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Manchester United's staggering value meets Premier League woes! 💰
26 Plays7 months ago
Manchester United's staggering value meets Premier League woes! 💰 Casemiro's shocking form exposed! 👀 But amidst the chaos, Don Carlo works his Champions League magic yet again! 🎩🪄
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Transcript
Introduction to the Podcast
00:00:15
Speaker
Back of the net indeed, not a pundit is back. Gentlemen, how are we doing? Nathan Byrne and Conor Lennon.
00:00:24
Speaker
I'd say I'd have to say I'm doing a hell of a lot better than our Manchester United friend. How are you doing Nate? Are you still alive over there?
Manchester United's Valuation vs. Performance
00:00:31
Speaker
I'm doing good guys. So we will kick off with Man United because Nate, they are the most valuable club in the world apparently. Why not? And rightly so, they are the biggest and most valuable club on the planet.
00:00:48
Speaker
with a crumbling stadium, manager on the brink of a breakdown, a team that's faltering at every possible point. A Casamiro who's so slow, he's actually going backwards. And Michael Olise just having his in his back pocket. Can we start on Casamiro voice, like honest to God? Like it's actually sad. It's like, I... Do you know what it proves though? Real Madrid,
00:01:16
Speaker
transfer team need to be studied because they, every time they sell, it's been pitch perfect. They got rid of... He kind of pushed that move though a bit, but yeah, I do agree. Usually when they know they're on the out. Like if you look at who they've let go over the last couple of years, Ronaldo, Benzema, Varan, Casimiro, like Jovic, like they just, even Odegard, like get them gone before the value goes.
00:01:44
Speaker
Now I would have heard they made a mayor of, but they couldn't have really seen the way that came back because I think once he left... I disagree. I don't think he ever could have been that guy for Madrid.
Real Madrid's Strategic Transfers
00:01:56
Speaker
I think he has to be like a Jack Grealish, where Jack Grealish is only ever that guy when he was at Aston Villa. Big fish, small pond, and he will do amazing. Arsenal's not exactly a small pond though.
00:02:08
Speaker
No, just in a relative term though. Arsenal are used to having a talisman. Think of Henri Burkamp, Van Persie. They're a team that does well being led by one person.
00:02:27
Speaker
Madrid is not the same. It is for generational characters, not even talents, that can lead Madrid. And Odegard, I don't think ever had the mentality for that. And to be honest, I think he needed to go elsewhere to get that. So I would probably agree with you. I think he probably would agree with you in that sense, because it's not like it.
00:02:48
Speaker
I'll put it this way, maybe personally I never saw him being able to hit that level because there was always that chat around and it was never obviously proven that he was just brought in as a PR exercise and it was never really brought in for talent purposes but
00:03:01
Speaker
You know, I'd wondered, or Madrid, like, yeah, that's who we thought we were getting. Possibly. Like, when you're deciding somebody that young, it's always a gamble, but they're paid for it. He was what, 16 or something, was he? 16 when he arrived. He was 15 when he made his international debut.
00:03:21
Speaker
for Norway. I think they gave him the captain's band when he came on. He is a generational talent and they paid the money for him. I think he's hit a very, very acceptable level. They sold him at the right time for both of them. They got a good fee.
Manchester United Fan Loyalty
00:03:39
Speaker
He got a good career.
00:03:41
Speaker
Fair play Madrid. And look at what they've lumped United with now. And lump being a very optimal... Yeah, Casimir is on the beach, isn't he? He's literally on the beach.
00:03:56
Speaker
I don't understand how a player can drop that much. Do you think it's, you know, when like Tarez lost it and he just for no reason lost it. I think he's just too old. I don't think he can drop that much of a like skill wise in a season. Like I know players decline, but I don't think a decline is that sharp. Like the fellow can hardly run sometimes. He looks like he's not asked.
00:04:24
Speaker
But as a United fan, I'm used to this now, I'm used to players not trying and fucking, you know. Can you believe that though man? Jokes aside, like whether you hate Man United or not, you know, maybe it's the old codger in me, but like, it's just one of those things that like, being a Man United player used to mean something, you know?
00:04:44
Speaker
I still think it does to the right person, but we just don't have many players right now. I think they've given up on the manager. I think they've thrown the tail in.
Erik ten Hag's Potential Move
00:05:00
Speaker
We've seen that with players with previous managers.
00:05:04
Speaker
This is getting better and i don't know ten hag for stay in there like stay there take that full pay out when you finally get the job enjoy that and lord knows apparently is up for the munich job if there is any truth in that you hear anything about the.
00:05:19
Speaker
Yeah, he's getting heavily linked with it. I think it's the perfect move for him and I think regardless whether any of us want to keep him or not, I'd move if I was him because I don't see it working out and just go and have another chance at me.
00:05:36
Speaker
Yeah, what I've been hearing is 10 hag is being a highly touted in Munich. They really want them and to be honest at this moment I'm sort of at the point where it's like
00:05:53
Speaker
just go and have another chance at the big time, you know what I mean? I don't think it's going to work out. The players have given up, I think the fans have given up. Well on that, I don't know both of you on this one, but as much as I love a wave set of fans,
00:06:12
Speaker
supporting their team no matter what. And look, I'm not expecting them to do a pitch invasion and kick the shit out of the team, but like, what was that at Palace? Like there was no vitriol there. It was, it's where you'd won the game. And that's lovely in a way, but it just, it's like, Christ, what's going on? It's the best away fans. Like, and I think they're a credit to the club because I think a lot of fan bases would sit there and boo them. Like they know that they weren't good enough, but
00:06:41
Speaker
it's I think it was more symbolic that it's the end of the road now sort of thing like that's how I read it it's like this this is Brock Bottom this is the end of the road we're gonna give you whatever flowers we can but it's I think I think that was the mark at the end there
00:06:59
Speaker
Thanks for trying. Cheerio.
00:07:15
Speaker
very well, very ready to get booze. And yeah, I've always, I've always adored the United Away fans, like not judging them off that because like, you can say that what you want about a lot of the home fans being plastic or whatever, but those away fans, they forever been remarkable. Like that's a bank holiday Monday. How many of them would have worked the next day?
00:07:40
Speaker
the amount of money you would have took to get down to London and take it to see a foreigner battering and then still have the curl to clap them at the end. Like, I just thought it was a touch of class. I'm just going to put this out there. I'm not looking for any response, but maybe Palace is a home game for some of them United fans.
Global Fan Base and Commercial Strategy
00:08:00
Speaker
Maybe some of them were applauding at the end because, hey, the funding got to see United.
00:08:12
Speaker
You know my, you know, my United connections, I, I'd show with the airway ticket. I really would for across the whole season. I would show with the other way ticket. That's interesting for the most valuable club in the world. It's kind of the minimum you'd expect. Like it's not like.
00:08:29
Speaker
palace to have a massive stadium for you to have a massive allocation so like good that's that's one positive for for for the club and Nate break us down break it down for us how these can still be so valuable when everything tells us otherwise
00:08:48
Speaker
we've got the most valuable currency on the planet a worldwide fan base that are obsessed with the club even in our darkest moments like we're still the biggest club on the planet like people just people just love this club and it's a love hate relationship type of thing sometimes but
00:09:07
Speaker
Yeah, the worldwide fan base, I don't think any other club even comes close. People talk about this. I think if you brought it down to every country worldwide, I think Manchester United is the biggest club on the planet. When we say the most valuable, are we talking assets, playing staff, revenue, everything? Or what's this being benchmarked on?
00:09:36
Speaker
I'm not totally sure I was in Benchmark then, but I would come to the defence that that fan base, Manchester United's fan base is worth more than any of that combined, you know what I mean? Just to cement the revenue they get a year, it's on another level.
00:09:57
Speaker
The volume of commercial partners and at times, the way United have acted in the last couple of years has been very shrewd, even though we can look like I'm not singing Edward Wood's praises by any means, but.
00:10:10
Speaker
You know, when you got rid of Merino in order to pay for the comp that you needed to get rid of them, you just brought in like two new commercial partners. I think it was like a sunglass partner and something else, you know, it cost a couple of... Yeah, official mattresses of Manchester United. The list goes on, but that just shows how highly sought after we are from these big companies.
00:10:36
Speaker
Like, yeah, I just think we're the biggest club. I really do. I'm a court bias, but. Maybe it's recency bias for me, but maybe I'm just fully wrapped up in Jude Bellingham land. But for me, I would have thought Madrid would have just pipped you. What are you thinking, Kil?
00:10:55
Speaker
So I just looked it up here. So basically Sportico calculate revenue streams based on figures published in the club's accounts. So that's broadcast, commercial, and match day. But then they also use team-specific multipliers, which they describe as being based on multiple factories, including historical sales, market, size, saturation, and interest by prospective owners, strength of brand, so United big there, on-field performance,
00:11:22
Speaker
In terms of facility lease, debt burden and additional obligations as well as expected future team and league economics.
00:11:33
Speaker
Well, there's a lot there that would lean towards United, like, look, whether United are finishing 11th in the league, they're still arguably the hottest property for any person to buy. One of the things that is included in this is whether the likelihood of them getting relegated, which United isn't likely to do that, which then intrinsically makes the Premier League status more valuable because they're part of it, but also makes them more valuable because they're so intrinsically linked to the status of Premier League status.
00:12:01
Speaker
And then if you look at the amount of money that Radcliffe spent to get a percentage of it, and then the fact that there was Jassim wanting to spend X amount, there's a lot of factors to put together as well as the Ed Woodward model of marketing and all that kind of stuff. So I kind of get it. MLS clubs are way, way up there now, which I find amusing. I don't know if they're the biggest, but I can understand why they're the most valuable business.
00:12:29
Speaker
I think he hit the nail in the head there with the Radcliffe because his partial buying of the globe has valued at around $6 million. So that is, if you're to weigh it up on what it is on the scale, it is quite one for one. I think that's a unique situation though, because I think his price tag was much higher because he was taking such levels of control that a minority shareholder wouldn't normally get.
00:12:58
Speaker
Yeah, but it's like if you still to buy the rest of it all, it would still come out at 6 billion. Do you know what I mean? Do you think he ever will? Yeah, I do. I don't think he will. I'm pretty sure he's in a catch 22 now where he has to pay $6 billion because the other shareholders will have to get an equal price or there's some legal jargon there where
00:13:24
Speaker
It's got to be fair. Well, he's now set the market value. That's why I don't think he will. I think the Glazers percentages will go. I think they'll still hold on to some percentage anywhere from 30 down because they don't seem to have that kind of bitterness to hold on. But I think you'll see the likes of
00:13:46
Speaker
maybe the likes of a jasim coming in and taking if he exists jokes aside like did we ever clarify if that dude ever existed yeah he does he's the he's the son of the former sports minister of katar i think yeah interesting he's head of a bank yeah so like it's there's a few bits to kind of prove um that he's not as ai is he uh well we all thought he was but like i think
00:14:14
Speaker
If you have something like him coming in and buying like another 30%, I think you can see the Glazer ownership chip away. I don't think you'll ever see Radcliffe own it all. It doesn't mean he won't control it all. Well, that's the thing. I don't think he cares if he owns it as long as he controls it. At least that's what I'm getting from it.
00:14:33
Speaker
Yeah. But I think the biggest test of his ownership now is going to be this summer, really. If
Transfer Window Challenges
00:14:43
Speaker
he can get Ashworth through the door, it would be great considering Newcastle are finally starting to look for a replacement in Dougie Friedman. What do you make of that? I don't really know where we feel about that. It's funny from
00:14:58
Speaker
Watching that Crystal Palace documentary, what's it called again? I remember on the recommendation of a Damien Delaney watching that and Dougie Freeman doesn't come out the old Adam West in it because he kind of turns his back in the club at one point to try something else and then ends up coming back. I don't know if I'd like the character of that. Dougie the manager.
00:15:26
Speaker
And he didn't come across great, but then him talking in the documentary as the sporting director, he came across very well, I thought. I'm here to fix that, and that is my driving goal. And when you look at it, it was a bold choice this season, getting rid of Hudson when he did. We criticized him for it.
00:15:50
Speaker
It worked. He's very accomplished in the position. It's little things like that. Maybe I'm just petty, but it's the things I still hold against Anthony Gordon. Obviously, he's had an amazing season for us, but the way he handled his exit from Liverpool, I just don't like or trust people like that.
00:16:10
Speaker
He's, I know freedom is really highly rated. Sir Alex wanted him as the United one. Oh really? Yeah, he put him forward for the United job. He rates him really highly. As in previously or over Ashworth? Over Ashworth. Jesus, could you not have just listened to Fergie for once and left us alone? So yeah, I think he's a good option for his. I hope he's had to wait 12 months.
00:16:38
Speaker
I'd say there'll be some deal done and part of the reason why they're going to go for doobies is because they can get them quicker and that'll allow Ashworth to just leave. I think when the talks of a workers compensation or a workers tribunal coming in, that's a red flag for any company kind of going, no, this is just not worth the fight. They're paying the fees as well for it. What annoys me about it is like,
00:17:05
Speaker
You know, if he is just, if say it doesn't happen, you know, I don't get them soon. I'd almost rather they did because like we're, we now don't have a director of football going into the transfer window. So it's like, it's done nothing for us apart from causes grief. Like, cause like I said before, like look, yeah, is losing Ashworth a massive blow to us. Absolutely. Is he is now the exact time that we needed him because we're.
00:17:30
Speaker
not exactly where we were last year. And granted, we got a lot further in the league than we expected last year. But, you know, we really needed him to help us along the next 18 months. But it's just as you know, as a Newcastle United fan, it's just annoying. But even as a United fan, I'd say it must be annoying night because like you're now going into arguably an even harder time for the club in somewhat rudderless shape.
00:18:00
Speaker
Yeah, but I've no doubt that he's working in the background. I've no doubt about it. He's like, that's just, that's just how it goes. Like, come on. That happens in any industry. If you're on guiding leave, are you really on guiding leave? Or just don't be seeing it in our office.
00:18:15
Speaker
guys in that position should have a database that they're constantly working on. That is just kind of like, well, if that's your system, well, here we go. Here's the one I like to do. So you'd hope. Although from an article I read last week, I think it was, is it Wilcox from Southampton himself and Dan Hagg have gotten very close working wise since he arrived. So
00:18:39
Speaker
Maybe there's a little bit of hope for the future, but not perhaps. Is there a world in which he's there next year? No. I genuinely think he's like, even if we went the FA Cup, I don't think he says. I think there's going to be the most realistic thing that's going to happen. I think he is the Steve Bruce to Newcastle's takeover in this, that no matter how good he was going to do,
00:19:07
Speaker
He's not the guy for the new guys. He's a remnant of the past, so he has to go no matter what. Whatever happens to the FA Cup Final, do better than off-sack of the day after.
00:19:18
Speaker
Like, it's just not classy, you know what I mean? Well, was it Cariagran who was saying you should get them out now with such big games left in the season? I don't know. Listening to Cariagran over in class. Yeah. Like, well, I suppose we might get lucky this year. We might have Newcastle and Man City having their day in court, so.
00:19:42
Speaker
Are we any closer on it? I know they said it's coming soon for the city trial, but are we hearing any rumblings of any potential date? No, nothing yet. Did you see they were sending like cease and desist letters to like influencers and stuff that we're talking about?
Legal Issues with Influencers
00:19:58
Speaker
No. I saw Mark Elbridge got a cease and desist letter from Manchester City. He'd probably frame it.
00:20:06
Speaker
I'd love to send that man a season to Cislator just from making content, but if City are doing it on my behalf, I'm okay with that. But that's crazy though. A club sending season to Cislator is to...
00:20:19
Speaker
What director of communication goes, oh yeah, I've got an idea. All that does is make Mark Goldbridge go, you will never guess what I just got in the post. And he gets views out of it and it's just nothing but a world of pain for city. That's such short-sightedness in my opinion.
00:20:37
Speaker
or as a part of the tree, like four or five d chests are kind of going, well, we're so confident that we're going to win that we can do the likes of this so that they have a separate legal standing kind of going, well, look, we believe we have enough proof that this
00:20:55
Speaker
can't make these allegations against us that we can put in a cease and desist and then they can use that as a reference in the other trial and kind of go and look, well, that court says we can legally put a cease and desist and they agreed with us saying that you can't make these allegations against Man City because of this, that and the other. And then they can go into the Premier League and kind of go, well, that court says that. Well, can we not speak about a bazim and chat?
00:21:20
Speaker
I mean, yeah, where does free speech working in the media if this so the difference with this is it's not an actual court case. It's a case taken by the Premier League. So they are the only ones that actually have to do it until they make a decision.
00:21:41
Speaker
And then that can go to the court of arbitration when it's inevitably refuted and they appeal it. But if this was an actual legal case, none of us could talk about anything because it's charged. That I get. It's like when you've seen, we won't even put names to the cases, but famous athletes in precarious situations where the
00:22:08
Speaker
defendant or the victim can't be named in that kind of thing or any talk about prejudice is the case. Okay, essentially, dramaticized series coming coming soon. Yeah, that's exactly what I'm referring to. The cease and desist that is to do with reputational damage. But as a normal as a normal person, how to what lens can you talk talk about, you know what I mean?
00:22:35
Speaker
I know that now the kids said about the fact that it's not coming from, I suppose, a criminal court. I kind of see, I still think it's a stupid idea from Sydney. They do seem to have grounds to do it. It's in the public domain, though. Like in terms of like, it's public information that they were charged. Can you not talk about the charges?
00:22:58
Speaker
but as it stands, they're only charges. And if you were to basically say that they're guilty of them without...
00:23:06
Speaker
So they could say that Goldridge is over a million followers and that that will listen to him and he is unduly misrepresenting what Man City have done and that he's going to potentially flavour how people will perceive the brand. So they're saying he's basically gone too far compared to the newspapers who have said, yes, the charges exist, but don't
00:23:34
Speaker
Exactly, take a stand on it. Yeah, I think that's the bigger difference is people saying whether they're guilty or whether they're charged and I wondered would it potentially, because of his position as a united influencer, is there a potential issue of him riling fans up in an already heated derby? I wonder. I'm not sure, but there's lots of considerations that could come into that. Is he like, amongst United fans, is he liked?
00:24:02
Speaker
It's like Marmite, like, do you know what I mean? Like, some people lose, some people hate him. I've never seen a man with less charisma. But those who hate him, do they see him just as the content person and they're like, is he a real fan? Or like, what's, what, what do the haters hate? Jesus, I sound like I'm trying to make a rap song here. They can't make a fake fan, not a forest fan. Yeah, what is that, Link? Goldbridge isn't even his real name.
00:24:28
Speaker
Yeah, but that's because he was a cop before I opened it. But boys, quickly, by meeting a warning up in the 88 minute. We set it on this pod, myself and Nate, that Mr. Tookle could be walking away with this trophy.
Jaden Sancho's Career Moves
00:24:48
Speaker
Well, it does bring us on nicely to a part of Manchester United that's doing amazingly well and featuring in the Champions League final, Jaden Sancho Nate. Does it hurt? Come on, tell me your fears, tell me your pain. You must be glad to actually see it working out for him. Your investment is now back in the money. How long has left on this contract though? Like three, four years?
00:25:17
Speaker
Oh, then you're really in the mood. I just wonder, I suppose, what will his value be? And is there a place for him in that United team? Cause he probably doesn't even want to come back. Yeah. Um, I just like, I think it's probably the best case scenario in terms of he's gone out and like recoup someone as a value to say. Um, but what did he cost?
00:25:46
Speaker
So many. 75 million bells, I think. 80 million bells in the round now. You do well to get 75. Is there 70 out of them, you know? Who pays a dollar? Maybe PSG.
00:25:59
Speaker
Well, that's the thing. Is there, or does he just like, he will obviously want to stay at Dortmund cause it's where he plays his best football. He seems happy there, but like they're not going to let him just live on loan there. Yeah. Um, you know, I'd actually losing money on them. So they definitely won't be, um,
00:26:19
Speaker
it's a tough one realistically they're gonna they're gonna lose money on them anyway but it's kind of by mitigating that i wonder like we could just do a nice little deal for like a part swap or something because like dormant is a good squad and it is going to be molested next year oh jesus don't use words like that christ
00:26:41
Speaker
Like, it's gonna be ripped apart. Karim Adeyemi would be fantastic for you. Like, I don't know if he's won or 2.0. He's worth a gamble. If he's gonna take a loss anyway, which is a gonna, like, realistically, he's gonna move over 45 or 50 million. That's kind of where I'm thinking money-wise, probably more like 40. If you get 40 with Adeyemi, or...
00:27:08
Speaker
I don't know.
00:27:23
Speaker
Oh, uh, to Deebo. That's the one. Sorry. Yeah. Um, like they have a decent squad. Like I, I would, if I was used, I would do a straight swap for makoko. Just like pure foppel manager. Just get him in, take a loss on Sancho and potentially have a generational strike. Yeah. There's optics to it though. You know, it can't be seen to lose that much money. They just can't.
00:27:50
Speaker
But not even that, I think we need to be careful this summer that we need to actually have some experience in the door because we've got a good set of four or five youngsters there right now, but we need to complement it with some high-performing experience. Do you know who'd be brilliant for you? And he's actually younger than I thought he was. Seb Haller, he's only 29.
00:28:17
Speaker
29. It didn't work out at West Ham, but West Ham has never signed a striker that has worked other than... Never signed a striker that works. Michael Antonio was a right back when they signed him. They have had, I think they had 10 strikers that didn't get 10 goals in a period of 2012 to 2019. That's outrageous, that. I'm so happy to see Seb Haller
00:28:46
Speaker
back and healthy, even just playing is great. But I would wonder, this sounds incredibly pessimistic in the outlook of professional sports, but I think with that potential medical history in play, you know, to be nervous about putting such finances towards them at the age of 29.
00:29:07
Speaker
But also he's at West Ham and it didn't exactly work out well there, you know what I mean? I wouldn't hold that against him because one, it's West Ham and two, I don't think it was actually that bad, just looking here. 10 goals in 48 for West Ham. That's on your high level number one. And number two is
00:29:28
Speaker
boys, there's a Bundesliga tax going on here. We need to have a discussion here. I think we need to introduce to the show a Bundesliga tax because you know how we're talking about like when they value clubs, it goes by league as well. We're going to get out with players now because there's a little too much where when they move from the Bundesliga, it doesn't exactly transfer very well. Well, the Bundesliga has turned into a massive hype train for young players, you know.
00:29:57
Speaker
Yeah, but they're also all coming up in an environment where they're playing against teams that don't defend. It's all very good. It makes the attackers look very good when they're scoring five battles a game. But I think we need to introduce the tax to the Bundesliga. Speaking of experience though.
00:30:23
Speaker
Speaking of experience with the Dormant team, it's quite sad to see Marco Royce on the move, and I do wonder where he's going to end up, but I do think there's... I really hope Dormant actually left the title, but with his last game for them being in Wembley, it is Wembley, isn't it?
Champions League Highlights
00:30:44
Speaker
10 years ago Matt Hummel scored the winner to get Dortmund to the final in Wembley and he's done it again and news from Nate. Yeah, Nate and Bern here reporting in from the Bern about. Madrid have scored two goals, one in the 88 minute, one in the 91st minute to make a 2-1. Jocelyne.
00:31:07
Speaker
Both? Both. Oh, that's a statement. Yeah, the atmosphere here is lousy to say the least over and over. Jocelyn, was he the one that used to play for Liverpool or somebody random like that? The Nairies of Oak. Stoke, he was at Stoke. That was it. And Newcastle. Was he at the Duke? No. 2017-2019. 46 appearances.
00:31:31
Speaker
Come on Connor. That's, yeah, that's right. It was fourth choice behind Rondon, Mutu and Perez. That's some line up there. That name feels like ice cold. Do you know what I mean? They were gals. It was a different time my friend, okay. It was before we got the attention of a certain highly powerful government.
00:31:59
Speaker
How long has left in the Madrid game? Six minutes. There's another goal in that. We'll keep our man in the stands on standby.
00:32:20
Speaker
probably the most prestigious games in Europe to the most valuable. The championship playoff is going to be coming up very, very soon as we have our two automatic promotions now sorted. Gents, I know you use our
00:32:38
Speaker
watching the championship a bit of breath every week. But let me play, uh, let me play a teacher here just to kind of bring us, bring us generally up to speed. So Leicester cities won the league and they are back under Enzo McCarry, mascara. And they've been
00:33:03
Speaker
Massacara and Willy Caballero as his assistant, which I very much enjoy. So. It's been a very good season for them, obviously, and what's even better is a good few Irish connected players are in there. So Tom Cannon, once he eventually commits to us and Casey McInteer, which isn't he meant to be coming over and potentially even is it true as we all might have
Promotion and Playoff Contenders
00:33:29
Speaker
a connection? That'd be lovely if he did.
00:33:31
Speaker
Um, so yeah, like they have a very good team. They still have a very kind of like old teams. They might have hangovers on that Premier league winning team. Uh, like, I wonder what their salaries are going to be like. Cause you know, the way it gets halved when you go down, you get it back when you go up. What age is Vardy? I think it's 37.
00:33:54
Speaker
Oh, Jesus. Okay. Yeah. He's 37. He'll be 38 next January. So in the middle of the year. So he's got one season left surely. Yeah. Um, and then Mark Albrighton was still there. It was a nice touch actually. I saw, I saw when they were lifting the league, obviously Vardy's captain, but he brought over the rest of the players who'd kind of gone down and stayed on and went back up. And that that's something you love to see.
00:34:21
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. Now, just looking at the team, I'm going to give you some of these names, and this does not sound like a championship team, so it kind of, they should have been in and about the top end. Connor Cody, Callum Doyle, Harry Winx, Vardy, Ian Acho, Harry Souter, Chowdhury, Patzandaka, Ricardo Pereira, Drewsby Hall, Yannick Festigard, Wilfred Ndidi, Casey McInteer, like,
00:34:50
Speaker
Very strong squad. Very strong squad. And then in second place, which I think was probably one of the more interesting stories, is Ipswich. They got promoted last year. Promote again this year. And they're going to win the league next year. I think the last time it happened was Southampton in 2013. There's only happened a handful of times in the last few decades.
00:35:14
Speaker
And again some Irish players in the team which is always great, Marcus Harness and Jack Taylor. But yeah, this is a squad that is better than the sum of its parts. Like the team is very good, the players aren't.
00:35:34
Speaker
like Nathan Broadhead or Axel Toons Aby, not exactly going to like the word on fire. Sam Morrissey formerly of Wigan. Toons Aby, is that actually United? Toons Aby. Yeah. Great. Okay. But now that he plays for the Congo or DR Congo, he's not as valuable. That is a rogue one to play for. Wow.
00:36:00
Speaker
Well, I'm swear his family's from, I think. So, um, yeah, like it, at least for him, he's got an international experience at the time and he wasn't going to be getting particularly a high level of football. Uh, Kiefer Moore has been very, very, very good for Ipswich, which, um, Sunderland were linked with him, uh, in January and they got him and they got the benefit of him. And this is, this is always the danger though of, of the likes of, of Lester or Ipswich and.
00:36:30
Speaker
whoever wins through the playoffs, but like a lot of that team will get fleeced and then, you know, they also need to rebuild enough of a squad depth to compete. I had a feasible names. I would, yeah, Lester, I think a couple of them could be fleeced. Ipswich, I don't think so. I think Ipswich's biggest concern about fleecing is the manager.
00:36:51
Speaker
Like, well, yeah, yeah. If, if United wanted a rogue choice, that I think would be good. Bring back. Oh, that'd be ballsy. Would that even land with the United fan base? No, because he got a bit of a blame on the way out, um, during Ali's time because the media's are played up how much of his involvement was actually with the team. Um,
00:37:18
Speaker
I don't think it will stick because I think, you know, fans are crying out for big names managing this time round. But I do think he's one for the future, like him, Michael Carrick, like, you know, great choice. I do think there was kind of a bit of a rehab in the reputation, like when the fans saw Carrick doing well at Middlesbrough initially, where is that kind of like, okay, well,
00:37:43
Speaker
Okay, maybe it was just not a good time. So yeah, there are two definite names that we're gonna be seeing then in the playoffs is Leeds, Southampton, West Brom and Norwich. All classic Premier League teams, each and every one. Like Norwich are fine, they have a reasonably strong squad and the likes of Tom Sargent and stuff, so like,
00:38:12
Speaker
Yeah, they're grand. West Brom, they've been playing very well. There's not too much to talk about with these kind of teams apart from Leeds. Because Daniel Fark has been getting quite a bit of gruff that he's just like,
00:38:31
Speaker
they should have been automatic promotion. Like Leeds are always a team that should be there, thereabouts. They've got such history and pedigree there. I know it's a huge Leeds fan base in Ireland actually, but they're a team that a lot of people would call their second club.
00:38:54
Speaker
I think Leeds is obviously going to hate Leeds, but I think anyone who's naughty, you know, the fanner in the surrounding areas, like Leeds should be a Premier League club. It's nice to see the likes of Ipswich up, but I just hope that we don't have a case for the three that go down next year, because that's getting pretty old, you know.
00:39:13
Speaker
Well, when you're looking at Ipswich, I think we'll probably come back down. Realistically, the squad just doesn't seem to have the strength, and I don't think that the owners have the money. That's a good stay-up. But were you not saying this about looting as well?
00:39:31
Speaker
The players sort of went up and done a job, you know what I mean? It was also clever investment, bringing in the money and stuff. They're going to get 100 million. Yeah, this is why the game is so important. So looking at the lead squad, actually.
00:39:48
Speaker
They have practically their Premier League squad. How they're not winning is ridiculous. They still have Messleer in goal, Junior Frimpo, Ampedou, Cresswell, Bamford, Glenn Karama, Joe Rondon, Sam Barnum, Carol Darlow. Gennato is still there. It's a good strong squad. Just on the looting thing, do you think they'll stay up, boys? Because after all Forrest Moan and I would adore to see them go down.
00:40:19
Speaker
I think Luke will stay over there. I don't know. I'd like him to stay up. I'd like him to see the variety of teams.
00:40:31
Speaker
Like, we had Coventry last year as well, and now we've got Ipswich. I'm going to be honest, the fans of these days don't like it, but Norwich and West Brom, they're just boring. They're yo-yo. Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Norwich would have a little bit more of an affinity for it just from yesterday year, but yeah, West Brom are nothing but meh. Yeah, just looking at the Luton fixtures, West Ham and Fulham.
00:40:59
Speaker
which West Ham could go wider away now that Moyse has been sacked preemptively and Lopategi's coming in so that's a little bit of a worry. Both those games are tough though man, like there's no easy games in this league.
00:41:17
Speaker
Well I was just going to say Forest have two gameys Chelsea and Burnley. When you look at the table though the one thing that maybe there has been a lot of chat about it and I just haven't been seeing it but Brentford in 16th is low. 36 points in 36 games like that's pretty cat.
00:41:39
Speaker
Not good, especially when you consider the glow up from Palace very recently. Everton coming back to a comfortably lower mid-table finish from potentially oblivion at one stage.
00:41:55
Speaker
like if I said Chelsea are above United like I think I think this is a table that like in January nobody would have expected but
Aston Villa's Champions League Qualification
00:42:03
Speaker
yeah um also let's just give a wee bit of flowers here to Unai Emery's Asnovilla
00:42:11
Speaker
You absolutely love to see it. Like, I mean, the man got laughed at for even his accent when he was at Arsenal. And it's just fantastic to see him go into Villa and get them into Champions League. Yeah, they've got, what, they're seven points ahead of Spurs. Spurs have a game at hand, but you'd imagine Spurs being Spurs that can hold on. Do we think Arsenal will win?
00:42:36
Speaker
I really don't know, lads. I do think there is another turn in what's left of the season as to who it's going to be, I don't know, but I think there'll be a major slip in a winnable game. Yeah, and winnable games, Nate, what is the latest from the Brennabale?
00:43:04
Speaker
And four times, 2-1 for Elmer Dred, the game is over. We had 16 added minutes just there. So I don't know what's after going on. We just had 16 added minutes, which is crazy. And yeah, so we've got a Champions League final, Elmer Dred versus Broxie Dortmund. Are we all voting for Dortmund in terms of who we want to win there? Or are we hoping to see Duke adding them lifted? Don Carlo wins the game.
00:43:35
Speaker
You just don't want to see Sancho lift that trophy, you petty, petty bastard. No, no, no. I'd love to see Dortmund today because their manager had a seriously tough season and he's an actual Dortmund fan, so it would be nice. Yeah, that's class. Yeah, realistically though.
00:43:56
Speaker
It's a bit of a dead rubber champion. Dead rubber is probably the wrong word. I take that back straight away. It's not the most induced. I'm not jumping off. It depends on.
00:44:12
Speaker
I mean, are you coming at this thinking we're going to see a Don Carlo masterclass and it's just Dortmund won't even be able to compete? Because if on the flip side, if Dortmund turn up, that could be spicy. I think Dortmund handled situations better than to be spicy. Like they've just been clever their whole Champions League run. Like they haven't had any like massive wins. So I reckon this is going to be like a very a football lovers game.
00:44:41
Speaker
Um, we're like diplomatic way of saying boring. I don't think it's going to be boring. Like I think there's going to be moments of magic. I think it's going to be very kind of like mid 2000s where it's one of them kind of games where I was like, Oh yeah, that was Bellingham's game.
00:44:57
Speaker
Can we appreciate that Bellingham is on the brink of winning the league, the cup, the champions league. I read earlier he's got the most goals in the Madrid team this year. He's got the most man of the matches awards in the team this year. Like his stats are frightening. He was born in 2003. Like please. And what's even more amazing is that he's still not the biggest Bellingham in world football.
00:45:25
Speaker
Job is amazing for Sunderland and hopefully one day Jude can reach his levels. It's absolutely insane. What could have been considering he was Irish and a draw?
00:45:39
Speaker
I was never a chance. Jesus, if you're that good, you ain't hanging around with us. We don't even have a manager. We barely have any C-suite people. And again, 46 minutes we got in before bringing the FAO into this. I'm just going to mention here that I'd love to see Potter in the earning jobs. And now we have all three in a matter of minutes. There we go. I asked, I'm Potter quickly. Just rule them out, please.
00:46:08
Speaker
Nate, just before we finish, home or away shirt for when Southgate is manager out United? I want to get you to Sunderland strip early. Away, please. Stunning. Gentlemen, my thanks to Nathan Byrne and Conor Glennon. It's been not a... It's been not a pundit. We'll chat again next week. Bye-bye.
00:46:35
Speaker
Messi! Messi! Oh my goodness! Italy! Acreiro! That is extraordinary! What a hit! What a hit! Back of the net.