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Episode 19 - Are the Blues Feeling the Blues?
19 Plays3 months ago
This week on the pod, we’re diving into a pivotal weekend of Premier League action that has completely reshuffled the race for Europe. We break down Manchester United’s commanding 3-1 victory over Aston Villa at Old Trafford, analyzing how United’s clinical finishing overwhelmed a resilient Villa side that briefly fought back through Ross Barkley. We then shift our focus to Stamford Bridge, where Newcastle United pulled off a tactical masterclass to stun Chelsea. We discuss Anthony Gordon’s decisive early strike, Eddie Howe’s defensive discipline, and why the Blues struggled to break through despite their dominance in possession. From the tactical shifts in the top-four race to the growing pressure on Liam Rosenior’s project, we’re unpacking every major storyline from two of the season's biggest matchups.
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Transcript
00:00:00
Speaker
you
00:00:37
Speaker
Yo, don't cry, don't
Podcast Introduction
00:00:40
Speaker
beg. Welcome to another episode of the Don't Blame the Ref podcast. In the blue corner, representing Chelsea, you've got me, E-Man. And in the red corner, you've got Champions League elect.
00:00:53
Speaker
First time in how many years? what Hey, listen, listen, listen. Let me talk about the present. Let me talk about that present. Yeah, in the red corner, you've got me, don't. Well, Dobby's looking is a convey very, very, very cocky and um off the back of a United 3-1 thumping of Aston Villa. um Well, it wasn't completely a thumping, but I never felt that you were in big enough trouble for me to for me to have a successful hate watch.
00:01:27
Speaker
Nah, it was calm, man. To be fair, you gave us the warning last week saying all we had to do is X, Y, Z and... We followed the plan, followed the game plan. think they're watching the pod. terrible lot of Well, one thing's obvious is Aston Villa, they um to be fair, they did they defended deep quite quite a lot of this match. So they definitely didn't defend as high as they did against Chelsea. um However, in moments, they they they left themselves susceptible to some balls in behind. And United took advantage. Yeah.
Tactical Adaptations Discussion
00:02:01
Speaker
i think I think for me, the interesting thing is Carrick does not care about possession. the Not to say that he's not a quote-unquote tactical, because there's there's always an element of tactics with every coach and every team. But...
00:02:16
Speaker
When you guys don't have the ball, there's a comfortability in, okay, we don't have it. That's fine. We're going to sit in. um And it's not like he's asking you guys to to press up the pitch man for man, um trying to put the current team that he has in positions that don't suit them. um He's trying his best to put the team in the best possible position to suit their talents, to suit their capabilities, and he's bearing fruit for it.
00:02:45
Speaker
Yeah. ah For me personally, I don't mind that because when it comes to pressing, a lot of people think it's just effort. Run hard enough, close the spaces, close down your man and you'll um win the ball high up. No, it's a lot more tactical than that. It's a lot about positioning, triggers, when to close spaces, who needs to go, who needs to follow. But...
00:03:08
Speaker
Carrick doesn't have time like that. He doesn't have time to introduce this whole new pressing strategy to his team. And based on all the previous managers we've had, Ten Hag tried it,
00:03:20
Speaker
um and Amarin, I wouldn't say we pressed a lot, but there was some sort of a press there. This team struggles with that. We don't have the physical capabilities to keep that up for a long period of time. So there's no point of us burning ourselves out in the first, what, term...
00:03:42
Speaker
20 minutes of a game and then being useless for the rest of it. So I don't mind it. And plus, I don't think you've ever really had a sustained period where you could work on the physical conditioning to get to get your team in a position to actually um press like that. um I think the first summer where I've gone in a very long time since it's the start of... um Ten Hag's reign, this is the first summer where I've gone, oh, okay, United look fit now.
00:04:09
Speaker
United look Premier League ready and, you know, we can we could say all we want about Amurim, blah-de-da-de-da. There was an improvement this year. There was an improvement in physical conditioning. There was, a like in general, just your lowest baseline. You know, we didn't like his decision-making, but your baseline was, okay, these guys look fit and ready to compete for for put for any Premier League game. So, yeah,
00:04:33
Speaker
It's a shame, but United getting there. They're getting there. It's Carrick. Fair play, man. Fair play, Carrick. Fair play. You know it is with this ah Champions League race?
00:04:48
Speaker
For the last couple of years, it's been like, who's... basically the best of the worst, because it's never been like, oh, these teams are all flying. It's everyone's dropping points. Everyone's beating each other, losing to the bottom half of the table, all of that. And no one really picks up around the form. But I think we're separating ourselves from the pack.
00:05:13
Speaker
And it's about time that we do that, because there there's only a few points in between. I think now we're, what, six points ahead of you? See, that's a sizable gap. Now we can afford a draw here and there. Now we can afford a loss and we're not like looking over our shoulders.
Champions League Race Unpredictability
00:05:31
Speaker
Villa are still in free fall.
00:05:32
Speaker
So we're in a good spot and it's just about keeping it up. And going more into the game directly, I did mention last pod, Carrick's probably going to go back to his old reliable.
00:05:47
Speaker
So Mbemo in the fourth nine, Konyo on the left. Ahmed on the right, let's go on the bench. And that's what he did. Well, man, if if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Because it looks like...
00:06:06
Speaker
I feel like you're a lot more fluid with your rotations and movement. You know, Imbremo pulling out to the left, Cunha coming in on the inside from... Sorry, Imbremo pulling out to the right, Cunha coming in from the left into into infield...
00:06:23
Speaker
Bruno just finding gaps wherever you can for overloads and setbacks and things like that. So I think from an attacking sense, you you are a lot more fluid in your movement.
00:06:34
Speaker
um I don't necessarily think it showed itself massively in this game. um I think there were good moments. I don't think there were consistent periods of good attack
Bruno's Impact on Team Dynamics
00:06:46
Speaker
in play.
00:06:46
Speaker
um I would say that more came towards the second half, as the game was basically done. When it got to, I think when we got our second goal, the game started opening up a lot more.
00:06:59
Speaker
bru Bruno was like just in his bag. He was in his bag that second half. He was going mad. But um yeah, I just want to point out, speak is speaking of particular players and the roles that they've been playing under the system,
00:07:14
Speaker
I would say Konya has surprised me a bit more over the last two games because it kind of feels like he's keeping the whip for a lot more. He's going there around the outside. We've we've had wingers.
00:07:27
Speaker
the last couple of years on the left-hand side and all they want to do is cut in and shoot. That's all they want to do. And if if they don't have the opportunity to cut in and shoot, they'll lay it off to the fullback and then that's when you get the cross. But Konya is really on this, I'll beat you on the outside, I'll beat you on the inside. that it It doesn't matter. And he's put in a couple of decent crosses, but this is where my frustration comes into it. Again, crosses are going to no one because no one's in the box.
00:07:54
Speaker
So it's like... it's It's a lot of good work with no um output. And and i I just want to highlight that. And this is... Obviously, we're not there in the room, but that is most probably coaching.
Coaching and Player Effectiveness
00:08:10
Speaker
That is what coaching looks like. That is what tactics look like. That is what improving a player looks like. It's not... People think it's like this magical thing of, oh, I turn a player into something that they're not and... No, like you hardly ever see stuff like that. But what you do is try and make them more effective and try and see what their weaknesses are and try and give them the information that's going to help them.
00:08:37
Speaker
More... like only the top echelon, like top, top players figure it out on on their own. Yeah, yeah. Like I'm being so serious here. Like it it's sometimes it's so, especially when you're out on the pitch and a player has patterns and things that they've been doing their whole lives.
00:08:57
Speaker
It hardly ever would just clicks in their brain and then they start doing it themselves. It's most likely coming through repetitive coaching, post-match analysis and constantly feeding this information and training it in training. So, um yeah, i just want i just want to touch on that. And you can see it makes him way more effective when he when he stops trying to come inside all the time. Mm-hmm.
00:09:28
Speaker
Yeah, and um for me, getting into the key events of the game, i would mainly say that first half, it was a lot of nothing, but I did think we were the more comfortable side out of out the two of us. We had the big chance with Ahmad with the header. It was um fairly tame. There's not a strong suit, so...
Aston Villa's Defensive Challenges
00:09:54
Speaker
I wasn't really expecting that to be a goal, but it was it was a good effort at the at the moment. And then apart from that, I think we just put good crosses into good areas and then we just didn't have the striker to make the most of it. Kunio put in a good cross, Bruno put in a couple, Dalo whipped crazy ball across.
00:10:14
Speaker
and just now And literally, simply just by having someone there, maybe we were one no up in the first half. And it would have been deserved at that point. Because Villa, you pointed out last week that you didn't rate that team.
00:10:28
Speaker
But that when certain players within this team are not doing it, like, are so off the boil, this team looks so flat.
00:10:40
Speaker
When Morgan Rodgers is not doing anything, there's no attack. When Oli Watkins isn't doing anything... then the whole team's blunt. That's it.
00:10:51
Speaker
so yeah So now they have no threat. So you're telling me the Villa team whose defence is already a bit shaky has zero threat. That's barbecue chicken. Easy. That's easy. and might as well That reminds me of us not too long ago.
00:11:06
Speaker
And I want to say, like, anyone that spends over 50 million on Morgan Rodgers is getting bumped, bro. The guy's not it. Like, he's... i don't want to... Like, one day, you know, he might he might it might all click together and he turns amazing, but he's currently not what people think he is.
00:11:25
Speaker
And I think he's He's a streaky player. He's too, like, all right, I'm good for a month and a half and then I can go sign up for the rest of the year. that's When were on their nine-game win streak or whatever, he he was on fire. And then
Player Performance Critiques
00:11:40
Speaker
now the run's stuck. Now you're not doing anything.
00:11:43
Speaker
But then even if you watch, and this is the problem, too many of us pass judgment on a player that we actually just don't watch all the time. Facts. Facts. Let's be honest. And I do it. I do it. I do it. I really do. but When I took the time to actually watch Morgan Rodgers in some Aston Villa games, actually against usually only big games, and and I watched the full game, you see his involvement in the game isn't consistent enough. And it's in and out and it's moments and it's, you know, and it's a lot of errors.
00:12:16
Speaker
But for me, at a top club, remember what I said previously about having players who can consistently execute high quality things consistently? Bruno Fernandes consistently shoots with accuracy, consistently passes with accuracy, consistently um crosses with accuracy.
00:12:37
Speaker
I don't see that in Marco Rodgers. And I don't see that in a lot of players. And I don't think he will translate well to a big team. I think he'll be a bit part player in a big team, kind of like the role that Eze is taking at Arsenal.
00:12:50
Speaker
The onus is not going to be on him to carry a team over the line, but he will chip in here and there. And the funny thing is, I kind of see him going Chelsea, you know. God forbid. I know he will. He fits the age profile. He's English. He's like... Bro, and there's a lot of talk of a lot of players kind going out this summer.
00:13:11
Speaker
I saw a report about um the whole Modric situation. They might terminate a contract, so that means you're light on that side. Neto, you're sick of him, but your manager likes him, so you might stay.
00:13:21
Speaker
Good nacho. Your fans, aid they're not buying that, bro. But... um yeah And look... We'll get into Chelsea a bit later. Yeah, yeah, yeah. True, true. We'll get to Chelsea later. You're about get back to the rest of the game.
00:13:36
Speaker
Yeah, I know, know. That's why I don't interrupt. So, are you comfortable with the way you guys are playing? So, I feel like, ideally, from a United team at home against Villa, you'd probably want them to be a bit more imposing.
00:13:56
Speaker
this current and you know I started off the podcast praising the way Carrick has chosen to go about it and not worrying about possession per se and and playing to his current team's strengths.
00:14:08
Speaker
But watching that, does that frustrate you as a fan? Not really, because I've kind of taken the standpoint of I'm not
United's Strategic Approaches
00:14:18
Speaker
expecting everything to be perfect now.
00:14:21
Speaker
This is get-through-games moment within this team, um within this part the season. Not everything's going to be perfect, but when we're not on top, we don't have to be self-sabotaging, because that's what we were doing before.
00:14:38
Speaker
When we were going through moments where we weren't doing anything, Ornana's throwing the ball in the net. Maguire's doing a dumb tackle. Dallor's doing something dumb. we're given like We're giving teams goals. But now because we're able to stay in the game and it's staying nil-nil, not two-nil down before halftime, when we are settled and our better players get a bit more comfortable within the game, they're able to have the moments to change a game.
00:15:06
Speaker
Because I do think we have quite a few players who are able to do that. So in short, I'm not i'm not frustrated about what's happening. I think our better players are doing what they need to do. They're stepping up.
00:15:17
Speaker
The players who were counting on to step up are doing it. <unk> There's still a few players who I'm expecting more from. I think Ahmad's been poor over the last couple of weeks. I think Mbwemo has been poor performance-wise over the last couple of weeks.
00:15:31
Speaker
Kobe has been decent, but I expect more from him. So once all these pieces come together, we'll be a way better team than where we are now. But for now, give me the three points. Put the three points in the bag. Let's go, let's go. Next stadium, next stadium. Okay, so we've got Bournemouth next. Give me that. I'll take that.
00:15:50
Speaker
So just talking on Ahmed, what did you think of his performance today? Because like you said, you've been underwhelmed with his recent performances and I highlighted that he has four GNA in almost 30 games. right So what? he a so Hey, so they're calling this kind of stuff, wait. But what what did you think of his performance today?
00:16:17
Speaker
I think it was more the same. i i just don't... it's It's like he's lost a bit of confidence in what he was. Because I felt like last season, he was mainly like carrying the attack for a lot of a lot of the good things that happened for the team, attack-wise, came through him. And now it seems like he's kind of regressed a bit.
00:16:45
Speaker
I don't know if that's to do with, bro, you spent however for many months learning how to play right wing back for you to not do that anymore. And then now you're being put back in your natural position and it's just about getting rhythm. But now he's in and out of the team because he's competing with Mbwemo.
00:16:59
Speaker
So it's ah it's a bit tough. But then I saw him at AFCON. He was good at AFCON playing right wing. there He was almost unplayed at the tournament. So then it's like... is it just it might literally just be a confidence ring because I know he's got he's got the talent, but he just needs to do it more. i'm sorry even um in the game itself, there were quite a few opportunities where we could have counted and he just kept messing up the pass.
00:17:28
Speaker
And it seemed like pretty straightforward passes. And I was just so uncharacteristic of him because it was in central areas. He's played as a 10 before and you're just...
00:17:39
Speaker
But nothing's going on. You're taking on your man. It's just very safe and simple and not enough punch in what he's doing. Yeah, maybe it's in that season. He's currently in that funk, with that cycle of, OK, I don't want to make too many mistakes. um So I did notice one thing about his positioning, especially when you didn't have the ball.
00:18:03
Speaker
um It started to look a little bit Amoui. a little bit Amurimi, you know, a little bit... It looked a bit wingback-y is his position. You know, I've seen like, deep on the right-hand side with Dalo tucking in and... But the thing is, um um that's one thing I read about him, man. He doesn't cheat the game. Like, he works hard. He works hard throughout 90 minutes. So even even though, yeah, he he's not going to, like...
00:18:32
Speaker
half-assed defensive responsibility. So when it does look like he's playing as a wing-back, it's because he's actually doing his defensive roles. He's dropping deep. He's picking up the spaces that Dalo's leaving in and he's going and filling it because he understands what's needed for us to be...
00:18:50
Speaker
ah um like a combined well-oiled machine in defence as well, not just on the attacking end. So that's why I don't mind him playing, even if he's in bad form, only because you know you're going to get something on the defensive end as well.
00:19:06
Speaker
that's what That's what I would say. So playing Devils Advocate, you could say that fans are... a little bit, you know, fickle. And there was a lot of focus on formation tactics and free this and that. But in moments like today's game, I don't think there's many United fans even noticing that this this sort of set-up that Carrick has got. And don't get wrong, it wasn't for the whole game, um but there you can see moments where he is really dropping deep as if he's he's playing as a wing-back. And surely that's by...
00:19:43
Speaker
not just from his own personally, surely that's by this design as well. Yeah, yeah. We're kind of we're kind of um doubling up on the right. um So it's a 4-4-2 when we don't have possession. And so the two wide players are essentially just doubling up on whoever is attacking on that side. And that's, so it looks like wing backs. It looks like, um,
00:20:06
Speaker
that like but it Yeah, it it looks a lot more defensive in that shape. But like I said, if we're not pressing, at least we compact defensively and don't let spaces open up. unless I have no issues with that. i think I think what is good about your team is they, not not all the time, but they screen well.
00:20:24
Speaker
um Yeah, yeah. this They do screen well and it it allows it... um it doesn't allow the opposition team to just go through the middle. Whereas the way Chelsea midfielders position themselves, especially when they come out to press out of that shape, they don't screen well.
00:20:45
Speaker
um Not at all. And it leaves us really, really wide open. um But fair enough. credit Credit to the team. Is there anyone else that you'd like to you like to big up for their performance today?
00:20:59
Speaker
Bruno, Bruno, Bruno.
Set-Piece Success Stories
00:21:01
Speaker
That guy, man. We don't talk about Bruno. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, talking about the goal, another set-piece goal, Casemiro, Bruno. I'm pretty sure they've combined probably like three or four times this season. Wait, it was last week as well, actually. Yeah, yeah. Maybe even five times this season they've combined.
00:21:23
Speaker
Bruno, good delivery. Casemiro, goal. Yeah. Like, it's great. Even Casemiro himself. he was boy he He was... He was calm. He was calm. And it's just like, Unk, man. I wish we got you, like... Just a... Yeah. If we signed... If we signed Pogba and then Casemiro in the same window...
00:21:45
Speaker
the That's what... That's what... That's what... we want That's what Pogba needed next to him. Bro. Not this... Not this... A Casemiro with legs. That's what he needed next him. That would have been crazy. But... um Yeah, so I'll say that the um second goal was, no, then Barkley scored, balls played across and then it was a good finish to be fair. That was ah that was a good finish. i I've always liked Barkley, but his career hasn't panned out in the way that thought it was going to.
00:22:16
Speaker
Like, that's... I thought he was going to go straight to United from Everton. Another Rooney. That's what I that's what i thought his situation was going to be. Not as good as Rooney, but just that part. Yeah, was a good finish.
00:22:28
Speaker
And then our second goal, on Bruno, man. a get like He's just a conductor of our team, man. he makes it Everything everything clicks through goes through him, man. he's actually um when When he starts fiddling himself, like I mentioned before, he just does the whatever he wants and it just works. It just works.
00:22:45
Speaker
That pass to Cunha, perfect weight. 100% knew he was going to score that. i didn't anymore I wasn't even worried. Konyo was definitely bagging that. That's another assist or two assists in this game.
00:22:56
Speaker
I think he's on 16 now for the season. Which is amazing. He needs five more in our last eight games, I think, to break the record. Right.
00:23:10
Speaker
I think he can do that. And even even even in this game, he had the ball that he played to Dallot over the top and Dallot just skied it for some reason. That's the that's another big chance created. That ball he played through to Sesko and Sesko, I think it was a pass.
00:23:25
Speaker
I'm to say that was a pass that I had when he tried to slide it across because he opened his body like he was about to shoot. And then it just, yeah, whatever. But if Sesko was more clinical,
00:23:37
Speaker
He would have just taken, like, ran a bit more close to the goal. He just shot. That's it. Two more assists. Bruno could have left this game with, like, four assists. Just like that. Done half the work already.
00:23:49
Speaker
But then, I i will say, Cesc goal, that goal that he did score, that striker instant. Gabou was just bobbling around. He even jumped over someone just to get to the ball first and get the shot. Swivel, hit it.
00:24:03
Speaker
Hey, man. that's ah That's exactly what we need. But he's hungry. He's hungry. Every time he comes that bench, he looks hungry. And credit to Carrick and the whole team and credit to him, to be fair. Like we've we've we've talked about, maybe, um you know, wrongly talked about his mentality, whether he's got it. But, um you know, coming off the bench,
00:24:27
Speaker
you know being hungry, being aggressive, being running in behind, trying to get that goal. And even when you're already winning, he'ss he's doing that. doesn't He's not rested and you know trying to see out a result. So um fair play to him. fair play He's left a lot of goals on the table this season. though I think he's left about um five five or six from like just really easy chances that he should be scoring. So yeah it's more there's more in there.
00:24:54
Speaker
like You know what I mean? and I'm not... i'm not There 100% And honestly, it it bodes well. It bodes well. um Yeah, for years I've wanted Cesc. I've never watched him long you know in full 90s consistently enough um to see who all his flaws. So, you know, in a lot of games that I'd tune into would be big Champions League games, the odd Bayern Munich versus Dortmund. So, Leipzig versus... Sorry, not Dortmund. Leipzig versus Bayern. Leipzig versus Dortmund. So, I've...
00:25:31
Speaker
But i think the physical profile was just undeniable. like yeah I was just like, yeah, get me this guy, man. Get me this guy. And the thing is, like to think about Cesc going this way.
00:25:43
Speaker
um This is probably the worst he will be at United. he should only get better from here. As long as all things are are right in our recruitment um aspect, Cesc should just keep getting better and better. As long as the team's good, it's fine. As long as the team's good, it's fine. They've just got recruit well now. They've got pick players that can do they can handle the physicality and do the things that count in Premier League football.
00:26:13
Speaker
The way you replace Casemiro key. Can they do it? They need to get someone off that profile. Even that for me, that shouldn't be a like for like. We shouldn't be looking for one player to replace Castellanos. We should get a six and an eight slash six.
00:26:30
Speaker
I don't think you're going to find... what Casemiro yeah maybe not but you want the core skills so the ability to screen the 1v1 ability the threat in the air the anticipation you want those core defensive skills and obviously the on the ball is a given but he's not exactly a line breaking cruise type but you want someone who's competent enough to be able to play one to two touch and break lines when needed
00:27:03
Speaker
Yeah. but It's going to be tough, but the scouts have got to do their job, man. Yeah. This is on the Ineos. This is how the club takes the next step forward. And if we make the right acquisitions in the summer, we can go challenge next season.
00:27:18
Speaker
that's what That's what I think we are. Even even though like we started off the season so badly, looking at the season now, going into next year, Liverpool, I don't think they're
Premier League Competitiveness
00:27:28
Speaker
bouncing back. City, who knows Pep might go.
00:27:31
Speaker
Chelsea aren't ready to compete. So what, Arsenal are going to get another clean run at the Premier League title? I don't think so. I think so. I don't think that should happen. It it probably will, but it shouldn't. They should not be doing their back-to-back. Every... every every owner of a big club should be looking at the Premier League right now as food right now. Everyone should be saying, we get this right. If we get this right, we're right there. so If Chelsea had spent their money better in more efficiently and on better players as a whole in in terms of squad squad building, mate, last year's title, Liverpool,
00:28:08
Speaker
i'll i'll limit i'll I watched most of their games. they were not Even last year, they were not great. They were not great. And there were a lot of results where the opposition just didn't take their chances and Liverpool capitalised. So if Chelsea had been the serious institution, the title yes last year was was was achievable. The title this year is achievable. Title next year, I still i still think it's going to be achievable. so But it's a shame. I think if you, man...
00:28:37
Speaker
take the money you spent on Gittins and the money you spent on Gennacher and just bought a serious left winger. If you didn't buy the lap and you just said, Ossieman, and then you went and got imagine in a competent centre-back. That's it. but That's what you wouldn't need. Imagine we went to go get Lukman, Ossieman, and let's say a centre-back of...
00:29:02
Speaker
i like the centre-back thing I'm always confused on but let's yeah I don't know just a look man and um Aussie man imagine yeah you guys you guys would at least have you would definitely have at least like what 10 to 15 more points than you have now Easy.
00:29:22
Speaker
Easy. Where would that put you right now? find I think that would put you... You're on 51, aren't you? No, you're not even on 51. What am talking about? I'm going to try give you more points.
00:29:34
Speaker
Oh, no, you're on 48. 50 more points puts you second, like five points behind Arsenal. and And then suddenly the whole picture changes and you're competing for a title.
00:29:48
Speaker
But anyway, look, let's focus on Chelsea versus Newcastle. At home, 1-0 loss to Chelsea.
00:29:59
Speaker
After that drumming against Paris, Paris-Saint-Germain. So you're carrying that momentum from that game into this game. What what was your... expectation coming into this game because Newcastle listen no one likes playing them guys bro it doesn't matter what time of the season it is whether they're starting to play for or not they are not a nice team to play against let me before I start talking about Newcastle let's talk about PSG let's actually let's actually do some ah reaction to PSG what the heck was the manager thinking what the heck was he thinking
00:30:38
Speaker
Before this guy came in, I said, bro, don't try any Galaxy playing nonsense. Keep things simple. Keep your best team consistent. Rotate Rhys James and make sure Rhys James doesn't play three times in a week.
00:30:51
Speaker
Fofana, make sure he doesn't play three times in week. Do those things, he would have been fine. yet What the heck was he thinking putting Jorgerson in that team?
00:31:03
Speaker
What the heck?
00:31:07
Speaker
and Yeah, but didn't he say both of those goalkeepers are world class? da Shut up your mouth, idiot. What's he saying? We've been watching both of these guys for time. like Stop it. Just stop it.
00:31:24
Speaker
And I get it. He's trying to instill them with confidence, but don't do that. Don't don't insult my intelligence. Don't do it. like And the thing is, I don't even necessarily, i don't even blame Jorgensen.
00:31:38
Speaker
It's the manager that's telling him to play all these short, short, chavvy Iniesta passes. And look, for 75 minutes, yeah, it kind of worked. But then within that 75 minutes, this is where the manager's being disingenuous. In the post-match first press conference, he says, oh, Jorgensen for 75 minutes was great, world-class.
00:31:57
Speaker
You're bloody liar. You are a liar. Because there are two moments in that 75 minutes where it's a close call. And his his insistence on playing short when the picture had changed and when he should have went long caused us trouble. And it put us on the back foot. And it made us nervous on multi on two occasions.
00:32:20
Speaker
So don't lie to me. And then he got caught out. And then it got worse. yeah You don't play short. You play what you see. You don't play excessively short when the space is already opened up in behind.
00:32:34
Speaker
Multiple times, Jao Pedro's 1v1 with that centre-back and PSG are pressing like crazy. Multiple. Send it. Put that centre-back on skates.
00:32:47
Speaker
But with with what are we trying to achieve with this short play? Like, are we trying to prove to ourselves that we're Barcelona-like? What are we doing? Too much is your most normal complication, man, on the game. And look, I'm not trying to be a dinosaur, but you have got to play what you see and balance it up. Where's the space? Don't play what you think you've got to play. Don't play to your ego. Don't play to what you taught to your style.
00:33:15
Speaker
Play what you can see. i can see Jao Pedro 1v1 with a centre-back. I'm sending it. Send it! But I think that's hard because... The current setup of your goalkeepers, it doesn't it seems like Sanchez is supposed to be your number one, but at the same time, I'm not sure if the manager is fully in with him. So in that sense, if you're... What's his name? Who's it? Jorgensen.
00:33:41
Speaker
If you're coming in as Jorgensen, you're thinking, long as execute what the manager is telling me to do, yeah then i'm I'm going to be ah i'm goingnna have a chance to finish off the rest of the season. But...
00:33:53
Speaker
Yeah, I'm not um i'm not blaming Jorgerson. I'm not blaming him. He's doing exactly what he's being told to do. yeah it's the It's on the manager. And the reason why Sanchez looks shaky is because against Arsenal, he the first leg against Arsenal, he's asking him to play extra, extra short when we know Sanchez gets nervous.
00:34:13
Speaker
And sometimes he doesn't have the temperament for it. And then that nervousness fed into his performance and then he started panicking. And he continued to make mistakes for throughout the game. Actual goalkeeping mistakes.
00:34:27
Speaker
But when Sanchez is confidence confident, he doesn't make those stupid mistakes. So you have to play to the players that you have, not to the style that you want to play. like And I get it. Sometimes Sanchez plays some really good medium to long passes. and so like Any goalkeeper can do it. Jorgensen does it. And it looks great.
00:34:49
Speaker
But... You have to pick the moments. And the moments I hate, when they don't get it right, it's the moments when they're trying to play into a midfielder wi who's already touched tight with an opposing player.
00:35:02
Speaker
And now you want that player to do a Xavi Iniesta, Pirouette, and and trying to like come on. is it Is the risk worth the reward in that scenario? When we could just thump it into João Pedro's chest and play off him. Mm-hmm.
00:35:20
Speaker
Wow, I fully ah fully agree. I fully agree. It's too woke for me. It's too woke for me. It's too woke for me. i'm not on it I'm not on it. I'm not on it. I'm not on it. I'm not. I'm not. And you've got to play to the team you have. I'm sorry. Teleport on his left foot, on the left-hand side. You're getting no progression on that side.
00:35:38
Speaker
So why we playing short so much?
00:35:42
Speaker
Why? Fofana is not a ah great ball-playing centre-back. He's not... So why are we playing short short so much? That's not the skill set of the players that you have.
00:35:57
Speaker
So why are you trying to do it? And there are moments for it. We can do it when we have a certain amount of space. But when we don't have that certain amount of space, we need to be looking medium to long, not short.
00:36:10
Speaker
Cool. So he he messed that up. He messed that up and we're 5-2 down in that tie because of the manager. And it's on him. Yeah? Cool. So going into this game, into the Newcastle game now, I'm expecting some rotation. He didn't rotate a single player.
00:36:28
Speaker
I thought that was wild. As soon as I saw that, I thought that was wild. We've got injury-playing players in that squad. Rhys James, Fafana, and he's trying to get them to play three games free games in one week.
00:36:41
Speaker
Cool. For me, ah alarm bells already ringing. I'm a bit like, what the heck is going on? Yeah. Cool.
00:36:51
Speaker
Going to the game now, we look lethargic. la loster and And the thing I'm thinking about before the game is, how does this look for PSG? How does PSG have the week off, which I think is an absolute travesty, number one? Yeah, listen. do you know you know what You know what that French league does, man? They say, hmm, PSG, they got a tough game against Real Madrid. You know Let's give them a two-week break.
00:37:15
Speaker
ah Let's move all their fixtures into later on down the season, just before the international break whatever. And it give them a nice long rest, ready to go again.
00:37:26
Speaker
Listen, man. That shouldn't be allowed, man. They already won the league by like Feb. They don't care, man. That shouldn't be allowed, man. So, cool. That happens, yeah? But you know that they've got a break and we needed to rotate.
00:37:39
Speaker
At least three, four players, our key
Chelsea's Injury Woes
00:37:42
Speaker
players. Fofana needed to sit out. His form hasn't been perfect and that great anyway. Rhys James needed to sit that one out.
00:37:50
Speaker
He's hurt my boy. He's hurt my boy. Listen, we're recording this after um on the Monday, so we just got the we got the news earlier today. My boy! He might be out for a couple weeks. And knowing that, way that might even be a couple more that's going to be a couple weeks, and then it's going to take him time for him to get into rhythm, and then a woke up.
00:38:13
Speaker
So what's he going to do? Fabrice Hawkins, I think that's his name. He's saying two months and everybody every other journalist is a liars or wrong. So boy, and this this this stupid institution, stupid owners, stupid directors, they have got previous of lying about players' injuries so that the fans don't get sex.
00:38:35
Speaker
They keep doing it. They keep doing it. Like, Donny's are getting injured. They say, oh, they'll be back in four weeks. We have we don't we we didn't see Lavia for the whole of last season. oh that guy That guy just pops up out of nowhere.
00:38:49
Speaker
Bro, he's like he's like spam mail, bro. He just pops up out of nowhere and then he disappears. He's just spam. Bro, I'm not having it anymore. I'm not having it. It's the it's those in charge. They sacked the whole um health, the strength and conditioning team. They sacked the whole ah doctors. They sacked all of them, replaced them with their buddies and mates and people they like.
00:39:08
Speaker
And, bro, I'm not in the room, but it must be an absolute joke. It must be a joke. It must be, because for two years we had mad injury issues.
00:39:22
Speaker
But nobody wants to talk about that. It's not it's not it's not on the players. like Yes, the player has a responsibility to ensure they're doing everything they can to stay fit. Cool. But the club are ones that manage that process. They manage to return the return return to play. They manage the strength for condition. They manage the load. they manage this little For two years we had 10 injuries non-stop.
00:39:44
Speaker
Why? and you Same culprits as well. you've got same corporatets and You've got mad rookies in in in the backroom stuff. Mad rookies. Donnies we've never heard of. All right, cool.
00:39:56
Speaker
Anyway, on the game, on the game, there's not even much to say about the game. We were tired. Like, i quote I can tell you. And then for the manager to now decide to go man from man to man on a press when your team is tired,
00:40:12
Speaker
They're tired. They were tired. I could see that. The lack of intensity in press, the lack of intensity in movement, the lapses in concentration. I could see it. For me, 10 minutes in, would have went, hey, you man, sit back. four four two sit back.
00:40:29
Speaker
4-4-2, sit back, wait for them to make a mistake, then we'll hit them on the counter. That's what I would have done. And the thing is as well, when you when you say tired, that's not even just a physical thing. It's like you your mind also goes with your body at the same time. So there's a space that you know you need to block that line off.
00:40:48
Speaker
But because you're tired, you you hesitate in your decision and then your your body reacts slower as well. So that's even... that's That's literally you how I would describe that goal. Because that's literally... Bro, like... Forward pass, and then nobody tracked. Nobody even attempted. Did you see Fofana, the way he was running back?
00:41:08
Speaker
done Bro. He was like, yeah, this is dumb, bro. I can't be asked, man. I did all that work midweek. Andre Santos, why is he on the bench?
00:41:19
Speaker
Just feshing up the midfield. Just feshing it up. Gusto was crapping midweek anyway. Put a champ on right back. Just freshen it up. You do those two things. When was the last time champ on played? I haven't seen him. Bro, don't even get me started. These directors and people in charge are so dumb.
00:41:41
Speaker
They're so dumb. They're so dumb. You've got one of the best centre-back prospects. And you're not even playing him. And I'm not asking him to play in PSG.
00:41:53
Speaker
Play him in the other games. Play at centre-back. Why is Tottenham playing? That guy is not seeing this club past the summer. I know he's not. They're not keeping it past the summer. think you're going to sell a champion, you know.
00:42:04
Speaker
I think I've a thing. That's PFR. So why not... Okay, cool. If you're not going to play him and you're going to rank Tosin above him, whenever whenever it's a sub to be made for a centre-back, you bring on Tosin.
00:42:15
Speaker
Why not put the young boy on loan? Let him get some experience and play consistently. Cool. Number two, you go and grab Saar, Mamadou Saar, who's playing every week, week in, week out at Strasbourg, to ask him to come and sit on the bench. Why?
00:42:31
Speaker
Does that make sense? Does that make sense?
00:42:36
Speaker
Does that make sense? He's just sitting on a bench. What's the point? And I was thinking, like, we've already got seven centre-backs. Why was you bringing another centre-back in? they stuck i Honestly, Dom, I don't get it. i don't like It's very stupid. It's very stupid.
00:42:56
Speaker
I'm not even trying to... it's instead They're stupid. The decisions are stupid and it's to the detriment of the team. You've got Saar there, he doesn't rotate it against Newcastle. You can't even use your guy. that you use that you could Put Santos, Saar and Achenpong, the team looks completely different.
00:43:17
Speaker
Bench Enzo because the guy's not running anyway.
00:43:23
Speaker
Like that guy on a good day doesn't want to screen or doesn't know how to screen. Now, on a bad day when he's tired, you want to ask him to scream. Look at that first goal. Look at the way they drive through the middle there. Where is Zen still in that? He just wants to be a fox in the box, man. He don't care about all this, like... midfield and stuff, man. Let me play a nice couple of clip passes here and there, but outside of that, let me just get into the box, man. Newcastle didn't have to do any sort of t like mad tactics. They didn't have to do... We had nothing for them.
00:43:57
Speaker
We barely crossed the ball. We barely tried to pass the ball. Like, 21 shots, nine blocked. We barely created a um ah shoot a clear shooting an opportunity without a Newcastle player blocking it. Mm-hmm.
00:44:13
Speaker
tiredness, lack of rotation.
00:44:18
Speaker
And I'd question the manager, well, what's tactics going to do? If I'm asking a full-back to overlap and he's tired and he can't even do the overlap with speed, what's the point of asking him to overlap anyway?
00:44:30
Speaker
Even, yeah, going back to the midfield, yeah. I'm sorry, I completely forgot. Didn't they play Rotomada as a midfield? Yeah.
00:44:39
Speaker
look Look at the midfield. Willock, Ramsey and Voltemar as a midfield three. A double pivot of Ramsey and um Willock and then a striker in midfield and you still couldn't get cracking against that.
00:44:53
Speaker
i would have I would have done... gary and And you know what? In the first half, not even in first half, quite a few opportunities, we got in behind. So he'd done a good thing where he had, obviously, Palmer from the right coming in on the inside and then Jao Pedro dropping off and there was one more. Enzo would sometimes come in that space. In behind Ramsey and... and um ah Willock, none of them are CDMs, natural CDMs, so they all three of them were actually really bad at screening their defence.
00:45:23
Speaker
So we had three opportunities where we would get the ball in behind those three midfielders and we'd have space to drive out the goal. Palmer got the ball... And then he passes it to the... He's not even thinking to drive through the middle.
00:45:37
Speaker
Bear mind, the Leocastle back line are dropping because they've got Jao Pedro and the two wingers pinning a full-back, or i'm Gusto pushing up, pinning them back. So, Palmer's got all the space to go dead centre. Just go dead centre and have a pop or try and slide in Jao Pedro.
00:45:51
Speaker
He passes it immediately out wide. I'm just thinking, what? What? What? My bro, what are you doing?
00:46:04
Speaker
You've got to make me understand that. Why? why
00:46:10
Speaker
man. Cool, man. the That PSG game, Dom, that's been the angriest I have ever been. like can you not lose it? That's the angriest I've ever been at this team. Honestly, i was mad mad i was mad next day it was all i could think about it's mad yeah the to be fair bro when when caboscleria came on hey man he just came and said yeah super sub watch this bro crash it crashing on them bro when you have that much firepower yeah
00:46:54
Speaker
there's There's only... you You only have to do a little bit. And then, obviously, the midfield with Jal Nevers and Vitinho and then whoever else they throw, like, add into that mix. it's just They've just got a stable lineup. And especially when they're basically playing, like, once a week. At this point of the season, they're playing once a week.
00:47:10
Speaker
It doesn't matter if there's any other competitions. They'll reschedule that. Reschedule that. They don't care. So, it's... It's about to happen. You've got the game again tomorrow. against them.
00:47:22
Speaker
Well, our season is cooked. Our season Our season is done. You're on the FA Cup? Rhys James injured. It don't matter. Whenever we get to a big team, we're going to lose.
00:47:35
Speaker
We've got pieces that aren't good enough. We are we are not fit. We've got players that are tired as hell. like obviously Anyway, I've been banging this. What were we, episode 19? I've been banging this for ages. We are tired.
00:47:48
Speaker
look... we look He still had the club World Cup and all that. when the manager and When the manager adopts tactics that don't fit with the scenario that we're in, that's where that's where it gets me mad.
00:48:01
Speaker
It gets me mad. Man for man forman press. Like, it's the complete opposite of Maresca. Maresca was too far over with there. Like, tonys Donny needs to chill. This man-for-man press, while where we are unfit and had two weeks pre-season, now people are dropping with muscle injuries. Esteval, Gittins, my boy, my boy Rhys James.
00:48:22
Speaker
My boy Rhys James. We've got to do, man. We've got some business. Do you know what he needs to do? Overshadow this Arsenal title.
00:48:33
Speaker
So I need England to look up and lock off the barades, bro. My fam, if this guy ever achieves anything in his life, he's got to get that World Cup on him.
00:48:44
Speaker
Honestly, he's got to get that World Cup. he's got to get that work He's got to sacrifice his legs to overlap him for for seven games, bro. Seven games, that's all he needs. Seven games. He's got to sacrifice it. He's got to do it.
00:49:00
Speaker
He's got to do it for his legacy. He's got to do it. And there's two shows as well, isn't there? Two shows. Yeah, man. That's his boy. Yeah, man. So he's going to the World Cup. If he's fit, he's going to World Cup. Yeah, he's going. 100%. 100%. Yeah, but, bro.
00:49:18
Speaker
Man. Yeah, Chelsea are stinking. Bro, how do you actually feel about your hopes of getting this Champions League, man? Bro, you're slipping as well. You're slipping and sliding. I think...
00:49:33
Speaker
I think fifth. I do think we'll be fine for fifth. But my my worry is we've got some hard games. Yeah, that's what I'm looking at. You've got a run of games that I'm looking at. I'm going, I'm not sure about that. Everton, I'm not sure we win that game. I'm not sure either. City United, we easily lose both of those games. Then who's after that?
00:49:56
Speaker
Brighton. You're way at Brighton. away at Brighton, boy, that's a Chelsea slip-up. Nottingham Forest at home, that's a Chelsea slip-up. Liverpool away, Tottenham at home is a guaranteed W. um Sunday the way as well. Actually, who knows, bro, because Tottenham, after their performance against Liverpool, they might have a little bit of fight around that time. Bro, they they will not they will not let Chelsea be the team that relegates. If they lose that game, they get relegated at the back of the whole of London but everyone's staying inside everyone just stays inside it's too much it's right so honestly with that with those final games it's looking scary and the only saving grace is Villa don't look great um
00:50:44
Speaker
And I think they will struggle to to to get three or four. I think they will do well to get four wins in the rest of their games. I think they've got a couple hard fixtures coming up as well, actually. They do. They do.
00:50:58
Speaker
They've got Forest away. Well, they've got West Ham, but they've got Forest in that. Eh... Actually, no. I'll tell that. no, no. West Ham relegation, yeah? Their men are going to be on it. Yeah? Not in Forest, relegation. They're on it. Sunderland are never easy. Fulham away, never easy.
00:51:17
Speaker
You know, Tottenham versus Villa, I think that's a hit. that's thats That could go either way. Tottenham are better away. Okay, Burnley away. Burnley are done. By that by that point, Burnley will be relegated, I think. Then their last two games are Liverpool and Man City. Boy, it's nothing. That's crazy.
00:51:34
Speaker
Nothing's easy. Nothing's easy, bro. So the problem is how many points do I think Chelsea can pick up? And honestly, I can only say one win. Like generally, like with full confidence, I can only say one win there. Let's be honest with Villa. Emery is going to throw in the towel in the league and just try win the Europa.
Chelsea's Season Outlook
00:51:54
Speaker
That's a fact. don't think you need to worry about them in the league-wise. Yeah.
00:51:58
Speaker
So I am... i am um And because of that, I'm a bit like, right, cool. we We'll probably get fifth, um but it will not be pretty. My gosh, it's going to be ugly.
00:52:09
Speaker
It's going be ugly. So, look, let's let's go on to our next segment because these men are getting me mad. And... ah We still haven't even come up with a name for this. We need to think of a name. um you you um Everyone listening, put some suggestions in the comments as well. back Send them to us. We need a clever name for this. but yeah What are we going for today?
00:52:37
Speaker
um What was our good hot topic? It was the um players you were wrong on in terms of Wonder Kids. Aha.
00:52:48
Speaker
Okay. So we're going to take this moment to look back at one player each because I've got to go sleep. um And we'll look back.
00:53:01
Speaker
and try and think of a player that we thought was going to be a world beater and we've just ended up being wrong. Now, look, no disrespect to any of these players. It's just, um you know... Their careers just didn't pan out the way they thought they were going to. That's say australian it.
00:53:18
Speaker
And it's not necessarily to say it's their fault. There's lots of different factors that can contribute to a player's career going not the way that we we thought their talent would take them. um And obviously when it comes to this success or like reaching your potential, that's all subjective to the player themselves as well. Because some people just being a regular in the Premier League side, hey, you've made it.
00:53:44
Speaker
You've made it. And you know what? And you know what? love that you said that because it is relative. It is relative for each person.
Youth Player Expectations
00:53:51
Speaker
And you've got to remember the fact that they're even professional, they already made it.
00:53:56
Speaker
Like, I know we we talk about, you know, elite, upper echelon, and for us as football fans, we're like, we you know, we we we we we're very black and white. But for for for a football player to have played football from whatever age and to for them to make it pro, a lot of the times that's they've made it. and yeah And some players can bloom early.
00:54:18
Speaker
meaning that once they reach a certain level, they kind of just stagnate. And sometimes that's just the highest that their talent is going to take them. Honestly, generally, you you see it in youth football a lot where a player can be above everybody else, like just mad, but then you get to men's football and it's just not quite the same or they don't have the extra bit, the extra talent, the extra...
00:54:46
Speaker
I don't know, sometimes it's extra work rate to really go ahead go like make like do really well at senior level. So, um yeah, again, don want to don't want to put foul on these players. But for me, I've got a few options.
00:55:06
Speaker
I've got few options.
00:55:11
Speaker
Oh, and obviously, by the way, we're talking about in respects to our club. So i know people in the comments have probably gone crazy about... um players that play for their teams, but we're keeping it strictly United and Chelsea. If you're struggling to think of anyone, i've I've got a couple myself. Obviously, some didn't pan out for other reasons other than football.
00:55:34
Speaker
But I think I'm going to stick to, you bro. For me, when he burst on the scene, I thought this kid was going straight to the top.
00:55:46
Speaker
I wasn't really focusing on this game too much. i was just seeing the goals. I was seeing his energy. was seeing, like, bro, this guy is getting, like, it feels like all the chances are dropping to him, bro. And fast forward a couple of years later, he's now playing for Chelsea.
00:56:02
Speaker
So... For me, it bro, Genacho, man. that For me, i thought he was going to be signed. If you go back on Twitter and go look at all my tweets, I'm calling Starboy, calling Starboy, Starboy, Starboy, he's going straight to the top. We got him for, what was it, like 500,000.
00:56:19
Speaker
from Athletical, brought him to our academy, he wins the FA Youth Cup, comes into our first team, he's um scoring goals, like impact players, straight away, thinking, rawr, we got another one! And obviously, this is star, the other guy who I had in mind, Greenwood, obviously his situation situations not football related, but...
00:56:41
Speaker
He, just after his situation happened, Gennacher comes on the scene. I'm like, oh my gosh, thank thank God we've been saved. we've got another We've got another guy. We've got another guy loading.
00:56:51
Speaker
But boy, that guy, i I don't think I've been more wrong about a player that's playing for my club than him. Obviously, United, we ah part of our philosophy is bringing through youth.
00:57:04
Speaker
Youth gets a chance at Manchester United. even ah I've even got another one that just came to my head, but... He's not even a youth player, bro. But remember when we first signed Phil Jones? Remember what was doing? He was like running through like doing crazy. was like, rah! Nah. This is where this where I say Canacho and Phil Jones is different. Canacho never had a career-threatening injury.
00:57:35
Speaker
So like I feel like Garnaccio is just plateaued and hit a ceiling that he can't quite you know break through. Whereas Phil Jones, i think I think he was great. He was going to be... I agree with you. That was it for your centre-back. He was going to be great. And one thing that I do trust Sir Alex when it comes to young English talents here...
00:58:02
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, He was going to be great, but I think the injuries just messed him up, man. Cooked him, man. And then mentally, kind of like, he felt, think he felt his body give up on him, so he kind of gave up as well.
Injuries and Career Impact
00:58:15
Speaker
And then obviously, there's all this ah other stuff in the um in the background that we don't know about. He'll probably drop a book or something. i would love to know what happened because, bro, I thought Phil Jones was, what? What?
00:58:26
Speaker
I was thinking this is the best centre-back I've ever seen in my life. But yeah, even even the whole thing with Gennaccio, he's still young. He's playing for Chelsea. Probably not going to work out Chelsea. He'll go to Spain and then maybe revive his career. But for now...
00:58:41
Speaker
because of where I thought he was going to go, I thought he was going to be our left winger. After Rashford goes, that's it. We've got Gennaccio for the next couple of years, i just ripping it up, going to get double double goals and assists, score bangers. Man scored a bicycle kick at Everton. He's done that big goals, trying to get a signature celebration for years. He's been trying, but well yeah, man.
00:59:06
Speaker
That's not for me, dog. Yeah. One thing I will say about Canacho, I just need to go back to the... Because, like, this version, low-confidence Canacho, oh, that's horrible.
00:59:19
Speaker
I need the... like Irrational confidence. Yeah, irrational confidence. I need him back because that kid is the one that done that overhead kick versus versus Everton. you know what He'd always give you one or two moments of, oh, yeah, yeah, this is cold. This is cold. Do you know what I mean? I can't remember that one period under United where, i don't know if you remember, there was a fan...
00:59:45
Speaker
um he He made a comment to Garnaccio when he was signing his autograph or whatever. And he said something like, ah like learn how to pass the ball better or something like that. Whatever. And then that caused a whole big storm and all that. And then from that point onwards, Garnaccio understood that people didn't rate him as much as he rated himself. And then since that moment, I remember he scored that not too long after and didn't even was celebrate because it was like, bro, like...
01:00:17
Speaker
mentally, we just wasn't in the right place. And then the whole thing happened with Amarin dropped for the final of the Europa League, getting booted out of Manchester United when you thought you were going to be the next Cristiano Ronaldo. And now you have to rebuild your rep again. And now you're at Chelsea and,
01:00:31
Speaker
The fans look like they're turned on you here as well, bro. You might just have to leave England, man. That's what it is. He should have went to Napoli. He should have went to Napoli. He thought he was bigger than that. He thought he was bigger than that. He wanted to be in the Prem. The money's all in the Prem. He definitely wanted to prove United wrong. Napoli would have been definitely better for his career. But yeah, who have you got?
01:00:53
Speaker
So for me... like I've got a few options. So like i've I've got the like Josh McEachins, the Lucas Piazons, those guys. But those guys I never really personally rated.
01:01:06
Speaker
And I say that because I was relatively young, so I never really watched youth football. So I didn't know much about these players. I'll just see them in the first team and and like I'll just feed off hype that other people were creating. So I didn't really know much about them.
01:01:20
Speaker
But...
01:01:24
Speaker
Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Oh! Oh! Oh my... You know i actually had a lot of them. You had that FA Youth Cup winning team. You had their man in that team.
01:01:38
Speaker
That class of whatever year it was, yeah. I think 90% of them are playing for the top club somewhere. nice it um It was Tammy, Dominic Solanke, Ruben, Tomori. Was Tomori part of that?
01:01:56
Speaker
I think so. I think so. I'm thinking of someone else. Not Tomori. Who else was part of that team? I think Gehi was late. Gehi wasn't part of them, but he was a bit later. He's a couple of years later.
01:02:10
Speaker
But man, that team... who Charlie Massondo, I think, was part of it. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, that team was crazy. I remember watching us pop teams. Oh, my God. And Ruben, thought, yeah, this is Yaya Ture. We found out Yaya Ture. He gives me the mag door.
01:02:33
Speaker
And even when he came into the team, like, I just... And you know what? He... wasn't a failure. so so never I never want to say a failed wonder kid. He got to play for Chelsea. He scored a hat-trick for Chelsea. He he made over 50 appearances for Chelsea. So that that, for me, is a success story. So I felt a little bit bad saying it here.
01:02:55
Speaker
However... I was hoping this guy would retire at Chelsea. I thought this guy would play every game
Ruben Loftus-Cheek's Potential
01:03:01
Speaker
for Chelsea. i And it's such a shame that we played him in an end of season friendly where he ruptured his Achilles.
01:03:14
Speaker
Are you listening to that though? End of season friendly in whatever country getting whatever minimal money that the club were looking for. And to be fair, apparently we do that every year.
01:03:25
Speaker
So it's not like it was new, but to me, it's still it still hurts because it's like, number one, it wasn't even competitive. Number two, the fact that he never recovered from that and just continued to have injuries...
01:03:43
Speaker
throughout the rest of his Chelsea career. It just... ah And you could see, after a few years of consistent injuries, he just never got his pace back. Like, proper pay. Like, the way he could dribble. Oh!
01:03:57
Speaker
and For me, those dribblers in centre-mid, gold dust. What? A man in midfield that could dribble like a winger.
01:04:09
Speaker
Gold. That is gold. If I could... Ooh, if you could add a little bit of that into this team. Gold. like that is People don't understand yet. When we do the whole... Not even eye test, but when we do the whole thing where we rate certain players higher than others and it's not on a stats basis...
01:04:30
Speaker
When you have the ability to dribble with the ball at your feet, ear you look better than everyone else on the pitch. It doesn't matter. that if you're able If you're able to just pick up the ball, drop, boom, boom, boom, gone. Bro, you look like you're 10 steps ahead of everyone else. Don't get me wrong, ah rate the line-breaking passes and all that, but line-breaking passes, it's a new generation thing, bro. Mm-hmm.
01:04:56
Speaker
Players have been doing that. It's just called passing forward. It's called getting up there. like You know what I mean? it was just Pass it to the winger. The striker's right there. Just give it to him. that's that That's what it was. But now we have to add a line break in. How many players does does this pass eliminate? did like Bro, it's too woke. If I've got the ball and you can't tackle me, I'm better than you, bro.
01:05:20
Speaker
If I could just ask spin the around, I'm just better than you. And this is why Pogba in this country never got the ratings he deserved. I'm sorry. Donny, like, were regardless of what they thought of him, the things he was doing, they could never separate that from what they perceived him to be. Ever. He could have great game without scoring or assisting and they nicked the ball off him in the 90th minute and scored the other end and United lose and it's his fault.
01:05:50
Speaker
Bro, he... but what does number I know we're not talking about Pogba right now, yeah. no but stuff he would do... on the I'm talking about... Cool, the ball's fizzed up to him, whatever. No, the ball's dropping from the sky. He'll bring it down on his right foot. First time left foot.
01:06:08
Speaker
Ping right into Rashford's... Rashford's... Running path. Perfect ball. Nobody is doing that. Bro, what football players you and doing? always say this. He was a unicorn.
01:06:26
Speaker
I want people right now, like especially with the current state of football now, I want you guys, all these players who you may have had agendas on or you might have rated ah that highly in the past, Just find the time to watch 90 minutes of any game of them and look at their actions. You will look back and be like, oh my God, I took this for granted.
01:06:45
Speaker
ah can't I can't believe i took this for granted. But yeah, that's ah that's a whole number of things. So you your... so yeah so Yeah, so focusing on Loftus TKM. Yeah, Loftus TKM. The reason why I rated him so much is...
01:06:58
Speaker
He could tackle, he could dribble, he could run, he could shoot, he could pass. Not necessarily like a playmaker, but he could pass to a decent level. Like the kid was just dynamite. And I loved his confidence. I loved, I remember him dribbling through the middle of Manchester City's team, mate. Oh, he was amazing. And he has this like one touch thing around the corner that he does back to goal, one touch, boom, slamming.
01:07:25
Speaker
spin and he's gone and no man was catching him you are Ruben Loftus-Cheek I'm so gutted for you that you didn't get to retire at Chelsea and be a Chelsea legend but regardless like big up him he got to play for Chelsea he achieved his dream and um and i mean know he's to probably He's playing for AC Milan. That's not no small club. AC Milan, for me growing up here, AC Milan was a madness. What? not no jolting. So for you to end up over there, especially with Tomori as well, you got your people there.
01:08:14
Speaker
bro, that's big. That's big, bro. There's only a couple, there's only a couple hundred players in the top five leagues playing and you're, you're up there. So, like it like I said, there's all it's all subjective on whether you define it as making it not making it. So, yeah, well, now let us know, let us know who you guys think um are And he failed of the kids that you actually really thought was going to go straight to the top.
01:08:40
Speaker
But yeah. So let's finish up on our last segment of don't blame the ref. Keep this one short and sweet. Do you want to go first or should I drop one? Liam was senior. What you did there was so stupid. was so stupid. No, it was so stupid.
01:08:59
Speaker
And you... Why do you want your your ah your goalkeeper to be so involved in the game? and I get it it. It creates an overload deeper in the pitch. So when the team comes to press you, it then should allow you to to be able to overload them and play through.
01:09:17
Speaker
But what he forgets is the principles of football. and ah Sorry, the principles of playing out from the back. gear You can either go through, you can go around, or you can go over He completely ignored through. Sorry, he completely ignored over and around and he consistently tried to play through.
01:09:36
Speaker
That is not what we learn on is on our coaching courses. I promise you. I say he was in the class next to you. You'll see it next to him. Copy it. and I know. this I've been on some of the courses. I know that they teach you all three.
01:09:53
Speaker
They don't tell you exactly what to do. They want you to have your own philosophy. That's fine. But they make sure you're aware of all three. So while you have now deviated from that to now be hyper-focused on playing through, I can never understand it, Rosina.
01:10:09
Speaker
I can't understand it. 60 touches are called bad. Have you ever heard of that? 60? It might not be 60, it might be 50. It might be 50 or something. No, let's just say it was 100. Round up, round up. Anything more than 30 touches for a goalkeeper, you're doing too much, bro.
01:10:30
Speaker
You're doing too much, bro. So, bro, you're going to have to take that on the chin. Don't blame the ref. Don't blame Jorgerson. Your lack of account.
Managerial Decisions and Tactics
01:10:40
Speaker
Like, he said, he kind of said it's on him after the game and kind of like, oh, you know, you know those mistakes, it's the way we've asked him to play, so that's on me. He kind of took responsibility for it, but he never admitted that playing him was wrong.
01:10:55
Speaker
And it was wrong. It was wrong to put that player who hasn't played most of the season and to take that opportunity away from Sanchez, who has actually had a really good year.
01:11:08
Speaker
It wasn't great. It wasn't great. And it wasn't needed. Against a team where that we've really shown that their weakness is that long ball. We've done it in the Club World Cup. Wiped the floor with them.
01:11:21
Speaker
So why is it now you're taking the opportunity to say, ah, my way's back. No, we've seen what worked. Fares, man. e zeno I just want to say from this moment, my bro, I'm on two.
01:11:33
Speaker
That's strike one. That's strike one. I'm on two. Yeah. So for me, i don't blame the ref. Bro, you think you man can duck your charges?
01:11:47
Speaker
You think you man can duck your charges today? You crazy? That's a don't blame the ref. Listen, don't blame the FA. Don't blame them. Because they don't want to be cheating and they want to be running up false bills and filing fake checks and all that. Now, quick. Just a quick one here. A quick one.
01:12:08
Speaker
You, man, these these these are the consequences of your actions, yeah? If I can even find this this thing. So right now, cool. You guys, this is this is all under Roman Abramovich, so we don't even know what the Clear Lake files look like.
01:12:23
Speaker
We don't know what that looks like. This is just Abramovich from 2011 to 2018. That's the period. So Premier League history, right?
01:12:33
Speaker
ten point seven five million fine right that is ah is apparently the largest finding In Premier League terms, that's not really that much money. Let's keep on this year. You got a one-year ban on signing first-team players, but it's suspended for two years. so basically, you are on probation. You're on tag. You got an ankle bonnet on.
01:12:55
Speaker
If you do any funny business for between the next two years, then you'll get a transfer ban. You got an immediate academy ban.
01:13:07
Speaker
You cannot sign any new... academy players from other English clubs. So you can't go over there and go grab a little guy from there. you Go over there, grab a... not Nah. And even that might even have... That might even hamper, like, the way your club functions with this reselling and trying to do the PSL stuff. I'm glad. um It's just a nine-month ban, so that means it's just going to affect this summer and maybe... Wait, what month for you? When?
01:13:35
Speaker
March? It might affect next year, January as well, to be fair, but... Yeah. That's
Club Recruitment Strategies
01:13:40
Speaker
got to put a stop on that. So your club might have to change the approach over the next 12 months. The academy thing, I'm glad. Yeah.
01:13:48
Speaker
We need to stop buying for academy. You need to stop buying mandem that are outside your encatchment area anyway. Yeah. I don't agree. don't agree with all that. Like, It should really be players in your region, stick to your region, that's it. None of them are just going down to Derby and just going and saying, yeah, I'm a Chelsea scout. Swipe. let sit like see someone else like So cool.
Football Scandals and Misconduct
01:14:12
Speaker
Fez, what you said, it's all true, but what will say is, one of their names on there, Hazard.
01:14:23
Speaker
It's all worth it, bro. so And we got away without a point deduction. Hey, you man, hold it. Hold it. You guys tried to snitch on yourselves. You tried to snitch on yourselves. Yeah, I love it.
01:14:37
Speaker
You took a plea deal. That's all that happened. You man just took a plea deal. No, to be fair, all jokes aside, like... Look, that's the nasty side of football, but yeah and it it does it doesn't it it doesn't make it okay. um But what I will say is it's a lot more widespread than people think. And yeah these things are happening on the regular. 2017, Liverpool got banned. They had a two-year academy ban for tapping up 12-year-old, bro. A 12-year-old.
01:15:07
Speaker
twelve yo
01:15:10
Speaker
I'm not even going to talk about United but I know they've done some funny stuff with this JJ Gabriel guy because he was about to cut so it's not to say that to absolve Chelsea of blame it's just to say that there needs to be something done on the wider wider thing and there need to be a bit better there need to be better with punishments this punishment is light this punishment is nothing next week we're going to go and do the same thing Yeah. After the two-month, two-year thing, we're going to go and do the same thing. There is not enough of a deterrent to stop clubs doing these things.
Self-Regulation Among Clubs
01:15:46
Speaker
um And there's not enough money going towards investigating. And people forget. Who are the Premier League?
01:15:58
Speaker
The 20 clubs. So the 20 clubs decided this, my bro. Yeah. Why would they... Why would they do 20 clubs... There we go. you course i just People have to stop absolutely let's not Let's not do too, too much. look Listen, they had to come forward because they were about to get caught.
01:16:20
Speaker
so Exactly. So look, people have to stop thinking with their head. The Premier League are the 20 clubs. We got fined. Why are they not? but you Usually you think, oh, rivals, yeah, yeah, we're going to throw the hammer. We're going to make sure you might get points deduction.
01:16:35
Speaker
Why do you think? Because their men do it too. So when it comes to their time, if they get caught, they don't want the boys' reduction. I'm not even trying to be conspiracy theorists. I'm just using two and two and trying to put sense to it. like So Chelsea, don't blame the ref.
01:16:52
Speaker
You man, we're moving mad.
Chelsea's Financial Misconduct
01:16:54
Speaker
We're putting 10 million offshore carts. Apparently it was totaling 47 million. How can the fine be less than apple with than the amount that we smuggled? Crazy, crazy stuff. That didn't even make sense to me.
01:17:08
Speaker
That's crazy stuff, man.
Podcast Conclusion
01:17:10
Speaker
right, man. Thank you all for tuning in to this episode of Don't Blame the Weft podcast. a It's been Eman and it's been your boy Dom. um Tune in to the next episode. Please like, subscribe, interact with the socials. um Yeah, man, we'll just keep going, keep doing our thing and hope you enjoyed the episode.
01:17:35
Speaker
Don't cry. Next episode's um number 20. So, yeah, we're getting to move on a bit. Oof, 20. I thought I would have given up by now still. Yeah, can't let it.
01:17:48
Speaker
I thought I would have been done. We're still here, man. Let me hit 52 and see if I'm bored. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's make it to end of the season and see how we feel. At least...
01:18:03
Speaker
All right, don't cry, don't beg, don't blame the ref. Peace. Peace.