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Parity at Palace & the tricky trip to Turin
7 Plays11 days ago
Episode 55, Daily Manchester City - Join Jools and Keelin as we once again discuss City's shortcomings in the Premier League and look ahead to a (hopefully) delightful trip to Juventus in the Champions League
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Transcript
Recurring Issues for Manchester City
00:00:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome back to Daily Manchester City on the Global Sports Podcast Network. My name is Jules Jordan-Probert and I'm joined today by the Pride of Ireland, Keelan McNamara. Hi Keelan.
00:00:19
Keelin
Jizz, that is the second nicest thing anyone's ever said to me, and I appreciate it very much. Great to be with you again, Matt, and i'm looking forward to getting it getting into today's topics.
00:00:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
At the end of the season, we'll ah we'll list all the nice things people have said too and we'll get you to do a ranking for a wildcard Wednesday.
00:00:35
Keelin
It won't be very long, but I'm certainly up for it.
00:00:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
It can be a segment of a wildcard Wednesday then. We've got a jam-packed episode in store for you all today. Firstly, we'll be dissecting City's 2-2 away draw to Crystal Palace, and then we switch our attentions to the Champions League, where life gets no easier for Pepside with a Wednesday night trip to Italian giants Juventus in store. We look ahead to that game and give our ever-insightful predictions, too.
00:01:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
So firstly, we unfortunately need to talk about what went wrong yet again in the Premier League. It seemed that last Wednesday's 3-0 win over a Forest could draw a real line in the sand for this woeful period for City, but the same problems seemed to rear that ugly head. Especially in the form of conceding early. It took Munoz just four minutes to open the score in and get his second in consecutive games for Palace. Harland equalised on the half-hour mark, leaping high to beat Maxense Lacroix and meet Mateus Nunez's cross,
00:01:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
and guide the header beyond Henderson. The choir got his own back, putting Palace back in front with a header of his own in the 56th minute before Rico Lewis took over the game in good and bad ways, burying his chance for the equaliser. All three career Premier League goals for Rico Lewis how have come against Crystal Palace and so he obviously likes that opposition but he then got sent off with just five minutes remaining in the game and Desmond is how the match finished.
00:01:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
So plenty to dig into this one Keelan, a draw probably a fair reflection of the game itself.
Kevin De Bruyne's Fitness Concerns
00:02:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
So before we go into how disappointing coming away with just one point is, what were your thoughts on the match and how City played as a whole?
00:02:09
Keelin
Yeah, it's kind of been the same story of the whole season, Jules. I thought going forward City looked pretty damn good. and you know There were a lot of players that had a lot of influence. Going forward Rico Lewis was really good. I thought Holland was a lot more involved, which was nice to see. But like you said, it's the same old story and the same old song and dance with this man City team this season.
00:02:34
Keelin
complete weakness in midfield, you know Will Hughes basically ran the game for Crystal Palace, you mentioned Max Hents-Lacroix, he basically had the freedom of coming out from defence into midfield and really, really Palace had too easy of a time when it came to being on the ball It should have been a lot tougher. They should have been shut down and pinned into their own half. But this is what happens, you know, this is what happens when you don't invest properly in your midfield, which is probably the most important part of the modern game nowadays. And I don't even want to go into too much depth of the two goals because Kyle Walker, again, really, really culpable for both of them.
00:03:16
Keelin
He plays, I think it's John-Philippe Mateta onside for the first goal, and then he just gets completely out-jumped by Lacroix for the second. Admittedly, Vardial was badly out of position on the left wing when Munoz scored the opener. Rico Lewis was caught in two minds for the first goal, he was caught in no man's land.
00:03:37
Keelin
And then, yeah,
Impact of Midfield on Erling Haaland
00:03:39
Keelin
that's pretty much it. I mean, to be fair, Holland's header was brilliant. I was happy because he's not been great with heading this season. Rico Lewis' goal was fantastic. Like you said, Crystal Palace must have rejected him from their academy in a previous match because that boy plays with a vengeance against the South London club. But stupid, stupid sending off. Admittedly, the second yellow card was ridiculous. It never should have been a second yellow card.
00:04:06
Keelin
But that's the immaturity of putting yourself in that position. You're asking for that kind of trouble to find you. And all in all, another massively, massively frustrating day.
00:04:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, definitely. And the red card, like I agree with you that the second yellow there was debatable, and but the first, the first was yeah pretty immature play we can say. But ultimately I don't think it had too much bearing on the result. um ah You've got into the goals quite well considering you said you didn't want to there. So I'll turn our, I'll turn our attentions to specific performances. and Was it surprising to you that Doku didn't start considering how brilliant he was in the previous game?
00:04:45
Keelin
Yes and no, and yes in terms of how brilliant he's been, obviously I wanted Daku to start and but also not surprising in that Guardiola actually addressed it pretty much. I can't remember who it was but somebody asked him about Daku starting on the wing and he said that because both him and Grealish have been so in and out of fitness lately that he basically has to manage how many minutes each of them play.
00:05:11
Keelin
So I can kind of understand that and I saw Mateus Nunez was starting and I thought oh my god I just know where this is to his credit Mateus Nunez got two assists so I can't really have a go at him this week but even so it just it it speaks to the wider problem, Junz, of how short we are in all these main positions.
00:05:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:33
Keelin
You know the fact that we're sweating bullets about Jeremy Duck who not being fit or Jack Relish not being fit even though he's a lot better in the midfield It just speaks to so many recruitment problems that need to be addressed in January, or we're we're lucky if we finish in Europe at this point.
00:05:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, i I'll move on quickly from that bombshell and I'll ask you a bit more about that later. but um Someone else that and whose fitness has to be managed at the moment is Kevin De Bruyne.
00:06:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Even though he spoke afterwards and saying how unfit he was and that he's playing through the pain barrier, he was still mesmerising against Forrest.
00:06:10
Keelin
oh
00:06:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
very much not so against Palace and of course whilst not being fully fit and the AG is, maybe that level of consistency that we expect from such a good player might not be there at the moment. um But it leaves the team in a precarious
Strategic Challenges in Title Race
00:06:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
position. Is he too valuable to leave out even while he's not at his best or at his fittest and with the inherent injury risk that carries?
00:06:36
Keelin
It's a very good question and it really depends on where Guardiola's priority is because at this point, and I hate having to say this but I don't see a way back in the title race without Rodri, I just don't and I have to be realistic in this,
00:06:53
Keelin
So my thinking is, if at the moment so we don't look like we're gonna be in the title race, is it worth risking our best player with the chance of him getting injured again for another three or four months? At the moment I'm leaning towards keeping Kevin on the bench or training until he gets fully fit and basically hoping Fulton comes back from illness and playing him in the tin.
00:07:17
Keelin
because the best Kevin de Bruyne is a fit Kevin de Bruyne and I would never send Kevin out there if I thought he was injured. I just would not do that to him. Admittedly he's still our best midfielder by a mile even if he's only at 40-50% but I don't feel right sending him out there if he's struggling with a hernia injury or whatever the issue is. So to answer your question, if he is injured I'd rather keep him and pray to whatever deity you pray to that we might still be in the title race by the end of the season and then have that cannon ready to fire, but at the moment I don't see any point.
00:07:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think with Kev, he's probably been pushing himself through this pain barrier and coming back from injury too quick for years now, hasn't he? i Actually, I reckon he's he's probably not been fully fit for about three or four years, to be honest.
00:08:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
earth um sense the kind of well it was a season The season of the Champions League final against Chelsea, wasn't it, where obviously it ended up in him being unfit for the final itself.
00:08:05
Keelin
Oh, I'm hungry. and
00:08:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
and that had a major impact on the game too. So yeah, I totally get the point where you're coming from, but I think only eight points of drift at the moment. Yes, Liverpool have a game in hand. I don't think Pep will be willing to give it up yet, which is probably why he's pushing De Bruyne to play more minutes and he's probably capable of doing at this moment in time. But I do agree with you as well that you have to think of the bigger picture. And if you know if you close the gap to to six or seven points, let's say over the next few weeks,
00:08:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
and then Kev gets injured for the last four or five months of the season, and then can you sustain that challenge? you know
Crystal Palace's Strong Performance
00:08:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
So yeah, it is a very difficult question that people paid a lot more than us will have to answer over the coming weeks.
00:08:51
Keelin
Mm.
00:08:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
And and that'll do for part one. When we come back, we'll look a bit further into what that result means for the Premier League.
00:09:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome back to the Daily Manchester City Podcast on the Global Sports Podcast Network. and We're just discussing ah Man City's two-hole draw with Crystal Palace on Saturday and you mentioned Harland Keeling. In the crossover episodes, ah as most teams invariably want to, we spoke about Harland and how dangerous he can always be. and I spoke to the fact that he's been struggling a little bit recently and a lot of it is probably not due to him. I don't think there's been too much change in his demeanor.
00:10:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
asma As for more strikers, it comes down to service. Do you think he had that in this game? Or to zoom out a little bit more during this poor run as a whole?
00:10:10
Keelin
Very often when you look at Man City at their best and at their worst, there's a very strong correlation between the amount of service Erling Holland receives and the amount that he doesn't. And it's no coincidence that City at their best is often Kevin De Bruyne in the number 10, providing Holland with the balls through and the crosses and so on and so forth.
00:10:32
Keelin
So I do think a big part of it is a lack of direct service, and it's something that scares me deeply for when the day Kevin leaves eventually, because nobody, not even Phil Fulton, who I love very much, no midfielder is capable of playing the through balls or playing those creeping crosses in like Kevin De Bruyne is capable of. There just isn't a midfielder in this team capable of doing that. And I do think with Holland,
00:10:59
Keelin
he's he is a striker that needs elite service and he has been struggling to get it. I even saw for example in the early stages of the Palace game, although it obviously didn't end up mattering, you saw Kevin moving inside as opposed to constantly moving outside with no imagination. He moves inside, he plays a through ball just behind the defence to Holland and to be fair Dean Henderson makes a brilliant save with his face to stop it.
00:11:28
Keelin
No other midfielder plays that ball where Kevin De Bruyne plays it, and this is the service four or five times a game that Halland gets when De Bruyne is fit. So when De Bruyne is not 100%, you're not going to get Erlang Halland at 100%. Now, to his credit, Manette's Union and the De Bruyne Cross, Dean Henderson flatly, quite frankly, and Halland got his goal.
00:11:50
Keelin
But when Holland does not have De Bruyne available, he is going to struggle more because nobody can assist the way Kevin De Bruyne does. So it's definitely an issue. And it's an issue that I could probably live with Leighton for the summer because we have much more pressing priorities. But it's an issue that eventually I would love to see addressed because Holland was going to struggle if he's relying on our wingers and he's relying on the other midfielders because he just doesn't get it.
00:12:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I totally agree.
Preparing for Juventus Match
00:12:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the wide players, as good on the ball as they are, Savino and Daku speaking in particular here, because I don't see Mateus Nunez long-term at left wing. He was brought as a central midfielder, and I expect when there's a full squad to pick from, he'll go back there, especially with the struggles of of fit players in midfield. But Daku and Savino are wonderful with the ball dribbling, excellent, they're agile. Savino looks okay at crossing, a few have hit the target so far this season, but Daku's crossing is pretty poor. So um I think as as the whole podcast has been saying all year, City have been playing out wide predominantly, most most of the game, most of the attacks are going throughout wide because of the lack of fitness or lack of options in the middle. And that limits the amount of type of service that Holland can get, right?
00:13:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Like, when you think of Holland, you think of him running in behind and galloping up the space and one touch finish, one touch finish.
00:13:16
Keelin
Yeah. Yeah.
00:13:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it feels like this season, he's only really getting crosses or, you know, like lofted crosses, not the classic city crosses where there's a numerical advantage and you go to the byline and it's pulled back and it's a tap in, Raheem Sterling getting 30 in a year type thing.
00:13:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
It feels, yeah, there a lot ah a lot more limited, a lot less options. and It shouldn't come down to just one player, ke Kevin De Bruyne, especially with the talent the city have in midfield, but it does it does it does seem to be the wet that way at the moment.
00:13:49
Keelin
Yeah.
00:13:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think Foden is the biggest mess really, isn't it? when when ke when calves not When Kev's not on it over the last couple of years, Phil has been there to fill those shoes, pardon the pun,
00:13:55
Keelin
yeah
00:14:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
so yeah it's a congregation of issues all happening at once that have caused these problems and it's left City currently in fourth place which you think could have been worse considering it's only one win in six and eight points off Liverpool but Liverpool have a game in hand after the Merseyside Derby was called off on Saturday but worryingly that means that City are now only four points away from 10th place Fulham ah That's, of course, not what the club expected to be after 15 games. and And I suppose you've answered this question already. and I was going to ask, at this exact moment, do you think City both can and will retain the Premier League for it to get a famous fifth in a row? I suppose you've already said no, that City aren't in the title race. So I'll ask you, where at this exact moment in time, where do you think City will finish?
00:14:57
Keelin
I think at the moment, and this would be a massive success, I think City will finish third and they'll be lucky if they do finish third because of all the reasons we've mentioned and more.
00:15:10
Keelin
But January is going to be pivotal for the City team, make no mistake about that. Because obviously someone has to be brought in, whether it's your favourite player, Bruno Gamarayes, or it's a Nico Loparella or a Martin Zubamendi, whoever it is.
00:15:28
Keelin
someone has to come in and steady this ship, because this cannot go on for another 7-6 months, it just can't happen. So if someone comes in like a Zubamendi and they get scripts with it quickly, I feel a lot better about where we are, because obviously you can tweak goal scoring and that kind of stuff, but if you're not fundamentally sound, you have much deeper problems.
00:15:52
Keelin
So at the moment I don't think we're even close to winning the title. I think it's Liverpool's to lose. I think if we finish in Europe at the moment that's a success story but we have to get this right because if we don't get January right we could be in very real trouble.
00:15:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:16:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
So let let me phrase it like this then. Say where we're in fe February 1st, City have bought probably need two players, let's say, or at least one ready-made world-class talent, possibly another supplemental player, probably in a forward area, as I'd imagine.
00:16:22
Keelin
Yes.
00:16:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
and um because he seems set on using Kyle Walker this season, it seems. But we will move on from that. So say February 1st, City have got two good additions and only 10 or less points below whoever's in first, probably Liverpool at this point. I think that still means it's on, right?
00:16:50
Keelin
If, and it's a big if, if what you've described happens, then I am still quietly confident. My problem is I'm not confident that's going to happen, you know? Like, to be truthful, I'm not being disrespectful to anybody here. The Premier League is extremely competitive. Liverpool are not, I don't think they're walking away with this. I think Arsenal and City have dropped so much that Liverpool now look like they're a level above.
00:17:20
Keelin
even though they are playing very well and I'm not discrediting them. But if City get, let's just say an elite number six who gets to grips quickly, I feel a lot more confident about our chances. But if things stay the way they are, we're lucky if we finish in the top four.
00:17:36
Keelin
And that's not to mention left back that we need. Vardial is not a fallback. Kyle Walker needs shot
Champions League Group Dynamics
00:17:43
Keelin
to Saturn. We need a right back. We probably need another midfielder or two, maybe another winger or two, and a backup to Holland. There's a lot of work that needs to be done here, which to be fair you have just mentioned.
00:17:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's a funny thing in football, isn't it? you a and It feels like all the problems come at once. and no what Yeah, exactly.
00:18:03
Keelin
Yeah, bloody lovely muscles.
00:18:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And at the start of this season, obviously everyone was aware that the the the age profile of the squad was getting to the wrong side of 30. But at the start of this season, if you had Kev and Bernardo Silva, these players that have been around for ages, Kyle Walker wasn't even well, it hadn't gone quite this badly, let's say that.
00:18:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
But that's the job of the sporting director, right? That's the job of all the the of the backroom, to to not let it get to this point. If you look at dynasties dynasties of the past, like Man United or Chelsea, when they were always competing, and Liverpool under Klopp, yes, they won one Premier League, but
00:18:35
Keelin
Yeah.
00:18:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're not going to get me sat here saying they were anything other than brilliant. These clubs were proactive. And I think that's the key word, isn't it? Where it feels like City have been entirely reactive, waited for the House of Cards to fall before realizing something needs to be done.
00:18:52
Keelin
Yeah.
00:18:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we haven't even seen that being done yet. So January is very, very important. I completely agree with you. and I just want to ask you a bit about Crystal Palace before we go to go to an ad break.
00:19:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
um They collected their second win of the season and just before playing City and they looked like a team playing with much more confidence because of that. Was there any anything or anyone that particularly impressed you from them?
00:19:22
Keelin
Okay.
00:19:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know you mentioned Will Hughes ran the game, it's good to see yeah good to see a player like that and perform well, I think hopefully not against City of course, but he's been a real A real kind of stalwart journeyman type, and I kind of like seeing those was in the Bachleyman era type of thing, you know, do well. But was there any other palace players that you ah thought impressed?
00:19:44
Keelin
All I'm going to say is Joe Allen walked so Will Hughes could run that midfield. No, listen, I am serious. I thought Will Hughes was brilliant. And I think he's been one of the most underrated midfielders this season in the league. I think he's really good at the job he does. I will say that I actually thought John Felipe Mateta had a good game. and I thought he gave City's defense a lot of trouble, not hard at the moment, I admit.
00:20:10
Keelin
But he did his job very, very well and he filled his role really well. and We mentioned Maxense Lacroix already. and I'll give you one more actually before we go to our break. Tyreke Mitchell at Laughback thought he had a really good game, ah said he got no real joy out of a more game. And yeah, I'll say Tyreke Mitchell thought he was very, very good.
00:20:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, he's a left-footed Wanbissaka regen here, is isn't he?
00:20:36
Keelin
and Exactly.
00:20:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that'll do for part two. When we come back, we will look ahead to City's trip to Juventus on Wednesday.
00:21:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello and welcome back to the Daily Manchester City Podcast on the Global Sports Podcast Network. So let's get into City travelling to Turin to play Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday. And after a solid start in the Champions League for City with two wins and a draw and no goals conceded, ah City fans could have been forgiven for thinking the new format was going to be easy pick-ins.
00:21:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
but following two pretty pathetic performances in the last two games the 4-1 hammering by sporting and then the three goal collapse in the three-old draw to final city are now in a hazardous situation regarding the automatic qualification that would have been expected at the start of the campaign we're recording this during um the Tuesday match days so all stats and from here will be as if those games hadn't been played yeah because I think what I'm about to say won't be live ah to the minute but before the start of play on Tuesday's Champions League games the current table reads at City all the way down in 17th on eight points after five matches
00:22:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
The top eight, yeah the ones that qualify automatically in the next 16 all face a playoff to make the last 16. So Leverkusen are sick with just two more points than City at the moment, but so are the next six teams after them in the table. And with PSG, one of the two remaining fixtures left for City, it illustrates the importance of getting three points in Italy even more.
00:22:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
UVAVE also in due with a mixed champions league campaign on eight points the same as Citi with two wins two draws in the last from the first five and under new manager Tiago Marta they've been seriously susceptible to draws all season long getting three nil-nils in the first six and also drawing seven of the last nine so they've not set the world a light under Marta's reign so far But no defence in Serie A has conceded less, so there's no denying that the old lady is still a difficult team to beat. There's a concerted effort to evolve the squad and the team is full of talented but inexperienced players, especially at the top level. They've got players like Kenan Yildiz, Timothy Weyer, and Francesco Concherchow, who've shown sparks of excitement and quality at various points this season.
00:23:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
but are quite inconsistent at this point and it's not necessarily a front line that instills fear into the opposition ah playing alongside the talented but also inconsistent Dusan Vlahovic.
00:23:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Similar to City, they um they're on a bit of a poor run at the moment. Two, they've drawn the last three in the league and are chasing the leaders. and Same as City as well. Juve are currently sixth, seven points away from on-fire leaders Anta Atalanta and four away from fifth place Lazio. But amongst all the draws, Juve alongside Bayern Munich are the only undefeated sides in Europe's top five leagues this season.
00:24:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
and alongside the 36 Serie A titles, UVA do have immense European pedigree, haven't won the competition twice before but not in nearly 30 years. and They have become runner's up two times in three years a decade ago, losing first to Amazon-led Barca and then to Ronaldo and Bey-led Madrid in 1617.
00:24:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
City and UVA have met only twice before, both in the in the group stages of the 2015-16 season. City lost both games that year but won the group and of course made the semi-finals for the first time that season, losing to eventual winners Real Madrid. So Keelan, backdrop is set. What are you expecting from Thiago Mota's side? How do you see them?
00:24:43
Keelin
Yeah, the only thing that sort of makes me even slightly confident is the fact that Juventus are worse than us somehow. That's that's really what I'm sort of riding with here. and I'll actually give you some updated UCL table stats from tonight's matches. So we've got the mighty Real Madrid in 18th,
January Transfer Window Strategy
00:25:03
Keelin
my beloved Glasgow Celtic in 19th,
00:25:06
Keelin
were 20th and you've entered for 22nd so we're all kind of in this kind of terrible, pearly constructed boat together, I guess.
00:25:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
There we go.
00:25:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, look it up at the breast.
00:25:18
Keelin
Or look, I didn't say that. but No, but you are right. to be You are right, in all honesty. Yeah, so it obviously hasn't been great. But the only good thing is, first of all, beautiful part of the world. It's a very nice road trip to be going on. um But yeah, thankfully, Juventus have not been that great. They've been sort of what you'd expect from Juventus, solid defensively but not really firing going forward either.
00:25:48
Keelin
Like you said, sixth in Serie A, obviously Adelante are lighting it up at the moment which I love to see because I'm a big fan of what they do. and The one thing I will say about Juventus is I think they're going to be a hard nut to crack defensively, maybe not like Inter Milan earlier in the season but certainly along that vein.
00:26:07
Keelin
I do
00:26:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah they've They've both conceded the same amount of goals in the league this year, so I think they are definitely, like you say, ah defensively resilient in in a similar vein to Inter for sure.
00:26:16
Keelin
Yeah, 100%. And I think it's all when you factor in our attacking struggles, it's going to make that problem a whole lot worse. And I actually think they have a defender called Golisin Bremer, who I think is one of the most underrated defenders in Europe. He's basically your archetypal modern center back, aggressive like Antonio Rudiger. He's fast, he's strong, he's he's basically everything you want in the centre back pretty much and he leads that line very strongly and my concern is is that with Holland not getting the supply that he needs is he going to be boxed out again and is he going to be just completely isolated and kept out of the game?
00:26:54
Keelin
Now, if Holland can get the supply he needs and City can get it rolling, very different story. But I do have my doubts about whether Holland's going to be properly supplied for this game. I just have concerns that he's going to get shut out. And if Holland's not getting it done, nobody else in the team is, I don't think.
00:27:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah With them also not firing all cylinders, as you just mentioned, is this a good time to play them? Or will Martyr be even more amped up looking for his first statement win as UVA boss?
00:27:25
Keelin
Well, to his credit, Tiago Mata always has you bent to sound up, and I certainly think he does a very good job in managing them in that way. And I do think it's a good time to manage a team that is misfiring going forward because we're equally as crap defensively, to be honest.
00:27:42
Keelin
But i the I just think with the state man city around, there's never going to be a great time to play these games. So the best scenario is basically to get them over with. So in a roundabout way, yes, it is as good a time as any to play Juventus, because if you can go, it doesn't have to be fancy or a statement.
00:28:03
Keelin
If you can come away with 3 points from Turin, that puts you on 11 points and it puts you into the top 10. So if Citi can get a good result, this discussion does look very different in a day's time.
00:28:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that it absolutely does. And with PSG incoming for the next fixture, and who also haven't lost in the league this year, albeit in a slightly easier league, let's say. um Yeah, you definitely need to get the job done here. and three it has to be three points really doesn't it because i think a point a point means you have to go have to go and win in paris and that's a different ask altogether as well finishing the last match day is against k club bruce you'd expect three points there but um with how tight it is and some of the amazing teams like you mentioned uh in a very close vicinity to city at the moment and i think this is the key one three points here makes it makes uh the
00:28:34
Keelin
yeah
00:28:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
the ah The income in PSG seem a lot like a ah lot a lot less ah lofty, let's say.
00:29:01
Keelin
100%.
00:29:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:29:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
would it could be It would definitely be considered an underperformance, not to make it out of the top eight automatic spots, wouldn't it?
00:29:11
Keelin
Yeah, I think if this, I will add this caveat, if this was full strength Man City, not finishing in the top eight is catastrophic and real questions have to be asked. Ever since Rodry's been injured, we've kind of had to make it up as we go along, even though we shouldn't have left ourselves in that position, but we are where we are.
00:29:33
Keelin
So City have basically been making it up as they go along for the last few months, and I think if they can somehow get into automatic qualification into the top 10, that is success. If it is the playoffs, it's not great, but it's still you're still in there, you're still fighting and you're still hanging on.
00:29:52
Keelin
So even if Citi had to go through the playoffs because of not having Rodri, I could talk myself into it being a good result. But in any other world, you want to be topping this
Key Juventus Players to Watch
00:30:04
Keelin
whole thing, let alone not just qualifying?
00:30:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
and no one's going to want City in that playoff game as well. you know that That would be that be the worst-case scenario for a team there's probably like ah smaller team that's pushing themselves to the most they can and then their reward is a two-legged tie against City, which would be
00:30:11
Keelin
No.
00:30:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
I imagine at the end of January after City have probably strengthened the squad a bit as well. ah One can hope at least. and Just before we finish off, are there any other UVA players mentioned that you believe that you like or a fan of or that you think could be a particular danger to City on Wednesday?
00:30:39
Keelin
Yes, there are actually, and like you said, it's kind of tough to make the case for a lot of them because they've been very inconsistent and they've really kind of been in and out. I do like Francisco Conseco, Portuguese national, his father's an absolute lunatic, he used to manage Porto, and good manager though to be fair.
00:30:59
Keelin
I do like his style of play, I like just tricky dynamic winger, I've always been a fan of them.
00:31:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, you definitely you like a direct wing, I don't hear.
00:31:05
Keelin
I do
00:31:08
Keelin
Oh, I love a direct winger. Give me Frank Ribery and Aryan Robin any day of the week. Yeah, screw all this sort of moving outside and playing on the touchline. I want just directness. Heenan Yildiz, I am a fan of. I think he's a good player. Dusan Vlajevic, again, he blows hot and cold like nobody else, but I still like him.
00:31:29
Keelin
Douglas Louise has been a bit weird for me. and He's been very on and off since he went and a big deal was made of him going to Juventus.
00:31:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, he's been rubbish.
00:31:39
Keelin
and Yeah, it's been really weird. But I think my one pick I'll stick with is probably Gleissen Bremer. And I do think he's a brilliant defender. And in the next season or two expect, it's weird not saying Juventus are a European giant, because of course they are. But expect your Real Madrid to your Barcelona's new cities to be looking at this man in the next year or two, because he is for real.
00:32:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I totally agree. I think he's one of the best defenders in world football at the moment. and without Without him, I think UVA would have been a lot worse over the last 18 months, two years, because and they've they've been in and out of having partners for him, but they've kind of stuck with Gatti. And i don't I don't see it with him, man. i don't I just don't see it.
00:32:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
but Anyway, yeah, I agree. You've had plenty of talented young players. and Some haven't quite clicked yet, but some that surely will in the near future. It looks like Mota is um intentionally creating ah a team full of players with a lot of potential. and Well, i not that I like UVA, but they do feel like a European powerhouse. So it's always good to see these teams flourishing, but hopefully that won't start this week.
00:32:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that'll do it for today. Thank you all for listening. We have been Daily Manchester City Podcast on the Global Sports Podcast Network. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your day.