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Episode 141 - Wildcard Wednesday: Getting better after relegation, semi-automated offsides and european race
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On today's Wildcard Wednesday Rob & Richard get together to discuss some of the talking points from around the Premier League. The lads question if Town will get better once relegation is confirmed, debate whether they will miss VAR next season and name their picks to finish in the Champions League places.
The Daily Ipswich Podcast, part of the Global Sports Podcast Network, is the home of all your ITFC. Join us every weekday for the latest news, build-up and reaction in the club's first season back in the Premier League.
Host: Rob Binns
Guests: Richard Popple
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Transcript
Introduction to Daily Ipswich
00:00:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome back to the Daily Ipswich, brought to you by the Global Sports Podcast Network, the only place to find daily content on every single Premier League club, women's football and Premier League wrap-ups in multiple different languages.
00:00:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
It is wildcard Wednesday this afternoon. We did skip the day this week, but as I said at the end of Monday's episode, I think losing 4-0 at home and not having a shot on target doesn't need two days' worth and of analysis on the podcast, I think.
00:00:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
think we said all we needed to say at that point, but we're back today. We do one of our favourite little Wednesday episodes.
League Review Focus
00:00:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
we do it just with Every now and again, we like to do a little league review, don't we? Catch up on the big talking points that we might have missed while we've been so focused on Ipswich
Premier League and Ipswich's Form
00:00:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
in the short term. But joining me, Rob Bins, to have a run through on the rest of the Premier League today is Richard Popple.
00:00:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
How doing, mate?
00:01:01
Richard
Yeah, good. All good. Yeah, I missed the 4-0 drubbing at the weekend, unfortunately, but I kind of did see that one coming.
00:01:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
but to
00:01:11
Richard
So I actually predicted two two results. I said one one or 4-0 Arsenal. Sadly, I got the latter one right.
00:01:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, classic head and heart prediction. That's what was like on the crossover.
00:01:21
Richard
Yeah.
00:01:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
where I was like, I'm defending the Ipswich corner on my own, so I feel like I've got to put us to get some sort of positive result with my head is just saying we're going to get thrashed.
00:01:31
Richard
Yeah.
00:01:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, well.
00:01:34
Richard
Well, I think mckenna McKenna said that that was the the highest standard that they'd faced all year, right?
00:01:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:01:39
Richard
So, you know,
Ipswich vs Arsenal Reflection
00:01:40
Richard
maybe 4-0 isn't so bad.
00:01:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah, so they were they were on it at Arsenal, weren't they? Well, they were on it without also needing to really get out of first gear, which was the worrying part, really.
00:01:45
Richard
They were.
00:01:50
Richard
Yeah, I know.
00:01:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
for
00:01:51
Richard
Yeah, yeah.
00:01:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
So City never really got much further out than first gear, and they beat it 6-0, so you never know. that there's That's the way the golfing quality is, that we need a season to repair before we before we come back, hopefully.
00:02:03
Richard
we won't remember all of this in six months time.
00:02:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:05
Richard
Don't worry about it. that It will just be lost in the ethers of time.
00:02:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, exactly. We'll be focusing on winning every week next year anyway, won't we? who we We walk in the league with 100 points.
Squad Quality and Departures
00:02:17
Richard
no Hopefully.
00:02:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
No. We'll get to that. we We said about the quality of the squad on Monday. We'll get to that. We'll do a big episode on that once season's out of the way about how what changes will happen to that squad because at the moment it's comfortably better than anything else in the Championship.
00:02:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Especially now Leeds and Burnley have gone up so they won't be there. Let's start with that actually for our I know we said we'll do a little Premier League review, but of course we now know that two of the teams who you know who we won't be playing next year unless we pull off some sort magical escape. But and I know it's incredibly early on. We're not even in the new season yet, but you pleased to see Leeds and Burnley out the way and our potential chances are coming straight back up next year?
00:03:01
Richard
I think Leeds, yeah, because they still have a really Really good team, don't they? And they've kind of been storming it this year in front of goals, scoring a lot of goals. They've scored, I think, nearly 90 with two games to go. So it's doubtful they'll get a ton, but they've they've been pretty prolific.
00:03:17
Richard
Burnley, the other ones have just been have been unbelievable. 15 goals conceded all year. That is just insane.
00:03:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so they're not very very fun to watch, but it's the only thing.
00:03:26
Richard
yeah. so yeah
00:03:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
But then it's the way football's going. The teams are... If you look at the top three, the league now,
Premier League Dynamics
00:03:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
can you name... can probably count on one hand the amount of memorable Liverpool-Arsenal or Forest games in the last two months, but they seem to win every week.
00:03:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it's just the way we seem to be going now.
00:03:46
Richard
Yeah, it's true.
00:03:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, Arsenal...
00:03:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
I said this to my mate.
00:03:49
Richard
It's true, but...
00:03:49
Richard
yeah
00:03:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's like watching a pre-season friendly on Monday. Arsenal won 4-0, but it wasn't an entertaining game at all, was it? But... thats not as say I suppose when you win, when you win you don't i even Liverpool's case, the shocking, shocking game of football.
00:03:56
Richard
No.
00:04:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
i watched that once me and Tom we and tom jumped on and done a podcast. I watched the rest. Awful game, but you win 1-0 and you're a step closer to the title. You don't care, do you? please we just I guess it's because we don't have those results in us.
00:04:13
Richard
Yeah, they've done it all year, haven't they?
00:04:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
I find it weird that other teams do.
00:04:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, but so it's two teams out the way, isn't it? I suppose that So Leeds caused us a lot of grief, actually, last time we were in the Championship, didn't they? They they were the one team that we never seemed to lay a glove on.
00:04:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
But even though it was 4-3, we were only scoring goals to sort of cut the deficit rather than actually get back into the game. So I'm quite glad to see the back of them, definitely. But it does feel like with the gap, though, it does feel like both of them will come straight back down, though, don't it?
Leeds and Burnley in Premier League
00:04:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
You'll want to see them.
00:04:49
Richard
I don't know, actually. i don't know because I think be Burnley have obviously had quite a lot of success by staying in the Premier League. I know that was the Sean Dyche kind of like era, but I think I i actually give both of those clubs a better opportunity to stay up.
00:05:03
Richard
I don't see it that there's going to be the three again. I just, I don't see that happening. m And I think Leeds have got something about them. Ellum Road is always difficult for every club. That's always kind of like difficult. So I think,
00:05:17
Richard
I actually would predict at this point that both Burnley and Leeds would probably stay in the Prem. The other one that comes up, maybe not so much.
00:05:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, well, I'd like it to be somebody other than Sheffield United. Anyone else in that playoff picture is more interesting than just Sheffield United coming back up again, sir Hopefully there's a bit of variety there.
00:05:37
Richard
Yeah.
00:05:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
This season's Ipswich, who break the mould out the usual six teams who just trade divisions every year. that Hopefully they get somebody else to throw around in there. But I'd say that's two teams down. i say Two very strong teams who obviously battled each other for the title this year. We'll see which way that goes. But I'm fairly unfair happy. i'd write I'm happy to have Leicester and Southampton again. i am to play them two, put it that way.
00:06:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
the way it's going to go next
Relegation Impact on Form
00:06:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
year. But we can't spend too much time talking about next year, can we? It's all too far away in the future. Like, already seen people on Twitter are trying to predict who's going to leave, who's going to stay.
00:06:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
We've still got five more games to, was going say enjoy, but endure is probably a better word, yeah.
00:06:21
Richard
endure.
00:06:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
But off to that point, I want to talk about Southampton because they've been long down, but they're suddenly playing quite well. And it's that cliche, isn't it, of...
00:06:34
Richard
Mm hmm.
00:06:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
once you like teams will be hopeless and then they'll get relegated and they'll suddenly... You look at Leicester's home form now, nine games now, they haven't scored at home and they've lost them all. like Now they're down, they might just start winning. cause I always think our case, I'm very worried about Saturday. We'll get into that with crossover and preview later in the week, but that could be a cricket score, the the way we defended recently and the way Newcastle were playing.
00:07:01
Richard
Mm-hmm.
00:07:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
But then after that, if that relegates us, then we've got four quite nice games to end the season. Maybe... Maybe we'll get a few wins on the board. That a slightly irritating thing of getting better once you're down. at this point, I'll just take some wins to celebrate. maybe Maybe that will hit us the way it's hit Southampton. We'll suddenly start looking like a more competent team and getting some points on the board.
00:07:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hopefully, that's what we're going for at this point, isn't it? Just an enjoyable end to the season, I suppose.
00:07:28
Richard
Yeah, a couple of wins would be nice. I mean, I think it was Tom was talking about it where I think Ipswich's lowest total in their history in the top flight is 25 points, I think.
00:07:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:07:38
Richard
So it'd be nice to be that, obviously, which would require a couple of wins. And I think it would just be, I think it would slightly be a bit more of a fair representation of how we've played.
Ipswich's Performance Analysis
00:07:50
Richard
i mean, obviously, you know, the games like at the weekend, we have been played off the park and stuff and we were nowhere near them, but Yeah, there's been others where obviously we know we've we've we've let the points drop and maybe that was happening with Southampton a bit. I mean, I think Ipswich, and maybe we've been a bit guilty on this pod as well, we've been a bit smug about the fact that we are the best of a bad bunch in terms of like Leicester and Southampton.
00:08:11
Richard
And I guess that's true, given that we're 18th and, you know, 10 points better off than Southampton or whatever. but you look at the stats and really, there's not a massive amount of difference to be perfectly honest. I mean, I know we've, we've probably been in games a little bit longer than some of those teams. Obviously, as you pointed out, Leicester's home form is like unbelievably bad.
00:08:32
Richard
i mean, ours is bad, but theirs is like unbelievably bad. So yeah, there's been some, there's been some pretty catastrophic kind of stats that all three of those clubs really have thrown up this season, really, which is why they are where they are. But you're right when the, when the pressure's off, when the kind of like, you know, you're getting mid table clubs now, particularly,
00:08:50
Richard
people like Palace or whatever who, you know, have got bigger fish to fry with the cup semi-final coming up. If you've got them at this time of the season, they they're not they not playing for those Premier League points anymore at all. So you you do get the odd odd win that maybe you wouldn't earlier in the season. And as you say, hopefully town can do that towards the end of the year.
00:09:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, we've definitely got some games in that category, don't we? I mean, going to Goodison in one of Everton's final few games there is always going to be tough.
00:09:12
Richard
Yeah.
00:09:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
But Brentford at home, that sort of game, that what are they gonna have to play for by and know in a week or so's time? whereas They've already got nothing to play for now, really. they're not They're not fully in the European race, really. They're always they're always the outsider there to have any sort of chance. That's sort game where you can catch them on the beach and have some results. We'll see. It's just i said it if We said it for a couple of weeks and we asked it with Tom the other day that at this point we know we're going down. We're just looking for a couple of
VAR's Impact Discussion
00:09:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
memories and a couple of memorable moments which is like our Arsenal is not like you said. That's completely forgettable. we We won't remember that until that won't come up again in conversation until next time we're due to play Arsenal and people look at what the last result was and then we'll go, oh we yeah, we got beat. That'll be quickly forgotten.
00:10:02
Richard
Yeah. Yeah.
00:10:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
that
00:10:03
Richard
yeah
00:10:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
and Hopefully there's some more memorable moments in the games we've got left but Let's have a quick break and hear from one of our sponsors. And I've got something, interesting issue you want to talk about around sort VAR and referees and things like that in the second part of the show
00:10:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
and we are back for the second part of today's wild card wednesday and i want to ask you something now rich because obviously there's a big change in going down besides this division and everything is obviously no more var which we've had many years about it we've come up to it for a year but Are we almost, I mean, before I get asked the question, I'm assuming it's the general consensus that we're happy to bin VAR off by coming back down to the championship. But is it almost, are we losing VAR as it, is it just about going to get better maybe as we're going to dip away and go back to the carnage of EFL refereeing because the semi-automated off-sides are coming in for the last couple of weeks and it does seem to be working a bit better. mean, I don't know if you watched the,
00:11:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Forrest-Tockham game on Monday night, but Forrest's second goal getting chalked off, it was just like a quick, right, oh, he might be offside, or we'll throw the graphic up like they do in the Champions League. Oh, yeah, his shoulders leaning ahead of defender, offside, job done, less than a minute.
00:11:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
is it is it Is it finally starting to improve and are we going to regret and we're even to regret missing it when we're back to EFL refs, just giving them whatever they feel like? i mean, there's been some There's been dodgy ones over this weekend that I'm not looking forward to having again.
00:12:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
But then I also don't like VAR either. So suppose you to take what you can get.
00:12:17
Richard
up
00:12:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Where do you stand?
00:12:20
Richard
Yeah, I mean, I think you were you were a proponent have sort of semi semi-automated offsides at the start of the season, weren't you? You were talking about that.
00:12:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:29
Richard
I mean, to be perfectly honest, the whole VAR thing leaves me a bit cold because I think when there's a decision that's going for, you know, your your team has a potential penalty or whatever, and they're given, when it's when it's like a marginal decision, when it's something that's overturned or or whatever, and you're like, yeah, that's the right thing. But when it's like a marginal decision,
00:12:50
Richard
And you kind of get it on a technicality almost. I don't, I don't find much joy in that. The same when it's given the other way, it doesn't really leave me angry. It's just a bit like we're all being cheated a little bit. It's all just kind of like slightly ridiculous at this point. So I think, you know, in terms of like the experience of watching games and stuff, I don't mind not having it obviously and going back down into the championship.
00:13:11
Richard
Problem is of car of course the club spent a load of money. on the stadium last year, making sure it was Premier League ready with Rule K's and all the rest of it. So they've now got all of these cameras and stuff and all this equipment around the stadium and it's not going to be in use.
00:13:24
Richard
So hopefully it's not too long before we go up again, because I would imagine that, as you say, the technology is going to change over the next couple of years and stuff. So you would imagine that the club would maybe have to reinvest again, but you know, maybe that's, that's just kind of like what we expect moving forward. But yeah, I think for a fan experience,
00:13:43
Richard
I mean, of course, you're going get some dodgy decisions and stuff, but that's what football always was. And nobody really cared about it that much. It was a talking point. You know, I think it's fine without VAR, to be honest.
00:13:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, for a thought youd late I thought you'd go down that side of it. I think that there's still a lot of improvement to go with it.
00:14:00
Richard
I'm old.
00:14:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
i
00:14:00
Richard
I'm old school.
00:14:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
was a supporter when it was first getting talked about, and then I've seen how bad this has been operated, and i was and then I'm in the camp of just take it away, bring it back when you've made it better.
00:14:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
but seven
00:14:15
Richard
Yeah.
00:14:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Semi-automated offsides, like you said, i was they said we were going to have them. This is what annoyed me about it. it got announced last season were going to have them this year and he thought oh great and then it was like okay we're going to have we're still going to have them next year but it's to october and i was like well what's the point of that why are we having two months about it because there's inevitably going to be something that happens the week before there's a shock that's like there's going to be some like very tight decision that's rubbish and takes five minutes then that will come in next week and then it got pushed back again like we finally got it on think was it the weekend before easter that finally come in that
00:14:22
Richard
Yeah.
00:14:41
Richard
Yeah.
00:14:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
after recently being promised from August, like this time last year, that that was when was going to be ready. But say, when you watch Champions League, it's just better, isn't it? The way they do it. And like, there's been a few examples. I think we were, we were the first, we had some bit of history in there that was either the first goal given by semi-automated offsides or the first goal chalked off, something like that. think it was the first one that was actively like flagged off on the pitch and semi-automated went, no, he was on actually. I think that was,
00:15:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
might have been one of our ones at Chelsea, maybe, or something like that. I'm pretty sure it was us that, for a little bit of,
00:15:21
Richard
All right. Yeah. Yes, there was one. Yes, you're right. Yeah.
00:15:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah, I'm pretty sure that was the first one officially given by a semi-automated offside decision where it told the linesman he was wrong and that a goal was onside. So there've been ones where the been the linesman had been told he was wrong and it was offside, but that was the first one, would say.
00:15:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Any little bit of history we can get, I suppose, on that front that, yeah I think it's improving, but I'm a bit like you.
00:15:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't mind dipping away for a year because I think maybe another year might be delusional and we've been waiting this long already, but I feel like another year, full season of semi-automated is going to keep getting better at this point.
00:16:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'll get faster as well.
00:16:03
Richard
Yeah, I think it probably will.
00:16:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm hoping that we're in better nick, but like you say, we've pumped all the money into the stadium to get ready to have all these all these new positions sort of our cameras and all this
00:16:08
Richard
Yeah.
00:16:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
expensive technology to get it all run and then to drop back down. So the way it does seem to be the way things are going and now that the teams who drop down tend to come back up after a year. So something I've moaned about when when we've not been involved in I've moaned about it loads.
00:16:25
Richard
I know.
00:16:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
But now we'd be in the position to be that irritating team who go down and come straight back up. I don't care anymore. I'll happily follow that model. ah'll take this out I'll take the same three that go down this year to come back up next year could if it guaranteed that we were one of them.
00:16:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah mind I wouldn't mind it at that point that It's the way it goes. But yeah, but so i think we'll I think we'll all enjoy it next year.
00:16:45
Richard
Yeah, fingers crossed.
00:16:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
But back to so back to just knowing knowing what you know effectively. and I'd rather find out. I think there's that element if you made a wrong decision, you'd rather find out from a replay on social media off the games on the TV than you would have to sit around five minutes. Yeah.
00:17:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
I can't there was one game the other, i can't remember what it was now, there one game the other day, it was shocking, it was about five minutes to make a decision where like, one of those ones you look at and go, oh yeah, he's off, and it was, it was about five minutes to make a decision, though there's still some bad ones in there, but, I'll say, I'm not getting, yeah, we we'll take a year, where hopefully it is only a year away, and I'll say, if any luck, they'd have fixed it somehow, and it won't be rubbish anymore, by the time we come back, but, we'll see how it goes, but,
00:17:26
Richard
Yeah, there are. There are.
00:17:38
Richard
We'll see. We will see.
00:17:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, interesting.
00:17:40
Richard
That's the least of our concerns, I think, at the moment, to be honest.
00:17:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, probably fair enough. was just quite impressed by the semi-automated offside from what I've seen so far. so and It seems like a step in the right direction finally he afterlows it after a very stagnant few years where everyone just decides it's rubbish but doesn't do anything about it.
00:17:51
Richard
yeah Absolutely.
00:17:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
so Seems like we're finally heading in the right direction, right as we don't need it anymore. but well Let's have another quick break and hear from another one of our sponsors and then when we come back we'll run around the leagues in the last couple of weeks of results and pick out the big talking points before we get back on the town focus later this week.
Top-four Race and European Spots
00:18:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, we are back for the final part of today's show. And let's have to say there's very interesting areas.
00:18:47
Richard
Rob, with the but with the with
00:18:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Sorry. Go on then.
00:18:50
Richard
with the Premier League, because basically, you know, relegation is sorted out, essentially. League Championship is sorted out. Liverpool are going be champions. that will probably happen this weekend.
00:19:02
Richard
Relegation is going to be confirmed this weekend for the last of them, which will be ours probably. What is their left of interest? I suppose it is the top four races kind of... How many how many teams are going to be qualifying next year?
00:19:13
Richard
Eight, nine?
00:19:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Champions League is five and then it depends how... yeah like Because obviously Arsenal could still win the Champions League, which would then make give an extra space down. Chelsea could win the Conference League, and and qua to which will put them in the Europa League and qualify for the Europa League, which moves it around. like At one point, but there was a specific set of circumstances to happen that could have made it 11 Premier League teams with the way Cups are won and stuff. But yeah, it's...
00:19:41
Richard
It's ridiculous.
00:19:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
So that's the interesting thing, though, that when you say there's almost nothing to play for, that there's still, I mean, it was even more interesting until Forrest made it boring by beating Tottenham on Monday night.
00:19:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
But at one point there was two points between third and seventh the other day. It's three now with Forrest on favourite. But one point it was three teams on 57 points and two, one on 58, one on 59 in the race of four.
00:20:07
Richard
Who's your
00:20:11
Richard
who's your prediction to get the top four?
00:20:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Top four, I still think Newcastle, which is a worry for us because I think they're going to be well up for it Saturday, which is my concern. I think they're going to be they're going to be well up for looking to bounce back after losing to Villa.
00:20:22
Richard
Oh yeah.
00:20:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I think I really do fear, especially after the game at Portman Road, be like we considered after 30 seconds and got battered, that I do fear for that result big time on Saturday, the way they're playing.
00:20:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
for And also there's the element there of I also said... I also said Newcastle would get fourth right at the start of the year in my league table prediction. So I kind of... and I need some prediction nailed on because the rest of them are awful.
00:20:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
I just need to get somebody right. I hope Newcastle finish fourth and I can have that at least. I don't know.
00:21:00
Richard
I can't remember who I said, to be honest. All right. So Newcastle, who else? Will will Forrest hang on, do you think?
00:21:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think Forest will get... Forest.
00:21:07
Richard
or
00:21:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think they've got favourable games, Forest.
00:21:09
Richard
Yeah.
00:21:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
When i'd look at the fixtures in there, they've got a few teams that... down there. I think they still got Leicester to the play for as one of them, for an example, that Spurs, like on paper, I know they're rubbish really and they're down where they are for a reason, but Spurs away was one of the tougher games on paper and mean, they for 20 minutes, they played them off the park and then they just seemed to give up and go, yeah, Spurs won't score two, they're rubbish and then they didn't score two, to be fair. So, that's my thing with Forrest. I say this or because one of my mates, one of my best mates is a Forrest fan and I give him a lot of grief for it when she's
00:21:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
just to annoy him. But the thing I find with Forest is that they never like, they don't try and kill games off. They're happy to protect what they've got rather than go like, I take the mick out him. I say you're one, they're a one nil park the bus team.
00:21:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
But they did like Spurs. It's like they were the first 15, 20 minutes of that game. They were fantastic. i mean, they scored twice. don't know if one ruled out for offside. They're all over. And then like, as soon as it went to nil, they got a bit of a grip. They just went, they just sat off.
00:22:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
But then normally I think that would be a downfall compared to other teams like a City, for example, who when they're on it will go and beat you 6-0 and they won't stop too.
00:22:14
Richard
Mm-mm.
00:22:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I've seen enough from Forest that I think with the games they've got and the way they play, they they'll get over the line. And i think City will nab the fifth spot in there. I think Chelsea are going to be the ones to drop away, to be honest.
00:22:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, i know they turned it around late against Fulham, but at that point, it's When Chelsea were losing at at one point, that knocked Chelsea back to 54 and had Fulham on 51 to sort of be later rivals in there as well.
00:22:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
But yeah, so Chelsea are the one, like, the five teams in and around there, like Chelsea are the ones I think, no, like, just, I can't see it happening.
00:22:49
Richard
Yeah. They've had a good year. Really good year.
00:22:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
You've got, like, Villa, I could see putting a run together and, like, winning the FA Cup and sneaking in. Like, the only one I can't see is Chelsea. I think those five teams, up in my head, it's Chelsea nailed on seventh and then the other four can jump around with whoever gets Europa League or into the Champions League. that We'll see from there. What are you?
00:23:20
Richard
Well, I mean, form guide, Villa have won the last five. So Villa, I think have got a pretty good chance, to be honest, now that they're out of Europe. I know they've got an FA Cup semi-final coming up, but they've got they've got City tonight. So that's a huge game at the Etihad. But I think Villa will get in there.
00:23:37
Richard
And I think Newcastle, I agree with. And I hope Forest, because I hope they keep Man City and Chelsea out, basically. But can I also bring something up?
00:23:50
Richard
Because we've we've sort of like lambasted them and enjoyed their demise all year.
00:23:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:53
Richard
But like Spurs and Man United, how on earth can those two horrendous teams this season be in the semi-finals of the Europa League?
00:24:04
Richard
And not only in the semi-finals of the Europa League, but have a really good chance to play it out amongst themselves to win the Europa League. isn't I mean, what does that say? Does that say that the Premier League is just insanely...
00:24:16
Richard
strong that you've got a side that is in 17th place. Is that where Spurs are? No, they're 16th and Man United are 14th.
00:24:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
16th, just about. Yeah, if West Ham would actually beat Southampton, Spurs would have been 17th.
00:24:26
Richard
and in and in yeah And in other years, they may feasibly be in a relegation battle or just on the edge of a relegation battle. So how on how on earth are those two teams?
00:24:39
Richard
fighting it out potentially for eu Europa League, well, not even a final for a Europa League win. It just seems amazing, doesn't it?
00:24:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't It's the fact they don't even look that good in those games either. That's what that's what i think, is that
00:24:50
Richard
No.
00:24:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
United especially, that ah ah that's just you don't want to say there's a lack of quality the teams they play, but United, I mean, fantastic for them to turn that game around, but therefore if they're 4-2 down, know it's like aggregate, not the actual game of the day, but if they're 4-2 down that late in a game, in a Premier League game, they don't turn it around, do they?
00:25:04
Richard
Yeah.
00:25:14
Richard
No, not at all.
00:25:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
But against Lyon, they to spin it around if three goals in 15 minutes or whatever it was, or that doesn't happen in the Premier League, which is, there's also the, obviously, the Yemen and Europe is, and obviously, there's two legs, but it's a lot about who turns up on a night that has, is a lot bigger, like, you can take the odd game where you don't turn up in the Premier League and still, you can win the other three around it and it doesn't really matter, whereas if you don't turn up in the first leg of a tie, you could be out by the second leg, like Real Madrid, for example, that,
00:25:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
didn't turn up the Emirates and they had it all to do the other leg and they got too much in their own head and lost again, that if they turned up in the first leg and come away with a draw, you'd expect them to go through comfortably second time round.
00:25:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
They can't flip like that, but as a joke, he just has been really poor this year. I mean, Bill Bauer looked like a good side.
00:26:04
Richard
Really poor. Yeah. I think, yeah, they're probably the favorites to be honest.
00:26:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, but so the fact that, I mean, no disrespect to them, but what a glimpse to in fairness to them, have had a fantastic last few years in Europe, especially, but also, like, they've gone from being a mid-table team in Norway to now, like, romping the league every year and doing well in Europe. So, they're very well-run club, but, don't know, like, some of the teams who were in there at the start, and to have a Bodo glimped in the semi-final as well, I mean, even them beating Lazio, like, the quality isn't I mean, again, not i don't you don't want to discredit that they're obviously doing very well, but if a team that's in the top four of Italy you can't make the semi-final, then you've got to wonder about what the general quality of is of is of the competition.
00:26:43
Richard
Yeah, absolutely.
00:26:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
i say i mean, Spurs and United have both just given up on the league as well, isn't they?
00:26:53
Richard
Yeah.
00:26:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
that That's other element, is that they're actively saving themselves for the Europa League games because they mean more to them, because they know... they They've given up on the league since about January. you They neither had nothing to play for because they were never going to go down and they were too far gone in Europe race. They've both been playing for that and only that since like January, February time.
00:27:11
Richard
Yeah.
00:27:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
So they they get up for the games a bit more.
00:27:19
Richard
Yeah. Fair enough. Well, I mean, come on, Bilbao is all I can say. Come on, Bilbao or Bodo Glimt.
00:27:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:27:25
Richard
One of the two.
00:27:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
i said and Both of them get knocked out in the semi-final. It'll be funny. They're not a
00:27:31
Richard
Yeah, it would.
00:27:32
Richard
It would.
00:27:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm not i'm not a support the English teams in Europe very often, and unless they deserve it.
00:27:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah ah car I mean, so as a show it just makes the Premier League look like too good, like almost disrespectful to the rest to the rest of Europe if Spurs can finish 17th and the Europa League.
00:27:41
Richard
I
00:27:45
Richard
i agree. Yeah, I agree.
00:27:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
It just seems like...
00:27:51
Richard
Yeah, totally ridiculous.
00:27:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know. yes so I mean, Chelsea will walk the Conference League. That's where Europe gets interesting as well, because like said, Chelsea... look like they're nailed on to win the conference league but if they also finish sixth they can't have Europa League and whoever finishes seventh and goes oh no we've got conference league just get Europa League anyway because Chelsea come like there's it's almost like if you're in a race for sixth with Chelsea it don't matter where you come because you're just back them to win the conference league and you get it anyway that's the strange way these things work out but unfortunately that the my that's my other thing I'm a bit like of our games left is that
00:28:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
We don't even get to have a say in anything else with other people's seasons. Like, normally it's a bit of fun where you can try and ruin somebody's day by picking up a result no one sees
Ipswich's Future Plans
00:28:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
you to get. But, say, we are literally now playing, what, Brentford nothing on to play for, Everton nothing to play for.
00:28:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
i mean, Newcastle's our only one where we can try and have a say, and I think we're going to get smacked about six ni the way we're playing recently, which is...
00:28:44
Richard
No. nope
00:28:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
But, you know, do quite like Newcastle as well, though, so, like, I wouldn't... so I still want to win because, like I said, it's still funny to ruin somebody's day like that to think they got nailed on. But so we haven't even got any games like that. We can't, like, come down to the final day and pull off a shot, win we don't need away at Villa or something that knocks them down to the Conference League or something. It's just got... After Newcastle, we've just got four nothing games to end the year. So just just try and win some games, stat pad a bit after we've already gone down. So we don't look as embarrassing on the points total or anything, I suppose.
00:29:24
Richard
Yeah. Well, on that cheery note, let's go and find out how Villa and City will get that'll be an entertaining game.
00:29:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:29:32
Richard
But yeah, you're right. It's it's tricky. it's It's hard for the players, I think, to stay motivated. You know, they're professionals, obviously. McKenna wants to get as much of of it as he can and stuff. But it is difficult. It's the time of the season where it's like everything is kind of, you know, almost wrapped up in terms of those big, big things league-wise and relegation-wise and stuff. But still, you know, plenty plenty to enjoy for us
00:29:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:29:54
Richard
And the Bobby Robson derby, of course, is always an occasion.
00:29:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, of course, yeah.
00:29:57
Richard
But yeah yeah, we'll see. We'll see.
00:30:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
always forget that.
00:30:00
Richard
Hopefully we avoid a smacking.
00:30:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
i don't know I don't know how I always forget that every time we play Newcastle. Someone just says it a few games ago before the game and I just think, I forgot it again.
00:30:08
Richard
Because it's not really a thing, is it?
00:30:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't know how I do that.
00:30:09
Richard
But, you know.
00:30:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, no, but it is a big... I mean, we have it on the wall outside of Portland Road, even though we got beat 3-1, so but just because we had a we had a fantastic crowd that day that
00:30:13
Richard
Yeah. All
00:30:17
Richard
right. Yeah, yeah.
00:30:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
It stands out on there with trophy wins and famous goals. And it was just like, here's when we lost three ones to Newcastle, but it was it was the ground was electric on the day with because it was Bobby Robson derby. But what we do need to do in these games, the one thing I want us to do, because obviously when you've got nothing to play for, you can try things around a bit.
00:30:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's start now on trying to find our best 11 for next season because we don't know what our best 11 this season is yet. And that's been the problem. Let's start now. Let's go try and nail down three or four positions going into next year, regardless, because we can't have another year of getting to April, nearly May and not knowing what our best 11 players are, if everyone's fully fit.
00:31:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I can't go through that again. At least like we can't get.
00:31:05
Richard
Connor Townsend, mate. Connor Townsend.
00:31:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
know, that's why i said, and I said this on Monday, that we're not going to get on this debate again now. We're,
00:31:13
Richard
No, no, no.
00:31:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
when
00:31:14
Richard
Let's not do no, no.
00:31:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
We'll get into it. I've got a big, ask that will feature in at least one of the end of season things. I've got a big point on that, which I sort of briefly touched on on Monday with where my head is on that side of things.
00:31:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm also going to counteract myself when it's a different division next year. But you can look forward to that once we get onto the season end podcast. And once get rid of it, once we start having to build up for these games every week and we get a bit of fun and try and take the positives out of the season, everything like that, all that to look forward to.
00:31:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
in late May, early June time. But in the short term, like say, we're back to games. Crossover with the Geordie boys tomorrow. That'll sure to be a fun one. That was great one, first time round. James and a coupler and the couple lads from Newcastle, that was good listen.
00:31:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
First time round, I'm sure it will be again this time round. So that's coming your way tomorrow.
Episode Conclusion
00:32:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then until then, from me and Richard, thank you very much for listening and we'll catch you later.