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Hammering Away Ep #31 - How Many Times VAR?
65 Plays1 year ago
On today's episode of the podcast, Jack and Joe discuss West Ham's 5-0 Europa League win over Freiburg, a handful of ridiculous refereeing decisions against Aston Villa in the Premier League, our upcoming Europa League Quarter-Final tie vs Bayer Leverkusen, and more!
Music by: LADI OGUN & @ANTlll
Blog: Hammering-Away.blog
Twitter/X: @Hammering_Away
Instagram/Threads: @HammeringAway_
Tiktok: @hammering.away
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Transcript
Joe's Return and Team Dynamics
00:00:23
Speaker
Welcome back to the Hammering Weight Podcast is episode number 31. Joe is back with us this time after a hiatus where Ollie filled in the void. I mean, it's really nice of you, dude. You're really supported in the pod. I was busy. I was out. I almost went to the Fryberg game.
00:00:49
Speaker
I know, dude, I know, I know. That would have been crazy if you could have made it out there, especially for that game. It was a good episode. It was a good episode. We kind of kept interrupting each other every once in a while, but she's got something to say to that Ollie guy. We have to have all three of us on an episode again sometime soon. That'd be fun. We haven't done a good thing, I guess, since
00:01:12
Speaker
He shall not be named.
Game Analysis: Freiburg and Aston Villa
00:01:16
Speaker
I guess we can get back to the Burnley game, because I know we didn't do an episode on that, but we should start on the Fryberg game and then work up to the Asenfield game. Yeah. With Fryberg? I don't even really know. Actually, you know what? I do know where to start. Michael Antonio, on a European night,
00:01:43
Speaker
he's fresh fit and sharp is just something a sight to behold he like his little runs of form to the last like four years they've always just come just at the right time like this is we needed this so so bad because he doesn't he doesn't die dude he doesn't die he'll never day he's gonna out he's gonna outlast
00:02:10
Speaker
Obama, like he's legit gonna be here forever. He's gonna outlast Jared Bowen. Like he already outlasted on Rebecca. Oh, Rebecca was supposed to come in and replace him. Oh, Rebecca, man. But it's crazy. I mean, just like off the forever game, Antonio, genuinely, you're talking about a mischance from kudos against Burnley that would have put us at 2-2 on 67 minutes.
00:02:37
Speaker
And you're talking about weird VAR decisions against Villa. He essentially should have, could have, would have did win us three games over the course of a week. Yeah. He's, he's been just incredible. And, and Freiburg was, Freiburg was like literally like the, like the quintessential, like what you expect from Antonio on a European night, like just overpowering.
00:03:07
Speaker
overpowering the center backs and dribbling so well, creating chances left and right, just being a ball magnet, everything you could possibly ask. He looked as fast as he ever has. You see, Freiburg were also the perfect team to get the quintessential Antonio performance. I mean, soft center, they're a little pretty team. They're like a good little footballing side, but like, to be honest, bro,
00:03:37
Speaker
And, uh, it's a shame that we didn't get to do an episode in between because we would have both been like, we're gonna, you know, blow them out of the water on Thursday. Uh, I didn't expect five. I expected three. Um, cause that was just the vibe and like leading up to the game, you know, they, they, they, they scared me as much as silk work scared me in the conference. Like, yeah, which is, I guess is some of that is like, um, what's the word like hindsight.
00:04:07
Speaker
because we just beat them 5-0. But even after the first, it was like, man, we wasted so many chances. Then you look back to the 2-0 in December. They never really troubled us besides the second half of the first time we played them in the group. Yeah. I never really felt threatened by them, not in the group stage. We controlled them pretty well in the group stage, even though we didn't get our best performances during those.
00:04:37
Speaker
The only time I really took them seriously was after they beat us at their place. I was honestly looking past that round for the longest until they made me pay attention to it. I was the other way around. I was nervous when we drew them because I was like,
00:04:58
Speaker
man, got to beat a team four times in a season. But I really thought that like, the way we set up in Germany was like totally fine. It's like, we know how to handle Europeans high. On a different day, we walk out of there to no winners. You know what I mean? Absolutely. So
00:05:15
Speaker
I didn't really have a problem with the way we set up, obviously being down a goal makes you nervous, but then the early goal, Cresswell, that was the best game he's played for us, probably almost a year now.
Controversies and VAR Discussions
00:05:29
Speaker
Sucek is such a threat from set pieces. I was happy Piketty got his goal. That was the one game this week he played well in.
00:05:40
Speaker
But yeah, I mean, then after that, it was, could not have been more obvious that Jared Bowen was going to get the goal, the go ahead goal in this time. Oh man. I mean, this is just what he does at this point. That was probably, that's probably his best goal. I can't, I can't draw it up better than that. No. Cause, cause. Best goal of the season? Best goal, probably one of his best goals ever. I mean, one of them, he, he lashed it, you know, but he, um, the brand new goal.
00:06:11
Speaker
is better. Yeah. The Bournemouth goal is probably better. He's got, he's got a pretty crazy catalog at this point, but just to just to like the way he like had the muscle that defender, like completely this launch him, regain the ball, and then just lash it in from outside the box. And I mean, what a hit.
00:06:37
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I thought that that goal really kind of sums up everything about the difference between us and them. We're just stronger.
00:06:47
Speaker
faster, stronger, better. I mean, like, yeah, better, but it's just, it's, it's horrendous defending. If we can see the goal like that, like I would want, cause I was going to say I would want whoever made the mistake to feel my wrath, but you know, there's one player in our squad who would do some nonsense. Yeah. I was, I was going to name it by name, but I'm glad you're not. So, you know, yeah. Uh, we can, cause we, we need him. He's going to, he's got three big games coming up. Yeah. Who are you talking about?
00:07:17
Speaker
I was thinking who would have got muscled off the ball, but Aguirre. No, I think Phillips, in that situation, Aguirre, yeah, he's also- Physically, would get outmatched like that. But just in the midfield, not showing enough desire to win the ball and just not- Oh, yeah. That guy.
00:07:44
Speaker
that guy. We'll see. He's got a nice little ramp up now at least. I don't care if he plays bad against Newcastle and Spurs. I do though, dude. No, I care. If he gives us like a 10 out of 10 against Leverkusen, I don't care what he does in the league. I mean, yeah, but the issue with that is just that, look,
00:08:13
Speaker
Over the course of 2024, we've been robbed four or six points, or we've just, we've dropped six points that we really shouldn't be dropping. Um, between Sheffield United, which is just ridiculous. It's two points dropped. Um, and then Villa is another ridiculous two point drop. If you give us those four points, we're above United. Um, and the thing is that it's not even acting a certain type of way to say that because we had three perfectly good goals ruled out before Villa even sniffed out our net.
00:08:41
Speaker
between the kudos one in the first half and the Antonio corner. Yeah. Yeah, we have anything four times, but four fucking times. If anything, I think the last goal is the most reasonable one to be ruled out because future experiment actually plays a part in that. But then it's like, okay, this is where my issue comes in. Right? So the kudos goal in the first half first, well, it's just it's just a goal.
00:09:07
Speaker
Like there's really not even anything to really say about it. It's a goal. The Antonio one from the corner, his arm, if he, like I said some things, if he was an amputee, he would score that goal. Yeah. Shout out. Shout out to Paquetta season, Connor who said that. Is that, is that who said that? Yeah. I saw somebody else say it was on my timeline. I don't know. Anyways. I think it was him on the timeline. He's right. Because yeah.
00:09:38
Speaker
And we should be able to use common sense to the point where if someone literally was dismembered. Yeah. Like it makes no, like I think there should be more ambiguity in the rule, meaning there's more leeway for common sense because, because, because like the, the double standard between like, you know, offense players and like defenders.
00:10:04
Speaker
in the box is a little ridiculous. Well, they're so obsessed with consistency, but they actually take consistency away from themselves by boxing themselves into these holes. Okay, fine. Not to be consistent. If it hits arm, goes in net, it's not a goal. Fine. That means that the goal at the end should stand.
00:10:29
Speaker
because it hits Suchak's arm, who you cannot say he plays that with his arm deliberately. That's insane. Tim Howard said that on the postgame, dude. Yeah. Tim Howard said that Suchak handled the ball deliberately, intentionally. What the fuck are you talking about?
00:10:54
Speaker
Who in their right mind could deliberately move their, like, inner elbow towards the ball there? And then- As they're falling. This is what I'm getting at. First of all, we all know how much control he has over his limbs. And when he tries to pump the crowd up, like, he can't move his arm where he wants it to go. It hits him, and then it hits Bowen in the chest, and it goes in a net.
00:11:24
Speaker
So that should stand. If the Antonio one doesn't stand, that should stand. You can't disallow these goals. The way I understand it, isn't it like a bright line rule that if it hits an offensive player in the hand at any point, no matter what, even if it's not deliberate in the box and it goes in? I thought it had to be the touch before, but you might be right. To be honest,
00:11:53
Speaker
None of it really matters. Because even if Antonio and Suchak's goals were ruled out correctly by the rule book, the Kudu's goal should stand. It could not be more of just a regular goal. And they were horrendous. They didn't deserve anything from that game. They were the worst team that came through on the stadium this season. That's a bit much. I mean, they were good in the second half.
00:12:23
Speaker
No, they were not. No, they were not good in the second half. They were fucking terrible. They definitely gave us- They created two chances. They created two chances. But yeah, the chances weren't there, but they had a lot of the pressure, which is tough. I disagree. I thought that they played into our hands and that we were largely comfortable throughout 60, 65 minutes. Yeah. Yeah. 60, 65 minutes, I would say.
00:12:52
Speaker
And then Antonio came out and then,
International Duty Impact
00:12:54
Speaker
then they, I still thought that we were fine. I didn't think that they did anything. They did nothing to deserve. They didn't even deserve a goal from that game. Well, there was like the pressure and then, uh, Ariole had a nice save. I guess on a, on a constant shot and leading up to the, the goal, they were, they were, yeah, like it was that safe and the goal. Those are the two chances they had throughout the game. We had the ball on the net twice as many times as they had chances.
00:13:22
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I'm not saying that they deserve a point. They didn't deserve it. It should have been for one. They were awful. Should have been for now. I think I'm most upset with Antonio because because if that was a defender who like who like because if he if that was a defender who like, you know, hit his arm the same place that Antonio did and that calls it to not be a goal.
00:13:51
Speaker
That wouldn't have not been a handball. And when you break it down like that, it makes no sense that there's different rules for attackers and defenders. That's what I'm saying. Like, it should not be a bright line rule for attacking players. Yeah. Like, it's just there has to be some level of common sense applied to it. And people will act like you can do that when common sense is used across sports. Like, or yeah. Come on.
00:14:18
Speaker
Like if you want to make a bright line rule, make a bright line rule for attacking and defending players, but nobody wants that. So it's people who want rules that make sense. Yeah. If your arm is inside of your body and the ball hits your arm and it gives you no clear cut advantage and it goes in the net. That's a goal. What do you want? It's not so hard.
00:14:45
Speaker
What do you want Antonio to do with like... Antonio can have his arms tucked into his shirt and got a little ball when it went in. You know who sucks, by the way? He's particularly fucking terrible every time he plays us. He's Emi Martinez. He's horrendous. I don't know why he hates playing. He's a dog shit goalkeeper.
00:15:07
Speaker
I don't know. Is he just bad or is he bad against us? I think he's particularly bad against us. He's maybe the most overrated player in World Football. Now that he's not allowed to play anymore. Yeah, it's an unnecessary shot. Unnecessary shot. Why speak ill in the dead? Yeah, but dude, like, come on, man. And people ride for that guy. Get a fucking life. Get a fucking life. Literally get a life.
00:15:38
Speaker
You know, and I like him when he plays for his team because he plays well for my boy. But man, when he puts on Madison Villa shirt, it doesn't matter anymore. He got the thing. It'll matter in the summer when Copa America. It'll matter when I want Antonio to score. Oh yeah. Cause cause it's going to be CONCACAF and, um,
00:16:06
Speaker
call nimble and like the. Yeah. If I'm, yeah, like, I don't, I don't care. You don't care. It does. It doesn't mean anything to me. Fair enough. You know, it's in the United States. Okay. I'll go. If Mexico played Jamaica and it's on the Northeast coast, I care. I'll go to the game. Really? Why them?
00:16:34
Speaker
You know, it's an Alvarez and Michael Antonio. So it's up to the homies. But, but you know that Antonio sucks for Jamaica. Like he's fucking. Cause you do it every, every time you watch him, besides that one, he's had one goal. He's kicked the ball.
00:17:02
Speaker
One time, he kicked it well for Jamaica. He's done nothing but terrorize that poor nation. And he comes back and it affects us. No, to be honest, I have no idea why he's still playing. He should be fined every time he goes on international duty, as far as I'm concerned. Because I'm all for guys, you know, like playing for their countries and stuff. And I'm happy for him.
00:17:30
Speaker
But he's lucky that this Copa America is a summer and that I believe they're qualified because it's actually a big tournament. Because if there was another gold cup this summer that he was going to, I'd be fucking furious. Who cares? Yeah. Especially if he's going to go there and probably not even deserve to start. He's going to go there. He's going to start. He's going to jog around, give the ball away for 60 minutes.
00:18:01
Speaker
a game for three games, he's gonna leave with like eight goals conceded, like one goal, seven goals conceded, like one goal scored. He's gonna be in fucking Lisbon. I was gonna say with his wife, no longer with his wife.
00:18:26
Speaker
I'll do it with the English slang. You see, Kudus was saying they added more juice to my ting. That was the first time anyone's ever used the word ting and it moved me. I was like, damn. But then he said that's brazy and non-LA accent. I was like, ooh. That's weird. I don't know if I can support that.
00:18:54
Speaker
People were like, oh, he's been hanging out with the East London man. I was like, they're saying crazy and East London. Like, do they even know what that means? I guess it's it's been a few years. I guess it's traveled. They don't have bloods and crips and fucking fucking. But like, that's that's not like they just say it because we say it. They don't they don't know what. Yeah, it's true. They don't know anything. They're fucking stupid.
00:19:23
Speaker
That's all it is it's all it's ever been is they just yeah say what we say Have they have we ever said anything that they've said? Unironically That's okay that that changes the answer. Yeah, cuz I mean ironically like They say a lot of things I said Because it's goofy It's super goofy He doesn't know any better
00:19:50
Speaker
He needs a U.S. tour. Can we do a West Ham U.S. tour? We came here once, dude. 2016. We were horrendous. We drew 2-2 to like a third division American side, like 10 years ago. Oh my god. Who is the manager? Billich? Billich, yeah. Billich.
00:20:14
Speaker
Was Pyatt there? No, he wasn't on the tour. He was at Euros. I was going to say he was a bit in the Euros. No. Thank God he didn't see what was going on that day of the Landzini. He was flirting with fans. It was crazy. Do you think he even bothered to check? No. No, no. The score of our preseason game against the Carolina, whatever the hell they were,
00:20:40
Speaker
Yeah, that's his team. You know, it's, I'm pretty sure it was. We, we pay him. He had bigger things at mine. We pay him. We pay. We also pay Saeed bin Rama. Dude, that is that it's true. Yeah. You get paychecks from when you're, when you're on loan, who to get paychecks from? You get them from the club that like your parent club, pretty sure. Then. So, so David Moyes is still signing checks for checks.
00:21:11
Speaker
Spitting on him as he sends him over. Dude, he's got to be so happy he's free of him. He's been waiting for this moment for so long. Literally since he got here.
Player Performances and Form
00:21:23
Speaker
We sold Ben Ramah and we scored five goals like four weeks ago. Dude, it's kind of crazy speaking about Ben Ramah. Yeah. It's kind of crazy how good Kudos has gotten from the left wing.
00:21:40
Speaker
It's, it's super impressive. It's the kind of thing where it's like, all right, can you give me one more day? And I'm going to say that for like at least 12, hopefully, or at least 11 now, hopefully we count 14 more games.
00:21:59
Speaker
Cause his skillset does not speak to him being able to play in the left wing at all. I think his skillset speaks to him, you know, being able to accomplish it. You can see how uncomfortable he is out there. Exactly. But he's just such a good footballer, I guess, John. Kind of brings you back. He does not give a ball away. Doesn't lose the ball. Does not lose the ball. It's incredible.
00:22:30
Speaker
Um, if he learns how to consistently pick a pass, that's not like a whipped cross. He's going to be, you should go to Madrid if you want to do that. Literally. Like they can, they can legitimately legitimately use him. Like what a player. Cause I mean, the goal.
00:23:00
Speaker
The Fryberg goal? The Fryberg goal. The first one. I don't actually have any words for it. It's it's crazy that a player that plays for us can do that. Because obviously, I mean, Rice hit the bar against the Leicester, but that run was half as impressive. And he went past three or four people. Yeah, that was it was just
00:23:29
Speaker
It was just insane. There was just no stopping him. He's just one of those players when he gets the ball and he has room to run, it's like he could score. This could be a goal. And it could be three people ahead of him. Huge chance, too. I mean, Villa, the word proust chance at the end. That's incredible. And I don't know how it doesn't go in the net.
00:24:00
Speaker
I know. Like it's fucking this kid is crazy. And when Paquetta does inevitably go, I'm honestly really looking forward to getting him through the middle. He should be playing through the middle right now. To be honest, I don't know. I think I like it this way. Paquetta is better on the left. He's better. Paquetta is better when that player in the middle is doing all the nasty work for him.
00:24:30
Speaker
And then he comes inside throughout the game. It's not like he stays out there this way. It's, it's tough. I mean, honestly, Paquette is the best player in the squad, especially at least talent wise. Like he needs to just figure it the fuck out. Um, I'll cut him a little slack because like, he just came back from injury and somebody reminded me, I'm sure they were talking. I kind of did the same thing when he came back from his injury, but he was scoring free kicks.
00:25:01
Speaker
Um, so it's like, all right. But after this break, he's got to come. He's got to be back the way that he was or else we're kind of screwed. It's kind of over in the least or also in Europe because if he's, he's just saw like four more games this season minimum. Cause if he shows up, you win this whole thing.
00:25:29
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, it's just frustrating too, because we should be very comfortably in the European places.
Upcoming Matches and Player Roles
00:25:37
Speaker
Yeah. Instead, it kind of feels like we're hanging on and we're slipping away. I mean, that's the thing, this week when we get back, Newcastle away, Wolves away, or Newcastle away, Tottenham at home and Wolves away. It's the biggest week of our league season. I doubt it.
00:25:56
Speaker
And we don't have Alvarez for two games. And so, I mean, look, Calvin Phillips, if there was ever a time where it's going to be April, when he gets back, when he passes the games on March 31st, that's enough time. He's been here for two months. He's played games. He has fitness. He has sharpness. It's, it's time to show like who the fuck you are. You want to go to your summer? This is how you go to your house. This is the week for her. This is the biggest week of his life.
00:26:26
Speaker
coming out. Moy, he's got two weeks in the international break to work with Moy's. He has every opportunity to get as sharp and as mentally and physically ready as he possibly could. He doesn't do it now. He's never going to do it. We've said this a million times. He is a good player or was a good player, like, and you can still see things in his game, like the way he brought down the ball for the two check goal against Everton. Like, he still has talent. Like,
00:26:57
Speaker
He's played enough to be used to playing. Like, there's nobody else to blame but himself now. If he can't do this, yeah, I don't give a shit if he's confident. Fuck you, Calvin Phillips, if you're not confident. All right. Like, that actually felt a little mean. But like, dude, we paid like somewhere between four and six million total to take this guy on loan for four months.
00:27:27
Speaker
pay your fee. Everybody else in the squad, everybody else in the squad has paid their fee. There's not anybody in the squad. Well, actually, ignoring. Yeah, I know. No, no, ignoring two of them. Everyone in the squad has paid their fee. Who's the other one? Who are you thinking of? Obviously, Danny Ings.
00:27:57
Speaker
Cornet. Oh yeah, he didn't pay his fee. Did it where it pays fee? I see, sir. No. Yeah, yeah, I agree. All right. He paid a lot of people. There are multiple people in the squad who have not paid their fee. Well, you know what, dude? Gary started in the conference league final. Yeah. And he played well. He did.
00:28:24
Speaker
his partner went out and the defense stayed. You know, I watched, we've talked about this before, how Garrett is just like the ultimate like mature guy or tries to act like it.
00:28:45
Speaker
You know what, dude? I watched the clip of like the celebration after the final whistle from the conference league final recently and he's like straight over the ad for bat, like consoling him. Fuck him. That is, I don't like that at all. You don't remember that? Dude, because I remember at the time being like...
00:29:07
Speaker
I was celebrating, man. No, no, no. I'm not saying in the moment. I remember watching the clip back that week and being like, oh, that's nice. Because nobody could do any wrong at that moment. But looking back at it, dude, fuck you, dude. Celebrate with us. What's wrong with you? You're never going to win a trophy for the rest of your career. Oh, I hope he does. He's not going to be here.
00:29:36
Speaker
I hope it was Europa League. Yeah. Yeah. And what about he can't win something with Morocco? He could. I hope he's out of the squad, to be honest. He can't be out of the squad. He can't be. I know he can't. And then Roman, Syice. Uh-huh. They got a little something for Spain. How they beat? They beat Spain in Portugal.
00:30:05
Speaker
Yeah, I just I am like that. I'm so sick of him. I mean, especially because I'm about was starting unnecessary beef with us like very early after. Yeah, that was after. I mean, I don't know. Do you think we can be level person? That's that's all I can think about these days. Yeah. And everyone seems to be pretty confident. I think it's
00:30:34
Speaker
I think at this point, all West End fans are getting each other's heads about this, but it's doable. It's doable. It's gonna be, it would be easily the greatest feat of the David Moisera, easily. Honestly, I would think that this is more difficult than the Conference League final. Yes, absolutely. The Conference League final, that game itself is definitely,
00:31:02
Speaker
the most difficult thing we've achieved. I was trying to think between like sixth place or the Sevilla tie, but I think winning just that game was not. We were terrible and, but we were terrible because they had game plan for us and they were, they're a good side, man. Um, they played a final before that. Like they were, they were in the mode. They were ready.
00:31:30
Speaker
That was it. But if we, if we can be a team that's unbeaten into April, I don't want them to lose before we play them just for the record. Yeah, me neither. I hope they win every game. No, I know. They, they drew five Freiburg this weekend. They did draw Freiburg this weekend. I want to see who they play.
00:31:57
Speaker
and then Quaro Bag almost knocked them out. If they can nearly knock them out, we can surely do something to them. Dude, that's what I'm thinking, is that we... Look, they'll... Actually, I want to backtrack for a second. We played them in preseason, right?
00:32:18
Speaker
Yeah. And they blew us out of the water. And people were like, bring that up, like, really think we can beat this team. You know, we started that game, bro. Flynn Downs. Flynn Downs, divine Obama. Let's see. Said, probably. He better not have. The team is not available here.
00:32:47
Speaker
It was through checking downs, no kudos, no paketa, no word prowess, no Alvarez. No. He played the week before. I thought, I feel like he wasn't playing. I think he came off the bench. Either way. We were a totally different team. I don't know if, uh,
00:33:14
Speaker
I don't know how to say his name, Bonaface, or whatever is going to be fit or not. Either way, he'll be coming back from a long layoff. Moiz will have a plan. We are a very dangerous team in general, especially in European ties, especially if Antonio, I think, I think Antonio is going to have to play. Yeah.
00:33:43
Speaker
Which makes it difficult. Especially for the away like because I don't really know what you do because if they play that back three that they like to play right with. Ta, Tepsova, and Hencapi. I don't know how to say their names correctly.
00:34:05
Speaker
Bowen, like Bowen's a great player, but if at the Bay Arena, he, we're not going to get out of our own half with Bowen up there, which that makes it difficult. Cause I would much prefer to play like that 4-3-3 with the compact three midfielders, especially if Phillips is going to have to play. Um, and the thing that you, you can't drop any of Bowen who just forget the game. No, I mean, obviously. So I guess.
00:34:35
Speaker
I guess what you could do, you could start with Bowen. You can start with Paquetta up there. Kudu's on the left and Bowen on the right. That wouldn't be such a bad idea. Because there's going to be, the space is going to be on the flanks. Oh yeah, yeah. The space is going to be on the flanks. Paquetta can hold the ball up well and he can help us keep it.
00:35:04
Speaker
And then when we come back to the London Stadium, then you bring Alvarez back in. I think that you start with the 4-2-3-1 with Antonio. I mean, because just against any back three, I'd like Antonio up there, but against that back three in particular, I just think that you meet Antonio. I think, first of all, a lot of these European sides, you said this before, they have no idea what to do with him. They've never played a striker like him.
00:35:34
Speaker
They don't know how to deal with him. Well they're different because they have a striker like him. No they don't. Bonaface or whatever. Look, there's strikers that can do the role he's playing for us and then there are strikers like him. Nobody has played a striker like him. Because he's an English grassroots player, dude.
00:35:59
Speaker
Like, he's not like, like, yeah, like they have a physical striker who can run the channels and like, split their body into you. But it's, it's different. I think, I think it's totally fair to say, I think we've seen that a lot of these things, like Sevilla, no idea what to do with them. Leon, no idea what to do with them. The fryberg, no idea what to do with them. I mean, is it up more, no idea what to do with them again?
00:36:30
Speaker
None of these teams. The list goes on and on. It's, it's like all these teams in the group stage, like he's, he's our second leading scorer in the Europa League for in, in European football. And the only reason he's second is because it's just spectacular. Yeah. Cause he's playing off Antonio. But that's what I mean is like, I think like TA will give Antonio like physically an issue. But I think, I think if you can,
00:36:59
Speaker
And he's shown that he likes to come out to that right side a lot recently. I don't know if that's some kind of plant emphasis that they're doing with him to try and isolate kudos. I don't know what the hell that is. But he seems to drift right more when he used to drift left a lot. Yeah, that's true. But I think if you can pin him on Hank Happy or whatever,
00:37:25
Speaker
He's he's the weak link. Not like he's physically. Yeah, physically, he's the weakest of the three. And if you can get Antonio and get his body in him and you can get Bowen running off Antonio and behind where fucking Grimaldo is leaving all kinds of space behind him. Because Grimaldo and whether it's from Kong or it's the other one thing Stanisich.
00:37:53
Speaker
What's his name? They won free too, by the way. They beat fry break through this weekend. Oh, they did? Yeah. What they drew. What is his name? What position? He's another one of the wing backs. Oh, it's going to be Grimado and Frimpong, no? No, I know. It's going to be Frimpong. I'm just looking.
00:38:20
Speaker
I wonder if Staeden will help. This is to the point where Claire and Blues will really be right. Staeden will be giving the game plan. The game plan, yes. Stanisic is the other way back that they play. But whether it's Stanisic or from Pong and Grimaldo on the other side, there's going to be so much space for these winners to attack. The issue is that
00:38:45
Speaker
Because the reason that this works for them is that Tapsova and Cappy are just obscene athletes. Yeah. And their plan is, well, I assume their plan, I can't claim to watch that much of Leverkusen, is that they overwhelm you so much with pressure, and then they have those three back there that they rely on to just kill everything. Yeah, no, that's what they do.
00:39:15
Speaker
They effectively attack with five, right? Because it's the wing backs come forward and then they have Burtz and Nathan Teller play on the inside. Which is cool. Yeah, it's actually super cool that Nathan Teller's like, he's been starting for them a lot recently. I don't know if they're missing somebody because they feel like he wasn't playing that much towards the beginning of the season. I could be wrong. Maybe he's just won this place.
00:39:42
Speaker
But yeah, like those two come in. It's actually super weird because his vert's not left footed. I might be wrong. I have no idea. I can't remember. Anyways, it creates so many issues for you. Cause like we're going to defend with four. So this is why I want to play the three in midfield, especially at their place.
00:40:15
Speaker
There's going to be a big tie for Sucek. We're going to need him to defend the boss. Like, it's his life. And you know what? He's in his best form in the season right now, I would say. He's playing awesome. The two, the two Czech boys. I mean, Kufal's been spectacular for the last month since Beketa came back. He's just been so good. And look, I've hated on him a lot on his podcast because he pisses me off sometimes because he just
00:40:45
Speaker
He looks so panicked playing with the ball. I want to say on here, he's improved so much with the ball. Just even if it's just in terms of like, he will turn inside and make a pass into the fielders. I think kudos has given him a lot of trust. Yeah, just by the nature of playing. Yeah, just by the by nature of playing with someone who's so willing to play with him.
00:41:12
Speaker
Yeah, you know, I think that's where it started. But now now he'll look inside the suit track into Alvarez and it warms our heart, man, because he's the crossing is there right now. And that's obviously when he's at his best. And those those little dink balls down balls down the side, he played a pass to Bowen in the box against Villa. That was, I mean, the run from Bowen to is just awesome.
00:41:40
Speaker
Those two have a great relationship. But man, he's also going to be another one. He's going to have to have a good time because I don't know how he'll deal with the birds and Gromal though. That's to me a team effort. It's not going to be just him. It's going to be whoever's playing on that right side is going to have to
00:42:08
Speaker
effectively be a second right back. And I know that both kudos and bow and have no issues doing that. So yeah, I mean, it's it's a good thing that we have like, two of the best out of possession wingers in the world. Three of the best, I should say. Yeah, I think kudos might be the possession winner. And he's, he's like, he's just a main eater. Like he just like,
00:42:35
Speaker
He's like in terms of like guys that like like if I if we need like a tackle somebody to break it like a counter like a counter
00:42:46
Speaker
Like I want it to be him. Like he could, he could like play like DM his second life as well. Well, he, he, the thing about him is like the, the athleticism like jumps out even more when we're without the ball and he'd start trying. Like there was one, Oh, what game was it? Was it Burnley or was it Freiburg or am I not even Mandela? He was like not even in the picture. Right. And the ball fell to somebody in the box. It was, um,
00:43:17
Speaker
But he ran he probably made up like 30 yards in like three seconds and one I think was one of the player games Yeah, I think it was I was on the left side.
Kudus' Potential and Future Speculations
00:43:30
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I remember this I think was the burden the game I think it was like somebody was like he like tried like they like tried to cut it back on their
00:43:40
Speaker
the strong foot or something. And the other thing about him is that he, he wins it back in so many different ways. Like he'll, he'll win it back off someone who's being lazy on the ball on the field. He'll win it back into a counter. He did that against Villa. He'll win it back high up the pitch. He'll track back and he'll win it back off your winger. Like I think, I think that's honestly,
00:44:06
Speaker
one of his best traits is how for sure, especially because the way the modern game is played, the way he can press is going to be so useful when he goes to one of these mega mega mega clubs. Yeah. And I pray that that's a prerequisite. I really pray that he does not have release codes because we're going to get a comical fee.
00:44:29
Speaker
X deserves to repay all his Patreon fees if he ends up having a release clause. If he doesn't have a release clause, I think that we can get over $120 million. We're going to break Rice's fee, for sure. Because he's on a six-year contract. And how old is he? He's like 23? He turned 23 around the time he signed it, which makes it even crazier.
00:44:59
Speaker
Yeah, we're gonna, we're gonna, David Sullivan's like grandkids are gonna be eating off the school. Grandkids, David Sullivan, dude. David Sullivan's grandkids will not even know where the money came from. Not grandkids, sorry. The generation that this money gets down to, they will not even know where.
00:45:30
Speaker
They won't be able to appreciate it. Our beautiful game will not exist anymore. We'll be living on Mars, and they'll be living off this one. Hell yeah. But then, me replacing these guys. I was thinking about how you replaced Paqueta yesterday. And I guess how much harder it is to replace him than the deck.
00:46:00
Speaker
Just cuz what he does is so intangible and I think the biggest thing I think is right So we thought about this too when we replace deck it was like okay the ball carrying with kudos the ball striking with warehouse the ball winning with Alvarez, etc with Keketa Where do you find a player?
00:46:27
Speaker
who can help us control tempo to the extent that he does. You don't find them. Well, that's the thing, is that when we have to control, like, because we don't like to control the ball, but like every good team, especially there are times when we do have to control the ball a little bit, he's the one to do it. Obviously, you can put more of that onus on produce next season. But where? Because obviously, you know how I feel.
00:46:56
Speaker
Sorry, I'm super distracted. There's a Ghostbusters commercial on the background. Yeah, I saw it. Is he like in the movie? It's UI and pain. Are they in the movie? That's what I'm wondering. It can't be in the movie. Full movie with pain and Eli Manning. I'm going to watch. Are you kidding me? I know you're going to watch. That's what makes me so fucking upset. But yeah, like, where do you find
00:47:26
Speaker
players where you can replace their quality. Because look, you can, to some extent, you can put the chance creation and the two players between a new striker and the left winger, even if it's that Fuhrer kid, Fuhrer, oh, that's a word, Fuhrerchen guy from Germany, which people are like furious about, Pon.
00:47:50
Speaker
I don't understand why. Oh, Stuyton's influence. Oh, this guy plays in Bundesliga. Why we sign players in a Bundesliga? Yeah, I agree. The Bundesliga sucks out of all the top five leagues. It's the league I'd least like to buy from. But Stuttgart are third.
00:48:09
Speaker
He's one of their best players and he allegedly has a 17 and a half million pound release clause. Like if we're using Stuyten's connections the way that we should be to find good players for value, especially with the financial restrictions getting tighter on some clubs, I say some clubs, then we have to use that to our advantage. And if he's good and you can find somebody to play out left for 17 and a half million,
00:48:37
Speaker
then you can spend big on the Striker and on LEGO center back, which we need to terribly. So that's just my little rant on that. I don't know why people are so weird about that. And it's also just a link that's settled down. But if you need to look at the rest of the teams that are linked, it's like all the top ones in Germany.
Team Challenges and Player Contributions
00:48:59
Speaker
So it's like, look, he's pretty clearly a decent player and I would not turn my nose if I had him.
00:49:05
Speaker
Anyways, I mean, I haven't done my research on him, but it smells like a good transfer to me. I watched like a comp because I was a little intrigued, but it's like, I've never watched. I haven't watched like our play this year. Anyways, you can recreate the chance creation that Paquette does between your left winger and the new striker signing, right? So that's where you recreate like just shock creating actions if you want to like break it down into a stab.
00:49:34
Speaker
the ball winning and energy, you can also recreate through the left winger hopefully and this a new center mid. Because I think that is really not really up for debate that we need to sign a new center mid. I know that people love to check in WordPress. But I think it's
00:49:56
Speaker
pretty long been accepted, even if Sucheck has proven that like, it's not as much of a necessity. It's more of a competition thing than a replacement thing. But I think it's been accepted for a long time that like, we should sign a player to like really compete with Sucheck for that spot. And I think it's pretty widely accepted among West Ham fans that they don't like WordPress in the pivot, which I think those concerns are a tiny bit overblown, but they're also very, like, I agree with them.
00:50:24
Speaker
And I think now we're starting to see that he's not so indispensable, which is what a lot of people would have liked you to believe. Um, which doesn't, again, doesn't mean he's a bad player. It just means that we're building a squad of good players. He's allowed to be a good player in a squad, but the notion that he was as important as some of those front three players, which is really what kind of the insinuation was from a lot of people is crazy.
00:50:54
Speaker
So I think that you need to sign like an athletic center mid to play next to Alvarez and compete with Suchak for that spot in place of Calvin Phillips spot in the squad to recreate that ball. What messes with me? Probably not. I don't think I'd even take him for free. I wouldn't.
00:51:21
Speaker
I wouldn't take 40 million pounds to bring him home. I would consider him if they gave him to us for free and he had his wages. I wouldn't even consider it. He's a bad player to have around. Well, I hope he changes your mind over the next month because Lord help us, we need it. Me too.
00:51:51
Speaker
Um, but yeah, so that's what messaged me though, is that the actual like controlling of the ball, we need to like get a foot on the ball and just the, it's the intangible part of pick up this game. That's like nerve wracking with trying to replace to me, but I will say I'm, I'm not really stressed about moving off. I want as a so bad, I think we should just
00:52:18
Speaker
put all our chips and see what, like make them say no to a big bin. You will not get him. They, they're not in a position to, to say no. Yes they are. Are they? Yeah. They're primarily club. Why, why, why do they have to sell us as? Because I'm sure, you know, the financial fair. They don't spend money.
00:52:48
Speaker
They don't make money. They don't spend. Listen. And Olesis might leave this summer and one of the center backs is allegedly going to leave this summer. Really? Yeah. I would take one of them. I would take Yokeem Anderson. I don't know if we have the cloud for Gehi. Whichever one plays on the left. We don't underestimate our cloud.
00:53:15
Speaker
Dude, Gaye's like a 60 million plus pound center bat. I don't know where these guys get off. They stink. They have good players. I think that you and a lot of people forget how hurt they've been this year. Have they been hurt? They've been very injured. I will look up their parents' numbers right now for you. I don't want them. I believe you. I don't know. I'm going to give them, you know,
00:53:44
Speaker
I want to talk about this now. This is Crystal Palace is what I want to talk about. Yeah, man. Me too. So Gay has played 79. He started 79% of the games available. But I thought he missed my time. Michael Elise has probably, if I had to guess,
00:54:14
Speaker
He's been the starting 11 for 30% of their games. He has six goals and three assists and 11 appearances. And then Eze has started half their games. I think Eze and Elise have started like three or four games together. And do you don't think they would accept this like a 60 million pound bid for Eze?
00:54:44
Speaker
I think that they would laugh us out of the room. 80 million? We don't have an 80 million pound bill. Yeah, we do. No, we don't. We have Paquetta money. We have, we have to make like five or six signings a summer minimum. But we can make an 80 million pound signing and- And then five stipend specials. And then not dip into the bank for a single penny.
00:55:14
Speaker
We start from there. I wonder what we're going to do about a center bag. Would you take Tosin on a free? I love Tosin Arabaya. So do I. I'm what you would say a long-term admirer of Tosin Arabaya. Well, I was thinking about this. If we sold the gig, right, for like $20, $25 million.
00:55:43
Speaker
You sell paketa for 85 million. We have like 110 million of like return Could you sign like could you like sign? like a semi big money center back for a fee and then also at our bio as a free agent and
00:56:06
Speaker
and then have this new center back, Zuma, Adderbio, Mabupanos, those are your four options. I'm so satisfied with that. I would be super satisfied with that. I'm just not sure that we would do it. And I'm not sure that we could sell Adderbio on being like center back to us. Yeah. Cause that's where he would start. That's right. Because that's where he, I mean, he's, he's better than that. He's got a lot of,
00:56:37
Speaker
There's a lot of games. If we're still in Europe, there's a lot of games to play. Well, we better hope that we're still in Europe. And Zuma is one of the four center backs. No, I know. But he's also going to have a lot of suitors. But the thing is, you know that Mois rates Zuma high. This dip in form, I'm almost positive, has not moved him.
00:57:04
Speaker
No, yeah. But, you know, every year he's going to get more broken down and it's going to come to a point where that's just not acceptable anymore. Yeah. I don't know. It was just something I was thinking about, like, especially like being unrealistic, like if the big money center back could be killed and that's just fucking beautiful because they're also both on the ground. I wonder if the McGuire ship is sailed.
00:57:30
Speaker
It definitely hasn't. We'll be back in for more. Yeah, what's his contract deal? I would still be cool with it. I just. I don't want to waste our time on it. I do. I think he's worth wasting your time on. Well, I would like to get him like if we waste their time and we got him, that'd be cool. Oh yeah. I think I do think they're going to start with Kelvin though. I think that's where they're going to start.
00:58:00
Speaker
interesting. But I also think it'll be one of those West Ham ones where it's like, wolves quote us out like 60 million and they're like, yeah, nevermind. Have a nice life. What if we just spunked 60 million on brand please? Dude, like, yeah, that would that's a dream. That is a dream. We need them to get another points deduction.
00:58:28
Speaker
At this point in the year, we're talking transfers. I'm just gonna throw out my FIFA dream signings. Yeah, I mean, that's what it's for at this point of the year. We'll get serious in the later months. I'll tap into my Paramount+. Yeah, we'll be scouting again. I would smack the shit out of you so hard for Brantway in the summer. I would like... What the hell are you doing? Yeah. Oh, I... Blew out your candle.
00:58:57
Speaker
Yeah. Nice, dude. Nice. Yeah, I would do I would do a lot of ridiculous shit to get Brentway in the building. He's got his sights much set much higher than us, unfortunately. He could use a good two or three years under David Moyes. That would do him a world of good.
00:59:18
Speaker
He would be legitimately like a Galactical, like genuinely like we're being sarcastic. I think, I think, I think boys would break them down and build them back up. He'd find every small flaw. He'd make them the perfect center back. Literally. I don't even remember when they signed him.
00:59:45
Speaker
Yeah. Where did this guy even come from? They even signed him. No, they like signed him a few years ago. And he was like a fringe player. They loaned him out once or twice. I was actually looking at this recently because I was intrigued. And then they loaned him out to Norway, maybe, maybe not. They loaned him out.
01:00:15
Speaker
to PSV PSV on them too. Yeah, that was a great one. What a good loan. That's a great loan. Fantastic loan. And they signed him. So they signed him from Carlisle. Wow, dude, this is I didn't actually look further than the PSV when I went alone when I looked at it. This is fucking this is unbelievable. They signed him on Carlisle. And in
01:00:44
Speaker
January 2020. And then they loaned him to Blackburn in 2021. They gave him another year with the youth, and they loaned him to PSV. And that's all she wrote. Yeah, that's some good development right there. That's what we think that we're going to do with Ronnie Edwards. That's what all of our fans think we're going to do with Ronnie Edwards.
01:01:15
Speaker
Ronnie Edwards, is he still whoever he is? Dude, did he even make an appearance for Carlisle? He did. He made nine appearances for Carlisle. Dude, he made... Wow, bro. He played 300 Premier League minutes in 2020. Really? Yeah.
01:01:45
Speaker
He started three of them, or he started at least, he started two of them. I mean, they were already safe and, you know, it was the bubble. It's news to me. Did he play ever again after that, though, in the Premier League? He didn't in 2021. He played six times in the Premier League, 21-22. Did he start any of these games? He did. He scored a goal.
01:02:15
Speaker
against Chelsea. He was sent off against Printer. What's going on? He played like really inconsistently. I have no idea what was going on here. I don't know what the hell Lampard was doing. So he starts against Chelsea and he scores, right? Then they draw 1-1.
01:02:45
Speaker
OK, OK, OK, OK. Then they didn't. Let me. OK, so he starts that game against Chelsea on December 16th, 2021, and he scores. And then the next game after that would have been, yeah, it was just another, it was a Premier League match.
01:03:14
Speaker
three weeks later on January 2nd, I have, what the hell happened with their schedule? This is confusing me. Did they have a COVID thing? But there's no COVID things at that time. So what the hell? All right. Anyways, he gets dropped, right? They lose three games in a row. He, I think starts against Newcastle, plays 55 minutes. It seems like he gets hooked.
01:03:46
Speaker
Seems yeah. Or maybe he was substituted on. Yeah, he was substituted on. Maybe an injury. And then he substituted on against Tottenham in a 5-0 loss. He started against Brentford in a 3-2 loss. He starts against Brentford in a 3-2 loss, gets sent off, and he starts against Arsenal in a 5-1 loss. Imagine if our fans tried to be this patient with a player.
01:04:17
Speaker
He's, he's, he's there. He's there. Saliba dude. Hey, that honestly, that's a good comparison. That is one of the more interesting transfer markets I've looked at. That was, I fell into a hole there.
Episode Reflections and Closing
01:04:36
Speaker
Anyways, I think maybe time to call it on this episode. I actually don't know if we talked about the games enough. The Villa game destroyed me. I like, I'm not over it. I'm stupid. We talked about, we probably didn't talk about Freiburg enough. I know, but the Villa game ruined it. I'm like having like a trauma response trying to talk about it. We bring up Aston Villa and I'm like, let's talk about Crystal Palace players. Talk about very briefly. But Freiburg, good.
01:05:06
Speaker
Villa good, Villa refs bad. That's right. Danny Ings scored a goal in the Premier League. Congratulations. Could have had a hat trick. Should have had a hat trick. Little mad at him. Not actually. He did good. I'm proud of that guy. You got us a point. That's the only point he'll ever get us. Respect the opening two goals against Nottingham Forest and respect the goal in Belgium.
01:05:37
Speaker
One-one draw again last year. I don't remember that. How funny is him scoring in the one conference league game we didn't win? He truly is just alerting to points. He can't help himself. Anyways, thank you everybody for listening. We'll try and do a pod during the international break. If we don't, the next episode will be after
01:06:07
Speaker
will surely be a painful, painful week, win or lose between Newcastle, Tottenham, and Wolves, because that's going to make or break our Premier League season, which I'm scared is slipping away. But I believe in Dave Moyes and his mentality monsters to just grind out the unlikeliest seven points. Can we tap into our back against the wall juice?
01:06:37
Speaker
We need to. One more time. Can you give me one more day? Can you give me two and a half more months potentially? Anyways, thank you everybody for listening. Follow us on Twitter at hammering underscore away. The blog is hammering dash away dot blog. The Instagram is hammering away underscore and the TikTok is hammering dot away.
01:07:04
Speaker
As always, it's been Jack and Joe. We will talk to you guys next time.