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Bend it like... Rice? Where does Declan rank in the pantheon of free-kick takers?
2 Playsin 4 hours
Newcastle batter United so badly Nathan’s gone into hiding 🫣 Salah and VVD are staying - Liverpool fans, rejoice! 💃 And after Rice’s double… who’s the greatest free-kick taker of all time? 🎯👀
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Transcript
Podcast Introduction
00:00:17
Killian Ginnity
Hello, hello, hello, and welcome to the Not A Pundit podcast as usual. But you already know that. You clicked on this. Why am I telling you? don't know.
Newcastle vs Manchester United: Key Moments
00:00:30
Killian Ginnity
Connor, how are we doing?
00:00:32
Conor Glennon
I am doing very, very well. We got a tremendous win over Man United ah over the weekend and absolutely bloody dominated. And you know what, mate?
00:00:43
Conor Glennon
and it's it's it's It's slightly awkward. I think we might have scared Nade away.
00:00:49
Killian Ginnity
Well, Nate, how how was the weekend for you?
00:00:53
Conor Glennon
Tumbleweeds.
00:00:55
Killian Ginnity
Yes. Nate is not here this week. He is in hiding, um which is very apt considering United got a hiding.
Was Newcastle's Win Skill or Man Utd's Weakness?
00:01:06
Killian Ginnity
ah what what we What was your reaction to to icon it, Conor? Was it ah as bad as the scoreline made out to be? Was this ah fantastic Newcastle victory or was it just at another terrible United loss?
Impact of Eddie Howe's Absence
00:01:22
Conor Glennon
I think before we delve into that, the my biggest thing going into the game was with Eddie Howe at that time and in hospital for unknown reasons. It was kind of yeah awful to hear that, but Jason Tindall living his dreams out. um But it's since come out that that Eddie had has
Newcastle's Strategy and Star Performances
00:01:40
Conor Glennon
been...
00:01:40
Conor Glennon
going through ah about a pneumonia so t's and p's to him and hopefully he's back on on the sideline soon um i think it was a great win um you know not just obviously from a three points perspective and and united or ban united in this case are a team that have historically rolled us over and and put up big numbers against us so it's nice to get a substantial scoreline against them i think uh you know Going into the game, we saw Nanna dropped, which was huge.
Manchester United's Challenges
00:02:11
Conor Glennon
I understand it. His performance against Lyon, after having a war of words with Maddich during the week, I think Maddich caught him out and pointed out
00:02:21
Conor Glennon
how poorly he's been playing but you know they then brought in a sub keeper who tried
Man Utd's Transfer Strategy Speculations
00:02:27
Conor Glennon
to play out from the back which doesn't suit that team and i don't think he knows how to play you know our high press absolutely broke them down i think you know i've been saying multiple points throughout this this season of the pod that but our midfield is arguably one of the best in the premier league and i think that's what won us this game um i
Liverpool's Contract Renewals
00:02:48
Conor Glennon
think it was a performance that showed what Eddie Howe has brought to that team and I think what actually did make me feel good about Tyndall being in charge was
Trent's Departure and Fan Reactions
00:03:01
Conor Glennon
that it doesn't all hinge on Eddie that what he has built is built in the players and they can carry that on you know like look we're we're not to have Eddie Howe forever and I hope we have him for a good while you know I know I've tiptoed around my
00:03:18
Conor Glennon
whether I want that to to be
Legendary Free-Kick Takers Discussion
00:03:20
Conor Glennon
but I think the Carabao Cup has has blurred my vision for for the short term but yeah all in all really great performance from the Toon and another poor performance um from from Manchester United you know I saw a stat that I think summed up how their season is going to be honest and it's we're the fourth club to beat them home and away this season in the league and that hasn't happened since 1958.
00:03:44
Killian Ginnity
Which is absolutely the insane. Now I do think that goes to also speak of the competitive nature of the Premier League as much as it does like the kind of in how in the doldrums United have been for a decade now.
00:04:00
Killian Ginnity
um But like I think it's good that that can happen for teams of the reputation of United. um But I think there's going to be serious question marks over Amarin by the end of this season, ah which I think is kind of fairly unjust.
00:04:20
Killian Ginnity
I don't think he's going to be sacked, but I think he's going
00:04:23
Conor Glennon
surely they can't like I mean optically you know
00:04:26
Killian Ginnity
No, no. But I think that it will kind of lead to a situation like Ten Hag was in last summer. going into the season kind of going, listen, the proverbial axes swinging above your head.
00:04:40
Killian Ginnity
Should there be enough of an excuse if like like if they back him this summer and they give him what he wants and he isn't performing?
00:04:47
Conor Glennon
What's that look like though? Does that mean money? Does that mean, know, basically? you know
00:04:53
Killian Ginnity
I think it means signings, not necessarily big money.
00:04:56
Conor Glennon
bodies basically
00:04:58
Killian Ginnity
Yeah, like i think I think it'd be, I think there'd certain amount of money, like let's say a Premier League level money of 70, 80, 90 million of a war chest, plus whatever we can sell.
00:05:11
Killian Ginnity
So like if you can get Sancho off off the wage bill and get 30 or 40 million or whatever, yeah.
00:05:19
Conor Glennon
Get Rashford out the door, I guess.
00:05:21
Killian Ginnity
That kind of stuff.
00:05:21
Conor Glennon
Yeah.
00:05:22
Killian Ginnity
And that that'll kind of like bolster your kitty where you may have the budget for 20 million striker while you might have 25 now. um Just because it'll it'll limit some of the losses for um financial rules.
00:05:35
Killian Ginnity
So I think... I think United have shown since Radcliffe came in. um Now, maybe this is as much Ashworth and he him not being there.
00:05:47
Conor Glennon
RIP.
00:05:49
Killian Ginnity
and But like getting in players like De Ligt for the money that they did, getting in players like Masraoui for the money that they did, even Ugarthe, was good value. They've shown that they are shopping in a different bin now.
00:06:04
Killian Ginnity
um One that I've given a lot of praise and credit to. um Like, going for that slightly undervalued that their current team will get for a better price. um getting if you You can get some good value now.
00:06:19
Killian Ginnity
i think 80, 90 million... of them kind of players will plus whatever you can sell will kind of give him enough uh ammunition to be able to kick on and and i think if rat the way racleff will see it is if if that doesn't or if that isn't enough for him well then maybe he's not the right person because i think that's the way racleff is going to be operating going forward
00:06:34
Conor Glennon
See, the thing...
00:06:45
Conor Glennon
See, where if I'm Rycliffe where I'm worried is this whole dedication to the formation that he wants. It's going to get to a point where like your head is on the chopping board. if you're if If you're that dedicated to a certain style, you better be able to walk with that.
00:07:02
Conor Glennon
And I struggle to see them financially able to bring in the volume of players they need to for him to have a team that can play that system.
00:07:13
Conor Glennon
Because those who are there now simply cannot or won't. One or the other. Either way, it's not happening.
00:07:21
Killian Ginnity
I don't think you're going to see him change from it because ultimately that's what is he was like.
00:07:25
Conor Glennon
That's the hill he has to die on, but you know.
00:07:26
Killian Ginnity
Yeah, it was also the reason he was hired. Like, they wanted a team with an identity. They may not like the yet identity now or he may not have the exact players for it, but he he has to double down on it.
00:07:40
Conor Glennon
Well, I'm starting to agree with Nate where, you know, from a couple episodes back, he said if it wasn't for Bruno Fernandes, they'd have been relegated and he ain't far wrong.
00:07:40
Killian Ginnity
And, like,
00:07:50
Killian Ginnity
Yeah, but like, say if they can get rid of Casemiro. Like, that's an awful lot Yeah.
00:07:55
Conor Glennon
huge if yeah
00:07:58
Killian Ginnity
like Yeah, well, like, at what point do you kind of just sometimes have to just take the loss on the chin and kind of go, yeah, it's going to cost me X amount now, but it'll save me a year's worth of wages at a week.
00:08:11
Conor Glennon
yeah and press throughout the whole season
00:08:12
Killian Ginnity
ah week Yeah, so like when you have them kind of... If you can kind of shift some of them financial burdens, which in fairness, last summer they did get a good bit of the Deadwood cleared in their defence, then there should be enough movability ah for and Brada or whoever would be the one doing the signings to be able to like make some changes.
00:08:37
Killian Ginnity
Plus, I think like when seeing their January... the january and December transfers like there was that young guy from Arsenal even like Dorgug like yeah I think you'll see a little bit more of that ah this summer I think you might see one or two older heads who 26 27 year olds but I think you'll see a couple of young actually young guys but
00:08:46
Conor Glennon
Yeah, they've they've made moves with a lot of young lads, yeah.
00:09:02
Killian Ginnity
not far off their current first team, shall we say, not ah in the Premier League first team, but their current first team, and that they can at least kind of like give that ah balance so that like, yeah, you have, say you're Bruno, but then your backup is somebody that's not there yet, but it's pretty damn good.
00:09:24
Killian Ginnity
and And I think, ah like we have to We have to remember, Amram's not there that long. I think with a full pre-season for the likes of Garnaccio and players like that to kind of kind of double down and try new positions, like see where if Garnaccio can play in ah in a Bruno role or should he be kind of more of like a forward. and like I think there'll be a little bit, over the summer, I think you'll probably see a little bit more fitting these players into the system and making judgment calls on them then rather than what's happened now which is play the system and just play the players where maybe they might work um and not being able to experiment too much because ultimately the expectation already there where it's probably not actually better
00:10:11
Conor Glennon
Well, you have to look at this as as a case of Thursday night, you know, Europa League. If they lose that and they get knocked out of that, that is both the Champions League spot gone, potentially, if they if they were to go on and win the Europa League. Financially, that would be a hit. So now you're looking into looking in the barrel of...
00:10:31
Conor Glennon
a team that's 14th, 15th in the league who doesn't have Champions League next year. So from a financial perspective, you don't have that coming in. Your ah sponsor revenue is going to be decreased.
00:10:43
Conor Glennon
And also, what is your attraction as a player to go there? you know i but it they're going like Thursday is absolutely gigantic for Amarim. And you know off the back of that, I think it's a case of there's not a world in which he keeps his job next year if this time next year they're in the bottom half not a chance
00:11:09
Killian Ginnity
to Yeah, I don't i don't think ah investment-wise, Ratcliffe could allow it if it's coming up to Christmas under in the bottom half.
00:11:16
Conor Glennon
that i was that's what i was gonna say i'd like he's gonna yeah he'll get a pre-season he might get bring it get to bring in some people but he does not have time in a sign man
00:11:25
Killian Ginnity
No, I think it's a ten like it's for the second year in a row, it's like Hag was last year. Kind of like if if there's an opportunity or a need, you we yeah we we're happy enough to get you gone now because like we don't have time to waste ultimately.
00:11:39
Killian Ginnity
um But
00:11:43
Killian Ginnity
one team that operated as if they did have time to waste was Liverpool. um They... held true and somebody did call this oh yeah it was us we said of the tree that their contracts were running out two of them would stay trent is gone we had our say on that and since our last episode salah has signed and virgil is on the way
00:12:10
Conor Glennon
So, yes. yeah he's he's very close to a here we go if Fabrizio's to be trusted in that one and the man's not not wrong. I think we deserve a collective pat on the back for that one.
00:12:22
Conor Glennon
um I do think the Trent one was was as obvious as the night is long, but the other two, I don't know. and i don't know about you, but I don't think the club should have let it go that long because from a negotiation point of view, they've definitely been put over a barrel.
00:12:39
Conor Glennon
You know, the that this is the most ideal situation as a player and an agent that could possibly have happened. They could have commanded anything.
00:12:49
Killian Ginnity
ah In fairness, I think the club was... think they were trying to play a clever hand, kind of going, let's not overcommit ourselves. Because in fairness, I don't think any of us expected Salah to have the season that he's had.
00:13:05
Killian Ginnity
like I think we were all expecting some form of him tapering off, um especially under a new coach.
00:13:11
Conor Glennon
Especially with the Saudi interest, you know.
00:13:14
Killian Ginnity
Yeah, um but um and with a new coach as well, kind of going like, is he going to fit into the system? Let's not commit another whatever that wages be quarter of a million or 280,000 a week or 300,000 a week for a coach that might come in in six months time and say, yeah, I actually don't want him.
00:13:29
Killian Ginnity
Oh, well, sorry, we just commit a five year deal with him. So I think they did play a relatively clever hand on the Salah front.
00:13:35
Conor Glennon
In terms of you think the way they played this almost turned his season into the season that it's been and where he something to prove? As in like, keep me like...
00:13:42
Killian Ginnity
and A little bit of that, but more more about protecting Slott. If Slott turned around and says, yeah, he's not for me, well then, oh it's the board's fault.
00:13:54
Killian Ginnity
They let him run down his contract. I think there was a little bit of clever gamesmanship there. um Whereas...
00:14:01
Conor Glennon
If it didn't work out, though, they lost, you know, £200 million pounds worth of players, arguably £300 if you throw in Trent in there, you know?
00:14:06
Killian Ginnity
Well...
00:14:09
Killian Ginnity
ah Like with Salah, if I think by January, if it was obvious that it wasn't work going to work under slot, he would have been sold to Saudi and they would have got 80 or 90 or 100 from him.
00:14:24
Killian Ginnity
and which would have been absolutely fine. Could they have probably gotten more? Yeah, but he's also 32 years old. So I think they've played a really, really clever hand. Plus him making them constant assertions of his love for the club.
00:14:44
Killian Ginnity
um They've, whilst they're losing a local lad, they're, who, as we kind of argued last week, or definitely I did, he should be, for his own career, he should be staying.
00:14:58
Conor Glennon
You think.
00:14:58
Killian Ginnity
They've, I think, and they've basically ah and anointed Salah as like the new Gerrard because he's so loyal.
00:14:59
Conor Glennon
You think.
00:15:10
Killian Ginnity
He's so amazing. He's so good.
00:15:13
Conor Glennon
I think that's a bit of a reach now.
00:15:13
Killian Ginnity
And he's going to lead us.
00:15:14
Conor Glennon
I know where you're going with it. is and he's He's the one that they're giving him the flowers of. You could have left, you didn't. You're our man. i mean I think Jared is and is is a...
00:15:23
Killian Ginnity
yeah and think and but i'm thinking Yeah.
00:15:25
Conor Glennon
is higher on that peck in order, but in that vein. Yeah.
00:15:28
Killian Ginnity
I'm thinking Gerrard when he was being linked with Chelsea and Chelsea were willing spend all the money.
00:15:31
Conor Glennon
Yeah.
00:15:32
Killian Ginnity
is that kind of like At that point, Gerrard wasn't Gerrard, but everyone turned around and goes, yeah, local lad, fair play. for But like fair play that you stayed more to the point. um And I think they've... The whole situation has cemented Salah as a complete and utter cop legend.
00:15:49
Killian Ginnity
And when his contract does come to an end, I think they'll let thell all let it run out or near as damned. And he when he does go, he'll be going with the Anfield blessing rather than kind of
00:16:02
Conor Glennon
Well, yeah, i mean, he's done eight years now. I think it's a two-year deal, if memory serves.
00:16:06
Killian Ginnity
two years, be a decade by the time it's coming.
00:16:08
Conor Glennon
Yeah, like, with two Premier Leagues pretty much nailed on, you know, it looks like they'll win it this weekend. And who knows what they win in between. And I don't know about you, but I think the reason we always said that two would stay, one would go, is that we kind of thought Trent was gone. And if Salah went, there was no way Virgil van Dijk was going to stay, which...
00:16:30
Conor Glennon
I don't think says anything about him from a character point of view. I'm i'm not trying to create that smoke, but I get that. you know I think if ah I'm Virgil van Dijk and I'm left there without Salah, without Trent, I don't want to turn this into a basketball podcast, but you're kind of big three or big five if you include some other players in there.
00:16:52
Conor Glennon
a lot of that's gone and, you know, there's every chance Alison goes and then you're kind of stuck in a team going, quiet why was I the one left holding the bag, you know?
00:17:01
Killian Ginnity
Yeah, I get it. But I think with Virgil van Dijk, he's obviously an unbelievable player, but I think there was a massive amount of hype around him.
00:17:15
Killian Ginnity
And if you look at him, there's not a whole lot of interest around him. Everyone's willing to give him the flowers, but like there's no there's no talks of bids coming in.
00:17:24
Conor Glennon
I think because i think i think no one actually thought I think no one actually thought he was on the market.
00:17:26
Killian Ginnity
There's no...
00:17:30
Conor Glennon
like We saw you know him having conversations in the tunnel with um the president of PSG, and I think that was very good optics by his agent and a calculated push.
00:17:42
Conor Glennon
But i don't think anyway I think if that was a real him going, there would be a queue stretching down to Manchester.
00:17:50
Killian Ginnity
Yeah. ah Ultimately, I think it's going to make ah this summer a whole lot easier for Liverpool, having the two of them there. That, like... They're Premier League champions. ah They're getting good Champions League runs.
00:18:05
Killian Ginnity
They've won it relatively recently. um Like, still having two big names. And say, if they were to push for the likes of an Isak, it's no longer kind of like, okay, be part of the next generation.
00:18:19
Killian Ginnity
No, it's a like, you are here to take the crown from him.
00:18:23
Conor Glennon
You shall not spread the slander of Isak leaving the Northeast.
00:18:23
Killian Ginnity
And we want you to...
00:18:27
Conor Glennon
Do not even dare. Not anywhere but them.
00:18:30
Killian Ginnity
Well...
00:18:31
Conor Glennon
Anywhere but them. I would take Arsenal over that, but not bloody Liverpool. Please, dear God, don't do that to me.
00:18:38
Killian Ginnity
Like, I think he would be a great signing for Arsenal, but...
00:18:38
Conor Glennon
I can't.
00:18:40
Killian Ginnity
ah What do Arsenal have to offer? That, like, Liverpool doesn't...
00:18:45
Conor Glennon
Vibes.
00:18:47
Killian Ginnity
What, that he might get ah his wallet nicked and then berated for it? Like...
00:18:53
Conor Glennon
you'll You'll get to enjoy some fantastic team talks that he definitely won't laugh about when he goes home in the car.
00:18:59
Killian Ginnity
Like, i I was talking to somebody about this recently, an Arsenal fan, and he was adamant, no, course you're going to come to Arsenal. Sure, why would he go to Liverpool? what Who wants to live in Liverpool when you have the option of um oh London?
00:19:12
Conor Glennon
London.
00:19:13
Killian Ginnity
And I was like, well... Isak has never done it the normal way. He's from Sweden. He went to Dortmund. Then he went to Sociedad. So he's not it's not like he's been looking for these big capital moves.
00:19:25
Killian Ginnity
And then he went to Castle.
00:19:25
Conor Glennon
and
00:19:27
Killian Ginnity
Plus, when you're earning as much money as he is, you just fly to Paris at night if you want it.
00:19:32
Conor Glennon
ah Yeah, go for a coffee in Spain if you feel like yeah.
00:19:33
Killian Ginnity
like
00:19:35
Conor Glennon
Yeah.
00:19:36
Killian Ginnity
yeah, sure, we'll we'll have a brunch in Barcelona and we'll have dinner in Munich and sure, I'll see you back in ah Rome for bedtime. Like, these people are not operating on a level that, like, any of us can comprehend.
00:19:51
Killian Ginnity
um But when I was shouting to it,
00:19:53
Conor Glennon
one thing ah one One thing I can't comprehend, just ah maybe we'll we'll touch on this, is is the abuse that Trent is getting. you know i don't know if you've seen this narrative flying around, maybe it's just by algorithm, but you know there's a big cohort of Liverpool fans, a lot of which has been stemmed on by Paddy Pimlet, the USC fighter, calling him not Scouse for his decision to leave.
00:20:18
Conor Glennon
That, for me, is absolutely ridiculous.
00:20:23
Killian Ginnity
It's patently ridiculous. like yeah Like, it's not like a scouse card that you can just, like, revoke. Yeah.
00:20:32
Conor Glennon
But like they're they're coming out from the kind of like, oh, you're you know you're a local lad.
00:20:32
Killian Ginnity
yeah
00:20:36
Conor Glennon
You're turning your back in your family. It's like he didn't cost a penny to buy. And him leaving for free, that is the club's mess up. That is like, yes, he is making a business decision for himself. And it's worked out in his interest. I would adore to see his signing on bonus.
00:20:55
Conor Glennon
and But...
00:20:58
Conor Glennon
It's not like they spend 150 million quid on him and he's leaving on a free. He was an academy player who went through the ranks, has won them multiple football games, has won them multiple trophies, and whatever about...
00:21:14
Conor Glennon
you know his legacy being tarnished at the club, as we've dis discussed previously, which I still disagree with, but I can understand that. But to brand them not scouse, when you're from Liverpool, that is that's your complete identity. that like This whole, I'm from Liverpool, not England, you know to take that away from the kid, kid Jesus, what am I saying? the Take away from the bloke.
00:21:39
Conor Glennon
It's just cruel.
00:21:41
Killian Ginnity
Plus, it's hilarious. What other Scouse person hasn't left the club? Literally every single one of them.
00:21:47
Conor Glennon
Yeah.
00:21:48
Killian Ginnity
The only one that didn't was Carragher, and he's an Evertonian.
00:21:49
Conor Glennon
Yeah.
00:21:52
Conor Glennon
and need'd no i need no offers.
00:21:52
Killian Ginnity
Like...
00:21:53
Conor Glennon
He's even comes e's easy and said it himself. He didn't have much options.
00:21:58
Killian Ginnity
No. Like, even Jay Spearing left them. Like, Gerrard went to LA. Like, McManaman went to Madrid. they all leave either because they're shite or because they're better than the club.
00:22:12
Killian Ginnity
So like, I don't,
00:22:13
Conor Glennon
Liverpool fans do like to gloss over the fact that Jared went to LA. I know it was different and we've talked about that too, but they they do. it's not It was technically not a one-man club.
00:22:22
Killian Ginnity
He's not a one-club man.
00:22:23
Conor Glennon
yeah
00:22:23
Killian Ginnity
No. There's no technical about it. like He's just not a one-club man. Yeah, he went and had two years out in LA.
00:22:34
Killian Ginnity
like Yeah, just stupid. just it's just that that like Anything like that is just stupid. um To get any kind of longevity out of anybody...
00:22:45
Killian Ginnity
ah in the Premier League in this era is incredible and like he deserves credit for it. I think he is making a long-term silly move but like i I'm also the one that would say fair play to James Carragher for going playing for Malta because you might as well be a legend somewhere.
00:23:03
Killian Ginnity
So like... i I do absolutely see very much both sides. And my issue Madrid being is to turn amazing players into just another player in an amazing team.
00:23:15
Killian Ginnity
So kind of screws over.
00:23:15
Conor Glennon
i do I do agree with you on that. There's been plenty of players that have gone there. Even players that have come from Liverpool, a la Michael Owen, that it didn't work out for. um I understand him going. Whether it'll work out, I don't know.
00:23:31
Conor Glennon
that's That's the big one for me, but I am looking forward to finding out.
00:23:35
Killian Ginnity
Yeah. i have One thing that ah i was I loved to see, ah less so because of who it was, but more kind of like, I love the unexpected and Declan Rice being able to score a free kick at all, let alone two. And let alone two fun fantastic stick ones.
00:23:55
Conor Glennon
Not even fantastic.
00:23:56
Killian Ginnity
That was...
00:23:56
Conor Glennon
Pure filled. Absolute pure filled.
00:23:59
Killian Ginnity
And then one thing I will say, despite what everyone's saying, the first one was not Roberto Carlos-esque.
00:24:06
Conor Glennon
It was. Come on.
00:24:07
Killian Ginnity
It wasn't as good as Roberto Carlos.
00:24:08
Conor Glennon
The man was even in the stadium, for Christ's sake.
00:24:12
Killian Ginnity
It wasn't as good as the Roberto Carlos ones.
00:24:14
Conor Glennon
Oh, it wasn't as good. No, no, no, no, no.
00:24:16
Killian Ginnity
No. So it's not Roberto Carlos.
00:24:16
Conor Glennon
But it was...
00:24:18
Killian Ginnity
But it was like Ronaldo-esque, Pirlo-esque. Like it was top tier. But like there's
00:24:23
Conor Glennon
To be able to do that against that kind of an opposition, though, like how many people, like, A, he's never scored a free kick. And, a you know, we've we've seen multiple players talk about his ability and training. And I've even seen YouTubers talk about, done clips with him, that he can do anything with his left foot, right foot. But maybe, well, I'd say he he did know he could do that, but I'd say he was surprised he was able to do it on on that level in that instance.
00:24:49
Killian Ginnity
Oh, yeah. Like, i wonder, is it now going to skew at everything going forward where people are going to expect them to be able to, like, pull out these worldly free kicks every so often?
00:25:01
Killian Ginnity
um Like...
00:25:02
Conor Glennon
Well, i saw I saw a great tweet. Madrid have decided to close the roof in yeah um the second leg. and so So it was kind of a news thing saying, you Real Madrid decided to close the roof of the Bernabeu and someone just wrote back, rice cooks better with the with the lid on
00:25:19
Killian Ginnity
yeah
00:25:20
Conor Glennon
ah
00:25:23
Killian Ginnity
but like when you uh we've seen so many players just get like absolutely defined by free kicks like look at Cristiano Ronaldo like he hasn't taken a decent like proper free kick in about 10 years uh like
00:25:36
Conor Glennon
I will say though that one against Portsmouth still lives round three in my head. That's one of the greatest free kicks I've ever seen.
00:25:40
Killian Ginnity
like it incredible but like as soon as he started playing centre his his ah apparently his ability to take ah an amazing free kick just left him um
00:25:50
Conor Glennon
The other one, I don't know if you remember this one, that Ronaldo, that that sticks in my mind, was ah how many years ago now? Probably about five years ago. and Portugal were playing in Spain.
00:26:03
Conor Glennon
Spain are leading 3-2. There's about two minutes left. he rifles at top right corner. And it was everything Ronaldo was made for.
00:26:12
Killian Ginnity
But yeah, but like when, if you were to ah watch football up until like 2009 and then not watch it up until that game, you would have expected that he was doing that once a month.
00:26:21
Conor Glennon
Yeah.
00:26:24
Conor Glennon
On the regular, yeah.
00:26:25
Killian Ginnity
Yeah. Instead of like once every six years. So does he have it it in in his ability? Yes. But like he's no Giannino.
00:26:37
Conor Glennon
Well, Juninho was, is, sorry, the person who scored the most free kicks of all time by a good margin as well.
00:26:48
Conor Glennon
Um...
00:26:48
Killian Ginnity
Like this is Janinho Permanent Cancer.
00:26:51
Conor Glennon
Perma but Bucano. Yeah, ah we've definitely butchered his name, but not Middlesbrough Giannino.
00:26:53
Killian Ginnity
Yeah, yeah, not, not, not, yeah, but not Janinho Paulista.
00:26:57
Conor Glennon
Yeah. Yeah.
00:26:59
Killian Ginnity
Both of which, the reason they have them second names is actually it's the region of Brazil they're from.
00:27:04
Conor Glennon
Oh, interesting.
00:27:04
Killian Ginnity
So, yeah, so it's, it's like, like Ronaldinho when he went back to Brazil, he was Ronaldinho Gocho because they, just so many of them random names.
00:27:11
Conor Glennon
Well, here's one for you. So if we if we look at the top 10 free kick goal scored, all leagues, all around the world, all eras, there are four brazilians or sorry three Brazilians in the top four.
00:27:25
Conor Glennon
Who are the other two?
00:27:25
Killian Ginnity
oh
00:27:27
Killian Ginnity
Oh. So the top four, three of them are... The top four, three of them, are Brazilian.
00:27:32
Conor Glennon
So out of the top four, number one, number two, and number four are Brazilian.
00:27:36
Killian Ginnity
Is Janinho.
00:27:39
Killian Ginnity
Okay. So, Janinho.
00:27:42
Conor Glennon
Number one, 77 goals.
00:27:47
Killian Ginnity
Ronaldinho.
00:27:48
Conor Glennon
Number four, 66 goals.
00:27:52
Killian Ginnity
um
00:27:53
Conor Glennon
I didn't think you'd get that one way back.
00:27:53
Killian Ginnity
Rigorio Senny.
00:27:57
Killian Ginnity
Okay. Oh,
00:28:01
Conor Glennon
Possibly the most iconic player in the game.
00:28:03
Killian Ginnity
Pellet.
00:28:04
Conor Glennon
Yeah, number two, 70.
00:28:07
Conor Glennon
um
00:28:07
Killian Ginnity
Number three.
00:28:09
Conor Glennon
Number three now is Argentinian.
00:28:10
Killian Ginnity
but What nationality?
00:28:13
Conor Glennon
I didn't know this one.
00:28:15
Killian Ginnity
ah Argentina has scored tons of frees. um
00:28:22
Conor Glennon
John's first name, you might get it. Victor.
00:28:25
Killian Ginnity
Go on.
00:28:26
Conor Glennon
Victor.
00:28:29
Killian Ginnity
no
00:28:30
Conor Glennon
Victor La Grotta Gilly, which I've definitely butchered to high heaven. But yeah, he is number one. that When I was going in the list, though, this is where I got surprised.
00:28:41
Conor Glennon
um Who do you think has more free kick goals, Ronaldo or Beckham?
00:28:47
Killian Ginnity
ah Probably Ronaldo. Because Seb Larson has more free-kick goals than Beckham in the Premier League.
00:28:54
Conor Glennon
be um Beckham has 65 free kick goals in all competition. Ronaldo, as per this list now, which is apparently as of April 2025, is on 64.
00:28:59
Killian Ginnity
oh
00:29:05
Conor Glennon
So there's nothing in it. But I just... 65 free kicks from David Beckham. Unbelievable.
00:29:10
Killian Ginnity
and so in In fairness, he did have a good few years in the MLS. So I wonder, does that add it out?
00:29:15
Conor Glennon
I know, i know, but still, like, I mean, bear in mind what age he was and what Nick, his body was in at that point.
00:29:18
Killian Ginnity
Yeah.
00:29:23
Conor Glennon
So yeah, if you run through the list, we've got Giannino, Pele, well, yeah, our boy Victor, then Ronaldinho, Beckham in fifth with 65, sixth, Messi with 65, so yeah, tied fifth, Maradona, 62, and
00:29:25
Killian Ginnity
It was only 32.
00:29:37
Killian Ginnity
no
00:29:40
Conor Glennon
which that one kind of surprised me because you don't think of Maradona for free kicks, or at least I don't. You just think of him using his hands. wo um Then number eight, we got Zico.
00:29:53
Conor Glennon
um Number nine, we got Ronaldo.
00:29:54
Killian Ginnity
yeah
00:29:55
Conor Glennon
And then another Brazilian, DiCapas, off a 10, Rogerio Senna.
00:30:02
Killian Ginnity
Riccardo Snené, who is a goalkeeper.
00:30:02
Conor Glennon
Yeah. Oh, it's him.
00:30:05
Killian Ginnity
Yeah, he has 101 goals.
00:30:07
Conor Glennon
Ah, yes.
00:30:07
Killian Ginnity
welcome then Or goals.
00:30:09
Conor Glennon
I know exactly. When I saw the name, I was like...
00:30:10
Killian Ginnity
Gregorio Senni for Sao Paulo.
00:30:11
Conor Glennon
It's like when you see someone walking in the street you're like, I know who that person is, I just can't remember.
00:30:14
Killian Ginnity
15.
00:30:17
Conor Glennon
Yeah, okay, that makes a lot more sense.
00:30:18
Killian Ginnity
Yeah, he's a manager and now in Brazil. um He scored a stupid amount. How many was it?
00:30:24
Conor Glennon
He scored free kick-wise 59.
00:30:27
Killian Ginnity
Yeah, so...
00:30:27
Conor Glennon
For a keeper is absolutely ridiculous.
00:30:30
Killian Ginnity
Oh, yeah. Well, he's the highest goal-scoring goalkeeper in history by, like, I think 30 goals. think I think it's Chivirulay for Paraguay, the second Jose Luis.
00:30:37
Conor Glennon
Country mile.
00:30:44
Conor Glennon
i There's definitely a dude in a Sunday league team somewhere screaming, going, I've got more.
00:30:44
Killian Ginnity
and
00:30:49
Killian Ginnity
Well, then there was the yeah there was the Mexican goalkeeper. can't remember his name. He's the one in the ninth. Is it Campos?
00:30:55
Conor Glennon
Oh, the one who did the the scorpion kick.
00:30:55
Killian Ginnity
I don't know.
00:30:58
Killian Ginnity
No, it's that's Rene Higuita, who did score some goals, but not too many. So he's Colombian. um ah Campos, he he was famous for designing his own goalkeeper kits, but also he would wear the number nine because he would sometimes play up front.
00:31:13
Conor Glennon
That's the kind of energy I'm here for.
00:31:15
Killian Ginnity
And he was like five foot nine as well. And he was a goalkeeper. Like, at the international level.
00:31:19
Conor Glennon
a man, ah a man, a man after my own heart.
00:31:22
Killian Ginnity
He's an absolute legend. But yeah, I'm pretty sure Seb Larson has more Premier League free-kick goals than Beckham. He is so underrated as a free-kick and set-piece taker.
00:31:37
Killian Ginnity
Probably because like he didn't... Other than Sunderland, he didn't play for any big clubs. Yeah.
00:31:42
Conor Glennon
Are there any other free kick takers that like, not even I'm talking serious numbers here, just that you enjoyed watching? Like two that come to mind for me would be Morton Gams-Pettersen for, you know, ah obvious reasons.
00:31:56
Killian Ginnity
yeah
00:31:59
Conor Glennon
But then also players like someone like an Ian Hart, I just tremendously enjoyed watching them.
00:32:06
Killian Ginnity
um dis all this
00:32:08
Conor Glennon
Also Nakamura. Nakamura would be up there for me.
00:32:10
Killian Ginnity
Nakamura was one of the ones i was going to say. But also, forget how good David Bentley was at delivering a ball in.
00:32:19
Conor Glennon
He, that is a podcast in us itself.
00:32:20
Killian Ginnity
but
00:32:22
Conor Glennon
His ability to just spray a ball and his accuracy when he wanted to, like, let's call a spade a spade. He wasn't the most consummate professional in what could have been, could have been.
00:32:33
Conor Glennon
But when he was on it, dear God, he was good.
00:32:38
Killian Ginnity
Well, like for, if you wanted to boil Beckham down to his like base of what's he good at, they're all the same stats as Bentley.
00:32:49
Killian Ginnity
In fact, Bentley was probably a better athlete. Like he could probably run quicker, um probably stamina.
00:32:55
Conor Glennon
but Maybe not overall player, but in terms of there was attributes of David Bentley's game that were better than Beckham for sure.
00:32:56
Killian Ginnity
No. yeah
00:33:00
Killian Ginnity
But like yeah, like if you were to, you know, them scatter graphs or like, I think the dots be in similar areas.
00:33:04
Conor Glennon
Yeah.
00:33:05
Killian Ginnity
They may not be to the same degrees, but they'd be all in the same shapes.
00:33:07
Conor Glennon
Yeah.
00:33:10
Killian Ginnity
I think there's like lads that we kind of forget how good they were at free kicks. and
00:33:14
Conor Glennon
Lauren Robert, sorry, just to lob him in there.
00:33:17
Killian Ginnity
Yeah, ah Ronald Koeman scored a lot of free kicks and penalties.
00:33:19
Conor Glennon
Yep.
00:33:23
Killian Ginnity
Yeah.
00:33:23
Conor Glennon
His were real like absolute well-ears as well. like The power on them.
00:33:26
Killian Ginnity
Yeah, like like ah like um but Alex. Alex at Chelsea? He scored in the Champions League.
00:33:30
Conor Glennon
ah He was the best at that. oh
00:33:32
Killian Ginnity
Just straight, like, through the laces.
00:33:36
Conor Glennon
He'd torpedo.
00:33:36
Killian Ginnity
and
00:33:37
Conor Glennon
like he could have you like It was like a bloody cruise missile. Actually, speaking of cruise missile, Tony Cruz, another majestic free kick taker.
00:33:47
Killian Ginnity
One Roman Rekelme.
00:33:49
Conor Glennon
Yes.
00:33:51
Killian Ginnity
Like...
00:33:51
Conor Glennon
Very good shout.
00:33:53
Killian Ginnity
he like he he's just so underrated as a footballer. Like, I know he never really did it at the top level.
00:34:00
Conor Glennon
Well, United tried to get him like three or four times and he just wouldn't do it.
00:34:00
Killian Ginnity
Like, he was at Barca.
00:34:04
Killian Ginnity
Well, when when you see, like, what happened with him with Barca and then Villarreal, like, I don't think he was really set up for being outside.
00:34:13
Conor Glennon
The Premier League.
00:34:14
Killian Ginnity
outside Well, not even that. I don't think he was set up ah for being away from Argentina. I think that's where he... he had made his name and he had made, like, obviously had himself set up but and was a Baca legend, is a Baca legend.
00:34:29
Killian Ginnity
I think he's still the chairman of the club now.
00:34:33
Conor Glennon
Which we love to see that kind of thing.
00:34:33
Killian Ginnity
and Yeah. um So, like, I think it was unfortunate we didn't get to see probably what the Argentinians got to see on a European sense.
00:34:43
Killian Ginnity
But, like, ah yeah, he was incredible.
00:34:46
Conor Glennon
You know one who actually comes to mind? It was a bit of a clanger. And I love this player, but, you know, Maradona, he is not. Charlie Adam.
00:34:57
Killian Ginnity
Really?
00:34:58
Conor Glennon
Yeah, he could fizz them, man. Like, he
00:35:00
Killian Ginnity
Well, I know he could punt the ball. Didn't he get a goal for his own half?
00:35:03
Conor Glennon
he's not a blow he's he's kind of like a he was a bit of Matt Letizia where he just had a if he could just stand there welly it and just pick where he wanted it to go. i so I saw him play live a couple of times and ah yeah like ah like I said, he he's never going to be in the conversation for even near the top thousand in the world. But good God, that man had some control over football.
00:35:27
Killian Ginnity
Then there's also um like Del Piero.
00:35:30
Conor Glennon
Again, had the pleasure of seeing him play against Sean McRover's actually, and he was old, but Jesus, you'd like, that's when you, when you see players like that, I don't know if there's been players you've seen over the years, but there's a few players that i I've seen and you go, oh, they're, they're in a world of their own.
00:35:49
Conor Glennon
Like, you know what mean? They're playing this football and then there's whatever they're playing.
00:35:53
Killian Ginnity
Yeah, ah he he's... And again, i think by the time i started to get really into football and know football a little bit more, he was older.
00:36:04
Killian Ginnity
um But like for he was at Juventus for so long and played at such a high level, Serie B seasons aside. um bush there's ah There's more um ah contemporary ones that we should also mention is James Ward Prowse, obviously.
00:36:23
Conor Glennon
Well, yeah.
00:36:24
Killian Ginnity
I think more so, like, he's a very, very good dead ball guy rather than free kicks. um Ian Hart.
00:36:32
Conor Glennon
Yeah, I mentioned him briefly earlier. like He has more of a joy-to-watch player. you know I know and know we we we had the chance to meet him not too long back and had a good old natter about his his free kicks, but he he really, on his day, was special.
00:36:39
Killian Ginnity
Yeah. Yeah.
00:36:50
Killian Ginnity
10 free kick goals for a left back.
00:36:53
Conor Glennon
Wasn't there a stage there where maybe this was him telling us and I just believed it when he said it, but wasn't he statistically better than Beckham at one point?
00:37:03
Killian Ginnity
and
00:37:03
Conor Glennon
Like he had a better ratio at one point during his career.
00:37:04
Killian Ginnity
Probably. Yeah. Well, I think he i think he scored 80 or 90 goals. So, like, that's like a 1 8 or a 1 in 9 of his goals being free kicks.
00:37:17
Killian Ginnity
So, like...
00:37:18
Conor Glennon
i mean, it's not bad. Think of the era as well and the heavier ball.
00:37:19
Killian Ginnity
And... no ah not the most ah technically gifted footballer.
00:37:25
Conor Glennon
Gifted.
00:37:26
Conor Glennon
Yeah.
00:37:26
Killian Ginnity
Like, at least with Beckham, like, there was always, do you know who's a player I actually forgot existed until recently?
00:37:34
Killian Ginnity
And his time at Atlético Madrid was amazing.
00:37:34
Conor Glennon
Go for it.
00:37:35
Killian Ginnity
And again, he was another dead ball specialist. Simão.
00:37:39
Conor Glennon
Beautiful player.
00:37:40
Killian Ginnity
but
00:37:40
Conor Glennon
Yeah.
00:37:41
Killian Ginnity
Remember the the Portuguese guy?
00:37:43
Conor Glennon
Yeah.
00:37:43
Killian Ginnity
and It was, like, it was...
00:37:45
Conor Glennon
He's a real Simeone type player, actually.
00:37:48
Killian Ginnity
Yeah, he was incredible. Like that Portuguese team where like it was Figo and then it was kind of like be as Ronaldo was coming through. So, so it was Simao, obviously Cresma.
00:37:59
Killian Ginnity
and We all thought he was going to be ah something that he ended up not being. But Simao, he was.
00:38:04
Conor Glennon
Enjoyable to watch at the time though.
00:38:06
Killian Ginnity
Oh, great, great. Do you remember he had a loan at Chelsea?
00:38:08
Conor Glennon
Yeah, completely struggled.
00:38:11
Killian Ginnity
Yeah, and so did um Fabio Piam, which is the yeah guy that played with Ronaldo Cristiano.
00:38:23
Killian Ginnity
Cristiano said, well, if think I'm good, wait till I see this other guy. And he, again, was just one of them players that apparently was like incredibly gifted with absolutely no...
00:38:33
Conor Glennon
in in in that In that conversation as well, one that just came into my mind there, Adriano.
00:38:35
Killian Ginnity
Yeah.
00:38:40
Conor Glennon
he was He was someone i I never got the chance to see play, and I just really wish I did because bloody hell, man, he could pick a spot or he could absolutely welly it. He had such power, such precision.
00:38:40
Killian Ginnity
Yeah.
00:38:56
Conor Glennon
oh I'm going to be going down a rabbit hole of free kicks after this.
00:39:01
Killian Ginnity
Yeah. Again, he was another one of them just thunder bastards.
00:39:04
Conor Glennon
Yeah, which are my favorite.
00:39:05
Killian Ginnity
Like, ah pure power.
00:39:06
Conor Glennon
like
00:39:07
Killian Ginnity
Yeah. And then we we have to also mention Roberto Carlos. Like, not not necessarily for just the amount, but the technique.
00:39:11
Conor Glennon
I mean, you know, the Don.
00:39:17
Killian Ginnity
Like, did you ever see his goal from the corner flag?
00:39:20
Conor Glennon
Yes, I have. like there was there There was very few things that man couldn't do.
00:39:22
Killian Ginnity
If he's anybody hasn't seen it... Oh, he's incredible. But if you haven't seen it, look up Roberto Carlos' impossible goal and it actually goes through the physics of this goal and it's him sprinting at full speed down the left wing.
00:39:38
Killian Ginnity
I think it was against Bayern Munich or something like that. I think it was like an
00:39:41
Conor Glennon
I don't can't remember who it was. If you've remembered that, no, that's fair play.
00:39:44
Killian Ginnity
it i think i think it's some some I think it was like an early European game, like group stage, not necessarily make or break. But he was sprinting down defender on him, and with his left leg, because he only had the one, ah he whacks it in from about the corner flag.
00:40:03
Killian Ginnity
He was trying to keep it in, and the ball crossed and curved in towards the box, and it looks like it's like... The best ah cross or assist that you could ever imagine.
00:40:15
Killian Ginnity
And it just continues to curve. And the goalkeeper is not there for it. He's not ready for it. He jumps. It's above him. It's too quick. It's curving too much. And I go straight in.
00:40:27
Killian Ginnity
Genuinely, from the physics point of view. If he had taken half a step slower, half a step quicker, used a different side of his toenail, it wouldn't have happened.
00:40:37
Conor Glennon
Just wouldn't happen.
00:40:40
Killian Ginnity
And yeah, it's a thing to behold. And on that bombshell, I'm going to leave you used to go and Google that because if that doesn't make your mouth salivate, you're listening to the Ron podcast.
00:40:52
Killian Ginnity
Thank you very much. I will chat to you next week.
00:40:54
Conor Glennon
Bye-bye.