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NFL Week 1 Overreactions | Nuno Out, Ange In at Forest | Can LaMelo Actually Take the Hornets to the Playoffs?
7 Plays2 hours ago
NFL Week 1 SHOCKERS + Forest's Managerial MADNESS?! | NBA Deep Dive: Heat, Hornets & Hawks Broken Down! 🔥
The lads are back with three SCORCHING hot takes each from a wild Week 1 in the NFL — expect surprises, bold predictions, and maybe a few rants! 🏈
Then it's off to the Premier League chaos as Forest SACK Nuno and SNATCH Ange — but is Marinakis behind it all? What’s really going on behind the scenes and what on earth happened to Ireland in Armenia👀⚽
Finally, the NBA spotlight heats up as we deep dive into the Heat, Hornets, and Hawks — who’s rising, who’s falling, and which franchise is on the verge of disaster? 🔥🏀
Don’t miss this episode — it’s unfiltered and completely outrageous. Hit play now! 🎙️
🎧 Listen if you’re into:
- Football (soccer) analysis
- NBA previews & predictions
- Weekly NFL reactions
- Underdog betting tips
- Draft-style sports debates
- Power rankings across multiple sports
- Sports content from an Irish perspective with global takes
🔁 New episodes drop weekly!
Follow/subscribe so you never miss a breakdown of the latest in the EPL, NBA, and NFL.
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🌍 Based in Ireland | Talking global sports weekly
(00:00) Intro
(03:03) NFL Week 1 Overreactions
(23:57) Nuno Out, Ange In at Forest
(31:49) Ireland’s Woeful Loss to Armenia
(41:37) Gan Seans (Our Underdog Picks in the NFL & Premier League)
(49:26) Can Spoelstra Guide the Heat to the Playoffs?
(55:43) The Hawks Charging in the East
(01:02:09) Is LaMelo the Right Man to Lead the Hornets?
(01:07:57) NFL & Premier League Power Rankings
Recommended
Transcript
Episode Introduction and Engagement Request
00:00:09
Speaker
All right, lads, welcome back to another episode of Who's Got the Ball, myself and Shane back here once again. What's the crock, Shane? How are things? All good yourself? Good, good, good. What were at over the weekend? Any sports stand out to you?
00:00:21
Speaker
and No, I don't think there was any football on. and The NFL was back, which it was great, but I think... Oh, wait, our under-21s played. i think that was the only game of football that Ireland had on over the weekend. or Anyone I saw, I mean.
00:00:34
Speaker
Yeah, do anything I saw as well. I don't think I remember anything else, so yeah. Yeah. In a family with grace. Solid win for the under-21s and solid bit of play from the Jets at least. so Yeah, yeah did the Jets looked better.
00:00:47
Speaker
and Still managed to conspire to lose it by doing something silly, but... You win some games, I'm not. Exactly. As far as you put the Jets over the last couple of years, you lose some and you lose some more. But I think this year might be bit better.
00:01:00
Speaker
We'll just have to wait and see. Bring on the Bills. Yeah, looks like a good start. You'll hear a bit more about the Jets and Shane's hopes and definitely some takes on them playing the Bills later on
Early NFL Week 1 Reactions and Soccer Management Issues
00:01:10
Speaker
in the episode. But a packed out episode for you once again.
00:01:14
Speaker
As usual, we started with the NFL this time around. We did week one overreactions. Obviously, you have to give your overreactions after just one week of football in a league that changes so much after every single week. But we did it. Three overreactions each to start off the episode.
00:01:29
Speaker
We moved on then to chatting about football, another type of football, soccer. we We had a chat about Nuno getting fired from Forrest and Ange coming in as their new manager. Obviously, we're messing at the start about Ireland not playing because it was just abysmal. So we broke that down.
00:01:45
Speaker
For me, I was at the game against Hungary. So at least there was a nice moment there with the Ida goal. But yeah, let's let's leave the army a bit till later on. You'll hear us talking about that.
00:01:55
Speaker
We moved on and gone chance back once again. If you don't know what it is, we explained and we gave our three picks each.
NBA Team Previews: Heat, Hawks, and Hornets
00:02:02
Speaker
and Then we moved back into the NBA where we continued our season previews with the Heat, the Hawks and the Hornets, Triple H. No WWE for though.
00:02:12
Speaker
And then... Power Rankings to wrap up. We gave back to our multi-sport Power Rankings, which we did last year. Also an explainer there if you need it for that, because it's back for the first time this season. So we each gave our picks there.
00:02:24
Speaker
Usually at the end, we do say about, you know, liking and subscribing. But I said I'd throw it in at the start this time because... we would really appreciate it helps us a lot if you could subscribe on YouTube if you haven't already even if you just listen on the podcast app just head over to YouTube and give us a subscribe and like a couple of our videos or leave a few comments and vice versa if you listen on YouTube subscribe on the podcast apps and give us a five star rating because we really appreciate all those things and it makes a big difference to us to kind of get more listens and views on it so if you could take a minute or two to do that we would definitely appreciate it but
00:02:59
Speaker
That's enough of that for now.
NFL Team Performances and Overreactions
00:03:00
Speaker
Let's get straight into the episode and enjoy what's ahead. All right, lads, where else to start? But the NFL, obviously back for week one. It was a bit of a mad week overall. So it's only right that we not only react to things, but we we do the thing that everyone does online and just overreacts to everything.
00:03:18
Speaker
So we're going to give three overreactions each from the games we saw in week one. Things that we, you know, you can draw a conclusion, but really there's no sample size there, but we're just going to do it anyway. So Shane, go ahead. You go first. What was your first overreaction to week one?
00:03:34
Speaker
So like all good overreactions, I'm going to start by being biased as well. I think the Jets are, I think there's a really, really good chance that they're actually quite good. and Their offense was brilliant, I thought. It's the defense was a base,
00:03:48
Speaker
less good but that's going to come together because obviously Glenn was a defensive coordinator he knows what he's doing I think they looked really really good if they can keep that offence firing the likes of Brees Hall went absolutely AWOL last night thought he was brilliant and Brayden Allen is a great backup to him and Obviously, Garrett Wilson was really, really good as well.
00:04:09
Speaker
Barred that one at the end, which I lost my mind over for 10 seconds, then realized that no one can deal with a train hitting him. No, it wasn't really his fault. Justin Fields, 16 of 22, one touchdown, no interceptions and 12 carries for two touchdowns.
00:04:23
Speaker
Nothing wrong with that. The only thing I think we need is finding an actual wide receiver too, because we really didn't have that at the weekend. Josh Reynolds was very underused, and if you are going to keep him as your wide receiver too, then you need to use him more.
00:04:38
Speaker
Warren was decent. I know he only had one pass, but it was for 20 yards, and he looked solid well doing the blocking. So, yeah, the Jets are good. I'm glad I backed them to get the playoffs because that's definitely going to happen now.
00:04:51
Speaker
And let's see where we go from here. Yeah, I actually liked the look of the Jets as well. It was a great game between them and the Steelers, and was surprised at how the Steelers managed to come back, because if that was last year, they wouldn't.
00:05:04
Speaker
They would capitulated, because they just didn't have anything really pushing them over line like Rodgers did. But I think... i think they did Yeah, they do need a better second receiver, but at the same time, if they're going to run the ball that much, then you know i think if if you can open up the game with the run, then Wilson will get open down the field later on in the game. Fields did find a way to get him, so that was positive signs overall. I thought the play play was in general good. Like you said, the defense was pretty poor, but Will McDonald looked really, really good. So that's and...
00:05:41
Speaker
Rodgers really had a chip on his shoulder there and obviously there was the fumble as well so a few things didn't go your way I think nine times every ten you probably win that game so it's a good sign for the season ahead definitely I think I'm willing to react with you and say the Jets are good Yeah that fumble like you just can see there's a touchdown just keep it safe don't do anything silly keep the ball and then give them Give that up to, when I think it was 20 yards from your own goal and just one pass into the end zone. All of a sudden, they flip the game on its head. and
00:06:13
Speaker
That was kind of it. like It's just silly things like that. this was It seems to be like Jets look, really, where things like that seem to happen, where the offense are playing so well, they really can't do anymore. And your torture are your ah kickoff returner just fumbles the ball.
00:06:28
Speaker
I know he's under pressure, but it's a job to just hold on to the thing. You really do. You need to hold on to the thing. You can't fumble on kickoffs. Larry? I said the poor fella got cut then completely from the team.
00:06:40
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Well, he should have been caught before they didn't start, is what everyone was saying online anyway. So it was probably about time. But look, we'll see where we go from here now. But I was really, really enthused by him. And I think the Bills now was a really good chance to to show what they're made of coming up against one of the top teams in the league. They're due a win against a big team like that where they kind of say look at us, this is us now, so we'll have to see how they do the weekend.
00:07:04
Speaker
Yeah, I can't see them beating the Bills really at all, to be honest, but if they put up a fight and they're within a touchdown, I think that's a good result because the Bills are on another planet, like themselves and the Ravens are yeah very untouchable.
00:07:19
Speaker
I think a good ah good even a good performance there. but Let's keep the home team, the team that we support going as our overreactions because I'm going on the Giants and defensive coordinator Shane Bowen should be fired.
00:07:35
Speaker
Like he's had it coming already. He's had it coming since last year because the way he utilized some of the players that they have is just unfathomable. Like it's hard to even wrap your head around what this man is thinking on the sideline.
00:07:48
Speaker
So they have four unbelievable players talents on their defensive line in Kayvon Thibodeau Brian Burns Abdul Carter and Dexter Lawrence together in the game guess how many times those four played together across the snaps in the whole game twice No, it's a little bit more. It was eight, but only eight times in the whole game is absolutely outrageous.
00:08:15
Speaker
Like, you're four best talents and you're only sending them after Jadon Daniels once, or eight times, sorry, in the whole game. You might as well have just done it once, to be honest. But then to add to that, Abdul-Karribe only played 54% of total snaps on defense.
00:08:30
Speaker
He made some plays on special teams with the blocked punt. He also had half a sack. They were lining him up on different locations. That was one thing I did like that. He kind of lined him up in the middle too, as well as off the edge. But Brian Burns was setting the edge multiple times in that game.
00:08:45
Speaker
He had two sacks, but he's too small to consistently set the edge. and And he was getting found out. And a lot of times he was getting pushed around. Now, he had two big plays, of course. That was brilliant. But... like consistently to do that to have a forefront and have him on the edge yeah that just wasn't working for me and Kayvon Thibodeau had a very good game um was impressed with him but Overall, all I think really, really bad.
00:09:09
Speaker
He didn't utilise what he had enough. Javon Holland looked like he was a bit lost in whatever system was out there after how much they paid him. So i don't know if he's really up to the task at all.
00:09:21
Speaker
It's obviously an overreaction to say a coordinator should be fired after one week. But last year was pretty bad as well, considering the talent they had. And they just cannot stop the run. And yeah, Chauncey Goldstone is a big body they brought in. They barely even used him.
00:09:36
Speaker
Darius Alexander, third-round pick. He was a healthy scratch, didn't play all game. It's just, I can't wrap my head around lot of it, to be honest. ah Yeah, as you said, I think it's been coming for a while. du like The Giants are never going, not never, but they're at the moment, they're not going to be going out there firing in 20 or 25 points. They just don't want to really, they don't seem to have it in them, especially with the quarterback situation in there as well. Russell Wilson looked...
00:10:01
Speaker
is lost. Quite miserable, to be perfectly honest, yeah. So the fact that you have that talent on your defence to try and cold teams down, try and keep them under, maybe keep them under 15 to 20 points, then you're in with a chance.
00:10:14
Speaker
You're in the chance of any game to keep a team to 15 to 20 points, but... To underutilise him as much as he did is is' crazy, to be perfectly honest, especially when, as you said, they're so talented, the four of them. and Hippido has had, I know he's had his struggles with injuries, but when he's fit and healthy, you just need to have him in there as much as you can.
00:10:32
Speaker
and And only using character 54% of snaps. I wonder if that's kind of what he was doing. you want to bed you in early or? But even still, like you need to be using these lads to have any chance of doing anything. And they had cheese they have to change the quarterback for next week, or if not next week, then the week after, because Russell Wilson, as you said, he's lost.
00:10:53
Speaker
He's not up to it anymore. I think to say things about the offense, and Mike Kafka, like the offensive coordinator, he called plays before and he was so bad at at that day ball, took the call the play calling duties off him now he's giving it back to him yeah again.
00:11:09
Speaker
A proper reaction is to say that he should be fired. That's not an overreaction. that's just You can see that from a mile off. To say Russell Wilson is not fit for this team, that's a proper reaction too. He was panicking.
00:11:22
Speaker
To be honest, the line was awful, to deep the offensive line, but Thomas was missing and... A lot of times, Wilson literally walked into pressure when he didn't have pressure on him. It didn't make sense. so yeah I think those things are just general reactions that make sense. But the overreaction for me is bone because i I was not impressed with but what he did and what he called. So that was my first overreaction.
00:11:46
Speaker
What's your second one? I think Marvin Harrison is going to be the breakout star the season. okay Now that's an overreaction if I've ever heard one. Five catches on six looks for 71 yards, an average of 14.1 in a touchdown.
00:12:02
Speaker
He just looked happier. Last year he was stropping around so much. He was stropping from week one. This year he looks he looks so much better. He looks stronger. He looks faster. caught the ball five times. I think he got it once or twice last year. We had that many catches. I had him fantasy and he continually let me down.
00:12:20
Speaker
We know about the likes of Brock Bowers. We know he's a star. We know Trey McBride is just going to keep going the way going. But I think Marvin Harrison, if they can use him the way they did in week one, he has the potential to go off this year and put up some serious numbers because we know what Talendu was. He was such a talent in college and he just was kind of...
00:12:39
Speaker
Kyler Murray really wasn't looking for him as much as he was. The amount of clips you'd see where he'd made a great run or ran a great route and just completely overlooked. So if they can use him to any sort of decent level this year, he could very easily put up 10 touchdowns on the season.
00:12:54
Speaker
Yeah, I like the call. I think the only thing that would hold me off saying that is Kyler Murray. I just don't trust him enough. I don't think he was a good enough quarterback. And I've said that for long enough.
00:13:04
Speaker
Now they did the job, but against a horrendous Saints team and... To be honest, Spencer Rattler threw a ball there that almost got caught and almost brought that game to overtime. So, yeah, I think that would be the only thing that holds me back on that.
00:13:18
Speaker
But Harrison himself, I think he has enough talent to be a breakout star, definitely. I would just be a bit more worried about Kyler than anything else.
00:13:29
Speaker
Especially if a new game comes out. yeah Yeah, if he's playing Call of Duty, that's another story. Straight away after the game, he was on live stream with FaZe, I think. Some gaming streamer, I saw that on another show, that that was like the one of the first things he did, and he was telling them about how he had... Apparently, Kyler was on the toilet all night the game before early the night before the game. He had some bowel issues, so and he still got the win. So yeah, of all, think I'm all right.
00:13:56
Speaker
My second one the Lions look cooked. They did not look good at all. I know that's your Super Bowl winner pick.
00:14:07
Speaker
I'd be beyond surprised if they win the Super Bowl. Now, i'm not writing them off after one game. I still think they'll... i had them to win the division. I'm not sold on the Packers yet. After one game, they were great, but Jordan Love is erratic, so we need more sample size with that. But I don't think they're good enough to win the Super Bowl this year just because, like I mentioned when we talked about them, the brain drain from losing not only Aaron Glenn, but Ben Johnson, I think, was the bigger drop-off.
00:14:34
Speaker
Just a massive fall off. Previously, the offensive coordinator they had before Ben Johnson under Dan Campbell did not work at all. And now John Morton. didn't look like he was up to the task.
00:14:46
Speaker
Whatever about the defensive side of the ball, they weren't amazing, but it was the offense that really, you know, I think didn't look good. It looked sluggish. Goff was average, but they could not run the ball at all.
00:15:01
Speaker
They only had 46 yards in total on 22 attempts. They tried everything to get Jameer Gibbs going. thrown him the ball a number of times, but that didn't work either. um And Frank Ragnow, who was pivotal to their success at centre, him retiring in the off-season, I think that's a massive hit.
00:15:17
Speaker
Because obviously, if you have a good centre, it makes a big difference not to go back to the Giants, but their centre is useless. John Michael Schmitz, I i don't how, even in the league, but Ragnow... um is a massive loss. And I think that will affect Goff too, because he doesn't have his, his trusty center there. So what's your, what's your opinion on this one?
00:15:38
Speaker
Yeah, it looked a lot worse than I expected it to, obviously. I knew there was going to be some sort of seed teething problems. So you are changing. the main core of the backroom team really outside the head coach losing your offensive and defensive coordinator in the one summer sorry the one off season wasn't the summer but I really didn't think it was going to be as bad as it was on Sunday night they made the Packers look exceptional and I think we'll find out in the couple of weeks that they aren't exceptional I think they're a good team but as you say Jordan Love can be very erratic I just I don't know I just you're not sure yet
00:16:15
Speaker
Never really. No, I'm not convinced by them at all. late think I think they might have gotten the Lions at a really good time. They'll have to wait and see now what to do next Sunday. But like you don you look at going into bringing into football for a second. like You look at teams that have changed their coach in the off-season in the Premier League.
00:16:33
Speaker
like yeah Everyone's like, oh, it's a great time to play Burnley. It's a great time to play Liverpool because they're still bedding into new systems. They have another a week now under these coaches. They've had a game of competitive football under their belts.
00:16:46
Speaker
We'll see with a bit more kind of it bit more like, oh, we really need to knuckle down now. We'll see what they can do next week. There's nothing say they don't go out next week and score 46 points. It's unlikely, but they could very well go out and score 46 points next week.
00:17:00
Speaker
Yeah, I agree with the Lions. It's always something that is in the back your mind. They could really turn back around. But yeah, again, it is a massive of overreaction. But it's just something I gather from that game. And we'll really find about the Packers as well as another point tonight.
00:17:15
Speaker
Obviously, you guys will know the score of that game when you listen to this. They're playing the um Commanders tonight, which is a massive game for both teams, I think, to be honest. And so, yeah, that's ah that's a big one. But both teams have big ones, I think.
00:17:28
Speaker
So let's move on then to your third and final overreaction. The Cleveland Browns defense is going to save them this year. How would you define save them?
00:17:40
Speaker
What's going to do? It's going, they're going to win more games than we expected them to because their defense is going to stop so many teams from putting up any sort of points. am They probably will need to move on to Joe Flacco, move on from Joe Flacco straight away because, gee, that was horrific. But they held Joe Burrow to 113 passing yards they kept his top targets pretty much out of the game.
00:18:05
Speaker
I had, geez, he killed me in fantasy. Like, yeah, Miles Garrett, it's all been absolutely incredible. they held so They held the Bengals to just seven yards in the first two quarters. In the second You second half. Sorry, yeah. ah yeah i So they held again the second half to just seven yards. Now I know at that stage they were kind of just playing like this isn't their day, we just need to stay this point to ahead. And they were probably a bit safe with it, but I couldn't believe just how good Browns defence was. And I know you've always been a big fan of the Browns defence. You think they're quite good. It's the offence where the issue is. But if they can do that to Joe Burrow, they can do that to 20 or 21 other quarterbacks in the league comfortably.
00:18:50
Speaker
So we'll have to wait and see what what they do. I still think they're going to be useless. They're going to have by far probably the worst, the biggest, the the worst record in the league. But I think they were really, really good for a weak one.
00:19:03
Speaker
Yeah, i I like that a lot. I think that they will actually really show out this year. um Obviously, the Bengals' offensive line is... it's pretty bad. But Joe Burrow consistently finds ways to get out of that.
00:19:16
Speaker
And he usually doesn't have that big of an issue with it. And you saw there was like two miles guard sacks in a row. And then on the third snap, somebody else sacked Joe Burrow again, just outside their own end zone.
00:19:30
Speaker
So that was almost a safety and that could have flipped the game as well. So if you're going to hold massive offenses to only... What was it? They had 17 points, 16 points? 113. Yeah, 17 points area. 113 yards of offense. so that's, yeah, that's amazing. Like, and obviously I had Jamar Chase in fantasy as well, which was a, was a big letdown in one of my leagues. I had him.
00:19:53
Speaker
Didn't cost you though. Yeah, that was... In that league, I won the game. And also in my in our league, I i got ah got a decent win. And you got absolutely ruined.
00:20:04
Speaker
i said i was watching it back. I still can't believe it happened. Like, what are the chances? There's so many players on the pitch. All I needed was him to just not do that. How he's just thrown away a fumble like that. Minus two points, lose my half point.
00:20:19
Speaker
ah yeah It's my own 4% and Loveland as well over... Anyone, really. i Yeah, too.
00:20:28
Speaker
Ah, yeah. Stambles. I think, well, what happened is, you know I don't know if you guys have seen, but at the end of the Bears game against the Vikings, they had, they tried like the...
00:20:41
Speaker
whatever that place where you do all the laterals. There's a funny name for for it somebody else, but I can't remember what it Pitchy Pitchy Woo Woo. That was it. And they had that. And DJ Moore tried the woo woo and fumbled the ball.
00:20:55
Speaker
It's just the game is already over. like And you lose two points on that. Yeah, that's fairly sickening. But anyway, we'll move on then to my my last overreaction.
00:21:07
Speaker
I've got Bo Nix might not be that good. He looked like shell-shocked by the Titans defense, which is okay. I've said multiple times that like I kind of like them, but they're not like one of the best in the league.
00:21:22
Speaker
We need to see a lot more of them, but 25 of 40 for only 176 yards and two interceptions against this team is very, very bad.
Premier League Management Insights
00:21:31
Speaker
He also had a fumble. The defense was superb for the Titans in the game, but the defense for the Broncos was even better.
00:21:39
Speaker
bailed them out massively. and Both of these players look like rookie quarterbacks. To be honest, Knicks look like more of a rookie than Cam Ward did. And you can't rely on the defense heavily all season, like to that extent where they have to bail you out in every game because you're going to come up with against way more teams that score more than 12 points.
00:21:58
Speaker
And if you so if you play like that, you probably won't get the ball back as many times as you did against most teams. so massive improvement needed. And the sophomore slump has already started with him.
00:22:10
Speaker
Yeah, I would love to have something come back at you this year, but I have him in another one my fantasy leagues, and i was kind of I was banking on him being my my kind of might big quarterback this year because i failed to get in anyone better. and when I was watching him, with like, oh God, I need to go and just take anyone because he looked, as you said, he looked shell-shocked.
00:22:31
Speaker
He looked like he in his first game in the NFL and after he's a season down and he was quite good last season as well. So it was strange to see him look like a deer in the headlights so many times on Sunday. And Again, it's week one. He's probably, he might just be getting up to speed, might be getting to fitness. There's so many reasons that could happen, but it was a really, really wasn't a promising look for him with how bad he was.
00:22:52
Speaker
And the Broncos looked, as you said, the defense looked really good. um So if they could get the ah offense up to speed, then they could be the division winners that I backed them to be. So we'll have to wait and see on that. But yeah, I couldn't believe how bad he looked into into in the bits of pieces I saw the game.
00:23:08
Speaker
Yeah, I think last year as well, early on they were whatever way they were playing it didn't really suit him and then they called a lot of quite simple offense you would say and I think that worked for him a lot better but that's not like teams are going to figure it that out quickly and better teams in the Titans are going to punish you so unless he can be more than kind of one dimensional has to play in the exact way the game is is drawn up before it even starts then they're going to have a problem on their hands there I think but
00:23:41
Speaker
Yeah, those are our overreactions. Let us know what you think, if there's anything you thought was crazy, that that you thought, well, this warrants a big reaction after just one week.
00:23:54
Speaker
Let us know in the comments because we'd love to hear yours too. But we'll move on to another type of football now. English Premier League talk and a little bit something about Ireland as well. Unfortunately, we're going to have to address that. But we'll start with a big move in the manager market in the Premier League. So Nuno, Espirito, Santo, gone from Forrest and Ange Postacoglu in.
00:24:19
Speaker
In my opinion... This is just a ridiculous situation that's unraveled here and in Nottingham. First your European qualification in 30 years, built one of the most solid defensive teams in the league and did a lot more with a lot less than Ange did at Spurs.
00:24:36
Speaker
And yes, he's the one that's brought in and you throw away one of the best managers in the league. It's really something I can't wrap my head around even a bit of it. I think it's one of the most ridiculous things I've seen in a long time.
00:24:50
Speaker
I think Mr. Marenakis to give him his full titles. He's backed the wrong horse here by backing Edu over Nuno. This will come back and bite him. I love Ange.
00:25:03
Speaker
I didn't love some of his comments last year, but I thought he was brilliant at Celtic. He made Celtic look like a really good team, really watchable. and His first season at Spurs to start, they were excellent, and I can see why he's the man they've gone for.
00:25:16
Speaker
If you are sacking someone, that's joe he's just just been sacked, just won Europa League. DB looks quite good, trebles and doubles, left, right and centre, boss. Getting rid of one of the best managers in the league, in my opinion, I think you have the same opinion, to bring in someone one that had his team finish 17th last year just to win a trophy to prove a point for himself is mental. i i i Honestly, I can't get my head around any bit of this. All this came because Nuno said they had a they didn't speak as much as they did last season.
00:25:45
Speaker
And that happened because Teo, when he collapsed his lung running into the post and he wasn't... looked at quick enough by the medical staff or some nonsense to like that along those lines.
00:25:56
Speaker
that's That's when the relationship fell apart. And then Nuno wanted them to be backed and they didn't do it till like the lastian and last day of the summer when Nuno wanted to be in it start this way. I completely you in the understand why he was so annoyed with how things were going.
00:26:09
Speaker
And if you're going to sack a manager because they get annoyed at you, then Andrew's going to last two weeks. And Andrew and him are going to butt heads and it won't ah bornt take long.
00:26:22
Speaker
I know they were poor against West Ham in their last game. They lost 3-0 in the last game before the international break. But you know what? Freak results like that happen to teams. with The teams in the Premier League are so tightly grouped. It's incredible. like you do if If you take out maybe the top three or four, anyone can beat anyone.
00:26:38
Speaker
ah he's looking I joined the last man standing today. I was looking at the games to pick a team. It's nearly impossible. Seven, at least seven of the ten games you can't touch. You literally cannot touch them because everyone is so, like too even the match, like, oh God, how how can you back Everton to beat anyone yeah unless they're playing Sunderland? But even then you're like, oh they're suddenly never a good start. So it's like, but you can lose 3-0 to West Ham. Liverpool could go out and lose 3-0 to West Ham as well. So it's very easy to do in this league.
00:27:04
Speaker
And just go and sack him after that then is beyond me. It really is. Yeah, I think that, like you mentioned it already, but when they hired Edu, that really put the first initial spanner in the works because I think there was...
00:27:19
Speaker
I think Nuno wasn't happy with the the fact that he had to go through Edu to get to Maranakis now. yeah And I think Nuno wanted a smaller squad in general, but he obviously did want reinforcements.
00:27:33
Speaker
But I think the fact of the matter was, like you said, they didn't get them in soon enough. And then Edu was the one who pushed them all and got the guys he wanted. Whereas they should have consulted Nuno and found out who he wanted early and built... If he wanted a smaller squad, then build what he wanted because he's clearly a very good manager and he knows what he's doing.
00:27:52
Speaker
And to the point about Ange, I don't think he's a good manager for the Premier League at all because... He's going to play the way he wants to play. but They won the Europa League last year.
00:28:05
Speaker
The football they were playing in that competition was puke. So different. So different. and and involved say He's not going to do that again. He's going to get to a new team and he's going to say, I'm playing the way I want to play.
00:28:15
Speaker
The team is not built to play like that. They're the furthest from us, possibly, I'd say, out of any team in the league, maybe Baron Burnley.
Irish National Team Critiques and Challenges
00:28:23
Speaker
And he's going to come in there and try and change everything, play the way he wants And it's not going to work because it didn't work at Spurs and they had a much more talented squad. Yes, it worked at Celtic against hopeless opponents in the Scottish League.
00:28:35
Speaker
And it worked when he was in the J League and when he was in Australia. But that style of play is not going to work with this squad. Like, he's not a good enough manager to manage one of the top teams that has a good enough players to play this way.
00:28:49
Speaker
And... managing a lower level team they're never going to be able to adapt to this i'm just of the opinion that this is not going to work at all and it doesn't make sense it doesn't make sense anybody that gets Nuno in is extremely lucky because he's a very smart manager and he can make a lot out of pretty much nothing so yeah mar yeah i agree Mr. Maranacus job yeah i agree with you on that that If he comes in, as you were saying there about the football Spurs played in the Europa League was completely different to that they played in the Premier League.
00:29:20
Speaker
But he never brought that into the Premier League. he He didn't have a plan B in the Premier League. And his plan A in the Europa League, he never switched from that either. It was just, as you said, puke football. Just literally cup football. Let's go and win this. You can't do that for 38 games in the league.
00:29:33
Speaker
I can't imagine Milenkovich and Murillo playing a high line on the halfway line. And then Olayna is up touching the corner flag and whoever they have in their left back is doing whatever he wants as well. I don't see how this is going to work. I agree with you.
00:29:47
Speaker
I want Ang do well in spite of Maranakis and not for him. I do. i have a soft spot for him, so I'd love to see him go well, but I just don't see how it does. The signing they've made, like they've signed so many number tens to play in it play in like a two behind the striker which is the system they kind of they flirt between that and the 4-2-3-1 every now and again so they have mary hutchinson mackety gibbs white they have dan andoy he's an actual winger they have calum hudson andoy he's an actual winger outside of those two there's no pace in the team really like chris wood is the main striker up top i just don't see um dakwa it and that was
00:30:26
Speaker
that was the only one but again he doesn't fit into that too behind the strike because he's a wide man so I don't know we'll have to wait and see what he does I presume he'll be in charge this weekend so we'll see what kind of a system he goes with but I just I think this is a disaster waiting to happen I really wish we could go back and change our Premier League predictions now because there's so many teams that have let me down to start already Filler another one that's Yeah. i'd love to have I'd love to have a dig at them as well, but we might do that next week if they lose again this week. But I just can't believe someone who goes on in the Premier League over the summer and this one is the maddest of them.
00:30:58
Speaker
I thought the chance window was mad enough and now this is happening. Like, God. Premier League becoming a soapboxer. Yeah, it is. It's almost like the entertainment factor off the pitch is what they're going for more than anything. Like, these owners and the way everything... like And to be honest, I i read an article...
00:31:16
Speaker
to be honest Don't ask me why I read it on Skype. I wanted a short one. I was like, I don't want to go into the athletics right up on yeah whatever about Maranakis because to be honest, he gets enough of my time like seeing videos or seeing researching for this, whatever.
00:31:30
Speaker
I'd rather read long form about interesting things. So something quick there on the Edu relationship with Nuno clicked into the first one on Sky. And it was like someone was hired as a Maranacus PR man for Sky the way it was written. It was crazy.
00:31:44
Speaker
But yeah, that's that's ah another situation as well. Let's move on into something that was crazy, too, but is a bit more close to home and hurts to heart is Ireland's.
00:31:57
Speaker
Unless you're living under a rock, you'll know that. Ireland, in their two qualifying games for the next World Cup, they're pretty much out of contention already after two games.
00:32:08
Speaker
First game against Hungary, an abysmal 45 minutes to start the game. Second half, much more fight in them. home crowd got behind them I was at the game it was a really good moment to have that goal at the end but shot yourself in the foot in the first half and because of that didn't get anything else other than a draw at home and then Armenia just atrocious like Armenia are one of the worst teams in the qualification they've recently been beaten by Faroe Islands Most of their team plays and in the Armenian league.
00:32:40
Speaker
Not to say that that's the worst league in the world, but it's certainly worse than the Premier League where a good few of the Irish players do play well on a weekly basis. And captain their teams.
00:32:51
Speaker
And then there's no leadership. They look like they've never played football before. i'm just disgusted by it. I think they should all be ashamed for the efforts some of them put in for their country.
00:33:02
Speaker
Yeah, so four of the players that started that game are club captains. and Nice, Colin, O'Shea and Collins. yeah None of them put their hand up and said, this is on me. I honestly think, and I was looking back over, because one lad said to me that it's one of the most embarrassing Irish performances that he's seen. know And I went back, and I think it might be the most embarrassing performance I've seen ah in recent memory. And we're going back to that the Cyprus game, so the 5-2 Cyprus game.
00:33:27
Speaker
might be up there. but they So they scored two goals there. Yeah, it's worse than the Luxembourg ones. it Oh, completely, yeah. Like the goal they scored for Ferguson, the pass wasn't meant for He's just, he's we just don't deserve him. He's just a freak.
00:33:43
Speaker
He's the only one. I don't understand how Colin is so good week in, week out for Brentford and comes out and then forgets how to play football. um Yeah, it's crazy. Using the long throw, that was never going to work. We didn't get any long throw near us. Using that because it works, because the Premier League have tried over the first three weeks. Let's try that now.
00:34:01
Speaker
i ah I can't, I couldn't believe what I was watching. I really couldn't. And Kevin Doyle on the TV as well was as exasperated as I've ever seen a man on television. he was He was ready to burst at times, like talking about it. And I was the same thing at home.
00:34:17
Speaker
was like, oh my God, it was quarter. They couldn't string passes together. They couldn't string passes together. Armenia played through us like they were bloody Brazil-like. It was absolutely horrific to watch start to finish. They were so bad.
00:34:30
Speaker
Ferguson had that one chance in the first five minutes. And after that, it was just... It was just... It was like watching a pigsty just running around in circles for the rest of the game. I know the pitch was heavy.
00:34:42
Speaker
You could see it from the start. The pitch was just ripping up. Yeah, but they're playing on the same pitch. But both teams, exactly. Both teams have the same thing and they were able to clap past shows. Like they hit the bar.
00:34:53
Speaker
They had the goal ruled out for and an offside of an inch. It could have been far more embarrassing. 2-1 flattered us. Yeah. Oh, we should have lost 5 or 6-1. Honestly, God, we should have lost 5 or 6-1.
00:35:04
Speaker
at the very least, because they created so many chances. And like you said, the passes that were just played through us, like some Armenian fella who, you know, he's sitting there deep in his half and they're giving him the space as if he's Rodri.
00:35:19
Speaker
Like the amount of space they're giving him, they're scared to go near him because, oh God, he might play a good pass. Well, what's going to happen then? yeah you're You're supposed to be tight at the back if you do that. Oh no, we won't be tight at the back. We'll all, we'll just stand wherever we want, to be honest, because it doesn't really matter.
00:35:33
Speaker
this is Armenia. Well, it is Armenia and they slapped you around. They absolutely slapped you around. So they deserved what they got. Yeah. but for Where this group of players got the audacity and that's what I think it is. I think they got the audacity thinking, oh, good result at home now. We've come back from tunnel down.
00:35:51
Speaker
We can just go over here show off Like, lads, we're Ireland. we We've never been able to go anywhere and just show up. we We can't go to the Faroe Islands and just show up. Was it the Faroe Islands that we beat 1-0 in the Fog when Jeff Hendricks scored?
00:36:03
Speaker
Was that the Faroe Islands? Yeah, i think so. Or no, that was Gibraltar, sorry. No, away to Gibraltar. We can't go away to Gibraltar and just show up. Like, when have we ever? We've never been able to go away anywhere and show up, especially in the last five years. And this group of clowns,
00:36:19
Speaker
The only thing he did that was good was not starting Matt Dirty. That was the only positive I could take from that game. i I just, and they but i get they drive me insane. I couldn't believe that was watching. I really couldn't. They were just, they were embarrassing.
00:36:35
Speaker
Yeah. Properly, properly embarrassing. When Liam Scales warmed up, you were like, oh, bringing on Scales. Oh my God. It makes no sense for a defender. I said, well, it's fair enough if they bring them on for Collins or O'Shea because they both look spent and the amount of space at the back.
00:36:49
Speaker
Then they take off Manning. And put Jacob Ryan right wing. You must be joking. Put Jacob Ryan right wing instead of putting him in the box. He's 6'6". Yeah, and he was crossing the box in the whole first game too. He was like the most advanced player on the right-hand side the whole game.
00:37:05
Speaker
If you're going taking off your left back to go three at the back, put Jacob Ryan in the middle and bring Adam Eda out right because he can cross the ball into Jacob Ryan then. The corners were pathetic. The throw-ins were pathetic.
00:37:16
Speaker
There was no side to play. There was no pace to play. Everything was so slow. The one time they had any sort of urgency, they scored, and it was a fluke of a pass-through. was aiming for Jason Knight to run through balloon it over the bar. It was lucky it fell to Evan Ferguson. Aye.
00:37:29
Speaker
Honestly, I knew after 15 minutes we were losing that game. And I think everyone else was the same. I had the feeling of it. And apart from Ferguson, who put in two great shifts in both of the games and clearly has a lot of talent, and Kallagher, who made way more saves than he should have ever needed to.
00:37:48
Speaker
against Armenia and also against a 10-man Hungary team, he kept us in that one too. and So we're lucky to even have a point, to be honest, after those two abysmal performances. The only hope we can have now at this point is if they sack that manager, because he's not going to get anything out of his team. There's no way whatsoever.
00:38:07
Speaker
And if they do sack him, get in somebody else and pray to God that... Armenia get a point against Hungary or something and then after that we need to get a point against Portugal all of this is pure like ah food is not happening but at least you know if they did get rid of him i would
Financial Struggles in Irish Football
00:38:28
Speaker
have some sort of and driving me to want to go to the two games that are left because I'm after buying tickets for all three and no wonder they sell a three match packet. Yeah. Because after seeing the thing in the first two games, you wouldn't even wipe your backside with a ticket now if you got it. I reading up about that as well.
00:38:44
Speaker
was reading up about that as well. The FAI are so deep in death. They can't afford to sack him. but They're selling games in three game packages because they they just they can't to afford to not. They can't afford to sell the games one at a time.
00:38:57
Speaker
The League of Ireland's the prize fund at 125 grand if you win it. Like the two, the Rovers in Shelburne are doing well in Europe in spite of the FAI. And I know I've said that twice now and I can't say it again, but.
00:39:08
Speaker
It's true. Like yeah they're not doing well because the FAI are helping them. They're doing well because of what they're building themselves. And then the FAI are probably going to come along and take half the money off them. They'll make up some tax or something to get this money out of the two clubs they can put it towards their own debt I know the whole just top top to bottom and then the 21s weren't even that good I know they won and there's some there's some really talented players in that but they weren't very good either and then he brought the winner on the Shamrock Rovers players yeah Shamrock Rovers yeah and assisted by Connolly-Darity as well who looks the right talent and too not just because he plays Liverpool he was actually
00:39:45
Speaker
He so direct when he came on. It's the same way he is for the 21, I suppose. Michael Noonan comes on. He's incredible. 17. And his finish was absolutely classed. Yeah, he's a very good. He is a very good.
00:39:57
Speaker
But like you said, the FAI is no help for the League of Ireland at all when they really do need it because now is the time to capitalise when people are going to games more. There's more support. The teams are better.
00:40:10
Speaker
and people know some of the teams now because they're getting into Europe, a number of seasons now. And if we have two teams in it this year, you know, it's, it's huge, but they're not going to back them because as you said, they're falling over the place in debt. And yeah, it's, there's nothing really can be said that like, we have a dentist as a manager for a reason because they have no one.
00:40:32
Speaker
that's It took him seven months to find him. Seven months they were looking for a new manager after he sacked Stephen Kenny and that was the best come up with and then said, oh, he was their first choice. If he was your first choice, have taken you seven months to talk him into the job.
00:40:44
Speaker
Anyway, let's move on. I can't they can't keep going because I'll end up bursting blood vessel or something. Yeah, it's too much. It's too much. And for the fandom as well, like don like don't deserve this for all the years of it and all the false hope then as well for just all the stuff he said before the games.
Predictions for NFL and Premier League Games
00:41:01
Speaker
as if we actually thought yeah we're gonna we're gonna have something but yeah let's move on I did I put him into my bloody ah top five teams to win the World Cup and then you went and posted it last night I wish that one that one should have said in the draft James is all I can say but anyway Look, have to be done to get some reactions out there as well.
00:41:22
Speaker
We had some fella, I think, with two Union Jacks and title. We're playing on TikTok. I should never watch football a again, apparently. Yeah, all right. Second time in couple of the weeks, I've been told that now.
00:41:33
Speaker
It's just the haters. Just block out those haters and show them what you're made of. Back with Gone Chance. Here we go. Season two of Gone Chance. Shane was the winner last year. that again, I didn't hear you.
00:41:46
Speaker
Shane was the well-deserved winner last year. yeah that's the smart, I guess. let's Let's go through the rules in case you didn't know what it was and you didn't hear her last year if you're if you're new to this. But basically, it's a thing we do every week on chance. It means basically no chance in Irish.
00:42:01
Speaker
And we're picking teams that are underdogs or teams that aren't expected to have a chance to win their games. So when the NBA is back, we'll do one from the NBA, one from the Premier League and one from the NFL. But for now, it's just NFL and Premier League. So we pick two from one of them and one from the other, whichever we like.
00:42:19
Speaker
The rules of picking the teams, then you have to pick. against a team that is odds on. So let's say for an example, the Bills are playing against the Jets on the weekend.
00:42:31
Speaker
The Bills are like one to six or something to win on the money line. Then you go, oh, I'm picking the Jets. Shane Smirk tells me he's done this. He's another. And so let's let's hold off on that for a second.
00:42:43
Speaker
That's and just an example. You have to pick a team against somebody that has odds on favour to win. Obviously in the NFL, we're going Moneyline, Premier League. Handicap betting isn't really used that much. It's mostly Moneyline bets. So usual crack there. Obviously, we know one of Shane's picks based on his facial reaction. So we will let him go first.
00:43:03
Speaker
Shane, take it. I'll start with the surprise. So I have gone the Jets at 94 to beat Buffalo 1-3. um With the way they played week one, there's potential. And as I said from that song about him earlier, they're in line to get a win against one of these big teams.
00:43:20
Speaker
While morale is high, why not just just back him in this week? at nine to four don't back it if you have any sense. Don't do what I just did. But I just said, why not? Show him in here.
00:43:30
Speaker
If it works out, I'm a genius. but I'll be allowed watch to watch the NFL according to your man on TikTok and I can just be on with my life then. After that, I've gone with West Ham to beat Spurs at their home stadium. So West Ham are 12-5, Spurs are evens.
00:43:44
Speaker
I really liked what I saw against Forest. I still don't think they're anything special, but they just look like an actual team against Forest again. And so first game back at the international break at home, bit bit of a rivalry here between these two as well. So I thought at 12-5, I think I just had to have a look at it, to be honest. And then...
00:44:03
Speaker
The other one I've gone with is another derby. and I backed United to beat City. City are 7-10. United are 17-5.
00:44:12
Speaker
City just look broken and they've looked broken against Brighton, they look broken against Spurs. United have pace up front in Mboumo and Cunha. If they have any bit of fighting them in midfield, they can overrun that City midfield because Roger E will fall off after 60 again, I feel, or 70 anyway, and they might need to substitute him like they didn't do against Brighton and they should have.
00:44:34
Speaker
And you know I think United can just get better at this. They have... The most XG in the league, as we said last week, I think. Maybe this is the week where it comes together and they put the ball in the net. If United go 1-0 up, I don't see City coming back. Now, Erling Haaland did score five goals and get two assists the other night, so he's going to be coming back in the fly-inest form anyone has ever been flying in. But I just think if he doesn't have the help around him, then there's not much he can do on his own. He only touches the
Analyzing NBA Teams: Heat, Hawks, and Hornets
00:45:01
Speaker
ball 12 times a game. So, yeah, back to United to beat City.
00:45:05
Speaker
Nice. i am I think with De Ligt on Haaland, he won't probably have as easy a time as he did against Moldova. He had to apologise to the goalkeeper for scoring that many times.
00:45:16
Speaker
said and I think he said to the keeper, I have to do it to get the goal difference up. But yeah he me also gave way a penalty to tell Esgaard to get his hat-trick, so he could have had six. oh Double hat-trick, yeah.
00:45:29
Speaker
I actually really like the shout of United. I just think I agree that City are... not looking solid at all. They look very, very shaky. I picked them to win the league. That's one thing i could I would love to go back and change because I'm shocked with how much a Pep team has shown that they don't really know what they're doing at times. And the Brighton game was a complete capitulation. Spurs dominated them. So I think, yeah, United could definitely go and get a result at the Etihad, at the Empty Hat.
00:46:00
Speaker
So that's why I've also gone for Yeah. I've also gone through United to do it. I actually just think that United have been better than they've shown so far. And City have probably been worse than they've shown. And they've they've shown pretty badly already. They were lucky against Wolves to win so handsomely.
00:46:16
Speaker
But that's my first one. My other two then, I've also done what you've done and gone to NFL. So you were in two Premier League. I'm going the opposite to you.
00:46:27
Speaker
I've got then the Jags to beat the Bengals. um The Bengals had a really slow start, as they always do. They're always slow for the first three games. And as we mentioned, they only had seven yards of offense in the second half against...
00:46:41
Speaker
The Browns. and The Jags are a lot better team than the Browns. I don't, still not sold that they're amazing yet, but I think at 31 to 20, I think it's worth ah worth a go on the Jags there because I'm not sold on the Bengals at all. And I would definitely take the like the handicap win for the Jags, whatever it is, two and a half or three and a half, but I'm going to take them here on the money line.
00:47:02
Speaker
And then my second one is the Seahawks to beat the Steelers. I know the Steelers beat the Jets, but I really liked how the Seahawks played. um For the majority of the game against the Niners, I know they weren't amazing on ah offense and they took they couldn't really get the run game going, but I think they will. We saw what the Jets did on the ground to the Steelers.
00:47:21
Speaker
They ran all over them. And Darnold was a bit unlucky with that fumble in the game. And apart from that, he was he was okay. And the Seahawks defense was causing a bit of confusion. I think that'll cause a lot more confusion for Rodgers than they did last week. So...
00:47:37
Speaker
Those are my three picks, the Jags, Seahawks and United. So as usual, if you get one or two right, you get a point for each. But if you get all three right, you get five points. So we're keeping this going until the end of the season, obviously keeping the score.
00:47:50
Speaker
The treble, if you did what I had, is 26 to one. So if you're interested in that, have a look at that too. So that's our challenge. Just two things before we move on. and Did you give the odds on the Seahawks?
00:48:04
Speaker
I don't think you gave it to you. Seven to five. Sorry. Oh, nice. Okay. Yeah. And you said you would take City off pop if you could go back in time. Would you put Liverpool or Arsenal in as your winner after what you've seen after three games?
00:48:18
Speaker
After three games, I definitely, without a doubt, put Liverpool as the winner. they like They didn't even play that well in in most of their play, but they still got the wins, which is what a champion does. And for that fact alone, I would go with them because they're only going to get better.
00:48:34
Speaker
So yeah, I would move them up. And I would probably actually put Chelsea in second. They're very impressive. And I had them baby coja um in my prediction. And I think I would just move City down and I'd move everyone else up one. I'd do the thing. But yeah, can't be done. So that's that's our picks anyway for the first week of Gone Chance.
00:48:53
Speaker
Let us know if you like them. Let us know if you tail any of them. And let's come back next week and see who's on top after week one. Okay, okay. Relax. One crown, one crown after a six-month season. Let's see who who comes out on top after a full year.
00:49:08
Speaker
But I have a lot of catching up to do from last year. I need to and need to sort myself out and and not let it go so far behind earlier on like I did last year. You had like three or four five pointers really early and that really killed me off so that's still hunting my first five pointer let's hope it's this weekend yeah and nba time let's continue to review our preview three teams we're going to continue to do this until the season starts and we'll have full season preview then with michael and we love to have him on for the nba stuff so we'll have that coming actually in october but
00:49:41
Speaker
This week, we've got the Miami Heat as our very first team. So where do they need to improve most from last season in your eyes? So their fourth point execution was awful for last year.
00:49:54
Speaker
Start to finish in the fourth quarter, they were awful. Their veterans underperformed throughout. Their younger players didn't grow enough. and But I think in the fourth quarter in particular, they were really bad. they They need their bench and their role players to really contribute more towards the end of games this season if they're going to have anything that's going to be... anything that's even going to look like it's decent.
00:50:17
Speaker
Yeah, I thought the... In general, the offensive spark wasn't there just in terms of scoring at all. And we saw that clearly in the Cavs game, and sorry, the Cavs series in the playoffs where they pretty much got played off the floor in three quarters of each game.
00:50:34
Speaker
So even that four quarter didn't even matter at that point, but still they they were very poor in terms of their scoring. In the league, regular season, 110.6 points game.
00:50:44
Speaker
and the seventh worst in the entire NBA really really bad and yeah i find it hard to see where it's going to come from but that is something that they need to improve on massively for me under the radar player then which is one guy that you like for the team for the season ahead so I liked Nick Bajovic and Last season he played 25 minutes a game, averaged 11 points, but he only made 10 starts in his 46 appearances. i He's still young. He has time to grow. He showed quite quite a bit of promise last season.
00:51:18
Speaker
He's big. He could really develop into a piece that they can use more regularly this season coming. Maybe give him a few more starts, see where he goes from there, because 11 points in 25 minutes off the bench isn't terrible.
00:51:31
Speaker
But he definitely needs to get to 15 or 16 if he's going to be off the bench and he wants to push for a certain place. Yeah, I like Jovic as well. And I think he was hit a little bit by injuries. I think he could be good. And it was talk when they were like looking around Durant and the likes of these guys that they kind of said that he was off the table as somebody they didn't want to trade away. So i find that interesting too.
00:51:54
Speaker
I've gone with Davion Mitchell. I already kind of... was peddling him during the playoffs as one of their best players. I'll continue to make the same argument. I think he gives them a lot. He's an engine.
00:52:07
Speaker
and And if he can consistently drive at defenses during games and wear down defenses um and kind of use his physicality to get into the paint and make people second guess what's going on, that will open up things then in the fourth quarter, which kind of ties in with your point that they'll improve then in the fourth quarter. He'll be able to dish out more passes. He'll be able to score himself.
00:52:30
Speaker
Just that relentless play kind of does tire teams out. 10 points, three boards, five assists and 1.5 steals per game last year on 31 minutes. That was just with 30 games with the Heat.
00:52:42
Speaker
I think a full season under his belt with Spolstra. He'll make a very solid player out of him. And I think he does like him a lot as well. So he's a nice kind of utility guy there that probably is better suited to a better team because he can definitely contribute at high level, but he'll still do good things for the Heat, I think.
00:52:59
Speaker
So looking at their wins, 38.5 is the line. They had 37 last year. It's really hard to know, in my opinion. I think with them, it's hard to know that with the roster they'll have, they might go and try and do a reset and a rebuild, but it's not a Heat thing to do.
00:53:20
Speaker
And I really don't see them doing that. And for that reason, I'm going to just go a shade under. I don't think they have enough to do any better than this. So I'm going with around the same as last year, maybe 37, 36, because I think until they really do a proper rebuild or get in a big trade, which I don't that many assets to even do that anyway, they're kind of in no man's land here. So I'm going to stick with similar to last year.
00:53:45
Speaker
I've gone the opposite. I've gone a shade over. I think they'll be under 40 wins, so 39 40, but I think they might just scrape it. Again, I wouldn't be surprised if they were in with you. 36 to 38 does seem very, very likely, but I think they might just have enough to just squeeze into 39, 40 win territory.
00:54:06
Speaker
Yeah, that's one that I will never i'll never bet i'm because... Last year they did hit under, but history would tell you that they get a lot out of a little. So it's kind of hard to go against them, but it's also kind of hard to go for them. So the line is a really nice place there.
00:54:22
Speaker
Then in terms of the ceiling for the roster and coach, what do you think for the year ahead? What's the max they can do? I think they can dig get a play-in or very low play-off seeds.
00:54:33
Speaker
And I think anyone who plays them in the playoffs will have a tough time because if their defence can hold up and the young guys kick on a small bit, then they could be a match for anyone. But I don't think they'll win a play-off series, but I think they could get into a play-in.
00:54:47
Speaker
Yeah, i actually have gone a little bit mad. You'll think I'm mad here, but I said they could get a fifth seed if everything goes right. I just think Spolstra is that good of a coach that, and like, I don't think they will, but if everything does go right, there's no reason to say that they won't get that because he's known to do things that are very special with a little, as I said already.
00:55:10
Speaker
And if Bam and Tyler Hero can really step up, They could get to a fifth seed and knock out a weak fourth seed in the first round of the playoffs. I don't see them getting any further than the second round, and yeah even if everything does go right for them.
00:55:22
Speaker
But yeah, I've gone a little bit high on them, I think. But for a team that I said is going to hit under their wins, I do think they just have that variability where they could be unbelievable. But if they do what they should do and rebuild, they'll go a lot lower. So...
00:55:36
Speaker
That's my my hot take almost there on them. It's just the heat. You just never know. But another team then I really, really like actually is the Hawks. Where do they need to improve most from last season, I think that turnovers were massive for them.
00:55:53
Speaker
It's always going to be an issue with Trae Young. They do cause a lot of of turnovers as well with Dyson Daniels, the great barrier thief, as they call him. The Australian, he grabs so many steals. He's a great defender, but they turned the ball over so much. Sixth worst in the league, 14.7 per game.
00:56:10
Speaker
And Trae Young accounts for 4.7 of those last year, which was the second worst of his career in terms of steal or turnover numbers. So they really need to clean that up if they're going to go far.
00:56:22
Speaker
What did you have for for that? I said to their defensive actions in the clutch. So like the last five minutes in overtime is one of the worst in the league. They let teams score too easily on them coming down the stretch. And it's why they lose a lot of games coming towards the end of games.
00:56:37
Speaker
Those turnovers that you mentioned don't help either. But I think they really need to sort out the last five minutes of games. And because they they often go into those periods in the lead and just...
00:56:48
Speaker
Dumpar managed to always chuck it away with turnovers or throwing up silly shots or just not being aggressive enough on defence. So they need to get that sorted out this season, definitely. Yeah, I think that...
00:57:00
Speaker
They will do that this year because of who they've signed. I think that they will actually clean that up. And I think they've been smart because they've got some guys that have some experience, like Chris Stapps has a lot of experience and he'll be good for them in clutch moments. And then they've got Mikhail Alexander-Walker, who's a good defender and has played in lot of playoff series with the Timberwolves.
00:57:20
Speaker
So I think they have done a good good job kind of combating those issues, but that's a very good point that you can't You can't be good enough if you're not good in the clutch and you keep turning the ball over. So looking at them, the the roster, who's someone under the radar you have for the team?
00:57:36
Speaker
Well, I thought my fella was under the radar until you mentioned him there 30 seconds ago, but I have put in Dyson Daniels. and This is going into his second year with the Hawks. Started 76 games last year, which is really, really impressive, think. 76 out of 82 is something else.
00:57:51
Speaker
14 points a game, 38 minutes a game. but just still think he's still improving. He's so good defensively. The great Barrett Heath, as you just said I think he is absolutely class. Just off with everything, energy, steals, he facilitates. He's still on an upward trajectory, so he can definitely be someone that they rely heavily on again this season. and Yeah, i actually wrote down that.
00:58:14
Speaker
I feel like everyone is kind of on him at the moment. So that's why I didn't pick him for this, even though he would be my pick. because I really really like him he's probably apart from Jalen Johnson he's probably my favorite player for them but I'm going with Luke Kennard think it was a nice addition to what they're trying to do he gives you around nine or ten points a game off the bench consistently across his career he has some playmaking he's efficient enough shooting on two and three so 47.8% and last year from two and three respectively
00:58:46
Speaker
um And if you look further back in his career, he did offer 52% from the field sorry and 54% from three in 22-23, which is crazy numbers. So yeah if he can have efficiency like that, it'll long way to helping them out.
00:59:02
Speaker
um So I like that they brought him in because I think he fits very nicely what they actually want to do. So between himself and Daniels, and I think they've got a nice mix of players under the radar to go with their to go with their big stars than maybe Chris Stapps, definitely Trae Young and definitely Jalen Johnson. So looking at the over-under then, 46.5, 40 wins last year.
00:59:23
Speaker
What did you have them at? I have them just under again. I don't see them adding seven wins. Now, I do like what they did in summer. You mentioned a couple of them there well. And I think they could very easily guess over 50 wins, but I think they're going to need a lot of luck if they are going to get there.
00:59:39
Speaker
And I just thought back in the end, there was a smart play on this one. Yeah, I think so seven wins is a massive jump and that did put me off a little bit. But with Jalen Johnson going to be fully fit this year, which he wasn't last year, the defense probably going to be one of the the best in the league, just in terms of physical hands everywhere. You think of the way that the Timberwolves were over the last number years.
01:00:03
Speaker
I'm going with the over. I think they could easily be a 50 win team. I think they're very, very good. And I like what they've done a lot. So I'm going with the over and that kind of ties into my ceiling for them.
01:00:15
Speaker
I think they can get to the finals. The East is weak. I said earlier that there's probably no real team that I would pick to get to de defineant to win the finals in the East other than the Cavs. I think they could possibly do it.
01:00:30
Speaker
There's not many teams I would pick to actually get there. I think it's a toss-up between the Cavs, Knicks, and I would also put the Hawks in there. I really like what they've done. and just like that defensive formula that that they have. I think they could do a Timberwolves on it and be very good defensively.
01:00:45
Speaker
but also have that different style of playmaking in Trae Young than you would have with an Anthony Edwards. And you still have Rhys Hachey, who we haven't even mentioned yet. They have a big expectation on him. can learn from Chris Stapps.
01:00:57
Speaker
They'll spread the floor. ah just really like everything they've done. Now, it could go into week one. Chris Stapps has some unknown illness that you've never heard of, and Jalen Johnson sprains his ankle five times, and it's all in the bin. But I think, if healthy, this team has finals written all over them.
01:01:15
Speaker
Wow. Considering I have him competing for a top four seed, my seeding on him, I'm quite a way off what you are. to be I don't see him winning too many playoff series.
01:01:27
Speaker
I think they could win a first round definitely, second round defensive play. As you said, it is a really, really weak division. So who knows what can happen if they can't put any sort of run together. But they're going to need...
01:01:39
Speaker
People to break out, they're going to need the defense to step up. they's just There's so much that they need, which we didn't see last year. And that's why I just can't. I can't put my house on them doing anything special this year.
01:01:51
Speaker
Yeah, it's fair enough because it is such a big jump. I just think Trae Young did it before of getting them to the East finals. And this time he has a lot more around them. So I'm going to go with but them as a chance to get there now. You'll have to hold on to our NBA season preview to find out who our picks are. But they're up there for me.
01:02:09
Speaker
yeah Ben, last team, the Lamello Ball-led Hornets. Obviously, everyone wants to talk about Lamello. He's one of everybody's favorite for his highlight reels and all that stuff. But where do they need to improve last seat from last season? There's a lot of places, but where especially for you?
01:02:25
Speaker
but there The inability inavailability of their star players last year is what killed them. Lamella Ball, Brendan Miller, Graham Williams all played less than 50 games last season.
01:02:35
Speaker
You can't build any sort of consistency if you can't get them all on the court. So they really need to do something there. Maybe it's kind of like maybe bringing the workload less in practice session or something. They just need to get something to get their key players on the court and you can See what you can do from there. but like I think Clemente played 27 games last season and he's meant to be the star of the team.
01:02:56
Speaker
So you can't have your star playing a quarter of the games that you're you're going to play in this season. Yeah, i I agree massively with that. Fitness plays a massive part and there was a big letdown for them last year.
01:03:09
Speaker
Obviously, turnovers are up there for them, similar to the Hawks. But my main point is they could not score at all. um That falls into being without LaMelo and without Brandon Miller for so long.
01:03:23
Speaker
But they had the worst offense in the league in terms of scoring 105.1 points per game. And it's the same as the Nets. And we really hammered the Nets on how bad their offense was. So they deserve a similar hammering for me.
01:03:35
Speaker
Looking at someone under the radar, i you really, really like Brandon Miller. They have a guy there who's rangy. He can defend... He'll grow into an even better defender. He's an excellent scorer too with good athleticism.
01:03:48
Speaker
Last year I picked him for my most improved player that he would win that award because I thought that they might step to the cusp of a play-in with him kind of being one of their leaders. But injuries hampered him massively. He only played 27 games which is really unfortunate. But in the games he did play, 21 points per game, 5 boards, 3.5 assists and nearly 1 steal and nearly 1 block per game too. So He does everything. He's a massive part of this team.
01:04:13
Speaker
And I think if Lomelo can learn to pass the ball up to other people too and stop taking ridiculous shots, then he's going to show his true ability even more. Yeah, I really like that, Chad. I did look at him as well, but when he didn't, when he played, so when he paint and he missed so many games last season, I thought putting him in here was a bit of ah brave one so i put in miles bridges instead he's one of the lads that was actually able to stay healthy last year played 64 games 32 minutes a game when joe when when everyone else is dropping in and out it's it's good to be able to have one player to keep showing up um if he can stay healthy again this year and they can keep everyone else healthy then they've been making them a decent front fire first 35 there but
01:04:55
Speaker
like we'll have just have to wait and see I just so i just really like him I think he's a really really good player he kind of he anchors a lot of what they can do this year if he can stay for this Yeah, he's a good defender as well, which is important. I think they need to be consistently good on defence to really offer up something, especially if their offence isn't going to tick too much. But looking at the over-under for wins then, 26.5 and last year they had 19. But obviously we mentioned already last year they spent a lot of time without Mello and without Miller, so it was horrible injury look.
01:05:27
Speaker
They've added Canuppel, who I think... He was a really good draft pick. he was lucky They were lucky that he fell to them because he's a good three-point shooter and another very good defender. They've signed Trey Mann, Colin Sexton, and Pat Connickton, so they've got some decent veterans in there.
01:05:43
Speaker
I think there's no reason why they couldn't push to around 31, 32 wins. My only concern is that they will have to play a lot of small ball because they traded away all their centres and they just have Plumlee left. So they're in a bit of a tough situation there. Yeah, I'm going to go more than 26 and a half. It is a big jump from from the 19, but they have a lot more pieces there. So I'm thinking low 30 is definitely on.
01:06:07
Speaker
Yeah, I also to went over, and I know I literally just said that seven wins is a massive jump for the Hawks, but that's jumping from 45 into 52. This is jumping from 19 to 27. It's not as hard to jump in that sense of the imagination.
01:06:21
Speaker
I just have to put the caveat in that they need to stay somewhat healthy. They need LeMeloval to play 50 games instead of 27 or whatever he did last year. I think it was actually... It was 47, so... 47. It was Brandon Miller who played... Yeah, it was Brandon Miller played 27 last year.
01:06:39
Speaker
He's so key for me. He's so key for Brandon Miller. If they can stay healthy, then they can definitely add seven or eight wins to what they had and get up to that 30-ish bracket, but... We'll have to wait and see.
01:06:50
Speaker
I mean, they won't be as bad as the Nets anyway. No, I don't think so. Definitely not, because at least they have some solid veterans there that you can kind of rely on as well as the youngsters, which the Nets do not have, but... The seal on them with the current roster and coach, what do you think?
01:07:04
Speaker
I think they can get to 30 to 35 wins and maybe squeeze into a play-in and then lose it. But I think dave they have the personnel there if they can stay face. Again, if they can stay face, the world is their oyster.
01:07:18
Speaker
and They can definitely push for play-in if they stay face. Yeah, I've gone with that they could push to get through a plane. and Inevitably, I don't think they'll get there. just looked at the wins last year. You could have got 39 wins last year and got into the plane. So it's going to have to be a good push from last year. But I think they could push into the mix there if they keep fit and they do quite well overall and take that jump.
01:07:42
Speaker
I don't think they have enough to get through the plane into the playoffs. So think we're fairly aligned on that. But yeah, that's three more teams
Power Rankings and Audience Feedback
01:07:50
Speaker
boxed off. We're going to cover every team, of course. So if you're an NBA fan, your team will be covered. Don't you worry.
01:07:55
Speaker
But moving back into a recurring segment from last year too, it's back once again, the power rankings. So another explainer on this one. No more drafts. We'll explain it just in case you wanted it.
01:08:08
Speaker
Basically, it's what it says on the tin. We're going to rank teams, but we're doing it multi-sport. So we're doing two from the NBA, two from the NFL and two from the Premier League once all three are in full flow.
01:08:18
Speaker
But right now we've only got the Premier League and the NFL. So we do three from each. That's the way we're going to run it until the and NBA comes back. and We want to get hear your feedback every single week on these, who you think we left out, who you think you know we shouldn't have added in.
01:08:32
Speaker
And since you went first with the Ganshans, I will go first here, if that's okay. Perfect. I've got, at number one, Liverpool.
01:08:44
Speaker
I think great start to the season, nine points. They're only team with nine points and they won the league last year. So we have to take that into account because we're running on from last year too. So they have to be number one.
01:08:56
Speaker
For that same argument, the Eagles are number two because they won the Super Bowl and they didn't lose week one. Even though they weren't the most impressive team in the NFL, I think they didn't lose lot the first week and they just won the Super Bowl. So that has to be in mind.
01:09:10
Speaker
Moving on to number three then in the Bills. It was about to be the Ravens if they had't held out in that game, but they were really impressive. The Bills in the fourth quarter, an unbelievable comeback in Probably what was the game of the year already, 41-40. I'm going to put them in at number three.
01:09:26
Speaker
Number four, I mentioned them already when were talking football, but Chelsea, I think were impressive this year so far. i'm Unbeaten in the league. Two wins and a draw. they' They've been very impressive and I think they'll they'll have a good season overall.
01:09:39
Speaker
Number five then is the Packers. I thought they were really impressive against the Lions. There's a few other teams I thought about, but the Packers took down a very good team from last year in the division. I think they deserve a shout in at five.
01:09:51
Speaker
Number six then is Crystal Palace, another unbeaten team. I think it's a bit of a shout because they're a little bit further down, but that's because they had two draws. They were really impressive in in their last game.
01:10:03
Speaker
Losing it now. They beat Villa 3-0. Really, really impressive. They also had a draw with Chelsea in the first game of the season. They beat Liverpool in the Community Shield. So in general, a really good start after winning the f FA Cup last year. So they're my number six. So that's my my top six there. What have you got for us, Shane?
01:10:23
Speaker
ah So i have quite similar to you. I think with the fact it was the week one of the NFL, we're always going to be pretty much aligned on those. But I have Liverpool at number one. Why wouldn't I? Unbeaten in the league. Champions.
01:10:37
Speaker
They haven't even seen ali say Alexander either. put on a jersey yet, so we'll have to wait and see it goes. I put the Bills in at number two because Josh Allen is a freak of nature. He shouldn't be allowed to do what he does every single week. like it's It's just it's crazy to sell people's house. They're a good watch, unfortunately, for us as new teams from New York fans as well.
01:10:58
Speaker
At number three, I have Chelsea. I'd love to have just pushed Esteban in here on his own because I think the man is an absolute, he's a spark plug. I think he looks absolutely unbelievable. But Chelsea have been quite decent from the off here. And as you said, you just you just said you'd move him up to second in your Premier League. I don't know if I'd go that high, but I think they're definitely nailed on for a top four finish.
01:11:20
Speaker
At four, I have a rogue one. and You thought your Palace one was rogue. I put in everything. Yeah, like them. I think they were caught in a hop in the first game against Leeds, but Jack Greenish looks like the Jack Greenish of Aston Villa.
01:11:35
Speaker
They data just look like they're having a fun, which you can't say about Everton for a long while, to be fair. Kieran and Dudby Hall looks like he's having fun. Ingeo looks absolutely class. And then Jack Greenish obviously having the time of his life.
01:11:49
Speaker
into a new stadium as well, a new home. They just look, they look like they are, they're up for this year. And I think, I don't know where I put them to finish, but I think they could push for a top 10 this year. And to finish up then, I have the Eagles and the Packers at five and safe. So need to say much more than you and already said, don't know.
01:12:04
Speaker
Yeah, I like the Everton one because I actually also was going to pick them until I went with Palace. And I said, no, you need to consider like Palace last year at the end and the Community Shield. But Everton were up there for me too. I agree, they were definitely caught on a hop.
01:12:18
Speaker
in the first week and since then they've been really impressive and solid and still to add dibbling to that team as well who's another creative force so yeah jake o'brien playing well there for them but not able to do business in ireland but yeah fairly similar as you said week one is always going to be similar enough but there is some mix up in in the order we have too so that is interesting to see and it'll definitely fluctuate as the season goes on with the nfl more weeks go by and things are going to definitely change a lot so Let us know what you think of our Power Rankings.
01:12:51
Speaker
That's what we all we've got for the week. and Hopefully you enjoyed the episode, got a usual segments back from last season and got chance in the Power Rankings. Hopefully you're happy to see those back. Like and subscribe and all that good stuff. We really appreciate that. If you could do it, Shane, I'll throw it over to you.
01:13:07
Speaker
yeah Thanks a lot. We'll see you next week. Nice one, lads.