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Liverpool X Arsenal Crossover - Combined XI and Preview
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Louie Easton and Jesse Sarwar host Craig, Rodney, and Jamie from the Daily Arsenal team ahead of Sunday's mammoth encounter at Anfield.
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Transcript
Introduction and Technical Glitch
00:00:06
Speaker
Your daily soccer podcast with the Global Sports Podcast Network.
00:00:13
Speaker
Hello, you are listening to the Daily Liverpool and... Oh, we're going again. We're going again. right back Your daily soccer podcast with the Global Sports Podcast Network.
00:00:26
Speaker
And that's enough of that. Let's try that again.
Meet the Hosts
00:00:29
Speaker
You are listening to the Daily Liverpool and Daily Arsenal podcasts on the Global Sports Podcast Network. My name is Louis Easton and I am joined by Jesse Sarwar from the Liverpool Corner.
00:00:39
Speaker
Great to see you once again, Jesse. Once again. Yeah, I'm sick of the sight of you, mate. Yeah, it's good to be here. Good to be with the Arsenal guys.
Focus: Combined Liverpool-Arsenal XI
00:00:49
Speaker
um I've got my studs on, you know, and and red. You're going straight Diddy Haman for this one. Yeah, two footed, mate, two footed. Yes. And ah joining us from the Arsenal corner, Jamie, Rodney and Craig. So you guys technically are meant to have the advantage on this one. um But great to have you here again. The last time I spoke to you guys, in fact, this is my first time seeing you, Rodney. Great to meet you.
00:01:15
Speaker
I'm sure this relationship will last quite a short amount of time as we talk about this. And the last time I spoke to ah Jamie, I believe, was when Arsenal beat Real Madrid in the Champions League.
00:01:32
Speaker
Yes, it was. And it was the Declan Rice day, wasn't it? That day still lives with me. Yeah, well, we've got Real Madrid. Hopefully we can batter them, as we discussed earlier in the Daily Liverpool. So um we have got a great episode planned for you today because we are going to be doing a combined 11.
Goalkeeper Debate: Alisson's Selection
00:01:53
Speaker
Then we'll focus on Arsenal. Then we'll focus on Liverpool. And then just...
00:01:57
Speaker
There'll be I'm sure there'll be fire. There'll be venom spat at each other during this and to be honest I kind of just want to go straight in you guys are right with that straight into the combined eleven? looking forward to this Because I have seen a lot of debates online and now we're here to sort of settle that so let's get straight in um I'm going straight in first Alison I think that's pretty nailed on. I mean, let's move on to now the right back position. Yeah. okay oh you Okay. Sorry. Did you, did any of you want to dispute that?
00:02:31
Speaker
I mean, unfortunately not actually. There's really no argument here. Is there? Give it to Alison. Do you guys think he's the best goalkeeper in the world? Actually? Ooh, ooh, in the world.
00:02:45
Speaker
Because it's, you know, as Liverpool fans, Jesse will agree with me here. We watch him every single week and he is consistently so, so good for us. I mean, the only goals he lets in are like defensive errors and then yeah he's kind of just exposed. Yeah.
00:03:02
Speaker
But other than that, he's best position ah but best positioned goalkeeper in one-on-one situations. He's a fantastic shot stopper. And, you know, he doesn't make particularly miraculous saves because he's always so well positioned and he can score as well.
00:03:19
Speaker
and So think that's pretty good. I think he's a ah one of the things I really like about Alisson. He's a very understated goalkeeper. He's quite an old school goalkeeper in the sense that if you see a lot of the saves that he makes that that don't make the highlights packages, it's because he hasn't made a meal out of them.
00:03:42
Speaker
Right, so, you know, we we we all know the kind of shots where you think it looks great, that save looks really good, right? But you know that but in reality, I don't want to go i don't want to go Roy Keane here, but it's his job and you and you know that, okay, you know what? Nine times out of 10, most professional goalkeepers are going to save that shot.
00:04:04
Speaker
And what you'll you'll see Alisson do is he'll tip the ball over the bar, but he won't do that dramatic dive onto the floor. It'll just stay on his feet because that's the most efficient way for him to just get the ball out of play.
00:04:17
Speaker
So he the thing I like about him is that I think that...
Defense: Right-back and Centre-back Choices
00:04:21
Speaker
that kind of confidence and calmness is projected onto his back four. He's not an erratic goalkeeper. He's not going to do anything crazy, anything spectacular. He'll just keep the ball out of the net.
00:04:35
Speaker
And as Louis said... He's one-on-one. Hands down for me, he's the best in the world one-on-one. His positional sense. ah i'm I'm always a bit kind of sceptical about saying who's the best player in the world in a particular position.
00:04:50
Speaker
For me, all I'm interested in is, is he elite? And is he without question top three? For me, he clearly is. Well, he is the best in the world, though. He is, yeah.
00:05:02
Speaker
Yeah, I'm trying to throw that all out of the window, but he is the best goalkeeper in the world for me. I mean...
00:05:16
Speaker
He just is. yeah It's hard to argue. Case closed. I think this is the position that there's no nailed on answer. Right back.
00:05:28
Speaker
Because, I mean, it would have been Trent before he left. Questions asked of his defensive side, maybe at points, but overall best footballer out of, um I mean, in probably in the right back position in the world, just all around baller.
00:05:43
Speaker
um And so... I'm interested to hear who you guys put forward here because obviously Ben White a couple of years ago you would have put him forward maybe now you're thinking Timber Yeah. I've got to say for all of us, Timber's composure on the ball as well, defensive ability and his ability to carry the ball forward. Yeah. And resist pressure.
00:06:03
Speaker
Yeah. Fantastic. And he's scoring goals as well now. yes Yeah. um we did We didn't know that we had not a lot of race. Didn't know. He was in his locker, but yeah he's got it at his disposal now. Yeah, that's true. I think Louis is right in the sense that the right back position, because um with With Liverpool, we've got a new player in Frimpong who's untested in the Premier League.
00:06:26
Speaker
um You know, ah Connor Bradley, you know, again, fairly newish. He's come through the academy, so he's not proven yet in the Premier League. He's got a great future ahead of him if he if he right carries on the trajectory that he's on.
00:06:43
Speaker
Stays injury-free because that is a bit of a concern with them with um ah with that player. um but So I'd say that that position for us, I wouldn't expect us to have the best right back in this position between the two teams.
00:06:58
Speaker
um So, yeah, i'm I'm happy to concede the right back. Yeah, I would as well. But I do think, um I mean, we were obviously sceptical about who's going to be playing right back for Liverpool this season. And we still don't know if Bradley will start against Arsenal. It's quite an interesting... Actually, if backtrack on this now, the best one i is actually Dominic Savoslai.
00:07:20
Speaker
Actually, you make a great point. ter He was terrific against Newcastle. I might actually start him ah against Arsenal if he continues like that. I think there's there's a big possibility he'll start because Frimpong's out.
00:07:33
Speaker
And Conor Bradley has been um injured. He's playing his way into fitness. And I'm not sure whether Arsenal is the game where you want to say, right, you know, take that match fitness from 60 now to 80%.
00:07:49
Speaker
I think that you you would you would go with a... experienced professional who's got really good engine on him and who can play a lot positions and that is Dominic Saboslay and then maybe bring Bradley on with, you know, maybe after 60 minutes, 65 minutes, something like that.
00:08:06
Speaker
Yeah, I don't think he'll play the entire match. I think he may start, but he'll be brought off after like 65, 70 minutes and we'll see what happens there.
00:08:16
Speaker
But um yeah, anyway, I'm happy to concede Timber to you guys. Now, this is an interesting one, centre-back, because I'm interested to see which one of your two centre-backs you would leave out for Van Dijk.
00:08:32
Speaker
but I mean, Van Dyke is just... that Yeah, there's no argument there. He's in there. But it's Saliba or is it Gabriel? Gabriel.
00:08:44
Speaker
As in keeping Gabriel in or leaving him out? Keeping him in. Fair enough. Fair enough. I can understand why you say that, Craig, because he he's really pulled off some unbelievable games during the course of the last two seasons. But again, ah can vouch for Saliba, but...
00:09:05
Speaker
Oh, that's just such a headache. Saliba was a bit dodgy towards the end of last season, in my opinion. Yeah, true. He had a few howlers, yeah. And I didn't know he had that in him because he's one of those players that you sort of rely on as your yeah last man backs. like And someone who's always consistent as well.
00:09:23
Speaker
I mean, i think what I'd say for Gabriel is he offers so much in the box and corners as well. True. He he always gets his head on and he always scores. And I don't think Saliva has that as much. Not to say he's not great at corners.
00:09:39
Speaker
Of course, I get you. But Gabriel is a different level. I mean, imagine that. Imagine crossing a ball into the box and it's either Gabriel or Van Dijk. That's a good point, actually. Yeah, true. i but i But I'm not saying that this is just a hypothetical 11. I don't want to s swear you too much. Yeah, no, no, no.
00:09:55
Speaker
I mean, I was just thinking in terms of VVD, it's like, where do you usually like to see him? Because I saw him as that left-sided centre-back, which are why I took him outside for Gabriel's position. I thought, well, naturally, then you pair him with who's usually on the right side for us, and that's Saliba. So I had it as VVD-Saliba pairing.
00:10:09
Speaker
So did I. Jamie, it's on you. Yeah. i wouldn't I would have gone for VVD Kanate had it not been for the fact that the real Ibrahima Kanate has clearly been abducted.
00:10:21
Speaker
um somewhere And great Ibrahima Kanate has come in. Shocking Newcastle. Yes. Signed from Timu or something like that.
00:10:32
Speaker
ah And, you know, he's just ah he's he's just been an absolute disaster. the His head's in Madrid. Yeah, exactly. He's going to another Trent. yeah literally i i my money's on psg yeah home hometown club i i think enough yeah that would that wouldn't make sense yeah so yeah i i would go for vvd and saliba partly because i cannot stand gabriel um and And you know what? yeah Another player can't say is Gabriel Jesus. I don't know it's that name, but it's just like, I'm watching the game and I will sneeze and either Gabriel Jesus or Gabriel will fall down holding their face.
00:11:12
Speaker
It's so annoying. So yeah, for me, it's Saliba and VVD. Fair. yeah same here happy to move on sorry Craig you've been very quickly shut down there with that Craig looks like he's going to throttle me I'm telling you I'm just waiting for him to explode he's just building up oh yeah but Just fueling him up at this point. All right, left back. Are we saying um Mr. Oleksandr Zinschenko?
Midfield Dilemma: Choosing Rice and McAllister
00:11:45
Speaker
Please, how dare you, Ely?
00:11:50
Speaker
I'm only assuming you've said it because you just want to make his kids happy. Because I know, like, obviously, in an interview, he you know, he came out saying that his kids were really disappointed that he wasn't playing. I get it. I get it.
00:12:03
Speaker
But... um no let her crying again yeah how unusual for him sorry telling him he's on the bench and he just bursts into tears again he's so infuriating someone like that for me i would put andy robertson ahead of uh any of those i think robertson ah above kirkes at the moment yeah in my opinion yeah kirkes has got to find his feet he's um you know uh He's young.
00:12:28
Speaker
um You know, he's he's taken a big step up from Bournemouth. um And, you know, every every kind of mistake is going to be highlighted in the way that it wasn't at Bournemouth.
00:12:39
Speaker
So, um but I think long term, I think he's he's definitely in the future. But overall, overall, I'd still put Andy Robertson ahead of ahead of him. if If there was a big game for his Champions League final, I'm going Andy Robertson.
00:12:54
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, you guys will probably put forward Calafiore, won't you? Yeah. he's He's been having a pretty solid season so far. It's either him or MLS. If MLS had started the last two games, I'd probably put MLS in there. But I think Ricky's older, taller. Ricky's older, taller, you know? remember And you've got to remember, whoever's playing on that left side comes up against Salah as well.
00:13:13
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, You know, whoever's on that left side hat is literally coming face forward with Salah. And I mean, look... Jokes aside, you're putting if you're putting Zinchenko in, straight away. No, no, not again. Not after what happened last time. Minute one pocketed. That's it.
00:13:28
Speaker
That FA Cup game. Oh, no. Oh, don't. Don't. Salah made it look like Zinni wasn't even there. It was horrible. You know, Calafiore, to be fair, um I remember saying this on the podcast um last season, is I really, really wanted Liverpool to go in for him.
00:13:49
Speaker
Because I just think that he's... I think he just would have been perfect because he's a left-sided defender who can play centre-back and left-back. yeah That kind of versatility is just so important in the Premier League because the you know the games come thick and fast, right? The intensity of the games, the the footballing schedule.
00:14:11
Speaker
So you need players who can play in different positions to kind of shake things up, to give players a rest. and to keep their rhythm going as well. I'll just call a few. I just think he's... I think he's one of those plays.
00:14:25
Speaker
i think he's going to get better and better. And um he's he's quite... under understood he's not He's not a player that opposition teams or fans think, oh, yeah, he's a great player, really want him and in the team.
00:14:37
Speaker
But I think if you ask Arsenal fans and if you ask... um his teammates, he's a massive part of that defence. Massive. Yeah. Yeah. He stays injury-free.
00:14:49
Speaker
Yeah. He is so key. And, you know, when he got injured last, he got injured for for a fair chunk of last season, I mean, great It was great that we saw MLS step him and he'd done really well, but it was that presence, you know, it was the intimidating presence of Calafiore that yeah ah just, it was so good.
00:15:12
Speaker
That said, ah he so can be yeah he can be privy to a few defensive howlers. So I feel that, yeah, giving him another season to develop as well. I absolutely do think Calafiore will be phenomenal for us as well. He's had an amazing start to this season.
00:15:23
Speaker
But I still think back to a few games last season where defensively, you know, he can be a little rash. I look at that sporting game where he lost yeah man, for us to concede the only goal. I look at the West Ham game where Wan-Bissaka just, oh, unbelievable. Lost his man halfway through. Like, Calafiori wasn't even there too. So I really do feel that, yeah, Cala's defensive game could use some work, but I really do trust him. And I feel there were a little bit more development.
00:15:43
Speaker
Absolute staple for the club. So I agree. But that was his first season last season, wasn't Yeah, it's true. It's true. You've got to put that into consideration as well It's only going to get better. yeah Yeah, true, true. I'm just wondering for you guys, would you put ah and MLS straight into the England team at left back?
00:16:01
Speaker
or not yeah right now it's the England squad I feel like yeah left back's been a position they've been missing for quite some time so i feel right now there's not too many who's this competition who's this competition ah you've got Lewis Hall there who's still great and like he's a that's who I'd put in straight away yeah he's very good yeah He's very good.
00:16:22
Speaker
so know he's in there He's in there with a shout, isn't he? Yeah, definitely. Yeah, he's in there with a shout. I'd say, I mean, Tyrick Mitchell's quite underrated as well, but he's just just hot and cold when he's not injured, essentially. Yeah. and ah So I'd still put Hall over him um and I'd still put Robertson over him.
00:16:41
Speaker
So that's that left back position sorted. Did you like that transition there? yeah Okay, we'll go into, i think we can agree that this is a 4-2-3-1 or whatever you want to call it. So two holding midfielders, one cam and three up front. So, yeah I mean, I think this is quite nailed on for me as well. I'd put Rice and I'd put McAllister.
00:17:04
Speaker
I think Gravenberg, it's harsh on him to miss out, but I mean, he's he's against McAllister, who is so, so good at sort of taking a hold of the game. And, so you know, he has got one lethal shot on him as well. He also ah took corners for us last season as well. And...
00:17:26
Speaker
i just i At this moment in time, I'm putting him over Gravenberg. Also, he plays almost all of our games as well, straight on the team sheet. i think you said I think it's an interesting one, especially when you have that...
00:17:41
Speaker
when you've got a kind of double pivot in midfield, a lot of it is based on that relationship with that other player. And so you might on the surface say Declan Rice over Gravenberg, but there are certain things that Gravenberg does that Rice cannot do and that he excels in.
00:18:00
Speaker
His transition. His transitional play, the way that he... ah turns defense into attack, you know, that turning away from an opposition player and then just kind of gliding through and setting up attacks It's a difficult one. I think Rice is probably edges it.
00:18:20
Speaker
Just ah for me, purely because i think he's got more experience in that position, whereas Gravenberg is essentially an attacking midfielder converted into a defensive midfielder. and And last season was, it was a revelation really. no um I don't think any of us called it that Gravenberg would be playing in that double pivot. It's only because we we we couldn't get a defensive midfielder in and slot.
00:18:44
Speaker
You know, I mean, it's you know great Great shout from him to put him next to McAllister. um But for me, McAllister is he's he's one of the best midfielders in the world. So if you put him next to Rice, not bad.
00:18:59
Speaker
it's It's crazy because when McAllister was at Brighton, he was a number 10 as well. And when Gravenberg was at Ajax in his best days, he was a number 10. So you've kind of got these two holding midfielders who are so good at going forward that they're really hard to get off the ball. And when you've got that explosiveness going forward, I think that's something that Rice lacks. But what Rice is unbelievable at is holding onto the ball. He just doesn't give it away.
00:19:29
Speaker
And he's also got one hell of a right foot on him as well. um So um I'm wondering from yeah your side, is there anything that you'd change? Yeah, it's tough one.
00:19:44
Speaker
it's such a headache because you've got potentially Zubamendi you know Zubamendi could be a fair shout but again it's only been really early days for Zubamendi yeah I want seasoned veterans in this one yeah hot does it still hurt is that I'm still annoyed at him. In the same way that i'm still annoyed at Lavian Caicedo. I was going to say, who's this Zubamendi chap? of yeah but know Someone had to on
00:20:19
Speaker
o were but
00:20:26
Speaker
We'll see how he fares against Florian Vert. So I'm looking forward to that one. Back pocket, back pocket. yeah Fair fair enough. but Jesse, I wanted to see, did you put Gravenberg or McAllister?
00:20:43
Speaker
in a combined 11 yeah but um because or did you put both of them ahead of right i i in terms of a ah ah a duo i'm going to go for gravenberg and mccallister uh for me it's a no-brainer so rice doesn't get in no because what's he done he's a good player but you're talking about the ah the pivot that won the league title So they are, by definition, by default, they are the best two ah holding midfielders in the country.
00:21:15
Speaker
They're trying so hard to stay composed. and but you You might have players in the back pocket, but you know we'll take a Premier League winner's medal instead. oh It's true. He hasn't won any titles.
00:21:29
Speaker
is that one all? Is that equaliser? They could come back to haunt you one day. yeah Maybe in May.
00:21:38
Speaker
I'll be done by then, mate. I mean,
00:21:45
Speaker
there're listen, it's an incline. You used to be known as the team that always finishes fourth. um Now you're just the team that always finishes second. That's all right. That'll change this year. Yeah. I look i look forward to it. so we are Do you? We actually haven't got a definitive...
00:22:03
Speaker
i yeah We haven't actually got an actual answer on Rice, McAllister and Gravenberg yet. So I want to hear from your side because I'm i'm saying Rice and McAllister.
00:22:20
Speaker
I'm saying McAllister and Gravenberg, 100%. hundred percent Fair enough. Originally, I had Rice and Graven, only because I know McAllister wasn't fit at the moment. But I said, if we can do it, where it's like, yeah, everyone's fine. And I kind of agree with that pairing too. I do want to see two season Premier League veterans side by side at a double pivot.
00:22:37
Speaker
And I think I've got to give it to that. Rice has got fantastic defensive capabilities, but I also have always loved Alexis McAllister as a player. So I kind of do agree with that pairing. I'll put them two in the middle. Nice.
00:22:48
Speaker
So you're ditching Rice? um No, I'm saying Rice. but we i'm I'm ditching Zuby, there we go. That's the one I'm ditching, yeah. yeah I'm amazed Zuby Mendy's name has been brought up. You've made their night now, you've said that.
00:23:00
Speaker
Yeah, but only for now. But i think it's just because I go complete combined 11, I go, yeah, for a lot of the new signings, I do feel maybe a couple of seasons, you know, you can establish that you're familiar with the league and all of these kind of difficulties. So I go, can't put Zuby in there right now, even though it it would be hilarious. Yeah. I'm not having it. I'm agreeing. I'm agreeing. I go Rice and McAllister for the double pivot. That's my choice. We'll go Rice and McAllister.
Number 10: Odegaard vs Verts
00:23:23
Speaker
And now we've got, and ah this is the one that I've really struggled with, is the number 10.
00:23:28
Speaker
Because you've got Odegaard and you've got Florian Wurtz. And we all know Florian Wurtz is absolutely world class. I mean, we saw him win the league with Leverkusen. He's I'm sorry, I don't realize i don't think you realise how crazy that is. Winning the league with Leverkusen just... undefeating.
00:23:51
Speaker
think if this was an NBA podcast, Odegaard 100% in there. um But, you know, in terms of football, I think it's, I think it's Verts.
00:24:04
Speaker
I just, and for for for that that gag went over a lot of people's heads, but but but obviously, was it last season? Yeah, yeah I remember. yeah I tried to ignore You tried to ignore it. No, you can't ghost that gag.
00:24:18
Speaker
Come on. You slipped, I swear. Don't mention slips to Liverpool fans, alright, please? Hey, don't worry. The title will slip away from you again this season. There we go. You say it year and never happens. Stevie Gerrard needed.
00:24:38
Speaker
You don't need Stevie, oh mate. I'm going Virts as well, but I love Erdegaard as a player.
00:24:51
Speaker
Do you know what it is for me? I think back to last season with Odegaard and I still stand clear with Odegaard. Like if he had a good season last season, I think he would have been in with a shout.
00:25:02
Speaker
Yeah. But it's last season that puts me off. It's just his performance last season puts me off. Jamie, what what is it about for in terms of with Arsenal fans? Yeah. What is it about Odegaard that, you know, is is there like a frustration in terms of his performances? You know, how do you guys, because it's always, you know, opposition fans can always just look at it very kind of one dimensionally, but you you guys see them week in, week out.
00:25:27
Speaker
What are his strengths and what are the things that kind of frustrate you as a player? you know what? Not a lot of people... the The one thing I find is so many people still praise Odegaard as a great player. And let's not get that twisted. He is a good player. He's a great player, in my opinion.
00:25:43
Speaker
But... I still can't stop thinking back to last season and not many people speak about last season. Everyone just kind of, it's like everyone's papered over the crack of last season and I'm like, no, no. no we've We've got to, we've really got to show here that Odegaard did not do great last season. I know he got injured and I completely understand that, but it's like since he's come back from injury, no one, everyone's kind of forgotten about the poor season he had last year.
00:26:10
Speaker
Okay, but I said if you base it based on that, Jamie, then I go, understandably, last season was not a great one for Odegaard. That injury seemed to shatter his confidence. He looked like at times he was afraid of being you know injured again.
00:26:21
Speaker
he didn't look great. But the season before, you've got so many standout Odegaard performance. i you Remember the Chelsea 5-0 at the Emirates? Yeah, of course. Absolutely. That's what mean. Eight chances created. Odegaard was having an absolute masterclass. If we can get that Odegaard back, then absolutely.
Arsenal's New Signing: Eze Discussion
00:26:34
Speaker
He's always got a place in the team. The issue with it is his inconsistency. I think his strengths are his football IQ, his vision, his scanning, and his ability to thread through the key pass at the right time. Not to mention the little kind of play which him...
00:26:46
Speaker
ah Ben White and Saka usually have where they make a little try you know on that kind of right-hand side. Yeah, usually that creates so many chances and so many moments where there's a little flick on and then Saka's probably throwing on goal. On his day, Odegaard's phenomenal.
00:26:57
Speaker
The problem has been last season and even maybe some, you you know, shines of this season too. He looks better this season, but I think we're all worried about the inconsistency. So if it comes down to who's going to be in the 10, I think, yeah, it is a question. Odegaard on his day, I rate him. I want to put him there.
00:27:11
Speaker
But I feel that maybe last season, we've got to look at the season before too. Oh, Are we getting 6 out of 10 Odegaard or are we getting 10 out of 10 Odegaard? I think on his day, I rate Odegaard every time. When you say inconsistency, do you mean terms of the big games?
00:27:30
Speaker
to Because I've heard a criticism that he doesn't, like he'll perform on on the kind of, you know, I don't want to say he's a flat track bully. ah That is what I'm saying. LAUGHTER
00:27:43
Speaker
Wow. But then on the big games, he doesn't he doesn't really have the same impact. um is I mean, is that what you what you guys as Arsenal fans, is that what you see? or Or is that not, have I not characterized that? I think definitely last season, yes, he ghosted in so many big games. But again, as I mentioned that season before, there were many big games in which he did show up.
00:28:05
Speaker
I think, yeah, it's just last season. It was just... It was even in even the smaller games where it was a big game, you could tell confidence is not really there. He was very shaky. He became a six out of 10 player. And there were many times where I thought it might be better even to sub him last season. But you had to worry. Is Mikel thinking about the optics of subbing the captain halfway through a game, even when he deserves to?
00:28:22
Speaker
There many times where he played longer than I think he needed to. And I thought maybe he needed rotating. But yeah, can Odegaard disappear or can he ghost in some big games? Last season, absolutely. But he can show up too. I just feel that right now he needs that confidence. He needs to find that form.
00:28:35
Speaker
And I'd like to see what he can bring to the table this season because I feel that this season we're going to get a very different Odegaard to what we got last. But of course, I know for Jamie, especially the scars of last season run deep. Clearly.
00:28:48
Speaker
I feel that last season, especially Antoine, he had a good shot for equalising goals. He can turn it on when wants to turn it on as well. I wouldn't put it past him to have a good performance in.
00:29:01
Speaker
All good players go through bad spells. That's how it happens in football. It's interesting what Rodney rodney you mentioned about him being captain yeah and you know maybe Arteta being a bit kind of um wary about um hooking him because he is the captain.
00:29:20
Speaker
I see that as one of the downsides of having an attacking player as your captain. Because they're the ones who are more susceptible to a fall, like dip in form, you know, because they're the ones who've got to create something magical to to win a game, right?
00:29:38
Speaker
Whereas, you know, if if you've got a holding midfielder, I'm not saying that it's an easy position. It's a massive position in the team, right? But there's a level of consistency that a holding midfielder kind of um produces week in, week out, and even like a centre-back.
00:29:55
Speaker
And so I was surprised that Arteta didn't give the captaincy to one of the centre-backs or maybe a Declan Rice, you know, someone who's a ah solid leader in the middle of the park, as opposed to, it you know, it would be the same as Liverpool, you know, maybe giving it to Virts in a couple of years' time.
00:30:12
Speaker
I just don't see that as a, I'm not a big fan of like your, your best creative player being your captain. Cause I just don't think that's what the role is. But then again, also at the start of this season, the players voted for their like the captaincy. I don't agree with. Everyone won it by a country mile.
00:30:32
Speaker
Yeah, I don't like that system. That's an only thing. don't like it. It's just an objective decision by the manager. It should be the manager. Look, I'm the manager. He's my captain. You know, that's it. Like it or lump it.
00:30:43
Speaker
Or maybe it could be like what they do at Liverpool, where it's a sort of committee, like players, um all sorts of, um the the ones at the very top, they all kind of create this sort of leadership ah committee.
00:30:57
Speaker
So obviously Trent was vice captain before he left. And then you had Robertson, you had Salah, I think you had Alisson in that committee as well. Yeah, and Van Dijk in there, yeah. And then i think that was either created by Henderson or Milner. And then once they left, it was sort of,
00:31:13
Speaker
ah between them but I do think overall the best thing to do is the manager decides and so it's based on what I've heard and and you know this is an eye-opener for me because I'm not that tuned into Arsenal's ah sort of team within the team but i I do think it should just be manager decides based on what they see in training and who's the leader who's the most commanding and ah then it just goes based on that And I think the the one that I'd see being the captain is Rice.
00:31:49
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, we hear that a lot. He commands it. That's what Gabriel for me, all against it. Yeah, yeah. Rice or one of the centre-backs, you know, really, they're they're the, for me, the natural kind of... lee that mean, they're the captain without having the armband, really, aren't they? Yeah, yeah.
00:32:06
Speaker
Yeah. So we're going Vert at number 10 based on what we've just said. Sorry to get back to the task at hand, guys. We strung you along quite well there, you know, like let's trash Odegaard for the next 10 minutes.
00:32:21
Speaker
And then it's like, well, it's got to be Vert then, isn't it? But with all that said, we have another option now. So now that Eze's in the team as well, I said, yeah, there's... Oh, God. I forgot about Eze. Yeah, I forgot that, didn't you? He's great player, but... But he's not on the level of the other two, but I do really rate Eze as a player. I just... I love that. He has also caused havoc against Liverpool on quite a few occasions for Palace. Known to make you suffer.
00:32:47
Speaker
Yeah. I think this is... i think this is um I think this could be a a huge signing for Arsenal. I really do. I think he's he's the kind of player, you know, he's got the skill, but, you know, he's got the physique as well. You know, there's something about certain players, the way they move.
00:33:08
Speaker
You know, the that the strength, you know, it's not a kind of overt kind of strength. He's not like some kind of powerhouse. But, you know, he's he's not easy to knock off the ball.
00:33:18
Speaker
He's very skillful on the ball, even when he's got a couple of players around him. And I just think that he's a player that... Depending on how Arteta integrates him into this team, I think he could be a transformative player.
00:33:33
Speaker
And ah think he's the kind of player that can guarantee Arsenal another second-place finish. um Wow. I'm not having that. I'm not having that. la um Yeah, that's outrageous. Maybe the League Cup is worth it.
00:33:51
Speaker
But
Striker Selection Debate
00:33:52
Speaker
no, no, so seriously. yeah I think he's a quality, quality player. And they've really, really signed just a quality talent. Agreed.
00:34:03
Speaker
Agreed. We're very excited to see what he does this weekend against you. Yeah. ah Right. Do we really need to debate the right wing? No, let's move on.
00:34:14
Speaker
i It's a bit of a tough ask. yeah i I know it hurts you a lot because you love your star boy, but... No, it's true. We saw what Salah did last season. Yeah, exactly. At what, 34? And he was putting in a performance like that last season. Yeah. If there's no drop off, absolutely, it's Salah every time. It's crazy. It's so crazy to me that he's being ignored in these Ballon d'Or shouts, by the way.
00:34:37
Speaker
because it's literally everything I see is just Rafinha, Yamal and Dembele with hints of Vitinha in there. like How is he above Salah?
00:34:49
Speaker
so Yeah. Anyway, just wanted to get that off my chest. strike Strike is an interesting one now because you've got you've got your careers who've just come into Arsenal and you've got Eketike and looking more like ease I mean it's could already sign I'm putting him straight in.
00:35:08
Speaker
oh yeah Oh yeah, absolutely. That hasn't happened yet. So now we're having to talk about Eketike versus Yerkeres. He's in the Uber as we speak. He hasn't spoken to the Newcastle people about it. He's just doing it on his own.
00:35:25
Speaker
See anyhow. ah So i i I want to put Eketike just based on what I've seen so far. But I feel like that's really disrespectful to Yerkeres based on what he did at Sporting.
00:35:37
Speaker
So that's where I'm at at the moment. I think it's toss-up between the two because they're but they're both new in the league. you know the the only kind of um The only kind of thing we've got to judge them on is their performances in in ah yeah know leagues overseas, right? so And they both had good starts to the Premier League, right? They both scored.
00:35:59
Speaker
and you know they're They're both up and running. So, I think it's a toss-up. I mean, oh obviously, as a Liverpool supporter, I'll i'll go for Eketike, but, you know, i' I'm not going to be ah hugely offended if if you guys go for your man.
00:36:16
Speaker
think Jokka is... I mean, it's a headache. I mean, it is a real headache. This one really is tough, yeah. They've both, you know, Eketike's really hit the ground running. Like, he's really kind of just integrated himself into that Liverpool team really well.
00:36:30
Speaker
And with Jocarez, you know... Took him a little bit of time to kind of integrate. But, you know, last weekend against Leeds, you know, I said it to the boys last week.
00:36:41
Speaker
All Jokeres needs is one goal, just to boost his confidence. And the fact that now he's gone and done that, I think he could go on to do really well in the Premier League now.
00:36:53
Speaker
But it's still such a difficult, difficult choice to make between the two. It's so weird. Because I don't think we really expected this from Eka TK. ah We didn't... I mean... His Bundesliga numbers weren't actually that impressive.
00:37:08
Speaker
And we all thought, well, it was Marmouche who was the key to him. But... He's really done well, and he's sort of like in that Firmino role where he's ah just he's he's not an out-and-out striker. comes back and he helps and links up play as well.
00:37:22
Speaker
And I didn't know he had that side of this game in him. I didn't realise how tall he was. I didn't realise how tall he was. He was only at set pieces next to Van Dijk, I thought. He's quite big.
00:37:35
Speaker
I think in terms of better players, it helps him as well. Yeah, yeah. I'm saying Eketike. I'm saying Eketike.
Left-wing and Manager Choices
00:37:42
Speaker
You're going Eketike. Fair enough. I can see I think I want to pick Victor on this one only because I think what I saw in that Man United game, which a lot of people criticised the performance for, there was a lot of decent runs into that box, but they weren't being seen.
00:37:54
Speaker
So I think if you surround him with players that can see those runs, pick him out and then send him a ball through over the top or ball to feet, I think he will. And I think he's a better finisher. than Eketiki. I think that at the point his positioning and his shot placement is so good you can get away with it. But I do trust Jokoréz, absolutely clinical finisher and that physical profile in the box to just bully a defender, even if you're in front of him, behind him to decide.
00:38:15
Speaker
I think I'm just going to give it to Jokoréz, but it really does depend on who's just behind him and who's out of sight of him on the wings. Eketiki can finish too, though. he' He's got a really good shot on him.
00:38:26
Speaker
He does. He does have a decent shot. Jamie talks about him. It's a good point, Rodney, you made about the movement because you know that's something that and you Arsenal fans will know um that you've been crying out for an out-and-out number nine who makes these kinds of runs, who's in in those kind of areas that are number nine, that kind of space that they occupy, as opposed to a kind of a false nine, a kind of Havertz kind of player who comes in maybe late into the box.
00:38:56
Speaker
So it's going to be interesting to see how he... impacts that Arsenal team and whether that kind of massively changes their style, whether that's a good thing for them, whether that's a bad thing for them.
00:39:07
Speaker
But so um I think you're right. I think his his movement is really good.
00:39:13
Speaker
Jamie for the deciding vote, i'm ah because we've all said, I'll say, and he's... Again, I think for me, Jokre is just, you know, it just, he leans it for me because movement, his presence...
00:39:27
Speaker
And Rodney kind of just said it there, to be fair. ah it's just he He's so good overall. And I just think this is the start. This is just the start of it. But don't get me wrong, Eketike, I mean, what a player he is.
00:39:41
Speaker
This is the first time that I've ever had a conversation with ah ah another player where we can't decide and we just keep on complimenting the other player the entire time. is my opinion, but I don't mind yours. Yeah.
00:39:58
Speaker
And for the deciding one, though this is this is quite interesting again because you've got Gakpo there. And I think Gakpo was the best left winger in the league last season. But Trossard is good. didn't i But now you can also sort of maybe put Eze on the left because he can play there.
00:40:16
Speaker
He can. Forget all of them. Rio. Rio comes in. Yes, Rio. What? You're joking, aren't you? Have you ever seen a 16-year-old with that much tech?
00:40:28
Speaker
yeah I doubt we have. I've had the impact that Rio's had this season.
00:40:33
Speaker
Clutch. He's a proven clutch player. He not only got us three points at St. James' Park, rumour is that he he bought Isaac in the back of the car as well. I don't think he can drive yet, Jesse. That's true, yeah.
00:40:51
Speaker
It was a school night as well, I think, wasn't it? Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Yeah, it was a school night, yeah. um left Left wing, I think um ah think if Luis Diaz was here, i think it would be even more stiff competition. I'd put Gakpo over Diaz. Yeah, because that complement of de Diaz and Gakpo, very different players.
00:41:11
Speaker
Gakpo is someone who's more likely to kind of cut inside, whip in a cross or take a shot. Diaz, his dribbling ability was absolutely just ridiculous. Phenomenal.
00:41:23
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely amazing. Amazing inside spaces. Switching directions so quickly as well. Yeah. I'd still say Gakpo is the strongest in terms of his all-round game and his all-round contribution.
00:41:38
Speaker
I don't... I honestly, I think Trossard is okay. I don't see him as an elite player. ah think he's a I think he's a very good professional footballer in the Premier League, and there are many of those.
00:41:50
Speaker
But I think that he's um he's just one of those players that... You know, he's he's in the squad, he can do a job, but he's not he's not a player that Arsenal are going look to, to, you you know, lead them to a title win or a Champions League win or anything like that.
00:42:08
Speaker
And so just by that, by default, it takes him out of the equation. Yeah. And I still think that Gakpo overall, in terms of his physical presence, um his ability to score goals and crucial goals as well. Yeah. And his assists.
00:42:25
Speaker
I think he's the strongest. He might not be the quickest out of all of the ah wingers that you traditionally have, um but I think he's the most effective. I'm not log going to put that question Nodding in agreement. that's ah i mean, Jesse, that was um that was immense. I think his case closed. I think the judge already slammed the hammer down. But I did want to throw Eze into the conversation as well because he can play on the left, but it's also not his best position.
00:42:52
Speaker
Yeah, it's not his best position. But if we're still running the starting XI with Calafiori at left back, you know, Calafiori can have those overlapping runs, allowing Eze to cut inside. Not to mention, if you've got Jokeres up top, at Palace, Eze was picking out Mateta, picking out those runs easily, you know, and then whipping those balls in. So I do feel that Eze probably a pretty sure Lachau.
00:43:10
Speaker
But the thing about Cody Gakpo is I've always loved watching him play as well. I think... yeah shoot from rain yeah Yeah. I've seen him score from like the tightest of angles as well. Cutting inside, he's an amazing player. Like I've always been a fan. So it's, it's a tough he's one. of He's like an inverted Robin.
00:43:24
Speaker
And I'm not just saying that cause he's Dutch, but I'm saying that because you know what he's going to do and you can't stop him. He's going to cut him and he's going to either whip in one of those wonderful crosses he has to Salah, or he's just going to go far post and he he hits emphatically and,
00:43:40
Speaker
and And what I love about him is just a professional. You know, he's not going to be involved in any kind of scandal. He's just a guy who loves playing football, gets on with it, and loves God. There you go. We've sealed it. We can't get any higher authority than that, right? So it's Tony Gatto.
00:44:02
Speaker
David Craig, you agree? Gakpo as well? yeah I mean, at the end of the day, I think back, I mean, I look back at last season with Cody Gakpo. I mean, Phenomenal.
00:44:12
Speaker
Phenomenal last season. And it's funny, you know, you know when Gakpo, when we first signed him, he had a really slow start. He did, yeah. yo And Jurgen Klopp. He did.
00:44:23
Speaker
Because he wasn't played in that a wide left position. He was kind of played centrally, kind of a trapping field and like, ah you know, kind of um ah false nine position. And he just looked really out of sorts.
00:44:38
Speaker
But as soon as Slott came in and just said to him, right, this is your position and we're not moving you from this, right? you You're going to be out on the left. And since then, and also I think his fitness as well, he's really kind of been brought up to speed in terms of the Premier League.
00:44:53
Speaker
um Because, you know, so you can see him even with Verts, The first couple of games, there have been instances where he's been on the ball and it's almost like he dilly-dallies a bit, and which, you know, it's the time that you'd be given in the Bundesliga to to look up, have a think, see where you're going to play the pass.
00:45:10
Speaker
Here, it's just like you've got a second and then boom, you know, you've got two two defenders on you. So I think Gakpo has benefited from having a ah season and then and now he's really, really coming to his own now.
00:45:22
Speaker
So think that's it for the starting 11. Very much it, yeah. But we can finish it with this. Are we picking the manager? Manager. Manager.
00:45:33
Speaker
And I have seen Arteta's team talks, and I know who I'm going for. I'll leave it with you guys. Game over. It's like, come on, really, seriously. Do we even have to debate? And also, who's the more likable person?
00:45:48
Speaker
We have to take that into account. Wow. Oh, oh dear. You are a bunch of defeated men. it's It's tough because I love Mikel. I really do. But there's there's something quite funny about Ancelot walking into Liverpool's side and winning the league in his first season.
00:46:07
Speaker
There's something quite funny about that. We're not doing anything at all. yeah We're not signing little bit money. A little bit of money on Chaser and
Sponsorship and Arsenal's Challenges
00:46:13
Speaker
that's it. yeah yeah Who barely played. and then yeah And everyone calling him the next Ten Hag when he came in as well. We've yeah so slot is manager we got allison in goal timber right back two center backs gabriel and van dyke we've got left back we gave it to robertson didn't we and um two holding midfielders we've gone for rice and mccallister we've gone for verts as the number 10 we've gone for salah on the right we've gone yukarez up front and we've gone gacpo on the left
00:46:51
Speaker
That is a lovely bit of Liverpool domination. And we know who's going to win. Don't get manager. And Arna Slott in manager. So now we know who's going to win on Sunday. Do we really need to do the rest of this podcast?
00:47:08
Speaker
lot We do need to do the rest of this podcast. I know that this could have been a podcast on its own with the amount of time we've spent talking about this combined XI. But I would love to get into this sort of Arsenal focus and then a bit of Liverpool focus.
00:47:24
Speaker
And then we can end up with some predictions. This is going to be the latest anyone's gone into an ad on GSPM. We have got our sponsor that we have finally managed to get to. ah Find out where you can get all your supplements from right now.
00:47:36
Speaker
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00:47:55
Speaker
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00:48:10
Speaker
Get what's right for you right now. Okay, so let's talk a little bit about Arsenal. Obviously, um Rodney, I'll come to you and if you want you can sort of lead this. But I did want to start off with this. Obviously, the main factor is Arsenal's right-wing position.
00:48:28
Speaker
Saka's out. The talks are all about Maduweka, but obviously Nguyeneri can also be very good on the right-hand side. ah What do you think is the right way to approach this game if you're Mikel Arteta with the right wing position? I think you've got to leave it to Nani Madaweke as well, especially when you look at the performance against Leeds too. When Saka came off early and then you saw Madaweke play on that right wing, he was looking quite solid. He looked far more comfortable than in the games I'd seen earlier with the left wing. So I think Nani's got to start there and then you've got to see what happens later.
00:49:01
Speaker
Later in the game, you know, you do have that option to kind of rotate with Winieri, but I'd rather see Nani play the whole game, more experienced, older player as well. We'll see what happens there. I think the difficulty is going to be what you do about the Odegaard position because I think Odegaard, he's still got the shoulder injury.
00:49:16
Speaker
He's likely not going to be fit for that game. So there's debate as to whether you want to put Eze there or if you want to put Ethan there instead and have Eze out on the left wing, or if you want to put Eze there and run Martinelli on the left wing as well.
00:49:28
Speaker
Again, because it's going up to Anfield, always a very tough game to go with. I sort of want to lead with some of the older, more experienced players. I might want to put Eze in a position where he's more comfortable. He's used to playing a 10, albeit on the left side. This time he'd be on the right.
00:49:40
Speaker
We'll see. Maybe you can rotate that round. And then you probably have maybe Martinelli functioning more as a touchline winger. And as we know, Martinelli loves to turn up against Liverpool. So, yeah, hopefully he'll give you some grief. That's it. I'm just out.
00:49:55
Speaker
Um, um ah Can i ask you guys about the Saka situation? Go on. He had quite a significant injury last season.
00:50:07
Speaker
um And it's it's the kind of injury that, we you know, those those those players that got a lot of pace, they used a lot of explosive ah power to get away from other players.
00:50:19
Speaker
We've seen it in the past. Yeah. Because ah don't think he kind of... um I think he he actually tore his hamstring. I think it was quite a serious one. He had to have surgery on it.
00:50:30
Speaker
yeah And I'm just wondering if... you know he's I think he's in the final two years of his contract now. Yeah. um I think it's just going to be interesting to see what kind of sacker comes back this season.
00:50:43
Speaker
um Because I've seen it in the past with players... Fast players, Michael Owen, lots of other players who've had hamstring injuries. Knew you going to bring up Michael Owen. They're just never quite the same in the sense that no not necessarily physically. Physically, that ah injury might have healed.
00:51:02
Speaker
But there's that kind of psychological um damage as well. There's can I really kind of accelerate here past this player? And obviously, you know, you you don't wish an injury on any any player.
00:51:16
Speaker
um But I do wonder whether that is something... that is a concern for Arsenal and Arsenal fans? Because he's a young player. He's played a lot of football, both domestically for for Arsenal and for England as well.
00:51:31
Speaker
And it's just a worry, I think, for a young player when he has that kind of injury. Does he come back the same? Is he going to be the same and and in the in the next season? Yeah, I think it's a tough call. You know, I know that this hamstring was the ah of the other hamstring as well. And so you can argue that the same situation Saka also applies to Jesus too. You know, it was one ACL.
00:51:50
Speaker
He just came back from that one. Then it's the other knee too. When Jesus comes back, will he be the same player? Or will that kind of mental kind of fatigue of worrying about another potentially career-ending injury, like bother you? We'll have to see. I think for me personally, i was quite happy. i was one of the Arsenal fans quite happy with the Madaweke transfer because I genuinely did feel the need for having backup on that right wing.
00:52:10
Speaker
that could really take minutes away from
Trent Alexander-Arnold's Move and Reactions
00:52:12
Speaker
Saka. Because when you're looking at that grade three hamstring tear that he suffered from last season, and it's because he's being overplayed. He's playing 90 minutes against, what was it, Jamie? Was it Bolton? you know It was just like games he did not need to play.
00:52:23
Speaker
Yeah, he's playing 90 minutes against Bolton. You know that it's going to be the same thing against your Man United, your Liverpool, your Chelsea, your Man City. Again, he's just absolutely crucial. So when he does come back, I like to see him come back as slowly as possible. We need Saka for later in the campaign. Our fixture list is going to be ridiculous.
00:52:39
Speaker
Champions League, Carabao Cup, FA Cup, Premier League as well. If Noni Madiweke can just handle that right wing and we can start to kind of have maybe Saka's coming on at peak fitness. And if he does look sharp, we can have him playing 60, 70 minutes and then rotate and have that regulate.
00:52:53
Speaker
We can maybe maintain the player's confidence, maintain his fitness and hopefully have a Saka that's well back up to full strength and hopefully can still have a long and illustrious career. And we don't have another repeat of what's been going on with his hamstrings.
00:53:05
Speaker
Hopefully you don't play a lot fixtures this season. um we Yo, we end up like Man United. Yeah, go out to porto like the Port Vale. Yeah, yeah.
00:53:16
Speaker
Sorry. yeah I don't think that's happening. ah we'll see we'll see I i mean ah ah we've we've just seen who we've got in the Champions League I don't know who you have I've completely forgotten but you were in pot B all I'm gonna say we were in pot we got Bayern immediately yeah yeah we've got Real there will be at a cold cold night in Anfield for him for Trent Alexander-Arnold oh yeah I saw that and I started laughing I thought yeah he's got man back Anfield oh dude
00:53:49
Speaker
Sitting on that bench, really cold. Yeah. yeah I mean, I know it's a bit of a deviation, but I've got to ask you two right now, like, what do you think about the move in general? Are you upset with Trent or do you feel the treatment by the Liverpool fans when they found out about the move he was running his contract down? Do you think that's fair?
00:54:06
Speaker
Because he's done so much for your club, won everything as well. I understand that the way he left wasn't great. But what do you two think? don't have a problem with it. I genuinely, I don't have a... I genuinely don't have...
00:54:18
Speaker
a problem with players leaving because I think there's um there's a massive amount of hypocrisy from everyone in football when it comes to footballers who want to leave a football ah club and and go somewhere else.
00:54:30
Speaker
Trent Alexander-Arnold has been at Liverpool Football Club since he was eight years old. He has done a clean sweep of football at club level. won everything with you. Everything that you could possibly win from the League Cup all the way up to the FIFA Club World Cup.
00:54:48
Speaker
Okay? And everything in between. Champions League, Premier League, f FA Cup, everything. He's won everything. So, you know for me... you know no good luck. He's going abroad. He's not going to a rival.
00:55:01
Speaker
He's not going to Manchester United or Manchester United. He's going abroad will come to try something new, which most of us as as people working in jobs, you know if if we get an an opportunity to go somewhere, you know we we'll take it. So I don't have a problem with that because Let me assure you. And all those people who are um going on about Alexander Isaac, oh, the loyalty, the loyalty. Everyone bangs on about loyalty in football.
00:55:25
Speaker
Well, let me tell you something. There is something called a bomb squad, right, in in in football, where they just... Clubs just put um players out to, you know, that that we don't want you anymore.
00:55:38
Speaker
Okay. So you're training with the reserves. um The minute a football club doesn't want you, they will have no hesitation in selling you or freezing you out until you leave.
00:55:52
Speaker
right? They'll freeze you out until you leave. Look at Jack Grealish. Look at Raheem Sterling yeah at Manchester City. These guys wanted to stay. These guys wanted to play football.
00:56:03
Speaker
I mean, even if you look at Liverpool, Steven Gerrard, Steven Gerrard, wanted to spend his contract, right? Under Brendan Rodgers, they said, you know what? You're 35, you're 34 years old.
00:56:16
Speaker
Sorry, thank you very much. So why do we then expect footballers to show a loyalty to a commercial organization who will drop them at the at the drop of a hat the minute they want to. The one point I'd make, I know Gerrard did this to us, in especially in the mid-2000s before he won the Champions League and then he made the U-turn. It's like...
00:56:44
Speaker
all of that but in general there is a different expectations ah expectation of you if you're a scouser and you're playing for Liverpool and we've had this conversation so many times before but there is genuinely like such a tightly tightly knitted community in Liverpool that if you do make it for the first team there is an expectation that you are going to represent Liverpool because it's just does that does that expectation which is fan driven right it's it's it's It's an expectation from fans.
00:57:17
Speaker
Does that expectation impact in any way the ability of a club to just terminate a player when they want? Because let me tell you, there is load there are loads there are loads of scouts out there um you know who who who have who've come through the academies and they've played for Liverpool.
00:57:38
Speaker
And then they say, well, you know what? Thank you very much. You haven't made the grade. Off you go. right So I get what you're saying. and And we as supporters, we feel that we feel the connection with a player that's come through the ranks and, you know, they've grown up with the club, but it still doesn't alter that commercial reality that a football club will terminate a player as and when they see fit. So I don't see why a footballer can't then go to an opportunity when they see fit.
00:58:07
Speaker
So I think like you've just got a you've got to find a ah happy medium, a balance, where a football club keeps their players happy, they win. and then And with Trent, because we won everything, because we won everything, I think that it's fine for him to go.
00:58:22
Speaker
I would be more upset if we were Arsenal, when we were kept on getting second, we kept on getting second, we kept on getting second. Shall say again? We kept kept on getting second. And a play. And then a play.
00:58:34
Speaker
We were letting you two hash it out and we're just taking strays. That's unbelievable. I know. I realized that, Rodney. So I thought, you know, I need to steer this. ah You know, in that instance, I would be i would be more devastated. I'd be more angry with a player and with a player that has helped...
00:58:54
Speaker
usher in the one of the most successful periods for Liverpool Football Club in the modern era. yeah no i he's He's an integral part of that. I do agree with you on that point. but He should be respected for that. And I do agree that he should be respected for that. But I'm just saying I can also understand why ah many supporters are upset, especially with the fashion that he left. It was on a free and he ran down his contract to go to Real Madrid.
00:59:17
Speaker
Why is that on the player? That's on the club. The club two years ago should should should go to Trent Alexander-Arnold and say, Trent, you've been here since you're eight years old. You are future Liverpool captain. You're potentially future England captain.
00:59:30
Speaker
You've helped us win every single thing in football. Okay? Boom. Here's your contract. 350 grand a week and whatever. 300 grand a week, whatever it is, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. To say to him,
00:59:44
Speaker
We want you. We want you to stay. You are going to be our future Liverpool captain after of that after Van Dijk leaves. There you go. But for that contract situation to drag on, I think that's on the club. That is not on the player. I agree. A contract runs down. I agree. If anything, the fashion in which he left...
01:00:05
Speaker
is actually the most the most professional way a footballer can leave a club. He did not say a word. He said to the press, I am not speaking about this situation.
01:00:18
Speaker
I am not speaking. but Nothing came out from him. Nothing came out from his agent. It was silence. And all he did, what did he do? He got on, he played football,
01:00:29
Speaker
And we won the Premier League. Yeah. Last contribution you made. Off you go. Thank you very much. Best wishes. Yeah. We'll give you dog's abuse when you come back, when you play for Real Madrid. But thank you very much.
Liverpool's Form and Tactical Insights
01:00:42
Speaker
Should we talk about Sunday, guys? yeah
01:00:47
Speaker
Let's turn on Arsenal now. Also, Craig, I don't know if you saw my message in the chat, but I did just put you on mute because there's background noise coming from your side. I don't know if you saw it. So just unmute yourself when you want to speak and unmute yourself when you're not speaking. So, yeah, I just wanted to get that out of the way. Can you move all of them?
01:01:11
Speaker
I think I think it's time to talk more about this Liverpool team now um because i mean Jesse you obviously did the episode with Carl already which I haven't had the opportunity to listen to yet so ok i'll I'll let you tell I'll let you take the lead on this one Yeah, look, I think this is, um i think it's a big game.
01:01:34
Speaker
i think that, you know, it's obviously it's very early in this in the season, right? So there's there's room for kind of dropping points. But I think the way that the Premier League is now, um which I think completely, I completely reject a lot of the kind of narrative last season, oh, it's not a very strong league.
01:01:54
Speaker
No, I think it is a very strong league. Just because Manchester City or the top team are not 25 points clear, I think that represents a strong league because you look at the development that the likes of Bournemouth have made, Crystal Palace,
01:02:09
Speaker
you know, Fulham, you know, yeah there's literally there's other than the clubs that have just been newly promoted. There's no club where you think, yeah, I fancy a trip to Bournemouth.
01:02:21
Speaker
You know, that's a guaranteed three points. I, I fancy a trip to St. James' Park. yeah You know, they just don't exist anymore. So I think that this coming so early in the season, Manchester City have already dropped points.
01:02:36
Speaker
I think that, this is ah ah This is a big game now because I think it's an opportunity for two teams who who have won both of their opening games to kind of put down a little bit of a marker before we head into the international break.
01:02:52
Speaker
Arsenal, I think, come in in better shape because they're scoring goals that haven't conceded a single goal. Liverpool are scoring goals, but we're conceding as well. We're kind of...
01:03:03
Speaker
you know Kevin Keegan, 1990s Newcastle, where it's it's like, okay, you're gonna you're go you're going to score three or score four. I don't know whether that's sustainable in terms of a title challenge, but I do think that this is a um ah really interesting contest in the sense that you've got a team that is but are the Premier League champions.
01:03:26
Speaker
but they are in transition. So it's normally the other way. It's it's like that you you get a team in transition and they slowly build to to a title-winning team. we're we're We're doing it the other way around. A new manager comes in. He doesn't change anything.
01:03:41
Speaker
He wins the league. And then there's wholesale changes. And I do, I said this at the you know pre-season pod. Even though there was a lot of kind of um press and a a lot of kind of you know media coverage about Liverpool's transfer activity, and it's really always it's always positive, isn't it? You spend £100 million pounds on the striker whatever.
01:04:02
Speaker
Everyone's like, oh yeah, great. But then you actually look at the squad and you think, okay, we're we're about two players short up front. you know where and is is Is it too much instability now in that back line when you've got two new fullbacks?
01:04:15
Speaker
your Your forward line has radically changed, partly through players leaving, partly through tragedy, um and and you you know mentioning that as well.
01:04:27
Speaker
I don't think that we should underestimate that. um the kind of impact that will have as the season goes along, the Diego Jota thing, because he he is someone that was, he wasn't just beloved to the fans.
01:04:40
Speaker
And you don't get a chant at Liverpool Football Club very easily. You don't get a song very easily at Liverpool Football Club as a player. um And and you can you can be assured that that is just amplified massively with the players who go into that dressing room and where his shirt was hung up, it's just not there anymore.
01:04:59
Speaker
Or, you know, if if you need a goal, normally Jota the Slotter comes on yeah and he's he's he's not there anymore. So there's that factor as well. So there's a lot going on with Liverpool. There's, they you know, there's new players coming in, players leaving, tragedy, which just seems to follow the club.
01:05:16
Speaker
And so I think it's a really interesting period. And I think if if Liverpool can come out of this ah period, before we go into the internet international break, with three wins... and Man City losing a game and us beating Arsenal, okay, i think that's I think it's a really um a great platform.
01:05:36
Speaker
I don't know why the Arsenal boys are laughing as if I've said something so outrageous that Liverpool would beat Arsenal. It's like, you know, it's like completely impossible. ah But I'm saying if that happens, I think it's a you know, yeah think it's a great foundation for the rest of the season.
01:05:52
Speaker
um But obviously you could say the same for Arsenal. If Arsenal go to Anfield, and win, you know, they they might have a bit of belief that they can do more than second.
01:06:02
Speaker
I don't think so, but they will have that belief. Damn. Or a little while, anyway, until we reach like February, March, and then they kind of collapse again. ah ah it Fair enough.
01:06:17
Speaker
No. But i think I think tactically, though, I think tactically, I think midfield is going to be a massive area. Yeah. I think it's going to really, because... ah depending on what what slot goes for, does he does he go for Conor Bradley, who's not 100% fit at right back? If that's the case, Arsenal will target that area.
01:06:36
Speaker
They'll target that that kind of right back position. If you have Subozlay in there and then you have ah Verts in midfield, um I think that Arsenal will try and dominate that midfield, which is why I think...
01:06:52
Speaker
you know Slot might flood that midfield. He might play a false nine. He might play ah you know Jones and Verts and just have two kind of floating wide forwards in Salah and Gakpo and not even play Eketike and bring him on as a ah second half sub just to kind of exert that dominance in midfield because one of the areas that we've struggled in the first two games is that we'll go two goals up And then we we kind of, we're still not in control of the game.
01:07:22
Speaker
It's like you can somewhat take your foot off the gas in a way. No, I don't think that's true. No, I don't i don't think, I've heard that before. It's not that. I don't think that there's a complacency. these they This is a team that's used to winning leagues, champions leagues, the core of it anyway. yeah So I don't think there's a complacency. What i do think though, I think there's a, I wouldn't say a tactical deficiency, but I think it's a ah tactical deficiency.
01:07:46
Speaker
kind of side effect of the Arnie slot slot method as opposed to Jurgen Klopp. And both have their pros and cons. Whereas Jurgen Klopp at 2-0, he's going to say, right, keep going forward, get three.
01:07:59
Speaker
We're 3-0 up, keep going forward, get four. Arnie Slott's kind of default is like 2-0. Okay, put your foot on the ball now. Not complacency. Put your foot on the ball, try and control it. But what what happens then is the game inevitably slows down.
01:08:17
Speaker
Liverpool are in possession. They get pushed back by the press. And then the ball goes back to Alisson. He will then invariably knock it long. And then you've got 50-50 whether you're going to lose possession. just Or he'll switch it out to the defenders. But but they're pressed as well.
01:08:32
Speaker
And so the whole team is is pressed back. And it it just creates more pressure. And then if you concede one goal... then you know you're you're on the back foot then. It's also strange because while we are hit back by the press, we also have this tendency ah to just pass our way out of it as well and then not make very much of it anyway.
01:08:52
Speaker
you know but's got the test assistant players Yeah, know but I the what you mean by the tempo. When we're 2-0 up, this tendency to kind of say, okay, let's slow the pace down. But in the Premier League, there are few teams.
01:09:05
Speaker
But there are very few teams who slow things down. You know, every team, Bournemouth, all the teams will press you aggressively and quickly. And so I just think that the tempo has got to be quicker in possession.
01:09:17
Speaker
So you don't have to go gung-ho. You don't have to go like, ah you know, flying wingbacks, but you've got to be quick in possession and quick through midfield as opposed to, um Jones getting the ball, giving it to McAllister, who gives it to Gravenberg.
01:09:31
Speaker
He looks up and then he gives it back to Alisson. And then, you know, it's route one or out to the fullbacks who are under pressure. So I just think that we've got to move through the lines in midfield a lot quicker, which I thought then we would have done with Verts.
01:09:45
Speaker
ah coming in and I think that's something that Liverpool have got to develop over the next few games. Yeah, I mean, vtz is we're still yet to see the best of Verts. Everyone knows that. I'm also interested to see if you guys know when the last time Liverpool when the last time was that Liverpool beat Arsenal in the Premier League.
01:10:04
Speaker
No, no, no, he's not. Encyclopedia. oh Three seasons ago. Unfortunately, from this point onwards, we did lose Rodney's audio and video. So if it does feel a bit unnatural and a bit weird, you know why.
01:10:18
Speaker
I do apologize for that. I've tried to make it as natural as possible, but obviously it's not 100%. In the Premier League. In the Premier League. so authors been manager you any be i' you bit in ah i think it was it wasn't the it wasn't the chart mid and in the premier league in the premer league Just tell me which season it was. 22.
01:10:41
Speaker
ah twenty two so open Yeah. I think that's the answer as well. No, it was actually at the Emirates. It was 21-22. Yeah. yeah And this is this is crazy. There are only one, two, three players in that Liverpool team who are still in the team.
01:11:00
Speaker
We had Thiago, Fabinho and Henderson as our midfield. We had Mane, Jota and Diaz as our front three. And on the bench, the legend, Takumi Minamino. Wow.
01:11:11
Speaker
Tavares was on the bench for you lot, as was holding Swanson, Sambi, La Conga, who's still there, and El Neni. Leno was on the bench. Suarez was playing at right back for you lot.
01:11:23
Speaker
Tierney at left back. Lacazette up front. That's how long it's been since Liverpool beat Arsenal. teamme doesn't it it's It's crazy, isn't it? Because this is this is Liverpool.
01:11:35
Speaker
Liverpool beat everyone, but not Arsenal. Even with Arsenal, it does it does actually put into bit of perspective. what Arsenal have done under Arteta in terms of transforming that team and that squad into us into a squad where you think, oh, I don't want to play these guys.
01:11:52
Speaker
Whereas you listen to those names, you know, ah on in the Arsenal team, you think, yeah, of course they weren't going to win anything. right yeah but with with It's true. But with with with with the work that's been done under Arteta, I know he gets a lot stick.
01:12:07
Speaker
And obviously I've been getting with stick as well. But um you know you you can't deny that they are a competitive team now. but They're in the mix now. right Start of the season, they're in the mix to win the Premier League. And it's just whether they can take that final step.
01:12:23
Speaker
But they are competitive. True.
Left Side Tactical Battle
01:12:27
Speaker
True. I also realised as well, ah because ah going to a point that Rodney kind of mentioned about Calafiore's runs, I feel like it's going to be a battle of the left side for both teams.
01:12:38
Speaker
Because, you know, if you look at our left side in the likes of Calafiore and say, for example, if it's Martinelli, you know, Martinelli, very touch tight to the to the to the touchline, you know,
01:12:53
Speaker
will try and take players on. it You know, it's not we've not seen that Martinelli for a little while, since probably 22, 23, where he'd have that hunger to take on players, maybe. um And where for you, and obviously with Calafiore, if Calafiore goes forward, you know, it'll be a thing where, you know, if you if if he gets exposed out of his position, all it takes is for Salah to then go and run on. you know what I mean? And for you guys as well, it's one of them where,
01:13:22
Speaker
Again, Konate, he hasn't really found his feet just yet. And same with Kerkhez. And I think if Arsenal can try and exploit that side, again, that's why I've always said it will be a battle of the lefts.
01:13:33
Speaker
Because once one of the left sides is exposed, it probably will not end well for one of the two sides. Yeah,
Score Predictions
01:13:42
Speaker
definitely. i agree. So I think this has gone on for quite a while now. I would i would like the files to upload at some point tonight. Before Sunday, 4.30 preferably. Yeah, so I can get this out.
01:13:59
Speaker
So shall we get some score predictions in? I mean, I personally absolutely hate doing this, and this is a match that is impossible to call anyway. yeah Are any of you brave enough to go first? 3-1.
01:14:11
Speaker
three one 3-1 to Liverpool. Yeah, 3-1 Liverpool. 3-2 Arsenal, says Greg. Yeah, I think 1-1. I think Arsenal score first and then we and we just come from behind.
01:14:26
Speaker
Yeah, we pull away. i'm saying how i'm I'm saying 2-1. As much as I'd love a win. it will be It will
Host's Reflection and Farewell
01:14:36
Speaker
be a stressful match regardless.
01:14:38
Speaker
yeah Louis, you predicted 3-2 against Newcastle as well, didn't you? And I predicted a last-minute winner as well. You did, you did as well, you did. Yeah, Mystic Louis.
01:14:50
Speaker
i'm I'm probably going to 3-2 Arsenal. It's going to be really cagey. 2-3-2 Arsenal's. We're going for a high scorer here. Probably going to be 0-0, isn't it? no this game No, this game will be this game will guarantee us goals. you know way that we're defending The way that we're this is going to be goals.
01:15:09
Speaker
Let's just hope that Arteta loses his call at some point. yeah I would love that. I love an Arteta head loss. And then it's all downhill from there far as well. So let's let's end it there so I can get these files up. Thank you so much, guys. This is genuinely one of my favourite podcasts, if not my favourite podcast episodes I've ever done. Thank you for having us on. I hope you really enjoyed this. Brilliant.
01:15:34
Speaker
So you have been listening to the Daily Liverpool and the Daily Arsenal ah podcasts on the Global Sports Podcast Network. Stay tuned and we will see what happens on the weekend and we'll review it.
01:15:48
Speaker
ah Anything you guys want to plug before we go? Great. Thanks, guys. They're plugging Arsenal. All right.
01:15:59
Speaker
right Thanks, guys.
01:16:06
Speaker
Your daily soccer podcast with the Global Sports Podcast Network.