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Hammering Away Ep #32 - Kalvin Phillips
84 Plays1 year ago
On today's episode of the podcast, Jack and Joe go on a 40-minute tirade about Kalvin Phillips, discuss the state of refereeing in the Premier League, and more!
Music by: LADI OGUN & @ANTlll
Blog: Hammering-Away.blog
Twitter/X: @Hammering_Away
Instagram/Threads: @HammeringAway_
Tiktok: @hammering.away
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Transcript
Calvin Phillips' Performance Issues
00:00:23
Speaker
Welcome back to the hammering away podcast. As always, it's Jack and Joe. I'm trying to start dude. Calvin Phillips. I'm sick of him. I can't do it anymore. He is an embarrassment. I'm wasting no time. Look, he was brought into a situation that could not have been more perfect for him. Think about this. He joined a team that was six in the Premier League.
00:00:48
Speaker
that needed his profile. Like obviously we had a working very good midfield three, but he had ample opportunities to earn his place in the team. He was never really put into a bad situation. Like his first start was at home to a team in the bottom half. Obviously Bournemouth were playing well at the time, makes a mistake early on. It was, you know, Zuma also was at fault for that. The red card against Forest is a little harsh, but he really didn't impact that game that much.
00:01:16
Speaker
Um, and he's maybe had one good touch for, uh, the shoot check goal against Everton in two months here. Uh, in two months here, he's cost us at least five points and that's being super generous.
Team's Struggles and Coaching Blame
00:01:30
Speaker
Um, yes, but because he costs us three today alone. Um, and like, there, there's a lot to talk about when it comes to refereeing today and, you know, other factors that go into it. But, you know, losing a three one lead after the 70th minute is.
00:01:46
Speaker
unacceptable um and i'm not gonna like sit here and blame moiz too much but you know moiz should take some blame um but then again like look antonio doesn't really play 90 minutes anymore and there's no reason why him coming off
00:02:03
Speaker
and bring on someone who is an English international who's as talented as Calvin Phillips is, we know that he's talented, should impact the game that negatively. And really, how many favorable situations does Calvin Phillips need to be placed in to even just not be calamitous? He's catastrophic. He's a catastrophic footballer.
00:02:27
Speaker
I can't even wrap my mind around it. Because look, no matter what you think about the penalty, whether it is a penalty, whether it's not a penalty, for him to take a touch and take his sweet ass time trying to get that ball out of there in a situation like that is, it's ridiculous. He's played in England for God knows how long. He's been in the Premier League for four years now, five years now.
00:02:52
Speaker
he needs to know better than that. He's a very decorated player. He has to know better than that. And not only that, like he was just, he's walking around and this is, and I'm gonna get to that, but he's walking around. When he runs around with no real clue where he's going, he's not filling space that matters. For their third goal, he's like runs to like, I think he's like trying to take away a pass through the wing and just opens up all that space down the middle for them to play it in the esac.
Phillips' Impact on Morale and Team Dynamics
00:03:22
Speaker
Understand it and just on the penalty like our good friend Callum tweeted this WH UFC Callum Everybody everybody probably knows Callum But he just said he said I don't ever think that that should be a free-kicker penalty But I think refs will always give them so he has to be more aware particularly in that area which is true should that be a penalty like in a perfect world or not even in a perfect world in a
00:03:52
Speaker
generally normal world? No, that should never be a penalty. That shouldn't be a foul on him. If somebody steps in front of you with no intent to play the ball just to get kicked, they shouldn't be rewarded for that. But we've seen them given for us in the middle of the park. We've seen them given in other games. It's not a surprise that it's given as a penalty. And it shouldn't be a surprise to anybody.
00:04:14
Speaker
The first penalty is a much worse decision, which we'll get to. But is it harsh? Does it suck? Yeah. But honestly, the only person who can take any blame for it is Calvin Phillips. He has to know better than that. And I'm sick of it. It is not acceptable for someone as talented as him to fail like this. And just the last thing, what irks me the most about him
00:04:43
Speaker
is we have such a squad of players that really work hard from top to bottom. No matter who is out there, you know that you're getting 100% commitment, 100% effort. They'll die to win a ball. They'll go in the 30s, 70s. They don't care. From Lucas Paqueta all the way down to somebody like Sucek, just on the spectrum of players you'd expect to get stuck in.
00:05:08
Speaker
And he doesn't do that. He's walking around and I find it incredibly disrespectful to the rest of the squad. And I can't imagine what, you know, these guys out there, especially that front three, who are so good today and we should be raving about their performance instead of talking about this fucking loser.
00:05:27
Speaker
We will, but like, what, what is Mo Kudu's thinking? Like, what is Jared Bowen thinking? What is Lucas Paquette to think? What does Thomas Sucek think? I thought Sucek was awesome today. I thought Sucek's performance was a big reason we were able to get away with that pivot because we're proud as a passenger today. Like, what do these players think? I mean, Zuma had a good game, like to concede four when our center backs play that well. That's probably, that's probably our, like, it's probably like Zuma and Malver Panos is probably like, like that,
00:05:57
Speaker
that like pivot, like, or that like combo, like their best game of the season. And it sucks. None of them was their fault.
00:06:04
Speaker
In 2024, at least, I mean, I thought, I mean, the United game right before Christmas, but yeah, since since zoom was downturn of form, that's the best that those two have looked together. And I it's, that's the thing, I find it incredibly disrespectful, the lack of just commitment. He's not here for us. He's not one of us. And I said this, I said that a while ago, I forget which one of his performances after he is not one of us.
00:06:30
Speaker
It comes down to that and it's so clear when he puts in performances like he did today. He is not, he doesn't want it as bad for West Ham as the rest of the team wanted.
Phillips' Passion and Professionalism Questioned
00:06:41
Speaker
He was here for one reason, which was to earn his England place, which is totally fine with me. I don't really care why guys are here as long as they play well.
00:06:51
Speaker
I don't, I do not care. You think kudos is here because he thinks he's going to like, see out his career at West Ham. No, he's here to prove himself in the best league in the world and probably get a huge move in a year and two years and three years. But like the, his commitment, he's one of the most committed players in the squad. The way he presses the way he runs everything that he does for us.
00:07:16
Speaker
Like why is Calvin Phillips not putting everything out there to be at this tournament this summer? Considering Euro 2020 is what fucking made him. It's disgusting. It is disgusting. He is a disgusting, disgusting, despicable player. Like, and I don't care if that's a quote unquote abuse. I mean, it's not because it's just true. Like sometimes it's just true.
00:07:44
Speaker
He is an abhorrent footballer. And honestly, if I was another Premier League club, any established Premier League club, I would not touch him with a 10 foot pole. Palace wanted him. Palace wanted him bad. Does he get into Palace's midfield? No. No. No. We can go up and down the league later. If he's playing with this kind of attitude. He's getting in town's midfield? No.
00:08:12
Speaker
Do you play some Kong or Ross Barkley? No. Not the way they're playing right now, because you know how they play? They play like this shit matters. He does not play like it matters. He plays like an entitled. He's to use a word that English people love. He's a prat. It's it's not. I mean, I don't actually know what that word means, but like sounds sounds right. It sounds right. Yeah, but that's just like this is
00:08:42
Speaker
For him, because that's what bothers me. He's not Roberto, who's terrible. He's not Simone Zaza, who scored some goals and was at Juve, but was never some amazing striker. This is a guy who was one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. He was starting for England.
00:09:02
Speaker
Like we know that you're good at this sport. Like what is wrong with him? Why is that? That's what drives me crazy too. Apart from the laziness is the really the only word for it is like, he looks lost. Why does he look so lost? It's been too much. Like he's, this is his seventh eighth appearance today. So fitness excuse anymore. He's played probably over 400 minutes for us by now, over 300 minutes for us by now. Why does he still look lost?
00:09:32
Speaker
Are you done with your ranks? I was just about to say like, it's already nine minutes. I'll let you get a word but I'm sick to my stomach. Yeah. Hi, everyone. Welcome. Welcome to the hammering away podcast. This is this is your host, Joe. I'm here with Jack as always. This is episode number 3434. Yeah.
00:10:00
Speaker
I'll, I'll, I'll say what I need to say. Cause I've been waiting for this. No, cause I just have to get it off my back. Cause I just have to, and I, I, I could, I could have done a solo podcast. No. Yeah. And the whole thing would have been about Calvin Phillips. And I'm going to go into my little spiel. Do what you need to do.
00:10:20
Speaker
I mean, you and I were so excited when Calvin Phillips got here. And I'll stop cutting you off, but justifiably so. Justifiably so. This was a perfect situation for him to really take his career back. It could not be a better situation for him. Like hats off to the staff, David Moyes, Tim Stein, and making it happen, because this was a great transfer. It's a guy that Moyes knew very well,
00:10:50
Speaker
who he's been tracking for three years. He knew exactly what he was gonna do with him when he got into the squad. And the only question I had when he was coming in is, does he love this game? You can go back and listen to those December Potts. I was saying, does he love this game? And I asked that question because Captain Phillips had the opportunity, had multiple opportunities to leave City in the past.
00:11:20
Speaker
And he said, no, you'd rather stay and you'd rather sit on the bench and rather watch the best team in the world play and collect his checks. And then all of a sudden now he's not in the England squad. And it's like, Oh, I actually knew the play.
00:11:35
Speaker
And I can't just get this hand out. I'm not just entitled to the most select spots in the entire world, in the entire game. The best national team in Europe. The best national team, arguably, in the world on paper. They haven't won it yet. Them, France, and Brazil. Yeah. In terms of selection, probably the hardest team to get into.
00:12:04
Speaker
And what we've seen, and the truth has come out finally, that he does not have the mental makeup of a professional athlete. He does not have the mental makeup of cashier at a grocery store. He is not fit for society. He sounds hyperbolic, but he is incapable of facing adversity.
00:12:30
Speaker
He came up in Leeds, he was the star boy and everything handed to him. And okay, he played some pretty passes while he's in Leeds and you know what, they went down. And he was injured, this, he was that, he was, oh, I came, I played a couple of pretty passes, I got mixed up by Ben Ram and then I golfed for three months and everybody talks about me. Like that was him before he went to city, everybody forgets that, he was always injured.
00:12:56
Speaker
He's fat. He's fat. It's the biggest chance of his life and he's fat and he was fucking fat. That's who we're dealing with. If I, if I came across him in the professional setting, if I, if I was against him in a court, in a trial, I eat him alive. Weak minded, feeble minded individual like that.
00:13:22
Speaker
He's pathetic. He's certainly not one of us. He's never going to be. He will never be one of us. And I could not be happier that he put the final nail in the fucking coffin today. You know what? He had a chance, dude.
00:13:37
Speaker
With Alvarez out, he could have came on today. He could have made an impact. And he could have won that spot for More Press for Spurs on Tuesday. Because More Press did nothing today. He had a legit opportunity to come on that pitch for 20 minutes to go and make an impact. Because we were in control of the game. I mean, they had like two little cutbacks after he came on. We were in control of that game. Before whatever the fuck he decided he wanted to do.
00:14:04
Speaker
I know he had another opportunity to turn directly on a platter. That's what I'm saying. How many favorable situations does he need to be put into for him to play a 6 out of 10? He doesn't run. And when he runs, it's aimless. It's like he's not even trying. That's why he's doing it.
00:14:25
Speaker
That's why Harvey Barnes was able to just skate right past him for, for the fourth goal. Cause he ran up to Barnes, but he didn't, he looked like, like I don't, I don't play soccer, but like you run up to somebody with the ball. You don't like just start like run past them. Like, yeah, like chop your feet a little bit or something. Yeah. There's just no effort. There's just no effort to actually make a difference. Yeah. He like, there's just no tests and there's no like want to, you don't want it, Calvin. Like you can't just.
00:14:55
Speaker
like you can't just rest on your laurels your whole fucking life wake up man and that's the thing is that is that is the thing about it is that i usually i hate that he's not committed this he's not trying this these guys do this for a living they're trying but Calvin Phillips is not trying as hard as he needs to he's not and whether it's because he doesn't want to try if he's scared to try i don't know if like he needs like medication i don't know what's wrong with him
00:15:25
Speaker
he's like on drugs or something he's like his fucking dad okay okay okay i got more stuff i gotta go through all right all right we gotta bring up his his his druggy
00:15:42
Speaker
No more family stuff for Gavin folks. Leave the fathers out of this. I'll leave his dad alone just like how his dad left his home. Okay, but here's one thing I will say. One thing I will say. As funny as it is for allegedly a West Ham fan to wait at the bus to tell him that he's useless, as funny as that is,
00:16:08
Speaker
I do not think that we need to be like, he's classless. He's a terrible guy because he flipped his fan off. Because look, these players are human beings. Even if he's not trying the way he needs to, I'm sure he's furious with himself. I don't think he is. I don't think he was a fuck.
00:16:26
Speaker
Maybe not But okay, but all I'm saying is I don't really care that he flipped somebody off like who cares Look, all I care about is if he plays well in between those lines or anyways, particularly because he's on loan He's not a representative of this club. He doesn't represent us. He's not one of us. I don't give a shit what he does Like look all I'm saying
00:16:49
Speaker
there's plenty to go off of on how he plays to hate on him for that we don't need to like get all worked up because he you know had an emotional moment I like that just doesn't feel right to me but it also but look I don't think either of them did that much wrong I think it's weird you know to wait that long just to tell one guy that he stinks but I respect it I respect it I respect it I think it's super real but
00:17:17
Speaker
All I'm saying is, if you're willing to do that, you have to be willing to handle that reaction, not that the person in the video wasn't, but like, I think that we need to understand that this goes both ways. Neither of them did anything wrong. There's an interaction between two emotional people. Is that right or is that wrong? It's wrong and I'll tell you why it's wrong. Okay. Tell me why it's wrong. It's because Calvin Phillips is not frustrated with himself. He has to be. To some extent, he has to be.
00:17:46
Speaker
is unwilling and unable to take accountability. So to him, it's not like, Oh, you're rubbing it in my face. Like I know I did bad. Like, like, like I'll be better. Like it's like, Oh, you're like personally attacking me. Like who the fuck are you to be personally attacking me? I'm Calvin Phillips. I was bought by Man City for 50 million. Like, like shut up, bro. Like take, take accountability, like hold your head up. I'd be a man for once.
Comparison with Other Players and Past Success
00:18:14
Speaker
Genuinely, what is going to happen with him next year? Who's going to take him? He's going to end up on Sky Sports doing commentary, doing halftime shows. He's going to have to take a wage cut, because this is crazy. I've never seen a player tank their value more in two months than he has. He will be lucky to go back to Leeds. He'll be lucky for them not to lock him out of the training ground at City.
00:18:43
Speaker
Pep is laughing to the bank. He is absolutely loud. He's a good guy. He's not a good guy. He's not like if you were going to lie, have lie about his footballing ability. He didn't even feel comfortable going there. Yeah, there's like he was like, this is my this is my reputation. He's like, this is wrong. If I say that he can play like they might sue me.
00:19:12
Speaker
oh my goodness man it's it's it's just it's it's mind-boggling how poorly this chancellor is gone and you know what there was once upon a time
00:19:24
Speaker
There was a guy who they told us he didn't love the game. They told us that he genuinely stung. They told us that he, look, they told us that Calvin Phillips was good. He had something to play for. And you know what, he had some games this year. I think he probably played more minutes than the guy I'm about to bring up played in those first six months for Manchester United in 2020, 2021. And they told us that that guy didn't love the game. They told us that that guy actually, he's not even good, let alone love the game.
00:19:55
Speaker
And you know what he did? He came here. Jesse Lingard came to this club. He wore that 11. He fired us in the Europe. He showed us that he loved the game. And then he did a sturdy after he set us off into the best period in this club's history in the Premier League. And Calvin Phillips joined very similarly from Manchester on loan, took that 11 and he's pissing on the shirt every time he comes on the pitch.
00:20:24
Speaker
You know what? You know what the difference is? Because they came here for the same reason. Jesse Lingard wanted to get back in the England team. So did Cal yourselves. Well, well, yeah, he got back in that team. But the way they went about it is what separates them. Jesse Lingard saw what was going on here. He was like, wow, this is a this is a team with like a distinct
00:20:54
Speaker
like set of values, a distinct culture that if I buy into it, I can really, I can really like make my name for myself individually while like lifting the team up. Calvin Phillips goes in and he's like, Oh, like they're good. Like I can, like, like, this is a good place for me to showcase my talent. Like I'm going to come here and just be me and I, and that's going to be good enough.
00:21:23
Speaker
There's no buying with Calvin Phillips, Jesse. There's zero by him. Jesse Lingard was throwing up the hammers. He was fucking blowing bubbles. He had little Ella and that's her name, right? What's her name? I don't know his daughter's name. He had his daughter in the West Ham kit. Calvin Phillips doesn't have his daughter in the damn West Ham kit. He doesn't give a shit about West Ham. It's like he's just
00:21:48
Speaker
this is a job for him this is like but the thing is i don't but like i totally agree with everything you're saying even if it's a job like he he's supposed to love this sport when you make it as a professional athlete you have to love the game where where did that go for him when did he lose that i don't know hey i don't think he ever had it that's the thing i don't think he ever had it though
00:22:14
Speaker
Like can he not play with expectations, but you play well at the euros grant that he's playing next to the best six in the fucking world Yeah, which like nobody knew at the time so they were like wow this Calvin Phillips guy's really good Guys playing because he's roaming around that's like I'm gonna maybe I'll watch a game back watch that Croatia game back see what the hell was going on But it's just
00:22:41
Speaker
It's, it's sickening. Like I am sick to my stomach after today. Cause you know what? Honestly, call me negative. You want, I think that that's a backbreaking loss. Yeah. I think it's
Impact of Poor Performance on Future
00:22:52
Speaker
backbreaking. I think, I think that we'll look back on that result and the two draws before the break, but particularly that result as the moment that changed our season. And we finished eighth, if we finished ninth, it's, it's because of today.
00:23:08
Speaker
And excluding Calvin, this team is a group of incredibly mentally resilient individuals. And the only reason that I have hope still in this team is because of that fact. And if we further ostracize him and treat him like the fucking pariah that he is, we have a chance of turning this around. Granted, we have a tough schedule to end the season.
00:23:37
Speaker
I mean, he shouldn't be in a squad again. Yeah. I know that he will be. He should never come on the pitch again and hopefully he won't because there's a real chance that he doesn't. But legitimately, he should not be in the squad again. And one more point I want to make that's to clarify my statements when I say like, oh, this is just a job to him. This is probably less than a job to him. Like if a person behaved like this in a professional setting, they would be fired on the spot.
00:24:06
Speaker
Yeah. Like if Calvin Phyllis was my door dash driver, I would not take him. He might have to start looking into that profession very soon. Yeah. Nothing wrong with door dashing. I enjoyed door dashing. He will find himself on a delivery bike if Leeds doesn't pick him up.
00:24:29
Speaker
I can't, he's probably gonna go back to Leeds if he's willing to take a pay cut. If he won't take a pay cut to play for his boyhood club, which is a very real possibility, I will, I was gonna say all that, I don't even know what I'll do. I might cry, I might throw up. I won't be moved a single, like I'm just not expecting it. I never wanna hear his name. And honestly, I have not felt this level of disdain, this genuine disdain for a professional athlete.
00:24:58
Speaker
probably in my adult life. Like we can talk about the Knicks with Evan Fornier, not that anybody knows what the hell is going on there. Evan Fornier, how I felt about him, how I felt about Alfred as a Nick, how I felt about Roberto at West Ham, how I felt about Zaza at West Ham, how I felt about, that's bad players over the years, how I felt about Jonathan Kiari at West Ham,
00:25:23
Speaker
It's never, it's never been this because it was, it's always a little funny. It's not a little funny with Calvin, with Calvin Phillips. It is every single player that is absolutely horrible for your club or your team. It's always a little funny. And it's very funny after they leave. Cause you're like, man, we're free of that. Remember when he did that, this is not funny. There's no comedy to this. And I think what, what, what cuts the deepest, what makes this different than, than like the,
00:25:53
Speaker
the Roberto's and the Evan Forney's of the world is that, I don't know, I can't speak for you, but I mean, I sure you feel the same way is that I feel such a deep emotional connection to these guys. Cause you know, like a lot of them have been here for, for, for two, three, four, five years, but more than that with Antonio Cresswell, even. And, and, and you know what consistently throughout all of their time here,
00:26:23
Speaker
under David Moyes, they've played their absolute skins off every single week and putting their bodies in line, their heads on the line. These guys got families at home and they fucking, they legitimately treat West Ham and its fans and their teammates and the coach. This is legitimately their family.
00:26:50
Speaker
You can, like, and it's not fake for the cameras or anything. Like, this is real. Like, Sucek, like, is, like, in love with this stuff. Sucek will never be the same. He has CTE. Like, in his, like, CTE demented brain, like, he's just created, like, this chemical attachment to West End. Same with people. Like,
00:27:16
Speaker
Like, Abana is going to stay after. That's another thing. Kufo today. Horrendous. But not for a moment that I question his commitment. And you never, ever will. He doesn't stop running. He doesn't put his head down after he makes a mistake. He gets put on isolation 100 times with Gordon every single time he's going to give him everything he's got. The difference in mentality
00:27:46
Speaker
and guys like Sucek and Kufal who are not talented players and and Calvin Phillips is night and day and I'll take Kufal and Sucek over him every single time. Yep, I totally agree. And that's like, you know, the other thing about it. Like what you're saying that these guys treat it like a family, they everybody is so bought in. And when new guys come in,
00:28:12
Speaker
they're trying to buy and you could think about when kudos played remember his sub appearance against city you know it kind of wasn't tracking back not because he was lazy just because that wasn't you know exactly he was at mentally within two weeks
00:28:25
Speaker
By the time we played Everton, or by the time, like by October, that cameo against City was like September 16th. By October, he was one of the best off the ball wingers in this league. He's tracking back, he's pressing. And then you think about Paquetta, who has always been a combative player throughout his career, but the commitment that he plays with, obviously Jared Bowen, and then all the midfielders who were bought for their work rate when you think about the three that we play in there besides Phillips. I mean, think about Emerson.
00:28:54
Speaker
At what point has Emerson been a player throughout his career that's bought in every week? Emerson's never been that. He's always been this big game player who's like, he's called lazy. He's called lazy his first year here. And you know, there were times when he was lazy, but every week now he's playing the best football of his career because he's bought into what we do. And it's a credit to Moyes that he's able to get this buy-in no matter what other job action we have. I don't want to like gush over Moyes.
00:29:22
Speaker
too much because obviously we just conceded for it, but it's also not totally his fault. He got sold. He got 100% sold. But the thing about it is that it is an indictment on Calvin Phillips mentally as an athlete, as a professional athlete. When you see all of these, when you see all of these highly talented players,
00:29:46
Speaker
was linked with Arsenal. Arsenal wanted kudos, they just didn't have the cash for it. Manchester City wanted Paquetta in August and his move fell through because of a falsified gambling scandal.
00:29:58
Speaker
And look how bought, and look how bought in he, and because this essentially, it feels like by all reports, especially people that are in the know what city that he's essentially been promised that move by pep himself this coming summer. He's a sitting duck. And, and, and look how hard he plays every, he could get, he could get seriously injured every week. And that could ruin that move from that. That could cost him hundreds of thousands, millions of pounds. It could cost him his dreams of playing in the champions league of winning the champions league of winning the Premier League.
00:30:28
Speaker
And yet every week, how many times does he on the ground today? I mean, obviously he throws himself to the ground a lot, but he went up for, he challenged the header in the second half and fell like on his back with his arm in a mad awkward angle. I'm sitting there, I'm like, dude, you had no chance of winning that ball, like we need you, don't go up there. But that's why you love that, because he will put his body on the line.
00:30:50
Speaker
And it is down to Morris. It is. And he gets that buy-in from these players. And my thing about it, just to bring my whole point home, is that these are players who are just as, if not more talented and highly talented than Calvin Phillips, who have come here and who have bought into how we play. No matter how you think about how we play, if you think it's negative, even if you think that the players hate it, there is no denying that these guys are bought in every week and giving 100,000%. We are one of the hardest working teams in this league. We're one of the most fit teams in this league.
00:31:20
Speaker
when it comes to the guys who actually play. I mean, Kudus and Bowen could run forever. Forever. Suchak could run forever. Emerson can run forever. Yeah, Calvin Phillips, for whatever reason, Calvin Phillips is the one guy, top top talented or just like a West Ham level, whatever you want to call any of these players. Calvin Phillips is the one guy
00:31:43
Speaker
who, for whatever reason, does not feel like he needs to buy in. And you know, maybe I gave him a few weeks because he's so used to playing for Citi now, we're a totally different style. It's so far past that time. I've been here for over two months now. This is ridiculous that he's acting the way he's acting. Moiz gets this reaction out of players where it's like almost immediately, almost upon meeting Moiz, they're like, what do I need to do?
00:32:13
Speaker
to play for this guy. How can I contribute to what he has created here? And every single player since
00:32:25
Speaker
Since he, since his first stint really has had this trigger in his head, even Ben Rama was like, all right, like I need to become more of a defensively minded winger. I need to be more. I need to keep the ball. Yeah. I need to keep the ball. I need to get stronger. I need to get bigger. And like every single player does like jumps through this guy's hoops and they're all like looking at Calvin Phillips and he's like, who are you? You're not going to buy in. What are you talking about? You're not buying in.
00:32:57
Speaker
It's unbelievable. We've all gotten it. What do you do all day? And Moyes has always been this way. When Moyes is at United, people forget he had Tiago Alcantara ready to sign for Manchester United. Obviously, it's Manchester United, but Moyes is apparently, and I can talk to our good friend, Schwinn, who is like a co-host at United Hour or whatever, and we can talk to him. I can get him to tweet at our account about how Moyes convinced Tiago to join that club.
00:33:25
Speaker
And then it fell through for whatever reason, then he went to Bayern. It's just like, why, like what makes Calvin Phillips think that he's above that, above this, what makes Calvin Phillips think who in their right mind is playing at this level of the sport and is giving this kind of effort with essentially their career on the line.
Phillips' Role in Team Failures
00:33:55
Speaker
Yeah.
00:33:57
Speaker
I think he fails to realize that like, like he, it's okay to have selfless, selfish reasons. Absolutely. Uh, to, to go about this, but he fails to realize that sometimes you need to behave selflessly to achieve those selfish goals. Jesse Lingard did it. Paquetta's doing it. Kudos does it. And you know what? He's playing on the left wing. Bowen's playing striker half the season. Yeah.
00:34:28
Speaker
Paquetta's playing on the left wing. Like these guys are legitimately just doing what it takes. And they reap the rewards because then they see it. I mean, the whole Paquetta left wing thing, at first you're like, what the hell? Then you're like, oh, maybe it got figured out. But instead, Paquetta's having the best season of his career. And he's going to get an 85 million pound move to the best team in the world who are waiting a full 12 months for him. Yep.
00:34:58
Speaker
And you know what? Moiz went to him one day in August and he said, through an interpreter mind you. He said, listen, I'm inventing this new position for you. I'm inventing this new position for you. It's on the left wing. Like it's perfect for you. Just trust me. And he said, okay, I'm playing there on Saturday. Sounds good.
00:35:21
Speaker
Yes, coach. Yes, coach. Yes, coach. Is that your vocabulary, Calvin? Yes, coach. Say it with me, man. All right. So to half segue, the thing that irks me too.
00:35:35
Speaker
And so we were six when he joined and we bought him to raise the quote unquote quality of the squad. Cause people say this all the time. This is the argument is that we are overperforming. And in a sense we are. So our front three, those three, everybody knows the three I'm talking about Bowen, Peketa and kudos are three champions of equality attackers. And Bowen and kudos are two of the best counter attacking players in the world. I'm not talking like top five. I'm talking like top 20 top 25. And you know, it was proven today, by the way,
00:36:05
Speaker
because that third goal is fucking spectacular. So those three, you have those three, you have Alvarez, who is obviously a European caliber player. The way Emerson has played for us this season puts him in that level and obviously he's very technically gifted and off on Zariel. After those six, what people like to say,
00:36:29
Speaker
is that this is a group of mid table guys. I'm always getting the best out of short. Yeah, that's true to an extent. And he is putting them in positions to succeed specifically suit, check and work. Perhaps we've seen that with a lot this year where they've just been put in positions that emphasize their skill set and hide their flaws. It's essentially why we played four sentiment fielders every week. But what irks me about Calvin Phillips is that this is a team of guys. You can say, oh, Moyes is doing it, but these players have to go out on the pitch and earn it every week.
00:36:58
Speaker
And because of their commitment, because of their buy-in, because of how bad they want it, and because of how much they are able to maximize their ability, we were in six for a long time. Now, coming into today, even still today, we are still in control of our own destiny.
00:37:14
Speaker
in finishing in the top seven. Now that's not so sure anymore. And it's all because one guy who's supposed to be a quality razor and it's supposed to be, quote unquote, better than these guys, everybody wanted to replace Tuchak with Phillips. I was hoping Phillips would displace Tuchak, not because Tuchak wasn't having a great season, but because of what could happen if it works, right?
00:37:33
Speaker
Instead, Calvin Phillips comes in here, he doesn't buy in, he drops his points and now all these fucking guys have to pay for it because he is not good enough. He's not mentally strong enough. He just can't make it happen. I honestly cannot keep doing it because
00:37:52
Speaker
the work that these guys have put in to put us in this position, to give us, to put us in the driver's seat of being in Europe for four years in a row, no matter what you think they actually are as players. Sucek, Kufal, WordPress this year, of Mavropanos, Zuma, like Antonio, like Antonio, McCandland Antonio does not die. He does not die. Every time you think he's dead, he does not die.
00:38:17
Speaker
He comes back stronger. He comes back stronger. I mean, like how good was he today? How good was he today? He's been damn good since he came back. Damn good. He's been good all season. People forget how good he was. People forget that. He had a weird little month before he got hurt. Still hadn't assisted against Brentford. Yep. Like, this guy's having a tremendous season.
00:38:46
Speaker
And it's just a shame that he had to miss so much time. Does Calvin Phillips have a pulse? What wakes him up in the morning? How do you see all these guys giving their bodies on the line, Antonio rushing back eversely? Antonio hurt himself again in training, because he was trying to get back. Yeah. And he comes back, and he lights the world on fire.
00:39:12
Speaker
By the way, Antonio missed three months. He didn't play a game for three months. And he had one eh, so-so performance at Forest. And then his next performance, he's just back. It doesn't take this long to get fit, Calvin Phillips. It doesn't. It's purely a want to. It is purely mental. It is all up in his brain. You just see all these guys working so damn hard around you.
00:39:42
Speaker
maybe I should, maybe I should pick up something. Maybe I should, maybe I should close down this guy. Maybe I should lock in, you know, like, like, how is he not clicking his brain as deflating as it was to go to three, three, the laziness.
00:39:57
Speaker
of closing down Harvey Barnes and getting fucking skinned, like he's not even there, like he's a practice dummy, like he's a practice dummy. You know when you watch like those basketball workouts and it's like they do like half closes out so the guy can go around and like take a mid-range jump shot? Like he is a practice dummy Harvey Barnes walked around him and obviously it's a great finish, whatever. But that's still a point and that's still two less points for Newcastle. And that's the difference. That's the difference.
00:40:27
Speaker
That's not like guys don't give away shitty penalties on this team. It's not like guys don't fuck up all the time because they do. They're not perfect players. They're not, they're human beings. The difference is Kufal giveaway, shitty penalty of Gordon going and going away from his goal. What do you do? The rest of the game? He locked in. He was awful. He was awful. But, but you know, it was not for lack of trying. He, he, he was, he, he ran his, his damn head off the whole game.
00:40:57
Speaker
He was locked in. He was getting beat all game, and he was locked in. And people forget, right before the Barnes goal, we had a chance where Kudu's played by one and he plays the ball a little too far wide, and then, you know, Bowen tries to get past a few people, loses it. Like, we were kind of like getting into that space where it's like, okay, like maybe we'll hit him on the counter one more time. Like, we have the players that hurt them one more time if we need to.
00:41:25
Speaker
It's, there's still eight minutes to play when he concedes that goal of bonds or he lets Barnes go around and like, like maybe you just take the man. I mean, I know it's a bad position to give a free kick to weigh in, but like do something, do something. No desire. Okay. Moving on. Lucas Perchetta is fucking spectacular.
00:41:54
Speaker
How good was the rest of the team today? Jesus Christ. I mean, dude, like, and that's the thing about it is how bad they want it. I mean, Suchak, that was great. Paquette, I mean, to play that pass for Antonio, and for Antonio to finally put one of those away, he played like one like that to him. Right. And he's
00:42:13
Speaker
And I know he gets frustrated with Antonio. He gets very visibly frustrated with Antonio. Because I mean, Lucas Paquette, the Brazilian, that technically gifted, he's never seen anything like this before. He's still not used to it. But like, I mean, it just, what a thing to lash it into the net like that. And then the awareness, and you know, this is the thing that we dreamed about when we signed Paquette. You know, when we signed Paquette, we were like, man, think about what him and Bowen can do together. And I mean,
00:42:41
Speaker
They, they want us a trophy. Um, but just like the wavelength that these two operate on now this season, like for that ball to be sitting there for the free kick and Paquetta to kind of give Bowen a look and Bowen gives him a look. And now so perfectly timed, he's just running in behind and got this plan that pass. And then Kudu is just, how hard he gets that ball, the ball striking that this kid has is crazy.
00:43:09
Speaker
Because the same thing happened with Emmy Martinez. He didn't even hit that one that well. That goal that should have been given in its pillow. These goalkeepers, it's like their, their risks go weak. Um, and then the third goal, I mean, kudos and that's been coming where he, he picks up it from a corner and he like just is the first, he, kudos is always the first to that ball, always the first of the ball. He did that to two new castle players and he plays that pass a bow and then.
00:43:35
Speaker
it reeked of that Leon away goal. It looked the exact same. And just to tuck it away like that. And he wasn't even playing particularly well, but to take that chance and to take that chance and to put us up three, one at St. James's park. It's just, it's so on like, we just deserved more. We did not deserve to be let down by Calvin Phillips.
00:44:05
Speaker
or Kufo for that matter and Warped House. But like those guys still put it all out there. Calvin Phillips is the one who gives away the penalty and puts the belief in them. That crowd before he gave away that penalty, they were going to kill Matty Wong stuff on the field. Remember he missed that chance? He missed that chance and it wasn't like, oh, it was like just people who yelled at him. It was crazy. But like,
00:44:34
Speaker
Like, come on, man. Like, we're just putting, like, we're scoring three goals away from home and we're not taking anything. Terrible. Just terrible. And I mean, like, I cannot wait to see a different sentiment fielder in that spot next year. Not to mention, while we're still being positive about the rest of the squad, I'll say
Defensive Challenges and Refereeing Controversies
00:45:01
Speaker
it again. I thought Zuma was
00:45:02
Speaker
unreal today. That was the most, that was the most like spry and like, and, and quick, quick reacting and assertive on defensive actions. He's looked at such a, and since his injury and we still, we gave him four goals. Like, fuck you, Calvin Phillips. Fuck you. And it's so rare that it's like, it's so rare that you can genuinely pin it.
00:45:32
Speaker
on one guy. Because even the third goal, I mean, I don't, I don't even know, because like, why are Mavropanos and Zuma so far forward? Why is Kufal not stepping forward with them? I don't know. But even at the, the E, I mean, the E's that they played through our midfield with all day was disgusting, but the E's that they make that pass into ESAC with. And especially because Phillips is running towards the sideline. What is he doing?
00:46:01
Speaker
They can't hurt you over there. Like if they make that pass sideways, like Emerson's there, they cannot hurt you from over there. They can hurt you from the middle of the field. You're playing center midfield, like cut that passing lane. And you know whose job it is to tag that center forward that drops deep and that always does it? It's Alvarez. Alvarez, if a nine drops into the midfield, Alvarez is on his back.
00:46:30
Speaker
It's like not a question. It's robotic. He's right there with him. Calvin Phillips, nowhere to be seen. I guess I had time to turn around, take out a pass, load it up, send it straight through with no, with nobody to beat. And it was, it was all peachy for, for Esac and cause, cause Calvin Phillips was just nowhere to count. It's like a lot, a lot of the like, like,
00:46:57
Speaker
Calvin Phillips has some nasty mistakes. And by the way, people might say wear a suit check. These guys are not Declan Rice. It's an Alvarez. A suit check is not an athlete that he can cover for Calvin Phillips. Just not even in the midfield. Just not even there. Yeah, sorry. I totally cut you off.
00:47:29
Speaker
But, yeah, pissed, pissed off. I don't know where we go here from here. We don't have Alvarez for Leverkusen. We're going to have to play Sujek and James Orr Prowse again. And that had its own problems. We were able to win the game. So you think you'll think you'll try and match that system? No. We haven't done it all season.
00:47:57
Speaker
I don't think it's just it would be very irresponsible to play back. Yeah, maybe. But he's got a. You have to set up for a no no at their stadium at the Bay Arena. You have to. Without without Alvarez, we don't have a platform to play from play. You can play Ben Johnson and play him in the midfield. Sure. And like at that point, I would I would honestly
00:48:26
Speaker
Like, I know we're like, this is like, this has nothing to do with him at this point, because we're talking like, like tactics for the future. But I would bring in, I would legitimately bring an Orford in the squad over Calvin Phillips. Yeah. I mean, in this because we're not gonna play. I would bring Orford in the game. No, I would bring Orford in the game before for Calvin Phillips too. But I'm just saying like, Phillips isn't gonna play, just let Orford sit on the bench.
00:48:53
Speaker
What does it matter? Because he is not going to hurt us the same way that Calvin Phillips is going to hurt us. And that's not an overreaction. Calvin Phillips has proven that time and time again, that if he comes in the game, he will hurt us. Yeah. Yeah. It's just the laziness. It's the lack of urgency. And he showed it since day one. That's why I was on him for that boy mythical. And I didn't give him a second because I knew he was because it's just lack of urgency. It's not like like like fucking get rid of the ball.
00:49:23
Speaker
You're in your own box. Get rid of the ball. And you don't even know if I'm talking about the Bournemouth goal or the goal from today, because it's the same problem. Get rid of the ball. Like, that's why I don't care that it shouldn't have been a penalty, because it's the same mistake two months later. Get rid of the ball. By the way, the first one is not a penalty, no matter what Allen receptor wants to say on Twitter. He's offside.
00:49:49
Speaker
Yeah, he's awesome. Mavropanos is not making a pass. He doesn't have control of the ball. He just swings at it, but he's offside. That's what it is. He's offside. It's not penalty. That first one is honestly incredibly cut and dry to me. I don't think that there's any debate. I genuinely like to hear it. You know how they do it? I don't hear it. I legitimately want to know what the explanation of that rule is.
00:50:19
Speaker
My understanding of it is that it needs to be an intentional, basically passed to the person. And that was clearly- All it will be is that the referee said that he saw Mavropanos kick it and then the VAR will decide that that makes it not clear and obvious. That's all it will be. Which is pretty absurd. It's honestly absurd that that's a penalty. It's ridiculous.
00:50:45
Speaker
and then honestly, and the thing about it, and like I don't want to like get to him because obviously like, oh, they're talking about referees, our beers, bad decisions. First of all, we've had an, I can't think of the word right now. You know, like when something's not even when it's like lopsided. Anyways, we've had,
00:51:08
Speaker
way more decisions go against us than for us, it's A. And B, what irks me is that it's not only big decisions. It's like 50-50s in like the middle of the park, it's for Rowans. And this has been happening since the Sheffield United game. It's not being able to take a free kick quickly. Yeah. Today was the first time we were allowed to do that, but they did that multiple times today. Who just gets fouled in the middle of the park, they cut their runs up and take it quickly and they say no.
00:51:38
Speaker
Why? It's calling a foul and not giving a yellow. Yeah, it's not booking Bruno Guimaraes. It's not booking Dan Byrne for a second time. It's not remembering that Anthony Gordon had already been booked and then having to be told by Zuma that he kicked the ball away, turning around and booking him, and then needing Jared Bowen to come running from up the pitch over to you to tell you that that's his second yellow card and that that's a red card.
00:52:06
Speaker
I actually didn't see that. What? Yes. What? Yes. Go watch this back. And the announcer even mentioned the two afterwards, because I was like, did I just see that right? Yeah. He runs 25 yards to tell the referee that that's his second yellow. He has to be off. He shouldn't have even told him. Maybe we could have protested the game. Honestly, yeah. Dude, like, that's crazy. He probably wouldn't even have given him a yellow if he knew who he was already on. Exactly. Exactly.
00:52:33
Speaker
And that happened in another game. That happened in the Villa game. Zana Yolo has been booked and even more egregiously kicks the ball away wasting time. After we had already been booked for that earlier in the game. And the referee stares at him and doesn't give him a second yellow card because he doesn't want to send him off. Are you insane? So stupid. I hate that shit. I hate it so much. Because they need to start importing referees. They have to hire foreign referees.
00:53:05
Speaker
Honestly, first of all, the referees in England have way too much of leeway. And there are certain referees who have been in the Premier League for a very long time and for whatever reason, never get demoted. Whoever they bring up from the championship, and I know that the refereeing in the lower leagues is also horrendous. So like, the Premier League has a lot of money. Go and buy referees from other countries.
00:53:31
Speaker
Yeah, seriously, let's try something like do some research They don't go higher like The referee like who ever read the World Cup final who ever freed the Champions League final Don't go higher than go go go throw back and I don't know how refereeing contracts work And if they need to get their badges in certain countries that actually would be a very that would explain a lot and
00:53:59
Speaker
if they need their badges in England and they only have badges in Spain and they can't work as a referee in England. But isn't it the same rules? Any UEFA licensed referee? There has to be something done. Because it's not just us. It's not just us. I mean, we've probably gotten the short end. You see the penalty today in the Chelsea game?
00:54:29
Speaker
No. I, like, I'm sort of short, yeah. Like, is it a penalty? Probably not, but like, maybe, like, whatever. And then it's also a red card. It's not even a, like, um, was it Mujic? Was it Palmer? I don't know. Somebody tried to cut, somebody tried to cut inside. Heavy ass touch. I shouldn't know it's Mujic. Heavy ass touch. Gets away from him.
00:54:56
Speaker
He goes to cut back the run-out to the ball. Defender kind of runs into him. He goes down pretty easily. Okay, penalty. Fine, whatever. Soft. You're getting a red card here? Red card. It's not a clear and obvious goal scoring opportunity. He's five, six yards away from the ball and the defender's in between. It's not a clear. And there's another defender there who's probably going to clear it. It's not a red card. It's insane. At least they drew, but like, it's craziness.
00:55:28
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, it's it's it's it's not even like I don't even know if it's big six bias anymore. It's just there. They're just bad referring. They're just fuck ups. They they they drew 10 men into Burnley. They drew 10. They drew 10 men Burnley. It's I don't even know what to say about that club either. They're pathetic. Yeah. We drew it firmly, but they drew it firmly with 10 men. For a whole half. Yeah, it's insane.
00:55:57
Speaker
Up, up one now, by the way. Yeah. Down the 10, down the goal. And they drove. And they took the lead again. And they defeated again. That's pathetic. Some believe that. Calvin Phelps should go play for Chelsea. Calvin Phelps should go play for Chelsea. He would fit in very well at Chelsea. He can be Romeo Navia's replacement if he is ever fit again.
00:56:27
Speaker
Anything else you want to say? I hope Alfondario lives fit. Maybe like somehow it'll work out where like the first game he's back for is like the Leverkusen game. And it's like, well, Fabianz has been playing like, he won't get mad, will he? Yeah. Um, I hope it's just like a little issue and that he can, he can even be back for Tuesday or at least wolves on Saturday when Alvarez is back.
00:56:55
Speaker
But I will say, this happens to him a lot when he picks up these little issues. And it's definitely something that they're going to have to consider. Because I know that they want to extend Fabianzky another year. But it's definitely something that they're going to have to consider once Fabianzky is done. Maybe Trot is ready. Maybe he's not. Maybe you have to buy a goalkeeper in another year. We'll always have to include those keepers.
00:57:24
Speaker
I hope so because they, they have to, they have to, if, if he's going to miss six, primarily games a year, seven, primarily games a year. Yeah. Um, cause this even happened, this happened, um, last year, didn't it? He was picking up issues. Yeah. Didn't he miss, yeah. Miss games in the group stage, right? I think so. It might've been the group stage. I don't remember. He was on his first year or so, but, uh, did he, I don't think he missed anything from that phone.
00:57:55
Speaker
I don't think he did, but I can't remember. It's definitely an issue. He finished the half and there was like 15 minutes left in the half when Fabianci started getting dressed. I think that's a good sign, hopefully. It's a very good sign. It's tough because, you know, not, not, he's, I'm not going to say he's saving either of the Barnes goals, but you know, I would, I would have liked to have our best goalkeeper out there. He's more athletic. Maybe he's out to Barnes earlier. I don't know.
00:58:23
Speaker
And he could have got down earlier. Like he's like, I will say he's, he's better. He's better with his feet, like saving shots with his feet. Then that is very, very fancy. Like, I mean, it just hasn't really been that good coming off the bench than the times that he has this season. Yeah. It's not really his fault. It's just sucks. Yeah. It's just the situation, but I'm sure I will be back. At least maybe if not this week, the next.
00:58:55
Speaker
Jeribon has 15 primarily goals. What a guy. We're going to waste this. How many goals will we concede in that? Because that's another four today. Because this is also something, and obviously, like, Moisin, like, you should, at this very moment, things could change in eight games. Probably won't. What'd you say?
00:59:25
Speaker
If Moi's in. Yeah, of course. This is conceding 54 goals in 30 games is not good enough. And for us, I've scored more goals, the seventh most goals in the league. We just can't be conceding 54. It's too much. And we're going to have to find a way
00:59:53
Speaker
to control games better next season if Moise is here or if Moise is not here. Because it's a legit issue that we don't have the same control of games. And you know what it's because of? It's because Dak isn't here. And Alvarez kind of helps with it. But we don't have this. Because I don't care if we control games with the ball, without the ball. That's not what it's about. But we need to have just more control and steadiness in our games, even when we take leads.
01:00:24
Speaker
And like, because we've said this multiple times, we're like, we were comfortable and then we collapsed. And it's, it's too common of occurrence. Obviously today's a freak situation, but we, we have to find ways to be better in these types of situations. That's just my two cents. And I think a bit, a lot of it, like a lot of it has been like, we had started, we had a stretch where we like weren't really conceding goals and that like, you know,
01:00:54
Speaker
Aguared was a big issue. And then like, obviously losing rice, this was always going to be a transition year. And I think can see like the amount of goals we've conceded is like, definitely. It's directly correlated. It's directly correlated. Because not only that, but the spine of the team itself has fallen apart a little bit. I mean, Bowen's done great at striker, but obviously he's little and he's not really good at defending.
01:01:23
Speaker
Alvarez is doing his best to keep everything together. Suchak's been great, particularly over the last month, two months and the beginning of the season as well. But like, you know, War Prowse obviously has had a pretty solid debut season, I would say, but since the turn of the year has just not really been at the level that we need him to play at.
01:01:47
Speaker
if we're going to be good. And then, obviously, Garrett has had nightmare season. Zuma's deteriorating, and Mavropanos is getting his feet wet, and he's really finding himself right now. Honestly, really great. But, you know, that kind of uncertainty, and because we were at our best when that spine was consistent, even if, you know, they weren't all good, it was very
Team's Future and Upcoming Challenges
01:02:12
Speaker
consistent. It was always the same guys. Since there's been more chopping and changing,
01:02:17
Speaker
over the last two months and now it's getting consistent again. But I just think that spine, particularly the center backs falling apart has been very difficult for us to deal with because it's like deck leaving and then Zuma regressing this much. I mean, obviously he had a good game today, but the regression over the last two months
01:02:38
Speaker
it's too much to deal with. So we're going to have to spend big on a center back this summer, in my opinion. And we're going to have to buy a midfielder who can genuinely challenge Suchak and Ward Prowse to play next to Alabraz. Yep. It was going to be Phillips, but not anymore. I'm happy it's not, honestly. Fuck him. Don't want to fall. Yeah, I mean, it is an issue, but I don't think it's a Moise issue. I mean, it's not directly a Moise issue, but he
01:03:08
Speaker
It's one that he, like, is going to address. He will address it. And I couldn't be more confident of that. I don't think that this is something that's going to cost him his job. Even if we don't make Europe this year, I think that this is a tonal change from me. Maybe this is Phillips, like, bringing me back into the Moyes camp, like, fully. Yeah. But like, I think even if we miss Europe next season, I think Moyes is still the guy.
01:03:39
Speaker
I think it depends. I mean, I think that there'll be context and things to look at if that happens. But we'll see. This team still should not be finishing below eighth, even after third. But the thing is, top seven is so important because we want to be in Europe. Obviously, there's no disrespect for the conference league.
01:04:03
Speaker
Obviously the higher competition you're in, the better players you can track. And if we're in Europa League three out of four years, now we've gone to the quarter final again at minimum. It's just, it's the difference in the players you can track. And four straight years of Europe is just a dream. It's an absolute dream. Yeah. Yeah. We want to like keep moving forward, which it seems like we, I mean, even, even, even just.
01:04:33
Speaker
maintaining what we achieved last season and the last few seasons and just getting into Europe. I take that as a step forward because consistency is a selling point. Oh, absolutely. I mean, I would take it too. I just, I really want Europa. I think just this Europa run has been a lot of fun too. I mean, not that the conference league wasn't fun. It was obviously amazing, but I would like to be in Europe. I just think that,
01:05:03
Speaker
Especially with Paquetta going, it would be nice for us to be like, look at this resume and we're back in Europe. It's just like a status thing, honestly. Yeah. I mean, look at the, look at the teams we're with Liverpool, Leverkusen, Roma, Atlanta. And that's the thing continuing to establish ourselves as a club that plays in those kinds of games.
01:05:28
Speaker
Conference of games are big, but these games are as big as it gets for us obviously disregarding Fiorentina That was the biggest game that this club's ever played in this Premier League era Yeah, yeah, I keep qualifying it is the biggest game this club will ever play But yeah, I It's gonna definitely be an interesting last eight games and whatever happens in Europe
01:05:52
Speaker
I'm excited for the Leverkusen tie, but I'm pretty horrified of the first leg. I want us to survive the first leg that we can play a competitive second leg. That's all I want. Yeah, that first Leverkusen goal is just going to be shot to the heart. Shot to the heart. Yep. I'm not going forward to it. Yep. They're going to score. They are going to score. We've talked about this before. That's what gets me about West End game, especially the big European ties.
01:06:21
Speaker
I know that they're going to score at some point and I know it's going to destroy me. Like just the knowledge that it's even, even more than that, the knowledge, like the night before a game that like the other team is going to like have a chance is like too much for me to handle. It's like, it's not so bad. Like the ball went in against Freiburg and it's like, Oh, like the rock bottom, like empty feeling like, wow.
01:06:45
Speaker
We're in a fucking tie. Yeah. We, we, we, we gotta, we gotta go back home for you to sell. We did, but yeah, dude, especially like before those like games against like top six clubs where it's like you're sitting there getting ready to watch the game. You're like, man, like they're probably going to have like a chance to score a goal today. And you're like, Oh, I can't, I can't think about that.
01:07:07
Speaker
It's like tough
Conclusion and Future Hopes for Phillips
01:07:09
Speaker
to feel good. Once you have that realization, it's just tough to feel good. They will have more than zero XG. I'm not even gonna put the game on. Yeah, I can't do it.
01:07:21
Speaker
Anyways, thank you everybody for listening to the Calvin Phillips episode. Yeah, fun episode. I've been waiting to have this episode since the Bournemouth game, so thanks for getting this to me. Yeah, no, this was a conversation that had to be had. Thank you everybody for listening. You know where to find this. Twitter is at hammering underscore away. The blog is hammering dash away dot blog.
01:07:45
Speaker
tiktok where there will almost surely be a clip this week um hammering dot away um when the instagram is hammering away underscore uh thank you everybody for listening um and let's hope that calvin phillips never plays again
01:09:40
Speaker
Thank you.
01:10:49
Speaker
So.