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Daily Forest - Ep 80 - Ipswich win, no MGW for England, Olympiacos in the Champions League and more!
11 Plays16 days ago
James and Stuart - with Marley via voicenote - discuss the live topics from the City Ground.
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Transcript
Nottingham Forest's Recent Performance
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello, welcome back to the Daily Forest, Daily Forest at her GSPN. Joining us to review the last week or so in Nottingham Forest, a busy week both on the pitch with it a great win yesterday and off the pitch with a surprising England team from our ah good friend Tommy Tuchel.
00:00:16
James
week like
00:00:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Joining me to discuss all this is James. James, how are we?
00:00:33
James
I'm all right, mate. Forrester Magic on off the pitch. It's all over the place.
00:00:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:00:39
James
I mean, there you go, that Thomas who? he yeah He clearly has not heard of the Premier League, has he?
00:00:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's such a ah a weird situation. I think he's been seen at three three Forest matches. was certainly there against Ipswich in the FA Cup. um And maybe, yeah, um definitely at least three. I think the Liverpool game, I think he was there
Gibbs-White's Exclusion from England Team
00:01:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
and one other. So the fact that Gibbs White, um who has improved a lot even since the start of the season when Carsley picked him, um that was like, oh, fair enough. Carsley knew him from the England under-21s.
00:01:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
But I think Gibbs White only got better and better since then, which means it's quite even more strange that he's not on that team.
00:01:18
James
Yeah, it's a bit of a weird one. um I mean, you look at who he did pick and and who he chose over Hudson-Odoi, Gibbs-White, people like that. he i mean, the big one's Jordan Henderson.
00:01:33
James
and That's it isn't it?
00:01:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Not completely.
00:01:35
James
You know, Jordan Henderson. back I didn't even realise Jordan Henderson was still playing football. Apparently, he's only ah played in one of Ajax's last eight games.
00:01:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, he's there. club captain who doesn't start. So he's a bit like our Ryan Yates. He comes on for the last 10 minutes every now and then when they need someone to put a tackle in. But yeah, if you can't really, you know, international football has moved on. You can't be selecting players, players like that. um But before we overwrite anything that Marley said, let's ah ah go like live to him from the East Bridgewood Garden Centre.
00:02:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
You can give his thoughts and we'll add on some of that as well.
00:02:10
James
Thank you.
00:02:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
We don't want to ah repeat, repeats repeat him.
00:03:10
James
Thank you.
00:03:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think that's, if I had to say, a concern from a Forest point of view. I mean, whether there would have been two. The first would be that Gibbs-White would be demotivated. We saw yesterday that was not not the case it at all. He was ah his usual all-action self in this new, slightly deeper role.
00:03:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think the concern going forward is that if he thinks that even having Forest finish third, potentially second, and even getting into the Champions League, if he's still not playing for England,
00:03:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
um then yeah, that could lead to him warning but wanting out. That's my biggest concern here.
00:03:53
James
Well, yeah, um Tuka was asked about it, wasn't he? And he um hed mentioned the Champions League and said, you know, these these players, yeah, they might be doing really well, but other players are doing really well too.
00:04:04
James
And other players are doing really well week in, week out in the Champions League. But then there are other the players that were picked, you know, who aren't playing Champions football, who who are, you know, Eze, people like that.
00:04:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I mean, Eze wasn't even in the Les Carsley squad. i think Eze was in the Euros, but had since faded out out the picture.
00:04:18
James
No.
00:04:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
So yeah, he's not in the Champions League. Jared Bourbon not in the Champions League.
00:04:23
James
yeah
00:04:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Jordan Henderson, Ajax in the Europa League. So yeah, it's... ah It's a weird answer that even if you look at Kyle Walker, he might be playing but in the Champions League for AC Milan, but so are Fickeo Tamori and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
00:04:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
So that's a very strange one as well.
00:04:40
James
yeah
00:04:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
So each answer Tuchel gave kind of opened up, okay, that's the case with this guy, then that rules out the ah the next guy. So it's very inconsistent in in his answerings.
00:04:52
James
Yeah, I don't know, maybe just didn't like the K train at Forest or something like that. But even Ryan Yates ahead of Henderson,
Gibbs-White's Versatility at Nottingham Forest
00:05:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:05:01
James
you know.
00:05:03
James
But, I mean, it brings us a bit to tomorrow's yesterday's game because um Nuno started Gibbs-White at gibbs white number eight, basically, rather than number 10, because Tuchel was saying he sees Gibbs-White as number 10, Anderson as number eight.
00:05:16
James
and Hudson-Odoi is a winger and that there's a lot of competition for all of those places. Henderson, number eight, you know, or slightly deeper possibly. um But, you know, Gibbs-White started there yesterday and really showed that he can make that position his own as well, that he's versatile in, you know, but screening the defence, coming back and then linking the play to the attacking players.
00:05:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think that's, we've seen that a lot. Certainly the worry at the start of the season was that Gibbs-White and Anderson would rotate for for the number 10 role, but they've both proven that there's so much more than that. um In these last two games, Forrest's off-the-ball shape is in 4-4-2, with Gibbs-White and Anderson as the two together, and then Alanga in the free role further forward.
00:05:57
James
Yeah.
00:06:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
and I watched the game live, but watched the match the day highlights this morning as well. They highlighted well just how often Gibbs-White dropped it to even a time the first half even.
00:06:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
It looked like he was a third centre-back alongside Lenkovich and Morello.
00:06:18
James
yeah
00:06:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
So he's proved his point. if That was even a factor in his mind that he needs to... ah Show Tuchel what body he's missing.
00:06:29
James
Thank you.
00:06:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
And yeah, there's a short time before this World Cup, but hopefully Gibbs-White will have a really strong finish of the season and he'll be in the England team for that game at the City Ground in in july in June.
00:06:43
James
Yeah, well, silver lining to all this, no no injuries to those key players on international duty. So no chance of that. Get them away, give them some rest, let them go you know somewhere nice for four or five days, somewhere hot, chill out, relax and come back ready to absolutely smash the last nine games.
00:07:02
James
And the FA Cup, come on, 12 games.
00:07:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah i think
00:07:05
James
12 games with the FA Cup final.
00:07:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Of course, yeah. this is It's a strange timing for the season. There was now such a long gap in between league games. We've this international break.
00:07:13
James
I am. yeah
00:07:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Then the FA Cup, like you say, is there's only March. it's Yesterday was 15th of March. That's the end of our league um this month, which is which is strange. Do you think that breakup of rhythm will be an issue or do you think um modern sports science is smart enough that they'll yeah give the players not an ancestral duty enough training to keep ticking over. And then we'll see a full strength team in that Brighton game in in two weeks.
00:07:39
James
I think we'll see a full strength team. I think we'll see exactly what we saw yesterday. You know, the same sells in net, absolute stalwarting net now. No reason for him not to be there. Back four, very predictable now. You've got Eminem in the middle.
00:07:55
James
You know, laying out smooth, Murillo Malonkovic. Then you've got Williams and Ina on the wings. Funnily enough, on opposite wings to where you'd naturally maybe have have put them and a couple of years ago.
00:08:08
James
and then in the middle, like you were saying, we've got Anderson, Dominguez and and Gibbs White there. Screening the back floor and linking that play and then up front and ah again standard Wood and Hudson-Odoi and Ilanga but a little bit more controversial or different like you were saying the last few games and they've been overloading the wings by putting Ilanga Ilanga in that free roll going from side to side and Hudson-Odoi sometimes as well them two switching but I noticed a lot more yesterday Ilanga playing through the middle off of Wood
00:08:44
James
um and a lot of chances coming from that and and his second goal coming from that.
00:08:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think I should take a short break and then come back to the match review. But that is one point of action that was actually Chris Wood was not really as involved as he has been before due to how Elang was dominating through the middle. So we'll play our first Adamal here from Marley and then we'll yeah don't go through that game and ask um yeah what our thoughts are in terms of attacking line-up for the remaining few games of the season.
00:09:42
James
Thank you.
00:10:17
James
Thank
00:10:54
James
Thank you.
00:11:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, interesting points Marley raised. He says it's not as good a performance as some others are saying. But yes, on on my side, how often have we seen Forrest go up against a team towards bottom of the league and not score four against them?
00:11:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
I get Marley's point that this wasn't the 7-0 Brighton. It wasn't ah the the two goals were perhaps a concern. but ultimately, if you want to finish top three, you've got to be swatting aside the
Forest's Counterattack Strategy
00:11:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
teams the relegation zone. And that's what we did.
00:11:39
James
You know what? um I timed the goals, right? um And I know what Marley's saying. I know what he's saying, yeah, for for some vast swathes of the game.
00:11:50
James
We had some poor spells, especially towards the end when Ipswich got there too, although their goals were good. You know, their goals were were very good goals. they It wasn't like we yeah had really bad defending and they were just bungled over the line.
00:12:04
James
and But the the first goal from Milankovic, obviously from a corner, you know dropped lucky for us in the middle of the goal. And the amazing striker's finish you know and the composure right in front of goal not to put it over or or miss, and controlled it and and smashed it into the back of the net.
00:12:23
James
and But the second, third and fourth goals, from the point that we turned over the ball in defence, within 10 seconds, the ball was in the net the other end of the got at the other end of the pitch.
00:12:34
James
Which says to me, Molly, we only need to play well for 10 seconds a game.
00:12:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, completely. I think that's, again, in the the leader to the game, people were pointing out that it was from Forest, the bottom of the possession table. Forest will struggle to to break them down because they're not used to dominating the teams on the ball with Exeter and the f FA Cup being the cited example there.
00:12:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, you're completely right. If this is going to be a game of low blocks, counterta first counter-attack versus counter-attack, it becomes who has ah the better better players. And it was clear throughout that that was us.
00:13:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
um We mentioned, mentioned but
00:13:09
James
is
00:13:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
mentioned Milenkovic. I mean it is quite um need to check the assist stats, but everyone says Murillo is the creative ball-playing defender and Milenkovic is the big man mountain. That was Milenkovic's fourth goal of the season. Milenkovic scored just
Evolution of Gameplay under Coach Nuno
00:13:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
once. Milenkovic got an his assist as well. so and Maybe we've not been given Milenkovic as much credit for his on-the-ball contributions as much as we have for his human brick wall contributions.
00:13:36
James
Yeah, yeah, Milenkovic was epic yesterday, like you said, defending, attacking, he was all over it. that that ah I mean, Ipswich at times, you were saying about possession, they didn't know what to do with possession because we get back in such a good shape. I remember at times in the boom boom boom first half, and they'd have the ball in their half towards the halfway line. i remember their defenders just looking and being like, where where do you want me to go?
00:14:03
James
where do you want me to go? Like, there's no ball on because people weren't making, they weren't finding the gaps between the lines. They weren't finding the spaces because again, they're a low block team. They're not used to having it. Whereas I think when, when it comes to us like that, we can play that ticker tacker and find the, the, the,
00:14:21
James
the space between the lines with people like Anderson, Huntson, Odoi, Gibbs-White darting into the box. and We showed that in the second half with um the Chris Wood effort with the ball and being passed ah square across the Chris Wood around the penalty spot. You're thinking goal number four nailed on Chris Wood with his customary goal.
00:14:45
James
And unfortunately, his shot was a little bit soft right in the middle of the goal on the ground and the keeper just managed to kind of belly flop on it. um But I think that's the difference. That's the difference between where we were a couple of years ago under Cooper.
00:14:59
James
We were, you know, topping the Premier League for these breakaway goals. But then when it came to actually handling the ball and defending with it, we We couldn't do that. we We'd not made that step. Whereas I think under Nuno, we've now made that step forwards into being able to not only break, but defend. And then on top of defending, handle the ball when we're in possession. Because it doesn't seem like a game.
00:15:28
James
I've never sat in a game and thought, oh my gosh, the other team's just dominating with the ball. and And we have only got 20, 30% of possession. um You know, it always seems like we're doing something.
00:15:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, completely. We are so efficient and and effective with it. um You're right, we go back to City and Arsenal. Of course, the recent games that Miley mentioned that we ah didn't didn't cover in it as much detail and in in the podcast.
00:15:52
James
you
00:15:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
But you're right, even though I don't know what the possession stats were, and it never felt like ah an onslaught against those two teams. It didn't feel like we had our backs against the wall the whole time because most of this possession, yeah it was around the centre circle.
00:16:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was even in yeah the opponent's t team half. So, Yeah, we are that that good in knowing exactly when to press, exactly when to go on the counter and exactly when to hit the teams on the break.
00:16:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
When it got to 3-1, just to pick you one of the goals as an example, Ipswich then... You could hit hear the noise in the in the stadium change. there was certainly ah They could sense 3-2, but then suddenly, bang, bang, bang, it was 4-1.
00:16:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
um
00:16:36
James
yeah
00:16:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yates won the ball. Tyro held it up. Yates, Gibbs-White, Jota, and then it was 4-1.
00:16:41
James
good
00:16:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
The game was i finally put to bed. so that was yeah I would say my favourite goal of the four, just because it they did silence and any hope of a comeback. fact that Yates, who had been maybe pushed off the ball a bit too easily for Ipswich's goal.
00:16:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the fact that he, not known for his passing, had that vision to win it, give it to Tywo and get it straight up to Gibbs-White, who then, of course, saw Jota.
00:17:03
James
was a good pass
00:17:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
So possibly, um although all goals were great and had their merits, that fourth one was possibly my favourite of the four yesterday.
00:17:16
James
Yeah, absolutely. But mentioning that fourth goal and just back to, I guess, what Marley was saying about Souza.
00:17:28
James
So the Yotta versus Souza situation, ah the club tried to get rid of Souza in January. and
00:17:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay.
00:17:37
James
to I think it was to Fiorentina or someone like that or can't remember
Impact of Substitutions: Jota vs. Souza
00:17:44
James
but but they tried to get rid of him and refused to go wanted to fight for his place fair enough um but I think if we if we were to put first of all the argument Sosa's left-sided Jota's right-sided And if you look at the games out of Ilanga and Hudson-Odoi, Ilanga's the one that's usually flagging towards 70 minutes and and and coming coming off at that point. So explosive.
00:18:10
James
We do channel a lot of our play down that right-hand side, so you can understand why we want a direct kind of swap for Ilanga there. So that kind of gives Jota over Soza there.
00:18:22
James
But I think whether it's Jota... or Souza in the middle from that Gibbs white pass they both score um and i kind of worry about Jota in his defensive efforts and gives a lot of free kicks away on the edge of the box tackling back on that and right hand side and the second goal for Ipswich yesterday His leap was poor. you know He looked lost against that player. I know was the shortest guy on the pitch.
00:18:54
James
Why he was there at the back post, we knew it was which we were to go back post. That's where they scored against us in the FA Cup. That's where they went with all their corners yesterday. Jota was the man who gave him the free header.
00:19:06
James
So, you know, for me, it's 6-1 off. does the other I just think he edges it because of that right side thing with Alanga needing time at the end of the game.
00:19:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, so earlier in the season or for much of the first half of the season because, course, Danilo and s Sangare were were both out.
00:19:23
James
Thank you.
00:19:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
That meant, of course, due to our small squad size, Jota and Souza were both on the bench because we had had nobody else, Nuno liking that small squad. So we were often seeing, you're right, if it was Ilanga flagging first, on came Jota.
00:19:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Then in the second wave of substitutions, around mid-85, it would be Souza first and Adoy and Taiwo for Chris Wood. That's a move we we saw quite often in the first half of the season.
00:19:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
But now we're completely fully fit, apart from Carlos Miguel, which means that they're If you look at that makeup of the bench, there's just no room for Jota and Souza because both Hudson-Odoi and Ilanga did come off yesterday.
00:20:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
But one of them, I think it was Ilanga, who was replaced by Marato. that's, course, not an attacking substitution.
00:20:07
James
Yeah.
00:20:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was the extra centre-back. And if there was ever a game where Hudson-Odoi and Ilanga both got injured, then Jota is the first reserve for one of them. And if the second one then needs to come off, then bring on Sangare.
00:20:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
and push Anderson out wide, put push Dominguez out wide. So you have flexibility in the squad, which means you don't need two specialist wingers.
00:20:25
James
yeah
00:20:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Look at the rest of the bench. Bolli didn't come on, but he is a great influence around the dressing room. Milankovic got that knock. So even though we'd already used Morato, there could have been a need for Bolli to have stepped on as well.
00:20:37
James
Thank you.
00:20:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Moreno is the fullback cover. um And then Danilo and Yates both offer something different in in central midfield. So I think it's, because we are fortunate and fortunate enough to have everyone fit. i'm It's fine for me that we don't have both Soza and Jota on the bench. And you're right, Jota, marginally better off of something marginally different. But like you say, if it had been Soza coming off the um off the bench, he would have scored that goal too.
00:21:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
And probably he would have defended poorly for that second Ipswich goal as well. So, yeah.
00:21:10
James
you know Yeah, maybe. a
00:21:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:13
James
i just I just think Milenkovic or someone should have been back there. you know They wouldn't have scored if we'd never had a proper defender at the back post.
00:21:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:20
James
Anyway, I want to give a shout out to Sideburns and Ramesh and the team. Our medical team, Sideburns and Ramesh guys are the physios at the game.
00:21:32
James
and you You've got this.
00:21:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, there's sideburn that's gone viral and various lazy o Oasis puns throughout the throughout the time. You'll picture him definitely if you've watched any Forest game this season.
00:21:42
James
Yeah, ah but the medical team are doing an amazing job or it's just a ah fluke of a ah medical ah injury season because since Sangare and Danilo, I don't know if we just got all of our
00:22:05
James
being injured everyone else other than like you know the odd broken nose out for a game get a shield on off you go Ohoni Williams I cannot remember another one where you're like he's going to be out for six weeks with a hamstring he's going to be out and you know the fitness team the warm-up team must be doing amazing getting them warm before the games um in training handling any knocks because ah that guaranteed all professional football players are playing with a knock playing with some sort of pain um after the years that they're
00:22:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:35
James
you know wear and tear their put on their bodies. But yeah just an amazing job from the medical team.
00:22:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, completely. It's definitely a full t team atmosphere now that Nuno has built that everyone is certainly becoming contributing to. So we'll play the second advert and then we'll spend the last bit of the podcast talking about ah general big picture stuff and how we realistically see the next six
Potential European Competitions for Forest
00:22:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
months going. So including look look at the summer as well.
00:23:16
James
ah
00:23:24
James
Thank you.
00:23:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
but Here's something that I saw during the week. um They announced the teams for the Premier League Summer Series, so that the Cup in USA. I think it's Everton, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Man United.
00:23:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm surprised we weren't there. I know it's not a big thing playing some pre-season tournament in in America, but knowing the ambition of Marinakis and his well ah desire to grow Forrest, would have thought that be the type of thing we' would be signing up for. So maybe we have some ah other plans to play Olympiacos again or prepare for our trip into Europe some other way. But I would have thought we would we have had our eye on such a commercial opportunity.
00:24:05
James
ah Commercially, yes. Squad-wise, I don't think so. The first thing that comes to me is all the moaning last season about Tottenham people going to Australia and then coming back and moaning about fixture congestion when you're whoring your players around the world. Yes, for commercial revenue, yes, to get more fans.
00:24:27
James
But... then don't moan. you know We've got a small squad. this This summer isn't going to be a rebuild things. This is something i want to talk about as well with Nuno and his small squads. We're going to have to have much larger squad next season.
00:24:44
James
in order to handle the fixture congestion, in order to handle having to rotate, you know? and Can the players handle the midweek games and the cup games and and everything else that comes with European football and the travel?
00:25:01
James
Who knows? We we don't know. it and see. um But yeah I don't think it's a bad thing um that we're not on some big summer tour. I do think it will happen in the future.
00:25:12
James
But I think this summer needs to be a time to you know batten down the hatches, make sure everyone's fit and a ready to go 120% August. twenty percent in and in august
00:25:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, i mean, i i need to check this exactly. But of course, in Nuno's first full year in the Premier League at Wolves, they came seventh, made the Europa League. And that following year, they came seventh again and also made the Europa League quarterfinals.
00:25:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
So he has proved that he was able to balance the squad in terms of maintaining the league form and also having a good run deep into Europa League.
00:25:46
James
so
00:25:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
So what's interesting is that he was able to rotate quite a bit. So Morgan Gibbs-White, back then a young talent, I think a big percentage of his total Wolves appearances came in that European season.
00:26:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Because he was not in Nuno's Premier League first XI, but he was trusted to play a lot of a lot in Europe. And we don't really, really have that. We don't have an equivalent of a young Gibbs-White who can play...
00:26:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
playing our European games, especially if we're Champions League, not Europa League.
00:26:16
James
Yeah.
00:26:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's another another step above as well. So it will be a different challenge. I would expect to see probably eight eight new players at least if we go into the Champions League. That's to replace the likes of Jota, Souza, Toffolo, Bolli, and also to fill the gaps because we aren't even up to 25 players anyway.
00:26:32
James
but
00:26:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
um
00:26:36
James
yeah
00:26:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
So is this an exciting challenge or is that perhaps one of the will that even be part of the challenge, of keeping a squad of 25 instead of 20 happy will be a bigger challenge than getting ourselves up for and a night ah under the city ground lights against Real Madrid?
00:26:47
James
yeah
00:26:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think in one-off games, I think we will, there'll be one or two famous wins. Villa beat Bayern Munich. At home in the in the group stage, we will, I think if we get a huge team at home, we'll win 1-0. It'll go down for the ages.
00:27:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Then the challenge will be Bournemouth away that next weekend and who plays which and how to keep them motivated and fit for both.
00:27:06
James
yeah
00:27:13
James
Yeah, you know what, I think one, get the right players always get the right attitude at the minute they've done that well Hudson-Odoi, Ilanga, Aina, people like of them um hanging out together and singing and dancing amazing and I think Nuno will be able to pick out the Harry Arters pretty easily.
00:27:41
James
um so we you know we don't want a ah ah bad apple to to ruin the the bunch. But I think any player looking... in at stepping up to the Champions League. Yeah, we might not get your Ronaldo, well, Ronaldo, we don't want him, but your Bellinghams and people like that.
00:28:00
James
But if we're looking at Wyssa, people like that, who we've sounded out already and want to step up, I think Forest is the, you know, you Forest and your Aston Villa's perfect places to go because you're you guaranteed to be involved um because Wood's not going to do 34 next season.
00:28:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:28:21
James
He's not going to be playing every game. and You know, Wood might be one on one off in the league, you know, and starting in the Champions League. um And then we're going to need ah another one off in the league and and possibly the cup matches.
00:28:36
James
um So there's definitely going to be room for another kind of, not number two striker, but number number one striker. and Because Wood can't carry it like he has this season, next season.
00:28:49
James
So I think the other thing when you're looking at midfield, yeah, we are quite settled right now with our formation with a few backups. But like you were saying about Jota and Souza and people like that, um we need some better cover.
00:29:05
James
um I think we need, almost like I said with the the the upfront, we need two number ones in every position.
00:29:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, which is exactly what we, with the exception of that central midfield where Yates and Dominguez and Danilo sometimes rotate. Yeah, we need 22 number one players at the moment we have.
00:29:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's probably 14 players Nuno really trusts at the moment and the rest are in that use user if he has to camp. um So yeah, I think we can certainly...
00:29:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
do a much needed wildcard Wednesday during the international break where we do a a squad audit. We go through everyone currently in our 22, 23 man squad, see who hoo who we keep, who we sell and who we don't mind, who we'd happy to keep as a backup.
00:29:44
James
Yeah.
00:29:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
um So I think that would be making for an interesting episode. And of course, we can already begin to speculate about any, any dream names or any realistic names, such as Joanne Wisser, who we'd be like liking to sign for the next year.
00:30:06
James
Yeah, I think one thing i want to mention before we go um is the boardroom changes, because I don't think ah any of us or Marienakis was expecting to have to make these changes this season um and so soon.
00:30:22
James
But there's definitely a ah dividing of the waves between us and Olympiacos beginning.
00:30:32
James
um because because we all know you can't have two clubs that you have a controlling interest in in the same European competition. OK, so we can't have Olympiacos and Nottingham Forest in the Champions League.
00:30:45
James
Olympiacos are predicted to be in the Champions League next season as are Forest. So what happens um if we both are and Maranakis can't set up the business in the right way?
00:30:59
James
and we fall foul of the rule, is that Olympiacos would remain in the Champions League and Forrest would be relegated to the Europa League because it goes on Champions League points and those points are calculated on previous
Champions League Participation Concerns
00:31:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Of course, our point our point bank is slightly empty after a multi-decade absence.
00:31:14
James
involvement in the Champions League.
00:31:18
James
Yeah, we've got... We've got like 22 and Olympiacos have got 40 something, something like that. You know, your Real Madrid and stuff have got like 180 points.
00:31:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hundreds, yeah.
00:31:26
James
we We're never going to get there. But it puts us in pot four and it puts Olympiacos in pot three. So we, even though we're doing better right now and you'd you'd say we're the bigger team of Olympiacos and Forrest because of that past involvement,
00:31:40
James
we would be relegated to the Europa League. So, Maranakis, come on. i know you're at and an amazing businessman to get this far. um And let's hope that the lawyers can divvy everything up and between him and his son um and and sort it out.
00:31:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think you're completely right. It is an important point to note, but it is um something that you can quite simply get round. Like Man City and Girona. Girona are both point part of the City Football Group. but They were both in the Champions League this year.
00:32:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think the other thing to note, won't be able to loan players to Olympiacos anymore.
00:32:15
James
no
00:32:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
um because to prove we're not, we're nothing to do with us, then so that, so that we joked about Jota and Sosa downloading Greek on Duolingo, they'll they'll be spared at a trip to Olympiacos because that will be off the table if we're both in that same European competition.
00:32:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
But what a nice problem to have when Olympiacos were giving us players like Cafu and Nelson Oliveira, the fact that we would one day come up against them in Champions League is such a and nice, nice problem to have.
00:32:30
James
yeah
00:32:42
James
Yeah, and we were losing our best players to Olympiacos.
00:32:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Tiago Silva. know we lost Tiago Silva the NBR cast, but now it's, ah yeah, or where we are the senior a team in the partnership.
00:32:54
James
Come on, you Reds!
00:32:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Karani Reds. We'll be there soon.