Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Hammering Away Ep #1 - A New Beginning
163 Plays2 years ago
On the inaugural episode of the podcast, Jack and Joe discuss Declan Rice's inevitable departure, West Ham's chances of survival and conference league glory, and what the U18's FA Youth Cup run means for the club moving forward.
Music by - LADI OGUN & @ANTlll
Recommended
Transcript
Interest in Declan Rice's Transfer
00:00:00
Speaker
Declan Rice. Many of you always ask me about him because I can confirm it's true that many clubs still love Declan Rice. He's super appreciated on the market. Arsenal internally, they really appreciate the player and discussed Declan Rice as one of the players they like in that position. Same for Chelsea, we know the connection between Chelsea and Declan Rice. So these clubs have already discussed internally about Declan Rice. At the moment nothing has been discussed.
00:00:25
Speaker
with Westam and not will depend on Westam how much they will ask in the summer but DeclanRise and the feeling around DeclanRise is very clear. Summer 2023 is going to be the opportunity for DeclanRise to try some
00:01:00
Speaker
Hello, and welcome to the first episode of the Hammering Away podcast. I'm going to be your host, Jack Coogan. You can find me at Jackzini on Twitter with a V instead of an A. So that's at J-V-C-K-Z-I-N-I. And today I'm joined by Joe Afort. Introduce yourself to the people. My name is Joe. You can find me on Twitter at 72 Nia Bostar. This is the most ridiculous ad.
00:01:30
Speaker
But yeah, just really excited to get this started. This has been years in the making. Oh, I guess, yeah, there was podcasts in class in college when we had to do something similar to this. That podcast was terrible. So hopefully this goes better.
Declan Rice's Growth and Future
00:01:48
Speaker
For the record, I did not do that bad in that class. I actually got an A in that class, but I feel like everybody got an A in that class. Yeah. I wouldn't have done it without an absolutely dynamic co-host.
00:02:01
Speaker
How are you today on this fine Tuesday evening? I'm doing all right. A little under the weather, but I'm excited to talk West Ham. Under the weather? Well, you heard me sneezing before the show. You were sneezing before the show. You got to get that out of your system, man. You were... Changing the seasons. I don't know if that happens in England, but... Yeah, man. I'm in season two. I think I'm becoming allergic to pollen. You were also complaining about Google Chrome, which is...
00:02:29
Speaker
Interesting. That would be the first question I would like to pose on the podcast is do you use Chrome or Safari? And the listeners can give us the verdict. The civilized population of our viewership, I'm sure. If we're worth a damn, we'll say Safari unequivocally is the better browser. But we don't got to get into that on the show. We can just get right into it. All I'm saying is that without Google Chrome, this would not be possible. But
00:02:58
Speaker
So we just heard that clip from Fabrizio Romano talking about Declan Rice is ready for a new challenge. This has been probably a long time in the making. He's been rejecting contracts for years, but the summer is almost upon us when all of these rumors finally probably come to fruition and he makes his way out. What are your initial thoughts on that?
00:03:22
Speaker
Well, yeah, it has been a long time coming. It's it's felt like years since the first time I he truly became too good for West Ham in a sense. I mean, every summer since like Pellegrini's first year, we've been talking about him leaving. And he really he's really given us more than he's had
Predicting Rice's Transfer Fee
00:03:42
Speaker
to. And now the day is finally upon us. I definitely agree he's given us more than he's had to, quote unquote. But I will also say that
00:03:53
Speaker
I think from a standpoint of just Declan Rice and like him as an individual player, I think he's handled himself perfectly in terms of his development. Cause he could have easily left when he was 19 after that first Pellegrini season. He could have left the year after when we were really down and Moyes came in and saved us, which we'll get into if he's got, if he can make magic happen a third time, but, um,
00:04:21
Speaker
I think just from a development standpoint, he's done himself a lot of favors because, I mean, would you say he was our best player when he was 19? I mean, what year was that? That was the first Pellegrini season with Arnadovich and Felipe. I mean, he was certainly up there. He's probably our most important player, considering how bare that position has been over the years before he, you know, cemented himself as an everyday starter.
00:04:49
Speaker
I mean, he's just, he's immense from the first time he stepped on the field for us. Uh, besides the mistake against Arsenal in 2017, what was that? Yeah. And the mistake against Newcastle on his first ever Premier League star year before, but, uh, he's great. I think, yeah, it was 20. It was the year it was under village, no? Yeah, but it was the same season. It was like August under village village. I remember he said goodbye to the team after that game and then get sacked for another two months.
00:05:20
Speaker
But yeah, I mean, Declan Rice, man, what more can you say about him? I mean, a lot of he gets a lot of hate on Twitter these days from you too. Well, that's because I'm gonna Yeah, I'm an emotional guy. But emotions are being put aside for right now.
00:05:37
Speaker
looking back on his, uh, on his career. I mean, he's, he's truly been one of the best players in history of this, of this, uh, storied ball club. You know, it's going to be sad. It's going to be weird to see, welcome him back to London stadium. I'll tell you that much. I was thinking that because it's been such a long time coming for him. Like this leaving thing every summer, every window, really. It's, uh, Chelsea, this arsenal, arsenal are now involved. I think personally, I think he's going to end up at arsenal.
00:06:06
Speaker
I mean, United have registered interest before, but now that he's actually going, I think welcoming him back or just seeing him in a different shirt will be so weird. And like, obviously we all wish he would end his career here, but I agree. I'm going to have nothing but good things to say about him. No matter how ugly this summer gets at this point. I mean, like between like the journeys in Europe, if he could go out with a conference league trophy, I like would wish him well.
00:06:37
Speaker
Hopefully we get, I was gonna say three figures, nine figures. What do you think the fee will be? Like what do you think? Not what do you hope? Like what do you genuinely think the fee will be? And then how would you go about replacing it? I genuinely think that we will get at least 100 million pounds for Declan Rice. I mean, that's been, you know, the clothes are pretty adamant on getting the, you know,
00:07:07
Speaker
nine figures for him. I'm sure that if they were willing to budge at that number at any point, he wouldn't be a West Ham player anymore. And I think that the interest is out there. Like you said, three teams have already put their hat in the race, United, Arsenal, and Chelsea. I wouldn't be too surprised if City came in and
00:07:34
Speaker
you know, made it a little more interesting or even, you know, um, I saw a report today that said that, uh, toucha many is out of favor of Madrid. I mean, we've seen crazier things happen. That's total speculation, but still like the, I mean, the interest is going to be there. He's an England, England international, their most important player outside of hurricane. Um, I just can't see it being less than a hundred. I know everyone wants to pretend like it's going to be like 60 or 80. 60 is nonsense. No, you see is nonsense, but.
00:08:03
Speaker
I think we'll get what we want for him. I've talked a lot about that. I think 80 million might end up being the price, but I just think, I mean, United obviously have Kazemiro now and they're probably going to cool their interests and have cooled their interest at just, at least from what we get to see. Madrid is an interesting one because like, that's always been the dream is that we can sell them to Madrid and we never have to play them again. Um, and, but like, I guess it depends what Ancelotti thinks about them.
00:08:32
Speaker
But I do think I agree with you that we're going to get a hundred million. I think that we're going to ask for like 120, 130, 140, 150, especially seeing Enzo's price. I think we're going to see that price. We're going to get like comically large, like pound sign eyes. Um, but I don't think that I think he'll go for less than Enzo did just because of where his contract was at. I think a hundred million gets
Replacing Declan Rice: West Ham's Strategy
00:08:56
Speaker
it done. And I think that it's Arsenal, honestly. Um, and.
00:09:01
Speaker
For me personally, uh, you can let me know what you think about this that we've talked about this before. I think that the only way to go about replacing him, you have to replace him with two different players. Like he brings us so much from a standpoint of like being able to play as a six, like winning the ball back, breaking up counter attacks, like controlling games to an extent, especially before we signed the keto. Like when Lanzini is not playing. Um, but also his ball carrying and like,
00:09:31
Speaker
his ability to move the ball up to pitch and just all the things he brings us in an attacking sense, which goes under the radar. He's really played as an eight for us over the last three years, besides like when we finally switched to the support three three that we've been playing recently. Um, so while he is one of the best member sixes in the world, he kind of hasn't played that role for us in a while. So I think that you have to replace him with two players personally, I wouldn't want hopefully everything go down.
00:10:01
Speaker
And I would go after. I'm a duo Nana who like, we know we have interest in, we had interest in him last summer. He's had a good season at Everton. Um, he would be able to bring like some of like Rice's. It almost is forgotten about how it freakishly athletic he is. He's so long, like he can run, he's strong. So I think with Onana, you can replace that athleticism and he can run with the ball too. He's like not as bad on the ball as people would have wanted you to believe.
00:10:31
Speaker
last summer. And I think he's proven that at Everton. And then you have to also get a guy who can sit. And at that point, you're probably thinking about a Romeo La Villa, Tyler Adams. And there's a few other guys that I know you mentioned on Twitter. I'm blanking on them right now. But there's one that you mentioned that I was really interested in. I did mention, first of all, I 100% agree on Onana.
00:10:59
Speaker
You know, he's just a physically, he's just one of a, truly one of a kind player. And, you know, he slots in perfectly for Sucek. He does everything, you know, you wish Sucek does, who he might do in theory, but, you know, covering ground, being physical in the duels, winning the ball in the air, kind of being that late arrival into the box. When they beat, was it Arsenal earlier in the season, Everton? Every goal kick.
00:11:27
Speaker
was sent up to Onana every single one. I think it was our snows, Dicha's first game. Yeah. It was every single goal kick. It was signed up to Onana and he won the ball. He flipped it on every single time, which is something that we always try to do. It's to check. And I like it works sometimes. Like you have to win some headers at six five, but like, and not saying that Onana is going to come in and do that every time, but like, we're not really, I don't think we're losing anything by getting rid of Sue check.
00:11:57
Speaker
just in general i think that even if you lose some aerial presence like the return that you're getting in every other facet of the game and we can talk about him later but he sucks yeah i mean onana is just like he's an upgrade in just about every facet um is he i really wish we could have got him along with paketa
00:12:21
Speaker
in the summer, but back to the issue of who we're gonna get as a six, I did mention on Twitter, sporting, I mean, no, I'm sorry, associate dads, Martin Zubamendi, this guy we spoke about, he's very cool on the ball.
00:12:39
Speaker
He wins the ball back. He's like a true six. He's actually targeted by Arsenal in the winter. He actually rejected that move because he wanted to finish the season at Sociodad. But in the summer, if he is open to a move and Arsenal pick up Rice, there's no reason why we can't be right there in for him.
00:13:03
Speaker
Um, along with, um, Manuel Ligarte, who show up of sporting, who, uh, just showed out against Arsenal, uh, in the Europe league, um, is male Ben Nasser, who I'm a big fan of. Um, I don't think we can get him now. Right. That's pipe dream. He also just, uh, just renewed his contract, but he's a player I had pegged for a long time as like a.
00:13:26
Speaker
guy who we might replace Rice with. Tyler Adams, I think would be a more cost-effective solution. I mean, would he be though? They spent 20 million on him, even if they go down, they're going to want to recoup 20 million. That's still very cost-effective compared to what these other guys like. Especially when you're replacing a player that can rice his level. I think that you're higher on Zubamendi than I am. I like him.
00:13:55
Speaker
He's cool. Uh, I do have questions about his physical stature. I think playing next to an honor, like any player is going to benefit from that from a physical standpoint. He obviously can pass the ball. I think a lot of it depends on who the manager of the team is. Um, but yeah, I think I would prefer someone like Adams or LaVia too. Azubamendi, Ugarte is also a very good player. Um,
00:14:24
Speaker
But I think what a lot of people are going to have to accept is that this is not going to be a seamless process. Like no matter who is brought in, even if they're a pretty solid player, they're going to be maligned really, just because they can't do what Declan Rice can do. Like, I think that a lot, like you alluded to it earlier before, how bare the defensive midfield position was before Rice came through. We like, we're going crazy about Pedro Obiang.
00:14:54
Speaker
the year before Rice's first full season under Billiech and Moyes. And it's like, people forget how hard it is to find a truly like great defensive midfielder. It's probably one of the harder positions in the game to find. I mean, obviously a striker, but the premiums that the premiums that they come out or even harder, but I can't think of many other positions more difficult to find a genuine top player than defensive midfield. And I think people forgot about that and it's going to be a wake up call for a lot of people.
00:15:24
Speaker
You know, everybody likes to talk about, oh, like the Declan Rice test, how all these midfielders get compared to him and then immediately fall off the face of the earth. It's because man, there are not, there are very, very few elite defensive midfielders out there. I mean, there's Kazmiro, there's Khemich, there's Rice. Teacher Mania is out of favor, but I mean, he's still a great player and he'll be fine. I think he'll figure it out. Fabinho won. Yeah. I mean, Fabinho is falling off. Like once you start going down the list, like.
00:15:55
Speaker
It's hard to think of three better than race. And I think that that will become even more abundantly clear when he does get this move, because it's going to be a success. Like, let's be serious. Especially if he goes to Arsenal, because man, he fits on like a glove. And you look at our tennis track record, he, he develops players of like, like no one I've ever seen in really any sport. I mean, like look at, and get to you. I mean, that's.
00:16:22
Speaker
That's a strong claim that Artello develops players unlike anyone you've seen in any sport. Dude, he's only been a head coach. He's only been the manager for, what, three seasons now? I think he has a great eye for talent. But it's not like, dude, and Kethi was out the door before they had some injury problems at Stryker last year, and he got to run a game and scored a few goals.
00:16:47
Speaker
But think about the reputation that he had before, you know, at the beginning of maybe Arteta's, you know, tenure at Arsenal, he was a he's like a fox in the box type guy. Now he's like a true elite. He's very active. We look at Rhys Nelson, Granite Jaka, these guys. But Rhys Nelson really, I mean, Jaka, I'll give you he's like, done wonders with Jaka. But like, it's not like Nelson hasn't proved that much. He's I mean, he scored that huge goal for them. And he's a decent player, I would
00:17:17
Speaker
easily take him at West End. But I just like, and Arteta, I'm not saying he's bad at developing players. I think more than anything, his eye for signing is at Arsenal, especially last summer, has been great. And I think it bodes well for Declan Rice that they're interested. I also think Rice fits Chelsea like a glove just next to Enzo. Those two would compliment each other very well. And obviously, Enzo Fernandez is a big fan of Declan Rice. He looks up to him. He wishes he could be him.
00:17:47
Speaker
But not everybody can do that. Um, so I guess that this is, the summer is different in the fact that we used to be talking about, okay, we have to stay up to keep deck on rice. Now it's like, even with European football, if we win the conference league, we can't see him staying. Maybe we go on a run, finishing the champions league. Can we, uh, can we mathematically finish in the champions league places? Probably not. No, we definitely can. Not with David Moyes, we can.
00:18:17
Speaker
Oh, yeah, man. Bring me Michael Carrick while going around. But do you think we're going to stay up? I guess that's just the question is, do you think that this team will be in the Premier League next year? You know.
00:18:31
Speaker
Obviously, things have not looked good this year. It's been really, really depressing just watching us go out every single week. There's just so many teams down in the bottom that I just can't imagine that we're not going to be better than at least three of them.
00:18:51
Speaker
Uh, we had, there's what three points separating us and 12th right now, which I think is crystal palace. They're terrible, man. It could very well be them. They could very well be, be palace be, I mean, it could be any of those eight, which I think in some ways bodes well in other ways. That's exactly what makes me nervous is that these teams have shown
00:19:21
Speaker
and ability to go and get a big point when they need it. And I guess you could argue we do, oh, we want to wait a new path on the point, whatever. Um, but that's really what makes me nervous is that it could be any of those eight to the point where I think it's going to be so random and we've been so uninspired. And I mean, there's reports like coming out of like from X that the players don't believe in moist.
00:19:44
Speaker
I said this to you a while ago, this is the most scared I've been is of the drop as a West Ham fan. I mean, I wasn't around 2010, 2011. So, but like I'm more scared of the drop this year than I was in 18, 19, 18, 19, 20, 19, 20. When we were on the same amount of points after this many games that we are now more scared of the drop than I was in 17, 18. We don't have that savior and we don't have that new manager booth. Like we don't have an earn out of it. Moise isn't going to go anywhere during the season.
00:20:15
Speaker
So we're not going to get some kind of boost. Like we don't have Mark Noble or like anybody, like, I mean, rice like is a good captain or will be a good captain, but he has a lot to learn. Um, and I just think that with how random it's going to be. People underestimate the likelihood that we could find ourselves in the bottom three. I think there's a 19% chance, according to five 38.
West Ham's Relegation Concerns: Key Matches
00:20:41
Speaker
Which seems small like for a forester at like 40% and things like that. But one out of five is a pretty big chance of something as drastic of relegation happening. It's scary, man. It's very, very scary. And I think the week after the international break is really going to decide it for us. Southampton home foam away and Newcastle home. I think that that's.
00:21:07
Speaker
a pretty defining stretch of our season. And if we lose two of those games and we don't, or we don't win one, we're in a lot of trouble. Cause then you really start to think, well, where are the points coming from? Cause we're running out of games for us to be like, okay, like we'll be fine. Like we'll pick up points. Like if we don't pick up four or five, six, seven points from those games, where are the points coming from? Right. And I mean, as the Aston Villa game at home, after, after loot dropping points and then that game, it really felt like
00:21:37
Speaker
Well, now the math is getting a little scary because we're running out of time. You know, it's a home game against a bottom, a bottom half side. I think they're about half of their 11th now. Yeah. Yeah. Dude, they looked on the beach. Like they did not look like they wanted to be out there. Like I think we beat them on actually like 2.5, 1.4. And at some point, like it goes from being unlucky to this team can't finish. Mm-hmm.
00:22:06
Speaker
I mean, it's been a problem all year, hopefully with Skamok and Kornay getting fit, more attacking options, more clinical attacking options. Now, maybe we can start putting away those chances. And I mean, it would be a huge help, but I mean, that's the thing is like a lot of the time, at least for us, when it's come to survival, like it's not been a, it's not been about a bunch of different guys tripping in with goals. It's been about one or two guys really catching fire.
00:22:35
Speaker
and helping us stay up. I mean, you think about Arnadovich and Lanzini in 17, 18, like Marco Arnadovich was one of the best strikers I've ever seen put on this West Ham shirt, no matter how much money we spend on them. And, you know, people can cry about that if they want, because of how it ended, but in the way you could play with this back to goal, the pace, the finishing, the link up play, like. Just the whole team part of the club, like the edge. That's the thing. This team has no edge.
00:23:03
Speaker
There's no like, there's no fire in the stomach. David Moyes can look into their eyes all he wants. There's nothing there. Um, but that's the thing is like, somebody's going to have to catch fire. Whether it's Bowen, whether it's Kornay, whether it's Kamaka, whether it's your favorite Danny Aings who like, I certainly have more hope for. I think he's just a decent Premier League striker. You want him dead. I'm not claiming he was good against Villa or anything, but he has qualities.
00:23:30
Speaker
that are good. Whether it's Antonio. I mean, Antonio did it a few years ago. I don't know if it's still in the bag for him, but it's got to be somebody. I mean, things I don't even want to get into things because I'll get all hot. I'll get old man. Say what you need to say. I say you don't want to be emotional. This is the best place to be emotional in front of 10 to 15 people.
00:23:54
Speaker
I don't want to embarrass myself in front of the hammering away community, but, uh, yeah, I mean, I just think Danny Ings was like a total waste of the signing. Uh, it's, it's total embarrassment that he's an embarrassment, such a strong word, the use for him that like, he's a primarily global striker. He scores goals. Like I'm not saying that he's great, but Antonio is going to go this number. My, I mean, not that I have zero issues with the signing. The wages are ridiculous.
00:24:20
Speaker
150K a week for Danny Ains, which really you gave into those demands that he could be available for the Everton game. And then he doesn't even start the game and Antonio has his best performance this season. So like, I think that the wages are ridiculous. I think it's a flawed sign in multiple different ways. But I also think like he does bring us something different. He is a true finisher poacher, which I know you hate. I mean, I'm also not the biggest fan of poachers like
00:24:49
Speaker
you know, play the game, be a part of the game. But he gives us something different. Antonio's going to go. What's the problem with having Skamaka Ings? And like, it's just signing an Antonio replacement. Who's better than Antonio, by the way? In advance. And then like, Mubamla is going to have time to break through. I mean, Ings is going to have little knock that keep him out here and there. And you don't think Ings is better than Antonio?
00:25:15
Speaker
Oh man, it's, it's at this point. Well, what does Antonio stone you at this point? I know he had a good performance against Lauren Aca and like he still has a few of those in his bag every once in a while, not the specific goal he scored, but like a decent performance. He's horrible. The first half hour in that game before his goal. And he just like, I just think it's over for him. And like, he's still like probably a primarily global striker, but he's the time has come.
00:25:43
Speaker
for him to go. His West Ham period is over as far as I'm concerned. Oh, no doubt. I'm not gassing up Antonio by any means. I know, but you really think that Ings isn't better than him? I truly think we're comparing shit with shit at this point. I just think that like, there are things Ings brings us and you don't think that the way we play hinders Ings at all. The fact that everything we do in possession is triangles on the wing try to get him across. It's not his
00:26:12
Speaker
And maybe it isn't, but we faced a highline in Aston Villa.
00:26:19
Speaker
plenty of space behind, behind the back line. And, you know, he wasn't even like available and making runs. Like he was truly a ghost in that game. Like you saw it when Courtney came on. Yeah. I mean, the entire team transformed in the like eight minutes that Courtney was on the pitch. And it wasn't even cause he was playing with the ball or anything. It's just cause he was, you know, being dangerous off the ball, which I agree with. Like, and I thought it was just horrible against Bella. I just think that, you know,
00:26:47
Speaker
there are things that Danny Ings brings to a team that are beneficial to us. And I just think that you're underestimating that he can be a part of a good squad. I mean, goals are cool. That Forrest performance was pretty dang cool. And he can get involved in the play for the Forrest goal.
00:27:12
Speaker
I think it was his first one. He started the move. He sprayed it out a lot and then made the run from the halfway line to get into the box. Busted a gun, as they say. Antonio doesn't do that. I don't doubt Ings' ability to actually get on the ball, but he has to actually do it, which is a desire that we haven't seen. We've only seen it. I mean, that's not what he does, but like, I just think that like we can't pick and choose when Moises tactics are hindering this player and this player just sucks.
00:27:43
Speaker
if that makes any sense. I agree with that. But I also think there was a very good reason for Aston Villa to part ways with him. And I think we're also seeing that here. Okay, that's a fair point. But if Danny Ings isn't gonna save us, who will? And if no one is, well, who's the bottom three anyways? But if no one is,
00:28:12
Speaker
who joins us in the championship next year. I'll start by saying, if anyone is going to save us this year, it's going to be Mr. Jared Bowen. I think that we've been in tough spaces before. Our back's been against the wall plenty of times since he's been here. And he has been the one to say, give me the ball. It's time for me to get my goal. He's been good recently.
00:28:42
Speaker
Since not making that World Cup squad, I think the performances have improved a lot. Absolutely. Even when he was slumping, even missing out on the team before the World Cup, he started drawing penalties. I think he drew two or three penalties in a row. That was his initial uptake and form. Then he missed the one against Liverpool. I think he had a little down, just in confidence after that.
00:29:13
Speaker
But I think, I mean, he has XG to cash in on, but he has four primarily goals right now. I think he'll finish a season with like seven or eight. If he finishes a season with eight, I think we're fine. Right. I, yeah, I think that, I think that his, the performances have largely been there and it's time for the goals to catch up, which I, I hope, and I think they will. And as for the bottom three, I think.
00:29:43
Speaker
Um, I think leads will be down there for sure. Do you think leads are gone? I think leads are gone. I think that they're staying up, man. I've seen enough. They can score goals. They can, but I don't know. They just, they seem to be for me, at least the most hopeless down there. I disagree with that.
00:30:10
Speaker
I just, I just feel like, I think the three most hopeless teams in the league include us. Really? I don't think say what you need to say, but I think in terms of hopelessness, we are very much a part of that conversation. I think we're more hopeless than leads. Um, I would say, um, Bournemouth are going to be down there.
00:30:35
Speaker
Um, I think forest, the luck has run out and it's this last leg is going to show how truly terrible the team that is. So Southampton are staying in the league. You know, I have started, I've been starting to think that they just might eke it out. Um, that would be very special. Um, what's the name of that new manager they hired after the other guy who was insane?
00:31:02
Speaker
I actually can't even think of his name, but they've been playing good for him since he's gotten there, especially with the mid-January signings that they've made. Yeah, no, there's a few good ones in now. His name is Ruben Seles. Yes, yes, Ruben Seles. And he has transformed them a little bit. They look, they're playing with a desire that we don't play with. I'll say that much.
00:31:32
Speaker
Um, but I will say, I think that Bournemouth are going down. I think they'll finish bottom. I think they're one win left in the season is us at the vitality. We hate going there. If we win that game, we're standing up. I don't care what happens this week. Like, but I just cannot see, I don't think we'll get anything from that game, that game. Every time we go there, it's a heartbreaker. We're terrible. And you have the Andy Carroll miss from like two yards out. You have the Kalim Wilson hand ball goal.
00:32:02
Speaker
The only man who could save us from the Vitality Stadium is Dimitri Pyatt. And he did. But I think that they just don't have enough. I actually don't think they're that bad of a side. I just think that everyone else is better than them. I think forests are gone. I think that it's run out. I mean, their home form might just help them, but I just think
00:32:32
Speaker
There's too many tough games left for them, right? If I'm thinking the fixtures correctly, uh, there's too many tough games left. And they're just not that good. And I think that they get a lot of undeserved love. I don't know why Steve Cooper gets so much love. Um, I don't really see anybody in that team. Who's gonna keep the team up. I think Brendan Johnson is a good player. They seem to hate Emmanuel Dennis for some reason, even though he scored last week. So maybe he's going to get more of a run out.
00:33:00
Speaker
I think they made a few decent January additions too, but I just think again, other teams are better than them. And I mean, the performance that they put up at our place was embarrassing. I know that we scored the four in the last 15 minutes, but I thought that whole game that we were very dominant, we should have scored and that should have been the game where we finally broke this first 15 minute duck. I think Bournemouth Forest, and then I agree that Southampton look inspired. And I think that they're going to make
00:33:30
Speaker
a really good push at getting out of that bottom three. But I think that they're just going to come up against Sean Dyche for that last spot. And this time around, and this time around, Sean Dyche has the resources. He has better players. And while I would love for Everton to go down, nothing would make me happier. Um, and they really might. They're, they're very bad, but I just think that Sean Dyche just gets you that one or two points that you need at the very end.
00:33:58
Speaker
And I don't think that Southampton have that in them. For me, I think, you know, Deitch is by far the most experienced manager in the bottom nine in terms of surviving these types of situations. And just going back to Southampton, just for a moment, you know, I feel like
00:34:18
Speaker
If you asked me last week, I would have probably said Southampton is one of the nailed on teams to go down. But I mean that, you know, that three, three performance against Spurs, you know, that feels like one of the games that you look back on the season after and you'd be like, man, I'll say something. That's why I think that we're going to finish 16th. That's why I'm so scared of us. How many of those performances have we had? Because
00:34:42
Speaker
Every year we've been in trouble. You can go back to 2019, 20. You have the three, two against Chelsea that we won in the 90th minute. You have the Watford game with the rice goal. I mean, Antonio scored four at Norwich. Like you have those games like 17, 18, you look back at like, you know, we got a point at Sanford bridge. We beat South Hampton three nil at home in the same game week that we're playing them this time. And.
00:35:10
Speaker
Like, I mean, I guess there's the forest game, but when you follow up the forest game with a four mil defeat at Brighton, like, I haven't seen those performances from us. And that's another thing. You say leads are going down. Why is there four to win at wolves? Not considered that kind of performance to you. That was like the most ridiculous game of all time. That was just like, then somebody got sent off for wolves, right?
00:35:38
Speaker
at the end, I think it was, um, I forget who it was. I think it was that right back. Um, the young kid, maybe. Um, I don't know, like leads just like it's chaotic. I think that they have enough. We'll see. We will certainly see.
00:36:01
Speaker
I mean, it's super close and it's gonna be, it's really hard to tell at this point. It could be someone who we don't expect. It could be, I mean, wolves could be down there. Wolves are not out of it, Lester. I would love if they went down sick of them. Thick and tired of them. I mean, objectively, it would truly be a sad thing for this great league to see them go down. No, it wouldn't, man. No, it would not.
00:36:31
Speaker
They're not that historic of a club. If you could pick your ideal 20 Premier League clubs, are they a part of that 20? Yeah. Are they number 20 that gets in? I mean, if you like they've been they just been have been system quality side for the past decade. It's been almost No, dude, they were bad last year. Yeah, COVID hit after like when we came back for the 2021 season.
00:37:00
Speaker
They have not impressed me in those three years. Once Raรบl Jimenez broke his skull, it's been over. They won the FA Cup that season. No, they didn't. 18-19, they lost to a fucking- or not a fucking- Did they not beat Chelsea in- No, that was Lester won the FA Cup. Yeah, we're talking about what, Lester? We're talking about wolves. Oh.
00:37:29
Speaker
Oh, yeah. Fuck wolves. I don't know. Yo, it's a clean podcast. I checked it off as not profane. Sorry. We both got our one in. I just. Yeah. I mean, I said I wouldn't get emotional, but I know we're going to talk about wolves. Sorry, dude. What did you think? Why? Why did you think that we were talking about Lester?
00:37:51
Speaker
Cause we were talking about, I said Lester. You said wolves. I said wolves and Lester. Oh, oh, oh, oh. I didn't hear that. Okay. I was very confused. I think Lester are fine. Yeah, they probably will be. You don't have, it comes back to what we were talking about with Mark Arnavich before. You don't have a player as good as James Madison and go down. No matter how bad you are, they'll be fine. That's true. Especially like they've been in more trouble before. They looked a lot worse last week.
00:38:35
Speaker
Moving on, though, to our under 18 squad and this FA Youth Cup run. I mean, it's very exciting. I was looking at some of the past teams who have won this and who have gone to the final, and you have players like Chuck Wamaica, who's at Chelsea, now he was at Asenvilla.
00:38:56
Speaker
I mean, there's this Chelsea squad that was absolutely stacked, um, with how calm what's on the doi Levi co-will Tino Libermento, all these players. Um, there was, uh, I mean, last year, Alejandro Gernacho, I think scored the goal to win it for Manchester United, or he had a brace to win it for Manchester United. And even when you go back to the last West Ham team.
00:39:21
Speaker
who got this far, you see like the likes of Joe Cole and players like that. So it's very exciting to see a team go this far because if you remember Mark Noble talking about how some of these under 21s who were sold in January, like on Jello, who just came out with those quotes that hurt, which is sad to see, but you know, it's a business. These things happen. The game is the game. The game is the game. Um, it's inspiring to see like kind of what they seem to be doubling down on.
00:39:51
Speaker
showing some dividends now at such a young age.
West Ham's Youth Success
00:39:54
Speaker
And, you know, when you look at how teams in the final, these players have genuinely gone on to be Premier League players and to play minutes for these teams. It gives you some hope for guys like Obama and guys like George Earthie and guys like Reagan Clayton and guys like Lewis Orford and all these players. I mean, Christian Hedgy, who's their captain, just got called up to the Hungarian national team, the senior team.
00:40:19
Speaker
And he hasn't even made a senior appearance for us yet, or as far as I know, anywhere. So it is pretty exciting seeing this team go that far. Yeah. I mean, it's really a talented bunch and it's, it's, it's plainly obvious when you watch the games. I mean, you watch them more than I do. So like, I'm very interested in what you have to see about them. I'm very excited to watch this Southampton tie. Is that how they play next in the play South Hampton on April 6th at the bowl.
00:40:49
Speaker
I will be there. No matter what. But yeah, I mean, the team is just supremely talented. I mean, we've had, we've had, you know, I guess generations of, of, of like Academy players who have been like hyped up by the fan base. I don't think they quite looked exactly like this. I mean, they're, they're competing at the highest level out of their age group.
00:41:16
Speaker
I mean, you have Obama who already has a senior goal. He scores every game he plays in, and no matter what level it's at. And you just think, like, what, like, what the output is one thing. And, you know, we've seen Odebaku and, you know, bombs like Sonny Perkins score for fun. I'll tell you one guy who's not going to keep leads in this league, Sonny Perkins. But my point is,
00:41:45
Speaker
More important than the output is you just think, what do you need from a striker, from a professional striker? And I think Obama has it all. I think it was all on display, not only down there against goddamn Ipswich U18. It was also plainly obvious on a field of
00:42:06
Speaker
senior players against Renaka. He did not look at a place in our squad in the slightest against Renaka, against Darby when he played against, was it FSCB in Romania? And he had this goal stolen from him that he said, they can't take this one away from me now. And another thing you mentioned it when we talked about the game, he genuinely looked improved since the first we saw him this season. Like from a technical standpoint,
00:42:36
Speaker
He looks improved, um, from the way we play. I remember when he came on against Arsenal for his long Premier league minutes, he, and he presses the hell out of that ball. He runs and then he runs those channels. He's so active off the ball. He runs those channels. Obviously there is some to be desired with his technical ability, but there have been plenty of strikers before him, especially in that mold. I'm not saying Holland's bad technically, but like, you know, you look at strikers. I'm going to say that this is his mold. You'll get like Holland, you'll get.
00:43:06
Speaker
Um, Lukaku, I mean, Holland's different than some of the other guys can get a name, but because like he can poach, I mean, he's just like a ridiculous player, but like Holland in theory can play this role that I'm talking about where you just run the channel as you work hard, you press, you hold the ball up, you get your player, you play with your back to goal, you get guys involved in play. I know Holland doesn't done that a bunch of study, but I mean, you don't really have to when you play with those players.
00:43:33
Speaker
And I'm sure that pep doesn't want him coming deep to link the play up. He has enough guys who can build the ball up, but like how in the CACU ocean and Antonio, um, what was the name of the guy who used to be at Puerto, like guys in that mold who run the channels who like can be physically imposing. I mean, forget he's only 18 looks like a grown man out there. He's going to put weight on like he's a kid. He really turned to, he turned 18 what in December.
00:44:04
Speaker
He turned 18, I believe November November November that's it's ridiculous. I Mean, I thought I thought ocean man was a great Obviously long way to go before you can mention him. Yeah. Yeah, I think play style wise they're the most similar just cuz he's not as like, you know big and stocky as Guys like Antonio, Marika and Lukaku And obviously nobody's really Holland from an athletic standpoint
00:44:34
Speaker
But with Oceman, like they're both lanky, a little skinnier, but like still physically imposing. They can run with the ball. They like to drift wide. I think in the little bit, we've seen him Obama. He loves getting out on that right side and kind of cutting in. Um, we saw, I mean, he's had a few under 18 goals, cutting in on his left, uh, from, um, starting from the right wing. Um, he had that shot against Larnaca.
00:45:03
Speaker
have like four stepovers and cut in. Like as soon as he came on the pitch, I was like, this guy thinks he belongs. Like he's, his confidence has got to be through the roof right now. That'd be the most confident player at the club, probably, the way things are going. He just might be. I mean, those stepovers, that was, that was very, very clean. And I honestly don't know if we would have seen that, you know, in the preseason this season or, you know, just, just in the first half of the season before the World Cup. That's the player.
00:45:33
Speaker
who everything they're doing is coming off and they think it's just going to keep happening. And I mean, he's working at it too. He's improved so much in such a short period of time. I don't think anybody would have known this guy's name two years ago, obviously 16. So who would know his name, but at the same time, like we've heard 16 year olds be mentioned on podcasts before, especially like with X talking about what kind of players the club likes. And Moyes has talked about his attitude. Moyes like.
00:45:59
Speaker
Moises is not one to randomly just talk up players. And every time he's been asked about Obama, he speaks really highly of him, which whether you think he's going to be here long-term or not, I would say is a very good sign for not only Obama as a player and his qualities there, but his qualities as a worker and as just someone who's willing to put that work in and like coachable and all those fun things. Uh, one thing I'd be interested to get your thoughts on since you do watch the youth teams more than I do.
00:46:29
Speaker
Who were the three, the top three players that you would be excited for? Is this now, is this just the U18s or? Yeah. Yeah. The players, the players who have been a part of this youth cup run, because I know that there are a few others who are a bit older, like Levi Lang, who some people like, um, but I'm talking about, um, but these under 18s who have been making this run, what you've seen, who do you like the most?
00:46:59
Speaker
I think Obama straight away. Yeah. Just, you know, incredible player. Uh, he, he just may as well be the, our third striker next year, which is super exciting. Um, he honestly, he should be. I don't see any reason for him to not get that chance. Yeah. Um, Oliver Skarls, obviously, um, that is a special, special player. He's 17 yet. He's turned 17.
00:47:28
Speaker
I, I truly do not even think he's 17 yet. I think he might've just started. Yeah, he's freshly 17. When's his birthday? December 12th. The fact he played in that conference league game when he was 16 and was like the best player in the pitch is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. I don't care who the opponent was. Unequivocally the best player on the pitch. He was man in the match. And like, I couldn't tell you anybody who played better than him that day. I agree. I agree.
00:47:57
Speaker
I mean, he seems to be like that, like he seems to be, I mean, I might be gassing up a little bit, but he, he's almost like a trend on the left. I mean, a guy who can, you know, play those. That's a little bit of a crazy comparison, but he is a central midfielder by trade and he looked great on the left. He created so many chances that game. He had an assist, didn't he? He almost had an assist. He had a pre-assist, I believe.
00:48:24
Speaker
And he had a few big chances created that were missed. But man, he's just a huge creative output. Not only that, I mean, he progresses the ball through the lines like it's nothing. I mean, he's just truly a reliable player to have on the flame. And he's so young, he can put on the weight. And I would love to see him being playing an essential midfield for us one day.
00:48:48
Speaker
I mean, I would really love that. He's, he's just so young to think that his 25th birthday is eight years away. That's the craziest thing. Cause he's just, I'm going to be 25 and a year and a half. Like this kid is playing for wet, like
00:49:12
Speaker
That it's crazy to think about things like that. And there's really no way to talk about how his development is going to go. Nobody really knows what's happened with Jamal Baptiste, who is very highly rated. He was 16, 17. And I still think he's a great talent when we see him. But the way Moise talked about it, it seems like something is very wrong one way or another. Not going to speculate on what that is, but it seems like things are very wrong with him. Yeah, I mean, he's a tremendous talent.
00:49:42
Speaker
Hopefully he is all right. Um, but moving on from him, your third player. Uh, yeah, I mean, it's, it's gotta be Reagan Clayton. I mean, he, he has all another left back recently too. Yeah. I mean, he, you know, we say all this good stuff about all of her scars. I mean, it's easy to just, you know, turn on the, your,
00:50:08
Speaker
the game live stream and it pops off. He pops. If, if you don't know anybody, you think you're watching scores. I mean, they're, they are pretty similar players and you know, they're just both in like a lot of the similar traits with like putting in those final balls. Um, they're both like, I mean, Clayton, he said his, uh, his idol is a lot is Alfonso Davies, which, um, what's obviously not the same athlete. Yeah. No, I mean, who is.
00:50:39
Speaker
But I like that. I like that a lot. No, yeah, you definitely see the intent, the attacking, you know, the attacking philosophy that he plays with. And it's truly exciting. I think that, you know, having a guy at fullback who can be like a creative output, you see all the elite teams, a lot of their chances come from that, you know, area of the pitch.
00:51:04
Speaker
whether it be a midfielder like De Bruyne, you know, leaking out to the right and putting balls in or, you know, trying to let Santa Arnold. Or Alfonso Davies. Or Alfonso Davies. I mean, we're talking about elite, elite, elite players, but... And I think we're going to see that trend continue when Mr. Gusto is at Chelsea next season. And I mean, they already rely on these games a lot and on Chilwell when he plays. I mean, they all hate Kukureya probably for justified reasons, the way he's looked this season. Um,
00:51:34
Speaker
I think if I had to pick my third one, it would be George earthy. I mean, the way it's just like, when I watched him, it's the way he runs with the ball and moves with the ball. He just runs and moves with the ball. Like a player who plays at the top level. Like sometimes you can tell, and it's almost kind of like how, like when you watch suit, check, play, you can tell like he's not a top level player when he runs with the ball. But like there's certain, cause sometimes you watch the youth kids and like they're cool and all, but.
00:52:04
Speaker
Like the ball, like the touch is out in front of them. It's far away from them. Earthie has that thing glued to his feet at all times. Um, so the way he just runs with it impresses me a lot. And I'm excited to hopefully see more of him, hopefully plays in the preseason next year. And hopefully we're in the Europa league and he can get a few appearances or maybe in the cup. And just like a special mention to Louis Orford too, he's nine goals and tennis this for West Ham youth this season from central midfield.
00:52:32
Speaker
And there's just a lot to be excited about. I mean, there's, um, it's the name of the center back, uh, tall kid. Yeah. Casey. Like, I mean, then there's hedgy who's an international player now, like a senior international. There's a lot to be excited about with these kids. And, you know, there always is when you talk about youth, cause it's always very, you know, so hopeful. But I think just hearing the way that noble talked about them and how they let guys go to make room for them.
00:53:02
Speaker
You really hope that you'll see two or three, like in the first team in the net, like in five years. Cause like hoping for more than three is really, you're hoping for like class of 92, but which is unrealistic. But, you know, Ben Johnson and duck on rice came from the same ish, you know, you think and Gakia broke through. He played, um, he's at Watford who are not going to come up, which is interesting as Melisara is going to leave this year.
00:53:31
Speaker
that interests you at all. But yeah, I mean, I would love to see two or three of these guys be genuine West Ham players in the squad in four or five years. I think that would be really nice. Right. And it's going to be interesting next year. Next year, I think we'll learn a lot of these players because
00:53:52
Speaker
You know, they're going to start attracting loan interests after presumably winning this thing. Um, uh, Obama, I think is a player who's not going on loan. I think, um, but other guys like earthy, um, or for, um, guys on the U 21 like Swire could go on loan. Um, OcoFlex. I mean, he's kind of in limbo right now. I don't know what's going to happen with him.
00:54:20
Speaker
He might go on another alone next year. I think he's going to leave this summer. There's also a good chance of that happening. Continue to start making space for some of these younger guys. Because who knows, maybe the under-16s are good. I don't know if you watched that interview with Noble. He said that he trains with these teams. He trains with the teams as low as I think the under-12s or the under-14s. Does real training because he says that's the best way for him to gauge how good they are.
00:54:49
Speaker
His role is still pretty undefined, but something that he is a very big part of is that youth movement. Um, and he's doing his due diligence. He's out there. Like he's playing with these guys on like not a daily basis, but I think it was on the Fos cast, right? The Brent Foster. He literally, when he was leaving, he had his boots with him right next to him and he was getting ready to go out and train with the under 16s or 18s out there. Um,
00:55:18
Speaker
And we did bring in, we did bring in 216 players last summer. Uh, Patrick Kelly and, uh, from Manchester city, Daniel rig. Oh yeah. Brig was like wanted by like 10 clubs. I mean, like there really could be something to be excited about here. Absolutely. And you know, while the senior team, you know,
00:55:36
Speaker
loss after loss. It's really nice to know that there's at least a little something in the back pocket where, you know, God forbid we do go down.
Impact of Relegation on Youth Opportunities
00:55:44
Speaker
A lot of these kids could get a chance, especially with, you know, a lot of players who think they're a little better than they are wanting out as soon as we go down. Yeah, that could be a very interesting talking point if we do go down about who some of these guys could be.
00:56:26
Speaker
talk about it all. Talk more about the fear of relegation and what these kids are going to give us after we do go down. Reagan Clayton, no more Aaron Crestwell, maybe relegation won't be so bad. But are we going to win the conference league?
00:56:49
Speaker
I think that it's slightly underestimated how it's going to be a little difficult.
Importance of Winning the Conference League
00:56:54
Speaker
It's certainly easy to write it off as being won already because how relatively easy it is. I mean, this is probably going to be the easiest European trophy anyone has ever won, ever. But there's still good teams in this competition, including Ghent, who we have coming up.
00:57:17
Speaker
they were very impressive in their second leg of their last tie. And then you go to Nice who have performed well in league on Fiorentina who have just ripped through the conference league like it's been. I think that they're better than us. They very well could be. And if we do see them in the final, first of all, I'm glad that it's not over two legs because that could be good. And I pray we're informed.
00:57:47
Speaker
We do have a few moments to just get there. A lot of people would have said Lazio were the favorites going into the knockout stage and they pretty much dispatched them quite easily. That's something to look at as well. I've watched that first leg because it was actually on Wednesday, their first leg instead of on a Thursday. AZ, they look just as good as Lazio.
00:58:16
Speaker
So, well, see, that's what I wanted to say was that, you know, every summer how easy this competition is. Like, Oh, we beat Andrew like twice. Like we would kill them in the semi-final or, Oh, AZ or nothing. Like these teams, they just beat lots of young villa real who people were afraid of. So like a AZ obviously are not a joke. They're very good side. Um, I mean, fan or from the same league who people underestimated just went to the final last year and gave Roma a game.
00:58:47
Speaker
Uh, Androlect, do people know how hard it is to beat a team three or four times in one season? Not a joke. Um, and then on the other side, I mean, Niece and Fiorentina are both good sides. Like Niece, I think we're better than, but they might give us some problems. Tareem Mophie scoring against us in the final would be really something. Um, yeah. On this season. And Fiorentina are better than us.
00:59:15
Speaker
Like I, I genuinely believe that I think that the expectation should win the witness should be to win this competition, especially with how crucial it is to our season. Like it really will decide how much of a failure this season has been. Cause if we win that competition and we stay in the league, I would call it a success, even if it would probably still be right to move on from the ways, especially with some of the stuff that's come out recently, but the players not trusting him. Um, but it's not going to be easy. Like you say, and.
00:59:46
Speaker
Obviously, I would argue we have a better squad than Fiorentina, but man, they've looked really good in this competition this year. I guess so have we, but they're mid-table, we're in a relegation battle. Like, they're a good side and they'll give us problems. Not a team I'm looking forward to playing at all. If we get there. Would be great for my mental if they would just get out of this tournament already. Yeah, right.
01:00:15
Speaker
And then we, and then Terrain Mofie would score against us and beat us and your mental will be back in the drain. Um, but you know, how crucial would you say that winning this tournament is to our season? Is it the be all end all? I think not only is it the be all end all to the season, it's the be all end all to like the next five years of this, of this club. I mean, just think it's a big deal. People forget cause like staying on the league is huge, but like,
01:00:45
Speaker
We have players that might not want to hang around and just play a Premier League season. And, you know, it's a lot more enticing to go to a Europa League team than it is to go to the team that finished 16th in their Premier League, losing their best goal, losing maybe two or three of their best players. Yeah. And that's another thing is that like our poll, our poll is going to disappear if we're not in the Europa League. If we are in the Europa League and we finish 15th, you know, you can still sell that.
01:01:16
Speaker
We had two great seasons. Yes, we had a down year. Things were in a transitional period, but look, we still won this trophy. We can win trophies. We're in a European competition again. There's something to be sold there. Finishing 16th and not having European football next year. Moyes will be gone if that happens. I think, you know, it seems like he might go no matter what. Um, which would be very interesting if they finished 12th won the conference league and he went, um,
01:01:44
Speaker
It'd be very interesting if we won the conference league and he goes, but it seems like a genuine possibility. But, you know, it's hard to sell that to a player of like the caliber that we will be interested in signing. Right. I mean, we're back at square one. If we don't win this competition, we genuinely are. I agree with that. And we might be at square negative five if we go down. Oh, yeah.
01:02:14
Speaker
So one of the last things I want to say is the three European competitions, who are your winners? Three European competitions. All right. So, um, the champions league. Uh, I think this is city's year. I think Holland is the difference maker and without the league wrapped up, they still got that fire in their bellies, so to speak, uh, to get them over the edge and, um, Europe league. Um, it's.
01:02:43
Speaker
Not to stay, you know, not to be closed-minded, but it's also hard to see United losing that competition. There are some good teams in that competition. Oh, for sure. If I was to, you know, ignore United for a second, put that aside, I think Leverkusen could easily win that competition as well. They just went to- You meant to still move you? I think that they're bad, but I think that they're desperate. I think Leverkusen are better than them. Leverkusen,
01:03:13
Speaker
you know, impressed me, certainly, they just went through an absolute dogfight. Yeah, no, that that Monaco tie was ridiculous. And just that was just blow for blow. And that that really just impressed me to the point of like, you know, if they got through that, I think they can, you know, might as well go win the entire thing. They just, they're just supremely talented.
01:03:37
Speaker
every, almost everywhere on the field. I mean, for him, Burt's is a hell of a play. He's been linked with Barcelona in the last few days. I'm pretty sure. He's truly just like a generational, generational talent. And I think he's what a lot of people thought and hoped had Burt's would be. Yeah, it just feels like they have a legitimate shot at it. Obviously you and I are going to be the favorites because of, uh, you know, how good they've been this season, but
01:04:07
Speaker
Yeah, I think it's going to be either United or Leverakusen coming out of that competition. And for the conference league, we did just have a discussion about it. I'll keep it brief. Just one name. Give me a name. West Ham United name. Hell yeah. We're back. We are back. I'm going to be unbearable doing that competition even when we go down. Can you imagine we go down and win that competition?
01:04:35
Speaker
I might have to be like checked into some sort of institution. I will be in an institution. Hollow way on set on Sunday. And then you bent this away on Thursday. What was the same question to you? Who's winning these competitions? Preseason, I would have said City. And you know, part of my mind still thinks City. But the intuition in me, the heart in me,
01:05:05
Speaker
to look for the game in me, it's telling me that Napoli is going to do this thing. They're going to do it. I, you know, I think that they have the elite striker that you need. They have the elite creator that you need. Those two stay fit. There's not many better attacking options in Europe. City have one of the ones that are better. Um, I think that the rest of their team gets very overlooked because
01:05:31
Speaker
of how good those two are. I mean, like in midfield with Anguisa. Um, and I'm really impressed with how they've kept their midfield afloat and really improved after losing Fabian Ruiz's number. I mean, you have, uh, Kim and Jay, um, at center back. This is a very good side from top to bottom. The spine is strong. Um, not only that the draw was favorable for them. They are not on city side. They're not on Madrid side.
01:06:00
Speaker
They need to be, is it they play Benter? No. Interplay Benfica. And then they play AC Milan. Yeah. So they play AC Milan and they'll play the winner of Inter and Benfica if they win. These are teams. They should be, I mean, the Syria ties will be tough. They know each other very well. They're also 20 points clear in Syria. Right. And I think once you get to a final and a one off with that kind of narrative,
01:06:29
Speaker
with that kind of specialty surrounding everything. Diego Maradona will be smiling down from his cocaine heaven. I think it's all coming together for them to put together a very magical run. And I think it would be a great story for everybody involved if they were to win it. There's certainly who I'm rooting for. Yeah, I think that. Inside. But I'm on the train of this is happening. I think that it's happening. I think that Pep,
01:06:59
Speaker
is enough of a freak to, you know, do something weird again. Cause I think city will go to the final. Um, but you know, maybe pep does something weird and it costs him and Kavara and ocean and rip them in one on the counter. It's very, very real. Like it's so within the realm of possibility that Napoli ripped them to shreds and transition with those two. Um, it would also be, it'd be great for, um,
01:07:29
Speaker
Great for agenda push and considering, you know, this Napoli team didn't, was in the conference league last year. They did not win it. They did not win it. That's true. Um, they also have former West Ham target, Pietor Zielinski, which is fun. Uh, he said he wanted to stay the play in the champions league and he might be doing a little bit more just playing in it. Um, they do the double. He might win the damn thing.
01:07:56
Speaker
Uh, when it comes to the Europa league, I would love to disagree with you and have some discussion here, but ten hog is a serial winner. He's a great manager. He's got that team really doing, they're building something over there, which is nice to see a Premier league with the two best sides being United and Arsenal would be very refreshing compared to city and Liverpool. Definitely. Um, hopefully, hopefully this whole pep thing is over soon and he goes and manages Spain or something.
Premier League Player of the Year Contenders
01:08:23
Speaker
Uh, but.
01:08:26
Speaker
I just can't disagree with that. When it comes to the conference league, I cannot be objective about this. We're winning this thing. We're back. We're back. We must. We must and we will. And you said that, you know, put you on blast here is his idea. And I think it's a pretty damn good idea. Three rapid fire questions to wrap this up. All right. Rapid fire like W.R.
01:08:55
Speaker
Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right. Right.
01:09:24
Speaker
Okay. I disagree. You disagree. I think it's young Bukai Osaka. I mean, kiss the ring, right? It's true. He's, he's been sensational this year. I honestly can't get upset at that pick, but I just think, you know, it's going to score 35, 40 league goals. Can't really give it to anybody else. It's, it's, it's really hard. And I know, uh, like, you know, I, I might just be, um, you might have the better argument.
01:09:52
Speaker
Like I enjoy your pick. I would love for it to be true. And, but like, it's hard to have a discussion because I'm just going to say it's going to score 40 legal. Yeah, right. But you know, it's, I just feel like soccer has been one of the best performing wingers in the entire world this year. And if they win the league, which is it's every single, every single game that passes, it starts to look more likely that they are going to win the league. He's truly, truly a special player.
01:10:21
Speaker
the leap that he made from last year, this year, it's, it's unprecedented. And, you know, that's a callback for our earlier discussion about, uh, our tennis player development, but just the player that sock has turned into, it's, it's a joke. Um, yeah, I don't know. He's very something special. And he, um, you should know, Buki Osaka was on one of the losing sides in an FA youth cup final within the last five years. Oh, these are the kinds of talents that we're talking about. Um,
01:10:51
Speaker
My question for you is David Moyes. You could sack him tomorrow, would you? No. No, I would not. I think it's far too late to bring a new manager in. If you asked me this question in January, I would have said yes, but it's just too late. We don't want to look like Crystal Palace for Ian Roy Hogg. I was going to say, Hogg should have spooked me. That spooked me, man. I was like, Oh my God. I've been shivers down my spine.
01:11:21
Speaker
Mm-hmm. All right. I think I guess my my question is somewhat related Next manager for what same United Michael Carrick it's got to be it's the dream You know It's starting to look like it's gonna be will still and nobody else that way with the way things are going and his men know if he does one more interview and
01:11:51
Speaker
If I see one more tweet with a clip of him and that damn hammer emoji in the tweet, I'm going to lose my mind. Uh, I mean, I think he's a good manager and I think he has a lot of room to improve and I think he's going to improve. I think it might be a little early for him. I think he would still do a good job with us, but the growing pains could be very frustrating, especially with where we desire to be punching with some of the players that we have. Um, and you know, Carrick might get promoted and then we're really not going to be able to get our hands on them unless we play a heavy compensation.
01:12:22
Speaker
Um, but I think, you know, I think Michael Parrott's going to be really, really good manager. The way that Middlesbrough plays really impressive. Watch them a few times. I mean, it's a very modernized four, two, three, one, which I know hasn't worked out for us that well this year, but the shape may be similar, but the play style is not the same. And I think he could really, I think he could really do something special with the squad. I think he's going to the top.
01:12:46
Speaker
Right. I mean, we, we plan on talking about this more in depth in the future. I mean, just watching them and you really cannot even call what they do and what we used to do the same thing. It's, it's, they could not, it's, it's two different world. They could not be more different. Um, my question for you is who are the three teams that are getting promoted? Three teams getting promoted. Um, so objectively, Burnley is certainly going to be what, I mean, yeah, it's, it's hard to not say it's going to be Sheffield Burnley.
01:13:14
Speaker
and Millsboro, those are just the three most impressive teams down there. Who else is in the- Like Luton Town are in the conversation and Millwall are actually in the conversation. I think Blackburn are in fifth. The playoffs are going to be good because Brenton Diaz could really turn any game on its head in a moment. So if they get to the final, you know, Brenton Diaz,
01:13:42
Speaker
Might put, might put Michael Carrick in our laps. Yeah. If I was to say anyone in that, uh, besides Middlesbrough to come up, those two are solid in the, in the automatic promotion spots. It's definitely Blackburn, uh, Barrington Diaz. I mean, we saw firsthand that, uh, he's a difference maker. He, uh, and you know, I would love to hate on him. And in the summer, I really didn't want him that badly, but he is a damn good player.
Staying Competitive After Promotion
01:14:10
Speaker
It's true. Very good player.
01:14:12
Speaker
He's a problem. And if they get promoted, they'll be able to keep him around. And he's probably, if they make some good signings, those are the goals that will keep you up. Absolutely. All right. Last question for me.
West Ham's Next Captain
01:14:27
Speaker
Rice leaves in the summer. Next captain.
01:14:40
Speaker
Cuz see it's tough because I think Chris one of Bonner are gonna go my answer would be Angela Bonner But like, you know, maybe he's gonna leave Wow, dude, we are cooked We're so cooked oh my god and I figured I Agree, he just exudes. No, he's easily there
01:15:09
Speaker
He is what leaders are made of. Um, okay.
Reflecting on Arsenal's Performance
01:15:14
Speaker
Arsenal, are they going to do it? You know, not to toot my own horn, but if you told me in August that they were doing it, I would have been like, you know what? It's a little far fetched, but I see him.
01:15:27
Speaker
I, this is a team I've been, you've been high on them for a long time. If you're a true fan of me personally, I cannot think of one person that would describe himself that way. But, you know, we used to have a little podcast called the football friends. If you listened to that and you were one of the five people looking for that, which I think they'd say, thank you. Um, you would know how high was on Arsenal preseason.
Arsenal's Young Squad in Title Race
01:15:54
Speaker
Um, I said that they were going to finish third.
01:15:57
Speaker
I truly did not dream big enough, as they say. I was down on you. I was like maybe fourth, but I don't know. I had them in my top four, but I was like third. Very adamant that you were wrong. Not to put you on blast, but you did say that Tottenham would give them a run.
01:16:14
Speaker
which, you know, we don't got to talk about, but you know, the, the, the youth on this team, the mixture of youth and the fact that they've been so composed, uh, in the title race, they're literally doing the hardest thing that any team could do. And it's, it's being chased by city in a domestic league or in the, in the league.
01:16:35
Speaker
And they've handled it with such grace, with such maturity for the youngest squad in the Premier League. It's truly. Every game is truly a cup final for them for the last however long.
Ben Way's Performance at Right Back
01:16:44
Speaker
And for the next two months, honorable mention of Ben Way and what he's been able to do it right back. Really impressed with him. And honestly, like.
01:16:53
Speaker
There's a million players you can praise in this arsenal team, but I just want to give him a mention because I feel like he does not get enough of it for what he's been able to do. Technically out of position for them. He's a damn good footballer and people laughed at them when they spend 50 million on him. People laughed. They laughed at every single, honestly, almost besides Odegard, every single sign. Jay Zeus. Jay Zeus and Zinchenko. I'm thinking more of the summer before, but that summer got laughed out of the room.
01:17:23
Speaker
And man, that right back, that right back is something different. Um, I think that's a good place to end it on.
Engaging with Listeners: Social Media and Blog
01:17:32
Speaker
Uh, we appreciate you guys for listening. Hopefully that we'll be back next week. Um, yeah, thank you. Follow us on Twitter at hammering underscore away.
01:17:45
Speaker
Check out the blog at hammering-away.com. It'll take you to a WordPress page where we're going to have articles. You're going to post podcasts. There's going to be a lot more content coming out quickly. So stay tuned.
01:18:16
Speaker
some damn clothes Spend a lot of money on some damn clothes Extend a flip for the madam emo Extend a flip for the madam emo Sexy bitch, she comin' out the emo She is rickin' all of my anger Ooh, I just got another body And she's movin' that body like a daddy Aye, shut the left and right for the laddie Aye, shut the left and right for the daddy Aye, shut the left and right for the daddy