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Daily Premier League in English - Episode 86: Midweek Review, Liverpool all but Champions, 10 man Utd scrape past Ipswich, City get nervy win over Spurs
22 Plays3 days ago
Jooles Jordan-Probert is joined by Eshan Weerasinghe to discuss Midweek GW27. Does Salah fit in the Premier League All time XI? What is the core problem at Manchester United? Will City end the season with a whimper or a bang? These questions will be posed and answered in this episode. Enjoy!
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Transcript
Introduction and Episode Overview
00:00:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello, hello, hello. Welcome to episode, I don't know the number, episode
00:00:15
Jools
episode X.
00:00:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
episoded X of the daily, permanently podcast in English. Today we're going to be reviewing the the nine, not nine, five Wednesday fixtures and previewing the Thursday, Leicester versus West Ham.
Welcoming Jules and His Welsh Pride
00:00:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
How are you, Jules?
00:00:35
Jools
I'm good. My first um my first official ah day on the
00:00:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Welcome to the team.
00:00:42
Jools
on the Premier League podcast. Happy to be here. Happy to show off my Swansea badge.
00:00:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're going to have to do you like the introduction karaoke song like footballers do.
00:00:51
Jools
and I mean, I'm Welsh, so we can
Tottenham vs City Match Analysis
00:00:54
Jools
sing. that's not I'm not afraid of that. But yeah, I'm very happy to be here. And yeah, let's get stuck into some Premier League action.
00:01:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think we'll start with the highlight fixture of the day, Tottenham versus City. what yeah What do we think about this game? Was it a nervy encounter? How did how did it look?
00:01:14
Jools
Yeah, so um i thought in the first half, City looked comfortable, as we've seen many times this season. and They asserted dominance and looked like the City of old at times. and You know, still new facets to the game. There's ah But Savino, most of the play goes through now, and he looked electric. Doc, who again looked really good after another after a good show-in on Sunday, starting back-to-back games, which is quite rare for him.
00:01:42
Jools
um But yeah, he he had Poro on toast at times, um set up the only goal of the game, as it turned out. But he could have ended the match with three or four assists, to be honest.
00:01:53
Jools
um He looked really good.
00:01:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:01:55
Jools
um In the second half, and the game changed quite a bit. Spurs come out stronger and started to create some of their own chances. They passed the ball better. They pressed City better.
00:02:08
Jools
Pedro Poro and Brendan Johnson in particular on the right were really good and created loads of chances with especially Poro's delivery is normally on the money and he hits it with such pace as well. Spurs could and possibly should have taken a point from this, but and they didn't quite get it over the line at the end.
Man United vs Ipswich and Defensive Challenges
00:02:29
Jools
There was a bizarre ending to the match though, where Erling Haaland scored a perfectly good goal. There was a four-minute VAR delay and they called it as handball despite the VAR saying, as suggesting and that it should have been a goal.
00:02:44
Jools
The referee denied that and without without saying anything and just carried on the game, which was quite bizarre. And then 30 seconds later, the last kick of the game, Spurs miss an absolute sitter and could have drawn two.
00:02:57
Jools
So it was quite a boring match except for the last five minutes. But City very, very pleased to...
00:03:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Uh,
00:03:03
Jools
yeah and go immediately back up to a fourth in the league and they're only one point away from Forest now and they've created a three point gap to Newcastle as of course they lost which I'm sure we'll get into a bit later.
00:03:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think it's interesting. City are rediscovering their form. I think they're ah a lot stronger a side with Holland up there, um as evidenced of Holland being the difference maker. Realistically, it should have been an easy 2-0 victory for City.
00:03:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Two Holland goals, just like the end of last season, that penultimate game of the season. Yeah.
00:03:41
Jools
Yeah.
00:03:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think Holland is the difference maker, clearly. um Just a quick word on Spurs' a starting lineup. I thought it was quite interesting that Son was not starting and they went for, um I don't know how to pronounce it, but Odebert, I think his name is.
00:03:56
Jools
Yeah, Wilson Odebe.
00:03:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:03:59
Jools
It wasn't just Son either. They didn't start Kulusevski, who has scored a couple of times versus City recently, and Basuma, who has kind of been their best centre midfielder over the past few weeks during Spurs' resurgence.
00:04:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:04:12
Jools
um The line was that they were being rested, but Spurs' next game isn't for eight days and it's against Alkmaar in the Europa League. So that's ah it's a bit of a strange one, especially as Sun has possibly been most successful Premier League player against Pep Guardiola's City during in his tenure, um scoring multiple um multiple big goals.
00:04:36
Jools
and didn't get that one last season, which possibly endears him even more to City fans. But yeah, well it was was a strange line-up. And in the first half, at least, it seemed like City looked to capitalise on that.
00:04:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, how did Nico Gonzalez do in the midfield?
Nico Gonzalez's Role in City's Midfield
00:04:56
Jools
I've seen him play better, but and have just having someone of that kind of profile makes a world of difference.
00:04:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
he...
00:05:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:05:05
Jools
I mean, even on this podcast, while I've been doing the City one, I've said about how ah different and important the midfield is and the lack of it has been the main factor in City's poor season. There's no question about it.
00:05:21
Jools
um Not only losing the world's best player, but... having no one to replace him with or replacing it with an ageing Kovacic, who is is a forward-thinking player, really, um at the base of the the base of the diamond in midfield.
00:05:37
Jools
So, yeah, Nico has had a decent start, a lot to improve on as well. He's tidy in possession. Maybe his movement could be a little bit better, but he's strong in the tackle and he reads the game well.
00:05:48
Jools
and Wouldn't say anything like he ran the game today, but he did what he needed to do.
United's Performance Issues and Player Analysis
00:05:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
All right, let's um move over to the game that i put so much of my attention to, which is the Man United Ipswich game, which every United game this season has very much followed the same pattern of ah have they come towards us, maybe score a goal, really attack us for a long time, and then we try and get into the game.
00:06:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
And another classic example of a classic silly, silly error at the back. I don't know if you've seen the goals at all, but the first goal is comically bad.
00:06:28
Jools
No, not at all.
00:06:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah I'm doing something else, setting up something, and then i like watch over to the screen. like a lofted through ball from Ipswich comes in, no chance with the Ipswich player, Filagene behind Dorgu, getting to it.
00:06:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Onana rushes out, Dorgu passes it beyond Onana, and Filagene has an open net, not even an open net, but he's like walking it in, like looking around and thinking about how much space he has.
00:06:55
Jools
Uh... Could he have done the thing where you get on the floor and roll it in with your head?
00:06:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
And so, Yeah, no, a thousand percent he could have done that.
00:07:00
Jools
Yeah.
00:07:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
i he it was It almost felt like um like the like he realized he was offside or something and he slowed down and just looking around the officials, you know, that that kind of...
00:07:12
Jools
Like, i how did I get here?
00:07:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, exactly. How did I get here? um And the United simply won the game through set pieces. It was that it was quite simple. We scored through three corners. No, two corners and one free kick.
00:07:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
um ah send ah We'll take the win, but and we'll take the fact that we've been horrific on set pieces, so getting something is better than nothing.
00:07:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it really does feel like we're snaking by. And then 2-1 up, Dorgu, who made the error earlier, did have an okay game up to that point aside from the big error.
00:07:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Then lunges in on Hutchinson, um stud showing. all go tonna be hudin Hutchinson kind of like leans in and puts sticks a leg out.
00:08:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
But um football is a game of split-second decisions, and that was and yet another one that went away from United.
00:08:13
Jools
Oh, so did he get so did he get sent off?
00:08:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
But somehow, yeah, fully sent off, I think, like 41st minute, 42nd minute, something like that.
00:08:14
Jools
Sorry. Yeah.
00:08:19
Jools
He's had a tough start to life at United, hasn't he?
00:08:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then ah affiliate the second Ipswich goal, they cross the ball in. um DeLapp is running in, completely misses the ball, and it just floats into the bottom corner.
00:08:33
Jools
i want a dummy.
00:08:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah. Dummy, but like the real dummy is the United back line. And then Harry Maguire magisterially it rises ah at a right at the start of the second half.
00:08:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
So it was it was very much a needs-must performance, which you're happy to see from a United perspective. But it almost feels like we play better with 10 men than we do with 11.
00:09:04
Jools
What do you think yeah the reason for that is? Or is it a case of um just going more gung-ho towards the end of the match?
00:09:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
i
00:09:11
Jools
Because you have to.
00:09:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think um that's definitely a part of it is um yeah when we're losing, it's at least a little easier to go gung-ho because you're not risking in anything you can lose.
00:09:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. But I think it's...
Structural Issues and Recruitment at United
00:09:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Frankly, I just don't think we have the players to fit Emrim's system. And we we talk about confidence so much. And i think you can see every time that United concede, you can see like the shell shock on the players.
00:09:42
Jools
Yeah.
00:09:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
When I think of... like um I think it was two years ago, Real Madrid went to Liverpool and went down 2-0 to like a Darmo Nunes double or I don't remember who the scored.
00:09:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Early two nail down. And you can see how the Real Madrid players reacted was they went around to each other, Benzema being the focal point saying, we got this, we have the mentality, we'll push. And then they smashed them 5-2.
00:10:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Obviously, I'm not expecting United to go smash a Team five two after going down. But I am expecting some more of that mentality. And and i I think you see it from ah few players.
00:10:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
I would say DeLict mainly. and Namely, it would be one of my focal points. Because every time concede, you can see the anger and you don't see the loss of the head. Whereas a lot of the other players, you you do see the head loss. And it's it's quite troubling from a United perspective. because um I had a friend text me this that yeah this season it doesn't feel like we're allowed to win.
00:10:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
like and i Celebrating something like this that like feels like unnatural almost.
00:10:53
Jools
embarrassing kind of thing yeah um oh yeah i think i think the main problem with well one of many right but um the main thing is yeah the armor is reluctant to change as most top managers are it's my system like it's my system this is how we play this is how we're going to evolve but yeah the personnel
00:10:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, embarrassing, embarrassing. Yeah.
00:11:14
Jools
has been the main issue and the recruitment for so many years it's been the wrong profiles the wrong signings at the wrong times for the wrong amount of money and then all of a sudden a few years later down the line you look at your lineup and the bench and it's like these players wouldn't get in any other teams how did we how did we get here you keep shipping out all the players that have the quality because but they don't have the mentality but it must be a like ah club issue
00:11:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
00:11:40
Jools
Because Rashford has always been this good.
00:11:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:11:43
Jools
He's had two bad seasons in his career and he immediately looks like the best player at Aston Villa. Now he's gone there. So there has to be something at the club. Anthony, another one, you know, immediately becomes one of
Managerial Impact and Club Culture at United
00:11:56
Jools
the best players in Spain.
00:11:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:11:57
Jools
Like there has to be a real like structural issue at the club where talent just seems to die.
00:11:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah,
00:12:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah I mean, it's it's it's it's very much a pressure cooker because um um like you see so many players that like are decent players and then they come to United crumble and then they leave United and are very successful. i would, I would point to Lukaku. Obviously he bombed at Chelsea when he came back, but when he went to Inter right after the United move, Oh my God, he was lethal. You'd watch him in the Champions League and think where, where was that?
00:12:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's just, it's, it's quite, a
00:12:37
Jools
So what you think it is? so like, what you think is causing this with nearly every talented player that comes through?
00:12:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
i I think it's, i think it's the I think a lot of it is the shadows of the past. um Because United or like have this... like almost there's like a sense between the fans and sometimes the players, and ah that there's like this divine, right.
00:12:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
That United are supposed to be in the top four and the, like anything below that is, um, not just success, like not just a failure, but second, second manager. Like when we sacked, um, Louis van Hall after he won the FA cup and just finished level with city and just finished fifth.
00:13:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Um, I,
00:13:17
Jools
but Wage expenditure should say that that is where you should be, right?
00:13:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly.
00:13:22
Jools
that is that is the ex That is the indicator.
00:13:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
But the the the the problem is...
00:13:25
Jools
And with that, you had Mourinho coming in as well then. So like there was context to that. Mourinho was the guy Fergie always wanted in the first place, never mind David Moyes.
00:13:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:13:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:13:35
Jools
It was Mourinho. He was meant to be at Man United, it felt like. Obviously, it went sour, as it always dad did with him. But like now, it like yeah yeah Louis van Gaal was done dirty, sure, but there was a plan in place.
00:13:47
Jools
Now, it just feels like you're bouncing from one half plan to the next and
00:13:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it's also like, ah it's ah it's always a case of needs must with United. Like, this season is the season we've properly, properly failed. Which I would think is a good sign to like, all right, this summer, do a rebuild, but slow.
00:14:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Don't cut the costs of the cafeteria. Like, what why why is that where your mind is?
00:14:13
Jools
square disgraceful, I'm sorry
00:14:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
it It's horrific. And I don't, i like, there's always been talk about the glazes out, glazes out, glazes out. But if anyone else keeps on doing stuff like this, they're going to be rated far worse than the glazes because you're hurting them the morale of club.
00:14:27
Jools
Well, the Glazers are still there, right? So really, now you've got the Glazers there and a horrible like capitalist monolith company that are just trying to...
00:14:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:36
Jools
but I mean, come on. like
00:14:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:14:39
Jools
Casemiro's on £350,000 a week for the next three years.
00:14:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:14:43
Jools
You can afford to play the tea lady.
00:14:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
But, see, exactly. See, when... um United have made so many rash decisions in the past. I would point to signing Ronaldo um as a good...
00:14:55
Jools
Yeah.
00:14:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, obviously, great season with Ronaldo, and he was a fantastic player for us, even in that second spell. But the only reason it happened is the rumors were that he was going to join City, and Edward Ward was in, like, Gary Lineker's garden, and here's this news. and And it's like, okay, I need to get this done. Like, like this is, like...
00:15:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's It's a sense of pride. And when we... The reason we signed Casemiro, the reason we paid so much money for Anthony is because we lost 2-1 to Brighton in the start season. and Then we lost 4-0 to Brentford. And the alarm bells go off.
00:15:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
But you have to have, like, patience with the rebuild. And I think that's what... I think that's what Amram's been given. i just hope it lasts into next season a little bit. And he, like...
00:15:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
actually takes it in his stride and says that was a horrific season never is that our standard but now we can build now we can do something
00:15:48
Jools
But where do you draw that line? Because you can't just keep losing infinitum, you know?
00:15:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think the the line is next season, frankly. I'd love it to be this season, but I don't think one United can afford... If we can't afford to pay the cafeteria stuff, I don't think we can afford to pay Amarim out of his contract.
Ad Break and Transition to Next Analysis
00:16:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm sure it's going to be like 12, 15 million pounds, something like that.
00:16:11
Jools
It's not his fault as well, but also but also like if you're a manager, you you can't you can't just can't keep losing at Man United.
00:16:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly, exactly.
00:16:20
Jools
like That's just not an option.
00:16:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:22
Jools
I've seen a stat just now that since Amarim's taken over, United have conceded first in 12 games, which is the most in the whole division. um And I'm pretty sure you don't exactly have a great comeback rate this year too.
00:16:36
Jools
So that says a lot, I think.
00:16:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah There's just no belief in the squad. And now, like, ah it's just a razor thin squad. um I think we should take a quick ad break right here after 16 minutes.
00:16:48
Jools
Yeah.
Liverpool's Dominance Against Newcastle
00:17:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
All right. um I think we should move on to the Liverpool-Newcastle game. um Another seemingly routine win for Liverpool.
00:17:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Did you catch any of this game, Jules?
00:17:38
Jools
Yeah, yeah, I had this on the whole time. um My eyes nearly strayed, crossed forever, trying to keep up with all the games today, but I think I did my best with the Liverpool one.
00:17:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:17:48
Jools
and So it was another excellent excellent and efficient performance by Liverpool. Dress rehearsal of the Carabao Cup final, and um Liverpool put their foot down and put it on Newcastle's throat here.
00:18:00
Jools
They dominated, they were clearly the best team, created plenty of chances. It's not easy to to stifle Newcastle the way they did and they did it comfortably even when newcastle aren't great they always look dangerous and obviously they had no easack today which makes a huge difference calum wilson fluffed a couple of chances but it wasn't too much he could do really but um yeah ah they all look so fluid at liverpool so comfortable happy and of course they would be with the world's best player up front as well
00:18:31
Jools
Salah was playing with a smile, trying to traveller everything, trying to traveller shots, passes, crosses, and it nearly always worked as well. He didn't get his goal today, but he set up yet another one, um which was Alexis McAllister's goal. Dominic Saboslay scored in back-to-back games.
00:18:50
Jools
um ah after getting a golden assist against City on Sunday. But just back on Salah, that takes his Premier League assist tally to 16 and direct goal contributions in the Premier League this year to 41.
00:19:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
it Isn't it 17? I believe it's because I if he got an assist today, I'm pretty sure it's 17 because he was on 25 16.
00:19:09
Jools
thought, OK, then there we are. Now he's got 42 goal contributions.
00:19:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because um I saw a stat um off of Opta saying that KDB obviously had a season where he got 20 assists, but KDB took corners.
00:19:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
And so this is the most open play assists outside of the Thierry Henry record in the Premier League.
00:19:33
Jools
Yeah, that that was 20 as well in 2003 or 2004, wasn't it?
00:19:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. And so
00:19:38
Jools
Yeah, you're right, yo you're right my bad, it's 17. So I'll revise what I'm saying.
00:19:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's
00:19:42
Jools
it's forty forty
00:19:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Even more impressive.
00:19:45
Jools
It's 42 goal contributions and so far. He's only two away from the 38-game season record, which was the Henri season we were on about, where he got 24 goals.
Salah's Outstanding Season Compared to Premier League Greats
00:19:57
Jools
And Haaland's first season in the Prem, where he got 36 goals and 8 assists. Shearer and Andy Cole hold the best record in total, which was when it was 42-game season.
00:20:08
Jools
And that was that's with 47. So Salah only needs six more goal contributions in his last, is it 10 games? 10 games left. It's a no-brainer. He's going to break that. He could break the all-time assist record.
00:20:22
Jools
He could even break the all-time goal record if he if he kicks off a bit there as well. i we've not We've never seen anything like this. I mean, i i am old enough, unfortunately, to remember the Henry season very well.
00:20:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:20:35
Jools
and default And this feels like that. It feels like Ronaldo in 08-09, Henry 0304.
00:20:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:20:41
Jools
We're watching the world's best player in the Premier League, which doesn't happen often anymore.
00:20:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're seeing the peak of his powers. And I think what's so interesting about Salah is he's not... like There was always this comparison, Salah versus Hazard. And Hazard, in in a lot of ways, dribbles so much nicer than Salah. Optically, you're just like, wow, he passed that person.
00:21:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
He has so many of these solo goals. But Salah doesn't even... It's it's not even pretty. He just gets the job done game after game after game. And it's so... brutally efficient that you have to in my opinion i think this season has um solidified salah into the like premier league 11 of all time i i think he beats i think he's in that henry shearer um category and just ahead of ronaldo because we see ronaldo obviously did fantastic things at real madrid and he had a great season at united
00:21:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
But Salah's season right now is is better ah by almost every metric.
00:21:42
Jools
is better.
00:21:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
and it's so consistent.
00:21:48
Jools
Yeah. 32,
00:21:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he's the fact that he's like, what is he, 31?
00:21:53
Jools
they two i think.
00:21:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
The fact that he's 30 plus and this is the efficacy we're getting from him. And it's unreal, unreal.
00:22:04
Jools
It's a testament to how well he's looked after himself to be peaking at this age as well.
00:22:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:22:09
Jools
that That's not a coincidence that he's getting better because his understanding of the game is better. Like you say, he's brutally efficient. There's no wasted movements, which means he can go for 95 minutes twice a week.
00:22:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:21
Jools
um And he is someone that gets a lot of late goals as well because he's always in the game right until the end, like hungry as any top forward should be to add add more stats.
00:22:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:22:34
Jools
um i Yeah, I don't think it gets much better. and i And I'd even say, yes, I agree with your aesthetics point, but um it's more than efficiency because his first touch is gorgeous, right?
00:22:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Sublime, sublime, yeah.
00:22:47
Jools
Like it doesn't matter where he gets it. like He can control it with his left foot, even if it's like behind him, like on the wrong side.
00:22:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
00:22:55
Jools
like It's absolutely unbelievable. And his passing, this year I know a lot of people have picked up on it, but he's been this good at passing for ages. Just no one finished the chances before.
00:23:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:23:05
Jools
His expected assist is only like seven this year, but that's about the same as it has been most years he's been at Liverpool. It's just a lot of the chances have gone in this time. But he can hit...
00:23:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:23:16
Jools
His vision and his execution is... right up there with the very best. And that's probably like the third best part of his game.
00:23:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Yeah, and I think um so maybe like one of the quote-unquote downfalls with Zuzela has been he'll fall away later into the season. And Mane would pick up the slack, and other players would pick up the slack, but he would have like insane stats up to like February, March.
Salah vs Hazard: Efficiency vs Flair
00:23:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Obviously, you have AFCON some years, and he comes back, and he's not just not the same player. This season, he's it's it's like he gets better after every game, and it gets more and more impressive after every game. And it's...
00:23:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah,
00:23:55
Jools
I've never seen him this happy, and I think that's why he's so dangerous.
00:23:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah, yeah. yeah like He's just... And the fact that we've had this this contract talk the entire season, and yes, people have talked about it, but it has not affected the team whatsoever.
00:24:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, at all.
00:24:13
Jools
Especially their three best players.
00:24:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
The three main players, and...
00:24:15
Jools
ah ah yeah normally it could completely capitulate um you know when you have such vital figures like this.
00:24:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:24
Jools
i mean When Chelsea had similar scenarios, the manager normally ends up getting sacked. This isn't normal, but I think this Liverpool team isn't normal.
00:24:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:34
Jools
I think they they've got to Beautiful balance in the team where they're all collectively sound but individually better than their opposition as well. And then, yeah, like I say, if you have that that Egyptian, the Egyptian king up front, you can win anything.
00:24:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Yeah, I could talk about Zella for millennia.
Brentford vs Everton and Moyes' Adaptation
00:24:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
he's just that He's in that class now. um We're going to take a quick and break, briefly cover the other two games of the Wednesday, and preview Leicester West Ham.
00:25:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
OK, Brentford versus Everton. um
00:25:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Quick touch on it. What are what are your highlights of the game that, or highlights of the?
00:25:56
Jools
um I have no idea as I did not watch it But um yeah, it's one all. um I can't even remember who scored for Brentford. I remember if we said that O'Brien scored for Everton, didn't we?
00:26:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think it's Wista.
00:26:08
Jools
And yeah, good to see that he's getting a start bargain by from Lyon. and Didn't quite make it in the team under Sean Dyche, but David Moyes' train keeps rolling on.
Everton's Future and Stadium Move
00:26:19
Jools
Brentford have got one of the best home forms in the whole division this year as well. Everton should have beaten United on the weekend too, in which case they won that game as well. They'd be top of the form table in in the entire division. and So, yeah, I haven't got enough good things to say about both David Moyes as a man and a manager and Everton Football Club because...
00:26:39
Jools
that is it's they've had some hard times, the Evertonians, over the past 10, 20, even 30 years, right? And they're now watching arguably the best Liverpool team of ah of of of an era too.
00:26:56
Jools
So, yeah, I'm happy for them. that and They're comfortably away from the relegation zone now um and another good point away to a good side.
00:27:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Yeah, much of the same sentiment. The David Moyes train keeps chugging. um I'll be interested to see how they do next season, because obviously this season they're home and dry and it looks very good, but...
00:27:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Will they invest in the summer? Will the new stadium really, and will the fans really take to the new stadium? Because I know there's so much love for Goodison. And at the end of the sea this season, that's going to be the rhetoric is, oh my God, we're so lucky to be here. We're so lucky to have Goodison.
00:27:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
I wonder what kind of summer they'll have. And if this momentum will keep going. Because like we saw last, this started this season with Crystal Palace. They ended the last season so strong and started the season so weak because everyone expected that momentum to continue, and it just sloughed away. I mean, obviously now they're recovering some of that momentum and vital away wins after away wins, but I think that would be where I see Everton is struggling the most is starting next season, and not in this season.
00:28:11
Jools
I think, with just on that, sorry, and Tottenham's new stadium seemed to change the perception of how everyone's seen them.
00:28:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Oh, yeah. Mm-hmm.
00:28:19
Jools
they ah like They'd been floating as an air brackets, big six club for a while, but then the stadium, which is the best in the world, to be fair, was...
00:28:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's quality. quality
00:28:32
Jools
made everyone kind of see them as an elite club. So maybe it could help yeah in terms of a summer rebuild and looking at the future that there is a brand new gorgeous stadium in in Liverpool as well.
00:28:47
Jools
um Yeah, and the momentum off the back of this season as well. and Probably, like, similarly to Palace last season, probably helped them get a few European players, which is possibly what Everton could do now to try and kick on to the next step.
00:29:03
Jools
Someone like Ndi, who clearly is a step above a lot of what they currently have, which is mainly a domestic squad.
00:29:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:29:10
Jools
But, um yeah, I think under David Moyes, he tends to... Tends to get it right if he's given opportunities. And we've seen what he can do with with with the opportunity at Everton as well.
00:29:21
Jools
If you give him the keys, he can build you a team that can challenge up the league for sure.
Forest vs Arsenal: Goalless Draw Analysis
00:29:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Alright, we're gonna quickly touch on Forest Arsenal. I know neither of us really watched this game and given that it's a nil-nil game, it's kind of hard to look at moments to point to um Is there anything we can think of to add to this game that isn't in the description of it?
00:29:48
Jools
um yeah Yeah, sure. um So the game, um from what I've seen, ah went how you'd expect. um Forest being very resilient.
00:30:00
Jools
Arsenal struggling to break down one of the league's best low blocks this season. 65% possession for the Gunners, but without Saka, without Havertz.
00:30:11
Jools
Odegaard hasn't quite stepped up this season as you'd like him to. They've been they've found it really difficult to create opportunities and score them. and and eat And even worse, when it looked like Jesus was about to about to become that guy that we all thought he could be, he gets injured for the rest of the season too.
00:30:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:30:30
Jools
So they have had it tough, having your most creative players injured. But... title-winning teams find a way. And i think, yet again, they've proven that they're just not quite there.
00:30:44
Jools
I think they're good enough to do it if all the pieces line up. But if the pieces don't line up, you've got to find your own solutions. and They could have even lost this game. i watched I watched the end of it and...
00:30:55
Jools
Forest seemed to go, right, we've got them where we want them. The last five minutes, we're going to go for them. And they could have scored two or three. and So another another good result for Forest after their form has dropped.
00:31:07
Jools
They've conceded more and lost more over the last month or so than they have done most of the season. So and really good point and draw and clean sheet for Forest. Keeps them in third, as I said earlier, one point ahead of City.
00:31:21
Jools
All the other teams below Forest have caught up now. But it's still
Arsenal's Season Impacted by Injuries
00:31:25
Jools
in their hands. So the fairy tale the fairy tale moves on.
00:31:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. um Very much the same sentiment of Forest are so defensively resolute. This is a classic example of ah like a weakened Arsenal attack is never go really going to breach them.
00:31:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think they... had a nice spark when Marino came off the bench, but every time Marino has started a game, he might be okay at hold-up play from what I've seen, but there's no cutting edge and there's no instinct there.
00:31:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
It seems like this season, Arsenal have just been quite unlucky with injuries because it's it's not that they've had the most, but they've had them in crucial areas of the pitch Odegaard early in the season then they get a few red cards I think they've had five red cards this season um and then just as they're finding their phone just as they get the Jesus injury they have the soccer injury and like that those two alone are killer and then you get the Havers yeah
00:32:25
Jools
I mean, Saka by himself, I think, is enough to derail it, to be honest. He's so, so important to that team, as he would be any team. He is a phenomenal footballer.
00:32:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
I yeah
00:32:35
Jools
At the start the start of the season, sorry people were debating Saka v Salah. So that's how good he is.
00:32:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. That's very true. um At the start of the season, there was always this talk about Arsenal, and i think Saka was really struggling without Odegaard, because he needs that.
00:32:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Odegaard just relieves that little bit of pressure away from him so that he can like take the ball away, but everyone was double-upping on Saka. And still, he got 10 assists at the start of the season, and they're just missing that quality.
00:33:02
Jools
Yeah. yeah ah For his corner delivery, him and Rice all of a sudden just became phenomenal corner takers.
00:33:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, yeah.
00:33:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:33:10
Jools
like Like, all all of their, both of their careers, they'd been pretty useless at it, I thought.
00:33:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:33:15
Jools
But then all of a sudden, Declan Rice is hitting knuckleball corners on a sixpence to Gabriel every time.
00:33:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh my god.
00:33:20
Jools
Okay. I want some of that juice.
00:33:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
he Yeah.
Previewing Leicester vs West Ham
00:33:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's preview Leicester versus West Ham. Do we think this is a clear West Ham victory? Or do we think... um
00:33:30
Jools
Oh, definitely not clear because ah west nothing has been clear with West Ham this season.
00:33:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
that's Okay.
00:33:35
Jools
and Obviously, they've just had an amazing win.
00:33:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Also fair.
00:33:39
Jools
and The best best day of Graham Potter's tenure so far, competing Arsenal at the Emirates last time out. And... um It just shows the strength of the Premier League, right?
00:33:49
Jools
You go through West Ham's like team and ah there's ballers there, you know, like Koudas, Bowen, Paqueta.
00:33:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Suchek. Tadibou.
00:33:58
Jools
um Really good footballers. um
00:34:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
su check
00:34:01
Jools
Suchek is solid too. i Good for a goal. Good leader as well. And they added some European quality. Edson Alvarez, Guido Rodriguez.
00:34:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
siva
00:34:11
Jools
um So, yeah, that that you'd think they were going to do better. and At the start of the season on the Daily City podcast, um three of us predicted West Ham to be near the European places.
00:34:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Ha ha ha.
00:34:25
Jools
So we've all got egg in our face there. But um after a pretty tricky start, and they could and they could use this that that big win to garner some momentum for the end of the season.
00:34:38
Jools
They're not going to go down, but... theyve they might well They might well be um kind of worst of the rest.
Leicester's Attacking Struggles
00:34:45
Jools
For Leicester, it is now or never, really. We're getting to the point where Wolves are starting to pull away.
00:34:52
Jools
Mateus Cunha is back and fully firing. Leicester don't have that type of quality. It's as simple as that.
00:34:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:34:59
Jools
They've been unlucky at times, but also they've been really poor at times. So Leicester are going to need to be absolutely on it. um I don't think it'll be an easy West Ham win, but I do think they'll have enough to get the job done, yeah.
00:35:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I'd be very surprised if West Ham didn't win this. Obviously, they had a good result, and usually off the back of that, there should be some sort of momentum coming from it. But definitely more from the case of Leicester's perspective, I just don't i don't see the strength in them. because Even when they were playing United, they were better than us and probably deserved the epic of fourth round victory.
00:35:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
um But that's not saying much in this season. But it definitely felt like they were a team of moments. I feel like um the bottom three is very solidified. Ipswich haven't gotten a win in 2025 yet, and we're end of February now.
00:35:52
Jools
They've had so many nearly moments of a nay and like, li like Luton last year, you just think at the time, oh, that's going to come back and haunt you, man.
00:35:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:35:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, the Southampton loss was killer. like that That is three points that you need.
00:36:03
Jools
Yeah.
00:36:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
You absolutely need. The fact that they didn't get it, is just it's it's just harrowing. um But yeah, i just I just don't see it going any other way Leicester.
00:36:16
Jools
They haven't got enough goals. They got enough goals. that um I used to be the biggest Jamie Vardy hater, but obviously that is a stupid position to hold. He is a legend and he's proven himself for both club and country and Premier League winner as well.
00:36:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:36:33
Jools
And no one can take that away from him. However, in big 2025, we can't be playing Jamie Vardy 38 games a season and expect to stay in the Premier League. He was struggling and not first choice in the championship last year.
00:36:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:36:47
Jools
So then he so then he he regained his place over the summer as they got promoted. and
00:36:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:36:52
Jools
He's had moments and his movement's still really good. You know the brain's still ticking but the legs don't move the same way anymore.
00:36:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:36:59
Jools
and
00:36:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:36:59
Jools
Without that half a yard of space, his pace creates him. He can't get shots off in the same way and Yeah, i they don't they just don't have enough they don't have enough juice in the tank, i think.
Episode Conclusion and Farewell
00:37:11
Jools
They've got some tidy players, but not enough.
00:37:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:37:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
definite Definitely agrees. but There's an attacker that I really like at Leicester is Fatou, but now he's also out for the season ah with a crucial injury.
00:37:22
Jools
Yeah.
00:37:25
Jools
He is good. I think he was the one, right? Because last year he was really good and they got him off Sporting for a pretty cheap as well.
00:37:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Last year, he... Yeah.
00:37:31
Jools
It was a good deal all round.
00:37:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:37:33
Jools
But yeah.
00:37:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And every time I've seen him play, he's had like something about him.
00:37:39
Jools
He looks like a Premier League winger, doesn't he?
00:37:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
But even... ah He does look like... Exactly. He looks like a Premier League widow ah winger. Sorry. Winger. I mean, hopefully.
00:37:46
Jools
I don't think he's been a winner yet.
00:37:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
You replicate Jamie Vardy's achievements. um
00:37:52
Jools
El Canoos looks good as well in moments, but again, he's young and inconsistent.
00:37:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, but when when you're a team full of moments, you yeah it's how like how long can you survive like that?
00:37:57
Jools
Buena Norte as well.
00:38:02
Jools
Yeah.
00:38:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
the biggest criticism of United over the years is a team of moments. um I think that ah just about wraps up our episode, though. It's been a pleasure having you, Jules. Yeah.
00:38:13
Jools
First of Manny, hopefully.
00:38:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
All right. Adios, adios.