
Nick B: so So the question to ask is exactly that why aren't that. Why aren't there more English managers in the Premier League? Ken, what is the answer to that question?
Global Sports Podcast Network: I reckon I've actually you given this some thought over coffee this morning and I've written four reasons down and I'd be interested in your thoughts on this maybe five reasons now um Firstly, the Premier League is the most international league in the world. We always say it is the best league in the world.
Global Sports Podcast Network: The ownership, the executives tend to be the cream of the global football world. Come here, both in terms of owners and in terms of executives. So I'm talking about directors of football.
Global Sports Podcast Network: theyre not they have absolutely no ah kind of affiliation to, oh, we better get an English manager in because they ain't English. so So I think they've because it's an internationally populated senior level of of function, if you like, um i think I think that carries on down to the manager level. I e i think they're scouting that level brings me to the second point.
Global Sports Podcast Network: the The league is the best one in the world. It is going to attract the best in the world, not the best in England. So, you know, I think, therefore, top jobs from proven managers, particularly in Europe, I think, ah is always going to be attraction to play in the Premier League because it's considered by managers to be the best in the world.
Global Sports Podcast Network: So I think there's there's that dynamic going on. I think you've got to view the Premier League as part of a European ecosystem. Absolutely. And therefore, it's the it's the best league in Europe. Therefore, the best managers in Europe are going to gravitate towards it.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And the owners are looking, if you like, at success on a European level rather than success on a domestic level. And therefore, they're go to want they're going to want managers who have got experience in Europe because that's often where the biggest riches come from.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And I think the final thing is this. and you' you'll you'll have knowledge of this, certainly, and not now, but certainly in the recent past, the 2000s, I think, countries like Spain and Italy and Germany, where...
Global Sports Podcast Network: developed coaching schools, which were slightly more advanced in terms of tactics, in terms of data science, in terms of sports science, in terms of psychology. And I think there was a tranche of managers that came through that school, if you like, in Europe, where at the same time, in the UK, it was still a little bit more traditional than that.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And I think what we found in the course of the last few years is that Because football has become slightly more data-driven and sports science and all those kind of things, the managers tend to have come from that school rather than than from the more traditional schools that were in place in in in the UK. I think that's changed.
Global Sports Podcast Network: But I think it was the case 12 years ago. And I think now we're seeing the the the the results of that. So I just think that coaching pathway has has kind of led to that. But I think it's it's an amalgamation of all them four reasons.
Nick B: Mate, if we weren't doing a podcast, by the way, if we weren't doing a podcast, I suggest you just drop the mic and rock off.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Oh.
Global Sports Podcast Network: oh
Nick B: Oh. That was, wholeheartedly agree. I was about say, but didn't get the chance. But you kicked off on this point, that the Premier League is the biggest sporting export on the planet. And owners of Premier League clubs are global. And you're absolutely right.
Nick B: It feels like quite a parochial discussion these days, doesn't it?
Global Sports Podcast Network: yeah
Nick B: yeah ah bit like A bit like, and I'm a massive fan of this, by the way, a bit like not demanding that an English person manages the England team.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, I mean, we've gone past that, haven't we?
Nick B: and um I understand it people go, you've have an Englishman in charge.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick B: Because I've gone back down Neanderthal road. Back in the days of Sabretooth Tigers and Cavemen, oh, no, we've got we've got to have an English manager in charge.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick B: yeah and
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, got it.
Nick B: It's ridiculous. It's stupid. It's nonsense.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And this is just an extension of that, really, isn't it?
Nick B: It's ridiculous. There is an extension to that because there who are you going to pick now? Eddie Howe is literally the only candidate. you If you want an English manager, it is Eddie Howe or nobody else. And he's doing a great job at Newcastle. Why would he go to England?
Nick B: so but But generally, that kind of the general broad and philosophical point of we must have a person of that nationality to manage that team is nonsense because you just want that team to win the World Cup.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Blimey.
Nick B: So get the the job. And that's that's that's all this is. I think so every point you made is exactly right. It's exactly what I know.
Global Sports Podcast Network: I've got all lightheaded.
Nick B: oh I we're not recording this. And it and
Global Sports Podcast Network: no, I didn't press record. No, I did.
Nick B: yeah, ah for all of those reasons and more, that's why. the the The Premier League is not an English league anymore. It's so it's a European and global league.
Global Sports Podcast Network: It's a global league, and we'd better get used to it. So, Jeremy, it's a great question.
Nick B: get
Global Sports Podcast Network: Thanks for that.
Nick B: It's a great question, but it's also why, if I may just to to add on to that, which which is just a a and natural extension of this, um this season, less than quarter, yeah, a quarter of players who are starting Premier League games are English.
Global Sports Podcast Network: That has, by the way, got another, that's another point in relation to the manager thing. You've got 75% of the player ah quota are non-English.
Global Sports Podcast Network: You've got 85% of the managers non-English. Forget it. The English Premier League, it ain't populated by English people anymore. Get used to it. That's the way it is. And great because it's better for it.
Nick B: um
Nick B: Yeah, 100% better for it. yeah hundred feet but But does this then present, and this is probably another discussion, does this then prevent English players from coming through, which then naturally weakens the English national team?
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yes, it does. ah but But actually, in the context of the Premier League, that ain't Premier League's problem. That ain't the Premier League's problem, is it?
Nick B: Correct. so Correct. No, absolutely not. Absolutely not.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Okay, brilliant. ah That's been 38 minutes literally of Pulitzer Prize winning football punditry from your team at the Daily Premier League podcast. We enjoyed having your company.
Nick B: We have a good
Global Sports Podcast Network: Thanks them, Letters. Tell you what, those letters are a really top class. So we're going to do it again in a month's time. first Saturday of the new month, we'll go through the letters. Make sure you send some in.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Nick, thanks for that. I think I've succeeded. It's 9.47. I will be able to go shopping with the head held high.
Nick B: Excellent.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And Derby win.
Nick B: I'm very...
Global Sports Podcast Network: What's the prediction?
Nick B: Oh... maybe a draw. I don't know. I think we just need to avoid losing. Sheffield United aren't in a good place at a moment.
Global Sports Podcast Network: yeah
Nick B: Chris Wilder hasn't really had much of that manager.
Global Sports Podcast Network: They've improved a bit though, Nick. They've improved a bit.
Nick B: They've improved a bit. They couldn't, like I mean, they they were they were so awful they had to improve. But we should go there. On the back of
Global Sports Podcast Network: So has Derby improved a bit.
Nick B: I was going to say, on the back of two 1-0 wins at home, we should go there with confidence and we could win. So at Derby. But more importantly, more boldly I'm very much hoping to be celebrating tonight ah if Will gets to the Nationals in the USA. So good luck to you, mate.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Go on, Will. We're going to be watching. We'll report back tomorrow on both of those things.
Nick B: Thanks, Will.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And thanks for joining us. And have a great, great Saturday.
