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John Delaney's burner, Pogba burned out and ten Hag to be cleared out?
30 Plays10 months ago
Join us for the latest football bombshells! From John Delaney's (rumored) burner Twitter account to Pogba's global ban and ten Hag's potential exit – we've got the hottest gossip in the game
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Transcript
Introduction and New Podcast Announcement
00:00:00
Speaker
I'm not into podcasts. Back of the net. Hello, hello, hello. This is the Not Upon The Podcast. And who is with me? Can you guess? Of course, it's Nate. Of course, it's Connor. And of course, it's me, Kellyanne Ginnity. Gentlemen, how are we doing? Oh, good man. Can't complain. It's been a
00:00:31
Speaker
I think we were just saying before we hopped on across, I think multiple sports, the sporting landscape is on fire at the moment. It absolutely is. And if you haven't already, check out our new Not a Pundit network podcast, Formula T, brought to you by myself and Nate, where we look into the world of F1 and all the tier rounders. Nate, how are you this fine week?
00:00:54
Speaker
I'm good, I'm good. Struggling to keep up with all the sports news, but you know, we keep motoring and yeah. There's too much nowadays, just too much. I'm getting to the point where I can't keep up with everything. So there's a good place to come and have the chats. A good place to vent. Yeah. And Nate, you are a man that needs to vent this
Manchester Derby Reactions
00:01:14
Speaker
week. How do you feel after the Manchester Derby?
00:01:18
Speaker
I'm feeling okay to the point that I feel like I've been through the washing machine a few too many times, you know, get the hope of the first goal. You know, you make it to halftime and you're like, come on man, just put in 45 minutes worth and then the game ends through one, you know.
00:01:40
Speaker
And yeah, I think I'm struggling to say things when, you know, we've got a 35, 36 year old Johnny Evans playing centre back against Holland. Do you know what I mean? I'm like, I'm struggling to have that debate in my head. Like, should I be mad? Should I not? Like, so yeah, that's where I am. I love that he came in and like in his mind, he was like, oh, you know, keep fit, bit of pre-season, do a bit of a run around and now he's fucking staple in that team, you know.
00:02:10
Speaker
It just shows where the club's at, isn't it? I mean, that's something against him. It's actually out of credit to him, like the fact that we've been able to step up. Do you know, like, would he be at a city? Would he be at a national? Of course not. The fella got relegated last season and now he's just starting to enter back from Manchester. Well, I think the real comparison, and not to lump on, you know, I do enough of that over this podcast, but I think
00:02:39
Speaker
When you look at what John Stones is doing at Siri and then you're answered to John Stones at United, is what ages Johnny these days? 35. I mean, he's younger than I thought actually. I thought he was like 37. He's been around forever. Yeah, he's been there. He's like Philip Lamb stuff.
00:02:58
Speaker
Yeah, like he was one of them players that was like well-embedded by the time Ferguson retired. Yeah. That was a lifetime ago. That was 10 years ago. The team where Evans though is, I'd rather take the hit on a youngster now, getting them experienced than persevering playing. Having a 2002 moment where he leaves and then
Missed Opportunity: Erling Haaland
00:03:16
Speaker
what? Yeah, like, I feel like a waste. Nate, I saw a story over the weekend and you'll be able to actually confirm whether it's true or not. That
00:03:27
Speaker
One of United's former scouts that was based in Scandinavia, because obviously you have no scouting network now beyond Tenhaig's contact book, that he had a deal brokered with Alfie Halland for Erling Halland for five million when Erling was coming true at Mould. And he was on the cusp of making a deal with Salzburg. And the deal was that
00:03:55
Speaker
Yeah, we'll do it. Five million quid, nice signing on fee or whatever. Call us by 9 a.m. tomorrow or we'll go elsewhere. We'll presume you're not interested. And you might ask, yeah, no, absolutely. I just need to go back. I need to get on the phone. These lads will call you. And Alfie was waiting at 9 a.m. No call. Alfie's waiting at 10 a.m. No call.
00:04:21
Speaker
If he's been at 11 a.m. Then the pub opened. He calls the scout and was like, hey, listen, sorry, deals done with Red Bull. We presume you're not interested. What had happened? Man United went by 9 a.m. their time.
00:04:38
Speaker
Oh, Jesus. Two words, Ed Woodward. Is there any truth to that? Because if so...
Management Challenges at Manchester United
00:04:47
Speaker
It's the exact same with Bellingham and like, we could go through the list of wonder kids. No, but like that in particular, that's very like, photo copy or not working for De Hebe. Like, that is just pure and over. It's Ricky Gervais stuff that, like, it's, you know.
00:05:03
Speaker
I don't know what to say. It did happen. It subs up what the football club has been for the last 10 years. And considering the result of the weekend, you kind of got it done with them. Yeah, don't try to use an ad team to be honest.
00:05:24
Speaker
But I think if he was on our team, they'd probably still smash us. Well, I don't see Alan doing 70 mile an hour bombs into the roof of the goal. So I think Marcus. I didn't miss that city, you know what I mean? He's going to be scoring that every day of the week. I really thought he's had it at one point. I really did. You know, it was kind of like Jesus Christ, they might actually do the Great Escape here.
00:05:47
Speaker
I was praying, I was praying. But there's only so much times you can't pray until your prayers run out. And, you know, over the 10 years, I'm certainly used to them. But yeah, no, like, I think the club is just it's not a standstill right now. I think sort of things have gotten even quiet with Sir Jim now. It's like, OK, Sir Jim, keep speaking to us a bit here, you know. Now, is that something you'd be worried about or is that actually just kind of works happen in the background? And this is where
00:06:16
Speaker
it gets a little bit slow because you're trying to do deals like you've seen with Ashworth where other clubs get in the way and try to charge a lot of money. And this is just business now. Like he wasn't in a position to, because realistically he didn't know what level of control he was actually going to have when he arrived, that now he has to be reactive rather than proactive. And it's going to be the rest of the season is kind of wrote off now until he gets his own structure in place. Like, is it a worry or is it just kind of like trust the process?
00:06:47
Speaker
It's probably the latter, trust the process, but you can't help but worry if he's not speaking to you. You have to trust the process, but to trust the process, you got to see something at the same time. It's like that. Yeah.
00:07:02
Speaker
It's like there was three weeks where he's talking constantly and then I just went radio silence. So like, it's like, okay, he could be doing stuff in the background. He probably is, but I feel like when you just taken over club and the expectations there and stuff, and then the results of the pitch don't add up, it's a bit like, okay, come on, tell us what's next plan here. So has anybody actually in place here? Brailsford, I think's in.
00:07:30
Speaker
Yeah, like the CEO, isn't it? Yeah, that's the summer. Ashford, Jesus. God knows when he's coming. Yeah, seeing 2020. I don't even think he knows when he's coming. I heard something that was like £12 million for six months off his, off his gardening leave. So it'll only be 12 months, not 18 months. I kind of love this shit house. Nah, that's a joke that it is.
00:07:59
Speaker
It is kind of a scummy kind of thing, but also for what he's going to bring to the club, is it not just ours to compare? I just pay whatever they want. But pay what? Like 12 million for six months off. No, the 20. They initially wanted. The initial 20, yeah. Give the 20. No, but transfers alone, the value he's going to bring you instead of having another Antony.
00:08:26
Speaker
pay for it. The thing is, it's not as easy as it probably seems because us giving Newcastle that 25 million or whatever gets them in a much better FFP spot than we're in. Yeah, it does. And it works with our FFP. So there's buying gains going on there. But then at the same time, you guys can walk out and get a flip-flop partner and you'll make that money back from a commercial point of view, you know? I don't know. The commercial deals have
00:08:57
Speaker
like I'm sure there's ways it means around it like Ineos happens to go over to Saudi and buy a certain building that used to be owned by a certain somebody that happens to be on a board of a certain kind of fund like I'm sure there's ways it means around these things like it's not players so it's not as highly scrutinized and whilst I don't like that kind of thing
00:09:19
Speaker
It's less murky than players because it's not really buying at advantage. You're just buying somebody that is capable of doing well. The easy one would be any else actually sponsoring the club. I think that's an easy one to move on to. Although City has also ruined that because of Etihad. There's question marks over. There's question marks over our sponsors as well.
00:09:44
Speaker
90% of the Bleeding City sponsor boards on the weekend just said UAE. I felt like we felt like the game was being played in UAE. But yeah, like there's ways around it and I do think we're going to get the two. I think we're going to get Thurham and the centre back from Nice. I think we're going to get them in the summer hopefully. To Deebo.
00:10:08
Speaker
I feel like we're going to get them in the summer, so that would be two spots. But from what I heard, FFP has improved. It was a bit dire in January, so we've got a bit of space to play with. I'm interested to get your guys' thoughts. I've sort of heard it, but not really. It's a question that's interesting in my head is, what do you guys think of TenAgg's time there and him as a manager?
00:10:38
Speaker
That's a good question. I think 10-Hag is a fine head coach, not manager. I think we've spoke about this before where you could see him going into not a top job, but an upper level job. I think, Nate, you said before Dortmund or something like that. Yeah.
00:11:02
Speaker
I'm not so sure about that level or that specific team but I think he'll do well. I think he'll be looked back on kinder than he will be for when he does go, which it is.
00:11:18
Speaker
probably sooner rather than later. He'd be seen as kind of the transition between the previous regime and Jim Radcliffe's new era, kind of a hard done by, but also just a little bit beyond his means. Kind of the way people are starting to look back on Ollie's time,
Evaluating Ten Hag's Tenure
00:11:39
Speaker
kind of going, it wasn't that bad. He wasn't the right guy. Do you think he got effect over, sort of?
00:11:47
Speaker
I think it was just bad timing. Yeah, that's exactly it. I think, and for me, it's, it's, I look at it with two lenses, Nate, to be honest, I look at it through what I used to think of 10 high and then through chatting to you and the pod and all of that. I think you do have to look back at that first year. Like he, he, I wouldn't call him a failure by any means, you know, like if he left tomorrow, it's not like it was, I don't know, Ralph Ragnick situation. Like, you know, like he's.
00:12:17
Speaker
Like Killian said, he's well able to be a top head coach. I just think Man United is one of the most, if not the most outside the likes of Barcelona, political jobs in world football. There's a poison chalice. Yeah. So like, there's a tremendous amount of
00:12:35
Speaker
skills required that aren't football based to do that job. And I don't know if he has those skills. I think he has the football skills, but like, you know, not to dog him, but like he, his people skills don't seem to be fantastic. He's quite stubborn in his outlook. Yes, he was brought in to enforce the rules and situations like Sancho. If you're going to enforce rules, someone's got to be the martyr on it. But like at the same time, you need to know when to bend, you know,
00:13:05
Speaker
Um, pressure from within the club now on them. Cause like results aren't going the way they should be new era. Do you just kind of give them the season and then just move on, start a fresh and just like. See if this squad can work. Cause obviously they're not necessarily working with this coach.
00:13:26
Speaker
Well, that's the thing this evening, the Mail have run a story where they said that the United players actually started to doubt Tenhag, that he'll still be there at the end of the season, which to me is basically, he's gone. Like, in the interview time. We've heard this with Tenhag though, don't forget. Losing at the dressing room, apparently.
00:13:50
Speaker
True. Yeah. And you guys sort of take it with a pinch of salt that comes straight after a loss. Against 50. Yeah. I have no qualm saying this and people don't like what I say with this, but United players have a habit of leaking things to the press when things go bad. Like it's 100% a fact at this point. And it's been confirmed multiple times. So I can't take anything after a big loss.
00:14:18
Speaker
without a vintage assault. It's more of an image protecting, but what I would imagine has gone out of the club is this. The players don't think it's going to be there at the end of the season with the new ownership.
00:14:34
Speaker
There's been rumors, which is funny. There's discontent among some of the players over the intensity of the training sessions. As in too much? As in, yeah, too much intensity in the training sessions, which is quote unquote leading to injuries, which to me just sounds like they're being a bit lazy. Yeah.
00:14:55
Speaker
I don't really think that's for a player to question, you know what I mean? No. Like, whatsoever. You only hear things like that, like you said, when things aren't going well. Like, if they were on for the quadruple, they wouldn't care if they were doing six hour long training sessions, you know? And there was also, in the same article, they said some players were unhappy that they were not giving an extra day off after the looting game, despite having no midweek game. I'm like,
00:15:24
Speaker
It's your literal job. Head in the pillow do you have to be and out of touch with where this football club is at to be requesting extra days off when you get paid some of the most inflated wages of football. I mean, sometimes you just want to night out and bail fast. You just want to cut loose. It's beyond a joke, in my opinion. You get your days off the same as every other football team.
00:15:53
Speaker
Yeah, it's always a thing where, you know, players aren't happy with, oh, they've only had two days off this week, not three. Sorry. Like, you just get paid hundreds of thousands of pounds a week. That's only the song. Do you know what I mean? It's like, Jesus, like, have a bit of... Class or clout. Yeah, or just self, like, look at yourself, like, this is crazy.
00:16:18
Speaker
Now, the interesting thing, and this will be interesting for you guys, is I reached out to someone in the club once the Zargal came out to try and get a sense of... Ooh, we've got a little mould, have we? To try and get a sense of, is this true, is it not true, and...
00:16:35
Speaker
What I got back, I found quite interesting and said, I think things will be looked at again at the end of the season. Having said that, away from the personnel at the club, the changes, the structure and the planning by Tenhag has impressed almost everyone, except the less professional. That's interesting. That plays into your point. Yeah. But the results have not been good. And this is a results based game. P.S. From what I know, I think Tenhag deserves time.
00:17:05
Speaker
interesting there's a lot to impact there you know good try that to you guys what do you think of that i think it's interesting to hear from a you know we we get so much in the media about oh what's going on at the club what do the people of the club believe but obviously that's someone actually in place at the club and it seems to me that where i was saying people may not like him that much it seems like he's starting to craft a
00:17:34
Speaker
A loyalty amongst staff there. That said, is it too late? You know, is it with staff or is this bit like new board members? Because like, I'm a Sunderland fan. We had McBeal who apparently is the master of the PowerPoint. Cause like, is that actually kind of what's going on with 10 Hags? That he's, he's a very organized dude and he can put together things that look great and the new directors and all are coming in and kind of going, wow, in theory, that looks fantastic.
Support for Ten Hag Amidst Criticism
00:18:01
Speaker
There's no point in buying it.
00:18:02
Speaker
This is going from staff on the ground, like working with the team day and day. Yeah, but he said that he's impressing for everybody, apart from the unprofessional staff, which would be... Does he mean players, though? I think he implies players as well. I think that sounds like players. Players that are whinging about not getting days off and stuff. I mean, there's just two conflicting things. I'm not sure of the...
00:18:31
Speaker
I don't doubt the source. I'd question our interpretation of what he means by staff or what they mean by staff. But I don't think it's going to bode well for him, no matter how well he does, is that the fans' expectations are always incredibly high, ridiculously so. Yeah, rightly so.
00:18:59
Speaker
And I think what's going to end up happening is they'll give them to the end of the season unless there's kind of proper indications of a system that players can slot into, specifically players that they already have their eye on. Like you mentioned before, Taram and Tobito, that like, are they actually going to be an improvement on Lindelof or a 35-year-old Johnny Evans in the way that they're playing?
00:19:28
Speaker
I think that's where it could lose him the job that he's now kind of so used to firefighting his position to just make a team that works that. But do you know what's funny? I'd love to know deep down to 10, how you even want to be there. I'd say he's so fed up with this. I'd say that would be my interpretation. That's not off any information whatsoever. I just don't think he would be. I just get the feeling that he's just beaten down.
00:19:59
Speaker
There's always these quote unquote leaks and stuff and questions on players being unprofessional, stuff like that. It feels like there's a real divide in that globe to the point where I don't even think the new ownership has fixed it. I think it's a culture issue that needs a lot of resolving.
00:20:20
Speaker
hasn't Radcliffe's people basically come in and said anyway that they need to gut the 1,000 staff and get that down to a fraction of that number? And you'd imagine that part of that would be bringing in a coach that will be working or used to working in that kind of a structure where it's got to go on either you're going to be lean and mean or you're going to get used to delegating to different areas because like you said before there's going to be like a
00:20:49
Speaker
Head of this department ahead of that department and like suddenly the manager of the head coach is not going to be that influence I haven't have that much influence on them other teams so technically his staff Whereas ten haggis could be 30 or 40 right now whoever comes in if there was somebody brought in
00:21:06
Speaker
Like, you can't exactly turn around and say, oh yeah, all these guys you've been working with, we have to get rid of 20 of them because you're actually going to have a staff take. Can I come from a system that's like that? Like, he was at IACs where it was very much multiple departments. That's not years ago. That's not years ago. I know, but if the club is transitioning to that way, you could see how they could come to, okay, he's worked in that environment. He was thrown into a shit show.
00:21:31
Speaker
which the club is in disrepute. Lads, if we go back to Randy, the league that came out during that time in the shit show, during his very short reign and what happened when he was basically told the fact that he instantly came into a club that was burning.
00:21:51
Speaker
Can we just put that also on the record that Everton Ranjuk has said came to be true? Oh yeah. Everything that he spotted called out was all 100% true and his reputation has been irreparably damaged and for no good reason. He went into the burning building and people were whinging that he didn't put it out.
00:22:16
Speaker
But this is the thing with a burning building, man. I think United at that point was definitely a burning building. I don't think it is as bad now, but the thing with that is...
00:22:28
Speaker
They chose to run into them flames. You know, like I do think there's certain times in certain clubs that you just can't go into. Don't forget what Rania keeps on it. You brought in as a director of football. He's only an intro manager. Yeah. Guide us to the summer and then you'll be the one in control. And like, honestly, his book's going to be crazy. Like Jamie, his book's going to be crazy because he was literally like, literally it was a set up.
00:22:56
Speaker
He was the fall guy, we're gonna get this guy in and we'll promise him the Sun, Moon and Stars and if he does half good, well then great, we'll get the benefit of that. If he doesn't, well then he'd be gone and we'll have whoever we want after. Who cares? I know we've talked about it before that managers get relieved of their duties, shall we say, to be polite, that there's potential NDAs.
Rangnick's Interim Management
00:23:16
Speaker
in play there and that's why you don't hear the full story but like how long do those usually run you know? I think Randy is up as he'd done an interview recently so like he's playing a dice there if it's not. Yeah. Right next to his chute. Yeah. Like I'd imagine that there's no NDA.
00:23:36
Speaker
or no long-term NDA. I don't think it was long-term. Yeah, because he beat the type that... Look after him, he left Red Bull. Never said a word against him. I'm sure he had plenty of things that he could. Yeah, he's just smart enough not to. Yeah, I think he's the kind of guy that you can trust him to do it on a handshake. Yeah, I know what you mean. So that's a quick question and this is my final one.
00:24:02
Speaker
Is it still a burning building they're walking into now if they do go with a new manager? And if so, who do you think that new manager would be? I don't think it's a burning building. I think there's a fire in one of the bedrooms. You know what I mean? I think there's issues there, but I don't think it's not fixable. As to manager, well, first of all, actually, before we go on the manager, Keelian, what are you saying? Burning building or not? Yeah, it's still on fire.
00:24:31
Speaker
What are you saying? There's firemen with hoses on it, but it's still on fire. They need a couple more engines, though. Yeah. Like, see, that's the thing. Like, he's only in the building. He hasn't sacked anybody yet properly. Like, there's been no mass... Right, clifffishes, yeah. Yeah, yeah. There's been no mass sackings like he promised there will be yet. So there's no footprint on it. He doesn't have his own people in there yet.
00:24:57
Speaker
So what you're seeing is still the Glazers just with Ratcliffe in control of that. And I'm sure all that he's him and his people are going to be doing is just guiding that to the end of the season. And you're going to see half the staff get sacked. And part of the reason why I think Ken Haggle will end up having to go is because you can't turn around and go, hey, see the guys you've been working with for the past two years. Yeah, half them need to go because they don't work in our structure.
00:25:25
Speaker
Like you can't really say that to a guy and keep him as well, because all of his mates are after. But then at the same time, if say, say on the new manager point, like say if Zidane comes, Zidane comes with a big ticket. And if they want Zidane, if Zidane wants to bring in 30 people, they will let 30 people come. But if 30 people within their structure, they can go, well, listen, they're going into our scouting team. Whereas it's now like, considering Tenhag is the scouting team,
00:25:52
Speaker
like imagine somebody else coming and going, oh yeah, no, we're not going to use you anymore. Like, could you imagine if the Glazers said to Alex Ferguson, yeah, actually, no, we don't want your brother as your scout anymore. No, that wouldn't have happened. Do you think this is any manager's world football right now that stands out? That would be a good suit for Manchester United.
00:26:16
Speaker
Ooh, great question. Yeah, it's a hard question. It's not a who would take it. Is there anyone out there that would take it? There's 50 managers that would take it, but the fifth. Ooh, you got it. That was a proper journalist. I was the last. I have a name. You could probably guess if you tried, but who would you think? I swear to God, if you say Steve Bruce.
00:26:37
Speaker
Sorry, Steve, this was a bit too out of your mouth. My version of Steve Bruce has been very much touted, and I think in that kind of a structure he would work, which would be Graham Potter. I don't think he'd get the job. I think he'd be definitely interviewed for it. I think he'd be in astute signing.
00:26:57
Speaker
Yeah, they're going to try and recreate Brighton's structure. It works. The only issue with him is the big egos, and it seems to be now that based on Nisa or whatever, Radcliffe's team isn't interested in egos. They don't want a Jaden Sanjo next time just because he's the next big English prospect. They're going to go for the right people with the right personality to fit into their system.
00:27:24
Speaker
The other one I think could be good, sure, but good, is Tookle. Tookle, the more time goes on, does make sense. I think outside Tookle, running on the Brighton train, I think Deserby could work. I don't think Deserby takes it though. That's the thing, I totally agree with you. I think he'd work, but I think he's smart enough not to take it.
00:27:51
Speaker
Nate, what's the name you're going to throw at us? Because I'll run through the odds after that.
00:27:55
Speaker
OK, my name. OK, I've got my guy that I go in and then a guy that I think it will be. OK. My the guy I think it will be, I think it will be Ruben Adderham. I knew you were going to say that because he's linked with Liverpool. I was like, if Liverpool don't take him, you know, he's not necessarily my pick. But I think how I've heard and read how he based a lot of things off stats and stuff that will fit into the new materials model.
00:28:25
Speaker
But my guy would be Thomas Deucher. You've been hitting that drum for a while. I know it would be very short and sweet. He's Marini Wesk in that way. But are we talking like four years? Yeah, okay.
00:28:40
Speaker
I think he's a guy that could, if in the right environment, go in there, change a culture, make a very stats base like any of us like it. And I just like the way he plays football. Dating back to... He's done this kind of role of PSG. Like, he is willing to kind of go in, turn a thing around and move it on, or be moved on. Like, PSG had a few of them with Ancelotti, Pochettino, Tugel.
00:29:07
Speaker
Like, is that what you really need is just to kind of move on to the next era, let's get the right kind of new mentality. On the manager front, and I've borrowed this question from a competitor pod, but do you think there should be a transfer season for managers? No.
00:29:31
Speaker
So where this goes in, I thought you'd be down for a night because this gets rid of the, you can sack them after six weeks. If you can only get rid of them, say January or the summer, or maybe it's three times a year, it means managers get more time. I'm not against the idea. I just, where would the draw line be drawn? Cause like suddenly you're doing that and you're doing that with coaches.
00:29:53
Speaker
Yeah. And like, yeah, it would get messy, I think. And to be honest, I just, I don't think the clubs would ever go for it. And it would need to be a super, super majority.
00:30:06
Speaker
for the Premier League to bring it in. It'd be interesting, though. See, it's one of those ones I don't think it would ever happen. I don't think it's feasible. But it piqued my interest, because I was like, the examples, though, of where it wouldn't work is, say, there's a manager who's just like, you're properly going to get relegated. You need to get rid of them, and now you're stuck with them one. If you've got, say, when Gary Neville is at Valencia, and the fans want to make it, like the owners want to make it, and the fact that you're like, prisoned into keeping someone,
00:30:36
Speaker
is not realistic. But then at the same time, it just it just kind of made me go with that, I suppose recalibrate how teams look at managers and how long they give them, you know.
00:30:47
Speaker
Or would it end up being that your manager ends up not mattering and your manager just becomes some coach that's a face and then you're hiring a load of director of footballs or your assistant managers. So you're effectively keeping the manager but putting it somewhere else. Yeah, on field football operations or something.
00:31:09
Speaker
Before we move on from United, the current odds according to Skye. Graham Potter 5-2, Thomas Tuchel 6-1, Ruben Amaran 7-1, Simone Inzaghi 8-1. Really? That's a surprise. Dzerbe 10-1, Zidane 12-1, Southgate 14-1, Lopategi 14-1, Mourinho 16-1,
00:31:34
Speaker
Nagelsmann, 20-1. Michael Carrick, 20-1. Andrew Postecagliu, 25-1. Gary O'Neill, 25-1. Kieron McKenna, 25-1. Eddie Howe, 28-1. If we got rid of Howe, would you have him? No. Why?
00:31:55
Speaker
Because he's not a Manchester United manager. Oh god, we're going to have words over that there. But can I just point out how Southgate is better odds than O'Neal? What's going on there?
00:32:14
Speaker
That British boy is made. Southgate has a better odds than Merino and Haggardman, Posterkogloo, Conte, Thomas Frank, Shabby Alonso, Louis Enrique, Pochettino, Schalzkair. Louis Enrique's an interesting one to me. That could work.
00:32:29
Speaker
If he takes over Manchester United, that's the day I'll stop somewhere in this club. I'll draw the line there. Number one, and number two, I'm not going to get involved in this repainting how Southgate looks. He's an awful manager. He is a politician in football and still makes the world look mediocre. Jesus Christ. He's a man that has, by definition, failed upwards.
00:32:59
Speaker
I mean, in management. One man who's not on that list and it says a lot about our manager hunt on the Emeril aisle is Mr. Carsley. He's not even a 25 to 1er.
00:33:19
Speaker
No, he's not even a 66 to 1er, which is Rudman Nisteroi, who actually, why has he not been approached by the FAI? Because that would be blocked off. Amazing. But yeah, we have our interim manager, as we said last week, but the news today as of recording was that director of football for Ireland, Mark Cabrum, has said that
00:33:43
Speaker
Contractual obligations mean they're not allowed to talk about the new manager until April. I think that's buying more time. Yeah, I'm not seeing. I'm seeing right through this FAIBS. Even under 21's next games are at the end of March, so the training camp will be into April, and then it's not playing again until September.
00:34:07
Speaker
I mean, all the hints point to Carsley, but like, I just think this is fugazi smoke and mirror stuff, you know?
00:34:17
Speaker
Yeah, let's get one teacher. I don't think you can come out and say that in the media and not be Carisley. Like, he knows what he's doing there. I'd say if it is Carisley, Carisley, but if it's not Carisley... No, he has to deal. Maybe, maybe... Like, I'd be very interested to know is there, like, a breaking point in Carisley's contract where he, like, right now he can turn around and goes, yeah, I can leave on a free at my own discretion, but he's not going to leave them in the lurch. He's going to go, listen, if I'm doing that, I'm going to give you a little bit of time
00:34:45
Speaker
I'll do these camps and I'll give you at least three or four months.
00:34:50
Speaker
So probably Ashley Cole will take his role. It's a good look for Canem, if he pulls this off. They could come out and say, we've signed Lee Cowsey as a new management national team manager after the games. They could come out and say that. That's something that can't happen. So why are they delaying at number one and number two? Contractually, well, that's the thing. He said it's contractually, he's not letting you talk about it. I just don't believe, I just think as a former PR person, that's just spin, man.
00:35:19
Speaker
And the thing is, if it's not Leech House, and I'll say it again, he knows what he's doing. I just don't buy it. One thing I will say, boys, that I'm tremendously happy about, and it's the first good decision the FAI have made in a long time. Brian Kerr is back, baby. I'm so glad to have his brain back in the building.
00:35:42
Speaker
Is it a good move? Yes, why not? No one knows Irish football by that name. That's a PR move. He's coming in, having a few coppers, sitting down on the green table. I love it. It's a sign of just going backwards again. Do you know what I mean? If they were that interested in having someone coming in and filling that role,
00:36:06
Speaker
In my opinion, there's probably a lot better people suited to that role. Not necessarily on an Irish basis, but on a football basis, they can come in and do that role. So I think it's a backwards step. Interesting.
Brian Kerr's Return to Irish Football
00:36:20
Speaker
I'm not impressed with it. It's not even a backwards step because he's only going to be there for the interim period. Yeah. I really don't know. I thought he was taken on as technical director. Oh, it's just O'Shea stuff.
00:36:30
Speaker
technical advisor to the interim manager. Oh, that's stupid. OK, sorry. Yes, I agree with you, boys. I thought I thought that was like a long term move. No, no, no. Give him his new tracksuit. I think the idea is basically by saying that O'Shea isn't a manager. He doesn't have the experience to be a manager. So we're going to get an old school head in that knows the setup to be there, to give him the hand.
00:36:58
Speaker
Did you know there is actually something more pessimistic about him being back than us? And that's Dave on Twitter, who is apparently the burner account of Mr. John Delaney. Have you seen this? I haven't seen this. This is beyond because so there is a few little bits to this now. So what's the account called? I will get you the name of it now.
00:37:28
Speaker
This is like, this is the most terrible audio as we all go crazy. Why are you searching for this? We all agree we need a Netflix series on John Delaney. We generally need like a drive to survive in the background. The account is at Jim777now. Jim777now. So it's four sevens. Okay. And it's under the name Dave.
00:37:57
Speaker
And who's drawn this connection? So basically he's been beefing with Jonathan Hill, this account, on Twitter and has been very criticizing Kerr, criticizing a lot, but the clincher of this was in January 2021. So this is a long-standing burner if it is one.
00:38:21
Speaker
and messaged the Q village police over in England asking quick inquiry my girlfriend lost her driving license last Friday walking to Q village. Natalia is from Russia if anyone has the same knowledge or the same please contact me.
00:38:36
Speaker
And now the link being was he, John Delaney had famous, he had a long-term girlfriend and then in the last, was it two years, broke up with her whilst announcing he got another woman pregnant. He was a former Russian model named Natalia. Oh my God. I'm just looking at some of the tweets here. Like, so looking at the, after happy birthday, Brian Kerr from Ireland football and good old Dave comes in an angry, bitter old man.
00:39:03
Speaker
Okay, tell us how you really feel. The next one up, bring him back a bitter 70-year-old man who's slammed Kenny off and has not worked in football for years. If he's so great, why has he not got a serious role in football for 20 years? Oh, allegedly, we must say to all of this that it's possibly Mr Delaney. But if it is, that's wild. It is very, very amusing. We are safe to comment about us. Yeah, we'll do the keep him in a dark room and change the voice.
00:39:34
Speaker
Dave or Jim, if you are listening out there. We have the driver's license. We can set up an autonomous voice, you know, for your voice. We just have to shop. Yeah, like it would be absolutely amazing.
00:39:50
Speaker
just to hear if this actually is his. There's kind of less than the mic would be able to connect on, but there would be a certain number of hallmarks met, and at least it'd be somebody more pessimistic than this interim thing than we have been over. You're so man for knowing the hidden gems in this kind of thing. Chronically online, I think is the... It's kind of a big point.
00:40:20
Speaker
Who else is going to be going very quiet? Is Paul fucking Pogba? Four years, I am. Well, it's actually sad. It is sad. It's sad in ways of... Yeah, it's the kind of like... That's what he gets for threatening witch doctors against Selena Mbappe when they didn't call him up to the World Cup. You think of the life he's had though, his family setting him up to be what was it, kidnapped?
00:40:44
Speaker
or blackmailed or something. You know, there is the argument here again, this is all allegedly so we don't get bloody sued. But Italian clubs have a little bit of a history for the old, you know, doping and, you know.
00:41:00
Speaker
keynotes come out and talked about it on stick to football you know we covered it in in in our deep dive episode on doping which is i i'd advise people to go back and look at because it sheds a bit of light on on the situation but there is a world in which you didn't know i don't believe that is the case but there is a world in which you didn't know i think giving all benefit to the of the doubt is the lad has been out for 18 months with injury and
00:41:29
Speaker
Yeah, basically that it was a last ditch effort to get his body right. Yeah. Like this is the end of his career. Like he's 34 when he comes off this band. I'd say even if he appeals that they're not going to give him anything because they want to throw the book at him, you know? Well, the thing about it is like if the band is held, that's six years without playing.
00:41:49
Speaker
Yeah, like I do find it is really sad, like not to mention the stuff that happened with all the family and stuff like. Yeah. He's just been on a downward spiral since then. And like when that bang came out, like as I went down to YouTube, Baba Hall rewatching some stuff, like he's such a good footballer, you know what I mean? It's such potential. He's a World Cup winner for Christ's sake.
00:42:15
Speaker
100% but he's always been known as the guy that reached our full potential and I think that's sad but what I'll say about from what I've seen from him and I've seen a lot of them is he is one of the most naturally gifted footballers I've ever seen. When he was honest he was unbelievable. Honestly, one of the best footballers you can see play in my opinion and I think that's the
00:42:40
Speaker
the sad thing is he never nailed that consistency and and it didn't have the mentality for true but i think also his mentality maybe not mentality more his personality was the thing that
00:42:54
Speaker
attracted everyone to him. And, but on the mentality, man, like if you've got a family that are doing that kind of thing, you've hardly been built to survive in a high performance world. No, I don't mean that like he, like he did well at Juventus and had the kind of brazenness and the kind of the swagger.
00:43:12
Speaker
Like he had that fucking, like, uh, the, the rock for our WWE reference, that kind of like, I am. Yeah, I'm him. Yeah. I think it's the end of a dying breed of entertainer footballers that aren't just PR trained. Like, and I mean that, like, he wasn't scared to talk and do things. Like, you know, have fun. I don't think you see much of that nowadays. It's all very,
00:43:40
Speaker
On that, I think he's the perfect transition footballer when you look at, he's a footballer that yes, was one of them ones naturally gifted and fun to watch on his day, but had all of the influence and trappings of being the mega rich footballers. Like if you look at Ronaldinho, Ronaldinho was doing the fun stuff and then he's doing the normal thing that any lad could have been doing. He looked a party.
00:44:05
Speaker
But then you had Pogba that was more interested in the business and was getting way, way more money and was way too interested in building a brand. We're seeing players playing video games rather than focusing on that. And I think if you look at Pogba, he could be just the perfect transition of the two eras meeting, kind of going, yeah, that's an old style way of playing.
00:44:31
Speaker
but you had all of the trappings of the modern way and that's where you went wrong. Just a very quick aside, Thomas Graveson was once in the top five ranked cod players in the world when he was at Everton. It's funny to say that before we hopped on, I saw that video too. Is a bit reactionary, tell me if it's a bit reactionary, okay? But that was the 2018 World Cup, yes, the one that you won.
00:44:58
Speaker
Yeah. I think so, yeah. If he moved on at that point and went to Real Madrid and nailed down the consistency, from what we've seen before now, do you think he could have gone down as one of the best midfielders? If he had a head on them like Paul Sculls.
00:45:14
Speaker
He could have been one of the greatest players ever touchable. I don't think I've seen someone as naturally gifted as him. Maybe I was watching highlights and I was going to be his best off, but everything he touched was always perfectly weighted. He had the strength to rub them off. He could make a tackle. He could play a ball from 50 yards over the top, land perfectly on the foot.
00:45:40
Speaker
I don't think I've seen a midfielder, at least I was saying midfielder, but bordering on player, but the obvious ones that were just as gifted as them. I really don't. I think there has been players to reach the level that he did.
00:45:59
Speaker
say at Juventus, and then to drop off as well. Think of Juan Román Raquelme. Oh, he was unbelievable. At the time, at Barcelona, I think of anybody, he's probably as close as kind of going, you are the next guy, you are the next thing. And then three years later, he was back in Argentina.
00:46:21
Speaker
And again, it was a mentality thing with him, but he still carved out a long career for himself and is now the president at Bockers. Pogba. Yeah, like if he had made a move to a different team.
00:46:39
Speaker
I don't think the team would have mattered because I do. I absolutely do. There was nobody there for him to respect that he respected to keep him in line. And I think that was one of the bigger things which Juventus when he's coming through, he's coming through alongside the likes of Pirlo and all who he looked up to. He was never going to go against what his
00:47:01
Speaker
heroes, there's immediate heroes, were doing. And like when you look at his time at United, he was looking up to a very strong, relatively strong United team. So while he came through 08, 09. Yeah, he was very young. Yeah. And you're looking up to the likes of Akaric, Jisung Park, who's all these players. Skulls gigs. Skulls gigs. All these players that were renowned for their work rate, not their
00:47:26
Speaker
But this is the thing that maybe I'm being unfair to him here because like you're allowed of role models and everyone has people they based themselves off to, you know, surround yourself with the people you want to be that kind of thing. But also to be at the level that he wanted to be at and should have been at.
00:47:43
Speaker
A lot of it has to be on you. It doesn't matter if you're in a team full of Phil Nevels. You need to be able to be the leader, be your own guidance. Some players do. I agree with that to an extent, but I think you have to have the mentality to be able to withstand the pressure. If you look at even Rashford at United now,
00:48:09
Speaker
The fact that he kind of gets away with as much as he does in the long term is meant will mean he will not have reached his potential. Yeah. Yeah. Pop is the same. And if Pop had moved to Real and it would have been under Zidane.
00:48:23
Speaker
That's what I mean. That was about to say, do you remember the season where Zana was begging for him? I genuinely think if he moved that season, we won't be here to talk about this. Like, I just- And it's just such a shame. And don't forget, Man United has a history of scapegoating the best player. And I think- Oh yeah.
00:48:41
Speaker
he was the player that needed a leader beside him because he could do the flare stuff. He had that personality. He didn't have defensive midfielder beside him, let alone a leader. But that's what I mean. I genuinely think if he moved around Madrid,
00:48:58
Speaker
we won't be having this conversation. And in fact, we probably would bear an injury, be having a conversation where he ranks in some of the best footballers. Like I really do. It's funny though, I'd never call myself a fan of Pogba, but like you're saying, I just, I genuinely want to read the news. I wasn't like, Oh yes, finally got on. I was like, Oh, why?
00:49:16
Speaker
You know, it's so avoidable. I think it's a pitch perfect end. It sums them up. A career of what if. Yeah, it sums them up. I think it's a very sad end to a career that could have been a what if. Do you know what I mean? But it's in the same way that like, you know, I often say, and I'm of the opinion, if alcohol didn't exist, Paul Gaskin could have possibly been the greatest player to ever touch a football. Who knows? You know what I mean?
00:49:47
Speaker
Yeah, like there's loads of players, like even like, I feel like Hazard's a what-if, you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, I'd put Hazard and Pogba on a very even playing field, technically. I think they're both major what-ifs. Hazard was such a, like, that's another one. Watching him just kind of, I'm not even being a dick saying this, but watching him just get fat and lazy just was horrible, like. Like, the only thing with Hazard, different to Pogba, was Hazard proved he could do it.
00:50:16
Speaker
I think Pogba proved he could do it when he won that World Cup. Like that was the Pogba World Cup. Was Hazard not in the team of the year or something like five or six years in a row? He went through a period where like, I mean, any club in the world would have picked him, you know. Yeah. And he was the best player in the Premier League. So like Pogba had two or three really good seasons. And then it all went off. Hazard, I think,
00:50:45
Speaker
As he said, he got fat and lazy, but he had proven the point. And I think he's a player that had a similar mentality to Pogba, kind of going, well, for as long as I need to prove it, I will. And the difference being is he felt he needed to prove it for longer. Because I think once Pogba got 350K a week or whatever, he was on it, and I was like, well, yeah, look.
00:51:06
Speaker
Obviously I'm more, obviously I'm, I'm as good as I think I am because after paying 80 or 90 million for me, another person that lob into that category is Gareth Bale. Yeah. Less so and in different ways. It wasn't really his choice, but I mean, he could have easily just, and I'm not going to do the whole, he decided to sit there and play golf thing. But I just mean like if he really wanted it, he could have left forged a move somewhere or forced to move somewhere.
00:51:32
Speaker
and his CV is incredible and he's an amazing player but he's an element of fire. But he'll never be remembered for his overriding football skill actively at his CV. Personally I think Gareth Bale was Ballon d'Or level.
00:51:56
Speaker
Oh yeah, but he has one of them kind of CVs now that's kind of going, oh my god, I can't believe you won that much. Do you not spend all the time on the bench? No, he's actually key in most of their Champions League wins, but...
00:52:06
Speaker
He won one of them pretty much single-handedly. Remember that Boise? The last thing I'll say on Pogba is I'll never forget the start of the season where you had eight assists after three games. Do you remember we bet Leeds six now? I actually don't remember this. He had eight assists in three games. Eight assists after three games. That's frightening. It was a couple of seasons in and I was like, oh my God, has Pogba landed?
00:52:35
Speaker
And then three games later, he was out with the team again. I'm glad my brain was just like, I wish I had hit my fantasy. That was three games. He was just sitting back in the holding world, ping and balls, like, like, it was crazy. And yeah, that, that my overall- Do you think Fergie, if he'd stayed with Fergie and like, do you think he could have, is that the kind of leader he, or is he kind of too old guard for, for a pug? But was it like, is it Dan would keep him in check, like you said?
00:53:03
Speaker
I think Fergie was too old-school in the sense that he would have not given him the short leash that he needed. I think Isadam appreciates the modern world and just asks them to keep it within a limit.
00:53:19
Speaker
Cuz it's an interesting cuz he's old guard but he was at the changing of the guard, you know, yeah, yeah, like I He was doing it from the players perspective as well. Like he was like as soon as sedan got old like He's old now in his 50s. Whereas we're talking about a 70 year old person like it's it's a different way of looking at an old-school but I
00:53:41
Speaker
You did mention forging a move, and before we finish, I do want to talk about a team that was forged a move, being Wimbledon, beating MK Don's 1-0 with a 90 plus 4-minute winner by Irishman Ronan Curtis, nephew of Chris Coleman.
00:54:06
Speaker
If you don't know, Wimbledon became MKDons when it was moved and that's where the Dons come from, Wimbledon. And the original, or was it Sky or I can't remember who the commentators were, says the real Dons have bet MKDons. Oh, that's a nice little jab.
00:54:24
Speaker
It was just a proper football purists dream because AFC women in our Phoenix team worked their way up. They've had football managers sponsors. I think, um, uh, John Green, who wrote the fault in our stars as a shareholder, the initial chairman used to only get paid a shilling because he had to take a pain. But he didn't want to. So he took a, a, a, a ceremonial one and he said, you know what? Shilling just sounds better than a panic. I'd say like.
00:54:55
Speaker
What that must have meant to that core fan group, obviously the players, that's one thing, but to the people that have been there from the get, that must have just been everything. I know obviously you're in football to win trophies and get promoted and go to the biggest leagues, but that's one of those moments where that's a Champions League win to them.
00:55:19
Speaker
Oh, 100%. 100%. That's almost bigger than football. You know what I mean? In terms of what that means to that community.
00:55:27
Speaker
And then there is the other side, which was maybe like a week ago that I kind of feel bad from now. But Dean Livingston and the left back for MKDons made his 930th appearance for them, which is the equivalent of, I think, 25 appearances for 20 years. That's outrageous. He's the most amount of appearances for a single club in the EFL, I think. What was Gigsy? Gigsy must be up there.
00:55:54
Speaker
EFL. Oh sorry EFL. Not so. But I think Giggs has less games than you think.
00:56:02
Speaker
yeah like it was outrageous but don't forget like it like it's 24 teams yeah 642 yeah whereas yeah jesus christ the human and mk dance is in the 900s what ages 41 i think oh my god fair fair but he's still going um he lewington not livingstone lewington um
00:56:28
Speaker
Give the man a break. Have a bloody kick out. So he's made 771 league appearances in December. The most queer league appearances by a player for a single club in the history of the EFL.
00:56:46
Speaker
a record that was held since 1981. And yeah, like he started out in Wimbledon. And his work, the whole entry, so it's 810 appearances across the two clubs. And in total, if you include Cup games, it's 934.
00:57:10
Speaker
What way do you think he's feeling about it? Like I wonder if he was rubbed up the wrong way when it happens, you know what I mean?
00:57:24
Speaker
Well, I still feel slightly aggrieved by the whole thing because we missed out on Dublin FC in the Premier League because that would have been fun. But it was interesting as well, MK Dawn fans have started to turn against Pete Winkelman, who was the man who brought them to Milton Keynes. And he was there was seen shouting at him in front of his Jeep and he was turning to confront them. And it kind of shut him up when they turned around and says, you promised us Premier League football.
00:57:51
Speaker
Ooh, big claims. You got to back them up. That's the AFC Wimbledon in league one. So, yeah, for whatever your opinion on it, it was a very movie-esque. Oh, I mean, the kind of movie that that would be is like, Go, or like, Go 2. Like, it's not going to be Oscar worthy. Good God, you'd watch it. It has to be a documentary on that. Like, Shirley's song, right?
00:58:19
Speaker
Speaking of fairy tale endings, that brings us to the end of our podcast. Thank you very much for listening. Lads, thanks very much for joining me on a fine evening such as this. And we'll chat to you next week. I'm not into podcasts. Back of the net.