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Hammering Away Ep #3 - Three Massive Points
167 Plays2 years ago
On today's episode of the podcast, Jack, Joe, and Ollie discuss West Ham's crucial 1-0 win against Southampton, react live to the news of Graham Potter being sacked by Chelsea, how the Hammers can build off this win, and more!
Music by - LADI OGUN & @ANTlll
Twitter: @Hammering_Away
Blog: hammering-away.com
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Transcript
Challenges and Determination in the League
00:00:00
Speaker
We knew the importance coming into the game today, we were second bottom in the league and as much as we don't want to be and it wasn't obviously our ambition after the two years that we've had, and like I've said I think in the press the last few weeks, we're here and it stands for us as players to get ourselves out and fight for this club, this fans, and ourselves as well and each other, all your mates and the changes.
00:00:49
Speaker
episode 3.
Introduction by Jack Coogan
00:00:51
Speaker
I'm gonna be your host today, Jack Coogan. I'm Jack Z on Twitter, JVCK, ZI, and I. That's where you can find me. Coming off the back of a huge win against Southampton today and I'm joined by Mr. Joe and Mr. Ali, where you can find them. 72. Naif Bullstar is Joe and OC02 underscores Ali. Got his at wrong last week.
00:01:14
Speaker
If the audio sounds better this week, I got a little $20 mic, so getting real serious over here.
Analysis of Win Against Southampton
00:01:20
Speaker
But how are you guys doing today, feeling after that win? Yeah, I'm relieved. I don't think we played particularly well, but afterwards, I'm like, I don't really care. But I don't know. I did expect more. I can't lie. It's a bit of a catch. I'm a bit underwhelmed by life at the same time we won, so it's like, oh, he can't really complain.
00:01:44
Speaker
I'm feeling a little more optimistic after that one. Even though we didn't have the most perfect performance on the ball, I think that was some of the most passionate football that we played all season. Yeah, we looked locked in. Well, Rice looked locked in for a minute, one, I should say. Everybody else, I mean, them included, looked very nervous today. I mean, to be expected between the two bottom teams in the league coming into it. But we got the job done. I think after the goal, we calmed down a little bit. Definitely.
00:02:14
Speaker
Yeah, because I think it was definitely, you could tell straight away it was two teams that didn't want to lose. Like we didn't take enough, we didn't, like before, I think the first 20 minutes, they were definitely the better team. And we kind of scored out of nowhere really. And after that, like you said, we calmed down, but we didn't really want to take any risks. Like even in the second half, like we played better in the second half, but we didn't want to take as many risks as probably what we would normally do.
00:02:39
Speaker
So like, I agree with that, but I also think like it's okay. Cause you know, how we're talking about both teams didn't want to lose and like nobody wants to take chances and everything. I completely understand that, but I think that when it's so big for us, I think it'll give us more confidence going into these next two games to be a little bit more expansive, expansive and take more risks. Um, just cause I think today is a tough match for any player to play in. Oh, definitely. And.
Praise for Declan Rice's Leadership
00:03:08
Speaker
I think specific praise has to go to Deck and Rice. I mean, like you said, both teams were insanely nervous to start the game and talk about a big game player. I mean, Deck and Rice from minute one, set the tone with the tackles and breaking up the plays as soon as the game started. Must have won the ball back three or four times in the first five minutes. Literally.
00:03:32
Speaker
talk about a player who gets a lot of flack for not being the greatest captain and while i get that at certain points of the season this was a true leader's performance and he's the only reason he's one of the main reasons why we won today yeah i i definitely agree i think i think the thing is today he was more like he didn't really go forward a lot and that's what his he's obviously good driving with the ball but that's what he was that's what he established himself as one of those like destroying
00:04:02
Speaker
defensive midfielders. Every time they had the ball on the edge of the box, he was winning every tackle, there was one clip where he won the ball about three times in a row, about 10 seconds. Maybe if he moves to Arsenal stuff, he could go a bit more box to box. But for us, I think he just has to, he's the best defensive midfielder we've got. He just kind of has to sit, I think now.
00:04:24
Speaker
depends on who he plays with. When he plays with Sucek, he has to sit back because
Midfield Dynamics and Player Combinations
00:04:28
Speaker
Sucek just gets ghosted past, like he's not there. And I'd rather him get walked past with Rice behind them than him like the last line between like our midfield and defense. But I think like if you play downs with him, you can kind of open up Rice a little bit more to kind of get further forward. But overall, I think his focus for us has to be winning the ball back. And he really dictated that game today too.
00:04:53
Speaker
like from a passing standpoint. Definitely. I mean, Paquetta wasn't all there on the ball today and Rice was right there to pick up his slack, which I thought was also really impressive. Yeah. I think, I think we definitely look better when downs came on. I would, I would personally quite like if that's what I was going to say. Like I would quite like if downs sat like
00:05:14
Speaker
furthest back. Rice and Paquetta a bit forward, like what Soucek and Paquetta do, if that makes sense. That's what I was saying last week is that like Downs will, he has that ability, he wins the ball back and like, yeah, he completes his passes. He doesn't make any passes going to wow you, but he'll, you know, keep the ball and get it to the players like Paquetta and Rice who are better with it. And he just is not the liability that Soucek is. And he's like a good ball winner. And like I said last week that I would like, I mean,
00:05:41
Speaker
I wanted to see Lanzini start with Paquetta just because that's my guy. But I said last week, like, Downs should start with Rice and Paquetta. I just think that's the best midfield three that we can ask for right now. Yeah, I mean, I agree with that. I think both have the similar philosophy. I think Lanzini and Downs, they both give you stability.
Defensive Improvements and Player Statistics
00:06:03
Speaker
I guess lands uni gives you that stability more in possession and downs kind of gives you both the safety of having a proper defensive midfielder behind rice and pakata and can play the simple short passes. So I mean both are great options. I think downs look really good today and help settle the game. Very sure. Very sure. Absolutely. I think that's the perfect word for it. They had that chance.
00:06:29
Speaker
later on when I hit the bar, but apart from that, I think that was the most control we had in the whole game. And I, the thing with Sucek is Moi says, oh, like he's, you know, he might get us a goal. He's physical. He loses every, he, he basically, he, if he had 50% pass completion, he lost so many, he lost the most jewels on the pitch. Well, I've just read, and I don't know what, I can't pronounce Savantas number 45, but you'll know the one I'm talking about. Um, yeah, him. Yeah.
00:06:58
Speaker
He's awesome. Yeah, he bullied him the whole game. Oh, he ran him off the park today. It was horrible. I mean... He just can't keep up with the pace. That was a lot of his audition for us after Rice leaves. Oh, I hope so. He'll go to a bigger team, definitely. No, absolutely. I do agree with that. But yeah, it's like the stat that we tweeted earlier today, our midfield today, Lucas Picchetta had 78 touches, 40 passes, 17 loss possession, I think, maybe 18.
00:07:25
Speaker
Declan Rice had 71 touches, 45 passes and 11 lost possession. Thomas Suchak had 34 touches, 11 accurate passes on 52.8 pass completion percentage. And he lost the ball 15 times. He touched the ball 34 times. He lost the ball 15 times and he slows everything down. And it's not like he does things without the ball out of possession either.
00:07:51
Speaker
The amount of times that Labia goes to pass him, that Silamana goes to pass him, and so on. It's like there is one instance, I think it's why Moist took him off. He dove in for tackle on Silamana, and I don't know if you guys saw this, but Moist immediately put his hands on his head. And then two minutes later, Dan was on. I was quite surprised, because he's reluctant to take Sucek off. I was just about to say credit to Moist, because that's the third or fourth time he's genuinely hooked Sucek this season, which he never did last year, when Sucek was just as bad.
00:08:23
Speaker
Yeah, I mean,
Striker Roles: Ings vs Antonio
00:08:25
Speaker
it definitely came at the right time too. It definitely seemed like we were slipping away a little bit and losing a little bit of that control and downs are started pretty well. Well, I think that's, I think we're losing a bit of control because Ings isn't a lone striker. This is the problem. I thought the Antonio sub was great too. I thought Antonio, like he didn't do anything special, but he at least gave us more of an out ball.
00:08:51
Speaker
Yeah, he can, he can take the pressure off where Ings, Ings just isn't a lone strike. I do like Ings, but I just, yeah, I'm just not sure about him starting. The way, the way that we're using him. Isn't right. Yeah. I know that Joe, you can talk about Ings what you want, but like just. Yeah.
00:09:12
Speaker
I mean, he's obviously a better goal scorer than Antonio, but he's not got the legs. He's not got the hold up play. He doesn't fit us. It's just a weird sign in because if you think about it, next season, no, next season, let's say we do stay up, et cetera. He's not, he's not going to have him. I think he can play a part of the squad that's good, especially under somebody like Carrick. Yeah. Yeah. He's just not going to work if it's not true. I don't think. For the time being.
00:09:41
Speaker
always loves to play with like a true, uh, you know, a center forward who can serve as an outlet. And that's who we succeeded with. And with Antonio and things is basically non-existent as an outlet, which is what makes it even weirder. It was just such a desperation signing. He was just like, we need somebody who can score goals in this league. And he just signed the first guy who was available. Certainly it was truly the action of a manager who was running out of ideas and then solutions. And, uh,
00:10:09
Speaker
150 per week. He's our highest paid player. It's insanity. But to move away, I just like, not to cut you off, but to move away from, you know, some of the negativity. I want to talk about Zuma and Aguirre because this whole season,
00:10:26
Speaker
All any of us has been saying is like, man, we never get to see this partnership.
Defensive Partnerships and Key Neutralizations
00:10:30
Speaker
We've seen it three times now from the start of games. And there are three starts together. They've conceded one goal because I think they started against Villa. They started against Everton. And then they started today. They've conceded one goal in those three games together. Really, they only had two chances today. Southampton, I thought that was the most sure. We've looked all season in terms of like just safe and not making mistakes. I mean, how good are these two?
00:11:00
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, Gued's definitely, I'm more worried about him going to be a club than Rice to be honest. Obviously that's the one like he's not been here long enough for us to actually like process it. And they compliment each other quite well. Cause I mean, zoom is not the, I don't think zoom is the best on the ball. It's probably why Chelsea ends up letting him go. But Gued's quite good at long switches and long passes. And he's obviously probably fast. We've got better recovery pace where zoom is a bit more physical in the air. So they compliment each other quite well.
00:11:31
Speaker
Even though Zuma may not be up to the standard of Chelsea in terms of on a ball ability, he's certainly capable there. And in the air, he's one of the best in the world, if not the best in the world. I mean, statistically, the best in the prep this year. And I think statistically, I saw a tweet with a graph a while ago of the best aerial dual percentages in Premier League history by season.
00:11:59
Speaker
I'm pretty sure if the season ended today, Zoma would break that record. It does not surprise me at all. And just another thing about them too, like Ollie was saying, how well they compliment each other. They really do. And I think if I have to be overly critical of a bear, but this is just because of how good I think he is, he needs to choose when to try those long diagonal switches, uh, more carefully. Cause I think sometimes he does give the ball away cheaply in those situations, but I think he just rather try a diagonal than just who fit long, which I can respect.
00:12:29
Speaker
I am going to push back a little bit on that. I think that, you know, with a player like that, the level of ability that he has, I would not give him any sort of like limit. I would say just, Oh, I'm not saying to limit him. I'm just saying his decision-making. Like, I just think sometimes like he will force it.
00:12:51
Speaker
But I'm only, the only reason I'm even being semi-critical on this is because he is going to end up at a bigger club. I think him being injured the first half of the season might give us another season of him. Yeah. Yeah. It's not enough time. Especially at the price tag that we're going to go for him. But from what we've seen, he just may well, may as well be one of the best center backs in the world.
00:13:18
Speaker
I don't even really think that's an exaggeration either. I think this is a Manchester City player that we have. Speaking of us players at their position in the world, the one sequence today where Sulemana was driving through the midfield and Rice and Aguirre just bullied him off the ball was sensational. I could not have asked for a better handling of Sulemana because he was the difference for them against Tottenham last week. He caused him a lot of problems and he really didn't do much today. We dealt with him really well, I thought.
00:13:48
Speaker
Right. I mean, I think, I think he looked dangerous as well. It's not even because he was offered or anything. We just neutralized him very well. That's absolutely just a credit to Zuma, Garrett, and Rice. I think they, and Paquetta, um, tough not to imagine him when you're talking about, uh, defensive actions, uh, from this game. I mean, what he said the, he had the most tackles in a game since, uh, since George Bush was president.
00:14:14
Speaker
Yeah, no, no, no. Obama was president in 2012, but he had the most tackles in a game by a West Ham player since Muhammad Diame in 2012 October against QPR, a great player. Good player. I was going to, I was just going to say about Guede, like you said, I think, I mean, we'll never know, but if he was fit for that first half of the season, I don't think we would be. No chance.
00:14:44
Speaker
what we were. That's what I mean. We probably would be like where Villa are. I mean, give or take. We'll definitely at least pick up another winner. There are certain games that we definitely don't lose with the Garrett and the team. I would also say we're 11th on expected points. We've underperformed. And I think a big part in that
00:15:03
Speaker
is we were looking at this out the other day, Joe, about, so like, yes, like we're creating a bunch of XG and stuff, but our, um, like the quality of chances that we create, I think the chances, uh, XG like per chance, which is really where our issue is. Like we don't, I think
00:15:27
Speaker
Yeah. And I think that the most people are crying about Paquetta only, you know, has created one big chance this season. I think the most big chances any player in our squad has created this year's three, maybe two. Like we just don't create. Yeah. We just don't create big chances like that. Everything is a half chance. Yeah.
00:15:55
Speaker
I was going to say just about Paquetta. I'm still a bit, it's hard. It's really hard because obviously you stick it's like, it kind of reminds you of four hours in a sense in terms of like they work hard, but it's just lacking the last, obviously I think he's better than four hours, but they're just lacking the end product at the end, but you can't fault them as much because they are trying. Yeah. I think, I think a lot of his issues off the ball.
Paquetá's Potential and Squad Improvement Suggestions
00:16:25
Speaker
have been committing those fouls with him trying to win the ball and maybe being a little too aggressive. But I think he was doing the same things he usually does today. And instead of them being fouls, they were becoming tackles. He was winning the ball back. I hope that this is a turning point for him because he's always been just a second too late to a challenge
00:16:54
Speaker
or whatever I think today he seemed like really adjusted to the speed of the prime today. So I hope that continues. I was just gonna say it could be him getting more of the speed with the Premier League and I would also say with him. I think a lot of his issues also.
00:17:11
Speaker
like you compare him to Fornales, which I understand what you're saying, but he has more ability than he's shown A. And B, I mean, the first half of the year he was here before the World Cup, we were just using him wrong. I think in the second half of the season, like he wasn't great with the ball today, but I think he's shown like Newcastle, you think about the very beginning of that Chelsea game and a few other games, I think he's shown how good he can really be for us. And, you know,
00:17:35
Speaker
I don't think Moyes did a great job today, but I thought his tactics were good enough and they got us a win. But under a different manager, he could really thrive and blossom, especially if we're putting people in the space and there are people runners for him to find and like a game for him to dictate. And not to mention in the second half, he did, he did pick up his passing. He played some pretty important passes. One through channel to Jared Bowen. He was almost in for a shot. Um,
00:18:05
Speaker
I thought the win was great today, especially in the second half. I thought he was huge for us. He was an outlet. He ran a ton. He, honestly, there are a few chances he had that one cut back across the middle that nobody gambled on. Like, I don't know, people were slandering him today, especially in the first half, but I just don't see it. I think that the Bowen criticism doesn't make any sense to me. And like, maybe it's because the goal numbers are down, but post world cup, like he's really picked it up and like,
00:18:33
Speaker
been a difference maker for us. And I just, I think it's harsh to blame our struggles on him. No, I definitely wouldn't. I think, I think everyone was calling for him to obviously be dropped. Who else is there? There's no one else there. And even when, even when he doesn't score, he's always, he's always working hard, tracking back. And he's always there. He's always in the box.
00:19:03
Speaker
There needs to be always an outlet. I think as good as Ben-Rama has been this year, there needs to be a different spark. Whether it's another 8 next to Piketsu who can really play, whether it's another left winger who's levels above Ben-Rama, whether it's a striker who's actually going to come deep and help support. I think that Skamaka really compliments Bo and his game well, but I just don't think it's his fault.
00:19:32
Speaker
I think that, I guess, I guess for next season, talking about, um, filling out the squad, I think either Enzo Lofey, a guy who can play in the midfield three and kind of be like the creative guy. Cause one thing we learned about Paquetta is that he can like, he keeps the play ticking. He plays very like incisive passes, progressing passes, but obviously the chance creation isn't there. So we could bring a chance creator like Enzo Lofey.
00:20:01
Speaker
who can physically keep up in the midfield and also play those final passes. And, or we can buy a winger who can kind of be like a, you know, a true marquee signing out there. I would disagree that Piqueta isn't a chance creator. I just think that he's better suited to a deeper role where he can touch the ball more and impact the game and almost get like those kinds of hockey assists or like play the pass that puts the guy in to create the chance in the end.
00:20:31
Speaker
Oh yeah, I agree. That's, that's how I was characterizing him. Yeah. But I just think that like somebody like Harvey Barnes, if Lester were to go down, would be a lot of fun. Um, I can't think of any other left-wingers I'd be that interested in right now. We also have, we haven't seen Cornet. He's only started one Premier League game still.
00:20:54
Speaker
Yeah, I think Corne is, I mean, it's hard to tell, isn't it? But we definitely miss someone. We have, this is the thing. We have no pace in the team. Like that's the, that's my main frustration. Like everyone could take a player wrong, but he's not what Antonio used to be able to do. And Antonio can kick the ball and you know, like literally run after it. Cause he's out that backs himself that much where like Bowen doesn't read, you know, he can take a player wrong, but he doesn't have the pace. Like I'm not saying like a Dharma level pace, but like a song.
00:21:23
Speaker
Yeah. And someone's a writer. No one's direct. Like Ben Rama for everything he loved you taking a player on. He's not really a direct player. Yeah. And I also... He didn't go after me. I wanted his mail of sorrow over the summer if the price was right. Moiz didn't want him. He's inconsistent. That was a good show. I could really use him right now.
00:21:52
Speaker
A random thing as well. No way. Chelsea. Yeah. So that's a, that's a moise replacement for next season. This is, this is a live reaction folks. Oh my goodness. Yeah. Moise replacement replacement for next season. All right. Well that brings us into the segment that I wanted to get into where you go around the league and talk
Chelsea's Managerial Changes and Impacts
00:22:20
Speaker
about something. What?
00:22:24
Speaker
should he have been sacked? I don't think they invested anything into him. I don't think any of these new signings that they made in January, I don't think that's his squad. I don't think
00:22:42
Speaker
I mean, I'm sure some of them he wanted, but I don't think a lot of them are his choices. I think that top bully is operating on his completely owned level. He's buying whatever players he feels like buying, and he's just going to keep buying managers and trying to get managers in to figure it out. Well, I think that Ali was referring to more of the price tag they actually paid to get him. Yes, yes, yes.
00:23:06
Speaker
yeah yeah like the compensation he was on i think he's one of the he was one of the highest paid managers in europe and they paid 12 billion a year for five years yeah that's what i mean and they should have just let two shall see the season out because pot potter it was it was a case of like when lampard went to chelsea they were too early it was too early potter didn't have
00:23:31
Speaker
He didn't have enough like on his CV to say he actually is good enough to be, he needed to get Brighton into Europe, Brighton top eight, do what the Zerbe's done and then you could have gone, oh, Chosakurma, we see other things I've done with the young players. You're going to hire him. You're going to pay 20 million to get him out of his contract. You're going to give him a five-year contract. He at least needs to get a summer and a pre-season, right?
00:23:55
Speaker
I'm not saying they shouldn't have been sacked. They've been terrible. I don't think it's all down to him, but I think a big portion of it is down to him. Um, but like, when, like the amount of money now that they're going to have to pay, I don't know what the exact figure is obviously, but that's a ridiculous amount of money for a guy to come oversee your club for what, six months, if that six months. Yeah. And like you said, the fact that he had not given him a priest, they've signed all these players.
00:24:24
Speaker
But no, no coach in the world would be able to figure out. Is so unfinished. And then they bought a bunch of players who didn't fix the balance. They didn't finish up the squad. They didn't give them a midfielder next to Enzo or anything like that. They're lacking. Like, what is he supposed to do? Yeah, I know. It's weird. I guess in the, in defensive, in defensive type only, I guess, to be the devil's advocate.
00:24:51
Speaker
The test was after January. I guess the slate got cleaned from when he got hired until the January window. And then Chelsea spent the most amount of money ever, most likely, in a January window. And the results really didn't change. But these guys are strangers. They don't know each other. This is like if me and you walked into some random gym in Chicago or in any other city in
00:25:22
Speaker
America and just were like all right Like this is our team now, but is that not up to the manager to integrate it is But how is he supposed to get that to work when they have games every three days? That's up to the manager. It's just you make it work. I'm not saying that he shouldn't have been sacked I'm just saying, you know, you're asking some guy to pull off the impossible he's paid to To pull off that impossible. What would you take?
00:25:49
Speaker
And I, would you take him at the end of the season though? Without hesitation. 100%. Anyone that says no is such a liar. I don't know that you would be taken now though. I know it's not realistic, but probably not. Yeah. I mean, he'll have a job this summer. I have no doubt. So honestly, I wouldn't be surprised. Lester. Oh my goodness. Lester are going to hire him this week. No, I honestly don't think that. I think Ben Potter, he's owed all that money to Chelsea.
00:26:17
Speaker
I think he won't go back in straight work. Well, I can see, uh, I was gonna say David Gold, RIP. Um, David Sullivan's eyes are going to get wide. Seeing grandpa are available. Now, Jack, I know you're a big Michael Carrick guy. I'd rather have Carrick. Really? No, no way.
00:26:41
Speaker
He's up and coming, man. They lost to Huddersfield yesterday. Warlock. Warlock dagger. Neil Warnock was leading him around the field. Neil Warnock. Neil Warnock is one of this game's... He's a trailblazer of this game. Why don't we get Neil Warnock then? You gotta die to get the three points. I'm going Potter over Carrick. And I'm not saying that I would be over the moon with Grand Potter. I just have an attachment.
00:27:13
Speaker
Cause I mean, like you said, even though I do blame Potter for what happened, he was given an impossible task. And what he did with Brighton, I don't, I think that should still be taken into serious consideration. I mean, he took them out from nothing until, into this, he, he, he made this project that deserved he's been able to run with. I mean, we need that, especially with rice leaving, we're basically starting from zero.
00:27:44
Speaker
Yeah, it'll be, it'll be in his hands. That's what I mean. I feel like he will have control of the ship. And it's kind of like Moyes in a sense of he's, he's one, he is one of those managers where like they do better with a lesser team. That makes sense. Every time those type of Rogers, every time those managers probably end up going to a jump, they always end up failing at the last hurdle. That's the thing. You know, I think that's kind of unfair for Potter to characterize him as that, just because he failed here.
00:28:15
Speaker
because I feel like... Not necessarily saying he's going to fail a top job all the time, but I mean, he's one of those managers that strikes me. He ends up doing better with a lesser side, like an underdog team, like getting those players from nowhere. He might've just not been ready. Yeah. And I think maybe he even was ready and this Chelsea project is really just doomed.
00:28:41
Speaker
And I think, uh, I think part of what probably played into this, I bet, I bet they want Nagelsman. Yeah. That's what, um, yes. The first, first one has been said, which makes it. Yeah. He said, uh, Nagelsman has always been free shape by Chelsea's future top coach one to watch. So.
00:29:04
Speaker
Oh, he's probably the best out there in a minute, isn't he? I'd say so. I can't really think of anything else. Especially with Tucho gone. Like Poch, but Poch to Chelsea is never going to happen, so. They're not, they're not going to, they're not going to hire Poch. That would be hilarious. Speaking of Poch, Nagelsmann was looked at as the likely Tottenham coach. Now Nagelsmann is most likely to end up at Chelsea. So it's Poch going to be back at Tottenham. We'll see. Tottenham can't get Nagelsmann. No, it wouldn't be anymore. They couldn't have gotten Nagelsmann before.
00:29:35
Speaker
I think Kane's going to leave. I think Man United, I think that seems quite realistic. I mean, it makes sense for both parties because United are getting someone that he's probably just passed his prime. I mean, he's still way better than what they're going to have now.
00:29:53
Speaker
And he will, he will make the difference between, I mean, if you think about Wakehorse, it's Chulk and Cheese think Kane and Wakehorse, like he will make the difference in terms of challenging from top four to title. Yeah. If you were Manchester United, would you rather sign Harry Kane or Victor Oceman?
Debate: Harry Kane or Victor Osimhen for Manchester United?
00:30:11
Speaker
Kane. Why? Because Kane's here and now he's proven.
00:30:18
Speaker
He'll give you at least two to three years still at the top level. He can prove that he, I mean, Kane's not, I can't remember the last time Kane had a season where he's not scored 15 goals. Do you remember that season Tottenham, when we came sixth and Tottenham came seventh, Kane won, he won golden blue and most assists. No, yeah. He's unbelievable. I'm not saying that he wouldn't be. Oh, no, I know that. I just think he's proved, they all talk about prem proven, but I think he's proven. I mean, he's, he's just proven at every level you could possibly ask him where he's,
00:30:49
Speaker
been one of the best strikers in the world for, what, seven, eight years now? Yeah. I just think Oceanman is next up. He is. And, you know, Prime Proven is one thing, but Champions League Proven is another thing. And, you know, he's got his team in the semifinal of the Champions League right now. They're, they're completely different profiles. And I think that's where the conversation has, uh, happens. Cause obviously Kane is the better player, right? We all agree on that, but
00:31:19
Speaker
does more of an outlet type player, like from what I've seen. Well, that's my thing with Oceman. And I think the other thing about Oceman is he's a much better presser than Harry Kane is. And we know that Tenhag wants his strikers to press. I mean, Oceman is like my personal preferred archetype of striker. Like he's going to chase the, like,
00:31:43
Speaker
I saw a tweet recently about how well he does just chasing down lost causes. He's a great finisher. He can create for others when he drifts wide. He can play fluid with Rashford, which is big for them. He's a damn good player. I mean, they do well to buy either of them. I think Kane and Rashford could not have a similar type of link with Son and Kane. Can you not think? Rashford likes to get him behind. It kind of seems like ready-made in terms of
00:32:13
Speaker
Rashford's younger than Somme. He's probably, I mean, he's doing way better than Somme this season, but he's probably getting more confident than Somme. So I don't see why not really. Yeah, I don't disagree with that. And then Brandon Rodgers, we didn't not talk at all about that because Grand Potter is stealing the headlines, but what the hell was that?
Leicester's Managerial Changes and Relegation Battle
00:32:35
Speaker
That happened during our game. Right. I mean, I just feel like it's for a relegation side,
00:32:43
Speaker
to be sacking their manager on April 2nd. I just think it's so risky. I just, I just think that it's too late for a manager to come in and save you. And then still, did you see, did you see the stat that no team who sacked their manager this late in the season has moved more than one spot in the table up or down? Yeah. And that was two weeks ago. So there's no one, there's no one out there really that no one,
00:33:12
Speaker
in their right mind will take the job now, unless they're confident they can get them back up. I have no idea what they're thinking. I think it was by mutual consent though. I think Rogers wanted out and that Lester didn't want the optics of him resigning. Yeah. But he's, he's been under pressure for a long time. It's, it's kind of Moyes, it's Moyes on a bigger scale because they had their, they had their off season last season and it's kind of just gone down from there.
00:33:41
Speaker
Right. He persisted past the, the down season and it's really been up since then. You imagine if they went down, man, there's a lot of, there's a lot of good talent coming from that team. If they go down, if we won the conference league, right. And we finished like 14th and David Moyes came into your office and he said, Joe Ali.
00:34:12
Speaker
Look, the first time I was here, I messed up. I didn't think James Madison was good enough, but I can get you him this summer. I can bring him to the bowl if you let me keep my job. Yeah, I'll take it. I say so does his grandpa. Grandpa can get me him to go pack your bunch. Do you think we could get him? No way.
00:34:39
Speaker
No way. I think he's going to Newcastle. I think we could get, like, Harvey Barnes maybe. What if us and Newcastle are both playing in the Europa League? I would say that if Newcastle can get him, there's no reason why we can't. We can't, too. Well, they'll probably give him an insane winch. I think he could even go to a Champions League club, to be honest. He is that good. He's deck on right level. Which one, though?
00:35:08
Speaker
I mean, the Chelsea on in and all that. I'm trying to think, yeah, it's tough. Well, top six, top six, just in general. Liverpool, maybe. No, they probably haven't got the money. Newcastle seems most likely. And I think Newcastle will give them more money than us. And they probably got more stability in terms of who knows who's to say next season that we won't be in the same place. Can Eddie Howe teach James Madison about this beautiful game as much as David Moyes can?
00:35:38
Speaker
probably hit the minute. Nobody can do anything to have Jane. Can you imagine if we had Madison Peketa and then for God knows what reason race stuck around. Man, that's, that's a serious midfield talk about or was two check replacement. I would do anything to watch Madison.
00:36:02
Speaker
I'll tell you that I hope really do go down so we get get one of their players. I want for us to go down so we get Morgan Gibbs white. That's a good shot. I do like him a lot. That's what you want to happen. I don't want it to happen. But like that. That out of every team that could go down. No. Every player that could be relegated. If they're more. They're more. I'd like him for us to go down so we can get Morgan Gibbs white. Yeah, but it's more talking about the same position. If you're talking about, I was thinking more attacking midfielders. Okay. I mean,
00:36:34
Speaker
I like it just like hear him out. If you're just talking about somebody to walk into the midfield, like if Everton have a Nana, like, like is Morgan gives away actually that good? Like he's a cute little player. I like Morgan gives away, but like, what kind, like, what kind of difference does he actually make for us? I think he'll get that.
00:36:59
Speaker
Well, if you think Lanzini's going, you kind of do need another... You need another attacking... I don't know, Lanzini, you're not going to be attacking me. You need another option in there. I wouldn't let him go. I think Lanzini's going to go anyway. I would introduce Manuel Lanzini to BDSM. Would you... Would you take... Would you take James Ward-Prowse? Yeah. I don't know. I would have a suit check. I think one is loud, but...
00:37:27
Speaker
You know what, I bet if Moyse is here, we'll take him. Yeah, I'll definitely. I'd rather have one on. I'd rather, well, I'll be a... I'd rather have... You'll Tyler Adams. I'd rather have Tyler... Yeah, I'd rather have Tyler Adams and James WordPress. I agree. Without trying to insert my American bias, I think he's a classic number six. With how much we love America. That's true.
00:37:56
Speaker
Is there anything I love more than America? It's Tyrell Adams. You don't even love Tyrell Adams. I can't tell whether he's good or not. He is. Adams is a very good player. At this point, I think I would say I'd rather have Adams and McKinney, at least at close. Yeah, I was going to say, I think McKinney is a bit overrated.
00:38:24
Speaker
He's declined. I mean, he's declined. Yeah, he has. He's a good player, but I think what it is is that McKinney has been so good at national team level and has scored goals that he's like the one, but I think Adams is just so sure in there. He's like a little Mark Noble with a twang. He's a little more physical than Noble, but I get that comparison.
00:38:52
Speaker
Yeah, just because he's already captaining his national team, he's 25, 26. He's a dog, man.
00:39:23
Speaker
I was going to talk, I was going to talk about Emerson. I think, I think there's no coincidence that, I mean, I formed slightly got better, but I think there's no coincidence we've looked better at times. Definitely down the left with Ben Rama since Emerson's coming to the team. Overlaps better than Creswell. He gets forward better and to be fair, he's a much better defender than I thought he'd be. Emerson. Yeah, I'm not, I'm, I thought Cara played well today, but he's definitely not obviously the long-term answer. He's still,
00:39:51
Speaker
I think the thing is, he's good on the ball, but he just is a bit, he's one of those players who like, I don't know how to explain it, like, I used to be like Karl Walker for England, right? I remember, the commentators always used to say, have a moment in them, like, he's a good player, but he'll just make a rash tackle. I remember in the World Cup in 2018, Karl Walker just elbowed someone in the box for no reason. That's actually a really good comparison, that he just has a moment of madness in him.
00:40:16
Speaker
Yeah, that's what I think Cara does. He'll be kind of consistent, steady for 30 minutes, and then he gives a penalty away. Or hacks him on the edge of the box. I think that's the thing. But I think he played well today, to be fair. He did play well today. It's probably his best game. Probably his best game. I think the same as Fabianzki. No, no, no, no, no. Cara's best game for us is probably Villa away. That's true. His best game at right back then. Yeah, best game at right back, for sure. I was thinking that early on.
00:40:44
Speaker
I had a weird confidence in him today. We were going to get a good game from him. We did. He, um, I think he has a place in the squad next season or anything. Yeah. You can, you can be like a backup right back and like a fourth choice center back. If we bring in like, like you bring in another center back. So you have a Gware Zuma and then like, hopefully somebody who can challenge Zuma who isn't a drop off from him whenever he's got hurt. Um,
00:41:09
Speaker
And then you have career as the fourth guy. So I think that that's fine. I have a question for both of you. Um, yeah, I think neither of you would dispute that we have to bring in a new right back in the summer.
Right Back Conundrum and Transfer Strategies
00:41:22
Speaker
Um, so how do you, how do you rectify this squad congestion, um, with Kufal Carrer and Ben Johnson? Cause I feel like.
00:41:35
Speaker
It's going to come down to keeping one of the career in Johnson. And I want to hear you guys talk. Well, I can give you an alternative. A right back doesn't have to leave, but a left back can leave. Cresswell can leave. And I think Ben Johnson has a backup left back. It's probably better than he played it right back. I'll raise you and I'll say that Kufall can leave.
00:42:04
Speaker
you buy a right back and then it's... No, I still... I still would buy a right back. You know, I'm saying Kufa leaves, you buy a right back. And I just think that, like... Because Joe, what you're saying is that there's not enough games for Ben Johnson if Carrera is the backup right back, right? Correct. Yeah. I think that, especially if we're in the Europa League, that's not true. And I just think that Ben Johnson needs more trust put in him by Moiz to play more often. I think a lot of his issues this year,
00:42:34
Speaker
have come from not playing more often. He's looked very good in a few games, like United in the Cup up until the last goal that wasn't really even, wasn't even really his fault. It's a terrible clearance by Garret. Before he got hurt against Villa out of Villa Park, he was great. I think people just need to remember that there's a player in there and that like Kufal can leave, you can buy a top class right back. And then you have Carrere and Johnson available behind them.
00:43:03
Speaker
which in my opinion is not a problem. I think that Johnson should probably play over career a lot of those times. Yeah. I think there's a lack of good right backs. Like if you think about the league, I tell you, I tell you what wouldn't be a bad shot. I don't know what you think, but I think Carl Walker Peters wouldn't be. I don't think that's, I think that's quite, especially if they go down because he can play on the left as well.
00:43:28
Speaker
Like you said, we need versatility. I think there's a lack of good, good fallback. So especially down the bottom. Two of my top choices would be Walker Peters is one of them. But you know, the other one is, uh, you ran a bitch. He just, uh, Celtic, the Celtic right back who was like awesome for Croatia and the World Cup. My only issue is that he moved in January. I don't know if he's going to be available.
00:43:56
Speaker
Did he really? Yeah, he was. He was. He was. He joined Celtic in January. Yeah. No, no, he was at Celtic before. He was at Celtic before the World Cup. Oh, did he move? Yeah. So did he move elsewhere? He went out alone. He went out alone, I think, in January. I think Walker Peters is a good shout. Walker Peters is a great player, but, like, Uranovich is also a very good player. No, no, he joined Union Berlin. On a permanent? I believe so. Ugh.
00:44:25
Speaker
Yeah. Oh, that's the thing is there's a, there is a lack of good full back, like good full backs out there, especially on the bottom. I think that the key to finding a good full back is like a having a good scouting system and be having trust in your scouting system to find someone who's going to be good because like.
00:44:45
Speaker
It's so hard to find a top-quality ready-made fullback. You really have to find somebody. You can't just go out and buy a 39-pound fullback. I mean, how much did Villa pay for Lucas Dean last year? Probably around 10. Yeah. They all hate him. I don't think he's really up for it. He's a big major as well. I'll tell you who we missed out on. Brighton left back. The stupid man? Yeah, boys turned him down.
00:45:13
Speaker
It's ridiculous. Moyes probably wouldn't have given him the freedom that Deserby has. It's true. Well, the thing about Julian Alvarez for Moyes is what really wound me up. Why don't you come out and say that? He was like, man, I have the eye for this. I just turn him down. You don't have the eye for it. It is not the flex that he is. It is the thing, though, with Moyes. He just can't deal with big squads. He can't deal with two strikes. He can't keep them all happy, which I understand. It must be hard, but that separates a
00:45:42
Speaker
good manager from a top manager, you see where like Man United, like Man United back in the day used to have four strikers. I know obviously it's a big, big difference, but you just have four strikers and they would all, they would all be content, all happy, all come off the bench, contribute. We can't even be happy. We can't even do it with two. And we can't do it with three either. And the thing is, it's a very big difference with Man United, but like we're still in four competitions.
00:46:07
Speaker
Well, compared that with Fulham, Marco Silva uses his entire squad. Every single player is, is utilized and they have no European competition. He's just, is a really good, uh, man manager. And he, he, he's proof that it doesn't take an elite mind to do it. Uh, it's just Moiz. I just think that Moiz doesn't have trust in all of his players. And that's what it comes down to at the end of the day, is the managers, they trust the players in their squad. Well, I think his.
00:46:37
Speaker
of his press conferences, like when he said about Gued off the Man United or what he said about Ben Rama all season. I mean, how can Ben Rama go out and perform when either he wasn't giving him the opportunity or he was slating him? I know it's probably to motivate him, but Ben Rama doesn't seem like that type of player that would be motivated from the manager digging him out. You put your arm around him. Yeah, exactly. Exactly.
00:47:05
Speaker
Where rice probably would get motivated if he hears the manager digging them out in public. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. It's just, I think Moise is like old school style of man managing, like it's hit and miss, especially in today's day and age players are different. People are different. People are more grown and they're just not going to let somebody talk about them like that. Or it's just going to demoralize them, which is completely okay. It doesn't mean that anybody's less tough nowadays and back then it's just that people don't like to be treated like shit. So don't treat them like shit.
00:47:34
Speaker
And I think that Moyes just needs, it's just about knowing your players and having that connection with them that you understand when to treat them badly. Not even treat them badly, but when to criticize, how to criticize, and when to motivate, when to praise. And every player is different. Not to say that Moyes doesn't know it's players. I just think that Ben Rama isn't going to respond the same to criticism as Fort Niles or Rice or Gary. Yeah. Some of your players respond differently.
00:48:05
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, it goes hand in hand with the reports that X made that, you know, we've mentioned it a few times already, but the fact that some of the players are distrusting of Moiz and his tactics, I think that definitely might have a factor into it considering, you know, maybe Moiz could do a better job of like approaching his players with his tactics in addition to his actual tactics. 100%. I was going to say,
00:48:35
Speaker
I don't know if you want to talk about Fabianzky, Ariola debate, cause I feel like that's definitely might've shifted or not necessarily, but I think that that was probably one of the, for what I can remember, one of the best games Fabianzky's had in a while in terms of, I don't actually think he necessarily like made, he made a few good saves, but he just seemed much more comfortable that I felt more comfortable. Yeah. It was such a short performance and I'm a huge Ariola fan, but I thought, and I mean that,
00:49:03
Speaker
I thought it during the game, that felt like the Fabiansky from Pellegrini's first season. Yeah. So, yeah. So under control, had control of his box. He had one punch in the second half, or no, it was in the first half. They came down the left and like, they got like drilled in. He punched, I'm trying to remember who crossed it, but it was a really good punch. And then he had to save on Perot. And then just like a few other ones, just like shots from distance, like
00:49:29
Speaker
where he's just so short going around his near post and he just looks so comfortable letting it go or just catching the ball off like a hop, just sort of claiming it. I thought he really looked comfortable up there. I thought his kicking was much better as well. Compared to what he's normally been. That's the main thing that frustrates me about him. His distribution has always been so bad. But he was actually getting it out
00:49:58
Speaker
to the right spaces. I think the thing about Riola is I don't, he's not very commanding from corners.
Goalkeeper Debate: Fabianski vs Areola
00:50:05
Speaker
That's his main downfall, I think. He doesn't use his box as well as Fabianzky. Yeah. That's the thing. I think we need to upgrade on Fabianzky, but I don't think Ariola is the answer, personally. I think Ariola will go the end of season. I don't think that he's not the answer. I think that like, yes, like you sign a goalkeeper.
00:50:28
Speaker
And like, yeah, if you can upgrade on Ariola, but I think like Ariel is like really one of the best, just pure shot stoppers that this club has had in a while. I mean, besides prime Fabianski, but I think like his, like he's good with this feet and his shot stopping. Shouldn't go underrated. Like he's not a perfect goalkeeper by any means, but he's still a very good goal.
00:50:51
Speaker
I think that we're going to have a, we'd have a very difficult time upgrading on Ariola. And I also think that we haven't seen Ariola at his best this season because I think that if he had a true spell in the Premier League.
00:51:07
Speaker
or if he wasn't injured for those cup games earlier in the season, I think we'd be seeing a different version of Ariola. In addition, he's been very unlucky when he was in goal. I tweeted this from the hammering away account.
00:51:23
Speaker
In the Premier League, in his seven appearances that he's made this season, he's faced the second most difficult... Josh, what was it? Chills. Yeah, it was... PSG on target. It's the PSXG. Yeah, PSXG per shot on target. And yeah, it was like 0.33 PSXG. And that would be the second highest in the Premier League among qualifying goalkeepers.
00:51:50
Speaker
But just trying to be listening, PSXG correct me if I'm wrong. It basically like PSXG against like against the goalkeeper just means like the difficulty or like the number of XG per shot that they face. So like the average XG for every shot that Ariel faces is 0.33. Yeah, right. So it means we give it basically the games he's played is we play poorly or we give the opposition good chances away.
00:52:19
Speaker
And the chance that they actually take. It means that basically every shot on target, or is it every shot or every shot on target? It's the shots on target. Every shot on target that we concede when Ariola is playing has a better than 30% chance of being a goal.
00:52:37
Speaker
Right. Like, like a shot from outside the box, like would normally be like 0.02 XG, but if you put it in the top corner, it would be higher than that. That's, that's basically no, no, no. The XG is the same. No, I'm saying like the PSXG would go for this, for this stat. Yeah. And like, for my example of like a shot outside the box would be 0.02%. And then, but if the player puts it in the top right corner, it'd be 0.3 PSXG. I'm just for an example. So like Ariel has been very unlucky in goal is basically the point.
00:53:07
Speaker
And he's also in terms of like his plus-minus against his PSXG which basically just measures if you keep out more goals than you're expected to versus if you're not. I tweeted the Fabianzky Areola comparison on the account. He is keeping out plus .9 per 90.
00:53:30
Speaker
Which is almost double of Fabianski's. Yeah, which is, I think Fab is 0.5. So they're both over performing this season, which is good to see. But like Ariel, I think his shot stopping is like becoming a little underrated, even if he has flaws at other parts of his game. I think that, I think that shows though, with them both over performing and obviously all the stats back it up, how bad our attack has been compared to the defense, which is just so frustrating because
00:53:57
Speaker
We've signed Scannaca, you know, Corne, Ben Maram has got, Bowens scored all those goals last season. And yet all the troubles are coming down to going forward. I would also say just on the side of Fabianski, we've heard through various sources and also just people pretending that they know things, but like also from more reliable sources that Fabianski does organize a defense well and that the defenders- Yeah, he seems like a good leader.
00:54:27
Speaker
the PSXG against not saying that it's Ariola's fault that he faces harder shots, like obviously it's not his fault, but maybe part of that is that defenders feel more comfortable with Fabiance communicating with them. But you could also argue that's just because they play with Fabiance, they're more used to his shouts and they're more used to his communication of Ariola's. Yeah, I mean, I think that's more towards the fact that Ariola hasn't had the consistent run of games really since he's been at West Ham.
00:54:54
Speaker
Um, so in my, my overall conclusion on this debate is that Fabianci certainly wowed me today. Um, and honestly, I think after today, if Moise continues with him, I'm going to, I'm going to be fine with it. But next year, it is big for me. Cause if you know me, you know how much I hate Fabianci normally, but, uh, next season, I think that I don't, I would not prioritize.
00:55:23
Speaker
Uh, finding a new goalkeeper. I think you give Ariel that chance. And then if we have to, if he's somehow doesn't perform well, which I don't foresee at all. And we can figure that out in January or the next summer, but I totally trust Ariola to start. Will you be, uh, showing respect to Mr. Daniel Aings next?
00:55:44
Speaker
Uh, he would have to score. You have to catch the early Holland, uh, for the golden boot race for that to happen. So I'll be pretty excited. I was just going, I was just going, I've got a good point about Ariola Fabiansky. One last thing. So I don't, I don't really get it because why did Ariola sign permanent? Like Ariola obviously must've fought or been promised or that he was going to play more this year because why would he have signed permanently?
00:56:10
Speaker
when he could have gone to another Premier League club and got a number one. And then also next season, I don't see Ariane necessarily coming number one, because when Adrian became our number one, back in the day, he kind of got eased in. Like, yes, we had, yes, Golan played the first half of the season and then Adrian got thrown in.
00:56:30
Speaker
But it's not happened like that very early on. Fabianci's played whenever he's been available. I think that's what Moi expected to happen. And Moi's even kind of said that when Fabianci got hurt. He said something along the lines that we expected Alphonse have played more so far, but this is now his chance. It's basically like paraphrasing what he said.
00:56:48
Speaker
Yeah. Moise, Moise basically said that the plan was to ease, uh, Ariola in starting this season. But according to him, Fabianz has been so great. Fabianz has kept Ariola out of the team. Oh yeah. That must be the, like you said with the leadership, that must be key thing. Yeah. I think, I think that's the big thing is the communication. You need to experience players. And I don't, I don't actually think at times we'd necessarily had
00:57:18
Speaker
like experienced player, like obviously Rice, et cetera, but I like Premier League experienced players on the pitch at all the same time. So he's definitely, definitely useful. And with, uh, especially in the beginning of the season when we didn't have a squared, the back line was changing basically week by week and to have, yeah, I bet that played a part was to have the consistent voice of like, you know, Ben Johnson's playing center back and it's Dawson and zoom is out. And then the player, I mean, that's a Bono career.
00:57:49
Speaker
Yeah. Moving on, though.
Match Previews: Newcastle and Fulham
00:57:53
Speaker
So two more games this week. Newcastle at home on Wednesday. Full home away on Saturday. Are we feeling better about these games now after today, or is that performance leaving much to be desired? I don't know. It's hard to tell, I think.
00:58:12
Speaker
I feel a bit more relieved that we won today. Often, I think what happened with Newcastle will affect the game more than what's happened with us. I'm more worried about playing Newcastle now than I've been. I think Fulham, I think we've actually got a chance to get something out of Fulham. They seem like they've kind of hit no mitch of it, and Willianne, they seem like they've hit a bit of a blip.
00:58:33
Speaker
Rail, you know, they've fallen off the track at the minute, but I think I'm more confident about us being filled in the Newcastle, to be honest. I know it sounds silly because it's way, but I don't know what you think. I mean, I forgot about that, to be honest. They're going to be missing Mitrovich for a long time, aren't they? Yeah. Yeah. He shoved the ref. Oh, right. Right. Yeah. So I think the way that we played Newcastle away, I know that they were missing Gimerish.
00:59:03
Speaker
and stuff, but you know, I do have a little bit of confidence. I also think the players will be more at ease being in 14th instead of 19th, even if the points difference isn't that big. I think just that win will be a little bit of weight off their back and that they'll come out more free next game with more confidence. And like it's at home or home records have been really good. And I don't really like the thought of going to craving cottage, but I will say,
00:59:29
Speaker
foam are a decent side but they've been over performing everything like they're XG I mean they score so many goals from set pieces then the stats say that they're supposed to and I think that now that's kind of catching up to them not to say that they're not a decent side but they were you know being compared to Brighton and Brentford this year and I just haven't seen them on that they're not the levels yeah yeah I think that Newcastle have actually won three matches in a row now
00:59:57
Speaker
I think that today was a very emotional game for them because they lost that final to United and I think they came out with a point to prove. It's kind of like a rivalry as well in terms of the history of the club. It's like the same thing when we played United in the Cup or the last time we played Newcastle, like maybe there's going to be a little bit of a hangover that we can take advantage of. I also think that United without Castamiro is a very, very, very different team than United with Castamiro.
01:00:25
Speaker
We saw it when we played them in the FA Cup. We basically dominated them until he came on. Then we lost 3-1. So I've not particularly spooked that they'd be united in the fashion that they did today. I still think that we match up well with them. I think man for man, we probably have the better side.
01:00:49
Speaker
Yeah, I'm confident for that game. And then for Foam, they are missing. They're missing Lillian. They're missing Mitrovich. Is Marco Silva suspended as well? No, I don't think so. Because he got the red card in that game too. I think Lillian will be back. Lillian will be back, but I would imagine that Silver is not going to be on the touchline either. I mean, I would imagine Silver's ban is at least three games. Wouldn't Lillian also be three games?
01:01:18
Speaker
No, it wasn't violent conduct. Okay, got it. Got it. Silva and Mitrovich was like, I think Mitrovich's would be like violent conflict with the referee. And then Silva's I don't even know it just like, general disrespect, like, I did, ideally we need
01:01:39
Speaker
We need four points, but I would happily take a win or just one win down the next two. If we win either of these two games, we are in a very, very good place. I would even take a draw just from one of them, too. I was going to say the same thing. Just keep our heads above water. But if we win one of these games, we're looking very good. Well, if you exclude the conference league, we've got Arsenal at home, which, I mean, is kind of a write-off. Yeah.
01:02:08
Speaker
Bournemouth away, which I mean, obviously that's a big game. We've got to be looking to win that and then Liverpool at home, which you never know with Liverpool these days. I don't like our chances at the Vitality Stadium personally. No, I agree with that. Never get a result there. We need Dimitri Pi to get a result there. Yeah, that's been rough there. Then we've got Palace away as well. So I feel like apart from the Arsenal game, the next
01:02:37
Speaker
five games, the next six games, five of them, we should be looking to get something out of the game, really. I mean, Liverpool at home is one of those games that they seem so much better at Anfield than they do. They just collapse away from home. And we've been good at home. Yeah, that's what I mean. The home games are the ones we've got to be looking at. And for the most part. I mean, besides the week where we lost to Palace, Blackburn and Leicester at home, even over the course of the season, we've been pretty good at home. Yeah.
01:03:06
Speaker
like what we're unbeaten in our last five at the bowl. We've only won one away game at all seasons. So kind of all the wins, all the wins, all the wins have been at home basically. Where did we win? Villa. Oh yeah. Yeah. It's fakest one ever. Thanks to Pablo for now. Yeah. And then, I mean, after that, after the last five games of the season are city away, United home,
01:03:34
Speaker
Brentford away, Leeds, Leeds home, Leicester away. I mean, they're not, I feel like Leeds home and United home are two games we probably would turn up to, but I mean, Brentford, Man City away, like Brentford away is like, I've never seen a bigger like two and a loss in my life. Brentford away is going to be a disgusting game. Leicester away the last game of the season just sounds so rough now, don't it? Imagine that. It's starting to feel like it's going to be, we're safe and they're not, which is a huge surprise.
01:04:04
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, we'll see how this next week goes. Yeah, the next week. I mean, if we don't win any of these next games, then I'll be worried. But if we get, like you said, if we get one winner or two, then I'm quite confident. Definitely. Yeah, if we win one of these games, I'm starting to think about the conference league and trying to finish 13th. Especially because there's so many teams down at the bottom. Technically, up to 12th is technically in the drop. So really, like,
01:04:33
Speaker
Only being better than like being better than three of those teams like three of those teams are guaranteed to collapse If we pick up six points in a week with how bad some of these teams have been like us included Yeah, six points feels like a whole lot Like right now Well, we're 14 for the minute and also we've got the best goal difference out of anyone in the bottom 12 We've got
01:05:02
Speaker
We've got nine leads, got 12 less to go 10. And then the next is 15 with palace, but so it's a bit of a gap. I'm still kind of set at my bottom three to be honest. I still think, I think Sabantan had gone. I think after today, I think they're done. They needed a win today. I think, I think Bournemouth, they give me a bit of, everyone a bit of false hope. I think they're, I think they're a waveform. Yeah, I think Bournemouth still probably aren't good enough. But man, they've gotten a result every time they've needed one.
01:05:32
Speaker
Yeah, you know what? I can count another three points for them because we go there. Yeah. Yeah. I think Lee, I think leads as well. I think leads leads forest is a toss up for me. I think less to get out of it. Forest have like the second hardest remaining schedule in the league. And they've got, they they've not won an away game all season. They've got the worst away record in the league. They're horrible. I think they're probably going to go down.
01:05:56
Speaker
They've not been winning. They drew yesterday to Wolves. They lost to Newcastle. They've got a bank on their home form, and they've not been winning against teams. They should be beating Wolves at home, really. They've not been winning those type of games, so we'll see. I just think they're sick of Wolves.
01:06:15
Speaker
I think Forest are just an abomination of a Premier League club. They are just, no, they have, how many players? Basically zero players from last year. Yeah, a lot of them were alone there. But part of the thing that confuses me, right, so James Garner was on loan last year, right? He was in Forest, correct me if I'm wrong.
01:06:40
Speaker
Yeah, they don't sign them on a permanent and they sign like three or four other sense from the fielders He goes on a permanent for 15 million to everything. Why? Like why not? Like even if you're gonna sign all these players, why not keep like the smallest bit of cohesion in your squad? I don't understand that Like did you really need Chaku Koyate?
01:07:01
Speaker
I had in that Newcastle game. I watched it when he sex called that penalty had are you starting up front? You're telling me they've signed it's your player and they've got they still have the rollout Andre are you? It's it's it's literally insane. You know what? I'm surprised Musa Sosoko doesn't play for her. No, no, no Soko does. Yeah, that's probably the right one. He was the one that used to Soko plays for them. I'm pretty sure No, he doesn't
01:07:27
Speaker
No, you're thinking of someone else. He was the one who, um, the Spurs won. He played. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's, that's classic. That's because he just seems like the kind of player that they would sign. Like I could see them running out like Serge Aurier, Andre Ayu, check him out. Yeah. Like Lingard. Lingard then played the game. That was their marquee signing at the start as well. That's embarrassing.
01:07:52
Speaker
I mean, they don't play a manual Dennis. I feel like when he plays, he gets, he plays all right for them. I get this weekend. It's very weird. I was thinking when I said Sizzo go. Yeah. I don't know what you guys think. I'm, I'm quite confident. Everton are going to stay up. Yeah. They go down. I think they're fine. They're in the drop. You know, they might, they might get a point seduction.
01:08:17
Speaker
I don't know if you've read about that. That would be amazing. I don't think that they're going to get it this season, but if they did... No, I agree. But could you imagine if they like the season ends and they've stayed up by like five points and then they get six points in production or something? Like it would be absolutely nuts. Imagine that's how we stayed up. I would pay to see that. Yeah, it's so weird though because like it just shows Premier League, Super League is what they're called because there's so many players and like we were talking like,
01:08:47
Speaker
Noona for Everton, Madison for Leicester. All these teams near the bottom have got players that technically are good enough to play for the top six. Well, I was talking about this on the space earlier today. The Premier League is the Super League and that's why the league got fucked up though because the Premier League is the Super League now and it's down to no one else's fault besides the other leagues really because that's why Barcelona and Real Madrid are so
01:09:13
Speaker
eager to try and start a Super League is because they distributed their money in their league in a way that would basically guarantee that they reach the Champions League every year because they would always be making so much more money than the other clubs. But the Premier League tried to capitalize on its competitiveness and only made the league more competitive and more exciting because all of these other clubs are able to get talents. I mean, Killer Navas is mine for Nottingham Forest. There are so many other great players at these smaller clubs.
01:09:42
Speaker
And if La Liga tried to emulate that model 10, 15 years ago, there's no reason why Real Batiste and clubs like that, Real Sociedad wouldn't have West Ham, Everton like money. I mean, they had the two biggest draws in the history of the sport and really failed to capitalize on it long-term. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. I mean, I mean, another example, I think Ruben letters is a big example.
01:10:06
Speaker
in terms of like, well-class midfielder, and Newt, I think it was noon, noon? The one that was literally... Mattias Nudeus. Yeah, him. Like, those two midfielders could probably easily start for Barcelona, and they'd just chill out, chill out, always in the table. Like you said, though, because I remember back in the, like, even, not even that long ago, really, like, five, six years ago, when, I mean, when I was dominating the Champions League,
01:10:35
Speaker
English clubs weren't even making it out of the group and now it's kind of flipped after Liverpool and Chelsea the last few years. And it's natural for things like that to flip in sports and things to go up and down really, but the way and the reason it's happening for the Premier League that it's happening, like the fashion that it's happening in, is because the Premier League came up with a great business model and La Liga didn't. Like La Liga, I mean all the leagues are
01:11:04
Speaker
culprits, the La Liga under, especially because like you have the greatest player in the history of sport and the most famous player in the history of sport, playing each other two times a season and playing each other in the Champions League and they messed up. Yeah. I mean, not, not only is the rest of our league of suffering, it's like Sevilla's broke, Reba teaser broke. And guess what? Barcelona's broke too. Their self-serving tactics not only fucked the league, but they also hurt themselves in the process.
01:11:33
Speaker
was because they boss a rail take like 90% of the TV money. That's exactly what I'm saying is that the money isn't distributed correctly. Including Barcelona.
01:12:14
Speaker
So my first question is, most shocking result from the weekend? That's very quick, right? Most shocking. Man City probably. I would also say Man City Liverpool. I'm just talking about the result from the weekend. Yeah, just Premier League. I would go Crystal Palace 2, Leicester City 1.
01:12:43
Speaker
It's a good shot. Palace have been awful. I can't remember the last time they won a game. It was Hodgeson's first game. Yeah. They're back. Everyone had them count it out. Roy is back. Just need a little Roy Hodgeson. But yeah, I think Liverpool and City, that was really shocking, too. I mean, I don't know about you, Ollie, but me and Jack both had Liverpool penciled in for the upset and, say, just demolished them. Yeah, he's one of those guys. I had a pencil in for a good game. Me too.
01:13:14
Speaker
It's one of those games, well, I saw, I only started watching, I only started watching the second half, but I, um, I saw Liverpool, where it won them off. And it is one of those games you kind of scream Liverpool upset. But this is the thing with the title race is I like, you don't see Arsenal doing that to Liverpool, even at home Arsenal aren't doing that to Liverpool. I think Arsenal are going to win at Anfield either. So it's still up, still up in the air. Sure. My quick fire question is.
01:13:43
Speaker
Where does Ivan Tony rank in the Premier League among all strikers? Top three, top five, top seven. Um, top of my head, five. Top five off top of my head. I want to say, I want to say, all right. Um, Jesus, Holland and Kane. Jesus, Holland and Kane. Is there anyone better?
Top Strikers Discussion
01:14:07
Speaker
Oh, so four. You don't count me like Salah as a striker. No, no, no, no.
01:14:14
Speaker
Yeah, I think, I think for... I can't think of it. What about Ings? Top 20. Danny Ings? No, top 60. Who do you take? Who do you take? I'd say top... I think Ings is comfortably top 60. Strikers is apparently like... Jesus. I've been told he's got 17 goals. He's unbelievable. He's the third top goalscore in the league. Yeah, sounds about right.
01:14:45
Speaker
Yeah, that's a bit mental. Rodrigo's got 11 goals. I'll talk goals. He scored like five in the first two weeks. I have an interesting question going off of that. I don't know either, man, but I'm
Signing Debate: Ivan Tony vs Julian Alvarez
01:15:04
Speaker
taking... At least at this moment in time, I'm taking Ivan Tony. If I could sign one, I'm signing Julien now.
01:15:12
Speaker
Cause obviously Ivan Tony's like had the chances in the Premier League and there's more than taking it. But Julian Alvarez, he kind of just went and woke up. You know, I'm taking Ivan Tony, Mr. One England cat. That's fair.
Player of the Season Comparisons
01:15:30
Speaker
I've got, I've got two, I was gonna say, I've got two questions, similar nature. So who's your overall player of the season? And then who's your West Ham player of the season?
01:15:42
Speaker
affirmative season and then West Ham five seasons. All right. Um, so me, me and Jack actually, I actually came up with this question for the first podcast. Yeah. I said soccer and, uh, Jack said it Holland for the first one, but the South West Ham one we have not spoken about. Um, and Jack, I'll defer to you. Um, Declan Rice, man.
01:16:12
Speaker
It's boring, but it's correct. I'm torn. I feel like this isn't really based on a lot, but I feel like Ben Rama has done better than what he actually has done. Before we talk about Ben Rama in this conversation, because he deserves to be in the conversation as much as some people want to diminish it or as much as some people want to overstate it, I would like to say that if Aguirre was fit the whole season, I think that
01:16:41
Speaker
I was going to say a word anyway. If not rice, it's a good, even in a short time. If we stay up comfortably and we win the conference league and he plays a big part in it, I think he legitimately has an argument just because of how much he'll have changed our fortunes. Yeah. I thought that you know who is going to win it. I think rice probably will. It's got to be right. I don't even think we should give the award away. I agree. Don't give it to him. Don't give it to anyone.
01:17:09
Speaker
Give it to David Moyes. Just pretend it didn't even happen. Give it to fucking Harley Scarls. I was going to say my, um, Premier League Fair season has not been mentioned. Odegard. Get the hell out of here. I know Odegard or Harland, I think. Well, it's so hard to look past Harland, but I feel like just sitting on top.
01:17:32
Speaker
I'm not giving it to him, but Salah won it when Liverpool came fourth. I think it's okay to want to be different and stuff. I don't want to give it to Holland. It's not that bad. I don't want to give it to Holland, but... Yeah, it probably has to be, don't it? I mean, Odegard and Sacher really have been one of, if not the best at their position this season, to be fair, so is Holland. But I mean, look at the city's results.
01:18:02
Speaker
They've not been that much better with Holland. I mean, they are second league this year. They're just a machine, man. My question, which will age quickly and people will know your answer. Oh, no.
Everton vs Tottenham Predictions
01:18:17
Speaker
What's the result going to be Everton and Tottenham Monday night? Oh, geez. 2-1 Everton. 100% I win. I'm actually really confident, which isn't a good thing because I feel like I suppose in such disarray,
01:18:32
Speaker
And it's just one of those, it's, it's Goodison under the lights, relegation scrap. Like, you know, like a woby Conoco de, these sort of guys are, they're going to be, they're going to be out there in the trenches. They live for this. Like Richard would be shined away from getting abuse on the supporters. He's not made for it. I don't know. It's true. It's true. You probably won't even be out there. So I think that.
01:18:59
Speaker
Everything scored first, Tottenham scored the next two. Two went Tottenham. Going one-one. Yeah. I was between one-one and what I said.
Season Overachievers and Underachievers
01:19:13
Speaker
I'm trying to think of another question. Do you have another one, Jack? I think Ali owes us a question, and then that's the last one. Sounds good to me. If you got one, Ali. I need to think of something. I can edit it.
01:19:28
Speaker
to just make it go faster so you don't have to. I don't really know. I was trying to figure something that's not so boring. Who has been your underachievers this season and overachievers? Besides West Ham United.
01:19:47
Speaker
You can do both, like do one player that you can think of and then one team, either all. So, I mean, I would say obviously us, I'd probably say obviously us underachievers. I think Brighton definitely overachievers. And I'm trying to think of underachieving players. Salah. Yeah. Yeah. I think that's a big one. I would say... Salah and Ammarom overachieve Ammarom.
01:20:16
Speaker
I would say Martinelli, big over Cheever. Agree. Arsenal as a team, I would also say Arsenal as a team. Oh yeah, I don't really think about some reasons. That's obvious. I think people forget about that because obviously they're very good and they're deserving title winners and stuff, but dude, they're going to approach 100 points. Those are crazy heights. It's kind of mad though, isn't it?
01:20:42
Speaker
Oh, they, they put in Saliba, Jesus, and who was the other person they bought? I can't remember. They bought someone else. I think it's all clicked at the very right moment for them. And everything is just, everything's bouncing their way. Everything's bouncing their way. Like the Reese Nelson goal against Bournemouth to win. It's just meant to be.
Liverpool's Inconsistent Season
01:21:02
Speaker
I would say my underperforming player this year is definitely Song. Oh, yeah. He's been absolutely terrible and I've loved every second of it. But Charles says another under performer. I mean, yeah, we can just go through like the graveyard that is top of the pack besides Kane. I mean, even... Virgil Van Dijk. Virgil Van Dijk. Under performer of the century Van Dyke, honestly, has been terrible this year.
01:21:34
Speaker
New Castle. New Castle got loads of over-formers though. Danburn. Oh, it's out. Under it, it's out. WrestleMania last night, Newcastle season is over. It's over. I don't want to hear Miguel Almeron either. Miguel Almeron is out. And then, I guess, for me personally, Arsenal isn't overachieving because this is the expectations I had for them. You're insane. And it's not. You said they were going to finish third.
01:22:04
Speaker
That's true. Yeah, she thought they were going to finish fed. Yeah, I said they were going to be bedding time. The kid is insane, dude. He's nuts. You were right. You were still crazy. I should have been more nuts is what I'm getting from this conversation. You need to let loose on this podcast. You're so restrained. I didn't think Liverpool would fall off as bad as they did. I thought Liverpool would be like Newcastle, where they are now. That's how they are. Liverpool underachievers. They're so weird because
01:22:34
Speaker
you never know who you're going to get with Liverpool. Like one week they'll turn up like they're still the league champions and the next week they'll lose 4-1. Like it's, it's truly, it doesn't make sense with them this season. That's what I'm saying about when we play Liverpool at home is that they are literally a different team when they play at Anfield. It's when they play away. So there's no, and I mean, the only thing that is stopping us is the fact our manager likes to just bend over for anyone.
01:23:02
Speaker
Anyone that's ever been in the top six, but still at home. We should be that we should be looking to at least get a draw from that. Yeah All right, I have a question yeah One player from the bottom nine to take next season James Madison Yes, it's gotta be surely actually Reuben never's to replace rice
01:23:30
Speaker
Obviously, it's not realistic.
Players to Watch from Bottom Teams
01:23:31
Speaker
You didn't say it. It doesn't have to be realistic. Yeah, I'll say Ruben Nellis. Give me Wilfred Nianto. I'm going to end it on that silence. Because I love Wilfred Nianto, but come on, man. I want to be a little different, you know? All right. All right. History may smile upon you again.
01:24:00
Speaker
I mean, he did, he did come on for it the other day. He's only 18. He's hurt. It's the only 18 times. Damn, I'm so right about this stuff. No, I mean, no, like I'm not saying that you're not right. I'm just saying like. It's bad players. Weird guy, man. Respect him. I know. Plays with Bournemouth. I love him. Bournemouth right back. Fredericks. Oh, good play. I'm hearing good things about him. He's some player.
01:24:29
Speaker
I should have said, uh, I should have said, uh, the Mark gray. What is the 17 primarily goals for his career now? Um, seven very, very impactful goals. 17. I love him, but come on. But anyways, thank you everybody for listening.
Podcast Outro and Social Media Plugs
01:24:50
Speaker
Don't forget to find us on Twitter at hammering underscore away or on the internet to read our articles or find our podcasts on our blog hammering-away.com.
01:25:42
Speaker
Stop talking to my shutters, I'm talking to my team I hit you in the morning right now with the beast This hit me down the yawn and I think it down to sleep This hit me down the yawn and I think it down to peace
01:25:55
Speaker
And I need fire, you gonna ride You better slide, hop in the whip, better step on my side Cause this highway vibes your wave, wash my wave tie Don't trip, now you might slip, slide Cause I drip sauce and I drip fly, now I lean back without wind I think I woulda went way to infinity Felt for my team, didn't fuck up my vicinity This shit going crazy, bumpin' our shit, feel nice to Miami Down the highway and I'm just my Jamie's When I'm in the street, does it come in dually? My n***a named Rico, you strapped with the two of you Last minute shots of you acting up fully, you striving for perfection Don't you know you perfectly imperfect, n***a you worth it, n***a I can't flip
01:26:22
Speaker
And I flip shit, I'm a western nigga, you switch shit And I will smit them western niggas, I'm a french prince, don't check it, niggas I breathe deep, I'm testing niggas Go check your mate, it's night time, you were both today I might take your queen, but that was yesterday And I offer you points, I'll be the accolade, cause I'm the realest king to ever play And I'm a black king, worried up to my black skin And I run shit, cause I'm African, you gotta tell me I am the man