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00:00:01
Haaland dominates again, Club World Cup 2025 & the KDB problem?
5 Plays1 month ago
Episode 45 - Daily Manchester City.
Jools, Keelin and Lewis assess City's internationals during the break, highlighting hatrick scoring Haaland yet again. Also, we discuss KDB's brilliance, his injuries and whether he is close to leaving, before taking the Club World Cup to task
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Transcript
00:00:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome to episode 45 of the Daily Manchester City Podcast on the Global Sports Podcast Network. I'm Jules Jordan-Probert, and today we have a special episode inbound, recapping some of the action during the international break, looking ahead to the club World Cup, and then also discussing my favourite player, Kevin De Bruyne, and some of the issues surrounding the Belgian talisman as of late. I'm delighted to be joined by Lewis Royer,
00:00:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hi Lewis, how are you doing?
00:00:35
Lewis
Hi Jules, how are you? yeah um I'm not too bad. After the the longest international break of my life so far, I think can't wait for for the friends to be back.
00:00:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Keelan McNamara, how are we Keelan?
00:00:46
Keelin McNamara
Jules, it's great to be back with the boys once again. I had a horrible international break being an Ireland fan and yet I somehow still wish we were in the international break but consider your struggle and we're in the trenches and we're going to talk all about it.
00:00:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think you need City to come back to get some W's on the board, I think, Keelan.
00:01:03
Keelin McNamara
yeah look thats me i
00:01:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
I can say that as a very smug Welsh fan, you know, just getting a draw away to Turkey is amazing for us these days, so that'll do. Anyway, ah speaking about some of the other City players, and there wasn't too many that actually played over the last week or so due to City's ever increasing injury crisis and the view of some people at this November tournament is a bit and necessary but there were some that were involved including Cal Walker and Rico Lewis and we're in the England squad England had two wins so far beating Greece 3-0 and Ireland 5-0 Otega made the Germany squad for the first time as well but there's some smiles there anyone Lewis Lewis in an England shirt do you want to mention anything tequila narrow
00:01:52
Lewis
I'm sorry, it's Taylor Howard-Bellis and Jared Bowen, a quick goal I'm happy for. It was the first, what was it the first time that four debutants scored since, scored in the same game since 1930 I think I saw, so and yeah, very pleased with it the five now, yeah.
00:02:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
very diplomatically part of you and so back to the city players we have Ortega making the Germany squad for the first time hasn't featured but he was in the squad for the 7-0 win against Bosnia and not in the win the 1-0 win Germany had over the Netherlands.
00:02:12
Keelin McNamara
Thank you.
00:02:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
so Edison and Savino both played for Brazil only once and that was a 1-1 draw versus Venezuela so not the best result which leaves Brazil fourth in the Kahneman World Cup qualification so far with five wins, two draws and four losses from 11 games, which isn't excellent, but as the top six out of 10 are qualified, they should be fine. Bernardo Silva played for Portugal and had a key role in three-one and five-one wins against Poland, scoring in the former, and the the polar matches were either side of a nil-nil draw for Scotland, who had a pretty strong international break themselves. ah Portugal play Croatia tonight. and
00:03:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
and We recorded this on the Tuesday and they will be playing at £7.45, who of course, Croatia have, Jusko Gladiol and Mateo Kavacic, both played and in their one game, which was a 1-0 loss to Scotland.
00:03:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
which is a bit of a stinking result for them. So they need just a draw today against Portugal to go through to the knockout stages of the Nations League, but Scotland themselves can go through if they beat Poland and Croatia lose, which would um be quite a result for them. Of course, we still have the inimitable Harlan to talk about too, but as we've specifically talked about his Norway side before, we'll omit them for now. So from the city's other internationals this break, who has stood out to you? We'll come to yeah Oh, is it Monday?
00:03:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Oh, my bad. My bad. Well, there's oh they're still playing today at 7.45.
00:03:53
Lewis
This is on.
00:03:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Anyway, even if I don't know the days, I'm sure the players will. They've got teams for that and stuff, I'm sure. But from cities, other internationals, this break, who stood out to you, Keelan?
00:04:05
Keelin McNamara
Yeah, um as you said, not a lot of city action in this international break. Certainly a lot of other Premier League teams had a lot more representation. Even in South America, we saw Darwin Nunez featured very heavily for Uruguay, for example. So really not a lot to pick from city participation over the last week or two. I will say, though, I do think Bernardo Silva was probably the standout that you mentioned. and I thought he was brilliant um over the international break.
00:04:35
Keelin McNamara
very important to that Portugal team you can see where the influence is sort of in midfield drifting out of the wing occasionally and really he really does pull the strings for that Portugal team so very very impressed with Bernardo thought he was excellent.
00:04:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, they've been playing him um a lot more of a playmaker, I guess, because thats Portugal are stacked in talent in that frontline, aren't they? So I think, yeah, having someone of that intelligence running the game for them is doing them well so far. And Roberto Martinez. ah Lewis, um how about you? and was I assume we're in the England top. You have a very standout moment of this international break so far.
00:05:15
Lewis
Yeah, obviously the 5-0, it was good, but not not so much for for city players. Obviously, I do think Walker did quite well over over both games, which does make a change from pri his um appearances in a Sky Blue shirt as of late. I thought Rika Lewis did did quite well in in the first game, but for me, the standout performer of all city players has to be Erwin Harland. i mean um In a 5-0 win, Norway against Kazakhstan, I think it was a hat-trick, and if you've seen the highlights, all his goals are different. The first one's like a ah reactive tapping, not tapping, a reactive rebound, then he has like a header back post, and then he has he takes on a man and finishes bottom right, which is which is what I do miss seeing from Holland on ah on a a weekly basis, then type of goals, and obviously the hat-tricks. He's now actually got 25 hat-tricks in his career.
00:06:07
Lewis
at the age of just 24, which is obviously is remarkable from the Norwegian terminator as Keown loves to call him. But yeah, I mean, Highland, hopefully he can bring it back back into the Premier League, that that amazing form for his country.
00:06:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and just to pick up from that and that makes him 10th all time for for hat tricks in football like is an outrageous so age 24 and
00:06:31
Keelin McNamara
The man was more hot tricks than years he's been alive.
00:06:32
Lewis
and so
00:06:34
Keelin McNamara
I mean, jeez.
00:06:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah And I'd imagine it would it will stay like that until at least he's got a grand grand grand baby Harlan's running about as well. and So just for a bit of fun, the unofficial list of most hat tricks in history has someone none of us have ever heard of, German striker Erwin Helmchen.
00:06:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
first with a quite stupid 141 hat tricks apparently he played in like the 19 oh whatever's right and then second was Pele with 92 however due to the eras these guys played in yeah if you're squinting your eyes there there was uh it's unconfirmed whether they were in fret a lot were in friendlies or not so the actual official top of the list of hat tricks is Cristiano Ronaldo was 66 do we think Harlan will gonna break that
00:07:24
Keelin McNamara
you know, I think he could. I actually, I do think there's a really good chance of it because you look at the age and you look at the pace of scoring.
00:07:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:07:32
Keelin McNamara
I think I saw somewhere, I could be wrong, that Holland is actually very slightly outpacing Ronaldo at the moment for career goals. Obviously, whether he's going to score 50, 60 a season for the rest of his career is a very tough thing to do.
00:07:47
Keelin McNamara
But when you look at his ability and the types of teams he plays against, I wouldn't put a past Holland to at least challenge strongly.
00:07:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely. Injuries depending, of course, but he's looking fitter and fitter during his time at City, to be honest.
00:07:57
Keelin McNamara
Yeah.
00:08:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
He had scored a perfect hat-trick against Kazakhstan, and it was only against Kazakhstan, but they all count. um So how impressed have you been with him in general this season, Lewis? And do you think he can use this most recent bout of explosive form to aid City's quest to turn things around, like you said?
00:08:18
Lewis
Yeah, hopefully you can. I mean, like I said, in one of the last Premier League games that we played before the break, I thought his hold-up play was a lot better. I think it was against Brighton. I thought he wasn't giving passes away as much. I thought he was retaining the ball well from a hold-up striker. Obviously, he is very versatile going forward, but I do think that if he can maintain that, and obviously, if he can get his scoring record back up like it was at the start of the season, and like, well, three backs about hat tricks or something crazy, it was.
00:08:45
Lewis
I think that he's really going to be a big asset to us in catching Liverpool back up, and especially with the introduction of De Bruyne coming back in, feeding Holland, I think that he's going to fare a lot better than he has been doing um of late in the Premier League, so hopefully he's going to be positive looking forward for him.
00:09:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
And you mentioned Kevin de Bruyne there. After this short ad break, we will be talking all about the Belgian and how important he is to Man City.
00:09:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome back to the Daily Manchester City Podcast on the Global Sports Podcast Network. So we've already discussed City's international players so far this ah so far this break. um Someone that isn't playing international football anymore and has been injured rather a lot recently is Kevin De Bruyne. And he's undoubtedly one of the best, if not the best Man City player of all time. He's taken over the mantle as a leader on the pitch.
00:10:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's a true tallies man, scoring and creating goals with both made both of his magical feet for the past nine years in the Sky Blue shirt. However, there has always been question marks, and well concerns, let's say, over his injury record. And that injury record has reared its ugly head over the last couple of years, and perhaps no more devastating fashion than this season, highlighted during City's struggles. So firstly, I'm going to pass it over to you both to wax lyrical about the man. Keeling, just how important has he been And how important is he now to Manchester City Football Club?
00:10:39
Keelin McNamara
Well quite frankly the way I see it is in Kevin de Bruyne you are looking at the best midfielder in the history of the Premier League and you can fight over who's number two. I don't really care because Kevin de Bruyne is number one. The way I look at it is he's got the box-to-box qualities of Gerrard, he scores goals like Lampard and he passes out Paul's goals. So the way I look at it is in Kevin de Bruyne you have the alleged top three in one player and you have had for the last nine years.
00:11:07
Keelin McNamara
I mean listen, there is no footballer like Kevin De Bruyne. We talk a lot about different players, fast wingers, hold-ups, strikers, all this kind of stuff. But there is no number 10 in world football who can play the passes Kevin De Bruyne does. There is nobody with the footballing IQ or the vision or the ability to play that killer pass like Kevin De Bruyne.
00:11:29
Keelin McNamara
You can point me to someone and I will call you a liar because that I don't see anybody. You can look at Florian Virts, you can look at lots of different players. Nobody does what Kevin De Bruyne does. Nobody can change a game like Kevin De Bruyne and nobody can tip the balance of a championship like Kevin De Bruyne. Simple way to put it, best midfielder aside from David Silva that maybe I've ever seen in person and the best midfielder this league has ever witnessed.
00:11:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, i'll I'll ask you something similar coming off what Keeling has just said. And that was very nicely put, I thought Keeling definitely ah some lovely words about about the great man there. So Lewis, where do you rank him all time yourself among the among the very best the game has ever seen, not just Premier League?
00:12:16
Lewis
Yeah, I think City, City just as a whole have a lot of good Premier League midfielders of all time. I see Yaya Torey as well. And David Silver, like you said, are different for me in all three of them getting the top 10. But yeah, De Bruyne is number one. I think he will retire to a lot of people as the best, the best midfielder the Premier League has ever seen ahead of, like you said, your Gerads, your Lampards, your Skulls. And it's not just me being biased. He offers something different. He's like, he's got a mix of all three.
00:12:45
Lewis
like he said, but he's also, he's just so unique. You've never seen someone who is that good at passing the ball and finding someone's feet and that clever. And when you see montages of him and his passes, it's he's just remarkable. you It's outstanding. So the thing, the passes he sees that nobody else sees and David Silva used to be like that, but the Brian sort of took the passing and the range of passing to a whole different level. And I think this season,
00:13:14
Lewis
coming back I mean last season he only had 15 starts he got I think ten assists and four or five goals as well obviously he came back against Nuka Sulland and salvaged three points for us there hopefully he comes back and he gets close to to his prime really he's still only what is he 33 34 he's still got some time left for me and I do want to see the the great De Bruyne coming back out this season I think it's definitely needed
00:13:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, um that Newcastle game in hindsight to look how important it turned out to be in the title race. And I imagine we all fought it at the time too. um But yeah, Kevin De Bruyne, amazing. And there's been speculation about him leaving the club over the last year or so as well. um Perhaps getting one more outrageously big contract in Saudi before hanging the boots up. How worried are you about those rumours? How true do you believe them to be, Keelan?
00:14:09
Keelin McNamara
I'll be honest, jill and this it's very tough for me to admit, as someone who maybe is only second to you in terms of my love for Kevin De Bruyne, I am the most concerned I've ever been that he might actually leave.
00:14:20
Lewis
You know.
00:14:22
Keelin McNamara
you know There were reports in the past, but I never believed them. I never really thought there was anything to them. I think when you consider the injury, you consider, even though he's not old by any means, I mean in modern football, 34 is nothing to most people. But I do believe there is potentially something to him leaving. And I actually think you mentioned Saudi Arabia, which you're absolutely right to.
00:14:48
Keelin McNamara
I've read a lot of reports about him potentially moving to America to go to the um MLS because obviously he's got a beautiful young family who are starting to grow up now and there's reports that he fancies the lifestyle there and that it's a better place for his family to go to the next stage. And look, if it's true, he has more than earned the right to go anywhere he wants and to do whatever he wants to do.
00:15:11
Keelin McNamara
If he wanted to stay in the Premier League, like David Silva, he's still got three or four elite years left and I'm confident of that.
00:15:18
Lewis
I'm constantly talking.
00:15:19
Keelin McNamara
But if it were true, I'd be devastated, but I'd wish him nothing but the best.
00:15:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, um obviously, any any any football fan, any Premier League fan wouldn't want to see him go. off All the magic he's provided us over the years. And he's done all of this like ah the things that you guys have described, his ability.
00:15:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
and I thought you would put it brilliantly, Keelan, about the three English midfielders. And he can do everything they do with two feet, which is what what is absolutely crazy.
00:15:44
Keelin McNamara
Yeah.
00:15:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
like who who Everyone would kill to have one foot like Paul Scholes, right? Well, Kev's got two. Unbelievable. He's got the stature of Zidane but he scores goals like Lampard.
00:15:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
that ah yeah yeah yeah We haven't seen anyone like him.
00:15:58
Keelin McNamara
It's incredible when you look at them. i
00:16:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
We haven't seen anyone like him ever.
00:16:02
Keelin McNamara
We haven't. And the last point I'll make really quickly is if you were to do a YouTube ranking of midfielders of the past 30, 40 years or so, there's a certain S-tier club with you know Diego Maradona, Zidane, Ronaldinho, players like that. Kevin de Bruyne is only half a rung maybe below the elite of the elite of the elite. You could even argue he is in that club. so You will never find a midfielder as good as Kevin de Bruyne. I just don't think he'll do it.
00:16:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think Kevin De Bruyne is better than Ronaldinho. I think Ronaldinho provided more magic for a lot of fans, especially my era. he He was the guy. But if you're looking for what they've done in their careers, the output they've had consistently, I think Kev is better.
00:16:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely.
00:16:46
Keelin McNamara
I wouldn't even argue that. I think you might be right.
00:16:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
The World Cup maybe swings it. He obviously had a terrible time at Belgium. and and But a lot of it wasn't his fault, let's be honest.
00:16:56
Keelin McNamara
Yeah.
00:16:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
And there's no one like there's no one that can replace the impact and ability of him. But if he did leave, who's the one player you'd be happiest for the club to try and sign to tool replace him, Lewis?
00:17:08
Lewis
You know, it would be, well, this January, zending he's mentioned the other day that he's not going to say any more on the matter and he's he's happy to do whatever, which which is in england made me incline, but I don't even know what the word I'm looking for, to um to think that he might be signing and hopefully he does, but he's obviously more of a hold in my field, but in terms of replacing De Bruyne, I don't think he can be replaced at the club. I don't think that they'll especially in my lifetime, I can't see, especially at the minute, anyone being that unique and and and class on the ball, i can't I can't see it. He's obviously a fan favourite and he will long go down in the history as being a ah massive Man City club legend.
00:17:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
So just to squeeze a name out of the two of you, you mentioned Florian Vert earlier, Keelan. Is that someone you think could maybe try and fill the shoes?
00:17:58
Keelin McNamara
I certainly wouldn't hate it, but I kind of have to lean loose this direction. I don't think you can replace Kevin De Bruyne because if you look very briefly at football before and after Guardiola joined City, Kevin De Bruyne was a Pellegrini player and De Bruyne is almost as old as it makes a sound. He's a throwback to positional players where De Bruyne is a number 10, you know he's a number 10, you know what you're getting. A 10 you can also kind of play an 8.
00:18:25
Keelin McNamara
The problem is, even if you look at like a Jamal Musiala, who I'm a big fan of, you've got these attacking players who are maybe not brilliant in one position, but they're great in all of them. Whereas sometimes you just need a specialist who is elite at one position. And I don't think you get elite one position players anymore, which is why you don't get Kevin De Bruyne's anymore. So if I had to get as close to it as possible, maybe Jamal Musiala from Brian Munich but I don't think there's a player out there that replaces De Bruyne adequately, I just don't think there is.
00:18:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's ah it'll undoubtedly be a team task to do so. and That comes to the end of segment two for us. After this short outbreak, we'll talk a bit about the club world cap that City of course are in after winning the Champions League last year.
00:19:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome back to the Daily Manchester City podcast on the Global Sports Podcast Network. We are going to discuss the club World Cup a little bit now. It's a changed format. It used to be just eight teams and that were the champions of their respective continents. It's now expanding into a 32 club tournament with clubs from all six tournaments and the new format will allow the majority of the big teams across the world to be involved.
00:20:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Some of those teams, well, in fact, I'll list ah list the 31 quickly. You've got Al Ali from Egypt, Waidad from her um Morocco, Ezz Tuniz from Tunisia, Mamelodi Sundowns from South Africa, Al Halal, the Saudi team, Urawa Red Diamonds from Japan,
00:20:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Alain from the UAE, Ulsan HD, FC from Korea, Chelsea, Real Madrid, these are a bit easier, Man City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Inter Milan, Porto, Benfica, Borussia Dortmund, Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Salzburg, Monterey from Mexico, Seattle Sounders from the US, Club Leon petchu and Pachuca from Mexico as well, Auckland City from New Zealand,
00:20:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
and then you have Palmeiras and Flumengo and Flumenese from Brazil and River Plate and Boca Juniors from Argentina and of course into Miami and shoehorned in there with the Horse Nation slot for one certainly and El Massi. So Keelan you're holding your head in your hands right now, what are your thoughts on this new format for the Club World Cup?
00:21:10
Keelin McNamara
Great, just what we needed, more games. you know it's not It's not bad enough that half our squad has been wiped out due to injury because of fixture congestion or anything. It's a bit of a joke, to be honest. you know It was fine when it was just eight teams, you know each continent and represented. That's fine, I have no problem with that.
00:21:29
Keelin McNamara
But UEFA and FIFA and their grade is just absolutely unbelievable. you know They'll shoehorn the ability to generate extra revenue as an excuse for, it oh more clubs are getting represented.
00:21:42
Keelin McNamara
Did we see the nonsense with Inter-Miami forcibly getting put in and celebrating when they got knocked out of a competition with confetti and stuff I mean, what are we doing here?
00:21:53
Keelin McNamara
It's absolutely embarrassing.
00:21:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:54
Lewis
Nothing.
00:21:55
Keelin McNamara
I'm sorry, it's embarrassing. you know we're forced It's basically a club from Europe is going to win it. It's going to be a mini Champions League. It's not even going to be fair to the other teams from the other continents, because if it's not a city, it's going to be a European team.
00:22:09
Keelin McNamara
The Champions League winner will probably end up winning this. and we'll have all done all of this for nothing. It's just embarrassing. I have no interest in watching it. Frankly, if Citi did what that boxer did and they walked out of the ring the second the fight started, I wouldn't even have a problem with it. Because the last thing we need are more games so more people can make more money. Give me rogerie back and stop injuring our players, FIFA.
00:22:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Lewis, what are your thoughts? The tournament's not until ah June in 2025, which of course will be at the end of another very long season for City, which will probably have more players dropping like flies and less less rest going into the season afterwards, ah which is what Keeling was getting at there, I'm sure. um yeah So what are your thoughts on this now new expanded 32 teams at the Club World Cup?
00:23:00
Lewis
Yeah, I think it's terrible. I think that we've had the, the Euros and World Cups every two years. And this year would be a break, and obviously in the summer, but instead we've we've got a risk again, more chance of long-term injuries, not just short-term injuries for the summer.
00:23:16
Lewis
Obviously we've seen it with Rodry and De Bruyne's obviously out, normally out for quite a while. Every time he gets injured, now he's getting old, now he's getting older. And I just think that, I mean, I've not even heard of half the teams that you were listing. I'm not going to lie. I think that it's going to be a bit stupid when, when City are playing the Egyptian side, you said, I mean, I just, I just can't, I can't fathom why it's been changed. as Obviously the club World Cup is meant to be a tournament of of all the continents coming together.
00:23:45
Lewis
Obviously the winner of the Champions League Europe being the, being the biggest competition with the best teams and then to decide who's the best team in the world. Obviously we won it in 2023 when we became the first side to win all five major trophies with the super cup as well in in English history. But this year or the next year rather, I'm not, I'm not as fussed. I agree with Keelan. I wouldn't be excited to watch it. I'm more.
00:24:07
Lewis
I want to be more focused on the league and obviously the Champions League, which is arguably bigger than the club world cup at this rate, with the with the fast that they're making it, especially with, like you said, into Miami being in it. Just ah to get money out of televising Messi, I think it is a bit stupid and I don't agree with the new format whatsoever. ah
00:24:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and I think the issue isn't necessarily with playing the Egyptian champions or whatever. you know You'd expect them to be there, right? It's that you've got teams like Porto or Salzburg. How are they at the Club World Cup? like How can you justify that? And obviously the European teams have more money, so they're going to be more likely to be successful, as you two have touched on. So yeah, at the end, it's probably going to be a a little Champions League.
00:24:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
without the prestige of it being the actual Champions League. So what what motivation is City going to have to beat Porto in a Club World Cup quarterfinal? It's just not it's not the same, is it? Or Salzburg or something? I don't know. If you if you got if you have a tournament there and you you beat the South American champions, you beat the African champions, it's like, yeah, that's the Club World Cup. You've beaten the other best teams in the world. But yeah, bringing it to 32 teams to, like you say, just maximize television profits.
00:25:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
during what should have been at break as well. um So I guess I'll ask this to finish up. Is it better that it's moved to the summer? Because it obviously causes a lot of issues normally being played out during the Christmas time. Man United famously dropping out of the FA Cup the year they were defending their travel to go to the club World Cup itself. Is it better that it's in the summer or is it again just and and another way to prolong the lack of recovery for these footballers, Keelan?
00:25:45
Keelin McNamara
ah To be honest, I think you know where I'm going with this already without having to say it. All it is is all is is legitimized exploitation. That's all this is. you know I don't care if you play it in the spring, summer, autumn or the winter. Players are playing enough football as it is. We've got the Nations League, which nobody gives a toss about. We've got Champions League football, domestic football with plenty of competitions as it is. And now you want to expand another one that with respect nobody really cares about.
00:26:15
Keelin McNamara
No, i don't i don't chair if I don't care when they play it. It's too much football. We are seeing more and more big teams getting decimated through injury because they're being pushed beyond the limit. you know Sports science is great and all well and good. Players are being pushed beyond what their bodies can handle. you know We are seeing too many big teams losing their best players because too much is being asked of them.
00:26:40
Keelin McNamara
And what happens if this comes during in like say a World Cup year or a Euros year? What are we going to, where does this end is really my question, you know? Are we going to have players playing every single day of the year with like a week's rest? It's an absolute joke. It's ah it's just like exploitation. It's a global Champions League without the prestige plus shoehorning American teams in to get US money. That is all this is about. It's a cash grab and it's nothing more than that.
00:27:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and just to finish up, um I think footballers get a lot of stick online, let's say, when they complain about this um the ah the schedule you know the ah being overplayed and stuff.
00:27:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
but Any professional athlete that like football, I haven't really ah structured what I want to say here, but they run 12, 13 kilometers of high intensity sprints in an hour, hour and a half. And you do that three times a week. That's going to mess up your back, mess up your knees, mess up your legs. And if you don't even get the opportunity to have a break and you're doing that all season long, every other sport in the world has a designated break.
00:27:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
But footballs is just getting shorter and shorter and shorter. Then you can include the pre-season tours all around the world for football clubs too, where they have mandatory players in in the contracts for it that have to play. you know like that that Things like that normally mess Kevin De Bruyne up because he's forced to have to play like 45 minutes in America when he doesn't give an axe about it. you know But yeah, that that I think that'll do for the ranting from us today. and Maybe we'll have more rants in store when we talk about City's upcoming fixture against Spurs throughout the week. We'll have a crossover episode up for you soon and for that. And yeah, thank you very much for listening. Thank you again to Lewis and Keelan for being on this part with me. And I've been Jules Jordan-Probert. We've been Daily Manchester City Podcast on the Global Sports Podcast Network. ah Hope you have a wonderful rest of your day.