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S1 E42 Crystal Palace review
13 Plays22 days ago
On today's episode Joe and Craig analyse the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace and try to diagnose what's going wrong for Villa
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Transcript
Aston Villa's Draw with Crystal Palace
00:00:05
Speaker
sports podcast network work
00:00:10
Speaker
Hello and welcome to today's episode of the Daily Villa Podcast as part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. My name is Joe Bean and I'm once again delighted to be joined by Craig Burtwhistle to talk all things Villa and we're once again going to be discussing a ah disappointing result I think which is It's becoming a really concerning regular occurrence on this podcast as Villa once again drop points at home in a two-wheel draw with Crystal Palace. So how are you coping with that, Craig? Coping is a good word, isn't it? It's, as you say, it's a new ah new norm for us at the moment, and hopefully we can rectify it soon. Absolutely, yeah, it's becoming, out like I say, a very concerning regular occurrence and something that we hopefully won't be doing but for too much longer.
00:00:59
Speaker
So, as I mentioned, it was a two-wheel draw against Palace. We went 1-0 down after Ismaila Saar sprinted beyond Ian Matts and matttson latched onto a ball from Mateta to slot the London side ahead. um Watkins then proceeded to equalise, rounding Dean Henderson in goal. Very composed finish from him. Good to see him back on the the score sheet as well.
00:01:22
Speaker
Palace went 2-1 up just before half time, a counter attack which is something again we're going to touch on a little bit later but it's something were we we look particularly vulnerable to in recent weeks and then Ross Barkley heading home to equalise and level up things and and that's how it finished too. Also what were your emotions Craig after the after the draw?
Defensive Concerns and Player Criticisms
00:01:44
Speaker
I really thought going into this game was the the rebirth, the reignition of our season. I thought it was a prime example of getting through the international break, coming in, playing against, and let's be honest, this Palace are a good team, but they're not the top of the Premier.
00:02:05
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So I really thought it was a golden opportunity for us to get three points, to get our season back on track. And it concerns me now going to a Chelsea team that could be dominant and when they have their best 11 out there. Chelsea are a very dangerous team and could be worrying times for Villa. Yeah, absolutely. I think it's a ah result that that feels almost as disappointing as the the Liverpool result before the international break, because it's a game that we looked at on paper that we should.
00:02:34
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we should be taking all three points from and I think at our best we do take all three points against Crystal Palace. I think that's what is the most kind of almost concerning thing is that the villa we're seeing in recent weeks hasn't been a villa at its best and trying to kind of diagnose why that might be is is proving quite difficult. um In terms of initial emotions for me, I think disappointment is the key word there. It wasn't necessarily frustration or or anger. It was just kind of knowing that we're not getting the most out of a lot of the quality that we have in the team. And I think that for me is the the kind of biggest um emotion after the the Palace draw. Moving on from that, kind of what what do you think your main points of concern were after the result? Were there any kind of glaring issues from that Palace game that you'd kind of like to touch on? Yeah, I know we're going to speak in more depth in a little bit, but
00:03:28
Speaker
For me, it seems like schoolboy errors that are being, especially especially at the back by proper professionals. And I've mentioned in the past about the chemistry of the team in the back line, and it just doesn't seem to be there at the moment. And it's also to the point now that I feel the more mature players in the team and the more experienced players in the team are not pulling the,
00:03:56
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the game up and we're having serious problems with players having poor games at the same time so like in the past where we could afford a baby having a poor performance because a tealiman pulls it out of the bag or Watkins plays badly, Duran comes on and lights up the show um but it seems like at the moment we're in a rut and struggling to get out of it. Yeah I completely agree I think it's you know, the the chemistry in the back four thing, it's something we've mentioned a lot on the podcast, but I think it's such a glaringly obvious kind of weakness in our game. um We saw a kind of once again, a change back line, particularly the full backs with Matson and Bogard coming in in those positions. What did what did you make of their performances? I'm really disappointed by Matson. I think he is not living up to the potential that I personally expected him to be. Luca Deen's been a
00:04:55
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go to this season has been on very good form, um not exactly sure what the reasoning was behind him being left out and the rotation there. I know Luca Dean played him in the international break, maybe looked a bit fatigued in training or what, this is me just surmising, but Madison just did not see him here. He didn't actually see him when he played in the cup as well.
00:05:19
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and I didn't bring it up then, but I haven't seen a good performance from him yet. And it's worrying yeah with the amount of money we paid for him and the experience we expected him to have after he's won eight with dorks.
00:05:33
Speaker
Yeah, I think it's it's a really weird one with Mattson because I think he's very much a a victim of both Luca Dean's kind of quality so far this season, but also the fact that kind of when players in particularly those defensive positions, I think where concentration and sharpness and focus is so important, you haven't got a consistent run of games and you kind of almost a bit part player coming in here and there as that kind of rotational option. I think mental sharpness is is something that you kind of do lack and obviously you know it's very much a case of when the opportunity comes you have to take it 100% but you know it's clear the quality that he has we saw it in his spells at Dortmund and obviously when he's kind of played on bit part loans during his time kind of at Chelsea so
00:06:17
Speaker
I think it's definitely a quality player in there. I think we necessarily haven't seen it because I would agree. I don't think there's a ah standout game or performance from Ian Mattson that kind of justifies the price we've paid for him yet. But I think he's seen as a long-term option and whether it's trying to bed him in in these rotational games, I'm not entirely sure whether that's the the answer, but I think whether it's just him pushing Luca Dean to be a a quality kind of first um choice for that role or whether he will step in and and kind of take over in in kind of months and and years to come is is really interesting. But I think it's definitely ah and an issue, I suppose, with Ian Mattson in a sense that we haven't seen the quality that we've maybe expect. um With Bogard on the other side, I think it's a ah really difficult one to judge, obviously didn't play the entire game.
00:07:06
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um But I think he there is a player in there for me. I think you can see some of the qualities that he has. But I think, again, it's it's really difficult to kind of um focus on Lamar Bogard. And we haven't we don't know what qualities he possesses necessarily. And we also so don't know whether right back is really his position. So I think, you know, we mentioned Nedulukovic as somebody who's probably slightly more suited to that role. But I think Bogard has a lot of qualities in that right back role that kind of maybe Emory season was kind of more than Nedulakovich in that position because I think if you were Nedulakovich you'd be you'd be asking some questions.
Strategic Issues and Recruitment Needs
00:07:45
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For me I feel that it's a
00:07:48
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It's a good performance from a set about playing right back yet again, and I don't know why we keep going down this road. um Like obviously, I've mentioned my frustrations with Kanza playing out on the right. I'm going to echo my frustrations now with Bogard. I don't think he had a bad game.
00:08:05
Speaker
by any stretch, I mean, don't think it was particularly good, either. I think he played as a very good right back for a centre backs role. And I just don't understand this logic. And that I'm going to start to be more critical of this team, because the performances deserve it now, to be perfectly honest, it's time to understand that this isn't necessarily a bleeping form. This is ah this is a bit of troublesome time that needs to be rectified quickly.
00:08:34
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and i think the fact in january it might be needed if he really doesn't trust an endler kovich right now if cash continuously gets injured and is not fit we need a write back desperately Yeah, we do, because as you say there, we can't keep necessarily making those excuses in terms of blips in form or or fatigue. I think we really have to start addressing specific issues and problems that we have. And I think Emery will be the first person hopefully to to kind of see those issues. But I think the right back role, as you mentioned, there is something we spoke about before. Do we have players that are suited to that role that are of a kind of a quality that Emery would would desire?
00:09:15
Speaker
That's a a very good question because Matti Cash, we haven't seen him consistently this season due to injury. Esri Khan's has filled in there and, as you said, probably looked okay for a centre-back doing that role. But, you know, that for me is a temporary one-two game thing. If your right back's injured for a couple of weeks, it can't be a ah more permanent kind of um tactical change playing a centre-back or right back because, as we we've seen, it just does not work in in this system. so I think that's definitely the first kind of port of call for for any January recruitment and I think there will be more across the the space of the squad that but hopefully Emory and the recruitment team will be looking at. We're going to be back to discuss the result in further detail after a short message courtesy of Zencaster.
00:10:05
Speaker
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00:10:42
Speaker
Welcome back and a concerning trend in recent weeks is kind of coming and conceding goals from counter-attacks and against the team like Palace that have so much pace going forward we saw that in both their goals really the kind of the speed that they had going forward in transition.
Defensive Tactics and Vulnerabilities
00:10:59
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Were you surprised by how little cover we seem to leave back in defensive areas during those Palace transitions?
00:11:06
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extremely surprised because before the international break we played against Liverpool and we were atrocious in defending the counter-attack and after hearing Unai
00:11:22
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contemplate in this game for many many many many many days over the course of the international break thinking that when we came back this would have been addressed and it obviously wasn't we were far too out of position in the first goal in particular The Palace didn't didn't necessarily just win the ball and then counter. They had the ball for enough time where we could have got defensive shape but but back to position. There was a black ball from their left centre back at the time that split two different pairs of Aston Villa to get to Saar in the beginning. And then Saar, Mattson didn't stand a chance against Saar. He got in caught on the wrong shoulder.
00:12:04
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Sar just ran straight past him, cut across his his line where now he was either going to have to bring him down or let him go. And once he went past him, it was a good finish, to be fair, and Martinez couldn't do much about that at that point. But the ball should have been cut out from there. It's gone from the defensive third all the way past the halfway line, where they're centre forward, who should have been be marked at that time, because there was plenty of time to re-establish shape. He took the ball,
00:12:33
Speaker
and went straight to goal and it again seemed like scoreboard schoolboy defending and it's very extremely disappointing for a team like Villa to be conceding that and one of the things i'm starting to get from this with us talking about injuries and everything like that i feel like now we're understanding we have a good 11 and that's about it we really fought going into this season we had good strength in depth but i'm not seeing it there's too many players that are being inconsistent and are still starting games that don't have to be aren't being challenged enough for for a change to happen.
00:13:11
Speaker
Yeah, I think there's some some really kind of really good points there, some food for Emory, definitely. in terms of those kind of you know we We hear a lot when when people speak about this this Emory Villa side of that high line and that offside trap, and it works so well for large parts of last season. We seem to be catching we had record stats in catching teams offside. It was a high risk, high reward kind of system that really seemed to work.
00:13:35
Speaker
Do you think it's potentially a case of but us being found out in that? You mentioned there the space we leave in behind when we play that highlight. ah teams Do you think teams have got Emery's number in that respect? I think there's two ways of looking at it in the fact that one,
00:13:52
Speaker
um teams do are more familiar with us. They have a game plan going into the game, but also to to operate such a high line, you have to have an exceptional understanding between roles and responsibilities of that back line. And what with this chopping and changing of all the players and the the transition of speed. Whereas for example, if I'm playing as a center back alongside Diego Carlos, or I'm playing on ah on the other side, I'm next to Kansa. It's two different responsibilities. It's about understanding how he's going to read the game, how he's going to read the game. So when Torres is playing at the moment, he's played with so many different partnerships at the moment that it does cloud judgment.
00:14:40
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and when that clouded judgement happens it only takes half a step for that player to now be on side and when you're operating such a heavy high line where everyone needs to be on form, which we were last season, it's going to leave vulnerability on the outside.
00:14:55
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but it's not just the high line that's the issue it's the fact that when you're defending a counter attack it's not about defending on the middle of the field it's not about defending on the back line it's about defending the ball you basically have five seconds once you lose the ball to squeeze and apply pressure because otherwise if you don't get it within those five seconds the heads go up and the vision gets expanded so once you get to that point now they can spray the field now they can get forward And that's when it becomes worrisome. So that's one of the biggest issues at the moment for the villa. I think it's the consistency between the players. It's also about the fact that teams now are going in
00:15:38
Speaker
knowing how Villa are going to operate and I've been extremely positive about this for the team and extremely positive about Unai Emery but I do want to see a a plan B as well I want to see how we can take care of teams by going full throttle not always a methodological attempt that we are famous for with our play slow passing possession and and gradual build-up And also a case of now when we do need to defend, let's get numbers behind the ball and then look to counter because as ah as a as a coach myself, I feel that counter-attacking teams can be very entertaining teams as well.
Need for Tactical Flexibility
00:16:19
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Palace showed us that. Palace were entertaining by hitting on the counter-attack. So I think Villa do need a plan B as well. Yeah, I completely agree. I think, you know, we've seen kind of
00:16:30
Speaker
We know what Emery's plan A is. We know how he likes to play football. We know the way that he's going to set this team up tactically. But what I don't think we've seen necessarily is the the kind of the ability to to show that resilience and and change it and have that that different style of playing, whether that is a more direct style, whether it's slowing things down, dropping a little bit deeper and looking to kind of draw teams in. You know, that there needs to be some sort of, I think, change for for when that doesn't work, because I do think we are a team where you kind of you you play against Villa and you know what to expect, you know, we're going to try and dominate the ball, you know, we're going to move it round with that slow possession style of football. And it's great when it works, but when it doesn't, and when teams realize that's how we're going to play and recognize that early and set up to counter that, you know, we've we've spoken before about
00:17:17
Speaker
when teams sit deep we we struggle to break them down that's been evidence since kind of last season's conference league games even and and the fact that those kind of issues are still still somewhat there now is is a little bit concerning for me in the sense that those things haven't been addressed by emory and his coaching team and i'm hoping that this kind of this kind of vulnerability to counter attacks doesn't fall in that same vein and it's something that we're talking about in three or four months time when we're still getting hit on the counter and teams are coming against Villa knowing that they can sit deep and then hit us on the brake with pace because our line is so high. So hopefully those are things that get addressed in the the not too distant future because I think teams are knowing exactly how to kind of beat us at the moment, which is which is quite worrying.
Team Morale and Player Form
00:18:03
Speaker
Another big talking point from the game is the penalty that we haven't mentioned as of yet that was saved just before Palace scored their second goal. Yuri Tilleman's putting the ball to Dean Henderson's left and a good one handed save from him. Was there much wrong with that penalty for you and if so do you think that the the penalty had a kind of mental effect on the squad leading up to the ah to Palace's second goal?
00:18:28
Speaker
Yeah, as in the technique of the penalty, was it was poor. There wasn't much pace on the ball and it's also in that sweet spot of where a goalkeeper can make a save. When you hit the bottom low bottom bottom corner ah or you hit the top corner, a keeper has to stretch. When you hit like that middle range that was like ah hands hand height basically once he dived it it was always going to be saved because there was enough pace on the ball if the keeper goes the right way he's going to get a hand to it so Tealamans as someone who wants to take penalties is being was very disappointed by hitting that ball so so poorly to be perfectly honest yeah i completely agree i think you know
00:19:12
Speaker
He doesn't strike it with any real power. He didn't strike it at all with any sort of placement. It seemed just kind of, I didn't know whether he was trying to kind of almost pass it in. We've seen a kind of growing trend with penalty takers, trying to pass the ball into the net. It's never been something I've particularly ah been been pro. I think, you know, keep it low and hit it really hard. That's very much how I.
00:19:34
Speaker
would take a penalty if I was in in in those shoes. Were you slightly surprised that it wasn't quite that it was Tealumens that was taking the penalty when, you know, there were ah probably ah probably other players on the pitch that would have wanted it?
00:19:48
Speaker
What's always amazed me ah from being a kid and onwards, if you're a striker, you're bread and butter scoring goals and you want to be on the top of the charts and everything like that. So why does a striker not want to take a shot from 12 yards out, a free shot against a keeper? I've never understood why Ali Watkins doesn't want to take a penalty.
00:20:10
Speaker
It doesn't make any sense to me at all. Um, Tealemons, I wasn't surprised that he was going to take it because I know once Douglas Louise left, it kind of seemed like Tealemons was like a penalty quote unquote specialist. So I wasn't surprised that he took it. I was very surprised by the technique he showed when taking it. a He did a very small run up. It seemed like a nonchalant penalty, if you will. And, uh,
00:20:39
Speaker
Yeah, it was very disappointing. And as I say, I don't understand why Stryker does not want to take a penalty. Yeah, I completely agree. I don't know whether it's a confidence thing or a mentality thing, or maybe they're just that the Tealemans is the designated penalty taker. And he's been a player that's been pretty, pretty strong so far this season. So it was a, it almost felt like a bit of a shame when the kind of technique on the penalty, uh, what wasn't, wasn't great at all, really. And hence the, the save from Henderson, another player that struggled.
00:21:09
Speaker
and that we've spoken about quite a lot on the podcast is Leon Bailey. He was dispossessed more than any other player in the starting 11 and he failed to make an accurate cross or a successful dribble with zero from three on both those stats according to Fotmov. Is it time to drop Leon Bailey? Yes, 100% yes. I feel um he's been given much of a chance now to work his way out of this problem that he's having.
00:21:37
Speaker
He's not the Bayley that we saw last season. I don't know if it's part of the reason that he doesn't feel challenged, that he's not getting pushed enough like competition for places and everything like that. I know D'Arby leaving was a bit of a hit for Villa and I know that Unai didn't really want to play both of them in the team at the same time. So it was a case of if one was performing, the other one was, was in. So it wasn't necessary that they were fighting for the same position, but they were fighting for starting against each other. I think it's time to give Philogene a good couple of games run in the team. He showed promise, hasn't delivered in every game. I'll be perfectly honest. it So I understand why he hasn't been favored like
00:22:23
Speaker
The filigene that played against Bayern Munich was fantastic. The filigene that played against him switch wasn't. um So it's... it's I can understand the reasoning but it's not working with Bailey out there so something has to change and I think as well a couple of weeks on the bench maybe give him 20 minutes to run out when needed maybe that will light a fire up him because something's not right at the moment I don't know whether there's something in his personal life that's that's hampering him I don't know if it's
00:22:55
Speaker
the fact that he's just not feeling it at the moment or it's just literally bad luck but it's been too long now since we've seen a Baili performance and correct me if I'm wrong Joe, I haven't seen a performance this season where I've said you know Baili did well today.
00:23:10
Speaker
No, I completely agree and I think there's a a phrase you use there that I think could be applied to a lot of this team and it's light the fire up inside them because I think that for me would would sum up quite well some of our recent performances. There doesn't look to be that fire, there doesn't look to be that spark in this team that we saw for the parts of last season and I think Bailey is kind of a ah personification of that. He doesn't seem to to want to take players on, he doesn't seem to be driving forward with the ball, he doesn't seem to have that that flair about his game that we've seen and I think that that Filigene does need a chance. I completely agree in that he's not being consistent at all but but neither is Bailey in that role and I think that in terms of if you looked at performances this season and said Bailey or Filigene who has been better I think you probably opt for Filigene based off some of the the moments and um and games that we've seen him play and you know you think the buying game where he was excellent and yes you know he hasn't performed in every game as you say but I think it's
00:24:08
Speaker
It's definitely time for a change on that side now because I think Leon Bailey just looks completely out of ideas, out of options and and doesn't have that ah kind of fire or that spark. He looks lethargic, he looks kind of... Yeah, it's just not the Leon Bailey that we're kind of accustomed to seeing in in that Villa squad. So hopefully something changes in that regard on that side. Otherwise that could potentially be another position ah when recruiting that we we maybe look to strengthen it.
00:24:37
Speaker
And we're going to be back after a message from the Global Sports Podcast Network.
00:24:46
Speaker
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00:25:14
Speaker
Welcome back and to try and lift the mood now, we're going to be looking at potential standout performances amongst that Villa side. Were there any players that kind of but stole the show, I suppose, for you in that in that team? I don't know about stole the show. I don't think there was anyone that really stood out for magnificent reasons. I thought Watkins took his goal very nicely. I think he did well in that regard.
00:25:40
Speaker
Um, I would also say McGinn had a decent showing and Barkley as well. For me, I think Barkley out of all the Villa players was the best player, but it was certainly wasn't a performance that would be like, Oh my gosh, Ross Barkley was amazing. Um, it was decent. And, but here's the thing. I felt like from the game, we went into it, expecting three points. And I think truth be told, it was a fair result.
00:26:09
Speaker
Yeah, I completely agree. I think on the the kind of looking at how the game went, the chances that were had, I think the draw was a completely fair result. And I also think the players you highlighted there, Ross Barkley, I think for me was probably the the the player that stood out the most. I think that he he kind of almost took that opportunity. And I think whenever we have seen him, he has looked decent. He's a goal threat from midfield. He's somebody that that has a little bit of creative spark in there, which is which is, you know, it's it's kind of the, what we've maybe lacked in that midfield. So I think he stands out. And I also think, as you say, it was really nice to see Ollie Watkins back on the score sheet. I think it's exactly what he needed. And he kind of took the goal as if he was a striker full of confidence, taking it round the keeper and then kind of slotting in. That's the Watkins that we we we know and love. so
00:26:59
Speaker
Hopefully there's more of that to come in in the next few weeks because as I say, we know the quality that he does have and it's just hopefully being able to show it on ah on a more consistent basis. And looking ahead now, looking kind of forward to Champions League football, where do we go from here with Juventus looming on the horizon?
00:27:18
Speaker
Well, Villa Park needs to be rocking first and I expect it will be. There's something about a Champions League game that will motivate our fans in regard to the wide performances they've gone recently. And I think the Villa Park faithful can really help us get out of this because we've got some players in that team that are big time players that turn up for those big events.
00:27:44
Speaker
some of which need to understand that like a game against Crystal Palace, for prime example, is a game where you need to get up for as well. But I think a good rocking Villa Park crowd on Saturday, on Wednesday, uh, could really help the team motivate. And if we were able to get anything out of that game, which I'm very skeptical at the moment, but if we were able to get anything or even just a good performance, that might be the key to actually getting back on forming the league then as well.
00:28:14
Speaker
Absolutely. I think it's a it's a shame because I think if this game came probably a month or so ago, we'd be looking at it going, this is a game that we would we'd love to win and we would take a draw. Whereas now it does feel like we would kind of, we'd take anything and anything would be great because of recent performances.
Looking Ahead to Juventus Game
00:28:31
Speaker
I think that, as you say there, it's a a game that we we we need Villa Park maybe more than at any point this season because we're in a slump and we know how kind of good the the atmospheres have been at Villa Park, particularly in the Champions League. They've kind of pulled out all the stops to try and make it as exhilarating an atmosphere as possible. and I don't think that can be any different on Wednesday.
00:28:53
Speaker
I expect a really, really tough game. I expect maybe a different kind of game to the the the club bruise game because I expect Juventus to come here and expect a win. They're going to play expansive football, they're going to look to open us up and a bit of positive a bit of positivity and optimism, I suppose, is that those are the games that we tend to play quite well in, with probably the exception of Liverpool. So I'm hoping that they come, they try and play really beautiful, expansive football, and we knock it between them and score and hopefully win the game, because I think that would be such a ah huge morale boost for for players and the supporters. And I think that would be exactly what we need going into some really, really difficult games in the league. So fingers crossed, we can ah we can do Juventus at Villa Park.
00:29:38
Speaker
and I'm sure we'll have a ah preview coming for that one probably tomorrow. So that wraps up this episode of the Daily Villa Podcast. Thanks to Craig for joining me as ever. Be sure to get in touch across all the socials that you can find in the podcast description. This has been a global sports podcast production. Thank you for listening and of the Villa.
00:30:01
Speaker
ah the villa