Transcript
Global Sports Podcast Network: Welcome, welcome, welcome everybody to the Daily Premier League podcast. Here we all are, joined together, 21st of October, it's Tuesday evening. Another busy day in the Premier League and another busy evening in the Championship. I'm off to see Derby against Norwich.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Nick's cried off, fair weather supporter, bit chilly, bit cold, bit dark.
Nick Britten: Nothing of this nothing the sort. I've had a season ticket Derby for, I don't know, since the dawn of time. I'm not going tonight because got too much work on.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, that's fair enough. And he's doing podcasts. My name's Ken Davis. You would have gathered his name is Nick Britton. A very warm welcome to all our listeners, wherever you are in the world. Pull up a chair, draw near to the fire and let's talk football.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Right. So are you well, Nick? Are you having an exciting day?
Nick Britten: I'm having a very exciting day It's been a great day. and i'm very i am I mean, I'll watch the Derby game on the telly later on. That's fine. But I've got a very early start again tomorrow. I've got work to do tonight. So it's just one of those things.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Look out for me. I'll give you a wave. ah I am channeling a massive Derby win. And look, I don't want to keep going on about my prediction success at the weekend.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Well, I do want to keep going on about But I've got a feeling it's going to be 3-0 Derby. Get your money on that.
Nick Britten: Okay, I'll get all my money on that, including my house and everything I own. How's that?
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, yeah. Report back tomorrow ah from under the railway bridge.
Nick Britten: ill be I'll be around your house later. Don't worry about that.
Global Sports Podcast Network: ah Right, four things to discuss. Firstly, there was a game last night and it was West Ham who were wretched against Brentford. Brentford won 2-0 at the stadium of whatever they call it.
Global Sports Podcast Network: ah the Olympic Stadium. There's been a further development on the stories we've been covering over the last week or so, the Maccabi Tel Aviv thing about their fans not being able to travel to Villa or being banned from travelling to Villa. like There's been another development on that we want to cover.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Sean Dyche, much to absolutely nobody's surprise, has been appointed as the manager of Nottingham Forest. ah We've kind of done this one to death, but I thought it might be a good thing just to Get your view, Nick, on what you think the priorities are.
Global Sports Podcast Network: What's on Sean Dyche's to-do list straight away. that would be an interesting thing to do. And finally, something we kind of should have covered maybe, I wanted to cover it in the week or over the weekend, didn't get a chance to do.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Just how bad are Wolves? I mean, two points for a possible 24. ah I saw the game, or bits of the game at least, against Sunderland. Very patchy performance by Wolves. ah Good performance by Sunderland.
Global Sports Podcast Network: But Wolves look pretty wretched as well. So I think we need just to touch on that as well. So going back to the top of the agenda, to the top of my PowerPoint presentation.
Global Sports Podcast Network: West Ham 0, Brentford 2. What was your take on that game?
Nick Britten: Well, West Ham have been heading in one direction for quite a little while now, ever since they sacked David Moyes, really. And it was an ill-advised move to bring in Julien Lopetegui.
Nick Britten: That didn't last very long. So they brought in Graham Potter. That didn't last very long. And they brought in Nuno in three games in. They've lost all three. So not good for Nuno.
Nick Britten: ah Not good for West Ham. It was widely considered. mean, watched the game last night and it was absolutely pathetic. was a pathetic performance by West Ham. And what you've got to hope for, particularly if you're an owner of a football club, what got hope for is when a new manager comes in, that decision is in part justified by bit of a bounce, bit of a new manager bounce. There's nothing.
Nick Britten: In fact, it was worse. It was worse than it was under Potter because players were playing in a position, ah bizarre substitutions were being made, he had a midfield in there, players who hadn't played at all.
Global Sports Podcast Network: wow
Nick Britten: he's just he's He looks like he's just experimenting and using Premier League games to experiment, which in some respects you can understand because if the first 11, for want of a better phrase, that failed miserably under Potter, you kind of want to look elsewhere.
Nick Britten: You want to see why who else have we got the squad and are they up for it? And think all that... All that he learned last night was the players that were initially not up for it aren't.
Nick Britten: And the players that he brought in to see if they were any better aren't. So he's got a real problem on his hands.
Global Sports Podcast Network: He has.
Nick Britten: He's got a real problem on his hands here.
Global Sports Podcast Network: I don't think this is savable, actually, when I was watching last night. No impression of it. They look like a championship team against a Premier League team. and Not ah and a great Premier team, but they look second best in everything.
Nick Britten: Yeah. the look Yeah.
Nick Britten: They look like an average championship team against an average Premier League team. And Brentford, how it how it was only one ni until the last couple of moments, goodness only knows, it could out five in first half alone.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick Britten: And take Jarrod Bowen out of that team, and West Ham are absolutely, they're more like a League One team, frankly. They're all over the place. And the difficulty they've got is that all this is being done, of course, against the backdrop of fan protests. There was a a boycott last night, which doesn't go down, doesn't look good. The optics aren't good if you're the new manager and you're wanting the home team to come and get behind you and half half the crowd have stayed away.
Nick Britten: mean, any West Ham manager is expecting a half-empty ground towards the end of the game because that's what happens now. But I don't suppose they expect it at the start of the game. So he must have walked into all this and wanted
Global Sports Podcast Network: It's not great for atmosphere either, is it, that ground?
Nick Britten: Well, it's got it's it's got a terrible atmosphere even when it is full, let alone when it's half full.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick Britten: And he must have wondered he walked into this and go, what on earth have I walked into? What on earth have i walked into? And Sullivan and Brady, the owners West Ham, have got a lot of questions to answer because they've taken West Ham away from their ground, which was which was a difficult ground to go to.
Nick Britten: was a home advantage at Upton Park was ah was a big advantage.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah. Kind of full of this, wasn't it, in a way, in the sense of relatively old fashioned ground, but the crowds on top of you.
Nick Britten: Yeah, and I would say far more fearsome than Fulham.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick Britten: It was a very unnerving place to go and play football, Upton Park, when the crowd's up and it's on top of you. And yeah, it was it was quite intimidating, I'd say. And they' they've gone there and they've taken the easy money and they've taken a ground that's cost them nothing and they're renting it.
Nick Britten: It's cost them nothing to move there. It's not a football ground. They've done nothing to try and alleviate those issues in terms of making the crowd closer to the pitch by putting in seating and stuff like that or doing something to help those. So it's still an athletic stadium that is hosting football.
Nick Britten: And now you've got a crowd who, quite frankly, is is out to get you.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Thank you.
Nick Britten: And this is not the first time this has happened at West Ham. I remember some crowd complaints and crowd riot, not riot is the wrong phrase, but protests and all of that a few years ago. They got quite nasty, by the way.
Nick Britten: And here we are here we are yet again. But to me, they are sleepwalking their way into the championship. And when you look at the bottom of the table, ah they are sandwiched in between Wolves, who are bottom, and Forrest, who are third from bottom, West Ham are second from bottom.
Nick Britten: But out of those three, he West Ham look the worst team.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, that's a really interesting point, that. And I don't... Whatever you think about Forrest, I think they've got enough talent to get themselves out there.
Nick Britten: I think Forest have, and I think to some extent Wolves have. But West Ham, the outlier in West Ham's season is that ridiculous 3-0 win against Forest away from home, which was Nuno's last game, it turned out to be.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Mm-hmm.
Nick Britten: Take that away from them and they're they're on a single point. and was it and ah and And I know you can't say, well, you can't pick pick results here and pick results there. it doesn't work like that. But it was such an outlier, given the way they performed in all of their other games. To go and win 3-0 at Forest was just bizarre.
Nick Britten: it doesn't It didn't look like it was going to be anything that could be repeated or built on. It's just one of those weird games. So they are probably the worst team in the league.
Global Sports Podcast Network: this They looked it last night. i mean, Brentford, we had down as a team likely to face the drop themselves. They've really upped the game. ah Yeah, I was quite quite impressed.
Global Sports Podcast Network: ah They were were pretty dominant, actually, certainly first off against West Ham. Thiago looked a threat. ah He looks a player. So I thought that was good. But what was really striking for me was just how easy West Ham were to play through, through the lines.
Nick Britten: they've got no pace they've just got no pace anywhere on the pitch well they've got a bit of pace up front but apart from that they've got no pace in midfield and critically yeah no pace at the back and you know when when it's just sort of one ball over the top which catches you out time and time and time again because your centre halves are just too slow to turn around that's not a good sign
Global Sports Podcast Network: I mean, No, and but it looks like really pedestrian.
Global Sports Podcast Network: It's not, and they're going to get a lot, they're going to face a lot worse opposition than, than, than Brentford.
Nick Britten: better better opposition you mean
Global Sports Podcast Network: Uh, Better opposition. I mean, worse from West Ham's point of view. Bowen was the only threat for West Ham, but he's on his own. ah And to be honest, it's quite easy to feel sorry for Bowen.
Global Sports Podcast Network: If I was Bowen's age, I'd be on the phone to anyone ah um in right now, to be honest.
Nick Britten: I felt, sorry.
Nick Britten: Well, you can go back any number of podcasts that we've done together and I've made this point time and time again. Jarrod Bowen should not be playing at West Ham. He's a much better player than that.
Global Sports Podcast Network: No.
Nick Britten: And I hope it doesn't, I hope it doesn't impact on his England prospects for getting in a squad for the World Cup because he should be in a squad for the World Cup in my opinion. I think he's an excellent player and he should be playing at a much better team.
Nick Britten: If West Ham...
Global Sports Podcast Network: where would you Where would you see Boeing fitting in best?
Nick Britten: Well,
Nick Britten: I'd like him at Derby. That'd be good.
Global Sports Podcast Network: ah Sensibly. Where do you think... He's better off staying at West Ham, to be honest
Nick Britten: you could play
Nick Britten: he he could play... He could easily play at Fulham or a Brighton or Sunderland or Bournemouth, Everton, Brentford.
Global Sports Podcast Network: honest.
Nick Britten: I mean, to be honest, I think he's a good enough player that he'll make a difference wherever he goes, outside perhaps.
Global Sports Podcast Network: The top six.
Nick Britten: Well, I don't even know that because, honestly, he's probably getting Liverpool's team right now, couldn't he?
Global Sports Podcast Network: no no he wouldn't
Nick Britten: Really? You don't think so? You don't think if if out of the three, if they all if they all play for Liverpool right now, out of the three of Florian Verts, Mo Salah and Jarrod Bowen, who's the player you'd put in the team?
Global Sports Podcast Network: he's just not he's not going to live upon it yeah you probably would but would but i'm not going to live below that
Nick Britten: No, not saying he's going to Liverpool. What I'm saying is he would be better than what Liverpool have got at the moment.
Global Sports Podcast Network: So, yeah, West Ham have got a mountain, already feels like i've got a bit of a mountain to climb, and the energy wasn't there, the flair certainly wasn't there, and you know what, that kind of determination to get something out of the game was absolutely absent.
Nick Britten: think should.
Global Sports Podcast Network: So,
Nick Britten: No, and the big worry is that by the time they have the first opportunity to try and rectify the problems, which is in the January transfer window, it might just be too late.
Global Sports Podcast Network: I think it might well be. So ah that's Wolves. Sorry, that's West Ham when they come to Wolves. um Just something else to kind of keep you up to date on is the is the continuing story about the Maccabi Tel Aviv issue in relation to ah their fans being able to come to Birmingham to watch a ah game of football.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And apparently these days in the UK, that's not allowed. So what's happened in the course of the last 24 hours In a way, McCabe and Tel Aviv have diffused the situation because they have refused, they've declined supporter tickets for that match.
Global Sports Podcast Network: ah So the whole issue becomes something of a moot point now because obviously they're not going to be travelling in any quantity to watch the game. And in fact, Villa have said...
Global Sports Podcast Network: you need, in order to get any ticket for that game, you need to have ah a purchasing history at Villa Park. Well, ah to be honest, there isn't going to be anybody from Tel Aviv who qualifies for that. so So that looks to have defused the situation, ah but it's still very embarrassing and it's still a terrible situation. And I just hope, um over hope,
Global Sports Podcast Network: that there is no pressure applied to Mugabe Tel Aviv to to do that. So ah what's your take on that? Because it's a pretty distressing situation.
Nick Britten: Well, this story just kind of keeps shifting, doesn't it, day by day. And this has, as you say, it's diffused the situation, but it's left the government in a slightly tricky situation because they have gone hell for leather to try and get the Birmingham Safety Advisory Group, which is the group that made the decision and advised that fans shouldn't be allowed. They've gone hell for leather for them to change their mind. And now they're left in a bit of a situation where they go, well,
Nick Britten: Do we just now let it quietly go away or and and and essentially let let those who stoke seek to stoke? Well, there's a great quote, by the way, by by someone from the government today who said it was completely unacceptable that the match would have been, quote, weaponized.
Nick Britten: to stoke violence of fear by those who seek to divide us. That is a brilliant quote and that's exactly what this has happened to this game by certain sections of our anti-Jewish, anti-Semitic community in Birmingham.
Nick Britten: That's precisely what has happened. And I think it's important that the government carries on. i don't think it should just go, oh, well, that's it then. if they're not going to come, there's no point fighting this anymore. I think they should fight it.
Nick Britten: i think should I think they should, for the sake of um just doing the right thing, have this decision overturned. Now, whether whether then Tel Aviv choose not to take the tickets is then their decision.
Nick Britten: But i don't think this I don't think this story should end by the by everybody going, oh, well, if they're not coming, there's no point. We'll all go walk away.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick Britten: You for the good of society, for the good of principle, the government needs to crack on. And I would like to see the Birmingham Safety Advisory Group advise that if they wanted to come, fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv would be welcome.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, I wish, really, and of course, Maccabre and Tel Aviv are completely innocent in this, but I wish they hadn't made that decision because it kind of does allow our politicians in the UK to kick this into the long grass.
Global Sports Podcast Network: I've got a feeling they will kick it into the long grass for all kinds of political reasons.
Nick Britten: Well, yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: ah But it's a horrible
Nick Britten: They've got lots of, yeah, they've got, listen, they've got loads of, ah they've got loads of form for kicking things into the long grass that need dealing with. They don't like dealing with anything, this government, it it looked for a little while while like they might actually do some good ah when it when it came to this. And as I say, I hope they do because it would be already already the the haters and the bigots and the anti-Semites have won.
Nick Britten: And ah don't think that that this situation should just be allowed to drift and dis disappear.
Global Sports Podcast Network: No, I agree. It's horrible, Preston. And it raises the confidence and emboldens the bigoted. And anything that raises the ah confidence and emboldens the bigoted is wrong.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And I was hoping for better justice than this. But Maccabi Tel Aviv have kind of taken that, probably taken what they think is the pragmatic step in a way I wish they hadn't, because it would have forced the government to do something about it.
Nick Britten: yeah
Global Sports Podcast Network: And they needed to do something about it.
Nick Britten: I'll end on this point again. I said a few days ago on this podcast that if if we get to a situation where the game takes place and the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans are still not allowed in, i.e. they've not been given the opportunity to travel and come to the game, Birmingham as a city should be stripped of any future major game of football.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, I wouldn't wouldn't disagree with that. Right, as we know in football, as we know in life, as we know in politics, it get it pays to get your team selection, right? Here at Global Sports Podcast Network, we spent a lot of time selecting our delivery partner and we chose...
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Global Sports Podcast Network: Right, 16 minutes into this Pulitzer Prize winning episode of the Daily Premier League podcast. Obviously, the Pulitzer organization don't know that yet, but it's only a matter of time.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Right, what we talked about was...
Nick Britten: I thought you'd sent them all our stuff.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick Britten: You told me two weeks ago that they were about to get in touch.
Global Sports Podcast Network: yeah
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, well, i' I'm being a little bit disappointed by their lack of kind of feedback, but it it's only a matter of time.
Nick Britten: what
Global Sports Podcast Network: ah Just patience, patience, mate. You'll get a blue plaque on your house ah before you know it. Now, Sean Dyche has been appointed by Nottingham Forest, ex-Everton manager, left in January from Everton.
Global Sports Podcast Network: ah Feels like someone who's going to bring a pragmatic approach to the Forest situation. The Forest situation is pretty... Up in the air, of course.
Global Sports Podcast Network: For all kinds of reasons. I don't imagine Deitch would take any any any nonsense from Edu or from Maranakis. But if you were Sean Deitch and you were sitting in the office, in his manager's office right now, and you had a to-do list in front of you, what would be at the top of your to-do list ah if you were Mr. Ginger Sean Deitch?
Nick Britten: get the defence sorted out and stop conceding goals, I think is number one. and Number two would be fostering some team spirit. And he's good at, tell you what Daichi is really good at.
Nick Britten: He's just good at that kind of dogs of war, us against the world, getting real unity amongst his playing staff and getting them out there as one.
Global Sports Podcast Network: yeah
Nick Britten: And that's been severely lacking. i think I think certainly under Ange and to some extent this season under Nuno. Let's not forget Forrest haven't won a game since the opening game of a season.
Global Sports Podcast Network: yeah
Nick Britten: So they are they're drifting quite badly. They've lost their last four in all competitions, including three in the Premier League and one in Europe.
Nick Britten: And Deitch is the perfect man, I think, to get them together and organise them better and foster that team spirit and make them much harder to beat.
Nick Britten: Beyond that, I don't know. But that yeah we'll have to wait and see. I mean, if if if people suddenly think that he's going to go to change his philosophy and start playing free-flowing attacking football, I think they're in for a horrible surprise. I think we know what we're going to get with him.
Nick Britten: I think we know what's going to what Forrest is going to be. And that may well see them finish 16th or 17th at the end of the season. But they may think that's that's a decent season.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Well, you know, things have changed so so incredibly quickly and in eight games. Generally, i would agree I would agree with that. And one of the things that really occurred to me watching Forest at the weekend was just how fragile they were.
Global Sports Podcast Network: You know, when they when they went down, they just physically, visually deflated.
Nick Britten: Thank you.
Global Sports Podcast Network: ah Deitch isn't going to tolerate that. He's going to... I think he's a leader of men, Deitch. I think he is. I think he's going to get him in a room. He's going to say, look, this let's get this simple.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Let everybody understand what the rules of the game are. Let everybody understand what your responsibilities are. And I'm going to hold you to your account for fulfilling those responsibilities. I think that's the bringing a slightly simpler style to Forrest. I think it's going to be helpful.
Global Sports Podcast Network: ah Their centre-back...
Nick Britten: It depends what that means.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Sorry, on.
Nick Britten: It depends what that means. Sorry. It depends what that means because simpler style might, you might be, people might listen to this and go, oh yeah, Sean Dyche at Evans, Sean Dyche at Burnley. Oh, long ball football.
Global Sports Podcast Network: No, not necessarily.
Nick Britten: Now, if that's the case, that's going to really, really, i think, negate Forrest's, arguably their two best players, who are Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White. So I don't know what, so what do you mean by simple style of football?
Global Sports Podcast Network: Well, I just think one of the things the problem has been with with the Forest team is that they've had, essentially, now with dives, they're going to three styles and in seven matches. So they went from the Nuno situation and they went to the, obviously, the Postacoglu situation formation and system and strategy.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And it was radically different. If you actually look at the figures, but look at the data, they really were playing in a very, very different way. Now they've got the Dice one. I think the Dice one is much closer to what they were playing last year in a much more successful season.
Global Sports Podcast Network: So I think what Dice is going to be able to do is actually say to people, look, let's be very clear what people's responsibilities are.
Nick Britten: you
Global Sports Podcast Network: They're much closer to what you're used to, much closer to what your skills are as a set of players. And let's get back to that. Let's just focus on that. Let's get ourselves confident in terms of going to be able to perform in the way that we used to perform. Remember, we used to be good.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Remember when we were good. We were good because we followed these fairly basic rules as ah as so as a team and as a as a philosophy. Let's get back to that. I think Dice is going to be able to do that. and i think that's going to help him.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Andrew is just too radical.
Nick Britten: Yeah, we talked about Ange trying to implement too much too quickly. And you're right. I mean, look, Milenkovic and Murillo at the at the heart of their defence, they will be delighted to see the back of Ange because this high line, high style just left them massively exposed for their lack of pace.
Global Sports Podcast Network: They will. They will. They're horrible.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick Britten: And they were much better suited to sitting deep, having that bank of midfield in front of them and allowing the wide players of Forest particularly to hit on the counter. So you mentioned three things. I mentioned two of them.
Nick Britten: I'll give you my third. He's got to get Chris Wood scoring again.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick Britten: That, I think, is huge because they're not scoring enough goals. And a lot of that reason is Chris Wood isn't scoring because he's their main striker. He's not only not scoring, but he's been missing some absolute howlers of late. So I think, you know getting the defence sorted out, fostering a team spirit and getting Chris Wood back up and firing are the three priorities for Sean Dyche.
Global Sports Podcast Network: I
Global Sports Podcast Network: think makes sense I think he's got a good chance to be honest ah he's not he's not going to lead him to the glory years of Nuno I don't think but but you know what he's going to stabilise the ship that's what you bring Captain Deitch in to do don't you if Captain Deitch had been on the Titanic it would never have sunk
Nick Britten: never seen. Well, I think we mustn't forget that he did take Burnley to seventh, didn't he?
Global Sports Podcast Network: okay
Nick Britten: In the Premier League. So it's not, he's not it's it's not a sort of Sam Allardyce. I feel bad about saying that, actually. ah But, you know, people turn to Neil Warnock or Sam Allardyce to just say, we've got three months left of the season.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick Britten: Just keep us up, will you? Because actually both of them were much, much better managers than that.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick Britten: And Sam Allardyce, lest people forget, was one of the one of the managers, although he never got credit for it, that was very much at the forefront of sporting technology and analysis and stuff like that.
Nick Britten: And Sean Dyche will no doubt no doubt point to the fact that, look, under Everton and under Burnley, had to operate under... very tight financial stricture, whereas here I might get £200 million pounds to spend every year because that's what Marriott just likes to do.
Global Sports Podcast Network: They've got some talent. They've got an amazing array of talent, really. They
Nick Britten: but i think but i think part of the problem with Forest is they've got too many players and it's impossible to keep to keep that many players happy.
Global Sports Podcast Network: have got too many players. Yeah.
Nick Britten: I read somewhere yesterday they had £180 million pounds worth of players not even in the squad.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah. Not played yesterday.
Nick Britten: Now, that is not going to work. You can't do that.
Global Sports Podcast Network: No. No. No.
Nick Britten: maybe Maybe another other thing on Deitcher's list is just cut down.
Global Sports Podcast Network: But that's
Nick Britten: and If you can, and bearing in mind he may he may not have any say whatsoever over transfers, can you cut down on the squad size?
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, I think that's small part of the problem. Do they know their best team? I bet they don't. There's too much talent around. Very hard to do that. Very interesting. Right. Now, Global Sports Podcast Network has partnered with Bionique, the world's most personalized supplements, because your body is unique.
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Global Sports Podcast Network: Okay, we'd better bring this to a conclusion. I don't want to be late for the supporters bus for the Derby Norwich game. so let's get So let's get this wrapped up the next five minutes.
Nick Britten: so Is that the OAP ambulance who comes and picks you up?
Global Sports Podcast Network: I beg your pardon. i beg your pardon Right. Okay. No, and we're going to be talking about Wolves. Wolves, two points for a possible 24. By the way, it's one point better than last year.
Global Sports Podcast Network: I understand.
Nick Britten: Really?
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah. Yeah.
Nick Britten: They didn't get off to this bad a start last year, did they?
Global Sports Podcast Network: They got off to a terrible start last year. One point last year.
Nick Britten: Mind you, they changed their manners, didn't they? Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: They did. And they brought in Vita Pereira. I just want to talk about it because I watched the Sunderland... Well, I didn't watch it all. I watched i watched a chunk of the Sunderland Wolves game.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Looked terrible on the first half, Wolves. Looked better in the second half. They actually didn't have... They had some chances. ah They just didn't take advantage of those chances. Now... The danger, course, is, you know, you don't dig yourself out of that hole twice on the run often.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And they're in danger of being cut adrift. Got the worst goal difference. Where do you reckon Wolves are?
Global Sports Podcast Network: Are they going to escape a second time?
Nick Britten: Thank you.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Dodge a bullet another time?
Nick Britten: I think the difficulty with Wolves is that for a couple of seasons now, particularly over this summer, they have sold key players and not replaced them.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick Britten: And you just get weaker and weaker and weaker. So they've sold ah Ryan at Nuri. They've sold Mathias Cunha. They've sold nasson soma Nelson Semedo, which is a big loss.
Nick Britten: and And then you're adding to that their key striker, Stran Larsson. has not really fired. He's been injured. And then it turns out over this weekend, he's got probably a long-term Achilles injury, injury which he's playing through, but that's not great not not ah not a great thing to do.
Global Sports Podcast Network: yeah
Global Sports Podcast Network: You can't stop breathing a massive sigh of relief.
Nick Britten: so
Nick Britten: Well, possibly. I mean, if it is a long-term thing that's previously might have been flagged up on the yeah on the medical. But yeah they they're desperate. I mean, the one of the reasons they they pulled out of it last year is his form and his goals.
Nick Britten: take that away from the team as well, as well as all the other players.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah.
Nick Britten: You're literally taking away, you know, vast vast majority. Take Kunja and Strand lastson out last year's team and you're left with what you're with.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, which is not very much. Cunha is a big loss. Cunha is looking at a good player for Man U. So, ah yeah, he's...
Nick Britten: Yeah, so he's a great he's a very, very good player.
Global Sports Podcast Network: He's a really talented player. So, yeah, you take that talent out of Wolves, you are going to struggle. Just by the way, I thought might be useful thing to do like we did yesterday, looking at next five games for Wolves.
Nick Britten: Yeah, whilst you get them up, I mean, it's not a question of losing the players. It's a question of not having a proper plan to replace them. And we talked about Brentford, and we should do something on Brentford quite soon.
Nick Britten: But we talked about Brentford, how they've lost pretty much their front entire front line and their manager. And yet they've brought in players who who look like they're going to fill that gap.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah,
Nick Britten: You know, so it's not the fact that they lose players or sell them for a profit or, you know, help to run their business in a sustainable and and profitable way. It's the fact that you sell them and don't replace them.
Global Sports Podcast Network: but that's...
Nick Britten: that And that's just sort of the road to disaster.
Global Sports Podcast Network: It is, and we see it often and often, and the unsung heroes often in in clubs, is ah the ability to scout and the ability to scout excellent players in ah in a systematic way. And Brentford have always been extremely good at that. They're extremely good at that and Championship.
Nick Britten: Yeah, the problem Wolves have got, there's no more players from Portugal left to get. They've had the ball.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Exactly. There's that bloke from the cafe in Lisbon, isn't there? They've not tapped up yet.
Nick Britten: I'm going to Lisbon in a couple of weeks. I'll go and have a word.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Well, i've it's a wonderful city. so
Nick Britten: Yeah, so so I think that's that's that's the problem. um Look, I don't think that that they're not that bad a side. It really surprises me that they just can't win a game because they're not that bad a side.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Well, they turned it around completely last year. And we were singing the praises of Pereira. were saying, right, they're a Portuguese team.
Nick Britten: Yeah.
Global Sports Podcast Network: They've great Portuguese manager. He's really talented. He's going to pull them out of the mire. He did exactly that. And now they find themselves back in the mire again.
Nick Britten: yeah
Global Sports Podcast Network: The next five games, Nick, interesting your predictions on these next five games. The big one. The big one coming up, isn't it? Burnley at home.
Nick Britten: Yeah, that's an absolutely massive game. And I actually do think, I fancy them for this.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, so do I.
Nick Britten: ah do think I do think they'll they'll win this game because they're coming up against a team that away from home just struggles to keep clean sheets and and yeah and score.
Global Sports Podcast Network: And score.
Nick Britten: yeah And i think that this will be it for Wolves. If they're going to win any game, if they're going to win any game in the entirety of the season, it's going to have to be Burnley at home.
Global Sports Podcast Network: It's very early in the season to talk about must-win games. This feels like a must-win game for Wolves.
Nick Britten: Well, it kind of feels like not that far off for Burnley because they're not, you know, let's not let's not forget they are they're hardly setting the division alight. And, you know, Wolves are bottom, haven't got to win all season, but then you don't have to go very far up the table to find Burnley who are on seven points out of eight and and hovering one place above the relegation zone.
Nick Britten: So if Wolves win this, they're only going to be two points behind Burnley.
Global Sports Podcast Network: You're right. If Burnley win it, they're eight points clear of them.
Nick Britten: Yeah, so it kind of feels, you say it's a must-win game for Wolves.
Global Sports Podcast Network: I
Nick Britten: I kind of feel Burnley will be looking at this and going, guys, this is a real opportunity for us. It won't be a must-win game for them, but they'll look at this go this is a real opportunity for us.
Global Sports Podcast Network: ah i think they'd be happy with the point Burnley from the game.
Nick Britten: Yes, agree. Yeah, i agree. Yep.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Wolves have to win this because the four games after that are Fulham away, Chelsea away, Palace at home, Villa away. I mean, forget it.
Nick Britten: You're looking at, it I would say you're looking at a point at best out of all of those.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, you are.
Nick Britten: I think your point at best, and i sorry Fulham fans, but you like you you might get something out Fulham. You're not going to get anything away at Chelsea and you're certainly not to get anything away at Villa because they are really resurgent. And home to Palace, yeah, likewise.
Nick Britten: mean, Palace, we know one of the best away sides in the division, so...
Global Sports Podcast Network: see that one or two points out of them for it max so so yeah it really is looking at that context now
Nick Britten: Yeah, maybe yeah maybe two maybe Maybe the home maybe the home home against Palace is the fancier point, but yeah no good
Global Sports Podcast Network: no not good so that's going to be a really interesting watch i think at the weekend uh so that's it
Nick Britten: yeah, not good. We can come back at the start of December, which is one month before the transfer window opens, but heading into that busy run of fixtures, you know mid to late December over Christmas.
Nick Britten: And i think by then, we'll have a better idea of where Wolves are.
Global Sports Podcast Network: think so. And it could be halfway between the Premier League and the Championship.
Nick Britten: where they are now. Yeah, it could be exactly where they are now, yeah
Global Sports Podcast Network: but Brilliant. Thank you, Nick. That's been inspiring. It's been educational. And I think it's been somewhat, what's what's the word? It's been interesting.
Nick Britten: hope for a bit more than interesting. Entertaining, good fun, everybody's had a good time.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Yeah, it could be all those things. Interesting is good, though, in podcasts. I like podcasts, which I find interesting. And and I found your views very interesting today. So enjoy the game tonight from the yeah from the comfort of your armchair with a pint of Guinness or something.
Global Sports Podcast Network: I'll be braving the freezing cold derby night just to to to make sure there's a little bit of atmosphere there. And look forward to a three-year derby week.
Nick Britten: more so More for you. No, i listen, i wish i could I wish I could join you at the game. I wish. It's very, very rare that I miss home game. Very rare. But, you know, it needs, must and things like that.
Global Sports Podcast Network: Fair enough. Thanks for listening, everybody. If you are interested in getting in contact with us, send us an email. Send it to dailypremierleagepodcast at gmail.com. Look forward to receiving that.
Global Sports Podcast Network: ah Have fun. Hope your team wins if they're playing tonight. And we'll catch you later in the week.
