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Road to World Cup 26 - Ep 21 - England image

Road to World Cup 26 - Ep 21 - England

Road to World Cup 26
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3 Plays10 days ago

Join your hosts Nick Britten Ken Davies as we take the deepest of deep dives into everything related to the FIFA World Cup 2026 held in Canada, Mexico and the USA.

All the news, analysis and comment from every team, every qualification process and of course the tournament itself. The biggest festival of soccer in the world.

This week we stay close to home and preview Thomas Tuchel’s England - who are they, who are the key players and how will they get on next year? Plus your World Cup news roundup, Kenny’s Quiz and much, much more.

Your weekly guide to the pinnacle of world soccer brought to you by Global Sports Podcast Network

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Transcript

Introduction and Welcome

00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello, bonjour, ciao, ni hao, hola, g'day, welcome to the World Cup. Well, Road to World Cup 26 podcast, part of the Global Sports Podcast Network, the only only place to find your regular soccer content.
00:00:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
We are gearing up for the

Guest Introduction: Mr. Ken Davis

00:00:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
new season. There's lots going on here at the network, and I'm delighted to be joined for Road to World Cup 26, Mr. Ken Davis.
00:00:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
How are doing, Kenny?
00:00:35
Ken Davies
Hello. I'm all right. Actually, it's been a funny week. it's ah I've had COVID. I actually got the two lines. Two lines on my shirt. No, we'll come that in a minute.
00:00:47
Ken Davies
I've got two lines. I haven't seen that since like 2020. It's like I invented a time machine. But I had found an old test. Well, it was a new test. And I did it. And I got COVID. either I'm pregnant.
00:00:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
I thought the last time you saw two lines there would be on a desk and you were about 18 years old.
00:01:05
Ken Davies
Yeah, that was a bit worrying. But yeah, so I've had it. But i I'm okay. You know what mean? isn't what it was, let's be honest. I'm fine now.
00:01:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, i yeah it well i'm I'm glad about that. And I'm glad you're all right, mate, because you've been through the ringer, haven't in the last few weeks?
00:01:18
Ken Davies
Mate, I've just bad run of luck in terms of health.
00:01:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
You've been wanting after another.
00:01:22
Ken Davies
But anyway, I feel fine. So I can't really complain.
00:01:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, well, that's good. Well, it's good to have you, as always. i um

World Cup Qualifiers Discussion

00:01:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm your host, Nick Griffin. always, we are discussing all things World Cup. now we're going to do something slightly different this week. Well, not that different, ah but slightly different. Inasmuch as thus far, in the last few weeks, we've been covering teams that have qualified for the World Cup.
00:01:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
We've kind of run out of teams inasmuch as the next batch of qualifiers isnt aren't really going to come through the door until September. And and I think we're going to see probably four or five, I reckon, from Africa.
00:01:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
qualify in September. There there are four teams who are certainly right on the brink. They need yeah want one or two wins in their two qualifying games should be enough. But for now, ah we haven't. So, Ken, what are we going to do?
00:02:08
Ken Davies
What we're going to do is this. We're fairly confident on certain teams getting through. So confident, in fact, that we're prepared to take a bit of a flyer and cover them as if they have been qualified, or as if they have qualified.
00:02:22
Ken Davies
If they don't, we're going to look pretty stupid, but not as stupid as them because they really should qualify. Those four teams, by the way, are, wait for it, England, Paraguay,
00:02:35
Ken Davies
France and Spain. Now let's be honest, Paraguay are virtually certain anyway, just because of their position ah in their group. But let's be honest, is it really going to be a situation where England they' have won three out of three, France who...
00:02:49
Ken Davies
are just going to be perennial ah perennially going to be the World Cup, and Spain the same. It's going be a very unusual World Cup if those guys don't get through. So we're pretty confident that we're going to cover those four, and then by that time, we'll have lots of actually qualified teams to work on.
00:03:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. and i mean, it can't be a perennial World Cup, can you? Because it's not on every year. But hey, I know what you mean. I know what you mean. Well, look, if we're going to do those four, because if you're a perennial, it's every year.

The English National Anthem: A Humorous Take

00:03:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
the World Cup isn't every year.
00:03:21
Ken Davies
That'd be perannual. That'd be perannual. Anyway.
00:03:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, it isn't.
00:03:24
Ken Davies
yeah yeah You're right. You're right. You're right. It goes on forever, i mean.
00:03:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Anyway. Yeah, and France always qualify, and they'll probably qualify this time, no problem at all. So if we're going to do those four, Ken, come on. There is only one place we can possibly start, which is in our backyard, my friend.
00:03:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Our backyard.
00:03:43
Ken Davies
Paraguay.
00:03:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:03:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Paraguay. That is it. It has to be. England.

Podcast Content Overview

00:04:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's stand up.
00:04:04
Ken Davies
Took a while to get going, didn't it?
00:04:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah all felt quiet i I felt quite emotional then. have to say, I know you're yawning and telling me to cut it off. I could have run it for all three versions. I felt quite emotional at that.
00:04:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
I love that national anthem. I love that national anthem.
00:05:00
Ken Davies
ah have to admit, it's it's very sad.
00:05:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's right up there.
00:05:07
Ken Davies
This is one of the things I've just realised listening to it like that again. It's a very sad song. that ah da it's ah It's too sad.
00:05:19
Ken Davies
not winning the national It's not winning the World Cup and National Anthems. It hasn't got enough get up and go about it. doesn't make you want to go and run through the wall for the king or the queen or whoever it is. It's just a little bit too sad.
00:05:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm. I don't agree. i thought it was great. anyway, right, that's the National Anthem. We to save the king, obviously. We are as we always are. Going to go through some your World Cup news. Ken will have a look at a bit of history of England in World Cup, which is one moment of glory followed by years and years and years of failure.
00:05:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'll have a look at five key players i'm going to pick out who I think are going to star in next year's World Cup. Ken will have a look at how they're going to play under new manager Thomas Tuchel. and We're going to have a discussion point. We've had postback. We've few letters in this week, so we're going to talk about one of those.
00:06:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
We've obviously got everybody's favourite time of the week, Kenny's quiz.
00:06:10
Ken Davies
I've got no excuses this week, have I?
00:06:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we'll have a quick...
00:06:13
Ken Davies
I mean, if I can't get my home, well, I am Welsh rather than English, but
00:06:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
like
00:06:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Well, you're not Welsh. You always claim to be Welsh, which is why you're sneering at the national anthem, because you're being a typical Welshman. It's the only time you'll hear it next year, by the way, because Wales is not going to qualify. But, yeah, come on.
00:06:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know you you were born. Where were you born? In the Wirral. As far as I was aware, the Wirral was not in Wales.
00:06:36
Ken Davies
Chester, actually.
00:06:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
The last year.
00:06:38
Ken Davies
Chester. and Chester, I was born. And just just to explain that, Chester, of course, got a football team and they can claim to be English, but they're the only English football team who's ground is actually in Wales.
00:06:51
Ken Davies
so So there you are.
00:06:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Not true. That's not true. That used to be true before they moved.
00:06:55
Ken Davies
a It's definitely true.
00:06:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
There was it was a great quiz question about Chester's football ground, which was in the old, before they moved to the ground, the old ground, half of it was in England and half of it was in Wales. it was a really great quiz question.
00:07:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
But then they moved grounds and that was the end of that.
00:07:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
But anyway, you're still like
00:07:11
Ken Davies
No, the Diva Stadium, the new one's in Wales, I'm telling you, mate.
00:07:14
Ken Davies
It is in Wales.
00:07:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
English. Yeah, but you're still English because you like you're and you're from the world.
00:07:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
this It suits you. to be It suits you to be Welsh when you want to be. It suits you to be a Scouse when you want be.
00:07:25
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:07:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
It suits you to come from Darwin when you want to be.
00:07:27
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:07:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're like a chameleon.
00:07:29
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:07:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Make your mind up.
00:07:31
Ken Davies
I am.
00:07:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
We'll finish the podcast, as we always do, with a prediction on how England to get on. And I think we might, to this is where we might come to blows here, Ken. This is where we might come to blows.
00:07:40
Ken Davies
Ooh.
00:07:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
But anyway, let's start with a little bit of a welcome picture.
00:07:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
When I was saying a little bit of World Cup news, that's absolutely what I meant because there's very little going on the moment. It's summertime. Not much is happening. But there is one thing to report this week, and that is that the news came out a couple days ago. that ah Here's a date for your diaries, people.
00:08:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
The 5th of December, 2025. what doing the 5th December, 2025? What, again? Blimey.
00:08:14
Ken Davies
who i dink I think I'm having in the the penis reduction surgery that day.
00:08:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
but again
00:08:23
Ken Davies
think, oh no, it failed the first time.
00:08:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
climbing You'll be able to find it soon. Well, that's a shame. and in and And you still can't see it. That's a shame because it means that I, on my own, will be in Las Vegas because you and I went to be in Las Vegas that day watching the World Cup draw.
00:08:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
But you can't go now.
00:08:40
Ken Davies
Oh no, oh no.
00:08:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm going on my own.
00:08:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm going on my own. ah So, yes, that's the news this week is that so word has leaked out that Las Vegas is going to host the 2026 draw. world cup draw when we will all know who we are all playing.
00:08:43
Ken Davies
Fair enough.
00:08:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I say because I presume England going to qualify. Wales, you can just sort of worry about it. because Or indeed, not worry about it. In fact, you don't even need to be there,

World Cup Draw Announcement in Las Vegas

00:09:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
do you? you don't even need to be at the draw, because your team isn't going to be playing.
00:09:06
Ken Davies
No.
00:09:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
I wonder where they're going to do it. i want They did it. So Las Vegas did host the World Cup draw in 1994 at the convention centre. Remember when when USA last held it. But this year, they've got to do it. They've got to do it out of sphere.
00:09:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know that beautiful, amazing multi-final?
00:09:25
Ken Davies
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. yeah Amazing.
00:09:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
It is brilliant there.
00:09:28
Ken Davies
I just make it like a football.
00:09:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it looks like a football. They could do it out like a football. I went there when it first like but first opened in October 23.
00:09:32
Ken Davies
Yeah, they could.
00:09:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
I went there to see U2, who are my favourite band. And it was um unbelievable, unbelievable venue. And ah don't know if you've got...
00:09:43
Ken Davies
Yeah, it does sound amazing.
00:09:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
It is great. And you can decorate it. You can light up the outside of it any way you want. It's got to be there. You're going have it in Vegas. Have it, by the way, at the Severe. But there's a date for your dinosaur.
00:09:57
Ken Davies
don't you think they could do Don't you think they could kind of jazz it up a bit, like have the draw on a roulette wheel and have the number of the team and spin it around a roulette wheel and have the roulette wheel divided into yeah the different...
00:10:13
Ken Davies
teams or whatever, or the different leagues.
00:10:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, of course.
00:10:16
Ken Davies
And that'd be great, wouldn't it?
00:10:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. and if they do And if they do have it the severe, they could do the entire roof, an area of the entire 360 as a roulette wheel so you'd feel like you're inside the roulette wheel following the number around.
00:10:27
Ken Davies
oh
00:10:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
That would be a great idea.
00:10:29
Ken Davies
Right. They should have us in charge of this, to be honest.
00:10:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
It
00:10:31
Ken Davies
We'd create an amazing event.
00:10:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
we would it be a lot more interesting than balls out of a bag, wouldn't it? Let's face it. A lot more interesting.
00:10:39
Ken Davies
yeah Were you talking here about my operation again?
00:10:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, ah I'm going to move on, because literally that is the only bit of news I can find of of any interest whatsoever this week. But it is a good day for your diary, folks, to December 5th, be in Las Vegas, or watch it telly, or do whatever you want to do.
00:10:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's going to be when the World Cup draw is going to take place. Right, let's get cracking on then with having a look at England.

England's World Cup History

00:11:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Ken, what is the history of England as far as the World Cup is concerned?
00:11:12
Ken Davies
Well, we didn't participate in the first three World Cups because why didn't we participate in the first three World Cups, Nick?
00:11:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because we weren't invited.
00:11:27
Ken Davies
We weren't FIFA members.
00:11:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
and the first three World Cups were all, they were all ah teams that had to be members of FIFA and we weren't members of FIFA and we weren't invited to play.
00:11:38
Ken Davies
Yeah, okay. I suppose you got that one right. A little bit of a prompt, but yeah.
00:11:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thanks very much.
00:11:42
Ken Davies
So we we didn't, but we have qualified for every other competition except two. Which two, Nick?
00:11:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah We didn't call it... Oh, no. um We didn't play in USA 94, did we?
00:11:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
We didn't play in USA... Oh, did we? Did we?
00:11:58
Ken Davies
Yes, we did.
00:12:01
Ken Davies
Yep.
00:12:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
don't think played in USA 94. I think you need to go and check it out.
00:12:05
Ken Davies
I think there's only two. i'll check me I'll check that while you well well you tell me what the other two definitely are.
00:12:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Well, we played in all of them. We played all of them in my lifetime. So there are may be few that...
00:12:19
Ken Davies
No, we haven't.
00:12:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Have we not? was going to say there might be a few in your lifetime.
00:12:23
Ken Davies
Well, always get a bit... How dare you. What do you reckon?
00:12:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
oh I don't know. and no I thought 1994 USA. I don't think we played there.
00:12:36
Ken Davies
okay well we Okay, well, we definitely didn't qualify in 1974, but you remember Jan Tomaszewski, the Polish goalkeeper, and we definitely didn't qualify in 1978.
00:12:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
remember Republic Ireland playing.
00:12:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. I wasn't born.
00:12:55
Ken Davies
You remember the one that Scotland went to? Yeah.
00:12:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, did we not play in that one? Right. The famous Argentina, 78. Yeah, no, England did not reach the World Cup in 1999 format, the last time it was in the USA.
00:13:01
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:13:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, when we when we do qualify, this time around, as we will do, it'll be the first time we've gone and played in the World Cup in USA.
00:13:06
Ken Davies
Wow, that's three then.
00:13:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
don't
00:13:18
Ken Davies
Yeah, you're right. It didn't qualify in 994. You're right, Nick. So there's three times they didn't qualify.
00:13:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
know.
00:13:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, okay. Well, look, just get your questions right next time. I know more about this than you do. didn't want to take questions.
00:13:28
Ken Davies
ah Okay, so they have qualified 16 times.
00:13:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
I did on my
00:13:33
Ken Davies
They've got the semifinals twice in 1990, where they lost to West Germany, and 2018, where they lost in extra time to Croatia. Still got PTSD from that.
00:13:45
Ken Davies
They won in 1966, of course, making them one of only eight winners. So 1-4-2. Two questions on this, Nick. Obviously, Jeff Hurst scored a hat-trick. Who scored the other English goal?
00:14:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Why don't I should know this right off the top of my head? This is such an obvious question. too ah did jeff course Yeah, he did. yeah Was
00:14:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
it Alan Bull?
00:14:16
Ken Davies
No, it was Martin Peters.
00:14:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Martin Peters, Martin Peters. Yeah, you're right. I don't care.
00:14:19
Ken Davies
And who scored the germany German goals?
00:14:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
don't
00:14:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
care at all. its called germany i don't care and um absolutely
00:14:29
Ken Davies
Well, for anybody listening in Germany who does care, and they should care, it was Haller and Weber scored for... i remember Haller scoring. And I don't actually remember the 66 World Cup.
00:14:41
Ken Davies
I should point that out. But I've i've seen the film.
00:14:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
You were in by the way. What were you doing that day?
00:14:46
Ken Davies
Yeah, I had a day off school to watch it. Now, so that was 1966, obviously, with the winners. And we have never let and anyone forget the fact that England were the winners in 1966. Right, form-wise...
00:14:58
Ken Davies
right formwise
00:15:02
Ken Davies
The last 10 games, you've got to really divide it into Southgate era and Tuchel era because the all of 2004 was Southgate era. All of 2025 has been Tuchel era.
00:15:13
Ken Davies
But over those two years, they've played 10 games. They've won eight. They've lost two. They lost a grease to Greece 2-1. ah early in 2024 they lost most recently in a friendly to Senegal ah ah where ah we were particularly poor I thought but under Tuchel there have been four games played in 2025 three of them in World Cup qualification ah which they've won Albania 2-0, Latvia 3-0 and Andorra 1-0, talk about dismal performances that's 90 odd minutes I'll never get back
00:15:47
Ken Davies
And of course, so they count, obviously, to World Cup qualification. It was a friendly against Senegal. It doesn't really count. So two courts go off to a reasonable start. Here's another question for you, Nick.
00:15:58
Ken Davies
They are ranked fourth in the world. In fact, since 2019, they've only ever been third, fourth or fifth. So very consistent in terms of the rankings. In the last 30 years, what's England's lowest ranking?
00:16:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
in the last 30 years, well, it will have been around would have been around that 1994 period because if you don't qualify World Cup, you disappear off down the rankings, don't you?
00:16:21
Ken Davies
ye
00:16:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I would say they would have slipped down to Really? fourteenth
00:16:30
Ken Davies
27th.
00:16:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
really wo okay
00:16:34
Ken Davies
27th in the world in 1996. But you're right, it's coming off the back of a bad World Cup qualification and a few dismal results after that. so But they're currently fourth and they've never been higher than third.
00:16:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, it was 1996. But 1996 is when we hosted the Euros and we had that amazing tournament under Terry Venables.
00:16:52
Ken Davies
And it all started to go up from there.
00:16:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
So we would have shot up and shot up against the Euros.
00:16:54
Ken Davies
Yeah, but that was pre-dome. So the highest we've ever been is third. And we're fourth at the moment, to be honest. the course To be honest, I'm not sure we are fourth in the world, but there you go.
00:17:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, you've always had a bit the down on England. So maybe because of your not Welsh heritage. Right. OK, well done. Thank you very much indeed.
00:17:07
Ken Davies
Well, we are according to the rankings.
00:17:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Interesting stuff.
00:17:19
Ken Davies
Thank you.
00:17:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Interesting. ah Right, let's have a look at um five key players then. In fact, before we do that, Ken, why don't we have a word from our sponsor?
00:17:27
Ken Davies
I was about to say the same thing. Me and you, we seem to be on the same wavelength. um but I was about to interject there and I didn't even have to because you, the pro that you are, was reading my mind.
00:17:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
We be twins.
00:17:39
Ken Davies
As we know,
00:17:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
We could be twins. so yeah Well, I say we could be twins. We'd be miracle twins who would be born two decades apart.
00:17:46
Ken Davies
Yeah, be the longest pregnancy in the in the history of the world, wouldn't it? It's like the pregnancy of like a blue whale. Yeah, we could be twins if we were both baby blue whales, I suppose. As we know, in football, as in aquatic life, it pays to take or to get your team selection right here at Global Sports Podcast Network. We did a lot of that, trying to select our delivery partner.
00:18:07
Ken Davies
And if you listen to this podcast, frequently enough, you'll know that we chose Zencastr because just makes it very easy to bring your vision to life, share it with your audience, wherever they may be.
00:18:17
Ken Davies
So with four k video recording, easy AI editing tools and a top tier distribution all in one place, it's the obvious place to go if you've got a story to tell.
00:18:29
Ken Davies
So tell it to Zencastr, check the show notes for details. We are big fans. Nikolai.
00:18:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
We are indeed. We are indeed. Right, we're going to have a look at five

Key England Players for the World Cup

00:18:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
players. Now, these are my players who I think are going to make an impact on the World Cup for England next year. Everybody may or agree or disagree.
00:18:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Although if you disagree, you are wrong. If you agree, you are right. Number one, always like to be fair.
00:18:51
Ken Davies
so okay
00:18:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nobody's going to disagree with this because I always like to start with the goalkeeper, do I not? And I'm very interested.
00:18:56
Ken Davies
do
00:18:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
What's the current theme of goalkeepers?
00:19:00
Ken Davies
Age.
00:19:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Age, yeah yeah. Every World Cup goalkeeper seems to be over the age of 30. England is no exception whatsoever because Jordan Pickford, England's goalkeeper, is 31 years old. And he's been England's goalkeeper consistently since he made his debut in the 2018. And he's got 76 caps. He's very reliable.
00:19:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Will he be replaced before next year? No chance.
00:19:27
Ken Davies
Is there anyone even close? Is there anyone pushing him, do you think?
00:19:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
i think there I think there will be very soon. okay Because at the moment you've got Dean Henderson, you've got Aaron Ramsdale, you've got Nick Pope. They're all good keepers. Dean Henderson's had a very good season for Palace in goal, by the way.
00:19:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Ramsdale was in goal for relegated Southampton. And Nick Pope has been a bit up and down for for Newcastle. But I think the one to watch
00:19:47
Ken Davies
Very much so.
00:19:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
undoubtedly the one to watch is James Trafford, who's just ah gone to Manchester City for £27 million. pounds Had an unbelievable season at Burnley last year and Championship. I mean, unbelievable season.
00:20:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
His stats in and clean sheets were were phenomenal. Man City did have a buyback clause on him because he's been heavily linked with Newcastle for the last three years. Newcastle just never got him over the line and they'll be kicking themselves now.
00:20:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
because he's gone back to Manchester City. And I think if he plays regularly for Manchester City, if he becomes first choice there, then Tuchel's got a choice to make. at moment, he doesn't.
00:20:24
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:20:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Pickford's number one. If he has, it ah if Trafford gets in the Man City team and does well, then, yeah, Pickford's place is under threat.
00:20:26
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:20:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it'll be the first time it's seriously been under threat for years.
00:20:37
Ken Davies
And it's a good thing for England.
00:20:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've never... It is a good thing for England. I've never understood why Pickford hasn't signed for one of the big clubs. He plays at Everton.
00:20:44
Ken Davies
Hmm. Hmm.
00:20:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
okay Everton have been in a kind of perennial, and I do mean perennial this time, unlike your perennial, ah relegation battle, it seems. They just seem to be down the bottom of the table every year for the last two or three years.
00:20:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
and i've always I don't understand why he's not signed for a bigger club, one of the top four or five.
00:21:03
Ken Davies
I think it's because there is a tendency. We used to be very proud of our English goalkeepers. In the 70s and 80s, our goalkeepers were the best goalkeepers in the world. I think everyone would agree with that.
00:21:15
Ken Davies
I think the problem has come is as as goalkeeping changed in the course of the last 10 or 12 years, where essentially they became sweeper keepers. They needed to be fantastically good technically with their feet in order to play the styles that Guardiola or whatever wants to play.
00:21:32
Ken Davies
And that's been the tendency in the Premier League. I think there's been a tendency to go to a more technically competent continental goalkeepers who have better distribution than traditionally the English goalkeepers are.
00:21:44
Ken Davies
So i think I think that's a reason why we we we seem to see in the Premier League a lot more continental goalkeepers, simply because they've got to play as outfielders.
00:21:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, yeah, although I am interested to see what's going to happen this season because there seems to be a bit of a kickback against... this possession-based Guardiola style of football. More teams are going direct. More teams are now starting to play the ball a bit longer and starting to start there start their play in the opposition half.
00:22:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
And i think people realised that not all centre-halves are amazing ballplayers. Not all sent not all goal goalkeepers are amazing ballplayers. And it seems to... i don't know if you noticed this, in the but in particularly the latter half of the Premier League season, there just seemed to be a little bit more of...
00:22:26
Ken Davies
I did see that.
00:22:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
more directly.
00:22:29
Ken Davies
Yeah, I did see that. and one of the funniest things in football is to watch championship goalkeepers try and play it out from the back. It's literally more perilous than, you know, going into shark-infested waters.
00:22:44
Ken Davies
I mean, they literally don't know what they're doing, but they're trying to play out.
00:22:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:46
Ken Davies
And and I think it's reached a ah stage, as you're saying, where things are starting to swing back. The pendulum is swinging the other way.
00:22:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
it it And it always does. Football never stands still. but it always It always changes. um Not much is ever brand, brand, brand new, but it kind of all is very cyclical, football is. and Anyway, good luck to Jordan Pickford. He starts the new season in a brand spanking new stadium on the banks of the Mersey, Everton's new stadium. So good luck to him.
00:23:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
my second My second pick is a little bit of a wildcard pick. as I like to do, and that's Myles Lewis Skelly, who is an 18-year-old, centre midfielder turned left-back, signed his first pro deal with Arsenal in 2023, but his his star has arisen ever since at a rapid, rapid rate.
00:23:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Having made his debut in September last year and went on to play 23 games in that season for arsenal Very much the breakthrough star of the England team under Thomas Tuchel, who gave him his debut in March ah and against Albania. He scored. He became the youngest ever England player to score in his debut. He won the man of the match. He was absolutely brilliant.
00:23:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then he backed it up with another couple of very, very good and strong performances. England have got ah an issue with their left back, and they've had an issue with their left back for for a while. This kid is the answer.
00:24:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
if he stays If he stays on his game, he continues to learn, he continues to progress, he will be England's left back for a long, long time to come if he if if it works out for him. So i think he's ah he's a really great talent.
00:24:19
Ken Davies
Yeah, wouldn't disagree with that. Great play.
00:24:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Right, player number three, England's captain, Declan Rice. The absolute heartbeat of the England team. And when he's on it, England are generally on it. What i love about Declan Rice is that he played...
00:24:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Years and years and years and years at West Ham. And he was West Ham through and through as a defensive midfielder. yeah Brilliant at breaking up the play. Brilliant at getting in a team plan again, distribution, all that kind of stuff.
00:24:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
But since he moved to Arsenal a couple of years ago, Mikel Arteta has developed his game and he's adapted to now become a real goal scoring threat as well.
00:25:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
So had look at some of these stats, and if you look at his stats around touches in the opposition box, in 2022-23, he had 24 touches the opposition box. In 23-24, he had 71 touches in the opposition box.
00:25:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
And in 24-25 season that's just finished, he's had 84 touches in the opposition box. So
00:25:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
is at eighty-four such is in the opposition book
00:25:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
so he's
00:25:24
Ken Davies
He is playing for Arsenal rather than playing for westam West Ham.
00:25:26
Ken Davies
West Ham only have three touches in the box in the whole season, don't they? Let's be honest.
00:25:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Even so, even so, yeah you would you would rarely at West Ham see him get over that halfway line. Now you see him in and around the area. Rice has become the complete midfielder, I think.
00:25:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think he's absolutely... People go on about G. Bellingham all the time, and rightly so. But for me, Rice is the jewel in England's crown. I think he's absolutely brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
00:25:51
Ken Davies
Yeah, he is the pivot. He is the pivot of the whole team.
00:25:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah So that's number three. Player number four is is one of my favourite England players because he's one of my favourite players in the Premier League, undoubtedly, and that is Ebereche Eze. And let let me tell you about this kid. Ken, you may or may not remember this, but you and I saw him play years ago, ah like 10 years ago when when he was playing for QPR.
00:26:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we went to go and watch Derby at QPR on a Tuesday night at Loftus Road.
00:26:19
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:26:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
do you remember that? Do you remember that
00:26:22
Ken Davies
was he Was he in? I do remember that. Was he in the team?
00:26:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, we were working down there. And that's the first time I'd seen him live.
00:26:28
Ken Davies
Yeah. I get so lonely.
00:26:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I'm like...
00:26:31
Ken Davies
I get so lonely. That's another story from that day.
00:26:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
What even is...
00:26:37
Ken Davies
I shouldn't really share that with everybody, but you remember that story.
00:26:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
have no idea what doing.
00:26:41
Ken Davies
yeah You do.
00:26:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Even if I did, I'm going to pretend...
00:26:44
Ken Davies
ah get so lonely.
00:26:48
Ken Davies
Sorry, go on.
00:26:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
have no idea what you're doing. Right. Anyway, I remember watching him in that game going, who is this kid? He is unbelievable.
00:26:58
Ken Davies
Yeah.
00:26:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he was best player in park by a country mile. ah Okay? And that's not hard when it's QPRV Derby. But this guy was unbelievable. He really, really was. And he moved to Palace. He moved Crystal Palace in 2020.
00:27:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
And in the last two or three years, he's really, really developed really well. He's become... Arguably, Palace is is most attacking creative threat, particularly after Elisay left to go to Bayern.
00:27:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
This season, again, he's been brilliant, playing alongside the likes of Mateta and Saar, and he's quite rightly broken through into the England team. Properly broken through.
00:27:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, not a cap here and a cap there. Properly broken through to become part of the set-up. He's got 11 caps for England. He scored his first goal this year. So in March scored his first goal in... Excuse me.
00:27:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
In the 3-0 win over Latvia. Hang on. Excuse me. Got a frog in my throat. In the 3-0 win over Latvia. And if you look at England's creative attacking options, you're talking about Phil Foden, you're talking about Cole Palmer, Bakayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rodgers is making his mark, and Morgan Gibbs-White is on the very much on the fringes of things.
00:28:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
England got quite a lot of attacking talent in there. In my opinion... Eze's the man. Eze's the man.
00:28:17
Ken Davies
Wow.
00:28:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
and i know And I know Chelsea fans are going, no, no, no, rubbish, Cole Palmer. And I know, well, actually to fair, after the season he's had, no Man City fans going to go, oh yeah, what about Phil Foden? But I think Eze's your man because he never he's never not involved in a play.
00:28:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
He very rarely has a poor game. He's brilliant at picking up the ball from deep and running and picking up wide and running in field. He's never afraid to to just run at people. I think he's absolutely sensational.
00:28:42
Ken Davies
Mm.
00:28:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
So that's Fourth player and player, of course, in the house, there's only there's only one one left. There's only one way i can go this. And that is, of course, Harry Kane, who continues to be England's main attacking threat. His stats are insane.
00:28:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay? 73 goals in 107 games for England. 213 goals in 317 games for Tottenham. And in the last couple of years when he went Bayern, 63 goals in 62 games for Bayern. and in the last couple of years when he went to buyer sixty three goals in sixty two games for buyin I mean, people moan about Kane, and I know you're one of them.
00:29:16
Ken Davies
I hi do.
00:29:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
They moan that slow, they moan that he's injured, they moan that he's past it. But we have no natural successor in the England team. We've got nobody who's ready to step up. but yeah You look at Ollie Watkins, you look at Ivan Toney.
00:29:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's nobody of Kane's quality. And I like Watkins, by the way. I do. I like Tony, but I don't think he should have gone to play in Saudi. I think that was a massive mistake.
00:29:38
Ken Davies
Yeah, it was a big mistake.
00:29:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
but But there's still nobody who's capable of touching Harry Kane. And yes, he's the wrong age, he's the wrong wrong side of 30 and all that, we know that. But he's still England's tallies man, he still gets the goals, and he'll still be there this time next year, firing England in the World Cup.
00:29:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
So they're my five players, Ken.
00:29:59
Ken Davies
Very interesting.

Thomas Tuchel's Tactical Insights

00:30:00
Ken Davies
And yeah, I mean, they are, that's a good mix of the yeah established and the emerging. So yeah, I wouldn't disagree with any of them. I think, I think, ah you know, all of those players are going to be very, very influential for England in the next couple years.
00:30:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
and the In many ways, we have a we have a ah real pool of talented players, an embarrassment of riches almost. So I could have picked maybe five other players and they still would have been valid, apart from the goalie.
00:30:27
Ken Davies
Hmm.
00:30:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, yeah, I think it shows that England are a good place.
00:30:28
Ken Davies
Hmm.
00:30:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
The question is, of course, how are they going to set up? How does Thomas Tuchel like to set them up?
00:30:36
Ken Davies
Well, it's an interesting one because Tuchel is something at a club level. And that's really what we can base this on.
00:30:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, that's really important, Richard.
00:30:44
Ken Davies
ah He's a bit of a tactical chameleon.
00:30:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:30:47
Ken Davies
ah He's a bit of a chess player. bit of a I'm going to coin this phrase. He's a bit of a grand master. You know what mean? hes He's tactically very flexible, very pragmatic.
00:30:59
Ken Davies
He adjusts quickly. This is one of the big criticisms of Southgate, i I felt, and one the reasons they went for Tuchel. Tuchel's got reputation being able to change tactically on the fly.
00:31:10
Ken Davies
and has got a really deep understanding of tactically what he needs to do and very subtle changes which actually can just change the dynamic of a game.
00:31:21
Ken Davies
I think Southgate quite rightly he was criticised about his inability to do that and not react, if you like, to formation changes in the opposition. Tuchel's really, really, really good at that.
00:31:33
Ken Davies
So he's got this real tactical adaptability. There's a quote from Tuchel that I read that he said, my footballing philosophy is an aesthetic one. Aesthetic meaning to control the ball, control the rhythm, attack every single minute and score as many goals as you can.
00:31:51
Ken Davies
Didn't quite work out like that against Andorra, but we'll work on the basis that he knows what he's talking about. So when I was looking at Tuchel, because no point looking at what south how Southgate's set up. It's all going to be about how Tuchel sets up.
00:32:05
Ken Davies
He's developed, is when he was ah coach of Paris Saint-Germain, essentially it was 4-3-3.
00:32:12
Ken Davies
At Chelsea, he really set up as a 3-4-2-1. That was his favourite formation. With the wing-backs providing the width up front, the bombing on and providing the the width.
00:32:26
Ken Davies
When he went to Bayern Munich for the last couple of years, he's reverted to 4-2-3-1. And in fact, 4-2-3-1 is what he plays with England. So I know it's your favourite setup anyway, where you've got...
00:32:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
um love I a 433, I love a 433, I do. bob
00:32:40
Ken Davies
Well, you've got your full-backs deeper and the width has been provided, if you like, by the midfielders. So that seems to be how he's settled and how he's, if you like, emerged over the course of the last five or six years. And that's where he played for Bayern.
00:32:53
Ken Davies
And when he took off ah took over England, that's the set-up he's been playing with England. he He changed for some reason to a 4-4-2 against Senegal, but that was probably just trying a few different players out.
00:33:04
Ken Davies
Against Andorra, Latvia and Albania, 4-2-3-1, 4-2-3-1, 4-2-3-1. So, and both of those were against kind 5-4-1s. so and both of those were against kind of five four ones So against teams that he felt were going to be difficult to break down.
00:33:18
Ken Davies
The only argument one might ask, and he knows a lot more about this than me, 4-2-3-1 can be seen as a bit defensive. And against teams you're going to have to break down, you need maybe you don't need that second defensive or sitting back midfielder.
00:33:33
Ken Davies
Maybe a 4-1-3-2 might be more appropriate. And in fact, in Germany, did have a little bit of a reputation of having finding it difficult to break down difficult to break down defences and also susceptibility to the counter-attack so he's to have to be careful about that but he seems to be very fixed now 4-2-3-1 I think that's exactly how they're going to set up they've got the players for a 4-2-3-1 as well I think but that seems to be two goals approach
00:34:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Very good. Very good. Yeah. that's ah i think I think that's what we've seen so far. Yeah, what we're likely to like to see. Okay, we're going to move on to a little bit of a talking point. And curious enough, we've had ah we've had letters in this week. As always, thank you very much indeed for those of you who have gotten in touch.
00:34:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
But we've had one about England. So we're going to focus on that today. I think, Kenny, you've got it. Before we go down this road for this week's post-bag, though, I'm a bit worried about you, mate. You've been through the ringer in the last few weeks.
00:34:32
Ken Davies
Why?
00:34:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, because, you you know, you were poor before, then now you've had COVID, then you had your five-day Indian wedding and all that kind of stuff.
00:34:34
Ken Davies
I have.
00:34:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's fair to say that after the end of that, it's fair to say that after that, your body, and not in a good way, was vice sir but most definitely, definitely unique.
00:34:39
Ken Davies
That's not an illness. It just felt like it.
00:34:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
The good news is, I think you've got a note there about how you can make your body unique in a good way.
00:34:58
Ken Davies
Yeah, have, because we partner with Bionique and they make the world's most personalized supplements because your body, my body, Nick's body is unique and mine's more unique than anybody else's today.
00:35:09
Ken Davies
Because without knowing what deficiencies you've got, taking off the shelf supplements mean you're probably not getting enough of what you need. You're probably getting too much of what you don't need. So Bionique provide 100% tailor-made supplements designed to deliver precisely what your body needs.
00:35:24
Ken Davies
Exactly the right levels, no guessing. So Go and check the show notes. Click on the link and use the code GSPN2025 for your 40% discount off your first order. And that's the first thing I want to do as soon as this podcast is finished.
00:35:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Good. If there are any pedants out there who are listening to this, who are shouting at their phones at the moment going, how can your body be more unique? Yeah, I'm with you. I hear you. You're either unique or you're not. But you can't be more unique. unique It's important.
00:35:50
Ken Davies
Oh, dear.
00:35:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
See what got to deal with.
00:35:53
Ken Davies
I feel such a fool.
00:35:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
You see I've got to deal with here, people. Right. OK, Ken, ah you've got a message in. I'm so pleased. I'm so pleased because, you know, who's back? Angry Matt is back.
00:36:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
We hadn't heard from him. We hadn't heard from him for a long
00:36:04
Ken Davies
Oh no!
00:36:07
Ken Davies
Matt Matt!
00:36:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, he's not mad. He's just angry. um And if you don't know who Angry Matt is, if you haven't listened to our earlier podcasts, he is a Nottingham Forest supporter, Nottingham Forest play in the English Premier League for now.
00:36:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he's...
00:36:22
Ken Davies
For now.
00:36:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
He seems to be permanently angry at everything. And he always got in touch with us, but he was never kind of ah happy about things, even though Forrest qualified for, well, they qualified for the Conference League um after dropping away at the back end of the season. I'm allowed to say this because I'm a derby fan.
00:36:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah But then they've been bumped back up to the Europa League, totally unfairly. Because Palace, who won the f FA Cup, look like they're going get kicked out. The last chance appeal is due out very soon.
00:36:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
I did hear the date the other day when Palace get their final Court of Arbitration appeal. Let's hope the Court of Arbitration CSENS real estate Palace into the Europa League. and Because that'll be a victory for football, because they deserve to be there as FA Cup winners. Anyway, Matt got in touch.
00:37:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Not heard from him for while. Yeah, he's been back in touch to... talk about Morgan Gibbs White. But I think you've got the email that he sent in because I haven't got in front of me. Have you got the email that he sent in?
00:37:02
Ken Davies
Hear, hear, by the way.
00:37:14
Ken Davies
Yeah, all it all says is, enjoying the podcast. Well, thanks, Mad Matt. One question.
00:37:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's not mad.
00:37:24
Ken Davies
One question. Has Morgan Gibbs-White done enough... to cement his place in the England 11 for the coming week.
00:37:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that's right. That's right. And Ken and I were talking about all of this in the week as we prepared for this show. And yes, folks, we do prepare for this show. We were talking about Gibbs White and were talking about Len because he's been in the news recently because it would appear he was trying to force a move away from the city ground to Tottenham Hotspur.
00:37:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
There was a bit of shenanigans going on and nobody really kind of knows what happened other than the fact that it looks like his agent might have leaked the confidentiality clause, the buyout clause to Tottenham.
00:38:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah without consulting Forrest first. Tottenham then put in the the bid that it was his buyout number, which was, I think, £60 million, pounds and Forrest went absolutely crackers. And the whole thing just...
00:38:15
Ken Davies
That was a coincidence, wasn't it? A huge coincidence.
00:38:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:38:18
Ken Davies
They just happened to guess exactly the right number.
00:38:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:38:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know. Even more of a coincidence, though, is that Morgan Gibbs-White, having signed a new contract for Forrest now, says how much he loves Forrest and how much he believes in the project.
00:38:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
mean, who would have thought... Yeah, who would have thought that? Anyway.
00:38:36
Ken Davies
I think his agent needs a penalise, quite honestly. He's engineered a a nice situation for MGW.
00:38:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
He has. Well, he has and he hasn't because you're right in as much as he's got him a bigger contract and like the likelihood of a move away next year. Equally,
00:38:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
his reputation as ah as a human being hasn't really done him any favourites here. Because if you think back to when he we moved from wolves to forest, all the wolves, fair he did the dirty on wolves, according to the wolves fans.
00:39:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
And they ought they were all yeah they all got the inflatable snakes out and all of that.
00:39:12
Ken Davies
Whether football agents are human beings is still ah up for debate, isn't it? I'm not sure they fall asleep at night worrying about their reputation in quite that way.
00:39:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, no, maybe not. Anyway, what's your view, Ken? What's your view? Has he done enough?
00:39:27
Ken Davies
No, and the fact... My view, I thought a good way, a good angle on this, and I'm sorry if I drop this one on you, but I'm going is the only way you can really work out whether Morgan Gibbs White is actually, has done enough to cement his place in the 11, is work out what your 11 is.
00:39:45
Ken Davies
And is Morgan Gibbs White in that 11 or isn't he in that 11? So I did that. And as you were saying earlier, We have in our midfield, and I consider him a midfielder, an absolute abundance of talent in in

Morgan Gibbs-White's Potential Role

00:40:05
Ken Davies
England.
00:40:05
Ken Davies
And it's very difficult for a player to force their way in. And, you know, I've got, if we're setting up as a 4-2-3-1, as we said we were going to do under Tuchel, you've got Bellingham and the Rice sitting as the two.
00:40:17
Ken Davies
And you've got, for me, you've got...
00:40:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
I haven't.
00:40:21
Ken Davies
go Well, let me tell you but let me tell you my team then.
00:40:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
But yeah anyway...
00:40:25
Ken Davies
and then and then we add it So, Pickford in goal. No disagreement there. Alexander-Arnold, Concer, Gahey and Lewis Skelly across the back.
00:40:37
Ken Davies
Bellingham and Rice sit as the two. Saka, Palmer, Eze as the three. And only in the absence, because there's no one else, Cain up front.
00:40:48
Ken Davies
So that would be my 4231. So there's no there's no place for Gibbs White in that.
00:40:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
question is, and I'll give you my team in a minute, it differs. It differs. um what um What position then? In 4-2-3-1, where would Gibbs White play? Because he's not holding midfielder.
00:41:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Would he play as one of the three? Because he's not really that either, is it He's a upon kind box-to-box midfielder.
00:41:06
Ken Davies
He's what we...
00:41:10
Ken Davies
He is. I'd play him as one of the three. I can't you can't i don't think you can see him same in sit back and in in the midfield. So I think he's's he's got his he's very much an attacking threat.
00:41:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
No.
00:41:18
Ken Davies
So I'd i'd actually have him as one of the three, and I don't see him forcing his way in there.
00:41:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Is he a victim of maybe that formation? If England played a different formation, might it suit his game? If they played a 4-3-3, for example, would it suit his game better?
00:41:30
Ken Davies
Yeah. If they played a 1-1-9-0, he'd probably get in. But it in most... formations that we can see Tuchel's ever used in his life, Morgan Gibbs-White doesn't force his way into that.
00:41:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
So is he is he even a bench warmer?
00:41:50
Ken Davies
Yeah, ah hes and he's an impact player.
00:41:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Given the attacking we've got in our...
00:41:53
Ken Davies
He's an impact player. I can see him coming on for after 70. I can see him you know going up against some fatigued defenders and that working out quite well, particularly if we need if it isn't working for whatever reason.
00:42:07
Ken Davies
But I think that's the best it's going to get for for Gibbs White. I have to say also, i should preface this, I don't think Forrest are going to have the season they had last year next season. And therefore, I think that's going to affect his chances as well.
00:42:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Very interesting. Very interesting. Well, I picked my England team because it said we said this is what we would do. There's a few changes in there. And this is based on the fact that everybody's fit, by the way. I have got, obviously, Jordan Peckford involved in goal. Now, my back four, I've got Rhys James as right back.
00:42:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I think he's a better right back than Alexander-Arnold. I've got Mark Gahey and Jared Branthwaite in the middle. Jared Branthwaite, by the way, is a sensational talent. He should be England's first choice centre-half next summer.
00:42:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
All being well, if he can stay fit, that's the key thing. And then I've got Lewis Skelly at left back. So James Gahey, Branthwaite and Lewis Skelly along the back. And then as my two holders, I've got Declan Rice as one of them. I didn't want Bellingham as a holder because I don't think you can have Rice and Bellingham as holders.
00:43:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think that just in negates too much of their their natural talent. So I've gone for Conor Gallagher in there as a a yeah holding midfielder. And the reason I've done that is because against the teams where we are...
00:43:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
on top or dominating, you can release Rice and Gallagher will just sit. So you talked before, didn't you, about is it too defensive sometimes when you don't need to be? Or if you need to attack. If you need to attack, you need somebody who will just sit.
00:43:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think Rice has...
00:43:33
Ken Davies
I'd rather release Bellingham and keep Rice at the back and release Bellingham.
00:43:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, I would, ah but I think given that we talked about how Declan Rice has adapted his game the last couple of years, he's a proper goal threat. Not only that, but he's a proper talent in and around the area, threading through those passes, making things happen, setting up goals for other people.
00:43:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I've got Rice and Gallagher as holders with with the with a caveat of ah being able to release Rice if need be. And then my my three behind Kane, I've got Saka on the right.
00:44:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've got Bellingham in the middle and I've got Eze on the left. And then I've got Kane up front. So unfortunately, it's not, I mean, look, Cole Palmer, you can't argue against Cole Palmer sometimes.
00:44:10
Ken Davies
That's not a million miles different to us.
00:44:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
My difficulty with Cole Palmer is he's an unbelievable player, but I'm slightly worried that the season that he's had, he's kind of, when he's on form, he's unbelievable, but when he's not, he disappears.
00:44:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
And if you're a World Cup, you can't have players that disappear. one of the things i like about Eze, as I mentioned a bit earlier on, is that he always, always, he's always in the game. He's always in the game.
00:44:40
Ken Davies
It's interesting in your line-up and in my line-up, there's no place for Foden. Foden gets on the pitch before Gibbs-White under Tuchel, I'm sure.
00:44:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, he probably will under Tuchel, but he won't if he has this season coming up, similar to the season he had last time.
00:44:58
Ken Davies
That's a hugely important season for him.
00:44:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because he had a terrible season last year and I feel for him. He's he's been speaking around his mental health issues. I'm not criticising any of that. I'm certainly not criticising because he's an absolutely brilliant talent.
00:45:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
If we can get the Phil Foden back of two, three years ago, he walks into the starting line-up, by the way. He's in the team. You've got to put him in the team. He's brilliant. But at the moment,
00:45:18
Ken Davies
Instead of... Instead of who?
00:45:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Difficult one.
00:45:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, who knows? Yeah, probably, yeah. I don't know, though, because Foden will want to play on the right. Saka will play on the right. So, who knows? But do you find a role for him...
00:45:22
Ken Davies
SA?
00:45:31
Ken Davies
this see That's weird, isn't it?
00:45:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah
00:45:33
Ken Davies
I know Foden does play the right, but Foden's a left footer.
00:45:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
But do you do you do you can you play him through the middle at all um and then shift Bellingham back to be one of the two DMs and then and then remove Gallagher? I don't know. There are things you can do.
00:45:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
But at the moment, I'm not even sure Foden gets in ahead of Gibbs-White, if I'm brutally honest. Because Gibbs-White's had a great season on form. If we if we play tomorrow, I don't think Foden gets in ahead of Gibbs-White.
00:46:00
Ken Davies
Yeah, I think Foden might get there on reputation. But it it's between those two in terms of who's the next tier. I don't think, i think we both agree here that Gibbs White's not getting into the starting 11 tomorrow.
00:46:13
Ken Davies
ah But he's probably in that second tier. He's probably on the bench expecting to come on.
00:46:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and likewise, you know we talked about Morgan Rodgers. He's making his mark, and he can play in yeah any of those three. We've got lots of talent, and who knows what this season will throw up. There could be even more.
00:46:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
There could be even more.
00:46:29
Ken Davies
Where's your weakness?
00:46:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
who
00:46:30
Ken Davies
Where's England's weakness?
00:46:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do you know what? When I watch England... I always think, and this is, this is and obviously, we've only seen a couple of games under Tuchel. You can't really judge how England going to play properly under Tuchel. Under Southgate, they're always just too cautious.
00:46:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
You sometimes think, just release the players, just go for it a bit. Take risks. You look at the players sometimes, you think there's ah there's a wealth of attacking talent in the team, a wealth of creativity, and yet we were boring to watch.
00:47:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we were we were quite we were quite cautious, we were quite conservative in our play. That's a weakness because it means if you're then not scoring goals, you're very susceptible at the back. I still think i'll sent our centre-half pairing is an issue.
00:47:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't think we've got a solid centre-half pairing yet.
00:47:12
Ken Davies
It is.
00:47:16
Ken Davies
Correct.
00:47:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, you can...
00:47:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Yeah, I put Gay and...
00:47:17
Ken Davies
That's exactly what going to say.
00:47:20
Ken Davies
I think our defence is still susceptible.
00:47:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, yeah, I think so. I mean, I put Rhys James in at right back. He's had his injury issues. Obviously, Kyle Walker was there for years and years and years.
00:47:30
Ken Davies
yeah
00:47:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Alexander-Arnold has got so many questions about his ability to defend at the highest level.
00:47:35
Ken Davies
Yeah, you're right.
00:47:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
and So maybe right-backs different. I'm hoping Lewis Skelly will be our left-back. But in the middle, yeah yeah since Harry Maguire kind of fell out a picture, we don't have that dominant centre-half.
00:47:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm hoping Brantthwaite will be it. I think Gahey is it. They could be amazing together. ah But... But we've also got Concer who's been playing in there. We've got we've got players who in there, but it seems to a bit of a revolving door a moment.
00:48:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
So Tuchel will have to make up his mind um on what that defensive looks like.
00:48:02
Ken Davies
I think that's our weakness. I don't think we've got a world-class defence. I really don't. I think we have got a world-class midfield. ah true Probably the best midfield in the world. I don't think we've got a world-class defence. And I think, well, we're going to come to that later on, but I think that is that is a real area that ah I'm going to be focused on the next year.
00:48:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yep, yep. No, that's ah that's absolutely fair enough, mate. That's absolutely fair enough. Right, let's get on with the show. oh
00:48:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's time for everybody's favourite time of the week. Oh, Ken's got his pipe out. This is always a good sign.
00:48:46
Ken Davies
I'm going to need it. Imagine if i get some of these wrong. Terrible.
00:48:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
well
00:48:51
Ken Davies
um am Well, I am Welsh, though.
00:48:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah You will be. You will be by the time we finish this. And I wasn't going to ask this question, but I might as well, seeing as you were moaning about the English National Anthem earlier on.
00:48:58
Ken Davies
Hmm.
00:49:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
The English National Anthem, as we know, has three verses. Do you know the first line of the third verse?
00:49:08
Ken Davies
Hmm.
00:49:16
Ken Davies
Is it God save our gracious king?
00:49:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, that's the first line of the first verse.
00:49:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
The third line...
00:49:22
Ken Davies
ah yeah Just repeat it all the way.
00:49:24
Ken Davies
Sorry, go on.
00:49:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, it's thy choicest gifts in store. On him be pleased to pour. Long may he reign, etc., etc. Anyway, that wasn't part of the quiz, so I'm not going count that against you. But I'm going to do something a bit different this this week, and I'm going to give you the choice of questions here, mate, because I'm taking my quiz this week from English Heritage, that fine English institution that...
00:49:38
Ken Davies
Hmm.
00:49:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
that that, you know, there it' it is very much our green and pleasant lands, everything that English heritage looks out for. i I've got a 50-question quiz by English Heritage.
00:49:55
Ken Davies
Great. What? 50 question quiz.
00:50:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm going to allow you to pick...
00:50:01
Ken Davies
The World Cup will be fine until we finish that. Oh, okay.
00:50:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
not going to do 50. Choose three. So pick a number, and i'm going to ask you the question, whatever that number is.
00:50:09
Ken Davies
Right, 13.
00:50:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, lucky for some. Right. Number 13 is, who is the oldest surviving London blue plaque commemorated to?
00:50:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Who is the oldest surviving London blue plaque commemorated to?
00:50:30
Ken Davies
ah Samuel Pepys.
00:50:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Close. The answer is Napoleon III. The plaque to Napoleon III, the last French emperor,
00:50:40
Ken Davies
The famous English person. Great.
00:50:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
The plaque Napoleon III was installed 1867, and the design includes the French Imperial Eagle.
00:50:43
Ken Davies
That's fantastic, isn't it? Yeah. Thanks a lot.
00:50:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
was installed in eighteen sixty seven and the design includes the french imperial eagle It is said that he left his London home in King Street in a great hurry to return to France when he heard of the overthrow of King Louis-Philippe in 1848.
00:51:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
His bed was left unmade and his bath was full of water. Typical French, hey? Can't even empty the bath.
00:51:13
Ken Davies
good evening It's a good excuse though, isn't it? Imagine. you know Have you made the bed? No. Have you not heard about Louis XIX or whoever he was he was running off to sort out?
00:51:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. oh I've got to get on the Eurostar at least in half an hour. I've got to get back to France to become king.
00:51:29
Ken Davies
Yeah. I feel a bit cheated by that question because has nothing to do with England. But go on.
00:51:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
like ah that That's why you don't ever choose number 13, mate. That's why.
00:51:38
Ken Davies
All right. Number 26.
00:51:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's an unlucky one.
00:51:39
Ken Davies
Number 26. Number 26.
00:51:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's roll the Las Vegas wheel. 26. Okay. Ooh. Ooh. Yeah. Okay. yeah Good one, mate. What caused considerable damage to Whitby Abbey in 1914?
00:51:55
Ken Davies
i think I think that has got to be something to do with
00:51:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
what
00:52:02
Ken Davies
the First World War, and some kind of bombardment. It's either a bomb dropped from a Zeppelin, or it's a naval bombardment from the North Sea by ah our friends, the Germans, the Hun.
00:52:18
Ken Davies
I suspect it was a naval bombardment by the Germans from the North Sea.
00:52:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're absolutely spot on. yeah also The answer is the shelling of Whitby by the German high seas fleet.
00:52:28
Ken Davies
Wow!
00:52:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
So the west front of the Abbey Church was hit during the bombardment, causing much fit to collapse. However, the damage was later repaired using that original masonry. So they built it rebuilt it using the original masonry. But yeah, it got...
00:52:45
Ken Davies
That makes no sense, by the way.
00:52:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
to
00:52:46
Ken Davies
That makes no sense. The West Front, because they're going to be firing from the East in the North Sea.
00:52:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
The way...
00:52:54
Ken Davies
How the hell do they hit the West Front? I'm just saying it. Unless they've got some kind of boomerang shells.
00:52:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, they obviously weren't... Banana shells, yeah. I've heard of those.
00:53:05
Ken Davies
Right, okay.
00:53:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, because if firing from that one, you're going to hit the west front of the Abbey Church if you're firing from the east, aren't you?
00:53:06
Ken Davies
That's it.
00:53:11
Ken Davies
You're not. you're going to hit the east, aren't you? It's going to be facing east. Go on, Nick. but When was the last time you shelled an Abbey from the North Sea?
00:53:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, just the other week.
00:53:21
Ken Davies
um Last Tuesday, wasn't it? Last Tuesday, it wasn't.
00:53:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
i
00:53:23
Ken Davies
Fair enough.
00:53:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And the funny thing is I hit the west front of the church when I was doing it. So I guess you're right.
00:53:27
Ken Davies
Oh, sorry. I stayed corrected.
00:53:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
but
00:53:29
Ken Davies
I stayed corrected.
00:53:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, well, mike if you if you think they're wrong, please write to and English Heritage. Please don't complain to me.
00:53:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, well done, mate.
00:53:35
Ken Davies
Think about it.
00:53:35
Ken Davies
It's got to be wrong.
00:53:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
One out of It won't be. It won't be. And I'll find out why afterwards.
00:53:41
Ken Davies
okay
00:53:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. That's ah one out of two, mate. You've got one more question to go to turn this around from the defeat into victory.
00:53:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
39, Ken's lucky number.
00:53:55
Ken Davies
Don't be looking at 41 because it's harder.
00:53:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right.
00:53:58
Ken Davies
I can tell that expression in your face. 39. Margaret Thatcher.
00:54:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
whom No, to fair, I thought I knew the answer to this.
00:54:03
Ken Davies
margaret
00:54:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, maybe the answer is Margaret Thatcher because the question is, who did Harold defeat in the Battle of Stamford Bridge just before the Battle of Hastings?
00:54:15
Ken Davies
He defeated Harold Hardrada, the Danish Viking king.
00:54:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
it He did.
00:54:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Well, ah do you know what? i was going to give you that. But actually, his official title is the King of Norway, not the Danish fighting Viking King. I'm not sure.
00:54:33
Ken Davies
vikis Viking, he's Viking. Harold, but I got his name right.
00:54:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
up No, I'll give you 100% for that. Well done. And you were straight in. You didn't even have to think about it.
00:54:41
Ken Davies
Did you not know that?
00:54:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Many congratulations. No, I didn't. i thought with somebody else.
00:54:43
Ken Davies
you grew up in book For God's sake. I mean, it's just down the road.
00:54:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
I didn't grow up in York. I moved to York when I was 16. I grew up in South London.
00:54:50
Ken Davies
But literally, it's like three miles away from York, isn't it? Stamford Bridge.
00:54:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, it's Chelsea's ground. It's in West London.
00:54:58
Ken Davies
Different one, mate.
00:55:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
i've been to i've been I've been through Stamford Bridge, yeah. ah You're right. It is very close to York. And you're right, it's Harold Hadrarder. ah On the 25th of September, Harold defeated Harold Hadrarder, King of Norway, and claimant to the English throne in a hard-fought battle at Stamford Bridge near York.
00:55:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mate, you've done brilliantly there. You've turned you one nil down, 2-1 up. You've won the game. You have beaten English.
00:55:24
Ken Davies
Yeah, and the only I conceded was to Napoleon the third.
00:55:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, although technically it draw because you didn't get to the National Anthem. Right.

Quiz Segment with Ken Davis

00:55:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
but No, well done. That was probably your best week yet. I'm just looking down these...
00:55:36
Ken Davies
Well, it's England.
00:55:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I know, i know. But bizarrely, there's an Ed Sheeran question in an English Heritage quiz. want to know what it is?
00:55:46
Ken Davies
No, I really, no.
00:55:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:55:48
Ken Davies
We've got 55 minutes of relatively top quality ah kind of information and and we don't need Ed Sheeran involved.
00:55:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right.
00:56:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
All right. don't need to share any of you. Right. Okay. Well done, Kenny's quiz. right i' going to have a quick, very quick look at Thomas Tuchel, the England manager. And the only thing I need to worry about Thomas Tuchel is, unlike any other previous England manager, he is a serial winner.
00:56:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, you and i disagree. And I dont know we disagree on whether Thomas Tuchel should have got the job. You're one of those little Englanders who think that ah only should have gone to an England but england person.
00:56:27
Ken Davies
no na No, no, no, no, no.
00:56:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Whereas I'm changing the mind of you. You've seen the light.
00:56:32
Ken Davies
contraire, mon ami. ah yeah I'm quite happy with Tuchel.
00:56:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, yeah, I didn't think you wanted... I thought you wanted an English manager in charge of England.
00:56:42
Ken Davies
No, I'm not a dinosaur.
00:56:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
I can't stand that. Well, I beg to differ. But, yeah, you may be right. I really don't see, don't understand and do not like the attitude of, oh, it's the England team, we must have an England manager in.
00:56:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because if we had to have an England manager in to replace Gareth Southgate, who are we going to get in who's going to win us the World Cup?
00:57:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
And you've got your pie, which tells me you know the answer to this question.
00:57:04
Ken Davies
Hmm.
00:57:07
Ken Davies
Hmm. Phil Parkinson.
00:57:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Well, it exactly that, yeah. That's your best bet. That's your best bet.
00:57:12
Ken Davies
Hmm.
00:57:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
So he's manager at Wrexham, just to get you wondering. And Wrexham are a small team in Wales who are this year about to play in the English Championships. Right. Ken's so happy.
00:57:25
Ken Davies
a
00:57:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
He hates me calling them. Obviously, they're one of the richest clubs. They'll be the richest club in the championship ah because they're owned by those American actor people. And Ken is so, so smug about It's painful.
00:57:36
Ken Davies
So excited.
00:57:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know. i know. All these players you've been linked with. There's another one today, by the way. There was another one today that yeah I saw Wrexham being linked with. You're just going, no other team in the championship before these players. You're just buying your way in,
00:57:48
Ken Davies
Yeah, that's just agents just saying, oh, Wrexham are interested. They're not interested. They've got another couple more spaces. That'll be it.
00:57:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, Borussia Dortmund then, um where he started. He won he won stuff at Borussia Dortmund. He went to PSG, he won Ligue 1, he won the Coup de France, Coup de la Ligue, UEFA Champions League runner-up with PSG in 2019-2020.
00:58:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Moved to Chelsea, where he did win the Champions League the next season in 2020-21. Then won the UEFA Super Cup that that year and the FIFA Club World Cup. ah which, of course, Chelsea have just won again a couple of weeks ago.
00:58:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
he then went to Bayern where he won the Bundesliga. He's had a fantastic career. He's a serial winner. He's won loads of individual awards. He, if anybody...
00:58:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
is going to win the World Cup for England. If anybody is, he's the sort of guy we need. Just bring him in for a couple of years. Don't worry about their backstory. Don't worry about that you know any any of the the England connections or like blah, blah, blah, blah.
00:58:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Bring in somebody who can win you the World Cup. And if anybody can win us the World Cup, other than Carlo Ancelotti, who's just gone to Brazil...
00:58:57
Ken Davies
about to say Carlo Agilotti come on down
00:59:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and and and you know and obviously yeah there are people who can win the World Cup. That's not the point. My point was, who's going to take the England job? And it's not you it's not the most popular job in the world.
00:59:11
Ken Davies
true
00:59:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Who's going to take the England job who can win the World Cup? Looking at the list of names out there, Ancelotti was never even on the list. Tuchel was by far away the favourite. What's your opinion of him, Ken?
00:59:25
Ken Davies
I like him. like I think he's he's the kind of tactical professor, grandmaster that we need. I think that was that's been our weakness in previous World Cups, that people have out-thought us and out-thought us a little bit, but definitely outs at...
00:59:44
Ken Davies
ah out-analyzed us. I think he's going to be very good at that. There's couple of things just to be a mind mindful of. He's got a reputation for being a bit of a dictator. you know He doesn't like dissent.
00:59:55
Ken Davies
He doesn't like people pushing back at him. There's lots of stories of players really getting the rough end of Tuchel's tongue ah if if they disagree with him. And he also quite likes frequent player changes. he's He's one of those managers that will pick a team for a particular occasion, for a particular match,
01:00:14
Ken Davies
and a particular setup, particularly against the the opposition. So I think we're going to be, i think it's going to be ah team which has got a lot of flexibility and a lot of adapt adaptability.
01:00:27
Ken Davies
I think a lot players are going to have to learn to work with Tuchel. But I think if it all comes off, England have got their best chance in a generation, to be honest.
01:00:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think you're right. I think you're right. There are some great managers out there. We talked about Ancelotti. Obviously, you've got Dele Fuente in Spain. You've got Scaloni in Argentina. You've got Didier Deschamps in France.
01:00:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Deschamps has been charge of France for years now, 13, 14 years. I'm surprised he's still there.
01:00:53
Ken Davies
I
01:00:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
But... There's some great managers out there. But yes, Tuchel, I think, has got so a real chance. A real chance with England. Which takes us on to the very last bit of the podcast as we hit the hour mark. Oh, Ken. What do you reckon?
01:01:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
What are England's chances? Let's finish with the

England's World Cup Performance Predictions

01:01:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
predictions. What are England's chances?
01:01:10
Ken Davies
Quarterfinals. Don't see it getting any further than that. I think, as we touched on earlier, I think they've got some great strengths. I think they've got some great weaknesses. I worry about Kane. I think Kane, another year in Kane's legs, he doesn't get any faster.
01:01:26
Ken Davies
Honestly, he'd be running backwards if he got any slower, to be honest. So I've got to worry about how... how I know he's got a fantastic track record, but eventually that's going to he's going to get found out on that.
01:01:39
Ken Davies
And I think the World Cup could be that place. I just hope either Tony or Watkins can step up to that. I'm not sure that they're quite that calibre. I think we've got a problem at the back.
01:01:51
Ken Davies
Jordan Pickford isn't the greatest with distribution from his feet. I think that's going to be a problem. We've got a fantastic midfield. I think you put all those things in... England could have one of those teams that could go brilliantly well for them.
01:02:03
Ken Davies
It could go horribly wrong for them. My bet in is they're going to exit in the quarterfinals. Nick?
01:02:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Which would make us worse team under Tuchel than we were under Southgate.
01:02:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nobody wants that.
01:02:18
Ken Davies
Yeah.
01:02:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Oh, nobody wants that. Right. Okay. I'm going to go one step further. I think we'll be semi-finals. I think we've got enough about it. i kind of agree I do kind of agree with your analysis in terms of the top and the bottom end of the pitch, in terms of we don't really have anybody to replace Kane.
01:02:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think we've got year to sort defence out. I'm less worried about defence. I'm less worried about defence. And if Trafford did have a good season and came in, I'd i'd be okay with that. You're right in terms of who have we got to replace Harry Kane. Nobody, but you know will this be Kane's swan song?
01:02:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
What a great arena to go out on. What a great arena to go out on and helping Fire England to the latter stages of the tournament. They've got enough in them to get to the final. They have, but I don't know whether they will. I'm going to have them going out.
01:03:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think they might just be, we talked about Argentina, before we all know Spain are going to be great. We haven't featured them yet. We we were looking at, you know, Brazil. they going to be a resurgent under Ancelotti?
01:03:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
France are always there and thereabouts. You can there be a wild card in terms of Ecuador or teams like that?
01:03:23
Ken Davies
There is Mexico.
01:03:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, and Mexico we've talked about. So, yeah, are some teams out of nowhere based in that part of the world going have a great World Cup? Yeah, there's going to be a lot of competition, but I'm going to go semifinals for England.
01:03:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
See how we get on.
01:03:37
Ken Davies
Yeah, couldn't disagree with that.
01:03:38
Ken Davies
I mean, there's every chance if things go well for Tuchel. But, sir yeah, I don't... I still think, unfortunately, we're going to be saying four more years of hurt at the end of 2026. Mmm... twenty twenty six
01:03:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Maybe so. Yeah, maybe so. We'll see. Let's hope not. Let's hope next year is our year.

Teaser for Next Episode: Focus on Paraguay

01:03:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. OK, well, that brings us to the end of the podcast. Now, next weekend, I'm starting my World Cup 2026 preparations by visiting America for for a couple of I'll be going around every single stadium, talking to every and every single player, every single coach, or doing none of those things, and instead and enjoying a few days away ah in America.
01:04:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah So, mate, it's over to you for next week's podcast. Morning,
01:04:23
Ken Davies
Yeah, and I've got Paraguay. Paraguay. Imagine, I'm going to talk 45 minutes of, by the time you finish, the time you come back, if you're assuming you're to be listening to it on the flight back, you'll know everything that you'll ever need to know about Paraguay, Paraguay's chances in World Cup 26. I'm looking forward to doing it.
01:04:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I'm very much looking forward to hearing that will interesting because they're pretty much nailed on to qualify. So I like the South American teams. I'm interested to see how they they're going to get on. ah But for now, that is your deep dive into England.

Conclusion and Farewell

01:04:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you very much indeed for your time. Thank you for joining us.
01:04:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Have a great week doing whatever you're doing wherever you are in the world. ah From Kenny and i look after yourselves, look after each other. Goodbye.
01:05:06
Ken Davies
Goodbye.