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00:00:01
It's the hope that kills you
29 Plays2 months ago
Nathan & Chris chat over the Arsenal game and some of the news and rumours circling the club this week.
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Transcript
Introduction and Apologies
00:00:11
officialgspn
Welcome in, Wolves fans, to the Daily Wolves podcast. It is me, Chris, and with me today is Nathan. Hey, Nathan.
00:00:18
Nathan
Hello, hello everyone. Hello, Chris. Happy Thursday.
00:00:22
officialgspn
Happy Thursday, indeed.
00:00:22
Nathan
Got it in nice and early.
00:00:24
officialgspn
yeah it's um Yeah, we've ah been a little bit like quiet this week. It's been super busy for everyone here at Daily Wolves. ah So apologies for for not coming to you as quickly as we would like post arsenal.
00:00:38
officialgspn
um But then again, I think we were just trying to forget about the whole thing, to be honest, Nathan.
00:00:42
Nathan
Yeah. Another, another loss, another loss hangover. for us at Daily Wolves and trying to sober back up after all these defeats is a difficult task but we're we're just about getting there, um hopefully getting back to some more regularity with, well let's hope a good result against Villa at the weekend but I know we've got a lot of other things we want to cover before we get to get to that Villa game and whilst I say that Chris' cat is currently fighting him um
00:01:12
officialgspn
Yeah,
Arsenal Match Analysis
00:01:13
officialgspn
it's typical. difficult yeah But while we're at it, the the a let's go back, rewind time a few days to the weekend's game against Arsenal. um and Going into it, I'm sure, I i don't know about you, I wasn't it i was expecting a loss.
00:01:13
Nathan
off the mic
00:01:28
officialgspn
you Obviously, we're going to talk about hindsight in a minute, but I wasn't expecting anything from it going into the game.
00:01:30
Nathan
Yeah.
00:01:34
officialgspn
I think I even said it in my crossover episode that I was expecting a defeat. so
00:01:39
Nathan
Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Especially after the poor performances against Chelsea and Nottingham, it's just that, yeah, we talk about the amount of goals conceded, but the attitude and it just all stank, didn't it? And you just think, right, here we go again, expecting another sort of three, four goal.
00:01:58
Nathan
um beating, but I actually thought that we put up a more solid performance than in the games against Forrest and Chelsea and we had a little bit more to show for ourselves. I don't want to say we can come out a bit proud. Ultimately, we're still lost and that's put us down into the and into the bottom three, but I do think we're we performed slightly better against a team that had some real, real quality um with regards to individual quality, I think. I think Decca Rice was absolutely fantastic. And Saliba at the back was brilliant as well. And there's those individual players that we just don't have that quality to match. And I think we battled with them quite well. But considering they were down to 10 men for a large period of the game, we weren't able to capitalise enough. And it's back to the same old story of
00:02:50
Nathan
we can't take our chances. I think we created a lot against Forrest as well, created a lot against or created enough against Chelsea to sort of maybe get a little bit more, but again, just not putting away our chances and then we get punished because we're we are leaky.
00:03:06
officialgspn
Yeah, the thing that I think the thing that bugs me most about the game, and I'm sure it does for most people, it like you say, we expected nothing really going into it, given the form of the last few games, but then that' sending we you know that's sending off. they To be honest, at 11 versus 11, they looked obviously strong, but we'd been fairly steady. like We were in the game.
00:03:29
officialgspn
And then it's the sending off when we can get into the minutiae of that, because I think there's been a weird reaction to that on on social media and press and then celebrities and all sorts on that one.
00:03:36
Nathan
Yeah.
00:03:40
officialgspn
But at that point, 11 versus 10 after sending off, you suddenly get that glimmer of hope. that we've got an opportunity to get something from this more than we like way more than we had at the start of the game.
00:03:51
officialgspn
It's still a great team, still with 10 men going to be a great team. But that little lift of like, come on, we can at least get the points and maybe we go and push on and get all three.
00:03:58
Nathan
Absolutely.
00:04:01
officialgspn
And the most disappointing thing for me is we just looked like we didn't go for it. And then second half, Fair enough, that it was in it wasn't that long until half time at that point.
00:04:12
officialgspn
But then the second half, the first 10, 15 minutes, Arsenal came out, they looked like they had an extra man. We just couldn't get out of the box.
00:04:18
Nathan
yeah
00:04:19
officialgspn
And and yet we were the the one with a they yeah you know the extra numbers. And I'm like, what is going on? what what is This can't be the team talk.
00:04:28
Nathan
Honestly, we we don't have a second gear. Against Chelsea, you nick an equalizing goal away from away from home just before half-time. You think, right, okay, that's something. That's a reset. Let's see if you can you can raise it in the second half, and that does no reaction. And then, again against Arsenal, if if the opposition team goes down to 10 men after obviously showing their quality with 11, if they go down to 10 men, you think, right, let's have it then. We're at home, bit of momentum here. We can keep a bit of possession, or can we?
00:05:00
Nathan
But we've we've genuinely got that. we We coast through games at times where we're just in that first gear and we just literally cannot at any point. It doesn't feel like when you're watching at any point, we can inject a 15, 20 minute spell where we can dominate teams.
00:05:17
Nathan
And I feel like we used to have that and we just don't have that anymore where, okay, we have a five minute spell, but we need to, when asked for down to 10, you have to have periods where you are bombarding their box.
00:05:26
officialgspn
Hmm.
00:05:29
Nathan
And it just never felt like Arsenal were really in trouble.
00:05:29
officialgspn
Mm-hmm.
00:05:34
officialgspn
No, no we didn't.
00:05:34
Nathan
And that's a bit, I think that's the thing that's just disappointing that we we can't say that we, you know, we didn't force their key printer many saves at all. And that's the thing that's so frustrating.
00:05:46
officialgspn
Yeah, it just felt like we didn't threaten them at all. i know I know there was the odd chance here and there scattered through the game, but it didn't... yeah We never felt like we were pushing on. It looked like we were happy to still try and settle for a point at 11v10 when it was a great opportunity for the team to to get some unexpected bonus points out of it. When we're in a tough situation where we need them, that was an opportunity to really give it a go.
00:06:12
officialgspn
And the crowd would have been, the crowd worked for it after that red card.
00:06:13
Nathan
Yeah.
00:06:14
officialgspn
You know, there was a brief period where that that excitement of the red card and come on.
00:06:16
Nathan
There.
00:06:18
officialgspn
And if, if we'd have gone for it, crowd get behind them and push on. And it just never happens. And I think the other thing for me as well was it's, I mean, there's been a couple of occasions where I've questioned things, but.
Tactical Concerns and Substitutions
00:06:33
officialgspn
Obviously, we've had the manager bounce, but that game more than ever, there was concerns for me over the fact that at 11 versus 10, when it's not working early second half, there was no changes. You've got Jago Mez on already on a yellow, and you know he's capable of getting another one, and he's going to get stuck in because it's two of against three in that midfield.
00:06:54
officialgspn
and It just looked like he was on edge. You could tell he was walking on eggshells the whole game.
00:06:58
Nathan
Yeah.
00:06:59
officialgspn
And yet the subs weren't until like the 87th minute we saw a flurry of changes, which is too late. Which is too late to do anything.
00:07:04
Nathan
Yeah.
00:07:05
officialgspn
Like I felt like i I wanted him to make a change of some kind, whether it's tactical, whether it's players earlier in the game to try and just reenergize things.
00:07:17
officialgspn
But it felt like there was nothing.
00:07:21
Nathan
Yeah, there's a couple of bits there. I think that the Jal Gomez one, it's a difficult call, but if you're a manager and Jal Gomez on a yellow, you probably don't hook him anyway. I do know that he's he's obviously susceptible to go flying into challenges, and I actually think that his second yellow could have ah easily been a straight red, especially considering Arsenal straight red in the first half.
00:07:39
officialgspn
Mm.
00:07:42
Nathan
um But yeah, just again, there doesn't seem to be a ah fallback plan and I don't know how much we can always put on Pereira or the manager in charge here. I think some of it has to come down to the players going right let's just let's just go for it let's have a little bit of of fight about it and very few again not many positives that we can actually come out of the game with.
00:08:10
Nathan
not many things where we can say, well, we absolutely threw the kitchen sink at them and they just managed to hold on and got a one-nil win.
00:08:16
officialgspn
Mm hmm.
00:08:17
Nathan
That wasn't the type of game. I know the score line might suggest it was, but it wasn't. It wasn't like Arsenal have just done a fantastic away day, you know, classic away day job sort of thing.
00:08:21
officialgspn
No.
00:08:28
Nathan
That wasn't the case. And that, I think, as a team playing at home, it's in the situation that we're in at the minute, we have to be scrappy and we have to be throwing kitchen sinks at people when they when they come to our gaff and they they score and when they're down to 10 men as well.
00:08:43
officialgspn
Yeah. Cause even late in the game, you know, like five, 10 minutes to go again, we've seen it earlier in the season at 11 versus 11, but 11 versus 10 one k nil down. And we were just passing it around at the back again.
00:08:54
officialgspn
And there was no, there was no, umph there was no emphasis to just get the ball up the pitch when the
Player Performance and Praises
00:09:00
officialgspn
top clock is ticking, you know?
00:09:00
Nathan
Yeah.
00:09:02
officialgspn
And it's like, come on, just at that point, Chuck, I grew up there and let him cause some mayhem with some long long balls and let him try and head it.
00:09:03
Nathan
Yeah.
00:09:09
officialgspn
You cause some mayhem.
00:09:10
Nathan
Honestly, I think he was our he was our best player against Arsenal in my opinion. Head and shoulders above um yeah head and shoulders above um above the rest of the the Wolves players.
00:09:15
officialgspn
Yeah, he was my man of the match. Sorry, yeah.
00:09:21
Nathan
and my And I think he's been very, very solid and can hold his head fairly high with regards to his performances so far. But again, the frustration out of that is that he's been good since coming in but where's the lift in the players around him where's the same intensity with the players around him he is bullying strikers at the minute like genuinely he's he's shrugging them off like they're nothing it literally looks like he's playing ah playing with kids at times and it's just it's frustrating that we don't see i don't know i know it's everyone's physical attributes are different but just a bit of
00:09:49
officialgspn
Yeah.
00:09:57
Nathan
a bit more of that around the pitch um and obviously not the senseless stuff like Jal Gomez is doing and I know he he kind of reacted straight away he knew straight away what he'd done knew it was a yellow straight off but just stupid it's just you know it like head loss and yet again we're not managing to control
00:09:59
officialgspn
yeah
00:10:17
Nathan
the emotions that we have in the right situations. Okay, you know the opposite is down to 10 men.
00:10:21
officialgspn
Mm.
00:10:24
Nathan
You know, what are we doing? Are we still doing this nervous ball down the back? Why should we? Why should we? let's try That's when you try it you try something, you know, in the final third. You see what can happen. And I don't know, I feel like maybe a Tommy Doar substitution was the thing in hindsight.
00:10:38
Nathan
Obviously, it's easy for us to say now.
00:10:40
officialgspn
Yeah.
00:10:40
Nathan
ah don't know I don't know what the answer was at that time because Yeah, it was poor, but ultimately we wed conceded three in the previous two games. So maybe in Vital Pereira's mind was just right. Okay. Let's like try and build a bit of confidence throughout the game, but then you get pegged back a goal and all of a sudden you're you're lost again. So tricky.
00:11:03
officialgspn
Yeah, and plus because it wasn't just the fact they were down to 10 men, you know, when obviously Sucker is out for a while, and was that injured? Autoguard not in. So even before the 10 men, it was a, I mean, they're still a great team, but, you know, two of their massive stars are not in the team. So already there was a, there was elements of possibility there and so it just feels like an opportunity missed more than anything.
00:11:28
officialgspn
I think that's the most frustrating thing about this week is it feels like an opportunity missed when we were expecting so little and now it just now it feels like oh gosh that was a complete waste.
00:11:33
Nathan
massively massively and i keep using the word scrapping but we need to be scrapping for points and look we would we have been disappointed with a draw a nil-nils draw probably probably considering they were down to 10 men for that long but you still you need points and we need to start adding them to the board and fast And it's it's just, yeah, at the moment, it's not been good
Transfer Talks and Speculations
00:12:05
Nathan
enough. And let's hope that a local Derby at home again can maybe be the the sort of energy that the team need.
00:12:15
officialgspn
yeah yeah i mean we'll we'll get to obviously the the coming fixture i just want to echo your sentiments on um agar before we move on i thought agar was just yeah he was the silver lining of the whole day he was outstanding i mean he was getting like standing ovations of his own is some for some of his tackles he was getting all the the cheers because you like you say he was just shrugging people off he looked strong he looked confident For a team, I know they're missing some players, as you mentioned, but for a team that have been so good at set pieces and we've been so bad at set pieces, we actually did okay defensively against set pieces for them.
00:12:50
Nathan
ye
00:12:52
officialgspn
That wasn't really the issue. I know they had some poor corners because a few times they hit the first man, but you know Aga definitely adds to that that confidence at the back. I think and makes teams think a little bit more, even just with him.
00:13:03
officialgspn
I know we're hoping for more, but he he's definitely a difference maker. And did you notice at the other end of the pitch, when we were, when it was our corners, cause it was an issue with Chelsea as well, that the, particularly at Chelsea, the opposing players look worried about him.
00:13:18
officialgspn
Like he's got two or three people trying, he's often got two or three people trying to shove him this way and that because he's huge, he's drawing tension and it creates mayhem.
00:13:18
Nathan
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
00:13:23
Nathan
I mean, but he's not shifting. He is not shifting.
00:13:28
officialgspn
No.
00:13:29
Nathan
He is built. like a brick wall. It's insane. Like, I've not seen him live yet, but my God, I know you always...
00:13:40
Nathan
When watching on TV, you always think footballers are shorter than they actually are in real life, but he looks huge on TV as well.
00:13:47
officialgspn
yeah yeah
00:13:48
Nathan
So, so you know, insane stuff.
00:13:49
officialgspn
yeah
00:13:51
Nathan
um But I can't believe I'm about to say this, but um it might even be a case that we we would need like a Totti Gomez back in that defensive lineup.
00:14:03
officialgspn
I can't wait for him to come back, I think. Yeah.
00:14:05
Nathan
I actually now am thinking that with the security and the the cool head that Aga has alongside Bueno, who is quite similar in possession, Totti might be all right.
00:14:19
Nathan
I think Totti always looked poor when he was around players that weren't as comfortable on the ball as well. And there was an over-reliance on him in a back four to be on the ball.
00:14:25
officialgspn
Mm.
00:14:27
officialgspn
Yep.
00:14:28
Nathan
Whereas in that back three, where he might only have, you know, one or two options to play, sort of one down the line or back inside to your center half, keeping it simple, I think he might work quite well because he brings that aggressive defensive attitude that doc doesn't have what doc does have is going forwards but you know at this moment in time we need to stop shipping goals so yeah i can't believe i said that after everything i've said about trolley gamers but um yeah yeah
00:14:54
officialgspn
No, i I can't wait for Totti to return. We've got to a state where I think we need him. His best performances in a Wolf shirt have been in a back three, in that left of the back three.
00:15:05
officialgspn
That's when he earned his Portugal call up, if you remember. Well, I think he was kind of either playing left wing back at that point and also left of the three. Either way, he's always at, when he's got the three at the back, he's much better on that left-hand side.
00:15:12
Nathan
yeah
00:15:16
officialgspn
So I think he'll come back in at some point there. And then you've got a choice really. It'd be interesting to see where the Pereira moves Aga to the right of three and Doc drops out.
00:15:27
officialgspn
And then it's like, um, Totti, Bueno and Aga, or the other option is put Aga in the middle and then someone else on the right.
00:15:31
Nathan
Yeah.
00:15:35
officialgspn
But I think, I think he'll go to the right hand side.
00:15:36
Nathan
Yeah. Yeah, I think he'd be better on the right just because he's got that that pace and I actually quite like Bueno in that middle position.
00:15:44
officialgspn
Mm-hmm.
00:15:44
Nathan
I can see him developing. Like I don't know why I see it, but I can just see his potential in the middle. And I think he's got the build for that middle position. Whereas out wide, if Bueno was coming up against wingers, I wouldn't feel too comfortable.
00:15:57
Nathan
Whereas I think Aga's got that in the pocket.
00:15:59
officialgspn
No, I think even in the middle, when I just need to bulk up a little bit, he still feels a little bit like he's a bit too scrawny at times and yeah, gets shoved off the ball a bit too easily.
00:16:05
Nathan
lightweight.
00:16:08
officialgspn
But with Totti on the left of him and Agbadoo on the right, I mean, that's too much more athletic, tall, particularly I go strong, more physical characters to kind of give him that that leeway to to just guide a little bit and pick up the pieces.
00:16:26
officialgspn
We'll see, we'll see.
00:16:26
Nathan
Yeah.
00:16:27
officialgspn
um Before we soldier on, let's just remind everyone that here at the Global Sports Podcast Network, we did spend a lot of time selecting our delivery platform, and Zancaster came out the clear winner. With 4K video recording from your phone and AI editing that automatically removes all those oms and ahs, it's super easy to start a podcast that sounds great and is delivered efficiently. If you're ready to tell your story, check out the link in the show description to learn more about Zancaster.
00:16:54
officialgspn
All right, dudes, so we obviously we we're going to I think we'll move on because we've all we've all languished in that game now for for long enough.
00:17:02
Nathan
Yeah do.
00:17:03
officialgspn
And I mean, we could cry until the cows come home, but we just need to focus on the future, I think. And and so obviously we're coming up to the end the last few days of the transfer window. So far, the only in has been our man of the match, Aga. But there's been a lot of stuff going on, rumors in the last few days in terms of another center back and recently in midfield as well. I mean, I can find the names that, but I'm sure you've got a couple to to mention, Nathan.
00:17:32
Nathan
Yeah. From what I've been reading, there's three bits of news. I'll rattle through them in order of what seems to be the most credible sources out there, and maybe you'll be able to fill in as well, Chris.
00:17:46
Nathan
The first bit, the back and forths that have been going on about Kevin Danso, he's sent a half at lawns at the minute.
00:17:50
officialgspn
Mm hmm.
00:17:53
Nathan
I'm doing this off the top of my head, so if I get any of these wrong, do correct me. um Apparently, Lance, I'm only 25 million. The sticking point isn't with the player. It's with the club itself. Apparently, Wolves went in with 20 million, and Lance said no. so um the The difficulty of that one is that Renz, another club in France, ah are looking to also grab him, and apparently, they are willing to match the 25 million that Lance wants.
00:18:19
Nathan
that's um That's the main one that we've seen loads of news on. um The other one that I saw was just that we're also looking to terminate Forbes' is loan. There's another there that outgoing. And then the the last one that I was reading on, and the wasn mid field of stuff, but the stuff about Cunha, just again, that apparently Villa are also interested in preparing bids or whatever, but how much credibility with that? I don't know.
00:18:48
officialgspn
Well, yeah, the um the stuff on Danso, yeah, that's there's been so much over that over the last few days. It seems like it's obviously credible. um As you mentioned, walls have actually been back two or three times now and up their valuation to try and match Lenzer's estimation of the player.
00:19:07
officialgspn
Supposedly, wolves have agreed personal terms with the player, like here they've spoken, but they haven't agreed with the club. In the meantime, as you mentioned, w ren of come where Ren's are coming in and saying like, oh well, we'll match the valuation of the player.
00:19:21
officialgspn
So there's a chance we could get gazumped like we've been for previous players, which is given the state of things and how much we desperately need the squad support and depth, I mean it's just
00:19:24
Nathan
Yeah.
00:19:32
officialgspn
They can't let that slip away to someone, a non-premialy club of that stature, it just doesn't feel right.
00:19:40
Nathan
It's not right not at all, briefly, but yeah.
00:19:41
officialgspn
um There's also apparently talks ongoing with the Dynamo Kiev um over a move for ah Ukraine defensive midfielder, I'm going to butcher the name, Volodymyr Brasko, if you've caught that one.
00:19:57
officialgspn
So yeah, um but that is a less less certain at the moment. That's more recent in the last 24 hours ah as to whether whether or not that's going to go ahead. Now, we've heard Vital Pereira in his discussions a lot in his post-matches or pre-matches talking about how much he wants a kind of athletic midfielder, another person in that midfield option as ah as a driving force, because it clearly seems that Doyle is going to be a bit part based on the fact that he he's hardly seen much game time really since Pereira came in, even less potentially than O'Neal.
00:20:29
Nathan
Yeah, and and that athleticism is not exactly the first thing you think of when you when you watch Tommy Doyle.
00:20:37
officialgspn
No.
00:20:37
Nathan
It doesn't look like he's in favour at all really. I think there's been a couple of times in the forever where you think We need forward passes in this game. We need a little bit of those you know line cutting passes that and Tommy Doyle would be the guy you go to. But even in them situations, Pereira hasn't gone to him. So yeah, yeah you do wonder.
00:20:59
officialgspn
Yeah so it's interesting because that means that um you know the likes of Sheffield United apparently apparently watching out for what's happening with Doyle's situation because obviously if more midfielders do come in that's just going to push him further down the pecking order but then again you know if we're in the championship next season
00:21:14
Nathan
Yeah.
00:21:20
officialgspn
he will be perfect for the tournament.
00:21:20
Nathan
We need him.
00:21:22
officialgspn
We can't let him go like permanently. Fair enough, i i well I don't want him to go in anyway because I think we need the depth. But if they brought us in another midfielder and he goes further and further down the order, then I can see him being loaned out maybe to to try and recoup some cash on wages.
00:21:36
officialgspn
But I don't want him to go anywhere.
00:21:38
Nathan
yeah
00:21:38
officialgspn
I'd quite like to keep him. But next season, he could be pivotal for us if we're in a different division.
00:21:43
Nathan
I just hope, I just hope people in charge of wolves have learnt their lesson. You know, this transfer window where we are overspending and if we end up matching Lance's request of 25 million for Danzo, it's an overspend from what it would have been in the summer. um Probably the same frag would do. Now, I don't know what he was valued at in the summer, but he was obviously having a good season at rounds before before we were went looking for him. so it's
00:22:09
Nathan
It's just, if they're going to go all crazy and try and, you know, get rid of Tommy Doyle and get some money in for him and the Lamina situation, I just really hope they have people that are already in the door before they do that.
00:22:22
Nathan
Because we don't want another situation where we're short on players and all we would need is Jal Gomez or Andre to get a ah bad injury and we would be completely screwed.
00:22:23
officialgspn
Yeah.
00:22:37
Nathan
So it really is important that i they've learned the lesson and of just planning ahead with that squad depth.
00:22:37
officialgspn
Yeah.
00:22:44
Nathan
And with all these rumors going round, I've just got this thought in the back of my mind where we'll be here in two weeks time with Andre injured, Tommy Doyle out the door, and only one player brought in.
00:22:54
Nathan
And all of a sudden, you're like, well, we're completely done here.
00:22:59
officialgspn
Yeah.
00:22:59
Nathan
But let's let's not think negative negatively, as we always end up doing.
00:22:59
officialgspn
it's
00:23:04
Nathan
um Let's hope, because if dance words come in, it I just hope, if I could just get Jesse on the line, say, put up the 25 million, mate.
00:23:05
officialgspn
i mean
00:23:12
Nathan
You know, shake your clammy hands with them long skies. Dance so in, because then you look at our back three, and you think, pfft. Strikers in the prem are gonna look at that and go, that's physical.
00:23:25
Nathan
Dance so in our quick. When, oh yes, you can build a bit more muscle or whatever, but as a unit, that would seem a lot more frightening than a few weeks back where you look at the back three, you go, well, doc, not really a centre half, probably can get the bedroom in certain situations, slow as anything, running through mud.
00:23:43
Nathan
If it's Dawson, even better, he's slower. If it's Bueno, he's not super strong. And then the only one that you'd be worried about is Aga, but there's two of the center offs they can focus on. So I think Danso would be massive, but just put the money up and get him.
00:23:59
Nathan
We can't be losing out to Renz.
00:24:01
officialgspn
No.
00:24:01
Nathan
The only thing I know about Renz is there. Is that the one where they've got Will still as a manager, the ginger manager who speaks French and French and English?
00:24:06
officialgspn
i
00:24:08
Nathan
I think it's them, but yeah.
00:24:10
officialgspn
Right. Okay. Yeah. Um, we, I mean, you know, the, there's so many instances that in relation to what you mentioned, the most, one of the most more recent, I can think of is ah hu Hugo Bueno going out on loan and leaving a short in that back line again, when we've had, you know, injuries and so many injuries at the back where he could have helped cover spots. Uh, it's just been, been crazy. I will say as well, I know, um,
00:24:33
officialgspn
a couple of things we didn't touch on. One is obviously the striker situation because obviously Jurgenstrand-Larson went off with the hamstring at the weekend.
00:24:42
Nathan
Mm hmm.
00:24:43
officialgspn
Now, we haven't got depth of striker because, you know, the Juan came on and he's been played through the middle before and undoubtedly I would imagine he's gonna be played up front this weekend, as I say at Nathan shaking his head, because there isn't an alternative number nine
00:24:43
Nathan
Yeah.
00:24:57
Nathan
Yeah.
00:25:01
officialgspn
So arguably they also need to go out and spend money, they should have already spent money long ago on a backup striker.
00:25:07
Nathan
yeah
00:25:10
Nathan
I mean, you know, it was the 40 million they spen spent on Fabio Silva, which was fantastic investment in itself as well, wasn't it?
00:25:16
officialgspn
Who's scoring again?
00:25:16
Nathan
I think he is scoring again.
00:25:17
officialgspn
Who's scoring again? And got clubs interested in him because he's, yeah.
00:25:19
Nathan
Yeah, so just recall him, stick him up top.
00:25:22
officialgspn
But there's the thing, whenever he goes abroad, he does the business.
00:25:23
Nathan
But I mean, yeah, yeah, which is a... Yeah, funny in itself, but either Guedes or flying up top, it just doesn't feel your confidence, either of them don't.
00:25:35
Nathan
And again, worrying planning, like where is that planning? Where is your, just a backup forward? It doesn't have to be a world-beater, it has to be someone who can fit the system that you have, who can run the lines you want them to run, who can maybe add something different to what Strandlarson has.
00:25:43
officialgspn
Mm-hmm Yep
00:25:53
Nathan
um My thought is like, get someone who's rapid, as opposed to Strand Larsson, who would be more of your sort of target hold-up player. And there's rapid players.
00:26:04
Nathan
theyre alld They're everywhere. I just don't know why we're not going to grab one who's good enough for the Premier League bench.
00:26:07
officialgspn
Well, we bought one in... i wasn't good a I know he's not a striker, but in terms of rapid, we got Forbes, but he's not good enough. So they're sending him back, but um it seems.
00:26:15
Nathan
Yeah, so they's to they're sending him packing again. I mean, I just, it's a bit of a circus. I don't know, Matt Hobbs, if it's him making decisions, he's having a laugh. Like, I don't know what he's up to.
00:26:28
officialgspn
i we're I'm really not sure, obviously there's an it there's definite obviously is a huge factor, but I do wonder how much his hands are tied.
00:26:28
Nathan
But hey.
00:26:36
officialgspn
like If Fosun just turned around to him, Jeff G turns around to him and said, look, here's 100 million, go and do whatever you want.
00:26:46
officialgspn
and he could you know i'd love to I'd just be curious to see if he wasn't so restrained by all of this stuff
00:26:52
Nathan
Yeah.
00:26:54
officialgspn
what he could do because, you know, we've we've seen moments with the Nunez deal and Doyle in exchange and things like that where you're like, okay, he's got some wheeling and dealing, but i i'm but then all of this this budgeting and and spreading the cost and like making money.
00:27:09
officialgspn
I just wonder how much he's in control of that.
00:27:10
Nathan
but Yeah, it would be ah be so interesting to to get a little bit more transparency on who does make the decisions and what the sort of board of people who make these, obviously the financial decisions, but also how who's making the call on whether we're going to spend that extra five million on that.
00:27:29
Nathan
So that's interesting, right?
00:27:31
officialgspn
the Yeah.
00:27:32
Nathan
And it's just, it's I don't know, it'd be nice to have a bit of an idea. I don't know. many examples of clubs that actually are transparent in this sort of thing, just because of, you know, obviously covering their backs, but just be interesting.
00:27:43
officialgspn
and the And the reason I wonder it is because I'm just, again, playing a devil's advocate. I just have this vision of him one day going off to a different club after we've all slated him.
00:27:52
Nathan
I'm doing really well.
00:27:52
officialgspn
And he goes on to do some really amazing deals and it was like, Oh my God, this guy's amazing. Cause he's, he's well respected. It seems in like within footballing circles, he's often linked to other roles.
00:28:00
Nathan
Yeah.
00:28:02
officialgspn
And, uh, and I'm just like, there's something tells me maybe, you know, if, if the shackles were off, maybe it wouldn't, he wouldn't be getting into the flack like he does.
00:28:12
Nathan
Maybe not, maybe not. But either way, we need another centre half, we need another midfielder, we need another striker. I know with Forbes going, probably need another winger, so he's got a long shopping list.
00:28:24
officialgspn
Yes, he does. And i am ah before we touch on Villa very briefly, I just want to say a couple of things that the across my mind. is I want to see, I'm i'm still gutted that we didn't that Rodrigo Gomez didn't start, or at least come on earlier in the game at the weekend. I don't understand what he's done to. He's been the most exciting player of the last like three, four weeks, and he's not doing it. And for me at the moment, as much as 8-0, he has offered things going forwards and has scored the odd goal.
00:28:52
officialgspn
I would rather have Rodrigo Gomez at left wing back right now.
00:28:57
Nathan
Yeah, he's shown you shine everything everything you want to see in that position.
00:28:57
officialgspn
I'm being honest and put.
00:29:03
officialgspn
Yeah.
00:29:03
Nathan
And if someone's performing better than someone else in the Premier League, week in, week out, you play them week in, week out.
00:29:10
officialgspn
Mm hmm.
00:29:11
Nathan
It should be a first name of the team sheet. It doesn't make any sense based on performances. But again, are we seeing Pereira trying to really shoe on people into the team?
00:29:21
Nathan
I don't know.
00:29:23
officialgspn
Yeah, I don't know. It just bugs me because I feel like a lot of, if you look at recent weeks or all season long, so much has come from that side cross it in terms of crosses from other teams in goals we've conceded or cuts inside.
00:29:37
officialgspn
And I feel like 8-0 he's often just given people so much space there because he's very kind of lackadaisical in the way he
00:29:41
Nathan
Hmm. Yeah.
00:29:44
officialgspn
pushes out and and i just feel like with someone like Rodrigo Gomez he's not he'll just give you energy at least he's going to give you 110 energy in a defensive capacity and he bombs forward and he tracks back and it does and anyway that's just my side lastly um the pen the the red card sorry we didn't we i know we finished arsenal but was something i wanted to touch on right because the the red card the arsenal got okay i wanted to come back on this because there's a couple of talking points one
00:29:59
Nathan
Yeah.
00:30:12
officialgspn
One, I just want to touch on as a, I'm not just as a Wars fan. I feel like this is just a footballing thing, right?
Refereeing Controversies
00:30:18
officialgspn
Is it just me? Or when, when they got the red card, pretty much the entire Arsenal team swarmed that referee.
00:30:26
officialgspn
Did you notice? Like literally everyone, you think back to a season or two ago and Lamina getting, getting that red card, getting booked and, and because he was supposedly like the third player that came to a ref.
00:30:28
Nathan
Yeah.
00:30:38
officialgspn
where did that Where did that rule go and what is going on? Because is it just me or is it another thing of like the big four, big six or whatever? They literally, he booked one person and that entire team was there for minutes around him, not giving him a second to breathe.
00:30:53
Nathan
The standard and the the precedent that Ref set is all off. There just needs to be the one word we always come back to is consistency.
00:31:06
Nathan
I'm sure you're about to mention it in the second point you were about the red card but There needs to be consistency. If you are if you're gonna stand, it's so easy, especially that one with regards to discipline and swarming the ref, right? Anyone who comes into the ref's personal space and makes physical contact with the ref, yellow card, make it as simple as that. So the ref never has to back off. There should never be a point in a football game where grown men are playing that a referee should be walking backwards, backing off as if he's about to get beaten up.
00:31:40
Nathan
That should never be the case. He should be able to stand his ground. You never see it in rugby, and they're way scarier than footballers.
00:31:44
officialgspn
no I know. And they call the ref, sir.
00:31:48
Nathan
so and like and there's a respect there and there's a dialogue simply because the players know where the rules are at the refs are very clear on it and they apply it week in week out i know it's a different game but they're just able to have more control on it and there's no respect for refs in the prem and it's ridiculous because arsenal know they're going to get stuff out of it
00:31:48
officialgspn
but
00:32:10
Nathan
And it's part of the game now where teams are told and quite clearly told to swarm refs. And players are getting smart and clued up on it by putting pressure on them. And it's it's just unacceptable. There needs to be a line. And that one is super easy. I'm sure we'll get onto the technicality of the red card, but that one's easy. If you get in the face of the ref, yellow card straight away. And if someone else does it, yellow card again. And you keep doing that until they stop doing it. Simple.
00:32:37
officialgspn
Yeah. No, I agree with all of that. It just, that's been bugging me because not, I'd feel like not enough people are talking about that point aside, whatever people think of the the call itself. I feel like the behavior of teams like that when they do it is just ridiculous and it's not called out enough.
00:32:49
Nathan
shocking yeah
00:32:53
officialgspn
yeah and And we can get onto the technicality by all means, but also since then, obviously the ban has been overturned. They've like appealed and his ban has been removed. Can I just can i just also argue that I'm pretty sure if it was not the likes of Arsenal, like if that happened to Wolves and Wolves appealed, that would not be overturned. Call me tinted glasses, whatever you want to call me. I firmly believe if that's one of the lower half teams, that is not overturned.
00:33:19
Nathan
It's just consistency. Again, the thing, it really grinds my gears. so Right, if Jal Gomez's second yellow card is a yellow, if we're saying that's a yellow, then the Arsenal one's a yellow.
00:33:35
Nathan
If the Arsenal one's a red, then the Jal Gomez second yellow should have been a red. Just have some consistency, right? Jal Gomez has gone flying in, not touched the ball, way above the ankle, studs are showing, in red card, right?
00:33:48
officialgspn
Mm.
00:33:49
Nathan
in my opinion, so I think we got off quite lucky with a second yellow.
00:33:51
officialgspn
Mm-hmm.
00:33:53
Nathan
The Arsenal one, that I've tripped plenty of players up on a football pitch. You don't trip a player up by going studs up.
00:34:01
officialgspn
No.
00:34:01
Nathan
You know, that's not what you do. You flick the ankle. Like, I could teach him a thing or two about how to trip someone up. You just flick the ankle. I mean, Doc isn't the fastest runner, but he'll fall over and he's gone in with his studs.
00:34:14
Nathan
He's made the decision, made the ref make a decision on it because it's just a blatant yellow card in any other situation.
00:34:18
officialgspn
Yep.
00:34:21
Nathan
Now, whether I actually, I don't think it's a red card. But I think that it's stupid from the player to make that much of a, I don't know, a reckless challenge.
00:34:32
Nathan
And I think if the ref gave a yellow in real time,
00:34:34
officialgspn
Mm
00:34:36
Nathan
VAR aren't overturning it, and the rat that ref gave a red, VAR aren't overturning it either.
00:34:37
officialgspn
hmm.
00:34:42
Nathan
VAR is meant to come in and solve or help the ref make these decisions more objective, but all of a sudden it's actually just making them more subjective, and I mean we could rant on for hours about this, but it's just frustrating watch because as a fan there's no it's almost like there's never a final decision on it because now they've gone on overturned it and now the debate is still going on and it's just never ending whereas before i was speaking to my mate after football um today about it
00:34:59
officialgspn
Yep. yep Yep.
00:35:11
Nathan
Before you go to a game, the ref would make a decision and you'd think it's wrong, because you've seen it with your own eyes. Subjective, right? But he's made a decision, that's it. Final whistle's gone. Walking home on the bus, whatever. You're having a chat and you're going, I think that's a poor decision. You're the mate and the bus is going, I don't think it is. Anyway, you chat it out. Next morning, it's gone, it's done. Whatever it is, it is, it's done, you move on. And there was a stat that the season before VAR came in, ref's got 97% of decisions right.
00:35:40
Nathan
Now, I don't know what the stats are this season or the seasons that VR ah has been in, but the big decisions, it seems feels as though they're getting them wrong, the amount they've gone against us as well, and it feels as though it's more than 3%.
00:35:51
Nathan
I don't know that for a fact, but it just feels as though it's something every single week.
00:35:54
officialgspn
Mm-hmm.
00:35:55
Nathan
So, yeah, rant over, but that's my thoughts.
00:35:55
officialgspn
Yep.
00:35:59
officialgspn
Yeah, it is funny, though, I've seen the amounts of, you know, ah some really big names in football coming out going, oh, it's one of the worst decisions I've ever seen. and It's like, did you not see the 15 odd calls that we had last year and with VAR and everything?
00:36:09
Nathan
Oh, get a grip.
00:36:10
officialgspn
Like, come on, guys.
00:36:11
Nathan
Oh, they need to get a grip. Honestly, these are some of the talks or another.
00:36:13
officialgspn
Come on.
00:36:17
Nathan
Just get a grip. Like, come on. Worst decision you've ever seen. Just because you've got a soft spot for Arsenal. I mean, fantastic. Yeah, they they probably deserve the win, whatever.
00:36:28
Nathan
But yeah, that really grinds me.
00:36:32
officialgspn
Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, I didn't want to, bring I'm sorry to bring it down, but it's just some, there's some stuff that went on in that game that was just bugging me. And because of everything that's gone on, there's so many bits that are just missed in the, in the flurry of it all. Um, I know we're running a little long, but did you want to, let's just, so hang on, wait, ah refresh my brain. Cause that was a lot.
00:36:54
officialgspn
We're playing Villa this weekend. Huge, huge Darby.
00:36:57
Nathan
Well.
00:36:59
officialgspn
And I mean, we've got no, probably going to have no last in the eye, don't we? bet We haven't actually had it confirmed yet how long he's going to be out for. So, but I would imagine he's definitely not playing this weekend, given the way he came off.
00:37:12
officialgspn
last saturday because he was he was struggling before he sat down for a while because they were getting a sub ready before that ah he knew and he played on and he's looked like he's he's been running on fumes a bit anyway so i'd imagine no larson no gomez because he's going to be suspended for the game so there's going to be some changes um who who do you think is going to come in we've already touched on wang at least up front so i would imagine i prefer seagwed as if on it or gedge to be honest uh probably up front than
00:37:41
Nathan
Yeah, I think you have to change the system. I think that's the that's the hardest call he's going to have. I think he probably won't. I think he'll probably stick to the back five, two pivots, because that's the way he likes it, and then your traditional number nine, but it will just be Guedes instead. I think to make it make more sense you probably have to maybe go for a three man midfield just to compensate for the Tommy Doyle lack of physicality and then have your Cunha and Guedes as a front two who can kind of play off each other.
00:38:09
officialgspn
Yep.
00:38:11
Nathan
But I don't think he's going to go for that. I think he'll play Huang, Cunha and Guedes and then he'll play Andre and Tommy Doyle as two pivots.
00:38:14
officialgspn
No.
00:38:21
Nathan
I think that's what he's going to go for. but I don't think that would be the right approach. um I think against Villa, the we should have a bit of, we're at home, you know, under the lights at Molyneux, we need a performance that's going to be, let's go at them, let's create stuff, let's see what can what we can do here. Because what, genuinely, at this moment in time,
00:38:46
Nathan
We're losing every week, so what what have we got to lose?
00:38:50
officialgspn
What have we got?
00:38:51
Nathan
Well, football games, but you know let's let's try and just have a go.
00:38:51
officialgspn
Yeah.
00:38:54
Nathan
And I think the best way of doing that is having Cunha and Guedes closer together up top, rather than isolating Guedes and Huang. I think they'd just be toast against Villa's defence.
00:39:05
officialgspn
Yeah, I have to say, because I think you're right, I don't think he'll change it. He seems setting his formation of what he wants to do, and hence he just wants to buy players now that fit that formation.
00:39:17
officialgspn
On the one hand, I'm like, okay, I get that you got this vision. On the other hand, we're in a scrap and I need you to make the best use of the plays we've got. So sometimes you might have to tweak that.
00:39:24
Nathan
Yeah.
00:39:25
officialgspn
Um, but I also, but therefore I think that, yeah, he's stuck as he is. I have to say, given that we've seen way more of Belegard than Doyle and the Vitor of Pierre Pereira, I think you're going to see Belegard alongside, alongside Andre and midfield.
00:39:42
officialgspn
And you're shaking your head, Nathan. And some people out there are shaking their heads and I'm not saying I want it. I'm just saying, I think that's what you'll see.
00:39:50
Nathan
I think, you know, whoever's listening to this on the way into work this morning, and you've just heard Chris say that, and this may have made you, you know, feel a certain way about your day coming up.
00:40:02
Nathan
Please don't, you know. There's always light at the end of the tunnel and maybe no Belegard will play, but gosh, I really hope.
00:40:08
officialgspn
You spoke about physicality. You can argue that he is more physical than Doyle and he's quicker.
00:40:11
Nathan
Yeah, but I would agree with you. And he's quicker. Now, we haven't come on to the point where the two left feet come in.
00:40:22
officialgspn
I know just at that moment where he almost gave himself an injury as he ran the ball out to the touch line.
00:40:23
Nathan
and
00:40:26
Nathan
And...
00:40:30
officialgspn
I don't even know what he was doing.
00:40:31
Nathan
I mean, he he tries hard.
Upcoming Game Predictions
00:40:33
Nathan
He tries hard. And I have to say, you can't fault his the effort that he puts in and that side of things.
00:40:33
officialgspn
He does.
00:40:38
Nathan
So, you know, all jokes aside, yeah, there's that, but we need more quality from him.
00:40:45
officialgspn
We do. And um as I say, I'm not saying that's what I want. I'm just saying that's what I think you'll see. That's what I think you'll see. um But yeah, I don't...
00:40:56
officialgspn
i'm I'm gasping at the mic because honestly I'm um really concerned about what we're going to see this weekend. I am Nathan and I'm really not expecting much and we haven't even touched on one of the pivotal questions I wanted to ask you going into this because obviously there's been a lot of debate around Kunia and yeah he'll play surely but um my question was going to be firstly is he still is he still here at the end of this window?
00:41:22
Nathan
Uh, I hope so. I think, you know, I follow his Instagram fairly closely and, uh, he posted a, it was a one year, one year throwback to when we beat the baggies, um, to another place.
00:41:28
officialgspn
like
00:41:34
Nathan
So he was posting about that. I thought that's quite nice. And it's also a good sign. You know, he's not just posting about the fact that he's the best forming Brazilian in the league and all this sort of stuff.
00:41:44
officialgspn
And his missus is pregnant, congratulations.
00:41:44
Nathan
Um, and his missus is pregnant. There we go. and So I think, I think he will be with us. I just hope he stops being grumpy and returns back to just trying to enjoy his football.
00:42:00
Nathan
Because at the minute, his attitude absolutely stinks. His body language is awful. And let's be real, his performances in the last couple of games have stunk as well.
00:42:11
officialgspn
Yeah, his passing has been...
00:42:12
Nathan
So he needs to remind himself that, he just needs to remind himself that if you don't, he can't just rock up. you know and not put effort in and get something out of it in the prem.
00:42:21
officialgspn
Mm
00:42:23
Nathan
It's just not the level that he's at.
00:42:24
officialgspn
-hmm.
00:42:25
Nathan
you know He's not that much of a superstar yet to be in that position, so he still needs to put the work in.
00:42:31
officialgspn
he does He does, it's been frustrating because you just want him to, you all you want is to see players give 110% when they put the shirts on. Even when, you know, I get that we're in a losing streak, but you just want to see them make the effort and we know what he can do, which is more, I think, which is why people get on his back and it's more frustrating, especially with all the talk going on, because you know that he's a difference maker.
00:42:54
officialgspn
and fair enough he'll drift in and and out of games because he's always done that he you know and he's that kind of player that those people of the managers both managers have spoken about his work off the ball because that's not necessarily his forte but that's not what you put him on the pitch for you put him on the pitch for the moments of magic he can create fair enough he's not going to do it the whole game But even when he was in and out of games before, he was at least looking in it, like morally, in terms of optimism and energy and everything.
00:43:24
officialgspn
And at the moment, it just isn't quite there. And it seems to have affected every part of his game, because for me, as I mentioned, his passing looks wayward, like some of the balls he's played miles away from people.
00:43:34
Nathan
wait
00:43:36
officialgspn
and at the one he tried to pin on Huang for not rent making a particular run or something but it was just a terrible pass I don't know if you remember that moment and he's he's like waving his arms at Huang like it was all his fault and I'm sorry people give Huang a lot of flak and I try and I know feel like I defend him sometimes because I'm sick of the amount of flak he gets and I don't think he needs Kunya adding to it for the crowd when it was just Kunya playing a bad ball
00:43:43
Nathan
Yeah, yeah.
00:43:56
Nathan
No, no. You know, Kunia's, Kunia's role, I mean, you mentioned in a team, you know, he, he got a moment of magic, but he has the ability to lift the spirit. He has the ability to change the mood in a whole stadium. ah You know, his performance against Man United was, was absolutely, you know, out of this world, but he's not doing the basics. That's a couple of games. He's not doing the basics of we need out of all the players we want on the ball or not in our squad. Kunia's the one we want in the ball. We need him showing for it.
00:44:25
Nathan
As you said, in previous games, he's showing for it. he He's dropping deep. He's doing what he needs to do to to be involved in the game. But the last couple of games, he's not been involved at all. And he's not making he's not taking the initiative to get involved like he used to, which is where it's worrying.
00:44:38
officialgspn
Yeah.
00:44:40
Nathan
And then, as you said, when he does get on the ball after the rest of the team have worked so hard defensively to give him an opportunity on the ball, he's then not had the quality that we expect him to have.
00:44:51
Nathan
So last two performances, I've been really unimpressed.
00:44:56
officialgspn
Yeah, because we can't we can't carry anyone right now. I mean, you can't carry anyone in the Premier League anyway, but even we're in this situation where every minute, every point matters. And, you know, we just can't carry people who don't want to be on the pitch or can't like or not for it.
00:45:12
officialgspn
Anyway, all right, we've we've run pretty long already by our standards. Is there anything we didn't touch on today, Nathan, ah that you wanted to touch on? I mean, we'll probably do another episode this week before before the Villa game to cover any any more transfer news and predictions for the weekend. I'm just going to say I'm not optimistic at this point.
00:45:34
Nathan
i I've got nothing else to say. I feel like anything else I'll say may end up you know down a rabbit hole of um ah negative chat, but um I'd love to hear the positive outro. that That is one that I'm really looking forward to.
00:45:52
officialgspn
Oh my gosh, Nathan. I don't know if I've, honestly, I don't know if i've I've got it in me, but I will say. All right. Well, let's, let's round up by saying thank you everyone who made it this far.
00:46:04
officialgspn
If you put it with our waffle and our moaning and all of that, we commiserate with you because you know, it's tough times out there. um But thank you.
00:46:11
Nathan
It is.
00:46:12
officialgspn
If you did enjoy it, please tell your friends, you know, hit the subscribe button, all that jazz that people tell you to do. You know how to do it. Just do the thing, push the button. And um if you didn't enjoy it, don't tell anyone, just quietly walk off into the distance. And whichever way it is, and however you're feeling about everything that's going on in the world right now, and the state of Wolverhampton wonder is, just remember everyone that as of darkness cometh light.
00:46:37
Nathan
you later.