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Emery claims Villa are Lazy - Does washing your dirty linen in public ever work?
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:00:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Welcome, welcome, welcome everybody to the Daily Premier League podcast. My name's Ken Davis. His name is Convict 1673 of Her Majesty's Prison, Derby.
00:00:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
How are you doing, Nick?
00:00:26
Nick Britten
I'm very well, thank you very much. How are you? And yeah, I'm not going lay miserably.
00:00:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:00:32
Nick Britten
That was a good convict number, but not even the right
00:00:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that's an interesting topic, Wayne. Are you joining the EU ah yourself or...?
00:00:40
Nick Britten
one. No, no, it's got nothing to with EU. Nothing to do with EU, everything to do with U2 T-shirt.
00:00:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
um
00:00:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Fair enough. so Well, thank you, everybody, as well, for joining us, and particularly those who make listening to Daily Premier League podcast part of their daily listening routine. You can find us wherever you get your podcasts.
00:00:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, you know that, or you wouldn't found us. Anyway, make your please subscribe. Leave us a rating. Generally joining the fun. Just... Good to have you around. There's three things want to talk about today.
League Cup Round Three Results
00:01:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Firstly, we saw the the end of round three of the League Cup with four teams from the Premier League in action last night.
00:01:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
I just want have a quick overview of those. ah Second thing that kind of pricks my ears up... um Unai Emery calling his players lazy.
00:01:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, is that ever a good thing? Does that ever work? Is that indicative that things are going off the rails at Villa Park? exactly what's going on there. like your view on that, Nick.
00:01:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
And thirdly, look ahead to a couple of games coming up at the weekend, which I think are going to be a particularly interesting watch. But there's some breaking news today, Nick, you were telling me as we ah joined the yeah join the podcast. A couple of things that might be worth just commenting on first.
William Saliba's Arsenal Signing
00:01:59
Nick Britten
Yes, first of all, William Saliba has signed a new five-year deal at Arsenal today, which will keep him at the Emirates until 2030. He still had a couple of years on his existing deal, but Real Madrid and others were already starting to sniff around. So I think for Saliba's sake, but particularly for Arsenal's sake, to protect their assets and ah the financial side of things, he's got a nice far new contract. So well done, Tim.
00:02:26
Nick Britten
Important signing for Arsenal. He's become their kind of go-to centre-half with Gabriel. And it's good i good news for them that they've managed to get him to sign and get over the line.
00:02:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, definitely. He's great player. Absolutely top player. ah One of greatest central defenders of the Premier League era, really. I think he's ah he's he's he's a great asset to them. And they've done...
00:02:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, it's good that they've taken a proactive approach to that and actually kind of got their man kind of
Wayne Rooney's Personal Struggles
00:02:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
tied down.
00:02:55
Nick Britten
Early, yeah. Yeah, nice and early, yeah.
00:02:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, and Wayne Rooney which spit has been opening up about his his fight when he was a player with the Demon Drink.
00:03:07
Nick Britten
Yeah, this was all over it been all over the news here in the UK today. it' was all over the breakfast channels and the news. had been all over the papers. ah Today, Rayne Rooney talking to his former teammate Rio Ferdinand in his podcast, talking about his struggles with alcohol when he was playing and saying that he believes that had it not been for his wife, Colleen, he'd be dead, which is quite a stark admission. He said that they he would have a a two-day bender after gait where he would just drink solidly for two days.
00:03:38
Nick Britten
And then he said he would use chewing gum and eye drops ah to cover up his heavy drinking when he went back into training.
00:03:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because that always covers up an alcoholic, doesn't it? Always. Never fails to work.
00:03:48
Nick Britten
Well, do you know what? i i can get I can get chewing gum. Yeah, I can get that. But I'm not sure about eye drops because they don't taste nice and they're not really going to help with your breath.
00:03:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, Rooney, to be honest, used to chew the eye drops and put the chewing gum in his eyes.
00:03:59
Nick Britten
But hang on.
00:04:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
That was the big giveaway.
00:04:06
Nick Britten
Maybe he's going wrong. But there is a nice little... Listen, I'm a massive fan of Wayne Moody. And I saw, when was working with him at Derby, I saw firsthand just the pressure that he's under, just relentless pressure from people you know people wanting to know stuff about him and stories about him. And it just never, ever goes away. It's a 24-hour kind of circus that surrounds him in a lot of ways. he's really, really nice guy.
00:04:29
Nick Britten
And I'm a big fan of him, big fan of his wife. And there's a lovely quote in his comments to Rio Ferdinand. saying we're two kids from Croxteth and then we grew up together and obviously we started dating we got married our kids but when I was 17 she could see she knew my mind she knew I was a bit out there she's seen it very early on and she's helped me control that massively and I think that's just a really nice quote uh from from you know two people who who've been obviously in love since they were very very young and I wish Wayne all the best it's good to see him
00:05:01
Nick Britten
on Match of the Day over here in the UK and other kind of TV punditry and making ah making his way in the world for that. Management really hasn't worked out for him, has
00:05:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, not at all. But we do like him. We do respect him. Great, great player. Hope all these things are behind him.
League Cup Highlights Recap
00:05:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
But just yeah just to comment on Colleen Rooney, it's not the first time recently that she's come out of things looking like a bit of a heroine and looking and looking like a very, very much a class act.
00:05:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think Colleen Rooney is is everything you could wish for, i think, in a supportive matrimonial partner. And very luckily, we both share that.
00:05:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Not the same one, obviously, but we both have one.
00:05:43
Nick Britten
ah order to that Stop talking now, please. Just stop talking because I don't know where you're going with this.
00:05:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, e let's let's let's move on. Let's move on to the yeah the games last night. Huddersfield 0-2, Man City 2, Newcastle 4-1, that was good. ah Spurs 3-0, Doncaster 0 and Port Vale 0-2. We predicted there'd be no mishaps. We didn't see any Badana skins.
00:06:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
There weren't any. Any particular any particular ah games or performances of note for you?
00:06:11
Nick Britten
think there's couple of things to note from all of that. It was, as you say, very routine, but notable in the fact that Eberici Eze scored his first goal for Arsenal.
00:06:22
Nick Britten
So that's good. i might Hopefully the first...
00:06:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nice finish as well.
00:06:25
Nick Britten
Yeah, it was. Yeah, that's cool. Calm. Cool, calm, collected finish. And also, St Jesus' Park, when Newcastle beat Bradford 4-1, two goals for William... Sorry, I've got William Saliba on the brain because I writing stuff about his contract.
00:06:39
Nick Britten
William Asula. Now, we've been talking a lot, haven't we, on this podcast around Newcastle's lack of striking options and lack of goals and everything. And I've said i've sort of beaten the drum a little bit for Asula, saying that he should be getting ahead of Anthony Gordon, in my opinion, in that number nine slot, whilst Volta Marder is getting up to speed and Wiss is injured.
00:06:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:07:02
Nick Britten
It was good to see playing last night and good to see him score a couple of goals. and I think he puts himself in Eddie Howe's thoughts, ahead of the game on Sunday. so yeah, a couple of bits of from last night's games that caught my eye.
00:07:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, they definitely need to have more of a threat against Arsenal. ah So, yeah, it's good to see that. That game just came at the right time for Newcastle, I think. ah They needed a really solid performance with lot of goals.
League Cup Fourth Round Draw
00:07:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
They got it, and it stands them in good stead for a very interesting game coming up, which we may well talk about later on. so So that leaves the fourth round draw as following. And Nick, I'd be interested in any any highlight games that you might set might feature. And there's ah there's an obvious one, of course.
00:07:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Arsenal against Brighton. Grimsby against Brentford. Swansea against Man City. Newcastle against Spurs. And obviously the big one. Wrexham versus Cardiff. ah Liverpool against Palace.
00:07:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Wolves against Chelsea. And Wickham against Fulham. Obviously, apart from the the big Welsh derby, anything else there that really takes your eye?
00:08:05
Nick Britten
I mean, one game absolutely leaps out of the page as an absolute cracker. And that's Wiccan be fun. ah No, it isn't that one. Newcastle-Tottenham is the big game of that round, I think. And it should be ah really, really entertaining, goal-fuelled, fast-paced game.
00:08:26
Nick Britten
Newcastle are holders up against a new look Tottenham and a new feel Tottenham. It'll be ah a challenge. I think it'll be a close game. But I think it's arguably the pick of the round. There are some, obviously, all-in-the-league ties.
00:08:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Liverpool, Palace is going to be going to be a game. I mean, Palace have held it together so well. Glasner is such a great manager. Liverpool, vulnerable.
00:08:48
Nick Britten
Yeah.
00:08:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
I really think they're vulnerable still.
00:08:49
Nick Britten
I think... Yeah, it's well, it's a difficult one, though, because I think my natural instinct would be to say if Palace were at home, it would give more of a chance. But I don't think that's the case. i think the Palace are better away from home than are.
00:09:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly.
00:09:01
Nick Britten
But Liverpool are, I sense, hitting their stride little bit. And i think they'll just be too strong. I don't know. i mean, i like i I'd like Palace to win that game.
00:09:13
Nick Britten
It'll be good.
00:09:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well,
00:09:14
Nick Britten
It'll be good for football and good for Palace.
Wrexham vs. Cardiff Discussion
00:09:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
at the weekend, it's the return fixture.
00:09:16
Nick Britten
And...
00:09:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
We've got Palace against Liverpool at the weekend.
00:09:20
Nick Britten
Yes.
00:09:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
So that will be an interesting game.
00:09:21
Nick Britten
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:09:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Okay. So as we know, in football, pays the case to see team selection, right? Here at Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery partner. And we chose Zencastr because Zencastr makes it easy to bring your vision to life, share it with others and your audience, wherever they may be.
00:09:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
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00:09:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
We chose them and we don't regret it for a moment.
00:10:03
Nick Britten
We don't.
00:10:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okie dokie. So... ah
00:10:16
Nick Britten
Let me ask you something, Ken. before we can Before we get on with this podcast, let me ask something from my hotel room in Motherwell, Scotland, where I am at the moment. It's a beautiful day. I was out but i was out in Edinburgh this morning, right?
00:10:27
Nick Britten
was out Edinburgh. and it was I had to take both my coat and my jump off. It was so hot. It was T-shirt weather. It was absolutely glorious in Edinburgh today.
00:10:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's not that here.
00:10:36
Nick Britten
It was very nice. Yeah, no, it's really, really warm. And it's quite as nice in motherland as well. It's not often you can say that because once you head over to the West Coast, the rain normally comes. But there we are. Now, was going to ask you, as a Wrexham fan who have drawn Cardiff in the next round of the Carabao Cup, would you rather, because, I mean, we're we're kind of approaching, you know, core the final stages and serious, you know, serious business in this car back.
00:10:59
Nick Britten
Would you rather be drawing a team like Cardiff, which is a very winnable game, but quite frankly, a dull fixture, and a difficult game? It is a dull fixture. Two teams from the same league is never a good thing in a cup competition.
00:11:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
They're not in the same league.
00:11:12
Nick Britten
Or... Huh?
00:11:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
They went down last year.
00:11:15
Nick Britten
Oh, no, they went down, didn't they? Yeah, they're in League One now.
00:11:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
We swapped places.
00:11:17
Nick Britten
I mean, forgot about that, yeah.
00:11:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, they're they're not happy about that still.
00:11:20
Nick Britten
they are talking... Yeah, they've had good start though, haven't yeah that
00:11:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, until now.
00:11:24
Nick Britten
Yeah. Okay. Well, they're broadly, I mean, they're good they're as good as a championship team, really, in reality. ah And Rexham are as good as a championship team in reality as well. i But no, I'll say, would you rather would you rather than now, because wants a home tie against one of the big glamour clubs and a big draw and all that, or actually, would you rather do what Rexham have been doing this season, and it' sneaking through in the back door with games against lowly clubs?
00:11:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I want Grimm to be at home next round. We can win this. I mean, this that's what is destined.
00:11:56
Nick Britten
No, you can't. No, you can't. can't really. and
00:11:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
excuse that That's what's going to be, if we're not going up this year, and we're not going up this year, maybe the whole Disney kind of, the Disney series is going to be underpinned with our amazing legal victory.
00:12:18
Nick Britten
No, well, that's not to happen. But I just, yeah, I just, so you so you're quite happy just playing rubbish teams, as as you have done so far, and sneak your way into the latter reaches the competition.
00:12:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
We want get as far as we can.
Unai Emery's Player Criticism
00:12:30
Nick Britten
Yeah, I'd agree with that.
00:12:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
want to get right I don't want to come up against Liverpool away and lose 3-0 and say, oh, that was that then.
00:12:32
Nick Britten
Yeah, I'd agree
00:12:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Let's move on. No. I want us to get into the winning mentality. I want us to play as many games as we can win because it's going in the league. That would be my that be my view on it.
00:12:45
Nick Britten
with that.
00:12:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, point two.
00:12:48
Nick Britten
Fair enough.
00:12:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Point two. Unai Emery calls his players lazy. ah Now, This confused me, and I'd like your view on it. easy Is that smart management?
00:13:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Is that dumb management? Is that just indicative of pressure? ah what's What's going on there?
00:13:11
Nick Britten
Well, let's see what he said first of all. So after Villa's draw... on Saturday away Sunderland, which isn't the worst result in the world, let's face it, but they did play most of the game with a man up.
00:13:26
Nick Britten
Sunderland got a man set off fairly early.
00:13:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:13:29
Nick Britten
ah Yeah, he clearly wasn't happy. He'd stormed down the tunnel ah before the final whistle had actually been blown. And he came out afterwards and said, we were lazy sometimes in defence.
00:13:42
Nick Britten
When we conceded, we were lazy. I'm never sure kind of where the balance sits with this. Because i quite there's nothing wrong with him saying that, if that's what he thinks.
00:13:53
Nick Britten
Nothing wrong with that. Equally, do you keep these things behind closed doors? I don't think it's the worst thing to say. think i think he wasn't he he didn't come out and say, that was terrible, my players are lazy.
00:14:04
Nick Britten
They're lazy, they're not working hard enough, they're disgrace. He just said our defending was lazy. That's a slightly different kind of connotation. There's there's there's subtlety, there shades of grey in there.
00:14:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it's it lazy is a word that that implies not bothering, not caring, not being bothered. Players hate that because that questions their professional standards.
00:14:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's ah it's ah It's quite an insult, really, to professional football player to say we, even as a collective group, are lazy.
00:14:34
Nick Britten
Yes, Esri Conte came out as you'd expect him to do, said, yep, i can't understand what I managed to say now, I back it. he's not He's never, ever, ever, ever going to say anything else other than that.
00:14:44
Nick Britten
But there are signs of discontent starting to grow over the park now, aren't there?
00:14:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
yes
00:14:49
Nick Britten
The storm clouds are well and truly gathered. There are stories reporting... sort of leaking out the club and being reported, whether a true or not, nobody knows, but but they're being reported that he's fallen out with four senior players.
00:15:01
Nick Britten
There are reports linking in with Manchester United now. Obviously, we talked about Monke going, one of his key allies at the club 48 hours ago. it just feels like this story is gathering pace.
00:15:15
Nick Britten
And you know what it's like, Ken, when stories like this gather pace. They inevitably end up with one thing and one thing only. So... I don't know. It just sort of adds fuel to the fire a little bit, that he's not happy, that he's fallen out of his players, that he's not pleased with what he's seeing on the pitch. It just adds to that kind of sense that all is not well at Villa Park.
00:15:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
i I think this has been... looking this way for a few weeks. I remember doing ah an episode with you a few weeks ago where we're talking about potential managers on the hot seat and we were talking about Emery then and and it was a real, I mean, it was ah it was a long shot, but there were just signs in the wind even then that things weren't going well and there's been nothing since to make me or you, I don't think, think that things are improving.
00:16:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
If anything, they're getting worse.
00:16:08
Nick Britten
Yep, be fair, you called that. i was kind of little I was giving him a little bit more slack, really, and saying, well, I've just got off to a bit of an iffy start. It'll be fine. But when you see him say that, when you see these stories that are starting to knock around, it just yeah just sort of sets ah a bit of a darker narrative
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00:16:26
Nick Britten
to it all. So,
00:16:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
do
00:16:27
Nick Britten
Yeah, all all is not well at Bidder, but you know what? A good win at the weekend and everybody's forgotten about it and everybody moves
00:16:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's true. Final thing on the lazy thing. Actually, these players aren't lazy. They weren't lazy last year. In fact, they were the opposite of lazy last year. If they're lazy now, that's a motivational issue.
00:16:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's actually on the manager. So it's it's kind of, I see where he's coming from, but if you really analyze you know a lack of motivation, which is what he's really talking about, ah that's on his desk as much as anyone else's.
00:17:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
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Global Sports Podcast Network
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Premier League Weekend Preview
00:17:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
your first order
00:17:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, looking ahead to the week to come, ah the weekend to come. Won't go through all the fixtures. You can read them wherever you get your fixtures from. ah Just ah thought it might be worth pulling out a couple of interesting games, the ones that really caught our eye. Probably make some predictions on those games.
00:18:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nick, is there particular game you're looking forward to most?
00:18:20
Nick Britten
ah Yeah, I think the one looking forward to most is on Sunday afternoon, it's the half-fus-four game, it's Newcastle versus Arsenal. the main reason is, ah know I know we're only a few weeks into the season, but we're already feeling there's rather critical phase of the season where Arsenal can't really afford to drop many more points, which I know sounds absurd at this very, very early stage of the season. But Liverpool are already five points ahead.
00:18:45
Nick Britten
And if the current trend carries on and they get to... nine, ten points ahead by November, early December. You can almost write the title off there and then.
00:18:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're not giving Liverpool a 10-point head start and winning.
00:18:59
Nick Britten
No. No, correct. I mean, ah you know, five points is going to be hard enough, but at least they've still got to play each other. So Arsenal have got to change that mindset that they showed up at Anfield and go out and attack them more than they did up there recently. And I just wonder like what the Arsenal state of mind is at the moment about that and and whether or not They feel that they need to go out and all guns blazing because Newcastle is going to be a very hard game.
00:19:23
Nick Britten
And if they get nothing out of that or even a point out of that and Liverpool continue to win and they've won every game that they've played so far, they've got a very, well, they've got tough game this weekend at Palace, I think.
00:19:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
They've got tough game this weekend.
00:19:37
Nick Britten
Yeah, tough game. It's difficult place to go and win and and But you kind go expect them to win now but just because of the good start had to the season. And they are seem to be getting better. They do seem playing well. I thought their first 20 minutes against Everton last weekend were really, really good. You look at them going, yeah, OK, they're really on it now.
00:19:57
Nick Britten
So I think for Arsenal it becomes a very important game. But for Newcastle, it's similarly very, very important game. Because Newcastle need to start a winning games, but also be beating these big sides if they're going to demonstrate to their supporters that they are serious Champions League contenders. Now,
00:20:15
Nick Britten
It's not been an ideal start for them because of the Alexander-Isak thing. We've talked about that in the last couple of days. fact, we were talking about it on yesterday's podcast around the difficulty for Eddie Howe with signing Valtavar and Wiss are so late.
00:20:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:20:30
Nick Britten
Wiss is injured and Valtavar is just getting up to speed. So it won't be an easy game, but it is a game. But I don't think Newcastle will want to... take well The Newcastle fans, despite what's going on, will not take Kylie to losing it. again so it's a big game in lots of different ways. That, that for me, is arguably the the game of the week. But one more, if I may, very briefly, on the basis that we've just been talking about it.
00:20:54
Nick Britten
If Villa lose at home to Fulham, that's going to...
00:20:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Could that be it?
00:21:01
Nick Britten
Yeah, it's one of those type of results, isn't it? So two very interesting games on Sunday.
00:21:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:21:06
Nick Britten
What about you?
00:21:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah Well, it's one that jumps out of me, and it's not perhaps the most eye-catching at first glance, but I think it is quite eye-catching, which is Forest against Sunderland.
00:21:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
and Ange has had a ropey start at Forest. He's played for one non, drawn two, lost two. We're talking across all competitions there.
00:21:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
he had He kind of threw away a victory in Europe this week, really. There's still this narrative, I think, with Ange that he's too easy to score against.
00:21:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
And, you know, I know he's an attacking, you know, positively minded coach. We all like his personality and stuff. But I just wonder whether it's really suited to the Premier League.
00:21:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Sunderland look full of beans. You know, they've they've that if' had one defeat in five. Nobody expected it to go this well. Now, obviously, um Stadium of Light is something of a fortress.
00:22:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
I wouldn't be at all surprised if Sunderland turned Forrest over. Sunderland are hard to score against. ah Obviously, they haven't got Ray Nildo, who you got the red card at the weekend, who's been very good at left back. he was good He's a good sign in that line.
00:22:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah So that is going to make shake things up a little bit, force some changes ah at the back. But... sir Yeah, I think there's... I wouldn't say there's anything riding on it for Sunderland in this game.
00:22:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know, if they lose this game, they lose this game. But I think the mood at Forest is going to be pretty glum if they don't get a victory. Because victories for Forest, have been they've won the first game of the season.
00:22:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Since then, they've been extremely ordinary. So I'm looking forward to it.
00:23:01
Nick Britten
yeah Yeah, that's maybe you being a bit harsh. I think they should have.
00:23:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah I like being Arch on Forest.
00:23:07
Nick Britten
Yeah, knew you did. I think they probably should have come away with Burnley, from Burnley with three points. They were theyre unfortunate to get three points. Dubravka made a couple of really good saves late on in that game. They should have won last night against Real Betis.
00:23:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
you
00:23:21
Nick Britten
They were two and up with five minutes to go when Anthony, you remember him? Former Manchester United player.
00:23:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:23:27
Nick Britten
couldn't hit a barn door with a man who came up.
00:23:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Money at 90 could do with him, couldn't there?
00:23:30
Nick Britten
Yeah, yeah, yeah. He he got the equaliser. But prior to that, Forrest had again or three chances. They hit a post. They were quite close. So, they yeah, they may just be feeling, look, and all teams go through this, don't they? They go through periods where they play well and the ball's just not quite going in the net and it's off the defender's backside or hits a post or just great saves.
00:23:50
Nick Britten
Things aren't quite going your way. ah don't think it's panic time in any way, shape or form for us. But you're right, in as much as they could do with a win. They could do with a win. Or more importantly, they could do with not getting beat.
00:24:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
you but ah Do you think teams have worked them out? I think we talked about this a couple of days ago, just mentioned in passing. Do you think Forrest has been worked out now?
00:24:13
Nick Britten
Yeah, but, well, I think you could argue that on the new note, definitely. I think we saw that at the back end of last season.
00:24:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:19
Nick Britten
But, of course, Ag's only been in a couple of games, so there's not really lot time to work anything out, is there?
00:24:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I suppose. But we do know him. We know his style. but Ange has one style, hasn't he, really?
00:24:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, interesting. Just one thing just occurred to me when we were talking about all these games. How many games into the season do you think it needs to get a proper assessment of a team's level?
00:24:49
Nick Britten
15, I think. I think we know.
00:24:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
As funny as that,
00:24:51
Nick Britten
I think, yeah, think as many as that. Yeah, yeah. I think particularly this season, because everybody's kind of been slow to get going in many, not everybody, but quite a lot of teams.
00:25:02
Nick Britten
There's a lot of transfer stuff going on very late in the day. And we've we've talked about this podcast, really, haven't we? Liverpool's slowly going. Chelsea, we don't really know what we get what to expect there.
00:25:13
Nick Britten
Tottenham, we don't really know what to expect there yet. Under Thomas Frank, Newcastle. you know Yeah, what's when they get Wister back, when they get Valtavar to firing, are they going to be a totally different team? I feel a lot of teams just still in that early stage development.
Evaluating Team Performance Early in the Season
00:25:26
Nick Britten
So ordinarily you might say 10 games, but I feel this season is a little bit different. I do feel it's a little bit different. And maybe after 15, I think we'll get a very clear indication where teams are.
00:25:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm. i That's interesting. I was having this debate with someone earlier on, on Twitter, who was talking about the 10-game thing. And I actually think it's it's less than that.
00:25:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think you really know. And it'd be interesting, and I'll do this before the next podcast, I'll have a look at what the league table was after eight games before. last season compared to how it worked out.
00:26:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
But the only thing really, because everybody's in the same boat in terms of putting teams together, becoming familiar with the system, becoming familiar with the co-players.
00:26:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Everyone's got that issue. The only issue I can think of is, well, two issues. One, It's a very small sample size when you're dealing with three games. ah And also it's very fixture dependent.
00:26:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
So if you've had three of the big teams away from home, well, guess what? You know, you're not going to do as well as if you've had the three promoted teams at home. So some of it's fixture dependent, but I reckon it's actually less games than we think in terms of yeah ah being able to assess where a team is. I'm going to check it.
00:26:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Eight games in last year, see if there's any major differences in the finishing table. Bet there isn't that many.
00:26:53
Nick Britten
Well, look, everybody's played five, and when you look at the bottom six, you're looking at a Forest, Burnley, Brentford, Villa, West Ham, and Wolves, who are bottom.
00:27:04
Nick Britten
Are you suggesting that's how it's going to stay?
00:27:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, because I think five's too few. But i think it's only a couple more games and I think we're going to get a pretty good idea. ah ah For example, I bet Spurs and Man United were low after eight games last year.
00:27:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
I bet they were. and And guess what? That's where they end up. I bet Palace and Brighton were fairly good after eight games. And guess what? That's where they finished.
00:27:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm going to do the exercise and we'll talk about it next time. But i think I think actually it is quite a good predictor after relatively few games. Anyway.
Podcast Wrap Up and Farewell
00:27:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's an interesting little exercise to do. Nick, enjoy Motherwell.
00:27:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Enjoy Fatherwell, Sisterwell and Brotherwell if you go there as well. ah And just to have an all-round good time. We'll see you again tomorrow. Tomorrow's Friday. Friday. Everyone got that Friday feeling? I've got the Thursday feeling at the moment.
00:28:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
So thanks for listening.
00:28:00
Nick Britten
like
00:28:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hope you enjoyed it.
00:28:01
Nick Britten
so You've got no feeling at the moment, have you?
00:28:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Honestly, don't even want to go there. um So enjoy you the rest of the day, everybody. Hope your team wins. If the playing in if you if you happen to support some bizarre teams playing in some bizarre European competition tonight, Genk or, I don't know, Bodo Glimpt.
00:28:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Something like that. um Enjoy that. and
00:28:25
Nick Britten
ah
00:28:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
But we'll see you all tomorrow. So but ah goodbye from me and goodbye from you, Nick.
00:28:32
Nick Britten
Goodbye. bye
00:28:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.