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Episode 024 - Man United Crossover with Match Prediction and Combined 11!
11 Plays1 month ago
Tom and Jacob are joined by Kieran from the GSPN Daily Manchester United pod to discuss everything about the upcoming game at the London Stadium! Both clubs with managers under immense pressure at the helm, the boys get into how they feel about their respective clubs at this moment in time and end the pod with an interesting combined 11 debate!
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Transcript
Crossover with Kieran from Man United GSPN
00:00:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello, guys, and welcome back to another episode of the Daily GSPN West Ham podcast. Today, we have a crossover episode with Kieran from the Man United GSPN podcast. Say hello, mate.
00:00:19
Kieran McGinley
Hello, hello. Good evening all. How are we?
00:00:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm obviously joined by Jacob from the West Ham team. Say hello, mate.
00:00:24
Jacob
Hello, how's it going?
Managerial Challenges at Man United and West Ham
00:00:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
So today, we are going to be getting into some game chat for the game that's coming up at the weekend, Man United versus West Ham. I'd like to start it off by just highlighting the the kind of managerial problems that we've both been having. i'd I'd like to hear from your point of view how you feel Tenharg has done honestly and without the kind of pile on that people like to do. Whenever there's a manager struggling, there's obviously the pile on and people like to say, oh, you know, just get them gone. And I know it's
Man United's Season Start and Performance
00:00:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
not always that simple. So so how is what is your assessment of Tenharg this season?
00:01:03
Kieran McGinley
I think um it's been a terrible start. let's let's not be Let's not be around the bush about it. We've had ah ah you know a window where we've had a lot of signings that are of Tenhangs making, a lot of signings that he's wanted. you know He's sort of trying to build his XIX team in the hopes that he can you know, start to see and produce his mentality in each game, but hasn't started well. It really hasn't. I think it's been tough to watch. We watched the first game against Fulham to open the season. It was a cagey one nil victory. Well, we won it in the final seconds and Xerxes got the goal. Just got his foot out to get it beyond the keeper. And I just thought at that point, yeah, okay, it might be a scrappy season, but if we can just keep getting three points on the boards, Europe's possible. Champions League is possible again.
Brentford Match Analysis
00:01:54
Kieran McGinley
And then Liverpool came around and yeah, that sort of changed everything a little bit. It's a little bit uneasy. It's a little bit sheepish. It's probably the word I want to use. We have not started games well this season whatsoever. It was a miracle Brentford didn't score in 30 seconds against us. Honestly, the way they were going, we managed to stop that somehow. But, you know, they did get open the scoring in the first half right at the end. Ethan Pinnock getting that header. Controversially, I'd have to say, deliver bleeding from his head. But, you know, that's by the by.
00:02:25
Kieran McGinley
But we did get a comeback, and that's something we don't normally see under Tenharg, is players actually you know being picked up by the scruff of the neck, actually doing something, which was quite nice to see. Hoyland on the score sheet with Fernandes setting him up, Garnaccio on there with Rashford setting him up.
Man United's Victories Amid Struggles
00:02:39
Kieran McGinley
so It was all pointing in the right direction for the game against Brentford and I'd like to think, and i and I have been saying this for eight games now, I want to see this sort of performance push on into something meaningful. Push on and get us out of this bottom half of the table. I don't like it here.
00:02:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I'm gonna say we we don't particularly like it there either, to be honest. we've had you know We've been sniffing around Europe for quite a while and we've had European success in the conference league, obviously. I think it's interesting how you talk about the way that you've been able to find wins occasionally this season, kind of out of nowhere and against the grain.
Defensive Issues and Performance Inconsistencies
00:03:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Where do you think that comes from specifically? Is it uh fully on the players themselves that have kind of managed to get you over the line or is it something that tenharg maybe has done like changes or maybe something in the way that he Instills his players in trying to fight like right to the bitter end. what do you What do you think that reason is?
00:03:34
Kieran McGinley
Yeah, we don't we haven't started games well at all this season. We've conceded a lot in the first half. I mean, we have conceded nine goals this season, which, let's face it, is on par with City. And, you know, as much as we shouldn't be comparing themselves or shouldn't be comparing ourselves to them at the moment, we don't have the attacking quality.
Man United's European Performance
00:03:53
Kieran McGinley
defensively we don't seem that bad. I think a lot of the results haven't gone away and a lot of the performances, I mean we just forget the Liverpool one and the Tottenham one, they they just didn't exist. If you rule those two games out, I don't think we've played abominably badly. I think it's been a bit, you know, we haven't got three points in games where we should have, we've thrown away leads when we shouldn't have, you know. Our trips across Europe have been Not very good. you know Two points for the first two games is is not great, considering we were in a 2-0 lead. But I think it's just a case of holding on to games. We need to be more resistant. We have to approach these games and not get complacent halfway through them when we actually get a 1-0 lead. ah Very similar to England, when're when they're at an international tournament under Southgate, you get one or two goals up and then they just sit back.
00:04:43
Kieran McGinley
and let the other team pile on the pressure. We don't have that sort of defensive quality, we don't have that togetherness, that steely determination from most players, I would say most players, to see out a result if we were
Comparing Man United and West Ham's Journeys
00:04:57
Kieran McGinley
going to do that. We're much better going forward, we've got some good attacking quality that's starting to actually have the cogs turn and it seems bizarre.
00:05:05
Kieran McGinley
that we are lumping the ball forward when in pre-season we did see Tenharg try these little triangles in the midfield, short quick passing to just try and cut open teams and we just seem to resort to the long ball after 20 minutes. it It doesn't really make a lot of sense and we've been speaking about what sort of identity we have and our sort of fan base our podcast in fact is split into two whether there is a strategy whether there is an identity or there isn't but it's you know Tenharg's been here three years now you know coming on to three years if not and it just seems like it's the same old but every single league position has got worse so we need to get better than an eighth place otherwise he's at serious risk of losing his job altogether.
00:05:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's really bleak,
Importance of Managerial Time and Expectations
00:05:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
isn't it? I think especially when you point out the time frame, I think people kind of neglect to realise how long he actually has been in the job. And I think that's something that when you look at it on paper, it does look bad when you've got, you know, the fan base split down the middle on whether you even know what style you want to play or whether you're actually being able to do it on the pitch as a pretty bleak position to be in.
00:06:06
Kieran McGinley
I...
00:06:08
Kieran McGinley
ah Yeah, I'm sorry, I will say there, but Matt from our podcast is is one of our new signings.
00:06:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
um
00:06:15
Kieran McGinley
I mean, the podcast has some great signings over the window. um He still has, you know, I kind of believe it behind Tenharg because in the first four years, three years, four years of Sir Alex Ferguson's reign, he was one point worse off at one point than Tenharg is right now.
Impact of Signings on Man United
00:06:31
Kieran McGinley
The difference is, though, that Ferguson really was pulling up Manchester United. It was a it was a time when United were just, you know, They weren't as good as they should have been. They're not the world beaters that they soon became. And it was an FA Cup win that sort of sparked that you know spark that magic. Steve Hughes came in as that striker, that just a little bit of magic up top and it changed everything. We haven't had that bit of a magic signing right now. And it is hurting us. We just need that sort of one or two signings here that can really change
West Ham's Managerial Speculations
00:07:05
Kieran McGinley
the game. And I think Hoyland coming back from you know a medium-term injury feels like a new signing to us. He's been scoring quite a few goals, opened the scoring in Europe, opened his scoring in the Premier League. He's got a couple now in the Premier League. And I think we can build a team around him. That is someone we can build a team around. And hopefully, he's he's in his early 20s. I think he's only 21. He's hopefully only going to get better.
00:07:28
Jacob
Yeah, I think comparatively like the position both of our our clubs are in I think
00:07:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:07:35
Jacob
we're in We're in a fairly similar place where it just kind of feels like we're still trying to find that identity. and we for sure I'm sure Tom will agree. we just kind of We put the game on not knowing what we're going to get um because we we just don't have 100% faith in the manager or what he's instilling in the players.
00:07:58
Jacob
um I could see us going down a similar line, not to say 10 Hogs, you know, time at Man United has been completely unsuccessful and he's not had an impact, but I could see West Ham following a similar sort of train where we hold on to him for a few years and we kind of just stagnate in the same place. And which, kind I mean, that might be a bit harsh, I don't know, but that's that's kind of how it feels like.
00:08:29
Jacob
for Man United to me. I don't know what you think about that. I could see us going the same sort of way.
Patience with Managers: Comparing with Arteta
00:08:37
Kieran McGinley
It's gonna be a cagey match, that's for sure. I think ah think I'll leave it at that for now.
00:08:41
Jacob
Yeah.
00:08:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah and I think the thing that separates the clubs is the kind of expectation that you have of them. Obviously May or not his expectation is of how they were under Sir Alex Ferguson and I think the fact that it hasn't come down I think as much as it should have done is a detriment to the the squad in the club now because people expect such high levels when there was always going to be like a down period and then and there has been but I think in order for it to naturally come up you have to accept where it is now and work at getting it back up instead of just demanding that it be there straight away so when you talk about how Sir Alex Ferguson was given time this is now the time that um
00:09:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
you're getting now to build it back up. So I don't actually think it's a terrible thing to have a manager and keep him throughout that time. Because if you know you have one season and it's pretty lackluster, you get the new manager in, you can do the kind of, oh, we get a new manager every season, the hope one one season it works. Or you stick with someone and you just say, it's going to be a bit poor for a while, but we just trust the person that we have.
Man United vs. Arsenal: Managerial Paths
00:09:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it seems to me like you're kind of on the precipice of making that decision where it's, yeah, we are just going to stick with him and it might be bad, but there have been so many case studies where managers have been given time and it has worked. You look at the Arteta case study, everyone wanted it on everyone, but there was a lot of people saying that he should have gone quite early into his arsenal career, but then give him the time and it eventually comes good. So how do you think your chances of kind of replicating that model are at the moment?
00:10:21
Kieran McGinley
The difference was that under Arteta you saw progression in the league year after year. You did see that progression. Yes they finished sort of slightly on the fringes of Europe one season but from then on like they've got themselves better and better and in a place now where they can consider themselves, I mean up against City, one of the best of the rest.
00:10:38
Kieran McGinley
In that similar time frame, United have gone from just about clinging on the Champions League now to, well, lucky to be in Europe thanks to an FA Cup victory over Man City. I'm not going to question how it happened, it just did happen and Coby Maino's my hero. The point being is that maybe we shouldn't really be in Europe whatsoever, but this shows a period of regression. And it's okay, it's fine if you stick with the managers, so long as, you know, the positions are getting better.
00:11:04
Kieran McGinley
But we've come off the back of our worst ever season in the modern Premier League with a minor scope difference at one point. you know it's It's not good. And I'm all for giving managers time if they can prove it. But right now, we're going backwards. And I'm just hoping this season, living on hope and breathing copium, that it will get better at some point.
Future of Current Managers
00:11:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah. I think that's a fair point. So that kind of leads me on to ask, do you think that you will have the same manager at the end of the season? And if you do, where do you think you'll finish?
00:11:39
Kieran McGinley
i think I think we will stick with the same manager. If we were going to change manager, it would have been over the last summer. I don't think the board are thinking there's going to be any viable ah viable decisions, or if there are, those managers don't want to come to Manchester United. So I think the board have got one high hand tied behind their back. They're sticking with 10HAG, whether they like it or not, and I think we will have until the end of the season. Beyond then, I'm not sure. Beyond then, I'm not sure which manager is going to laugh at this job. We'll have to wait and see.
West Ham's Spending and Striker Issues
00:12:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, and how about the the Southgate rumors? How do you feel about those?
00:12:15
Kieran McGinley
We'll just move on from that question.
00:12:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that's fair. Jake, have you got any more questions?
00:12:22
Jacob
not really no I was going to ask it whether you think West Ham are going to have the same manager at the end of the season. you know oh did Do you think we're going to have the same manager?
00:12:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that is a question. Yeah.
00:12:31
Kieran McGinley
Do I think...
00:12:36
Jacob
I personally don't think we will if it continues the same way that it has. and
00:12:47
Jacob
yeah what do what What do you think?
00:12:50
Kieran McGinley
What?
00:12:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah I will give you my answer after we go for a small ad break.
00:13:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, so to answer your question, ah I think we will. the The thing that makes me think that is, because we've put so much money into the squad, it seems like they've, ah the board have kind of backed La Pate, is their man for the time being. I don't think they would so liberally spend, like we we haven't liberally spent like we had in the past Transfilindo in a long time. Obviously we've made big signings and you know we've signed countless strikers for big money and they've always been dross.
Recruitment Challenges for Both Clubs
00:14:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it seems like we've had such large squad overhaul that they have invested in the kind of Lopategi plan. So I think as long as it doesn't go catastrophically wrong, like as long as we're probably 12th and above, realistically, I think he stays.
00:14:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
And then I think it then becomes the next season where um we start
Player Performances and Tactical Roles
00:14:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
to really understand where he stands in terms of long-term job prospects.
00:14:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
So yeah, I i think Lopategi will be there at the end of the season and at the start of the next season. And the the one caveat is if at any point we do start to drop into the relegation zone, I think they will pull the trigger because I don't think that is an acceptable low. I think they will let it go quite low and it's obviously quite low at the moment, but if we start to drop into the relegation zone, I don't think he'll he'll have a job to be honest. I don't know what you guys think about that.
00:15:07
Kieran McGinley
well I would probably say as as an outsider of the West Ham sort of project here, you're you're sort of right at the start of a Lopategi project that's hopefully going to try and capture the Sevilla essence. Lopategi's got a fantastic sort of CV behind him, especially at Sevilla. He's there for, what was it, just a shot of three years, and in that time, you know got some good results with them. I think he well he had 170 matches and won 90 of them. so In a sense, West Ham are hoping for that manager that can take him to the next level, much like Unai Emery at Aston Villa, who's doing a phenomenal job, by the way. Is it the best squad Aston Villa have ever had? No. But are they being coached and are they being managed as if they are? Yes. And I think Lopategi is one of those that can unlock West Ham here.
00:15:55
Kieran McGinley
Whatever it is with the curse with the West Ham striker, apart from Antonio, I don't know what it is. I was guaranteeing full crew to be quite a good signer. He's very much a target forward. You know, one of those good old fashioned, just lump it forward, he'll head it down and you know whoever's the shadow striker can latch onto it. But he hasn't had quite the impact I thought he was going to have much.
00:16:15
Kieran McGinley
yeah Where's his form when he was it when he was up front for Germany? Or was it Dortmund he was signed
Tactical Choices and Line-up Decisions
00:16:21
Kieran McGinley
from as well? like it just It's a little odd.
00:16:21
Jacob
Yeah.
00:16:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:23
Kieran McGinley
It is a little odd that he's not performing right now. But I don't know, that's the sign of a change in the Premier League where you just can't have a target forward anymore. ah It's a real shame because I think he could be good at that.
00:16:33
Kieran McGinley
And much like Michael Antonio, who is not known really for his pacey a side of it but he's very strong, very not hard to knock off the ball and very technically good.
00:16:46
Kieran McGinley
He can find the back of the net and I think it's safe to say he saved his skin for more than one aqui occasion over this season.
00:16:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, definitely. the The full group thing is frustrating because he's been injured for so much longer than we thought he was going to be. I think he only made one appearance in the league and that was off the bench. And then he got this injury while he was away with Germany and we didn't think it was initially too bad. And then it it seems week after week and month after month, it's been, oh, we'll get more updates next week and next month. And it's still at this point, it's like we're not even sure how long it's going to be. So So yeah, it's frustrating. And your points about Antonio, I actually disagree, to be honest. um If you watch him now, he just he's not physically the same player that he used to be. His legs have very much declined. And I know that he does have the quality to
00:17:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
so the quality to win us games and he's done that a lot but if you actually watch him for a a full 60 minutes is basically all he gets these days.
00:17:43
Kieran McGinley
Hmm. Hmm.
00:17:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
In the second half his legs seem to go. This is something we've spoken about on the West End podcast quite a lot is that we just don't think he has the ability to play a full 90 minutes.
00:17:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
The style that he likes you because he he's obviously very physical and and he likes the the center back matchups and He will make the runs in behind and he comes deep to pick it up and he does some of the hard yards defensively We've just seen it so often that we get to the 60th minute and he just looks shot, which is, it's really demoralizing when the spearhead of your attack looks like his legs have done. And this is what we've been saying is that Antonio is best used as an impact sub. If we can bring him on at like, you know, 60, 70 minutes, that plays so kindly into his hands by the way that he plays because he's so physical.
00:18:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
if If we can bring him on after having full Krug, who is probably ah a better overall striker, he can play the majority of the game. If it doesn't work with him, we can then bring someone on who's slightly more an orthodox, who likes that physical um battle with the defenders. And after they're already tired from having played 60 minutes, that's perfect for him. but We just don't have that right now. So I think that's another point when people talk about you know oh how bad West Ham have been. it It's not quite that simple because we've not had the striker that we've been screaming out for for years who we seem to have in the squad. like I think if he was playing games, I think we would have played a lot better.
00:19:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
and you know it's a ah massive squad overhaul generally so things do take time and I don't think any of us over on the West End podcast are like massively sounding the alarm bells it's just more frustration as not really seeing the identity that we were kind of sold by Lopategi when he came in I think that's the kind of most frustrating thing I don't know what you think Jacob.
00:19:36
Jacob
Yeah, I mean, to be honest, I don't i don't think we should be having this striker conversation at all,
Defense and Goalkeeper Debates
00:19:43
Jacob
basically, because we were so close to signing John Duran um when the board decided whatever it was, 40 mil was too much for him. And now we're back to the same as what we were last season. We've got three 30 plus strikers, one of which is injured, another barely gets on the pitch in Danny Ings and Antonio, who has only got around 60 minutes in him. So they haven't really solved anything until we've got a, you know, a fully firing full crew. Um, you know, that can, we can rely on and not have to use Antonio so much. Um,
00:20:31
Jacob
that yeah it remains to be seen. we're We're still in the same situation, regardless of how good full Krug is. If he's going to be out for the remainder of the season, then, you know, but they made the wrong choice, basically.
00:20:48
Kieran McGinley
that's hard to sort of come by because obviously injury wise you know you can never predict what sort of injuries a player is going to have however like you said you know you've got three strikers up there over the age of 30
00:20:50
Jacob
Yeah. No.
00:21:02
Kieran McGinley
i I don't know if this is going to sound like a yeah bit of a sin, because I know Bowen plays his best football out on the wing, but what's the chance of putting Bowen up top? Because he knows where the goal is. He's very, very good on and off the ball, can read the game very well, and for West Ham pops up in the right place at the right time. I mean, is yeah has that come across your mind? You've also got Somerville, who had a fantastic season for Leeds.
00:21:28
Kieran McGinley
Now you've got him and it's not quite working out the same. ah I mean is this sort of like a ah recruitment problem up front that you can't seem to solve? Because everywhere else you've got like Tadebo, you've got Aaron Wambasaka who's been, you know, 50-50 this season. I'll be completely honest honest with you. You've got two decent goalkeepers in Fabianzky and Ariola.
00:21:48
Kieran McGinley
And I think I rate Fabianzk a bit more, but maybe I'm a bit biased there because he's just, you know, I still remember his Swansea days where he just literally saved everything that came across his path. But it' it's that recruitment up top, isn't it? It just, for for whatever reason, it's not happening.
00:22:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's tough, isn't it? And I think the thing that we've all been talking about, we've been having those same discussions about whether it is worth putting bone up front and, you know, rotating more of the wide players, but it seems like every manager that we have goes with Antonio.
00:22:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
as the kind of option for when it's not working and you know that there must be some sort of reason behind it and he he's done us so well up until now so yeah I think regardless of what we think we've you know we've suggested many different front threes and kind of front three with a different person in the hole and when it comes back to the actual squad selection it seems like Antonio gets picked basically every time so for me it's always the question of why is he choosing that over Bowen up front and I guess you kind of say well you know Bowen is so consistent off of the right and
00:22:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
the kind of defensive work that he does is always really good. Like he tracks back really well and I think he's better able to influence the game when he's playing out wide because he's able to come a little bit deeper and he carries the ball so well and he beats a man so well. But but yeah, it's a it's an interesting question and it just doesn't really seem like many managers have wanted to do it unless they've been completely forced to. So I think that's probably the ah thing that If I could ask Lopateia, I think that'd be really interesting to say like, why would you not do that? Because it's definitely something that that could have been done. Jacob, what do you think the reason is?
00:23:29
Jacob
I think, yeah, ah but I feel very much the same as you on that one. um I think, I think maybe he feels that it's a risk um when you have got a Premier League proven striker in your squad, he's fit. You know, he might not be as physically capable as he was five years ago. I think if he plays Bowen up front and Bowen whatever reason doesn't perform to the same as what he does off the right.
00:24:03
Jacob
I think that just that puts even more pressure on him to be honest. I think it's a lot easier to play a 32-year-old. I think he's like 34 isn't he Antonio?
00:24:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:15
Jacob
It's a lot easier to play him up front you know and keep going where he is where he's at his best to be honest. I don't think
00:24:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I guess it's more risk averse, isn't it?
00:24:27
Jacob
Yeah, I think a lot more because then that's more questions, you know, oh, we all know Bowen is this reliable game changer.
Midfield Dynamics and Key Players
00:24:37
Jacob
Put him up front for a couple of games. He doesn't get a goal. You know, we've got a, we've got a striker on the bench. What are you doing? Basically. So, um, it's tough. It's tough, but I think At the end of the day, it's just a case of waiting for full crew to come back and hope he can you know start to make an impact.
00:25:03
Kieran McGinley
Far be it from me to tell you that your recruitment up top is a problem when, you know, you've scored four more goals than United have in this season so far.
00:25:10
Jacob
True.
00:25:11
Kieran McGinley
But, you know, that's by the by, that's by the by. I'm looking forward to sort of butting heads when we have to try and figure out who's going to make our combined 11 because, yeah, when we've done this with other teams, it's been um hairy.
00:25:26
Kieran McGinley
It's been hairy. And to do it with another another team that's in that mid-table is going to be, ah yeah, this might be trying to get blood out of that stone.
00:25:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. and
00:25:33
Jacob
A lot of debate, a lot of debate, I think.
00:25:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah It's also slightly misleading as well, because you look at the the players individually, we've got such quality, but then you look at it as a team and you look at the league and you go, well, is the quality there? So I guess that's the the sort of conversation we'll get into. Okay. Well, we'll go to another advert and we'll have that discussion after that.
00:26:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
okay so we will start traditionally goalkeeper i don't know who wants to go first okay that is a very fair pick i think
00:26:27
Kieran McGinley
I will. Oh no, no. That's my pick.
00:26:33
Kieran McGinley
Hey, look. What was it? Goalkeeper of the month? Save of the month? Can't not put him in there. Cannot put him in there.
00:26:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think i think if if you're going for peak performance, then I think Onana is fair. But if you're looking for consistency, Ariola beats Onana 10-fold in consistency. I think Ariola has been performing very solidly for a very long time. Even if you go back to his days at Fulham, he was he was so solid. And I think he he gets overlooked so much because defensively, we've been very poor. And if you look, especially to this season, like you know we've we've shipped multiple goals in multiple games. um But I think he is a really underrated keeper and as like solid Premier League keepers go, I think people overlook him so easily and I think Jacob probably agrees with me.
00:27:19
Jacob
um it's that it's a little bit more difficult for me because i can see you know i can see yeah no i i can see why obviously you're gonna pick onana and that is actually very tough i'm still gonna go ariola but it's very close for me it's very close i just
00:27:28
Kieran McGinley
come to the dark side Jacob.
00:27:41
Kieran McGinley
no
00:27:47
Jacob
Basically, i just i the only real times I've seen Onana is when he's had a howler, and I know he he's had good games as well, but I would feel safer with Ariola in that, but that's that's just personal preference, really.
00:28:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think that's the point, isn't it?
00:28:07
Kieran McGinley
I mean, that's fair.
00:28:07
Kieran McGinley
you do get you you get fewer You get fewer gray hairs with Anana, that's for sure. But I think as ah as a shot stopper, yeah he's been there more times than once this season, just keeping us in games.
00:28:17
Kieran McGinley
And yeah, he can have a clanger. But the only time you really hear about keepers these days is when they have clangers.
00:28:21
Jacob
True.
00:28:22
Kieran McGinley
So yeah, I'm not i'm not yielding on Anana.
00:28:23
Jacob
Yeah, that is true.
Debate on Combined Man United and West Ham Team
00:28:27
Kieran McGinley
If we have to move on, we have to move on. But yeah, save of the month.
00:28:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that's fair.
00:28:31
Kieran McGinley
That's all I'm going to say.
00:28:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think the fact that it's even a debate, I'm happy about because they, they should be spoken about in the same conversation. I don't think, you know, Oh Nana is exponentially better than Ariola. I think it is a discussion to have. And yeah, it's, very it's very fair having an honor in there. Okay. We'll go to right back. Who do we think?
00:28:52
Kieran McGinley
now this is interesting i uh but obviously you're coming up aren't we're coming up against a former full back a right back in one bessaka i kind of think this season though to start with west ham he's been a bit 50 50 I mean, great price for AWB, no doubt about that. And the way he can read a game and put a tackle in is unlike any other player I've seen. To be honest with you, I can see him making that transition eventually into holding midfield and just sort of being that anchor, putting a tackle in, putting pressure on the front line of the opposition, or at least in the mid-pack, and put the tackle in and give the ball to somebody else, give the ball to the playmaker.
00:29:33
Kieran McGinley
But I think, you know, on the wing, trying to stop the crosses, he's OK at that. But he has been at fault for a couple of goals this season. You know, I think, I think Dallow obviously is going to be a ah pick of mine because he's going forward. ah I think he's a technically better player than Wambasaka. I think he's got more of an attacking mind.
00:29:54
Kieran McGinley
But if you're looking at defence, I would probably say Wamba Saka is your man. So it's kind of a case of what what do I want this team to do? Do I want attacking from my right back or do I want a solid right back at the back there? ah Clues in the name at right back. But yeah, that's a tough one. I think I am gonna have to pick Dallow.
00:30:17
Kieran McGinley
But even as I say that, I'm sort of ebbing and flowing between the two. I think Dallow, he was our player, well, on our podcast, he was our player of the season last year. So it would kind of be a a crime and a disservice if I didn't pick him.
00:30:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think that's a very valid line of of reasoning, to be honest. and And I think I would actually agree with you. I think the the thing that puts over for me is I think Dalo is better at defending than Aron Wambasaka is attacking, if that makes sense. I think if you're if you're looking at them, it's obviously Dalo is better attacking and Wambasaka is better defensively. But if you're looking at kind of an overall right back, I think Dalo is slightly better. I ah do think that Aron Wambasaka has He has definitely been so much better for West Ham than I think he was for a lot of his time at Man United. And it, this is the thing that I always think it's so many players go to Man United and don't do well. Or that they kind of, they stay for a while and they're a bit underwhelming and they they move somewhere else and their career kind of reignites. I don't know if that's something that that you've noticed as a Man United fan.
00:31:25
Kieran McGinley
all the time. Every, it seems like every player that comes here, yeah, yeah, Jesse Lingard, yeah, that's a good one, that's a good one.
00:31:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:31:33
Kieran McGinley
He's doing okay in career if you if you wanted to know, but there we go. Yeah, I, yeah, it's it's interesting, isn't it?
00:31:37
Jacob
justs Jesse Lingard springs to mind.
00:31:39
Kieran McGinley
I mean, on the other side of the fullback, we've got, well, Shaw's out injured, Molassia's out, we've been playing, we've played Martinez at left back in the last game, and honestly, I've never really thought Emerson is the as the better player. I think Martinez at left back can be solid. He's more of that hook on the left-hand side. This is why I was sort of thinking, what would I rather have for my right-hand side? So I was thinking Martinez at left back, because he is going to be your just no-nonsense full back. He's going to get the tackle in. and He's going to give it to the midfield. Whereas I think Dallo offers that width on the right-hand side to get forward. He can put in a cross as well if he needs to. So that's my sort of wing backs, or at least full backs.
00:32:18
Kieran McGinley
And then I come to the defence because I've put Martinez on the left. That leaves me to have Delict because I think, you know, he's had a tricky start. I think he's a very good player. I think he's put on a couple of good performances so far this season. And I've always been a fan of Tadebo. I really have. I think he's a very, very good player. You've got a very good player then. And if he can hit that hot streak of keeping clean sheets and and getting tackles in, he's good in the air as well as Tadebo. So he can have, he's got all the qualities for a great centre back and it just needs to, it will click. I know it will for Tadebo at West Ham, it will click and when it does you've got a heck of a centre back on your hands.
00:32:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, definitely. we've We've seen him in Spurs, but it's been difficult because we've had him out for Panos. He's actually played quite well. And I think the the international game he played for Greece against England, I think highlights the quality that he had. Because in that game, he was amazing. It seemed like everything that went into the box, he was kind of getting on the end of in in some shape or form. so So it's been difficult for him to get minutes, but I definitely agree. He does have quality. Jacob, what what do you think the rest of your back line would be?
00:33:33
Jacob
Um, so,
00:33:37
Jacob
I mean, I think for me on the, on the left, I think personally, this sounds biased, but I think we are the only out of the two teams, there's only one current left back.
00:33:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Everyone that's injured is sure that's injured.
00:33:45
Kieran McGinley
I'm sure was up.
00:33:46
Kieran McGinley
Yeah.
00:33:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
My last year's injured.
00:33:48
Kieran McGinley
Yeah.
00:33:52
Jacob
Who's, who, who have Man United got?
00:33:57
Jacob
Yeah. Malaysia. Sure. So. For that reason, I'm just going to go Emerson because I think Emerson is is the the easy choice there for me. And and then I would go DeLitt and then Kilman, I think, because, yeah, like you say, DeLitt has come in immediately and, you know, made a great impression, passion and, you know, that no nonsense
00:34:30
Jacob
Defender, you know, that's that's happened his his whole game. So He's looked amazing and and Kilman has been up probably our most influential signing so far and I think he started to knock on the door of a England call-up to be honest personally, and I think there's the likes of people like McGuire and aren't going to be thought of as an England defender anymore.
00:34:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, ah I basically agree with with all of it. I think the Alessandro Martinez at Lesback is an interesting shout, but because he's that's not really his bread and butter, I think Emerson is probably the safer choice.
00:35:02
Jacob
And I think now might be his chance. So yeah, that's that's my two. what you What are your two, Tom?
00:35:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
so And then, yeah, I agree with the centre backs. That centre back partnership is very imposing physically because they're they're both very big boys and I just love how Kilman, how calm he is.
00:35:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
On the ball, he's so calm and it's so refreshing as a team who's not really played with the ball very much for the past few years, you know, Mois ball, if they call it, you know, whatever you want that to be.
00:35:28
Jacob
Yeah.
00:35:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
It was never really kind of possession orientated. It was always kind of absorb pressure and then go on the counter. So having someone that is more comfortable under pressure like Kilman is, it's really refreshing. And I think, yeah, the the the points about an England call up are definitely fair. and And I think he should definitely be in that conversation. You think about left footed English centre backs. I can only really think of like Jared Brantway, who I think is a
Agreed Front Three for Combined Team
00:35:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
lot better. You got to say Levi Colwell, but whether we want to use him as a left back, you know, there's, he's definitely in the conversation. So, so yeah, I think I agree with you, Jacob. va Okay, we'll move on. We'll do a ah four, three, three. So we'll have three midfielders and three kind of attacking players. Kieran, what are your three midfielders?
00:36:15
Kieran McGinley
Okay, ah let me think about this because there's there is one West Ham play in particular I love in the middle of the park and that is Thomas Ucek. What a player he is. What a player he is. I mean it's been a bit of a rough start for him this season but he's got two goals in the Premier League for goodness sake.
00:36:34
Kieran McGinley
he He just seems to be one of those clutch players, doesn't he? Whenever West Ham are in trouble, who comes to the rescue? You see Thomas Soutrick, when you're watching another game, you think, well, there he is again. And he's one of those players you really hate to come up against. That's why I would love him in the side. I think him, um I would have put Maynu, but he's injured at the moment, so I'd have to rule him out.
00:36:55
Kieran McGinley
And coming to think of it, you know, I would put soo check straight in there as a West Ham player. I think he's ah he's's he's just really good. I love him. Love what you can play. I think I'd have Erickson in there just as your deep lying playmaker. I think he's been fantastic for United this season. He's been a real beacon of hope.
00:37:13
Kieran McGinley
in this strange way. Yes, he gave away a goal in in the Europa League, but I think he's one of those players you can rely on, but he's he's very reliable there. He really is. And yeah, you you you might not like me for this. I don't think you're gonna like me.
00:37:29
Kieran McGinley
You know what I'm going to say? And it's going to hurt everybody in this in this room. Everybody who's listening along is going to be like, what are you doing here? And I'm going to say Casamiro, I think he had a blinding start. He had a blinder last season. OK, unless you can think, unless you can tell me of a holding midfield and that that would work, I would imagine Suchak and Ericsson being creative playmakers. You know, Suchak is box to box.
00:37:52
Kieran McGinley
He's able to get in there, he's able to finish a chance. Ericsson alongside him to feed him that ball. Are you telling me that's not going to work? And I think it relies on a holding midfielder, which right now, I think, I think Casamiro, unless there's anyone else I'm forgetting, then feel free to crucify him if that's the case.
00:37:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh.
00:38:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're definitely forgetting someone. Edson Alvarez.
00:38:09
Kieran McGinley
I probably am.
00:38:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Edson Alvarez is an absolute joke. He's such a monster. I think physically he's he's one of those like old fashioned kind of marshals the way he sits in front of the back floor and he he basically only knows how to slide tackle which I absolutely love.
00:38:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
he He loves getting stuck in the way Yeah, the way that he sits in front of the back line and he he kind of offers that reassurance when he's there because you know that if they there's anyone that's, you know, you've got kind of a skillful player that likes to dribble, he he seems like someone that just loves to make a crunch and tackle and the momentum that gives you as a team, especially if you're if you're playing a team that's got more quality than you have.
00:38:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
You see him make an absolutely crunching tackle and everyone gets fired up and gets excited to see that. So, so yeah, I just don't think that Casa Mira has the legs anymore, to be honest. Like, you know, that technically the quality never really goes, but you think the the level that he was performing at and the kind of the consistent poor performances that we've seen from him. I just don't think that he beats out it's an Alvarez, to be honest, Jacob, I don't know what you think.
00:39:25
Jacob
uh no and i think my i'm afraid to say my midfield three is an all westam midfield three feel free i ah i would i'm considering erickson and i would 100 percent have manu in if he was fit however i
00:39:28
Kieran McGinley
It's a joke. It's a joke. It's a disgrace.
00:39:55
Jacob
my My three is Alvarez, Rodriguez and Sucek, which might sound odd.
00:39:57
Kieran McGinley
It is old.
00:40:09
Jacob
Paquetta hasn't been um you know up to his usual best the last couple of games. So I think maybe it's time that um you know, Rodriguez gets a chance to prove himself. He he had a great game despite the result against Tottenham. He was one of our better players. And and yeah, I think we, you know, obviously Sue checks one of our main goal threats at the moment. So it it feels like a no brainer to include him. And like Tom said, Alvarez is that, you know, dependable
00:40:54
Kieran McGinley
I um will ah will say actually because we're playing 4-3-3 we're not playing with attacking midfielder so I am just gonna just slide in there and maybe take my Casamira one away because we all hated that let's be honest I'm gonna put Fernandez in there look he's close as close to world-class in this squad as you can get
00:40:54
Jacob
holding midfielder that would just sit in there and and clean up basically so yeah i think only really erickson was my maybe over rodriguez exactly
00:41:15
Kieran McGinley
um So I would probably put in Fernandes,
Man United vs. West Ham Game Predictions
00:41:17
Kieran McGinley
I'd probably have Ericsson alongside, and Soutac is a box-to-box. So that's gonna be my change. ah Sorry, not so... Yes, yeah, all right, I'll go with that. I'll go with that, because I think we... Attacking-minded, well, I think I might have to be.
00:41:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think that's fair. And I i actually think I would put Bruno Fernandez in there as well. For me, I would have Edson Alvarez sitting, and then just for the absolute mayhem and potential quality, I'd have Paquetta and Bruno Fernandez as the two centimids. Because Paquetta can do the defensive work. Like, when he's at his best, he seems to kind of thrive wherever he is on the pitch.
00:41:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
So when when he's been at his best in games, you see him, he comes really deep. He's making tackles. He's dribbling past players. He's doing back heels and he's doing flicks that you can't even really explain. And then you you see him in the box and he's scoring goals and he's creating chances.
00:42:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I really liked the fact that he could potentially do some of the defensive work that Bruno Fernandez potentially might not. I'm not a fan of Bruno Fernandez. I don't like him as a player.
00:42:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Um,
00:42:19
Kieran McGinley
I hear this a lot.
00:42:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
don't know him as a bloke so i don't know um i think this is a slight tangent but i just don't think he's a man united captain he doesn't give me that sort of feeling where it's you know that he's dependable and he's a leader and he's you know he's the the face of the club he seems to be
00:42:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
choose my words wisely. He seems to be very petulant, which rubs me the wrong way as a ah ah captain of any club, let alone, you know, one of the biggest clubs in the world. He just, he just really doesn't seem like Captain material. So the fact that he's wearing the armband and then, you know, he's, he's like crying for every opportunity from the ref to give him the decision that he wants. And yeah, you kind of understand it to a point, but I think captains have extra responsibility to carry themselves in a certain sort of way.
00:43:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
and And I don't think Bruno Fernandez does that, but he's obviously quality.
00:43:12
Kieran McGinley
Yeah, so thank you.
00:43:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
he has he's He's such an amazing player and and the numbers don't lie, do they? you know
00:43:17
Kieran McGinley
thank Thank goodness we never had any petulant captains that say Arsenal who was caught screaming at the referee by the only game that was miked up, cough, cough, Tony Adams, cough, cough.
00:43:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:43:27
Kieran McGinley
But all right, look, let's let's have ah let's have a look at that front three, because I think this is going to be the easiest side for me. um And I'm going to go straight in there, and I'm expecting no arguments. I've got Garnacci on the left, Bowen on the right, Hoyland up top.
00:43:41
Kieran McGinley
And I don't think I have to explain myself.
00:43:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Um,
00:43:43
Kieran McGinley
I think we're we're all in agreement, aren't we?
00:43:47
Kieran McGinley
Because Kudos is suspended, so you can't go for him.
00:43:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
a yeah.
00:43:51
Kieran McGinley
I think that's what makes this a lot easier.
00:43:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, definitely. I think if Kudos is there, the Kudos-Garnaccio debate, I think it's actually quite an interesting one because I think they're both very underrated.
00:44:00
Jacob
Yeah that's true.
00:44:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think they're both exceptionally good. Like I really like Garnaccio. He seems to have that spark that Man United miss a lot of the time. hes you know He's kind of overtaken Rashford for that kind of left wing spot, which as such a young guy coming, you know he he's a young guy in England as a ah foreign player.
00:44:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
is It's really impressive that he's taken kind of one of United zone and he's he's taken his position and and made his own which is, is really actually commendable. um And yeah, I think the rest of the forward line kind of speaks for itself doesn't it bone is probably one of the best right wing is in the league, I think he's definitely up there, I think.
00:44:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
i think that he is very close to being as good as Pacaya Saka. And I don't think there's other people that will acknowledge that. But if you just look at his numbers and his consistency, he just is up there because everyone always goes, oh yeah, Saka starts for ringing and yeah, he's nailed on. And then Bowen doesn't even make the ah squad, but Bowen's been like one of the most consistent English players over the past, you know, three, four years. So the fact that he hasn't been in this most recent English squad, I think is a bit of a farce to be honest. um But yeah, and then Portland upfront. Yeah, definitely. I think if full group had been in the team and he'd been playing and he'd been playing well, I think there's maybe an argument there, but, but him and Antonio, it's not really much of a discussion, is it?
00:45:27
Kieran McGinley
it's It's not, and I love it that way. I love to end on everyone being happy. Happy about that front three, eh? That's the way you want to do it.
00:45:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, definitely. See, I would like to have a little bit more input from a West End point of view because we've not had a striker for however many years. I don't know when our last good ones, I think our Nautovitch was probably our last quality striker. He was such a an amazing player, but yeah, I think since then it's been very hit on me as well. Thank you very much for listening. Have you got any parting comments, Kieran?
00:45:58
Kieran McGinley
Well, I was sort of thinking in the in my mind predictions and obviously I'm going to be biased. I'm going to go for a 2-1 victory. I think it's going to be It's going to be a a West Ham side that know how to score and know how to score well. when When they're in the game, they are are very much in the game. And if they don't have any silly red cards or any, you know, any red cards that are contentious, to say at least, then they've got every right to think they can get a result from the game and they can. I just think right now, and I'm hoping that Man you United i keep on that hot streak, um keep on, you know, I think West Ham will score first because that seems to be a common thing for United.
00:46:36
Kieran McGinley
So I'm hoping that, in that case, United come away with all three points and hopefully that's a route back into the top half.
00:46:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think that's a very fair reflection of of how the game might go. I actually think it's gonna be one nil to West Ham. I think this is hopefully the point where we decide to pull our finger out and actually play football like we understand how football should be played because currently it seems like we've been so kind of just so vapid in the the way that we've been approaching games. It is so underwhelming. and There has to be a point where we decide that we're not going to deal with that anymore. And I'm hoping that it's this game. So hopefully this game, we get a goal early and then it just becomes a horrible game. Really cagey, really defensive. We just sit everyone behind the ball. Don't care about scoring. Take the one nil, some positive momentum away we go. Jacob, what do you think about that?
00:47:58
Kieran McGinley
It was a win.
00:48:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
Closing Comments and Listener Engagement
00:48:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, definitely. I think the Jared bone lining up against a makeshift left back is a very appealing prospect from my point of view.
00:49:04
Kieran McGinley
At least it's just not Johnny Evans at left back, eh?
00:49:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah that That is bleak, isn't it? Blimey. Um, well, oh yeah, I think that's us all done. Uh, thank you very much for listening to this episode of the daily GSP and West End podcast. I've been talking about Jacob and Kieran say goodbye guys.
00:49:20
Kieran McGinley
Goodbye, guys.
00:49:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Um, if you've enjoyed this episode, please rate us five stars and check out all of our socials, which are linked in the show description. Also, if you could check out all of the other podcasts under the GSPN podcast network, we have the fantasy football podcast, the women's football podcast, uh, the premier league wrap up in many different languages. And obviously we have the premier league podcast for all the other premier league teams. Thanks very much for watching and we will see you later. Goodbye.
00:50:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.