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Palace in Paradise
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Join your Global Sports Podcast Network team for your daily briefing on all things premier league – News, transfers, analysis and opinion – you’ll find it here on Daily Premier League part of the Global Sports Podcast Network podcast channel
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Transcript
00:00:00
Nick Britten
Thank you.
Introduction and Premier League Overview
00:00:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Welcome, welcome, welcome everybody to the Daily Premier League podcast. It is the evening of Monday, the 29th of September. Autumn is upon us. It's the day after fascinating round of fixtures in the Premier League. In fact, there's still one more to play tonight, Everton against West Ham. We'll talk about that later.
00:00:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
My name is Ken Davis. His name is Nick Britton. A very warm welcome to you all.
Derby vs Charlton: Challenges and Stakes
00:00:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
How you doing, Nikolai?
00:00:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Turn your mic on, mate. It helps.
00:00:46
Nick Britten
Autumn's been a nice sunny day.
00:00:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
How
00:00:48
Nick Britten
You know why? It's because when you were just talking there, I was suppressing a cough and I thought I'll turn my, I'll turn my fader down because I don't want anybody to, ah to hear me coughing.
00:00:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
are you?
00:00:57
Nick Britten
So, ah so then I didn't turn my fader back up again. Rookie error. Rookie error, my friend. But no, all good. Thank very much. All good. As you say, it's, sir autumn is a policy. It's got the autumn feel about it now, hasn't it?
00:01:08
Nick Britten
but
00:01:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, big game tomorrow for Derby at home.
00:01:09
Nick Britten
ah
00:01:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's got one of those kind of night matches. It's a nice night match, isn't it Everyone loves a night match. Lots of night matches tomorrow.
00:01:16
Nick Britten
Love a night match. Yeah, love a night match. Under the lights. It'll be a hard game because Charlton have started really well.
00:01:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
They are.
00:01:22
Nick Britten
It'll be a difficult game. i worry I worry that if we don't win, people are just going to start getting a little bit frustrated and the sense that the crowd has started to turn a little bit. and but But people think, oh, well, we've got a point at Wrexham.
00:01:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:01:35
Nick Britten
You know, let's kick on and get a home game against Charlton.
00:01:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's a big responsibility.
00:01:38
Nick Britten
They're no mugs. They're no mugs, Charlton. They've come up from League One. They've started well. They're sitting about seventh or so in the league. it'll be a hard game because they've got plenty of momentum behind them.
00:01:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
They're a good team. I saw them last year. And say they got into the promotion hunt like a train in the second half of last year. They've really awesome some momentum built up over over a yeah good few months now.
00:01:57
Nick Britten
Yeah.
00:02:00
Nick Britten
so charles
00:02:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
It'll be a tough game for
00:02:03
Nick Britten
ah can't stand Nathan Jones there.
00:02:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, he's ah he' he's is we won't we won't use the word.
00:02:05
Nick Britten
He's an acquired taste, put it on it.
00:02:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
He is, and I don't know anyone who's acquired it. So four things to quickly talk about.
Can Crystal Palace Replicate Leicester's Success?
00:02:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
One, take a close look at Crystal Palace. Crystal Palace, I think it's fair to say, have been the outstanding success story, not only of this season so far, but also going back into the back of last season.
00:02:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just want to talk about how good they are. yeah Why are they so good? How are they so good? And what is the realistic aspiration for Crystal Palace? So I want to talk about that in the first part of the program.
00:02:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Secondly, Taking Palace out of the equation, because we might not be able to. I mean, they may be doing a Leicester on us right in front of our eyes. um Without Palace, though, it started to feel a little bit like a two-horse race, which is 100% better than a one-horse race, which we thought it was going to be
Liverpool vs Arsenal: A New Rivalry
00:02:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
in last week.
00:02:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I'm just interested your thoughts on the Liverpool-Arsenal axis and and some of the momentum swings that be going on there. Thirdly, wouldn't mind a quick look at Villa.
00:03:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Villa won at the weekend. ah Signs of life. It wasn't and the most fluent performance I've ever seen. So we'll talk about that. And finally, I think if we've got time, we'll just have a quick look at the game tonight that is Everton against West Ham. So... First thing first, that's the running order. That's the agenda. Everybody ready? Here we go.
Crystal Palace's Strategy and Key Players
00:03:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah So Palace, Nick, I know you're ah you're you very close to Palace. Palace are one of your favourite teams. um You must be astounded in the progress under Glasner. I mean, what do you put it down to?
00:03:46
Nick Britten
Several things. Firstly, he's an outstanding coach. And he was an outstanding coach before he came to Palace. He's and he' an outstanding coach at Palace. And his contract has up at the end of the season.
00:03:59
Nick Britten
And if he doesn't know, yeah, and he's doing a very good job, ah whether he stays or not, even even till the end the season.
00:04:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Bye-bye, Oliver. Thanks for being here.
00:04:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's stopped. It's risen miles, hasn't it?
00:04:10
Nick Britten
Well, he's done a great job. I mean, ah he's the best. you could know you you could easily argue he's the best manager in the Premier League right now.
00:04:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, you
00:04:16
Nick Britten
You could easily argue that. I want to argue against somebody who that. he's got a terrific coach. He's found a system that works and he's found the players that work within that system. And they are incredibly well drilled, well-ordered.
00:04:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Lessons for Ama in, because it's the same system, isn't it?
00:04:31
Nick Britten
Oh, well, same system, total opposite from Amarin, total opposite. He's got a settled team. So he's got Dean Henderson at the back, who's England's number two.
00:04:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Good keeper.
00:04:41
Nick Britten
He's got yeah three three who play at the back week in, week out. There's no mucking around with them. There's no switching positions. He's got Chris Richards, who's an American international, men's team.
00:04:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:04:54
Nick Britten
He's got Mark Gahey in there, who's an England international. He's got LaCroix in the middle of the three. And then you've got Daniel Munoz, right back so right wing back, and Tariq Mitchell on the left.
00:05:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:06
Nick Britten
Adam Wharton, who, by the way, is great to see how but Adam Wharton back and fit this season. He's come back into the team now.
00:05:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do
00:05:13
Nick Britten
He's ah he an absolute shoo-in for the England team.
00:05:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
you think so?
00:05:17
Nick Britten
Oh, 100%. Well, we've been talking about the lack of defensive midfielders, and we've talked recently about Elliot Anderson, who's done a great job in a couple of internationals and staked his claim.
00:05:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:27
Nick Britten
Well, when when fit and playing, Adam Wharton's a better player.
00:05:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, think so.
00:05:30
Nick Britten
he's an absolute must for me.
00:05:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. and slide
00:05:33
Nick Britten
Yeah, he's an absolute must for me.
00:05:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:05:35
Nick Britten
Interestingly, Deji Kamado, who joined at the start of last season, it's taken him a season to really hit his rhythm. um You know, very well thought well very well thought of player. ah He's now it so settled in the team.
00:05:47
Nick Britten
And then, That front three where we had last year, Saar, Eze and Mateta. This year, we've got Saar and and ah Jeremy Pinho, who's coming from Villarreal to replace Eze, who, of course, has gone to Arsenal and he's just slotted in.
00:06:02
Nick Britten
And then Mateta, of course, has carried on his good form. And I mean, since Gladstone's come in, Mateta's looked a completely different player. Completely different player. He's and he's he's had a great sort of season and a half.
00:06:14
Nick Britten
So, great coach, very good quality players, and ah players who all know their job.
Sustaining Success: Palace's Winning Streak
00:06:21
Nick Britten
And when you watch them dismantle Liverpool... And regardless of the fact it was 2-1 at the weekend, and regardless of the fact they needed a 98th minute winner from Eddie Nketiah, they dismantled Liverpool from the start the finish.
00:06:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
It could have been anything at half time.
00:06:33
Nick Britten
Yeah, it could have been 4-0.
00:06:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
i
00:06:34
Nick Britten
I mean, you needed Alisson to make a couple of great saves. Mateta hit the post with an absolutely outstanding curled effort from outside the area.
00:06:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:06:42
Nick Britten
And they just all know their jobs. Confidence is sky high. And, you know, for for that reason, that is why they are where they are. if they Their confidence from winning the FA Cup last year carried on into the new season. the charity shield or the community shield, as we now must call it.
00:06:59
Nick Britten
And they've just taken that in. ah And then now it's 18 games, you know, unbeaten, which is the joint second longest unbeaten run in the entire Premier League outside that kind of the big top clubs.
00:07:11
Nick Britten
And for club like Palace, you know, that is that's amazing. That's amazing.
00:07:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely astonishing. Absolutely astonishing. I was really swept away by them watching them at the weekend. ah Just some of the notes I made at the time, you the confidence, the desire, the energy, the always going forward mentality.
00:07:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know A lot of teams would have settled when it went back to 1-1 Liverpool. lot teams would have settled and said, 1-1 against Liverpool is not a bad result. It never entered their head to settle for one one which is a remarkable kind of mental resilience and determination and focus and vision for what the team can be.
00:07:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
They all seem to be on the same page on that. yeah And the physicality of the front three, just worrying worrying defenders all the time. And we know Liverpool, ah ah when they're put under pressure, they can they're a bit crumbly.
00:08:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Palace were all over
00:08:08
Nick Britten
Well, Mateta bullied Karate.
00:08:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:08:11
Nick Britten
They just absolutely bullied him. It was ah it was ah just a great display of number nine for him.
00:08:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was. It was. No, it was a real pleasure to watch.
00:08:20
Nick Britten
You know, they're doing really well. I mean, the question is, of course, how long can they keep this up? Because...
00:08:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, this is going to ask, you know what what what's what a realistic aspiration now for Palace?
00:08:30
Nick Britten
Well, the worry about Palace is that they have a magnificent first team. And to be fair, they've got a little bit in and reserve. So on Saturday... Will Hughes came on for Adam Walton.
00:08:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Wasn't it great to see Will Hughes come on? He said, Derby lad, round the corner from us, still performing at a high level.
00:08:42
Nick Britten
what
00:08:46
Nick Britten
Absolutely, yeah. And he plays a lot for Palace. like he's come out nowhere.
00:08:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Is
00:08:50
Nick Britten
He's been playing a lot. But he's come on for Walton with half an hour to Jefferson Lerma, another American player, has come on for Pino with 15 minutes to go. And of course, Enketiah came on for Sarra at just about the same time.
00:09:01
Nick Britten
And they're just slotted in. That's the point. They're just slotted in. And you you wouldn't know the difference. And of course, it was Nketiah who got the goal at the end. And he struggled for goals big time since he arrived from Arsenal at Soler's Park.
00:09:14
Nick Britten
But he works very, very hard. He tries very, very hard. He's very much appreciated by the Palace fans. And it was great to see him get on a score sheet with such an important goal.
00:09:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
What really like about Palace, finally...
00:09:24
Nick Britten
one know Behind that, I'll just finish this point, sorry. Behind that, though, you then start, you know, you start to worry about their strength in depth when they're fighting for, you top of the Premier League. i'm not saying they're fighting for the Premier League, but they're fighting at the top of the Premier League. And they must have top seven or eight aspirations now, I would say, this season.
00:09:44
Nick Britten
They're also in the Europa Conference League, which is which is certainly winnable for them. They're also obviously have got League Cup, FA Cup games as well. that's where there might be an undoing.
Premier League Standings: Is It a Two-Horse Race?
00:09:54
Nick Britten
I think if they are going to fight on lots of fronts, they should be looking at January now.
00:09:58
Nick Britten
And I think if I'm Glasner, I'm looking to Steve Parrish, the owner, to say, you've got to help me in January.
00:10:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
So
00:10:04
Nick Britten
You've got to help me because you need probably two or three, what I call first team players in January. You know, players can come straight into the first team, if need be, and bolster that squad.
00:10:15
Nick Britten
They can probably keep going till then.
00:10:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
you might need a replacement for Gehi.
00:10:20
Nick Britten
I don't think, no, I don't think he'll go in January because his contract's up. He's leaving in he's leaving in the summer. And if he leaves in the summer, he can command whatever multi-million pound transfer fee you he wants.
00:10:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:30
Nick Britten
He'll get a massive, massive signing on fee.
00:10:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:10:31
Nick Britten
He'll have a host of clubs after him in the summer. his His attitude, despite what you might read in the in the press, his attitude at not going to Liverpool has been exemplary and he's turned up for Palace like it's never happened.
00:10:43
Nick Britten
And he you know he's played really, really well, played his part certainly in the game.
00:10:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Did you see celebration or lack of after the first game, or first goal?
00:10:51
Nick Britten
Well, I've heard a little bit about that. I'm not interested. It's just...
00:10:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's interesting. It's interesting, but it's an observation.
00:10:56
Nick Britten
It's not interesting. Why is it interesting?
00:10:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's interesting because he he just seemed to be slightly subdued in his celebration.
00:11:03
Nick Britten
Well, that what what does that tell you?
00:11:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
It just tells you that it's it was a slightly more subdued than then what you would expect.
00:11:07
Nick Britten
tells you...
00:11:11
Nick Britten
Why?
00:11:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Celebration.
00:11:11
Nick Britten
don't know.
00:11:12
Nick Britten
i just, I hate I hate this. I hate this kind of, oh, that must mean he wants to let in a goal against Liverpool.
00:11:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's an observation.
00:11:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, no, no, no, no.
00:11:18
Nick Britten
Oh, i mean, it's garbage.
00:11:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
It doesn't mean that.
00:11:20
Nick Britten
I'm not i'm not having not'm not having it. I'm not even going to let you go down that road.
00:11:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
It doesn't mean that. It was just an observation, which i think is an interesting one. But, OK.
00:11:27
Nick Britten
No, it's not an interesting observation in the slightest.
00:11:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
OK. Moving on. Just one final thing from me on past. ah They are a team. That's one of the big differences. And we can look around the Premier League and we can see some clubs who are not teams. Man United, look away.
00:11:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look away. ah Palace are a team. It doesn't feel like there's any superstars, but there are actually, but there's like 11 superstars. They all feel at a similar kind of level in terms of the contribution they're making, and they're doing ah they're doing a fantastic job as a group of players.
00:12:01
Nick Britten
Did you see Gaye's celebration when Eddie and Katia scored the winner?
00:12:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, he went mad, didn't he?
00:12:07
Nick Britten
and Yeah, so what are you talking about? Absolute garbage.
00:12:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
and Right. As... Oliver Glaston knows. In football, it pays to get your team selection right here at Global Sports Podcast Network. We spent a lot of time selecting our delivery partner, and we chose Zencastr.
00:12:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Zencastr makes it easy to bring your vision to life, share it with your audience, wherever they may be. Now, with 4K video recording, easy AI editing tools, and top-tier distribution tools, all on one platform, so you don't have to go anywhere else.
00:12:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
If you've got a story to tell, tell it to Zencastr. Check the show notes for more of those details.
00:12:43
Nick Britten
interest.
00:12:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, okay.
00:12:56
Nick Britten
You've got to be in my bonnet about this now.
00:12:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, God.
00:12:59
Nick Britten
Did you notice that all the people who are going on about this gay celebration, straight or lack of celebration of the first couple, don't look at me like Don't look at me like that Did you notice that all the people, oh, they were Liverpool fans.
00:13:14
Nick Britten
Oh, who have thought it? Oh, was the Liverpool correspondent off The Athletic. Oh, it was delivered is a all that. Strangely, no nobody else thought any more about it.
00:13:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm going to re-watch it. i'm going to re-watch it straight after.
00:13:24
Nick Britten
So move on.
00:13:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Fair enough. So, okay, take your pass out of the equation because ah we'd love Palace to win the league. We would all love Palace to win the league. And Leicester did it, of course, not too long ago. um If we take them out of equation, starts to feel a little bit like a two-horse race, Liverpool and Arsenal.
00:13:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nick, would you agree with that? Or do you think that there's a team going to emerge, maybe Man City, maybe Chelsea, maybe Tottenham, who we're going to challenge them to? Those two just look the strongest to me. what's What's your thoughts on that?
00:13:53
Nick Britten
I think it's a three-horse race.
Manchester City's Championship Potential
00:13:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:13:55
Nick Britten
think it's three-horse race. Yeah, I think Manchester City will be in it.
00:13:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
right
00:13:59
Nick Britten
I really ah really do. They've got a front three... not not technically front three, but they've got three players at the top end of the pitch who are absolutely firing this season.
00:14:09
Nick Britten
In Jeremy Docky, who's playing Aversteen, Phil Foden, who's come back into the limelight, thankfully, and he's scoring goals again and impacting play.
00:14:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. what a player.
00:14:19
Nick Britten
And they've got Haaland. And we don't really even need to talk about Haaland because he's an absolute machine. And there are certain things that have gone wrong in early games for Man City defensively. They've looked a bit shaky, the midfield...
00:14:33
Nick Britten
hasn't really got going. I think you know they need Rodri back fit, playing every game. They missed Bernardo Silva again, I think, a little bit on on Saturday, although they won 5-1. No, I think Man City will be hitting their strides. So i think I think it's a three-horse race between Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City.
00:14:49
Nick Britten
And I think Man City, even though they're in seventh and they're five points behind Liverpool and three points behind Arsenal, won't worry about that.
00:14:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:56
Nick Britten
Because we know that man once Man City get into a rhythm, they're incredibly hard to stop.
00:15:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. Do you think...
00:15:03
Nick Britten
Donnarumma is a very, very good signing from him. It's been a very bit very very late signing.
00:15:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, agree with that.
00:15:08
Nick Britten
So they just need to, they have got issues there. I'm not suggesting they haven't. They have got issues there. But if anybody is capable in that top, well, anywhere in the Premier League, I suppose, of challenging Liverpool and Arsenal, I think it will be them.
00:15:20
Nick Britten
I mean, you look at Palace at third, we've just talked about Palace. Tottenham, I'm not sure whether they've got the longevity to do this and they don't have the experience of doing it when it gets to...
00:15:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
They're too Spurs-y, aren't
00:15:30
Nick Britten
Yeah, Sunderland in fifth, they've just been promoted. Bournemouth in sixth, having a great season, but they don't really have... They haven't got it in them to win the Premier League. And then you're in into Man City at seventh, Chelsea eighth.
00:15:40
Nick Britten
I don't think Chelsea are anywhere near it.
00:15:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
they? Chelsea are not the team at all.
00:15:43
Nick Britten
I think Chelsea are worried about finishing top six rather than winning anything else right here.
00:15:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah, I agree with that. One thing just to pick up on is, and I like this thought in my head for a while, ah I don't think Liverpool are that good. I don't think Liverpool are that good.
00:15:58
Nick Britten
It's really weird. It's really weird, isn't
00:16:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know They were five out five, loads of late goals, conceding loads, winning right in the last two seconds. Actually, I'm starting to think that these late goals are just hiding a team that actually aren't as good as last year.
00:16:16
Nick Britten
Well, there reasons for that. For a start, Canati's got off to a bit of a shocker and he's not playing well and they haven't got anybody to replace him.
00:16:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:23
Nick Britten
But the players they've brought in, at great cost, by the way, ah huge cost. I mean, Florian Wurt's at, what, £116 million?
00:16:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's been great disappointments, hasn't he?
00:16:30
Nick Britten
pounds He's been terrible. He looks completely out of sorts. Kerkhez looks like championship. And Isaac, we know, has only just come into the team. It's only Eketike, forgive me, who has come into the team, who looks good value for her for it
00:16:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:45
Nick Britten
So suddenly, and and these all these players are playing, they're all starting games.
00:16:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:48
Nick Britten
So you've suddenly got one, two, three, four players almost who are totally out of sorts, out of 11.
00:16:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:54
Nick Britten
That's quite a of
00:16:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah I mean, with we've
Liverpool's Weaknesses and Salah's Form
00:16:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
waxed lyrical about Palace. Liverpool just looked all at sea for a lot of that a lot of that game. ah You know, obviously they they got it back to 1-1, but but first the first half, the Liverpool looked abysmal.
00:17:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:13
Nick Britten
Yeah, and and what you're what you're seeing is players like Sobberslai now having to fill in at various positions to make up for the shortcourt.
00:17:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:19
Nick Britten
I mean, Frimpong, well, he was blamed by his own manager, wasn't he? Frimpong for Palace's winner at the weekend.
00:17:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:17:26
Nick Britten
So all these new players... who, you know, they sign everybody's going, oh, if you Ekotike, then you get Izak, going to be unbeatable. And certainly our colleagues here at GSPN who run the Daily Liverpool podcast had their chest stuck out and were preening themselves like peacocks.
00:17:41
Nick Britten
They thought, they didn't think they were going to goal or lose a game all season.
00:17:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:17:44
Nick Britten
and now they're being strangely a little bit quieter. Who would have thought it?
00:17:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
And a big game coming up for them, Chelsea away. I mean, we haven't made our minds up about Chelsea. But, you know, Chelsea go and turn Liverpool over at the weekend, ah things are going to start to look anything but rosy Anfield.
00:18:02
Nick Britten
Well, i wonder if I wonder if Slot's got a very difficult decision to make, in as much as Kierkegaard, Verts, who have both have been in starting games, Canate, who's been a stalwart and is obviously an international player.
00:18:15
Nick Britten
are you then Are you actually now going to look at the likes of Gomez to come in, give him a run of games? ah you going to look at changing, you know, changing Verts out and bringing Gakpo in for a run of games?
00:18:27
Nick Britten
And it's things like that. know, it's things like that.
00:18:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
the thing The other thing...
00:18:30
Nick Britten
He's got some difficult decision to make about him, players who he's paid a lot of money for.
00:18:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I agree with that. The other thing that's happened this year at Liverpool is Salah doesn't seem to be the same player.
00:18:40
Nick Britten
That's the other thing. Sorry, I had in my notes here. Salah's gone off to a very, very quiet start. Now, this is not terribly unusual.
00:18:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, he can go and score four next week.
00:18:49
Nick Britten
Yeah, yeah. And and we're going to talk about Villa in a minute. And Ollie Watkins is the same.
00:18:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:52
Nick Britten
He has periods in games, work and in seasons where he's just dry.
00:18:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:18:57
Nick Britten
And Salah...
00:18:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it's unlike... It just doesn't look the player. it just doesn't look the...
00:19:02
Nick Britten
Well, not only that, not only that, but Liverpool are going to miss him.
00:19:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
His mindset.
00:19:05
Nick Britten
They're going to lose him, aren't they for the entire Christmas period because he's going to be off with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations.
00:19:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah. We were writing this off as Liverpool's Premier League two weeks ago.
00:19:14
Nick Britten
I just thought it was going to be a procession the start the season.
00:19:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and it clearly not.
00:19:17
Nick Britten
You looked at it and thought...
00:19:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
In fact, suddenly it feels very different. So very interesting, very interesting weekend can it's been.
00:19:23
Nick Britten
Thank you.
00:19:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
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00:19:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
off your first order
00:20:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okey-dokey. Just finishing things off as we go precisely on 20 minutes into the third part of the podcast. We are that professional here at Global Sports Podcast Network.
Aston Villa vs Fulham: Key Takeaways
00:20:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Villa ah played yesterday. Signs of life. They won 3-1 against Fulham. but But that would be putting too much of a gloss on it, maybe.
00:20:32
Nick Britten
to enjoy the rest of the world.
00:20:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was quite a complicated game.
00:20:34
Nick Britten
I'm sorry. must look.
00:20:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Fulham were running all over them for the first half an hour yesterday. i tell you, I did make a physical note of Josh King, Lutzer player.
00:20:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
for Fulham. I mean, 18 years of age, I think he was he was magnificent yesterday. But in the end, it all worked out right for Villa. ah What was your take on the game, Nick? And, you know, is it is this things where Villa suddenly got right now are going to kick on from here?
00:21:03
Nick Britten
Well, sign of life is about is about the right thing, isn't it? I mean, look, you're never going to suddenly go from world yeah from from teams struggling at the bottom, can't score a goal,
00:21:14
Nick Britten
having a wretched time of it to world beaters in the space of 90 minutes. But I think the second 45 minutes certainly showed there are signs of life and Villa are heading in the right direction at last. i always kind of felt they would. And we you and I have talked about this quite a lot. I think they are too good a team to be mired around the bottom three. And 16th looks certainly better than 18th and 19th today.
00:21:38
Nick Britten
But it might not have been that case because, of course, Fulham scored very early on.
00:21:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:21:43
Nick Britten
They then had two penalty shouts. I mean, look, the first one, the first thing, the first one I didn't think it was a penalty because
00:21:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Seeing him hidden.
00:21:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just wondering when he hit the lad's hand behind him.
00:21:56
Nick Britten
No, that was the second one.
00:21:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
When he...
00:21:57
Nick Britten
first one, Josh King threw on goal, flicks past Emile Martinez and then and goes over his feet.
00:21:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Oh yeah.
00:22:02
Nick Britten
I mean, if you look at it, he's already on his way down.
00:22:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
He is.
00:22:05
Nick Britten
I don't think, though, he was booked for simulation and I thought that was very harsh.
00:22:09
Nick Britten
I don't think he simulating. I just think he'd lost control of the ball. He saw Martinez coming to get him and he just kind of took the the weight off the challenge.
00:22:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, you the thing about that for me, I think if he'd followed the ball, he went in the opposite direction of the ball. He flicked the ball to the right of the keeper. He went to the left. If he'd followed the ball and gone to the right of the keeper, it would have been a stonewall penalty.
00:22:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
He made the wrong decision.
00:22:36
Nick Britten
I think it was just because he kind of looked like he was going down already.
00:22:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, he was going nowhere near the ball. He wasn't.
00:22:40
Nick Britten
And he was going nowhere near the ball. And and therefore, you know, is it ah is it ah is it a foul given the body position of Martinez and given the movement of both players? So I don't think it was a foul. i don't think it was a penalty. But I certainly don't think it was a booking simulation.
00:22:54
Nick Britten
And I feel ah feel for Josh King because he's a real talent.
00:22:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh yes.
00:22:57
Nick Britten
He got booked for simulation last week. And of course, before that, he scored an unbelievable goal. An unbelievable goal gets Chelsea that again that got ruled out for a foul yeah that took place 10 minutes before and had nothing to do with him.
00:23:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
but
00:23:10
Nick Britten
And it was an outrageously bad decision by both the referee and the VAR on that occasion. So yeah, feel for him. He's having a bit of a rough time of it, but he's a real talent. He's a really, really good player. But anyway, look, after all of that, and you're just looking at it and going, this is another Villa horror show.
00:23:25
Nick Britten
And pretty much out of nowhere, Long ball over the top.
00:23:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Very directed, wasn't it?
00:23:29
Nick Britten
Well, it very direct.
00:23:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
move
00:23:30
Nick Britten
Anson makes a complete hash of the header. He gets underneath it, bounces over him.
00:23:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:33
Nick Britten
But Oli Watkins, sharp as a tack, gets in, loves the goal.
00:23:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nice finish.
00:23:37
Nick Britten
He has a lovely finish.
00:23:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nice finish.
00:23:38
Nick Britten
And good for him. First goal of the season. First goal since May. And all of a sudden all of a sudden, Villa, you feel the confidence. Well, first of all, you feel the relief. then you feel a bit more confident.
00:23:51
Nick Britten
And then then it becomes a much better performance. and the And the key to it was two goals in in yeah two, three minutes in the second half.
00:23:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and killed again.
00:23:58
Nick Britten
John McGinn. Well, John McGinn, rolling back the years. I mean, what a John McGinn type of goal that was.
00:24:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, great finish.
00:24:03
Nick Britten
Bursting into space, 20 or so yards out, buried in the bottom corner. That's a John McGinn goal for the ages, that is.
00:24:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that was a great goal.
00:24:10
Nick Britten
And then Buendia, who came on at halftime for Harvey Elliott, added a lot more injection into that into that front
00:24:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Elliot struggled, do you not think? Yes, Tom.
00:24:17
Nick Britten
Yeah, struggled in the first half. um I think he's a good signing for Villa and I think he'll do well.
00:24:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:24:21
Nick Britten
I think he's sort of player they need. ah I thought he was underused at Liverpool and I hope he does well but it'll take him a bit of time to find his feet. I've got no problem with that. But Buendia, who didn't see much of and haven't seen much of of late, showed that he could be a real addition.
00:24:35
Nick Britten
So you've got Watkins scoring, you've McGinn scoring, got Buendia scoring and all of a sudden... this is what was meant to happen.
00:24:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
life's good life is good
00:24:40
Nick Britten
This is was meant happen. If can get Morgan Rodgers, who played the first half but was hooked at half-time forward here, if you can get him playing, then suddenly, you know, suddenly you're looking at a much better situation for Villa and suddenly options for scoring goals and indeed creating goals.
00:25:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think they've got Burnley at home as well this next weekend uh
00:25:05
Nick Britten
Well, a game to have, isn't it? It's a good game to have in their but in their position.
00:25:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
what you want now, isn't it? Yeah, that's what you want now.
00:25:09
Nick Britten
Yeah.
00:25:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
And so things could look a lot
Everton vs West Ham: Pre-Match Analysis
00:25:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
better. Now, just very quickly before we wrap things up, Everton against West Ham tonight. David Moyes, manager of Everton, of course, ex-West Ham. Nuno, first game for... Yeah, it would be his first game for West Ham.
00:25:23
Nick Britten
Well, hope so. You only got the job on Saturday.
00:25:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah.
00:25:26
Nick Britten
Yeah, yeah.
00:25:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know even why I did a double take on that. um is Obviously, it's a bit early for Nuno to have much of an impact. ah But watch I think it's an important game. I quite like the look of Evan this season.
00:25:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
um What's your prediction for tonight?
00:25:42
Nick Britten
it's very difficult to see anything other than home win because Nuno will not have had a chance to get to his players.
00:25:52
Nick Britten
I think West Ham will put a better performance on because I think they've just given up under Potter and there's always this bit of
00:25:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:26:00
Nick Britten
Even if the new manager, even if there's no manager, so it's like a caretaker manager or something like that, or even if a manager has just walked through the door, what generally happens is players just feel a sense of relief, a sense that the burden has been lifted and just naturally play better. Now, you may you may then say, well, that looks like they've downed tools for their previous manager or it looks like they weren't trying hard enough.
00:26:19
Nick Britten
And I think you can certainly level that accusation against West Hampton.
00:26:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, psychologically, i think that happens. And they don't aim to do that.
00:26:23
Nick Britten
I think you're right. Yeah, think you're right.
00:26:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I think psychologically, thing you just hear the same thing too many times and it doesn't it doesn't quite get get through.
00:26:30
Nick Britten
Yeah. in most some's case you don't hear that say Or you don't hear enough of the right things because, as we know, they they concede at pretty much every corner that's against them.
00:26:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah, maybe.
00:26:40
Nick Britten
So I'm expecting them to say i'm expect to see a better performance. I'm expecting to see a bit more effort. I'm expecting to see a bit more robustness when it comes to defending set pieces. But I think Everton will be too strong for them. And I think Everton shown already this season that they're going to be a very different Everton to what we've seen in the last few seasons.
Everton's Strong Start and New Stadium
00:26:57
Nick Britten
think Dewsbury Hall is a very smart signing.
00:26:59
Nick Britten
But the real key really is Jack Grealish, who's unlocked them a little bit. And Endai, who again, from midfield, from central midfield, is a real driving force. So they just look a lot more of a positive, threatening team than they've looked, I think, for quite some time.
00:26:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:15
Nick Britten
They haven't yet sold their number nine crisis and they're going to have to go into the market probably in January because Beto and Barry, are not neither of them are the answer, I don't think. But as long as you can get Grudish playing with freedom and enjoying himself, as long as you can get NJ running the midfield as he has done, Dewsbury Hall, as I say, creating, they they they're they've got good talent.
00:27:37
Nick Britten
And I think at home, it's really it's really important, by the way, it's really important that that when you move stadium, you get off to a good start.
00:27:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the decent at the back.
00:27:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:44
Nick Britten
and i think And I feel they have done and at the the Hill Dickinson Stadium, having moved from Goodison Park in the summer.
00:27:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:50
Nick Britten
And that means the crowd will be right behind them. And I'd imagine it' yeah when the crowd get going the team are playing well, it's a great place to be playing football.
00:27:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think so. And I like the Premier League when there's a good Everton in it. And there hasn't been a good Everton in it for a very, very long time. It'd be good to get Everton up into the top half of the Premier League.
00:28:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Looks like Moyes is good manager as well.
West Ham's Managerial Challenges
00:28:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's the other thing. Moyes knows his stuff.
00:28:11
Nick Britten
Thank you. Yeah, I'm a big fan of David Moyes. I'm a really big fan. And part part of the whole West Ham thing is I was quite, I just found it in inconceivable, inconceivable the attitude of West Ham fans to David Moyes.
00:28:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Ridiculous.
00:28:23
Nick Britten
Having won, he's won them the Conference League and they all wanted him out.
00:28:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know.
00:28:29
Nick Britten
Well, be careful for what you wish for.
00:28:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:28:30
Nick Britten
So you can kind of say they deserve to be at the bottom or near the bottom of the table and having sacked two managers now in pretty quick succession. What Nuno will do, i don't ah don't I'm not sure Nuno is the right fit.
00:28:42
Nick Britten
I think he will do a decent job for them getting them out of immediate danger. i think he'll make them harder to beat. But I do not think for a moment the West Ham fans will accept his style of play.
00:28:53
Nick Britten
I just don't. I think there's there's trouble in the road ahead.
00:28:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Interesting. Well, that's great place to leave it. fascinating ah Fascinating situation to watch. In fact, there is so many fascinating stories and counter stories and themes that are running through this season already. It's become ah one of the more interesting Premier League seasons that we've seen in a long time. And of course, you can follow it on a day-by-day basis with us here.
00:29:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
on the daily Premier the League podcast. So that'll do for today. Thanks, Nick, for your time. Thanks for your insights. Thanks for your wisdom. Thanks for your grumpiness. Thanks for your...
00:29:26
Nick Britten
Thanks for your rubbish conspiracy theories.
00:29:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
We'll see you all again tomorrow. So until then, it's goodnight from me and it's goodnight from Nick.
00:29:37
Nick Britten
Good night.