Transcript
Speaker: Welcome the Long Come Norwich podcast. Inept defending, infuriating errors and inexcusable indecision ignited intense panic following intolerable results. Incredulous fans are issuing complaints after insipid passing invited defeat, inflicting irreversible damage on intimidated opponents while innovative finishings settled it, indicating once again that we are infuriatingly inconsistent.
Speaker: Claire, whose fault is Saturday's defeat most? My gosh, that is a difficult question. Firstly, I think that was a bit of a negative intro. I don't think it's all bad.
Speaker: yeah very much in that that was a brilliant game of football, highly entertaining. a lot of the Borough fans have said we're by far the most entertaining best of sight attacking side they've seen up there in a long time. So it's not all bad. There are obviously huge issues.
Speaker: I would say in the middle of the park, I think there's not enough issues Protection for the defence. I don't like all the yeah argument that it's it's the goalkeeper's fault that it's Vlad's fault.
Speaker: The defence is looking shaky, but I don't think they've got enough protection in front of them. I think when you play with Mo and Slomani and they just don't.
Speaker: offer enough protection and they don't come back enough they offer something completely different but I honestly think Jacob Wright should be starting in the number 10 role just to help Kenny and Pella out a bit and that did make a massive difference in the second half and I think we need to see that from the start in the next match I don't know what you guys think. but Well, the people who have copped the most flack that I have seen ah from the weekend, you've sort of skirted around by saying that Vlad, he's sort as part of the defence, not having enough... support
Speaker: Rory also, um I think quite rightly, has to hold his hands up at a mistake and an error. I don't think that's to do with but both Vlad and Rory's poor displays on Saturday. i don't think either of them can be put at the midfield door or Mo not coming back enough or or right starting. I don't think it matters who's in your number 10, 6, 8 position.
Speaker: for if you make those kind of errors, you are going to concede against upper championship and above teams. um but But, punt, Vlad in particular has has really caught some flack. So let's let's just sort of start at the back and work our way through.
Speaker: and then we'll come back to that midfield point, there are quite a few people now pushing for for right to start. But let's let's start at at number one. he you know I'll pause my thoughts because I've been on record saying I think he's just got too many ricks in him for how many games he positively changes for us.
Speaker: what do you What say you, Pump? um I've kind of always been in that camp. I haven't been big on him from the start, but I think it's really easy to live with a goalkeeper like Vlad when he is making world-class saves and then doing some stupid stuff as well alongside that.
Speaker: He's no longer making the world-class saves, or at least the saves that you would not expect your average championship keeper to make. But yet he's got two or three moments a game where you're genuinely heart and mouth and you feel like there's there's a mistake in him. There's less of those this season so far, though.
Speaker: I don't think he's done it as much. There's less than there was under Manning. On Saturday, he literally stood on the ball in his own area, fell over it, and there was a moment, like three or four seconds, where oh man, maybe not that, three or four seconds, but there was like a, shit, someone's just going to collect the ball and just put it into the empty net. And like so he got up and sorted it out. But, I mean, there was no one around him within a good few yards. You're like, actually, what? what what but And...
Speaker: And his distribution has worsened. Now, I wonder, and this is maybe feeding to Claire's point about the collective and positionally where we're at, but I wonder whether teams are pressing us in a little bit more of an educated way and then that is stifling our distribution lines or you know whatever you'd call them. um And that that is making it more difficult for him. But Michael Nelson made the point on comms on Saturday and I kind of agree with him.
Speaker: he He seems fine most of the time, like 90% of the time when when he's, um you know, it's it's simplistic ball sideways. So, you know, he's given it to Rari or he's he's given it to Cordoba or, you know, he's he's pinging it out to to a fullback.
Speaker: But as soon as he's having to start to clip it or go a little bit longer, I think he's really struggled this season with his distribution and, you again, is that about teams just having a much better look at us, you know, kind of over over a a bigger sample period and and then they're able to to nullify what we're doing? Or is it just that we're playing in a slightly different way this season or Vlad's just out of nick, you know, kind of, and ah and it might be a little bit of all of those things and that's fine. The difficulty that we've got is that,
Speaker: I think in in a lot of sides, i mean I've seen some metrics which say that he might be one of the worst performing goalkeepers in the Championship so far. Again, really small sample section. But you know that but you know there are there are certainly situations where last season I think he'd have he'd have got hand to something or he'd have saved something and he hasn't this season. He's been beaten maybe a little bit easier than than we'd have liked him to have been.
Speaker: And that is a worry. you know ah there was a you know I think Conor had highlighted it in ah in a piece for the Pinken, but he he'd conceded something like 40% of the shots on target and on his goal, which is is staggeringly high.
Speaker: um But weren't a lot of them yesterday? mean, Saturday, sorry. I think they always like slept there was also a bit about it slightly skewed the stats because 50% was on Saturday or something.
Speaker: But it's still not a brilliant read, is it? and i you know look i think No. i I think there's loads to be positive about on Saturday. um And there's certainly some issues to... There's some kinks to iron out.
Speaker: But Vlad is one of those. And the problem for me is you you can't drop him. Grimshaw seems like a real drop-off to me. And that's no slight on Grimshaw, right? you know Maybe an able backup championship goalkeeper.
Speaker: But... there is quite a significant drop-off to to Vlad's potential and Grimshaw's potential. so So what do you do? How do you instil that confidence back in him? And is it, you know, I kind of question it because the the conversation about Vlad went away last season when he was being way better protected by a really stable defensive base.
Speaker: And it's kind of re-emerged now as soon as he's been exposed to a little bit more traffic. And so, you know, like ah i think it I think it is a legitimate worry. I think, Tom, you called it at the back end of last season and said, ah you know, you you'd be looking at that in the summer as an area that we we need to address.
Speaker: I agreed, but it wasn't top of my list. And clearly the list that we had this summer wasn't as long as maybe some supporters would have liked. But... you know It would have been nice to go out and get another goalkeeper. It would have been nice to go out and get another central midfielder just so we feel like we had workable options in there.
Speaker: um But yeah, i think it's... He's not to blame, but he's is's part of a picture where when Norwich have to be really on it to beat, you know, let's have this right, like Middlesbrough, one of the best sides in the division.
Speaker: So when you're when you go to one of the best sides in the division, you everyone has to be on it for Norwich to get a result. And Vlad wasn't, and Rari wasn't, and Kenny probably wasn't, and Pella probably wasn't first half, and Kellen definitely wasn't, you know, for most of the game. so It just feels like, ah don't know, this I think Phil will get it right. I think Clermont will absolutely get this right. But it just feels like we're we're still transitioning to the team that we're going to be this season.
Speaker: Well, you mentioned it being a really small sample. It's the same sample as all of the other goalies I've got to put in. um So moving into midfield then, Claire, if you're if you're starting Jacob Wright, then presumably you're dropping Oscar and Slomani and Paris from being able to start, or are you thinking of yeah rotating Pella and Kenny one at a time?
Speaker: No, no. ah i would like to see Jacob in the 10 and Kenny and kennyan Pella still playing. um I just think it's it's just too open and there's something not quite right with both of them still.
Speaker: Pella seems to have one good half in the game, usually the second half, but the first half he's just all over the place a bit. And I'm um I don't want to say it, but I do think age appears to be catching up with Kenny a little bit this year. It's creeping in. He just doesn't seem as... I can't put my finger on it.
Speaker: I just think we're at the precipice of ah of a decline. I hate saying that, Kenny, because obviously we love you, Kenny, but... ah We've been laughing about it, but i've I've said this. He looks like he's got something up his bottom when he runs. And I've never noticed that until this season. So I don't know if he's legitimately got some back issue going on that's problematic for him. I wonder if he legitimately has something up his arse. Well, he may. well We were joking, maybe there's energy sachets up there or something. The fastest way get it for you a bloodstream. more scientists' breakthrough. Straight in.
Speaker: But I mean think we we do have to accept that we we ah unless something miraculous happens, Even if he was playing brilliantly this season, we would expect to be within the last 18 months of of Kenny at the top of his powers. So there has to be a succession plan. like concern My concern is how bad we have looked when he hasn't been on the pitch this season.
Speaker: Well, he hasn't not been on the pitch that often. I was going to when has he not been on the pitch this season? Hardly ever. He went off in the second half when we were winning, didn't he? One game. Yeah, that wasn't long, was it? Burnley, maybe? Yeah, also, was some time in the cup game as well. Oh, yeah, but... That second string, yeah, I think that's all right. Yeah, but that second string is made up of the people who you'd need to replace him. Because I don't want to replace him right now. I get that. I think he's still got a lot to give. That's why I want Jacob in the 10 at the moment. So if we're taking Phil at his word that he's going to keep rotating all season, and I'll come back to that in a second,
Speaker: then surely he has to eventually rotate for, um, Phil, he has to rotate Kenny as well. Because saying he keeps saying, Oh, Kenny can go Saturday, Tuesday. Kenny can go Saturday, Tuesday. Well, maybe we need to see whether or not a fully rested Kenny,
Speaker: can do Saturday and then close a game out on Tuesday. I don't know, though, whether Kenny's the issue. I wonder. No, I don't think he's had that bad a start to the season, personally, at all. Well, I think he's had a couple of halves where he's looked like he's absolutely stretched. He's played badly when everyone else has. What he hasn't done this season is he hasn't turned things around when everyone else has been having a shitter. I would offer up an alternate theory.
Speaker: I think, i you know, look and I think, you know, regular listeners to the pod, all 10 of them might realise that i'm I'm not massive on Mo Torre off the ball, right? I mean, although I actually think the goal he scored on Saturday in terms of pure finish was probably the best goal he scored for Norwich so far. I mean, just just to the fact that he slammed that in the corner was just ridiculous. So you saw the very best of him for whatever it was, 90 seconds into the match. And then I think you saw the very worst of him until he came off.
Speaker: And I think with Toure, is a moments player, right? Like he is just going to produce that that bit of magic to, you know, to to get you, you know, to nudge you ahead. But with Toure, I feel like,
Speaker: whoever's in the 10 and predominantly it's been Slomani this season, almost has to play as a second striker to mitigate for the fact that Toure doesn't do that extra work. And so, you know, we so it's almost like then actually Pella and Kenny are getting pulled about into different places, which Slomani or whoever it was playing in the 10 might have been able to stop before that had happened.
Speaker: So there is extra emphasis on them, but also... um And I know, Tom, you've talked about this a little bit, although I don't see it as much with Brooks and I see it more with Masaba. But the wingers aren't instinctively doing as much defensive work, which looks like it's by design. It looks like, you know, kind of it's almost like when we're in possession, we've got, you know, kind of ah a back line of six and, you know, a front line of four. And it's just ping it into the front line of four and, you know, and see if they can do damage. And and they have like, you know, so very often they've been really, really potent.
Speaker: but there's a big divide between the two. and it And it feels to me like if you can get the 10 being effective, if be it Jacob Wright, be it Oscar Schwartow, be it whoever like Paris, um then I think we're going to get um a way better function in Norwich. And, um and so, yeah, I don't, I don't think it's, I don't think it's a blame culture. I think it's like, you know, from, from what you were saying originally, Tom, I think it's, it's just fine tuning the bits that need fine tuning and, and it,
Speaker: Wright was excellent in the 10 on Saturday. there's There's no doubt about that. he was incredible. Are we all happy to accept that rotation is going to be what we have to have all season?
Speaker: Because so far the results are suggesting it doesn't work.
Speaker: I don't know. I mean, like two wins in three, like against two good teams as well. And actually we've we've been shaded out by one goal against someone, who you know, i mean, some people are saying that they're very good.
Speaker: yeah but Which is what I said last week at the predictions. I was like, we're going to both be in it and they're just going to score one more goal than us. But they're they're a really, really good team. And like some of the comments, I'm like, People seem to have thought, expect that we're going to go up there and just win easily. Like, come on they' They're probably going to get promoted. Yeah, no, the movement off the board was amazing.
Speaker: Yeah. With regards to the rotation, I'm deliberately being provocative, but i just think there is a, because of Phil um putting us on such a great run last season, I just think it's worth,
Speaker: um bringing up the potential thought experiment that we could potentially suggest where actually rotation doesn't work in the championship and there aren't that many examples of championship teams that win.
Speaker: you can't I don't think you can have it both ways. You can't have 10 muscular injuries all at the same time and and then play and play and rotate. i think I think there's a balance. like you know For me, there's games where he's completely dipped out notable members of the squad.
Speaker: And I think, well, you know could they have given us a 15, 20-minute cameo? But you know it almost has been that the decision is, no, they need complete rest. But that that was weird to me. So when he dipped out Oscar against Sheffield United...
Speaker: Oscar was ready. Oscar was in the kit. Oscar was training up training or warming up with the rest of the team. So it's not like, you know, he's he' sat in the stands, you know, and he's he's had a you know lovely three-course meal and and a sit-down, you know, kind of in a proper rest. you know he's He's there physically doing what the players are doing apart from the 90 minutes. It's almost, and I'm guessing, probably post-match, he did a bit of work on the on the Sunday back at the training ground anyway. So...
Speaker: Yeah. ah Again, it's it's like we're saying with the number 10, it's balance. Like it's just finding our equilibrium. And I think when we get there, I think we're going to be really, really good this season, but it's, it's just get finding the raw ingredients are there.
Speaker: Yeah. The raw ingredients are there. And, um, I, uh, was thinking, and I'd offer, I'd offer this up for both of you. Uh, There have been lots of prolific goalscorers for Norwich City. We've been blessed with some that have been have scored way more goals than their talent maybe deserved. We've got some who have been and you know only been with us for a short period of time and scored loads of goals whilst they've been here before being moved on.
Speaker: Can you remember a time where it feels like almost anyone who plays up front is likely to score?
Speaker: I mean, I can't even remember when we've had like a ah big man, little man combination for more than... where genuinely they both... So we had Roberts and Bellamy, didn't we, for about a season and half? Sutton and Robbins. They both felt like so goal scorers. But the fact that we've now got three...
Speaker: proven goal scorers at this level who don't even need to be in a run of form because they can be dropped and then come straight back in and score. The fact they all tend to score within, they've all got almost a better goal per game ratio.
Speaker: It's bonkers really that that how deep that that area is. I was just trying to think if you can think of another time we've had, i mean, like I say, that the only one I could think of was and where both were scoring prolifically was Roberts and Bellamy. Yeah.
Speaker: But just to have those three different options and also have goals chipping in from elsewhere, I don't think we're going to want for goals this season. I don't think we're going to end up with a big minus goal difference at the end. That's going be what costs us the playoffs.
Speaker: But also, I think, Once Jo, like Jov came on and looked magical again, like he's just, he I know he can't play full full game, but when he comes on, he just doesn't look rusty at all so far. His goal, the way he took his goal was fantastic. So there's going to come a point where I think he is going to be the starting striker in the matches.
Speaker: And then we're going to have a lot more in in the game than Moe offers us because Jove is going to do that bit much more work than Moe does. And then Moe will come on when everyone's tiring and he's got that explosive pace. think it's going to be more that way round that they play rather than the way we've currently got it with Moe starting and Jove coming But Moe scores in the first few minutes. Oh, he does. You can't argue with that. But then he can still score in the first few minutes of him coming on.
Speaker: So... just I think play playing for the first five minutes, get one up and then bring Jovan. That doesn't work, does it? It's not worked on Saturday.
Speaker: we it wasn't lucky We were unlucky on Saturday as well. I mean, that got that goal, that you know the winning goal for them was very fortuitous. but We shouldn't have been in a situation to be losing. I mean, the the some of the dissent... They're a good team.
Speaker: They are a good team. but And you don't have a problem with... um i had no problem at all ah whilst we backed off him a bit, the the Burnley goal is a cracking goal, like really good finish. And i don't I don't think Vlad should have known he was going to put it that far in in the corner. Yes, we maybe we could have pressed him a bit better, but that wasn't a defensive shit to bed. That was just sometimes a bit of midfielder with a bit of room, cracks an absolutely brilliant goal, you know, and and it and it's and it's out of reach the goalie. Which one was the one at the near post that Vlad probably should have done better with, but actually...
Speaker: The players around, they they closed the for Borough's second goal. um Our players closed him down, but he just managed to get his foot round and and and and stick it in. like There's not an awful lot more the players could have done with that goal. It was just well-taken goal. Vlad's defence... Vlad could have probably done better on that one, but I don't think Vlad could have done any of the other ones.
Speaker: if you look at um If you look at the goals we've conceded this season, with maybe the exception of the Burnley one, I'm trying to think back to the Millwall goals, although my brain has compartmentalised that. never a lot of They are cutbacks and smashing them home. like that They're not...
Speaker: someone dribbling and then taking him on one-on-one mostly, you know, that they're not an incredible piece of wing play or a phenomenal, um you know, Jack Wilshere style, a hundred touch goal.
Speaker: They are someone like has a brain fart, gives the ball away really simply, or there's an overload because, because someone isn't tackling back like Sheffield United, like guys immediately saw a usual suspect not helping out. And but although to your point, John, maybe he's being told not to defend too much, you know, the, the,
Speaker: A lot of our goals, you can point to a really obvious action that we could have taken to avoid. Maybe in Vlad's defence, the reason that he's conceded such a high percentage of goals is because a lot of the shots is are coming from eight, nine yards out. I'd probably need to see the the figures of that.
Speaker: But um yeah, i want I want to really dwell on this rotation point because if if we're going to do it, I really feel like he needs we need a ah longer a longer period of time to prove that it's not going to cause injuries and prove that we are actually able to get get the results.
Speaker: Because ah for me, the performances are so inconsistent and performances point more to how well we're going to finish over the season than results do. I'd completely disagree with that. I don't think the performances are massively inconsistent. as Once you take out Millwall, I actually think the body of work is pretty decent. um Look, I think we were second best on Saturday and I think had we have gotten in a draw, we'd have been...
Speaker: relatively fortunate. And Tuesday, we were terrible until Oscar scored, or Wednesday, or whatever it was. Yeah, but that was 25 minutes in, and then were pretty Yeah, then after that, yeah, after we were over. So, you can't worry about that. Goals change games, like that, that's all right.
Speaker: um But like Stoke, legitimately, we we could have got a draw or have won that game. West Brom, who, you know, doing very well this season, we should have won that game. like i Apart from Millwall, which I'm just going to mark down as an um an anomaly for now, I actually think we've been pretty okay and relatively consistent. um I hear your point. I think, you know, in terms of rotation, actually then it makes it it offers up the potential for individual errors, probably more because people are less settled, you know, kind of in their roles.
Speaker: um The difficulty for me is I think the the point that he's trying to labour, is that we've got some players in our squad who just can't do the three-game block in eight days or, you know, whatever it is. And he is so very specifically labelling those as the attacking players, you know, kind of. And and actually, then you've got the...
Speaker: um I mean, the full backs, he's changed a bit, but actually the centre backs and the two, you know, kind of holding midfielders, it's very much those four pick themselves and that's your lot, you know. And look, if they can continue to do it, then... that But I think what...
Speaker: What PC has confirmed is once those players are up to it, he will, you know, if those players are up to doing that and that, you know, the data suggests, you know, kind of that their bodies will hold up, I think he'll pick his best team most of the time. I don't think that will bother him, um you know, kind of especially, you know, he's quite happy to up upset people, you know, if he if he needs to.
Speaker: um i think this is what he feels. And, you know, like the club have invested hair but heavily in the sports science department, this summer but you know kind of certainly the club feels this is the best way of preserving fitness so I don't think we're going to understand the benefits of this approach until probably much later or you know much deeper into the season can't argue with it so far because no no we've had very little muscular injuries three long-term people out who were already out and so far touch wood we kept everyone else fit and you know who knows it's still so early in the season but if we manage to continue on that trend throughout the rest of the season, like keeping a fit squad is so crucial to having a successful season. yeah
Speaker: so if we manage to do that when other teams start, you know, players start falling by the wayside. And I think there are already a few that are really struggling with injuries. it's nice It's nice to feel a little little bit smug at the moment about that. just the fact that And the fact that you know we've got three fantastic strikers. And even if one of them gets injured and we manage to keep the other two fit, we're still on to a bit of a winner there.
Speaker: Progress the last season if we have two fit at a time rather than one. yeah So last point on rotation as a segue into ah looking ahead. who do you play at the Etihad?
Speaker: Do you go second string and just accept a thumping or do you try and go strong and keep it to 3-0? I saw that Australian TV are billing this as Haaland versus Toure. Yeah, I saw that.
Speaker: I mean, if you're a if the Aussie broadcaster is going to be pretty pissed off when and if neither of them play on Thursday, which I think is is actually fairly likely. Yeah, I can't see Man City putting out their top, top team.
Speaker: a No, no. But the other just to bill it like that, I mean, I know that Torre's got to be massive in Australia, so they they really will probably want to make a big deal of it. But I i think you'd probably start Chris scoring, don't you? You know, like he's, yeah, I think so.
Speaker: Who else are you going to start? Are you going start Torre? You're not going to start Jovan, are you? Why not? He's only got half an hour in him at the moment, surely. Half an hour, you think? Yeah. I think we're going to be kid gloves with him. what would be the benefit?
Speaker: He's probably not going to be very busy anyway. Well, but what what would the benefit of flogging him be, given that we've got quite and an extended period off coming up?
Speaker: And actually, if we can get him fit ready for you know the after the break, then you know maybe he'll he'll fly. That would be my sense, is that save him for Sunday. I was going to say Saturday, it's Sunday, isn't it? Save him for Sunday.
Speaker: um And um yeah if give Chrissie a ah go up there.
Speaker: And he's such a hard worker. like I love that about him. So, yeah. What about in midfield? ah Give Kenny a rest.
Speaker: Put some field in. ah I'd quite, I'd almost, i know, look I think right in the 10 for Sunday is probably the the move, but i'd quite like to see right in a central field. Against his own team.
Speaker: Yeah, I think give him opportunity to pull the strings. Oh yeah, that's true. probably have a blinder because it's against his own team. Yeah. Well, I mean, they will get space to play when there's always a period of time against Man City when you do get a little bit of a go.
Speaker: And it usually is in the first half. And you just have to hope that by the time it comes around, you're not already three knee down. You know, if we can get through that first 25 minutes, 30 minutes um of being passed to death,
Speaker: then then obviously anything can happen. We all remember no not that long ago. It's the anniversary today. Yeah, seven years. We all turned up to that thinking we were going to 8-0. They were legitimate conversations everyone was having prior to the game. We had no fit players.
Speaker: But that anything that they skyed chances and it's the sort of thing that needs to happen, basically. They need to have an off day and and we all need be absolutely on it. So do you think Grimshaw will play their full-time?
Speaker: Because, you know, Vlad doesn't need the confidence of conceding forward, he? Yeah, Grimmie's going to play, isn't he? like Yeah, I mean, like and that's fair. like any He needs some minutes just in case Vlad gets injured. You know, you want him to have been tested and and he's going to get a test on Thursday. So, yeah, i think I think that's fair. I also wonder whether he'll he'll start Kellen again, almost just to try and... ah think I feel like with Fisher, it's is sharpness.
Speaker: And he's not just not quite there yet. So, you know, maybe a few more minutes. What is going on with Kellen, though? Like, why why is he not fancying him this season? ah Well, he was injured, wasn't he, like, towards the start of the season. Stacey played and did all right.
Speaker: And then he's kind of brought him back in and... I thought Kellan was good against Sheffield United. I think he was it was more than more than good, actually. He was it was you know de really, really decent and put in a shift and did his defensive work really, really well, which is something that that that's not Stacey's natural game.
Speaker: But he just really struggled again on Saturday as a collective defensively, like that right-hand side player. It's just something not quite right. um And I do wonder with Fisher whether it is sharpness and he has to be fully fit and on it um to be the player that he is.
Speaker: And he's not quite at those levels yet. So again, he might be someone like McCormick. He's going to benefit from like, you know, two, three weeks off and then then come back at it fit and firing. So it's a massive game on Sunday.
Speaker: If we get a ah shock on Thursday, then the confidence will be sky high and you know the feeling will be great. and If it goes to form and you know even a respectable 2-0 or whatever, and you know we we really, really have to enter that elongated international break with a win. Now, Bolton have just ended a run of four straight defeats with a victory.
Speaker: and And they are you know very grateful for those points because of how badly they had been doing. But you've got to look at you know sides like that as an opportunity to um get right and and and put things right and and turn up with the performance, not after 25 minutes, but actually turn up and put someone to the sword.
Speaker: um So instead of doing guarantees for ah Man City, because realistically, it's it it needs to be a bit of a bonkers out there game and we know it could happen and maybe it will and and obviously I think we're going to win 4-0 but let's go ahead to Bolton Claire can I have your guarantees please because you were bloody close last week I got the results from it I was yeah yeah ah you in fouril but we did we won can I also just say that I'm pretty sure I predicted that Oscar would be elevated back into the starting and line-up and he'd score a screamer yes you did
Speaker: Wow, are we actually getting good at this? Nah, look. um i'm not I'm probably not going to go on Sunday because it's just a mission. It's like an eight-hour round trip on rail replacements.
Speaker: buses on a Sunday. You nearly get to Bolton and back in that time. Yeah, exactly. You know, so no doubt it'll be an amazing game um because I have a history of deciding not to go to the games when it's like five one and the one where Johnny Howson scored that goal and Wes scored the same goal in the same match. Yeah, I i decided five one was it? I decided not to go because it was too much effort.
Speaker: Don't know. um But yes, so let's say it's either going to be Bolton are going to be really irritating, stick everyone behind the ball and we're just going to really struggle.
Speaker: But I'm still going to say we're going to win. I'm going to go with the fact that I'm going to miss an incredible game and it's going to be 4-1. one Not keep a clean sheet, obviously, because that's ridiculous.
Speaker: m Yeah. Do you want me to say any scorers or just... just Always. Always. Okay. um Jove. Jove will score two. Start and score two.
Speaker: Yes. Brilliant. And then go off at halftime. Immediately into the cotton wool and bubble wrap. Yeah. Yeah. And then Mo will score in the 46th minute.
Speaker: And then immediately take him off and put Chris Goren on. Yeah. Nice. Just bring him on for the first five minutes and then take him off. I reckon we could we could probably get him up to something like if yeah an average of 30 goals a game if we if we managed to. We're on to something in there. So, punt, after 4-0 win up at Etihad, what's going to happen on Sunday?
Speaker: ah Regulation 3-0, I think. I think we'll go up in relatively short order and then we'll just take a foot off the gas and maybe take Kenny off and give him little bit of a rest and then maybe take Pella off and give him bit of a rest. Oh, yeah.
Speaker: Yeah, and just, you know, have little bit of an experiment. um Yeah, I think 3-0. of I want to say Jacob Wright is going to score a free kick.
Speaker: that okay ah I like a free kick as a first goal. I think when you score a free kick first, that really sets the team up to think, oh, today's our day. yeah Because it's more of a rarity than a goal from open play or even from a goal.
Speaker: Are you guys looking at the table much? are you Is it too early in the season and you're deciding that you don't care? Is there a particular amount of points away from top or or the top eight that you want to be? No, I couldn't care less at this moment in time.
Speaker: We cared about it last season, didn't we, when we were at the bottom? It was hard to ignore it. i didn't i I don't think I even really did then. it was only when it started getting, you know, November time that thinking, oh, okay. But even then I still thought we'll be all right, and turned out we were. It's way too early to be worrying about that.
Speaker: We're still in touching distance of, well, everything. So my dad looked at it at half-time in the first game. Seriously. I would say that's a bit early. Yeah.
Speaker: thats That's the sort of thing that so if it's his first game of the season, you've just been promoted to the Premier League and you're winning at half-time, especially it's a lunchtime game, you might just want to quickly see the live-as-it-stands table. that that When we were top of the Premier League on the first day of the Premier League, obviously that's important. But yeah, it's not really, is it? Not until... The day that football was invented, yeah. The day that football invented.
Speaker: Yeah. OK, well, my guarantee ah after 4-0 on Thursday is that I do think that we get the the thumping 3-0. I'm exactly the same score as you, Punt. I think 3-0, but I think that it might be...
Speaker: a similar frustrating, stodgy first half. And I think that when Jove comes on second half, he he unlocks it and we kick on. um And I'm going to go Jove hat-trick. He gets all three. In the second half.
Speaker: Yeah. ah I really, really look forward to um the WhatsApp ACN pod chat at halftime for the Bolton game where Tom is losing his mind and then, you know, it's...
Speaker: I'm guaranteeing it's going to happen. You predicted this, mate. Right, come on then. you get You have to do it when you're in the cup run. Claire, would you rather win against Man City and lose the next three games? so we also lose against Swansea, which is looking like a very difficult game. They've gone off like a...
Speaker: Like the hair's on fire second place at the moment. Adam Ede is scoring loads of goals. We lose against Bolton Swans in Southampton, but we beat Man City and we get one of the League One. There's going to be a couple of League One games teams go through, aren't they? Because there's a couple of lower teams playing each other.
Speaker: So we get a League One team in the next round, or would you rather we lose against Man City and we win at least two of the next three? Absolutely that the latter. I couldn't really care less about whether we beat Man City or not.
Speaker: Even if I guarantee you a League One team in the next round, which means we're then properly in the low single figures left. But lose the next three league games? Absolutely not, because that would be four league losses in a row. Yeah, but you say that it's too early to worry about the table. No, but that kind of form would be... That's season over, like virtually, isn't it? Yeah.
Speaker: It can't be season over because it wasn't see it's still earlier than it felt to go over last time. Top two hopes over, I would suggest, if we lost three in a row at this stage of the season. um Somebody's lost seven games already.
Speaker: yeah Yeah, I've predicted we're going to win the league, so that can't possibly happen. Yeah. I'm with Clare.
Speaker: all right um so we we do want to really you want us Do you want a spirited two? It'd be nice to score, wouldn't it? It'd be nice to maybe go one nil down, pull one back, and then for about 20 minutes look like, oh, it might be on. you know Be in the game would be nice, wouldn't it?
Speaker: Yeah. Just turn up, really. You know, when we went to Leeds last year and and we were actually doing really, really well and it just it was just, oh, actually. as was weak, totally weak. good i no At least just, you know, put in a decent performance, get beaten, but, you know, we can all leave with our heads held high. That's all I really ask. You want to avoid injury, don't I mean, that that's the thing. And that's why I think it is worth rotating like Billy O, because then you can say, well, it wasn't our best team and... You know, we that that triple broken leg, we didn't need him anyway or whatever. I mean, they might put their under-21s out for all we know.
Speaker: Well, I hope they don't because they might still win and then that might hurt a bit. It might hurt our feelings. No, mean, that you know, they are um yeah they've they've had a an interesting weekend in the Manchester derby and they've had a you know very strong start to the season.
Speaker: i i don't I can't remember if and the lad Maresca did a... I can't remember how seriously he took cups competitions. The lad Maresca? Yeah, well, can't remember everyone. That's well, we're good mates, me and Maz. I can't remember if he is a... I'm going to play everyone in the Cup or not, but um ah't I can't believe he'll feel he needs to, because likewise, why risk someone standing on Harland's toe or whatever?
Speaker: No. They're just going to win. No chance. No. do fancy I do fancy he's watching a Cordoba-Harland sort of wrestling match because I do think that he's got, physically I think Cordoba could live with him. I just think movement-wise he would be completely lost.
Speaker: There's no way Harland's playing. yeah No. No, which is shame. Again, everyone, please, and everyone share send your good wishes and your thoughts and your condolences to the Australian football public who are hoping for Torre versus Haaland.
Speaker: um That's that's what the i what's been on there, didn't he? Mo's not playing either, is he? yeah Did I see that he was nominated for Australian Men's Footballer of the Year or was that an AI made-up thing?
Speaker: Well, I haven't seen that, but I mean, it could be true. I'm going to have to do that. The amount goals he scored. Australian Men's Football. He didn't do any in the World Cup though, did he?
Speaker: Well, none of them did. No. Mohamed Tore, yes, he did.
Speaker: He hasn't won it. He's nominated it. didn't say won it. I said nominated. I will give you a billion pounds if you can name one of the other nominees.
Speaker: ah one of the other nominees Is it the other dude that plays for Watford? Oh, the winner. The one who's his best mate. i think the I think the guy you were thinking of was Juan Mata, who... Juan Mata? I didn't think you'd guess him. So he apparently won the Johnny Warren medal by a record margin during the 2020... So maybe you don't need to be know you don't need to be Australian in the same way you don't have to be British to win the PFA Football Writers Association, do you?
Speaker: Oh, yeah. So I guess, yeah, but I mean, you would have thought you'd have to play in Australia. have to play in Australia. australia march you you have to play at the A-League, yeah. like Otherwise it's just anyone Just anyone If you look at the PFA Ben's Football of the Year um ah Graphic The featured player With a KFC advert on his armband Is Juan Mata Who must be about 53 Oh yeah he must be But that that's because he still plays in the A League Right okay surely He's 38 Blimey Is that all he is
Speaker: Yeah, I mean, obviously he's in better better shape than any of us, but he he that it does actually look a bit older. That's the league footballer. That's the league footballer of the year, right? Not the actual Australian player of the year. That's what we're saying. it's the PFA. It's the PFA Men's Footballer of the Year. That's the name of the award.
Speaker: Sponsored by Isuzu. Yeah. So it's sort of like the Ballon d'Or, but just for Australia? Look, you've got a defender playing for Feyenoord, Sporting, Benfica. Are they Australian, though? Just any random defender playing? Yeah, it looks like they're all Australian apart from Ranmata. What is going on?
Speaker: Maybe he's got an Australian passport now, you know. That's a good shit. I'm mad to win it. Yeah. um The lad you meant, I think, Claire, is Irankunda. That's it. eric Yeah.
Speaker: Nesta, is it? Nestori. Nestori Irankunda. It's Mo's mate, isn't he? Yeah. I've butchered the pronunciation, but, know. Yeah. That's the one. He was good. Yeah, so... You should win.
Speaker: we ah We have gone on a bit of a sidebar here, but it doesn't appear that my matter is Australian. like by by I'm going to Australia in January, so I'll pay attention to what's going there. So essentially you must have to play in Australia or be Australian. That must be the...
Speaker: the qualifying criteria, surely. That's what all 10 of you have tuned into here. And so I'm glad that we've managed to provide you with that content. um Up the Socceroos. The young player of the year is the Harry Kuehl medal.
Speaker: to it Fair, fair. yeah was he when When do they announce the winners? They can all be on tenderhooks for Mo Winnie it. I think that's why you're travelling over there, isn't it, Claire, to present award? Yeah. um yeah On his behalf, because he can't. like I mean, i'm I'm free, you know, if they need me. Well, the international break is long enough. I'm sure they live. He could get over there.
Speaker: and Maybe we'll get Grant Hanley back to shave Mo's head so for the for the ceremony like he did there. Pay my bookie. and Oh, yeah. those those days Right.
Speaker: We will be back to chat to you very soon. In the meantime, enjoy the guaranteed 4-0 win at the Etihad and enjoy what is worryingly looking like all of us predicting, what was it, 3-0, 3-0, 5-1 or something? Yeah. 4-1, yeah. Yeah, so 0-0 against Bolton. Sorry, everyone. One last thing, one last thing, Tom.
Speaker: Please send us your um theories for what is stuck up Kenneth McLean's bottom. Yes, please. and Because we we are concerned about the change of gait, the change of pace. I am.
Speaker: Yeah. and So, yeah, lower back injuries, suspicions or something inserted. What's up, Kenny's bum? Wow. Well, there you go.
