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Episode 7: What's Wrong With Arsenal ? + El Classico Preview + Bron & Bronny
15 Plays7 months ago
- What's Wrong With Arsenal ? + Arsenal v. Liverpool Preview
- CL Recap: Madrid Comeback + Vini Magic, Bayern vs. Barca
- El Classico Preview
- Bron & Bronny: Does it feel too manifactured ?
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Episode 7
00:00:11
Chino Onwuka
Hello and welcome to another episode of the Love of the Game podcast. This is episode seven. You know, seven is a significant number and a lot of in a lot of lot of places.
00:00:22
Chino Onwuka
So we we're here. We're back again with another, what's going to be another epic episode.
Friday Night Dedication
00:00:29
Chino Onwuka
I'm here with my boys and Mecha, you know, say what's up to the fan.
00:00:29
Emeka
Yeah, yeah Hey, what's up y'all episode 7 coming to y'all Friday night When people out here turn up in the clubs we were grinding giving you all the content you need for the weekend We hustling out here Okay
00:00:42
Chino Onwuka
know Amen. Amen.
00:00:46
Chuku
Yes, sir.
00:00:47
Chino Onwuka
Ball is life, you know. Ball is life.
00:00:49
Emeka
for the love of the game man for the love of the game
00:00:49
Chino Onwuka
Ball is life.
00:00:53
Chino Onwuka
And as well, we got Chuku on the mic. Chuku, what's up? How are you?
00:00:57
Chuku
Hey, guys. Yeah, we're back again. i know Like my brother said, seven. We're here on a Friday night giving the people what they want, giving the people what they need, giving the people the hot content.
00:01:07
Emeka
Hey!
00:01:08
Chuku
know yeah you know we' given It's truly for the love of the game, and I'm just glad that we could know give you guys this content and hopefully we're in for a good show.
00:01:19
Emeka
Yeah, thanks for rocking with us, man. We appreciate it, as always, as always.
Weekend Sports Excitement
00:01:23
Chino Onwuka
for sure for sure we love y'all we love y'all but you know before we dive in you know just check in you know how was it as we mentioned it is Friday night how was how was everyone's week did we did we survive the week looking forward to the weekend
00:01:34
Chuku
Man, I know I'm looking forward to the weekend. There's going to be some you know big, big games going on. mainly the classical, which I'm looking very much forward to seeing, you know, seeing myself, especially after the performances so from once, Rafinha and Vinicius this past week in the Champions League. He's going to be very great to see, you know, two teams in and decent, great, decent, a great form. I know Ruma did have been looking a little shaky sometimes, but I'm going to be very entertained to we be able to see, you know, see that, see that game. And hopefully we're in for something, you know, something that's spectacular. So,
Halloween Disinterest
00:02:11
Chuku
you know.
00:02:12
Chuku
Definitely looking forward for the weekend.
00:02:12
Chino Onwuka
okay okay for sure any any halloween plans
00:02:18
Emeka
Man last time for that who has time for that devil all day I beg hi yeah and for that evil lookness know yeah and talk to been Like into Halloween cuz I've never been like obviously juku knows you grew up in the same house we just Hollywood wass never a big deal for us.
00:02:18
Chuku
yeah i' really got scar
00:02:22
Chino Onwuka
but nine it looks just
00:02:27
Chuku
god yes
00:02:28
Chino Onwuka
imagine
00:02:33
Chino Onwuka
meaningful
00:02:40
Emeka
So like I kind of just grew up not being part of Halloween.
00:02:41
Chuku
No.
00:02:41
Chino Onwuka
yeah
00:02:44
Chino Onwuka
Same here and like even probably, you know, uni was like when it was a thing.
00:02:47
Emeka
I
00:02:50
Chino Onwuka
And even then I wasn't really about it. Like if I were more dressed up, I would just put on some fake glasses and be a nerd like that.
00:02:52
Emeka
yeah I never really...
00:02:57
Chino Onwuka
That's the most I would do. So yeah, never, yeah, never, never really been a thing for me.
00:02:59
Emeka
yeah I had the laziest costumes, laziest costumes.
00:02:59
Chuku
Yeah.
00:03:03
Emeka
But know what, ladies, we appreciate y'all and the work you do and the sacrifices you make to freeze your butts off in Halloween and your outfits.
00:03:03
Chuku
Yeah.
00:03:11
Emeka
I just wanna to say, we really do appreciate y'all, man. Keep up the good work, keep up the good work.
00:03:15
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, this year, I would say like, I know all the last couple of Halloween weekends has been freezing or snowing. I think the weather is actually fairly decent this year. So yeah, good luck to everyone.
00:03:27
Chino Onwuka
Okay.
00:03:27
Emeka
Yeah, Halloween's always my unofficial start of winter.
00:03:28
Chino Onwuka
All right.
00:03:30
Emeka
That's how I always view it as.
00:03:30
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
00:03:31
Chuku
Yeah true that true that
00:03:32
Chino Onwuka
All right. Back on
Podcast Agenda Overview
00:03:33
Chino Onwuka
topic. So we have a loaded agenda today. We are going to talk about, you know, as was mentioned before, we're going to talk about el classical. We're going to talk about some pretty significant results in the Champions League.
00:03:46
Chino Onwuka
We're even going to have a little brawny LeBron talk later on in the episode. But we're going to start off with what I'm sure people are excited for us to talk about.
00:03:59
Chino Onwuka
you know All of you who have AFTV in your favorites, you know you're probably probably looking forward to an episode like this.
Arsenal's Recent Performances
00:04:07
Chino Onwuka
What is wrong with Arsenal right now?
00:04:10
Emeka
What you mean? We got three points midweek?
00:04:10
Chino Onwuka
for
00:04:12
Emeka
What's wrong with that?
00:04:12
Chino Onwuka
What is going on? What is going on? All right, let me put a little bit of context to it. So we're coming up a two-game swing in which we lost 2-0 to Bournemouth, another red card.
00:04:25
Chino Onwuka
And we can probably dig into that as well. And then, yes, we got the three points against Shakhtar. But for those of you who didn't have a chance to watch the game, good job for not watching the game.
00:04:38
Emeka
You miss nothing, don't watch it. You miss absolutely nothing.
00:04:42
Chino Onwuka
You know, we're playing at home against a team in pop four.
00:04:43
Chuku
Oh, man.
00:04:46
Chino Onwuka
You know, I think Shakhtar had already lost like seven nothing or to to to another team. So it's a game to get the good vibes back, you know you know, get some goal difference.
00:04:56
Chino Onwuka
And we played some haram football.
00:04:57
Chuku
To the self, her arm was pulling down nicely.
00:04:59
Emeka
I said, if you didn't watch this much, you won, you won. You you miss nothing. One of the worst games I've seen in my life.
00:05:05
Chino Onwuka
From haram football, we missed the penalty.
00:05:09
Chuku
Oh, man.
00:05:09
Chino Onwuka
like Why is Chaucer taking that penalty when her habit is on?
00:05:12
Emeka
You know what? Let's start there actually. Cause that's actually something that's been on my mind. Haber's is on this incredible streak. It's like eight games scoring at Emirates in a row. should we oh a do the intro you know imagine the magic I was getting too excited. I forgot we do the intro because Actually, this point is something has been bothering me because like I said like how it's been on this run eight games at home He scored goals in he I looked up his record. He's like 19 for 20 career Penalties trust housing taking a penalty in regular time in three years prior to that. Why is he taking that penalty? I don't understand like that
00:05:47
Emeka
Should be habits all day and our average as a striker should be grabbing that ball and laying the law down like now I'm taking this like there's nothing to debate
00:05:55
Chuku
Is back to the whole like Situation that just what's wrong with Arsenal because like I just think we just weren't taking we're not taking things as serious as we need to man because like he said like how trust her I was not taking a penalty in Normal time and how long is it three years three years?
00:06:14
Emeka
Three years. I looked up the stat three years and brightened.
00:06:16
Chuku
three years It just goes to show, like I said, you know, ah ah the chapter game was a game that like everyone went into which it was supposed to be our get right game. It was supposed to be the game where we supposed to, you know, like put was supposed to be put in three, four, some may say even five past these guys. We couldn't even put more than one. And you're telling me you're going to give a ball to the guy that has never taken a penalty in, in regular, regulation time and over three plus years. I mean, look,
00:06:47
Chuku
Granted, Trussard is one of our best finishers. I think we can all agree on that. But he's not been proven or shown that he's been proven to be a regular penalty taker. So I just don't understand it.
00:06:58
Chuku
I don't get it.
00:07:01
Chuku
I just think, like, to answer the question, back to the original question, what's wrong with Arsenal? I just think, really?
00:07:08
Chino Onwuka
Hold on, on before before you go back to before you go back to the original question, I didn't get the chance to watch the game live.
00:07:09
Chuku
Oh, yeah.
00:07:13
Chino Onwuka
I think you guys did.
00:07:14
Chuku
Oh, OK. Yeah.
00:07:16
Chino Onwuka
What was the whole situation like? you know Did he go and grab the ball right away and Kai just didn't go get it? is What what it sort of speaks to me is a lack of leadership on the field.
00:07:28
Chino Onwuka
We didn't have you know two of our regular leaders on, you know not even in terms of taking the penalties, but Odegard and Saka, those are the two.
00:07:37
Chino Onwuka
That's the captain and the ball. Somebody should have been there to say, because I know the type, we know the type of person Trisard is. He's going and just grabbing the ball right away. and Kai probably just didn't let it go. Somebody should have said, hey, hey, that's Kai's ball. He's the next penalty taker.
00:07:37
Emeka
the Also tickers funny enough That's what I'm saying like I need kind of have confidence there any kind of like you'd even put up a fight So he just trust or grab the ball and kind of just chill.
00:07:59
Emeka
He was like I was get someone taking the penalty that I and like I don't know part of that to me is also on the on the coach I don't understand this you modern era thing where the coach is like the players decide now, bro There's a pet penalty hierarchy and you have to set that at the tee I hate when teams fight about who takes penalties like it should be set pre-match here's the takers and don't deviate from that and Apparently I totally didn't care because Charles our took it no one put up an argument It wasn't even a contentious thing. He just grabbed the ball and kind of let him cook
00:08:31
Chino Onwuka
All right.
00:08:32
Chuku
Yeah, it was basically just a touch of the ball.
00:08:32
Chino Onwuka
Yeah. Yeah. This is Richard. And this is coming off the back of him costing us the red card in the previous game as well. So by the way, back to you back to you. You're going to dive into what's going on with Arsenal right now.
00:08:45
Chuku
Yeah, no, I just think what's going on is like clearly, I mean, I know like I'm not trying to state the obvious here, but like, whenever a team loses two of their best or top players, you're always going to feel it at some point, you're going to feel, it you're going to feel that. and i think is wanting to lose Odegard, our captain, but then to lose Sokka, it just goes to show we have again, again, not taking the time to get appropriate replacements for certain demands on our team because, look, the Sterling, Sterling is, I mean, the Sterling signing, I mean, I still, overall, I mean, questions are still gonna be asked about that, but as of right now, like, he's not shown to,
00:09:30
Chuku
you know, being adjusted yet. I can't call that a great, a good sign in as of as a right now, but like it just amazing to me how like we lose two
Arteta's Tactical Decisions
00:09:38
Chuku
guys and all of a sudden we don't we don't know how to play football. or attack We can't attack at our regular rate that we were prior. And I think like, why isn't Arteta considering playing, I know he did this game and it referred to playing Jesus on the wing.
00:09:59
Chuku
Wensaka is not not available, but it just, david the Borsmith game, Borsmith, like why, why is his shoes not playing on the wing? think These are the things I'm just trying to just understand and like figure out with the team at the moment. And like, it's just, it's amazing to me that like, again, we've just not gotten the appropriate pieces to make up for a team when we're down with certain mans and it's like, but at this stage of where we're at as a team, like we need, we need, we still need additions in the frontline and we just don't have that right now. And the thing is, it's very apparent and we can see, you know, we can literally see it. Like I know some people in the Arsenal community are shouting out to to want to play the young kid one year, but like,
00:10:58
Chuku
Man, we're not trying to do the Fabric Gas 2.0 of having to rely on a 17-year-old to come and be playing huge minutes went with Odegard down. And I just think at this point in time, the fact that we've never like gotten you know that Odegard similar like for like replacement is kind of apparent that that's something that's heavily missed. because For us after now, we'll be relying on a midfield of Merino, who I i like and I think will come good, but he's not a 10. He's not that it's but that that' attacking 8 that can play in in the spaces and you know create chances like an older guard can. like We just don't have that player. And the the closest player we have to that older guard, I won't say a replacement, but similar style or similar.
00:11:55
Chuku
know skill set, which again, just happens to be the 17 year old one year, in my opinion, we can't be relying on him to be playing big minutes. So the fact that we've not not addressed this and got in some sort of a stopgap, you know, possible player that can, that can come in and and and fit those minutes, it makes did the Fabio Vieira move and Emma Smith roll sale look even more like, like, why, why are we letting two guys go?
00:12:25
Chuku
that could have possibly been that piece that could have helped, you know, in times when Odegar is not, you know, not not there. So I think at this point in time, you know, we're just missing certain pieces in the front line that I believe, you know, if we had them, the the appropriate, you know, squad depth that we're talking about, maybe some of these issues wouldn't be as apparent as they have been. I know the rep won't go to the records,
00:12:52
Chuku
though Obviously, the records are not ideal. you know that Those are definitely hurt us. But i I'm of the opinion, honestly, still, even though they've come up they've come up way more than we like, I'm still of the opinion that they're still one-offs. That is not something that, you know in the grand scheme of things, is something that we should be too concerned that's going to be on every game to game basis kind of thing. I'm just more concerned about the type of football that we're watching and and seeing with when when we're missing, you know, key cogs of our team, those cogs being with the guard and Saka, and I just don't think we have the appropriate replacements as of right now in the club to help facilitate us to where where we need to be as a club, you know, trying to fight for cups and and you know fight for the leak. We just don't have those those adequate replacements. and And that's going to hurt us. That's just my opinion. But I'm interested to hear your guys' thoughts on the matter as well.
00:13:52
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, i yeah you made you made some good points. To me, I don't think this is discussion about you know recruitment or why don't we why do we not have a a proper replacement for Odegard or Sakai. Your point at the very beginning, those are two of the best players in the world. And any team that is losing two of its best players in the world, you know it's going to feel that hurt.
00:14:22
Emeka
Facts.
00:14:22
Chino Onwuka
My problem is really, I'm going to start with Arteta because I think a lot of the pressure that, you know, we're feeling as fans, I think Arteta is feeling that same pressure and it started affecting some of his decisions. Some of the last couple of games, I feel like he's been playing, especially with the injuries, especially as specials we've had, not to lose.
00:14:51
Chino Onwuka
rather than to win. And in some games, in some situations, I understand that. you know Let's start with the Bournemouth game. you know Starting with that lineup of merino, party, and rice, that was too negative for me. And I mentioned it before the game when I tweeted it out. you know Yes, you know all these people calling for Ethan to start every game. i think I think that is a bit reckless. But there are certain games in which
00:15:19
Chino Onwuka
you know if If you're trusting him to sort of be able to take over, you you need to trust him at certain points. But, you know, we don't have, I think the the most, the the the biggest replacement we have for Odegard, you know, apart from Ethan, and you want to manage and nurture him is Trussard. I was expecting to see Trussard at the aid against Bournemouth, right? Rather than have him on the wing, you have Jesus, you have,
00:15:49
Chino Onwuka
I guess Sterling did start, you know, Martinelli wasn't fully fit. I would have thought we we should have seen Sterling as the front three and then Trossard,
00:16:05
Chino Onwuka
Party and Rice or Marino, some of the combination. Starting Marino, Party and Rice was just haram. I don't know what other,
00:16:14
Chuku
theybolical Yeah, that was...
00:16:16
Chino Onwuka
I was, that was, that was terrorist. I was a terrorist lineup right then. and I feel like he's been, it's worked out for him in some games, but I think it's, it's, it's establishing the wrong mentality to the team and to our intent for the game. Even before the red card, we were not playing well. There was no incisiveness to our play. We were lacking creativity. I've mentioned this a couple of times. marinno for all his technique and everything, he is still getting up to speed to the pace of the prep. He's still a little you know off the pace for me. So I just thought that lineup was a little too negative. I know he's having to juggle through all the injuries, but you know I just thought that was negative and it showed. And then maybe you know as the game went on, he was probably trying to keep it close for a little bit and then try to win it at the end and take more risks. But then we get the red card and then
00:17:08
Chino Onwuka
He then compounds that decision with another negative substitution. He's your for Sterling. And then we just start playing, you know, brick squad football at the back. on And it was only at the point where we consider the second goal, did he bring on Ethan some other attacking options. And then we were now attacking, which I thought we should have done. We should have been doing from the very beginning. And then maybe if it's still zero, zero at that point, then you try to protect the lead.
00:17:36
Chino Onwuka
instead of trying to protect him from the 30th minute. So I thought, I thought that was a negative decision there.
Arsenal's Strategic Concerns
00:17:41
Chino Onwuka
And then, okay, we don't want to, you know, expose Ethan too much. We need to protect him. We need to nurture him. No, people talk about, Oh, Emory and Saka. Ethan has played more minutes before turning 18 than Saka ever did. And Ethan doesn't turn 18 till March. And Ethan already has more per minutes before turning 18 than Saka did. So.
00:18:06
Chino Onwuka
I think people are misconstruing things. you know Apart from Seth's Faber guys, people have talked about actually Cole. This shows how young people are. Actually, Cole went alone. He didn't come back and start starting for Arsenal till after a couple of moon experiences, same with Jack Willshire. So you need to nurture these guys. But the the the times where you do play them, where you do plug them in, is against Shaqtar at home. I think that is the opportunity to to to make that because there are certain things he brings to the team that, apart from Trossard,
00:18:36
Chino Onwuka
on a good day, nobody else has. And the problem with Trossard is, you know, a lot of the times he actually doesn't play well, but he can he comes up with key contributions. So that's to me, I just think Arteta, because of the pressure to be perfect, has become a little too negative as he's trying to deal with all the issues that we've had. And it's a shame to see that, yes, like you're're you're going to be worse when you lose your two best players. But what I don't like is that We have gone away from a certain style of football. I don't like the fact that we've compromised who we are just to try to get results that we're not even getting.
00:19:15
Emeka
I mean, y'all are like, I agree with everything watching what you're saying. I just got it. Like I know we're in the title race or competing with city, blah, blah, blah. But really we lose one game and and I see like the sky's falling outside and everyone's all down. Like I sometimes we never mind ourselves that like we're still, we're still doing okay. We're still doing okay.
00:19:38
Chino Onwuka
Before we continue, again i'm I'm not even going on the whole status quo. I'm just saying my issue is I don't like how we've been playing the last couple of games. That's what I'm talking about, that's what I'm referring to.
00:19:38
Emeka
the
00:19:47
Chuku
See, this is my problem is back to you, see similar to what you just said. It's not about the the one like sorry the the we lost one game and trying to overreact with the one lost in the league. I hear your point. But like again, it's literally about... We have our we have eyes, bro. We've watched the game. like I think we would i we're talking about this on the side. like We won the Shaka game, and I'm telling you, I came out of that game feeling like it was a loss. And that's right after, a couple of days after the situation we've seen in the Boardman game, where we were looking, forget about the loss in that would that would our game, that we got without we lost 2-0, yeah? I'm saying, oh, forget about the red card, even in that game, right?
00:20:39
Chuku
before the record we were looking diabolical bro like let's not act like these are two teams that we can honestly say like look respect to boardman but like come on man come on man like we're not trying to know when to confuse boardman that's like a top 10 team in the league bro let's not do this bro and we looked horrific we looked horrific we had no like i know we can look i know you mentioned you mentioned earlier channel that you okay fine you know if a team loses two of their best players top players in the world yada yada yada okay cool but like bro a club like arsenal right who was supposed to be vying to win the league was reviving to win cups championships was supposed to be vying to be winning major honors
00:21:31
Chuku
You cannot tell me if we lose two players. Granted, these are key players in our starting 11, I understand that. But you're telling me we lose two players and all of a sudden, because we lose those two players, we start looking like a shell of ourselves against teams that are not even, they're not even like, I wanna say teams, i about I'm talking about the two, the last two games.
00:22:00
Chuku
board met and shop till the next time.
00:22:01
Chino Onwuka
and and so And so that's my point. It's not even the fact that we've lost over key players is that we compounded by trying to play all of a sudden a radically different type of football instead of trusting the system and trying to play the same way and trusting that the other players will be able to transmit your ideas.
00:22:20
Chino Onwuka
It's like we're so what I don't like is the fact that we're switching up ideas. If it's like, okay,
00:22:24
Emeka
Is it radical different though? I gotta I gotta I gotta jump in here. I feel like this year Arteta has has has drilled them especially in away games to stay compact Brick squad Nick a goal off a set piece and then we go from there like we've we've you know, we played a bit of like that we played Spurs like that even city sometimes we held back and and you know hit him on the counters or and Set pieces like is it a radically different style?
00:22:50
Chino Onwuka
that
00:22:51
Emeka
I don't think so really
00:22:51
Chino Onwuka
No, I understand that. You're going away to certain teams, you do that. Not against Bournemouth. And Bournemouth is a good team, but I don't feel we should be playing that.
00:22:58
Chuku
Not against Shattar Donetsk, bro.
00:23:03
Chino Onwuka
like and it's And again, it's not even in the, okay, yeah, you can do that, but we still have players that could take advantage and do damage when we had the ball encounter. Okay, you you you you you you make the decision to to to to have that set up against Bournemouth.
00:23:12
Emeka
Listen I'm not arguing at all with this because I fully agree that our tech that got it wrong in that lineup And you know the Twitter jokes are running and I gotta agree with some of them He started four center backs in three defensive midfielders like
00:23:18
Chino Onwuka
Okay, who who's the person that's gonna bring the ball up and counter and knit things between defense and attack when we do have the ball? We had nobody on the field to do that.
00:23:39
Emeka
You're not gonna I agree that was around around line up haram la I'm gonna argue that we got it wrong.
00:23:39
Chuku
Bro. Bro. Diabolical football, bro.
00:23:45
Emeka
He got it wrong. He's debbolical it's like, I'm not pushing back at what you're saying a Twitter there what I saw, but hey hey look you can't lie It looked like a team that started forcing the backs and 3dms.
00:23:47
Chino Onwuka
that forced him back things is please don't know that is just people trolling because god watch califiori cool yeah
00:24:03
Emeka
I'd be be real
00:24:04
Chino Onwuka
califiori is not a he's not a he's not a set him back with that profile that guy's a wild style
00:24:08
Emeka
I'm a color for your take right now. It's early. I don't like judging guys early like merino even I agree with you fully. He's been off the pace I don't like judging guys early for you know, give guys at least half a season.
00:24:20
Emeka
However, I I hate to say I have noticed Califuri has the bozos gene and I do not like defenders to have the bozo gene and I the bozo gene sadly is fatal very few people can shake it and I'm just
00:24:27
Chuku
Wow! Orange!
00:24:37
Emeka
I'm keeping my eyes open because I've seen this man get shook by every winger He comes across and it's not a pretty sight even shocked our man. So she was shaking him So I don't know about that. But you know what? and I gotta just you know, get something here. I'm like, I know we It's funny how for some reason I've become the positive guy all my life. I was always a negative Nancy for Arsenal We have won five of our last six games We lost one game, yes it was a terrible loss, deserved loss.
00:25:07
Emeka
You know it was a bad loss when people don't even bring up the red card. To me that was a clear red card, but then funny enough the next day Chelsea had something pretty similar and got a yellow. And I didn't hear no there. But, you know...
00:25:17
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, yeah. No, no, and no, no, no, no, no, no. We need to state that clearly because our whole problem is that there is no consistency. And when the consistency is inconsistent, that inconsistency always happens to be against Arsenal. But that's all I'm going to say.
00:25:36
Emeka
I said, hey, there's nothing here nor there. That being said, the penalty we got midweek was very soft. It was thrown it out there as well. Regardless, we got the red card. People aren't bringing it up that much. That's how bad we were playing. I get it. It was a bad loss. And Shakhtar, the less said about that game, the better. I fully understand it's been a bad week. I just, you know, when you lose one game in five, like, I can't be too upset.
00:26:02
Emeka
now Obviously, it's a it's a big game this weekend and I hope to see something from the boys this weekend because we're gonna talk about Liverpool pretty soon, but You know as a big test and we we lose that game now.
00:26:14
Emeka
Oh, it suddenly becomes I'm back, you know, it's uh It's gonna get it's gonna get
00:26:16
Chuku
Yeah, what to say? What are we going to say? What are we going to say when we lose the game?
00:26:21
Chino Onwuka
See, for me, the problem the problem is not about losing that game or not. You can lose football games. Football is football. One team wins, one team loses. My issue is based on the, I don't like the signs I've been seeing in that I feel like for some reason, there's some games where I expect, you know, let's be solid, let's try and get some points, let's be compact. I'm starting to see he is,
00:26:47
Chino Onwuka
and and And I think because of how I know I'm feeling when it comes to Arsenal this season and what it can mean, I feel like that is getting to Arteta and that is influencing his decisions to be a little too pragmatic when it doesn't need to be.
00:27:02
Chino Onwuka
There's time where you need to be pragmatic and I feel like there's games where he's been more pragmatic than he needs to be. And who knows what that will look like.
00:27:11
Emeka
Fair, however.
00:27:13
Chino Onwuka
I don't want that to be a trend for the rest of the season. I want it to be You know what? When we're trying to win, let's try and win. If we're going to City away, Aston Villa away, that's different. But when we're trying to win, let's actually try and win. Guys, this is how we ball. Let's ball no matter what. And you know, try and impose our will.
00:27:36
Emeka
I feel if we had this podcast last year around this exact same time period, we would have this exact same conversation. Because I remember it and like late last year, people were saying we're too pragmatic. we don't We're lacking creativity. All this and that. Then we ripped off our 2024 run. So I get it. But you know it's still early in the season. like i can't I can't be too. And like it was just three, four games ago.
00:28:03
Emeka
We had 50 shots against Leicester. It felt like 50 shots at least. That was one of the greatest goalkeeper performances I've ever seen and we scored four goals in that
Arsenal vs. Liverpool Preview
00:28:10
Emeka
game. So like we still create chances. We're burying the lead here. We have two of the Don't come out to me 30 best players missing right now in the world I didn't even go slower, but I don't make an argument two of the best five in the print for me missing right now Look at man city Katie B and Roger you're out didn't even 90 if many goes to beat wolves like it's hard the season is a long season ups and downs and
00:28:37
Emeka
Happen sometimes you're flying sometimes you're struggling if our struggles are just a 2-0 loss to Bournemouth and a win 1-0 win midweek in Champions League I'll take it a lot of clubs out there wish they could have a bad week quote-unquote like that All I'm gonna say so like I get it what you guys are saying and I echo all these concerns I never want to see Marino right a rice and party ever again like never I should never be a lineup never be a lineup and i
00:29:02
Chuku
Yeah, I don't think you should ever see that, bro.
00:29:05
Chino Onwuka
Like if we're playing if we're playing Man City away, Real Madrid away, I get it.
00:29:09
Emeka
Don't want to see the lineup. I still want to see the world Put the hovers at the eight because I died like you said, there's no one you can't release the press They're just you give the ball away every time you can't retain possession.
00:29:20
Emeka
Like I don't want to see that Hopefully my captain mr. Ortegard is apparently on the men the Norway coach talking about calling him up Hope doesn't a fire that man, but you know, it sounds like he's on the men at least so like he comes back and And we get second order guard
00:29:38
Emeka
I wouldn't be shocked if we rip off like five straight wins Even though our schedule coming up. It's pretty tough. So yeah Yeah, I don't hide them in the thing But uh, hey
00:29:43
Chino Onwuka
I think, I think Saka is going to be on the bench tomorrow. I think timber might start, there was a picture, they were trying to hide timber, but Arsenal, Arsenal sluts discovered it.
00:29:53
Chuku
Yeah, I see I see. You have to be the young player.
00:29:57
Chino Onwuka
So, before, before we move on into, you know, talk about, you know, the big game this weekend, talk about Liverpool.
00:29:58
Chuku
ye
00:30:06
Chino Onwuka
I don't want it to feel like I'm, I'm picking on a certain somebody, I don't want it to feel like I'm picking on Chuku, but I think it's just, you know, i'm feel like, you know, i'm I'm a big brother to you and, you know, this is just this is just a lesson.
00:30:22
Chino Onwuka
Don't ever mention Martinelli and Mujic's name in the same sentence again. Because because I knew this was gonna happen. Sometimes you just need to just just let things play out because what, you know,
00:30:37
Chuku
that came out of the blue broken this is craziness because again what this is no this no no no i no i'm not having this okay i'm not apologizing i'm not unpacked if i don't have time then you can't it's okay we're just gonna have to agree disagree because i ain't hearing this i ain't hearing this
00:30:39
Chino Onwuka
yeah deep knows is because I'm sorry, you owe you owe that man. Actually, I'm getting annoyed just thinking about what you said that time because you've seen why he's done last couple of weeks.
00:30:46
Emeka
i Diet man, you could not come back man see Chelsea yesterday Right now man
00:30:48
Chino Onwuka
No,
00:30:52
Chino Onwuka
well we don't have time for that. Just a apologize to the man. Just apologize to him.
00:31:02
Chino Onwuka
i
00:31:04
Chuku
Look, look, look, why do i own a warack in one second, one second. Did you guys see Muji? Okay, but did you see Muji Balu?
00:31:10
Emeka
so say me
00:31:12
Chuku
Okay, so look, listen, listen, listen, listen.
00:31:12
Emeka
seeji today but puchi's both right now conference league ro not de
00:31:16
Chuku
Did my mask go to ghost?
00:31:17
Emeka
Conference league league Messi, you know, he's found his level.
00:31:21
Chuku
Listen, again, again.
00:31:23
Emeka
He's on this level
00:31:24
Chuku
You see, my problem with this this whole topic, again, I feel like y'all are just misconstruing my words and not understanding where I was coming from.
00:31:32
Chino Onwuka
You said you're
00:31:34
Chuku
Okay, go ahead, what did I say? Please, what did I say?
00:31:38
Chino Onwuka
going to change what you said.
00:31:38
Chuku
What did I say?
00:31:39
Chino Onwuka
You're going to change what you said.
00:31:39
Chuku
How am I going to change it? No, no.
00:31:42
Emeka
Oh, we have it as argument right now.
00:31:43
Chuku
I said one thing. I said one thing, so I need to hear it from you.
00:31:46
Emeka
He said Martin is approaching mudric. And I said, you know, that's not be a sentence.
00:31:49
Chuku
Thank you. The word was complete.
00:31:51
Emeka
That should not be a sentence. That should not be a sentence.
00:31:53
Chuku
Please, please, please, please. My brothers, I know y'all are all smart young black individuals here. I know that you guys can understand When I say the words, approaching, he's not ever at one point did I ever believe that he is at the level that Mudrik was, is, and currently has been.
00:32:17
Chuku
I said the form that Martinelli was on was approaching, approaching. That is the key word, my brothers.
00:32:26
Chino Onwuka
what What is approaching? What is approaching me?
00:32:29
Emeka
ahmen
00:32:30
Chuku
Oh my days, approaching.
00:32:32
Emeka
Our pockets does approaching Joe Rogan and hello numbers get they all let's get it.
00:32:32
Chuku
If I, let me, let me bring, let me bring.
00:32:35
Emeka
Let's get a profit.
00:32:37
Emeka
Oh My god, why are we let's move on please before he goes, right?
00:32:39
Chuku
So, Oxford, Oxford definition.
00:32:40
Emeka
away we allally on Oh my And it's slanderous slanderous slanders slanders slanders
00:32:41
Chuku
Come in here in distance or time. So, please, again, come in close, come in near. Key word is coming near.
00:32:52
Chuku
You can call the standards what you want. You can call the standards what you want.
00:32:54
Chino Onwuka
Do you know that I had people asking me for your information because they were so annoyed with what you said.
00:32:55
Chuku
Last I checked, last I checked.
00:33:03
Chino Onwuka
And I had to be like, that's my bro.
00:33:04
Emeka
slander slander listen
00:33:04
Chuku
I don't care.
00:33:05
Chino Onwuka
I'm going to give you that.
00:33:06
Chuku
I do not care.
00:33:07
Chino Onwuka
You should.
00:33:07
Chuku
Bro, the hell was missing?
00:33:08
Chino Onwuka
You should. Because what I'm trying to teach you, what I'm trying to teach you is that some of the things you say might put you at risk.
00:33:10
Chuku
Oh my face.
00:33:15
Chino Onwuka
That thing that you said put you at risk.
00:33:16
Chuku
Okay, wonderful, wonderful.
00:33:17
Chino Onwuka
What if you didn't have to protect you?
00:33:18
Chuku
Let it ah ah risk. I do not care. Listen, I stand on...
00:33:21
Emeka
my life I have to hear these hot takes I'm gonna be recorded for the world to hear and we could come back to them because when I used to when i used to so These takes all of a sudden you become blind.
00:33:24
Chuku
I stand...
00:33:31
Emeka
I never said that now we have a record for all these takes I used to hear
00:33:34
Chuku
Hold on, where am I coming?
00:33:36
Chuku
Where am I? I'm on my way. Whoa, I was wrong. I was wrong about what's.
00:33:36
Chino Onwuka
We're i'm not going to talk about less time either we not going to talk about West West Ham either.
00:33:40
Chino Onwuka
OK.
00:33:42
Chuku
Why do you act like I'm the only one who has wrong takes here? What is going on here? This is crazy, bro. This is crazy.
00:33:50
Emeka
you know more out magic in conferenceance league de So understand the vision get him against ah ah Greek farmers and my man cannot miss you so I understand the vision I understand the vision Thursday night messy man, you know levels of this game
00:34:02
Chuku
This is crazy talking.
00:34:03
Chino Onwuka
OK.
00:34:04
Chuku
It's okay.
00:34:04
Chino Onwuka
All right. I just had to address that.
00:34:04
Chuku
Anyways, please, let's move on.
00:34:05
Chino Onwuka
I'm sorry.
00:34:06
Chuku
Let's move on, please.
00:34:06
Chino Onwuka
I'm sorry. so we, so big game this Sunday, Arsenal versus Liverpool title ramifications.
00:34:18
Chino Onwuka
And, you know, as we, as, as that's a potential, you know, title six pointer is Liverpool, not even just a threat for the league, should they be considered the favorites for the league at this point?
00:34:37
Emeka
Absolutely not for favorites. I was kind of way too far, but they should be a threat like it's fun. I feel like but How the season ended? People have like someone forgotten that for the majority of it people are calling it the greatest title race ever because it was three teams It was our stone Liverpool and Man City all fighting from January, February, March. And then, yeah, they fell off near the end, but they were always up there. And like, I don't know. I've always, we're all big fans of Liverpool. I feel like that's consistent. We're not done. They're good. Mo Salah has been putting up numbers for God knows how long now. It's unbelievable how consistent he is.
00:35:12
Emeka
Slots out here cooking 11 wins in his first 12 games that being said we talked about losing a boy month Liverpool lost to Norton forest at Anfield like it's the Premier League man things happen So that's why like I can't get too mad about a loss regardless Liverpool been cooking and I got some Liverpool fans in my life They've been talking with a chest now. We're playing them too on Sunday. I really hope you can get a win I really hope we can get a win because I can't be healing in the slander from them, but I Look props Liverpool props the slot, you know coming after a man like Jurgen Klopp That's a that's like the toughest job you can get essentially like but like Klopp left him a great team a great team and he's managed to Improve or like I guess he improved gravenberg. So yeah, he improved on the team. He's put his twist to it He's got the guys cooking and you know, I hoped at least that
00:36:04
Emeka
the Contract situation will kind of have an impact on them. It hasn't really so far and that's props to the manager man Cuz a lot of teams that could that could go sideways three of your best players on expiring deals you got Trent's winking and real Madrid essentially in the media all the time like that could mess up the vibes but Slots but may got these boys cooking. He's got them winning and there's gonna be a great game on Sunday. I'll tell you that
00:36:28
Chuku
Yeah, I know. It's going to be a very great game, I mean. Y'all see the comments I made about how we all, how we expected to see a fly flying.
00:36:36
Emeka
It'll be flying, baby. Fly Emirates, baby. The place will be floating.
00:36:39
Chuku
Oh my god.
00:36:41
Chino Onwuka
Oh, so, so, so what, what, what?
00:36:41
Chuku
Why, why it's not going to say this man? Why it's not going to say this?
00:36:45
Chino Onwuka
yeah That, that, hold on, hold on. That statement was, see, that's where people put things out of context and I've been seeing them.
00:36:51
Emeka
and That was a great statement.
00:36:53
Chino Onwuka
I know, but the question was, oh, the boys looked a little tired in the second half of the Shaq dark game. So it was talking specifically to fitness or the boys tired. And that's when he responded, I assure you on Sunday, they'll be flying.
00:37:06
Chino Onwuka
It wasn't anything to be like, oh, you don't kick Liverpool's ass, which is what I feel like it's been misconstrued to.
00:37:11
Emeka
oh
00:37:12
Chino Onwuka
So that is the that is the piece. they don't they don't They didn't show the question and what he was answering.
00:37:16
Chino Onwuka
And so now it's become its own.
00:37:16
Emeka
I took it a whole different way I took it as like when pep would be like we need our man city fans to show up and everyone will get mad and I'm like nah That's what you're supposed to do.
00:37:23
Chino Onwuka
No, no.
00:37:24
Emeka
That's a card you play to get the I promise you the Emirates will be rocking Sunday now after that quote That's the kind of I am
00:37:29
Chino Onwuka
And see, that's the thing. That's what we took it as, but that was not the context of the question and the answer whatsoever.
00:37:36
Emeka
It's gonna work because I've seen it being shared amongst the fans and they're taking it as a challenge like yeah We gonna come in and we'll get the ground rocking and people not comparing Emirates and Anfield is the whole argument now But I like what managers do that.
00:37:47
Emeka
I never liked when people hated pep when he'd call out the city fans Obviously, you can't do that every week before big game Exactly now listen man
00:37:53
Chino Onwuka
I think Arteta did do that where they say, oh, what happens you know if you lose? What could it mean? And I like Arteta response. He's like, well, what happens if we win? And then he smiled.
00:38:05
Emeka
I'm not choosing up on my don mickel. There's nothing of us here doing it, but some fans online I Have the nerve to talk mess about my manager. I love our Teta He got it wrong against Bournemouth, but I believe you gonna get it right against Liverpool. I hope at least let me say no I'm say believe I hope but you know here again This is the Liverpool time and I give Liverpool credit man. They they've really looked good this year I'll give him that they've really looked good
00:38:30
Chino Onwuka
What line up would you put out against the rebel?
00:38:34
Chuku
Is Saka healthy?
00:38:35
Emeka
Who's fit? That's the question.
00:38:37
Chino Onwuka
He's on the bench.
00:38:38
Emeka
Who's fit?
00:38:39
Chino Onwuka
he's on a bench
00:38:41
Emeka
Martinelli has to start.
00:38:42
Chuku
Then Marti and Martinelli has to start.
00:38:43
Emeka
He he owns Trent.
00:38:43
Chino Onwuka
Yes.
00:38:44
Emeka
He has to start left wing.
00:38:45
Chuku
He has to start. He has to. His shoes are more put out there. Has to start on on the right wing. He has to start, in my opinion. Who would put it on the right wing?
00:38:56
Chino Onwuka
No, I'm thinking, that wasn't a, so sorry, that wasn't a, you know, I gave a look. I would still go Sterling.
00:38:57
Emeka
I would.
00:39:04
Emeka
Igoesus.
00:39:04
Chino Onwuka
I would still go.
00:39:04
Chuku
Really?
00:39:05
Emeka
I'm what you call this. Igoesus.
00:39:06
Chuku
Nah, you're joking. Nah, nah, I'm sorry.
00:39:08
Emeka
Igoesus.
00:39:09
Chino Onwuka
And and here's there's the gist here's the reason here's the reason why.
00:39:09
Chuku
Jesus has to start on the right wing.
00:39:12
Chino Onwuka
No, Sterling didn't get really get a chance against Bournemouth. You know, this is Sterling coming back against Liverpool. He's played at Anfield. You know, he knows what to do there. He has the experience. And then Jesus, I want to keep him as an option off the bench to bring in because that's our only other striker.
00:39:27
Chino Onwuka
So know that's that's that's my whole that's my whole reasoning call.
00:39:28
Chuku
My brother, I saw Sterling against Shakta.
00:39:30
Emeka
That's the exact reason why I don't want to start Sterling.
00:39:33
Chuku
My brother, I saw Sterling against Shakta, bro.
00:39:34
Emeka
Oh, he's talking about Shakhtar.
00:39:36
Chuku
I saw Sterling against Shakta, bro.
00:39:37
Emeka
Well, I saw he's just against Shakhtar, too. I saw he was just against Shakhtar.
00:39:39
Chuku
Hey, hey, hey, hey.
00:39:40
Emeka
It wasn't a pretty sight. But, starting historically sucks against Liverpool.
00:39:42
Chuku
what you want. Jesus.
00:39:45
Emeka
So, I don't want to play him because he gets in his head.
00:39:47
Chuku
i'm all trying I'm not trying to play Sterling.
00:39:48
Emeka
and
00:39:49
Chuku
Please, please. the as To answer your question, it has to, for me, front three has to be Martinelli.
00:39:58
Chuku
Here's where I guess, let me trick here, because some people like, disagree with me on this a lot, but Martinelli, Trossard in the middle, Jesus on the right.
00:40:08
Emeka
No, you lost me there.
00:40:10
Chuku
I know, I know, I know, I know, I get it, I get it, I know. But I'm telling you, against Liverpool, Trossard has, I've seen Trossard be very clinical against this Liverpool team, and I think
00:40:15
Emeka
You yeah was the trump fifty eight i't know he plenty them as a known
00:40:25
Chino Onwuka
I want to play him at the, play him at the-ball, play him at the 8-ball, not a striker.
00:40:28
Chuku
I know what you're saying, I know what you're saying, but here's the thing, for me, for me what I play Trussar at the eight and Havret up top, or play Havret up top, Trussar at the eight, regardless, they're almost interchangeable in terms of like, there are times when, to to me to me, either way, I want Trussar to be up top, but again, like if Trussar is playing in that other guard role, right,
00:40:44
Emeka
yeah they are well
00:40:57
Chuku
There's going to both, both him and Havert are going to be interchanging. Regardless, I'm going to have both of them in the starting lineup. So So ah long story short, the the front four, I'm just going to call it front four, is going to have to be, is going to be Martinelli, Trossard, Jesus, and Havert's one, what are one of both, or whoever is playing the 10, whoever is playing the, you know, the front, either way,
00:41:10
Emeka
Yeah, they are.
00:41:25
Chuku
trussard and hovers are gonna be through the middle. And then you got Martinelli and his shoes on the wind. Then you go with a partay and rice in the in Holden. And, you know, back four, depending on who's healthy, of course you're gonna have this again, Big Gabby, Saliba, and, oh, Saliba's not playing. So you gotta be, let's see, Big Gabby, whew, who you gonna pair with him?
00:41:54
Chuku
Maybe you played Ben White. that's I that's going to be a tough one. Because I guess the question is, who's healthy in defense?
00:42:00
Chino Onwuka
i got I got you on this one. I got you on this one. I got you on this one. All right. Here's what I want to do because at first I had been white, you know, playing center her back and then you don't know who's fit. So do you bring party to play it right back? And I put marina on the midfield with rice and then who's fit at left back. You know, I'm assuming Califiori's out, you know, timbers lurking somewhere in the background as if you didn't have to start. Here's what I saw. And I was like, huh, that's actually not bad. Midfield, Trossard.
00:42:31
Chino Onwuka
Marino, number five, Onkopati, back four.
00:42:38
Emeka
Rice to CB?
00:42:39
Chuku
Don't do it. He's playing rice as CP.
00:42:40
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, we gonna hope tiler is because his salon beloved Timber Timber, let him go and give us 60 minutes, left back, Big Gabby, Declan, right center back, and Ben White right back.
00:42:42
Chuku
like
00:42:56
Chuku
Damn.
00:42:58
Chino Onwuka
I'm trying not to change too much.
00:42:59
Emeka
You know, I i wish Artetto attracted Rice as a CB more.
00:43:00
Chuku
Ain't no way.
00:43:03
Emeka
I thought he's never done it.
00:43:05
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
00:43:05
Emeka
Like rice's Rice can be a CB.
00:43:05
Chuku
You will never do it.
00:43:07
Emeka
I'd have him in there.
00:43:07
Chuku
You will not do it, bro.
00:43:08
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
00:43:08
Emeka
I mean, i know it's not crazy to me. I'm with you on that. I feel like I took that number and he really does it.
00:43:12
Chuku
I mean, he used to be a CB, so I don't know what you're saying, but he's not going to do it at all.
00:43:12
Chino Onwuka
Well.
00:43:15
Emeka
I don't get yeah i think he can easily fit in. Again, it comes down to who's healthy.
00:43:20
Chuku
I think we have a better chance of seeing a midfield of Trossard in the midfield. Trossard will have us in the midfield next to a Marino and Rice, and then a party playing right back.
00:43:37
Chuku
i don't and then white Ben White,
00:43:38
Emeka
I hope not.
00:43:39
Chino Onwuka
but So so c here here's the reason why I think that's a possibility because history has shown that Arteta does not like making too many changes.
00:43:41
Chuku
I won't place at the buck next to Gabi.
00:43:49
Emeka
ye
00:43:49
Chino Onwuka
Because Selena is out, you're not having to make two changes. One, white to center back and party to right back. And I think he usually doesn't like doing that.
00:44:00
Chino Onwuka
So it'll be interesting to see what he does on Sunday. That's why that if Declan Rice is moving to center back, that's only one change. you know, one sort of change in the formula that he's doing.
00:44:12
Emeka
I must pick it into existence. Saka, right wing starting. We gonna get Kiwi, left back. Gabrielle, timber, whites. Full strength squad.
00:44:22
Emeka
jaa Go call up Pep's guy in Germany. Fly him in. You know what I mean?
00:44:26
Chuku
Oh, God.
00:44:27
Emeka
Get the work done. Get the pain pills popping. How they do. It's all good, man. We gonna get the boys right.
00:44:36
Chino Onwuka
All right, predictions for the game.
00:44:39
Chuku
Oh, brother, man. I'm taking a one-on-one draw, man. I'm taking a one-on-one draw. That's fine. I don't feel any confidence in us winning this game. I hope we do. I hope we do.
00:44:54
Chuku
but to see here and say I have any confidence I'm going to win the game, I'll be lying to you guys, you know, and I don't want to lie to you, you're my boy. So, hand on chest, I think it's going to be a 1-1.
00:45:08
Chino Onwuka
I think it's gonna be an L. I don't even wanna go and predict the score. I have so many scenarios in my head. I i just think we're a bit discombobulated right now.
00:45:20
Chino Onwuka
you know This could be a game that either, you know, jolts us off that discombobulation or just continues to come pungo until we get right. So I just think, you know, right now we're not on form.
00:45:32
Chino Onwuka
So I think Liverpool, they're they're at home, I think, baby.
00:45:35
Chuku
Damn, God, everything wants an L.
00:45:37
Emeka
it so It's y'all crazy. I'm gonna be the one positive voice then Arsenal 2-1 y'all trip it the Emirates All this I just want to hear all this man I don't hear all this.
00:45:41
Chino Onwuka
Is that the Emirates?
00:45:43
Chuku
See, that's crazy, an L.
00:45:45
Chino Onwuka
Emirates.
00:45:49
Chuku
Hey man, you see, I said draw, I said draw, bro.
00:45:49
Emeka
I don't know. I've got the positive snow fan all of a sudden I Used to be the the biggest hater, but I thought that made me believer. So, you know what?
00:45:58
Chino Onwuka
<unk> I don't know who's playing win back against Salah.
00:45:59
Emeka
I'm a believer
00:46:03
Chino Onwuka
That's the thing.
00:46:04
Chino Onwuka
I don't know who's playing win back.
00:46:04
Emeka
We'll figure it out.
00:46:05
Emeka
We'll figure it out. Big gabbies go to score a corner. That's my prediction. That is we'll do for one like that. but We'll do for one of those games.
00:46:12
Chino Onwuka
We can move in the Pentagon corner. I know it's a big tactic, but we need to not just have our hat on.
00:46:16
Emeka
a Trussar, like the juku said, Trussar, you know, he always comes through against Liverpool.
00:46:19
Chino Onwuka
Well,
00:46:23
Emeka
You score a nice word goal. Big Gabby from the corner. Salah always goes against us. So we get the custom customize. How I go to one Arsenal, I believe.
00:46:32
Chino Onwuka
I will be in church praying, praying for a positive outcome.
00:46:34
Emeka
Amen.
00:46:37
Chino Onwuka
Okay.
00:46:37
Emeka
Amen.
00:46:38
Chino Onwuka
Anything else you guys want to talk about?
00:46:39
Chuku
Amen.
00:46:40
Chino Onwuka
personalpo Do we want to give Liverpool any more love?
00:46:43
Chuku
Wait, how are we going to talk about Liverpool, man? no can we talk I mean, I don't know what I want.
00:46:46
Emeka
when i give the flowers you guys just de press the barrs so for some reason and just refused to engage i was I was the only one who gave them their flowers.
00:46:49
Chino Onwuka
No, we talked about how good they are, but we just said they're good, and then gone back to talking about Arsenal.
00:46:51
Chuku
I guess her one person.
00:46:56
Chino Onwuka
So I just wanted to, is that?
00:46:59
Emeka
I've been impressed by Liverpool. Like again, replacing Klopp is hard to do. Hard to do. And he came in, changed the style, made Gravenberg, who I love both friends in my life, to where they were slandering this man last season.
00:47:09
Chino Onwuka
Not as bad at work. But Gappo as well, Gappo has been a different player this season.
00:47:15
Emeka
Yeah, but he was good before. Gravenberg, people were slandering him last year. And he made this man into the Busquets all of a sudden.
00:47:19
Chino Onwuka
No, people were slandering, lyrical fans were slandering, Gappo as well. In fact, I was saying, we don't want no more tall, languid Dutch players anymore.
00:47:24
Emeka
He had a good first year, at least.
00:47:32
Chino Onwuka
They had banned that whole typecast, but then now he's brought them back, so.
00:47:37
Emeka
yeah Louis Diaz was started off the year at the most informed attacker in the league like yo Liverpool loop are a threat like looppo also have been a threat. That's a you know, I don't get why Arsenal some Arsenal fans online I've seen they wouldn't disrespect Liverpool It just never made sense to me like you all are watching Liverpool Man City get 90 points every season Like that's still the same core
00:47:52
Chino Onwuka
You know, we we had said we wanted to see them in in a bigger test. You know, Melvin talked about their game against Chelsea.
00:48:03
Chino Onwuka
They faced the test and they they came through it with flying colors, you know,
Champions League Highlights
00:48:06
Chino Onwuka
dispatched them very well.
00:48:06
Emeka
out of our flying colors, but yeah, they want. Also, I don't know if Chelsea's a big, quote unquote, big test, but that's just me. That's just me.
00:48:16
Chino Onwuka
Okay. All right, moving on, will it was ah is a big week in the Champions League. We've talked about Arsenal delu defeating the mighty Shaq Tower at home.
00:48:21
Emeka
Is that you?
00:48:26
Emeka
Hey.
00:48:26
Chino Onwuka
But there are some other bigger results. We had Real Madrid coming back from the dead using their Champions League black magic to win 5-2. They were down to nothing in the first half to win 5-2.
00:48:37
Emeka
crazy
00:48:39
Chino Onwuka
And we had Barcelona against Bayern. What was a really exciting game, to be honest.
00:48:43
Emeka
Crazy Oh, that was the game of the week by far that was amazing game was game of the week for me that was game with that was amazing football like the score says five It was anyone who watched that game will tell you it was not 5-1 like buy another week buying within the first half like 4-1 they were getting chances and
00:48:43
Chino Onwuka
you know Both teams winning an eye line. You know, looking shaky for a moment, it's...
00:48:49
Chuku
Wait, what? That was the beginning of the week?
00:48:52
Chino Onwuka
Yes. Yes.
00:48:56
Chuku
Interesting.
00:49:06
Chino Onwuka
It was a great game. It was a great game. Is it 5-1 or 4-1?
00:49:09
Emeka
Well, four one, four one, sorry, four one.
00:49:11
Chino Onwuka
4-1, yeah. So, yeah.
00:49:12
Emeka
I could have been four one buyer in another life, like easily could have been four one buyer.
00:49:17
Chino Onwuka
Shuku, you're the resident Madrista, so you know turning over to you to to to talk about the the Madrid game first of all.
00:49:24
Chuku
yeah man Madrid man if you ever want to be entertained man you gotta to i feel like they do this on purpose just just to give some excitement that's almost how it feels but man i just want to just take the time to just say man like yo vinicious junior oh my god like like I know people talk about this in Bape, this in Bape that, you know, talk about, you know, all the other players in the world, but I'll be hard pressed right now for anyone to name me a player or or two players. In fact, name me a player right now that is on a tier, at least in the Champions League stage.
00:50:14
Chuku
as compared to my guy Venetius Jr. This guy might truly be, I feel like he cemented himself as the Ballon d'Or winner in my opinion. like this this His performance, what I saw this man do. Madrid, if you I couldn't believe what, they were down 2-0 to dormant. And you could almost feel like the the the air in the stadium was gone.
00:50:41
Chuku
almost feel like oh you know all is going to be, because everyone knows how Madrid has been struggling you know in the in the in the league in certain matches. Again, you know being not as you know they're not as dominant as people you know would think they do would they would have been with the addition of Mbappe to the team. But Vinicius just proves that he is deserving of being named one of the best players in the world if not the best player in the world with his performances we can count and he put on a show one the likes of like it I just I'm losing words to be descriptive of how amazing and how like impressive you know what he what that performance she showed against dormant really you know really did because like he
00:51:37
Chuku
was unplayable and the fact that you could just turn it on you know in the span of just like what was it felt like was the fat 10 10 to 15 minutes just completely destroy a whole defense i'm not sure if you guys saw you know if you watched the game or and so or seen his the last i believe was the last goal where he literally just cut in and out caught Is this Suler?
00:52:03
Chuku
I believe it was Suler. He cocked him, bro.
00:52:05
Chino Onwuka
yeah i do yeah
00:52:07
Chuku
I said, what?
00:52:08
Chino Onwuka
so
00:52:09
Chuku
Like, you should have seen, all you have to do is just look at the reactions of the dormant players after he scored that goal. They had nothing, they could not do anything. Like, they were cocked.
00:52:20
Chuku
And the thing about Vinicius' goals is that he's not doing any sort of like, you if you watch, he's not doing anything crazy.
00:52:31
Chuku
Like, in terms of like,
00:52:32
Emeka
Oh, what?
00:52:32
Chuku
<unk>anttras or wait so in terms of again are you hearing what i'm trying to say like again okay me let me i guess let me give you some more context when you're watching a guy like ronardinho okay and seeing some of the crazy skills moves that he's done again not saying that vinny doesn't have skill because he definitely has flair and he has skill in his game but
00:52:33
Chino Onwuka
Yeah. Yeah I do. Yeah.
00:52:35
Emeka
What? Like you said, I saw this man cook, cook, so that was that scallacho right there. I don't know what you mean.
00:53:01
Chuku
the guy The guy was, for a lot of the goals he scored, apart from that last goal where he absolutely, he just, from filming, he coats that defender, okay? A lot of the goals are just him, just running into running into space, close ball control, and giving a correct finesse, finishing, like he is a finisher, right? He knows how to finish when he has the chance in the box.
00:53:29
Chuku
and
00:53:32
Chuku
Comparing that to like a guy like, no, like I said, there's nothing flashy. I guess maybe that's what I'm trying to look for. It's not flashy in a sense that he's doing something crazy.
00:53:38
Emeka
That's crazy to me.
00:53:41
Chuku
you think So you really would compare that to something like ah ah a Ronaldinho. Is that what you'd compare it to?
00:53:46
Emeka
if someone someone describe vineers junior in the first five words i'm i'm saying flashy kilachi
00:53:51
Chuku
Well, he is, he is, but hold on.
00:53:52
Emeka
he's like
00:53:55
Chuku
Vinny as a player is flashy.
00:53:56
Emeka
He's a good finisher and he scores a lot of gold with his pace But he he now that Neymar is older and and an injured. He's by far the best jubilant in the world He's the most flare in the world.
00:54:04
Chino Onwuka
He's a flare player. He's a flare player.
00:54:07
Emeka
ands so I'm so confused by this like he's the fail for later For
00:54:09
Chino Onwuka
Unless, unless, I make out, unless he's playing for Brazil.
00:54:11
Chuku
I'm again I'm cry I'm just talking about I'm just talking about the goals.
00:54:13
Chino Onwuka
When he's playing for Brazil, he turns into someone else. But for real, he'll be still.
00:54:15
Emeka
Brazil me Tuesday night
00:54:21
Chuku
I'm talking about the goals I'm not talking about the niches as a player in general What?
00:54:23
Emeka
But it's more his game than the goals though. It's more his game than his goals. That's what I'm saying like he's he's the to me two of them are pretty flashy after the lines really
00:54:27
Chino Onwuka
The problem today is generation, man.
00:54:27
Chuku
No, no, you're not gonna I'm so say I got you know
00:54:33
Chino Onwuka
This is a problem with today's generation. I know what you're trying to say in that his goals are flashy. I mean, I think too, especially the last one, he ran across the whole group on a one-man counter to score the goal, but like his game is flair.
00:54:51
Emeka
He's the Flair King, that's why I'm so shocked by this.
00:54:52
Chino Onwuka
Part of what he's doing, I honestly don't know what you're trying to do.
00:54:53
Chuku
this game is definitely flair hold on the game what so all I was trying to say was he didn't even have to go I'm trying to say that the goals were not like in terms of like like how to put this he wasn't like doing any sort of crazy skills bro like the goal one of the goals was literally him running straight into
00:54:58
Chino Onwuka
What are you trying to say? What are you trying to say?
00:55:11
Emeka
What he was though?
00:55:13
Chino Onwuka
I mean, that's how most people score their goals.
00:55:16
Chuku
what
00:55:17
Chino Onwuka
I mean, if you look at all of Ronaldinho's highlights, what is the percentage of goals where he did a lasted goal, then not meant to score a goal.
00:55:19
Emeka
I'm about to say, yeah.
00:55:24
Chino Onwuka
A lot of them would say, I'm just kicking the ball in the net. This is not FIFA Street.
00:55:27
Emeka
But the funny thing is, of all the games you bring this point up, you bring the point up when Vinnie scores two goals, where he dribbled and killed man's!
00:55:30
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
00:55:33
Emeka
Like, I don't understand!
00:55:33
Chino Onwuka
it Okay, Chuku, yeah, thanks for your points, Ameka.
00:55:38
Emeka
really oh I mean, first of all, I've got a quick word for Dortmund, like...
00:55:38
Chino Onwuka
What's on the game?
00:55:44
Emeka
Is it I feel for them because they make the classic a mistake when you score you go up against a big team And it's just the natural impulse to sit back and park the bus and is it's counterintuitive But I feel like youre you're setting yourself up if you do that because the second half was literally all real Madrid It was just all Madrid attack attack attack and Madrid I guess on the the Galactical's, you know, you're not gonna hold up against them 45 minutes Let's let them attack and attack you like they were doing well pressing them in the first half and even you got some counter attacks in the second half too and
00:56:16
Chino Onwuka
Thank you.
00:56:17
Emeka
just couldn't do it so that's sad but i'm sure you all have all seen the the jimmy character clip going around and i agree with everything he said there word for word bar for bar real Madrid thought they were buying the best player in the world this summer they already had him Chukwu said to me right now i'm obviously present in the moment but Ballon d'Or is for last year nothing this year so This is junior is to clear Ballon d'Or.
00:56:39
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, the volts are both already The volts are already in.
00:56:40
Emeka
I know he sucks for Brazil. Yeah, what's already in I know he sucked for Brazil I'm loving one of those people who always ascribe these national tournaments the to the Ballon d'Or and I've always hated that like I feel like the most fraudulent Ballon d'Or history is kind of our 06 or magic is in in whatever year that was now that you're not there regardless Vinny clearly was the best player last year in Champions League in big games and I have a take I know who's a is where does the hot take drop i'm curious of your thoughts on this I think since the World Cup final in 2022, it is not even close that Vinny has been so much better than Mbappe. And people don't want to give him that credit. I don't know if it's a hot take or not, but I stand on this. Mbappe has been great. he's't been
00:57:25
Emeka
otherworldly like you expect him. Meanwhile, Vinny took that step in the Champions League every match week. He's out here performing in the biggest games and the biggest moments. And this is for Brazil when he's wearing that Madrid jersey. It is breathtaking football. And to me, the only guy I could only two names essentially I could compare with him are Roger and Holland.
00:57:48
Emeka
Vinny's up there with all the best of them. And I think to's and I'm glad that their teammates now it's even clearer. Vinny has been clear of Mbappe for at least two years now.
00:57:59
Chino Onwuka
I think you know this this will set up for a discussion that I think we need to have on a different episode where you know this this whole discussion is, are players as great as they were before? Who's the best player now? It doesn't feel the same way. So I think that's a bit because you know you you mentioned that and you know I did think about it like, yeah, who who's the best player in the world right now? And no one has just, no one has just gone and taken that change.
00:58:28
Chino Onwuka
In my opinion, it changes. I have a different answer every couple of weeks. So, you know, I think right now with what he's done lately, you know, Vinny does seem to be the top dog right now, but you know, all it'll take is for Mbappe to have another, you know, hot run.
00:58:44
Chino Onwuka
And I think people start saying, Oh, it was never even close.
00:58:47
Emeka
Why is this prisoner of the moment? And I know, like you said, we had this conversation at the Future of Pod, but i got just that this topic everyone was bringing up, it's annoying me because what they're really saying is, these people aren't as good as Ronaldo or Messi.
00:58:49
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
00:58:59
Emeka
Guess what?
00:59:00
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
00:59:00
Emeka
No one's as good as Ronaldo or Messi. I'm sorry, kids.
00:59:02
Chino Onwuka
Yeah. And and that has fault us with shirt.
00:59:03
Emeka
I don't know what you want. You know what I'm saying?
00:59:05
Chino Onwuka
That has fault us with shirt.
00:59:07
Emeka
Before Ronaldo were Messi, if a striker scored 25 goals, there they were there were the man. They were the man in the league. 25?
00:59:14
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
00:59:15
Emeka
Oh, they were celebrated.
00:59:16
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
00:59:17
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
00:59:17
Emeka
Messi 30.
00:59:18
Emeka
They're like, that's just typical. Harry Kim, he's throwing 30 goals left or right.
00:59:20
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
00:59:22
Emeka
That's nothing. What's that? 30 goals? man Like, no.
00:59:24
Chino Onwuka
And then the other problem is How do I want to talk about this now? How do I overthink and have a serious debate with somebody talking about how, you know, these players are not like, oh, remember when it was like with Wernaldinho, you know, Pappas come and change, it's too tactical and things like that.
00:59:40
Chino Onwuka
I'm like, you know what, when we talk about a lot of those players, how old were we? We were like 10, 13, 14, 15.
00:59:45
Emeka
I swear.
00:59:47
Chino Onwuka
We didn't watch the game the same way. And then now when we do watch it, we're watching
00:59:49
Emeka
You're watching them week in and week out, I promise. They're not work watching them week in and week out.
00:59:52
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, and we're watching YouTube highlights, and all the highlights we show is just of those moments. You know, you don't see the way the game is when there was oceans of space, when it could come, do left, do right. Now, if you're a star player, the second you even touch the ball, there's four guys surrounding you. Anyway, but that is a topic for another day. I look forward to getting into it.
01:00:12
Emeka
Let's talk about this a little bit because this is something that's always been on my go-to People don't miss in highlights. I always made this joke people don't miss in highlights No one remembers the game where Barcelona drew to to a guitar fae and we're not doing you know It was just in and out of the game and he faded out because it was a random January in 06 and People want in like that nowadays like I always bring up Holland if Holland has a game when he doesn't score There are 15 different talking head segments about it.
01:00:20
Chino Onwuka
Yeah. yeah
01:00:32
Chino Onwuka
don't It's going to be a field comp wall.
01:00:38
Emeka
Everyone's gonna cut up his touches. It's gonna be a whole discussion like you can't Just the pressure on these guys now is insane and also the one thing how people will say is like modern game you have to press and
01:00:43
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
01:00:53
Emeka
You have to press, it is what it is. You have to press now. All these guys are fit. The man's like, we're in Aldino, who were passengers back in the day. That's not gonna fly right now. Only Messi gets to be a passenger, essentially. So like, yeah, it's harder now.
01:01:04
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
01:01:05
Emeka
These guys are bawling out, putting up these numbers, and tracking back.
01:01:06
Chino Onwuka
And one thing I want to highlight is is, and what I want to highlight is the reason the game change is to stop players from being able to do what your Ronaldinho's and all those guys were doing back then.
01:01:20
Chino Onwuka
The aim of the game now is to take away space and funnel you into certain areas because the argument was, oh, even when Ronaldinho would get the ball, he would beat three players.
01:01:32
Chino Onwuka
And my my counter argument was, yeah, He would get the ball one-on-one, beat one player, then another player would come, ease off balance, begin.
01:01:41
Emeka
Yeah, he's running, he's catching up to the player, yeah.
01:01:42
Chino Onwuka
In this game, the second you even receive the ball and you're receiving the ball where they want you to receive the ball, you're already surrounded. And then it's like, okay, well, if you're surrounded, that means there should be space to play the ball.
01:01:53
Chino Onwuka
I'm like, yeah. The way they've tilted the field defensively is that you have only a certain place to pass the ball, which is where they want you to. And then they reorganize and people just, But yes, you know, the game of change is different types of players, but there's a reason for that.
01:02:05
Emeka
Nah, I'm with you, man.
01:02:09
Chino Onwuka
It doesn't mean players are worse, it just means the game is different. And you see that across every single spot where everyone talks about, oh, back in the day, back and forth.
01:02:16
Emeka
Yeah, I have no time for that man.
01:02:18
Chino Onwuka
Well, I think these people are, these coaches are stupid. There's a reason the game has changed to what it is now. It's because that is what they think is the best way to get them a result. So.
01:02:27
Emeka
ah ah the Everyone, no one gets worse. no one there's no There's no sports in this world. I don't watch cricket. I don't watch any sport. There's no sports you can tell me that the players now are worse than the players in the past. I just don't have time for it.
01:02:37
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
01:02:39
Emeka
Everyone's better. They're more skilled. There's more training. There's more information. It is what it is. And in 20 years, people are going to be like, oh man, back in the day, they don't make them like KDB anymore. Or they don't make them like, let me smile anymore.
01:02:49
Chino Onwuka
Yeah. Yeah.
01:02:51
Emeka
You know, there's still going to be stuff like that said.
01:02:51
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
01:02:54
Chino Onwuka
In fact, they you think about the way they're going to talk about Howland in 20 years. Oh, my God.
01:02:58
Emeka
That's what I'm saying.
01:03:00
Chino Onwuka
OK.
01:03:01
Emeka
I had someone say, you know, I did this last point.
01:03:01
Chino Onwuka
You know, last year, what last year?
01:03:04
Emeka
Someone I will online people arguing and date someone was saying that Holland is like Ibrahimovic with slightly better finishing.
01:03:05
Chino Onwuka
What?
01:03:13
Emeka
And I will challenge anybody here. I know I love Ibras. I want to think I'm slandering him. Pull up Ibrahimovic's stats. How many goals he scored in every season and compare that with Holland and you'll be shocked.
01:03:21
Chino Onwuka
Yeah. He looks nice on YouTube.
01:03:23
Emeka
So I'll miss it.
01:03:25
Chino Onwuka
He looks nice on YouTube.
01:03:25
Emeka
Yeah, highlight these highlights are amazing, fantastic. Look at the actual production he had and compared it to guys like Holland. And you'll see that the modern people right now are putting up numbers. Yeah, they're not messing with Ronaldo.
01:03:36
Emeka
No one is messing with Ronaldo. That's my point. No one's messing with Ronaldo. Like, get that out your head. Those are two aliens. Outside of messing with Ronaldo, consistently I feel like it's the same level of top in the world growing up for me than it is now.
01:03:49
Emeka
I don't know.
01:03:50
Emeka
That being said, Vinny for Ballon d'Or.
01:03:51
Chino Onwuka
Moving on.
01:03:55
Chino Onwuka
It's going to be between him and Roger, so it'll be interesting to see what the votes are like.
01:03:57
Emeka
Yeah.
01:03:59
Chino Onwuka
Moving on to the other game, Barcelona,
Barcelona vs. Bayern Analysis
01:04:02
Emeka
Oh.
01:04:03
Chino Onwuka
Bayern.
01:04:03
Chino Onwuka
This is the type of game you will love to watch as a neutral. Two very technical teams with speed, playing high lines. You have two, you know, legendary old school number nines in Kane, Lewandowski,
01:04:19
Emeka
Oh,
01:04:19
Chino Onwuka
It's a beautiful game, chances galore.
01:04:23
Emeka
fantastic.
01:04:23
Chino Onwuka
You know, you mentioned it on the weekend, maybe the difference in the game was just not supposedly the best keeper in the world, Manuel Naur, but I think the difference of the game, really, if you think about it.
01:04:32
Emeka
I'm glad you brought this up. I need to go. I'm sorry. I'm talking a lot But I gotta call this ISO because I have been on this island for a while now and I'm gonna stay on this island. How old do you think noir is?
01:04:45
Emeka
Jugul
01:04:47
Chino Onwuka
36.
01:04:51
Chuku
34.
01:04:53
Emeka
34 he turns 39 in March He is old he is old and like Father time comes for us all man.
01:04:58
Chino Onwuka
Oh, boy. Yeah.
01:05:05
Emeka
is It's sad to say because I've I have been on the strong opinion that nougat is the greatest goalkeeper of all time That's what I'm saying Shaka Shaka New Year Shaka New Year was oh eight
01:05:10
Chino Onwuka
Man, that means, that means I'm old because I remember when Naros was a wonder kid and I'm saying, oh my god, oh my god.
01:05:21
Emeka
It's been a while choco Noyos. Oh wait. It's been a minute. That's my point He's old and the issue with noir is he keeps playing like he's 25 He keeps doing the same stand on the halfway line or every through ball. He just holds triangle down and comes out like he's young man and he gets cooked like people forget Madrid won the Champions League because Noya made so many mistakes in that game against them in like the 90th minute, but because he's noir when he makes a mistake You don't hold it against him because he still has that cache of like no, that's manual noir man Just a just a light mistake doesn't happen
01:05:57
Emeka
He makes mistakes constantly. in Big games, I've noticed it. Bayern can see goals that you don't expect them to concede because Neuer, you know, in another universe, we get a penalty against Bayern when Neuer fouled Saka, we might have eliminated them. Like, Neuer makes mistakes constantly. And as as a keeper, like defenders, when you get that bozo gene in you, it's fatal. I hate to say it, it's fatal. You don't overcome it. And Neuer has the bozo gene now. When you watch Bayern, he's going to make a mistake and You know, they have good center backs. I'm gonna say great. They have good center backs But they're not good enough to overcome that when they especially one company has been playing this dangerous high line That you're playing this line because you think you have I know prime know you're essentially back there to sweep and cover it He's not prime know you anymore. And he's athleticism is also impacted his shot stopping. He's not sweeping as good as i mean rafina was had some great finishes but like you can't tell me even arsos keeper david rio's bias keeper i promise you he's saving two of those goals i promise you he's saving two of those goals so like
01:07:01
Emeka
It's tough man, and I've seen it happen more and more and he's got so much clout that especially a young manager like company He can't bench him because it'll be leave a a dressing room revolt and that's gonna cost Bayern I feel like it's gonna cost him.
01:07:13
Emeka
It's more big games like no year. I hate to say it man He's he's washed his man another Jamie Carragher called a banger Jamie Carragher quote leave the football before the football leaves you and it's looking like the football has left Noir it's sad
01:07:23
Chino Onwuka
before holy
01:07:28
Chino Onwuka
You know, we've, we've talked about, we've talked, we've talked about, you know, the great job, you know, squat has done with Liverpool. We also got to talk about the great job that Hansi Flick has done with Barcelona. I, with all the things going on around them, their financial situation, the injuries they faced. No, I mean, it's La Liga, so I still expected them to be second, but I didn't expect them to be playing the the way they are.
01:07:52
Chino Onwuka
So, you know, big respect to him, you know, he's, you know, using on lambdas. He's looking better than he did last season. They, La Masia just keeps producing these 16, 18 year olds that are coming in and contributing at big stage.
01:08:05
Emeka
Bro.
01:08:10
Chino Onwuka
Like I think sometimes it's good when you don't have a choice, but to throw these guys in the deep end, cause you don't have to worry about it that. You're just like, bro, sink or swim, which happened with your mom, which happened with Paul who, who a bar C.
01:08:20
Emeka
Qobasi from in Lopez.
01:08:22
Chino Onwuka
And I don't get my at the
01:08:23
Chuku
Is that a simple book? Who's the something? Who's the something sounds about?
01:08:28
Emeka
Qobasi.
01:08:31
Chuku
That guy is ridiculous. Right here.
01:08:34
Chino Onwuka
me
01:08:35
Chino Onwuka
you know so I'm getting to I'm getting to I'm getting to it, you know, and then, you know, but and then all off season.
01:08:35
Emeka
But you're burying the lead, my boy.
01:08:37
Emeka
you may You're not mentioning the Starman, the man of the hour.
01:08:45
Chino Onwuka
Again, this is why sometimes you don't they're in this financial situation and they're trying to spend money that they don't have. to sign Williams, Nico Williams, when you have Rafinha at home.
01:08:59
Emeka
You know what I mean?
01:08:59
Chino Onwuka
There's Rice at home.
01:09:00
Chino Onwuka
And he and he he clearly took that personally.
01:09:01
Emeka
You Photoshopping his jersey is disrespectful.
01:09:01
Chuku
okay beautiful
01:09:06
Chino Onwuka
And he is showing that so far this season. He got a hat trick. He's been playing well. He's bringing energy. He's bringing skill, scoring goals, assisting set pieces. He's doing it all.
01:09:17
Chino Onwuka
So yeah, shouts to that man. Shouts to that man.
01:09:21
Emeka
And you had a great point, man.
01:09:21
Chino Onwuka
And, you know, yeah.
01:09:22
Emeka
like Respect to Hansi Flick. people The septuple, not that long ago, he was the hardest manager in the game, running the things
Real Madrid vs. Barcelona Preview
01:09:31
Emeka
with Bayern. He struggles in Germany, but international management is is hit or miss.
01:09:35
Emeka
you know like I don't get why people were acting like such a... like like He's knocked that guy still. like He's still the man who came in and and had Bayern looking unbeatable, essentially.
01:09:42
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
01:09:46
Emeka
So shout out Hansi Flick, man.
01:09:46
Chino Onwuka
Yeah. And he took the w risk to go for coach of his level to go to the team where, Hey, you're not going to have hundreds of millions to spend in transfer window.
01:09:48
Chuku
yeah
01:09:56
Chino Onwuka
This is the situation. He said, yeah, bet.
01:09:57
Emeka
I mean, it's it's still Barso though.
01:09:58
Chuku
yeah he's about to say bro come on oh
01:09:59
Emeka
It's still Barso. Let's be like, come on now.
01:10:01
Chino Onwuka
You're sure, but you know, there are other, you know, the, the, the stores are on us and there are other coaches that didn't want to go. That's why chappy was the only one that they could, they could get at the time because he was like, Oh, this is my club. I know the financial situation is what it is. And then they looked at other managers and those guys were like,
01:10:18
Chino Onwuka
We were going to be financially handcuffed, so I didn't want to go there. And Hansi Flick, you know, he was like, hey, I can work. I did. I see what you guys have there. I can work with that. And he's proving it. So, you know, that has set us up for a beautiful, a classical coming up tomorrow. You've got rumored versus Barcelona. You've got two flying Brazilian wingers, you know, so lots of storylines there. I think it's going to be, I'm hoping.
01:10:45
Chino Onwuka
for it. It's going to be a really good game. Really excited to watch it. Thoughts on the game predictions.
01:10:53
Emeka
I hope it's that peak el classical when his you know shirts pulling yelling surrounding the ref yeah ah yeah A red card some controversy like I need that peak el classical and that's what that's what I'm i'm hoping for When they play this weekend, that's what I'm hoping for Real quick though.
01:11:09
Chuku
Yeah, man.
01:11:09
Emeka
I shot up the Pedri man Everyone's hyped him up. He's now he's he's only 22 years old. And yeah, they feel like he's a veteran but seeing him against Byron man Oh my god, I was one of the greatest
01:11:19
Chino Onwuka
He's too clean. He's too clean.
01:11:21
Emeka
God, he's so good. He's so good. I always think he's a he's a la messier gradual, but he's not. But man, what a signing he was. What a signing he was, man.
01:11:29
Chino Onwuka
From Las Palmas.
01:11:31
Chuku
Hey man, you see, yeah?
01:11:32
Emeka
And, you know, I know it's early still, but I'm gonna take this time to pat myself on the back. My early precision prediction hot take was that we're sure we're gonna win the league. And most of that was crazy. But, you know, look look what's happening.
01:11:43
Emeka
Has he flicked? He's got them boys cooking.
01:11:43
Chuku
i'm crying bro no way no way you're putting yourself on the back on this this earlier season that is crazy work put yourself on the back for once bro this season is even like what go
01:11:45
Chino Onwuka
Uh, we'll all get a couple as well. We're gonna slip back and...
01:11:45
Emeka
those i mom yeah i'm
01:11:49
Emeka
Take my W when I can I might take my W. Obviously table means nothing until Christmas So all all this is me just just having to pat myself on the back, you know, I saw i saw something well for predictions I'm gonna lead us off and Man listen, where's West Ham?
01:12:07
Emeka
All right, that's all I'm saying. Where's West Ham? So dubbbys that being said It's funny
01:12:14
Chino Onwuka
you see You think you can just say stuff? We won't come back to you. but that's that's That's one of the other reasons we did it. It can't hide in the group chat anymore.
01:12:22
Emeka
yeah and so it's overcur You know, it's a record, but anyhow, uh, after all this, height I made all this hype just to say, because, uh, after watching Bayern, uh, Barca, my biggest takeaway from that game was that Madrid is going to spank, uh, Barca like three, one in el classical, because bar bar Barca will play in a suicidal line.
01:12:23
Chino Onwuka
This is, it is now, it is an outdoors internet, so.
01:12:44
Chino Onwuka
That high one.
01:12:47
Chuku
And you're keeping yourself on the back.
01:12:48
Emeka
And I, like again, I'm,
01:12:48
Chino Onwuka
that I want more.
01:12:49
Chuku
And you're pounding yourself on the back
01:12:52
Emeka
It's called the set up my brother. It's called the set up. Pay attention because I was over in the back now because I think we're just gonna smack him up and it's gonna be a 3-1. That whole thing they were playing, even though I watched that game, they saw Gnabri, Davies, and Olise were On another day, I promise you that could have been for one, like Kane had an offside goal.
01:13:14
Emeka
His knee, his toenail was offside. Like they were getting punished that line. And we just talked about how we think Vinnie's junior is the best player in the world. Mbappe is not too bad as well.
01:13:25
Emeka
And there's one thing he can do is running behind. And if they continue playing, fix the stubborn manager. So I think he's going to play the high line again. And if he plays that high line against Vinnie and, and Mbappe is going to be a long night.
01:13:37
Emeka
That's a, especially in the, in the Bernabeu.
01:13:38
Chuku
Cook is gonna be a cooking session, If I'm a betting man, and if you know me, I am a betting man, you best believe I'm putting my money where my mouth is.
01:13:40
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, I'm going to do the whole world.
01:13:41
Emeka
So, yeah, so I'm gonna say 3-1 Madrid, that's my that's my prediction.
01:13:57
Chuku
The hell of my dreams, easy workings is gonna be an easy, easy for one. I believe in me.
01:14:05
Emeka
Four, ooh.
01:14:07
Chuku
I believe Vinny is going to put a couple of pounds to him. I think about we're going to get a goal. And yeah, no, it's going to be some workings. And that right now table shows Barcelona is on top, but soon we're going to see Barcelona and Madrid equal on points. And yeah, I definitely think Real Madrid is going to take this one in a comfortable fashion. So we shall see. And looking forward to the game.
01:14:38
Chuku
hundred
01:14:40
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, I think, yeah, I think it's going to be a Madrid win as well. You know, 3-0, 3-1, something like that.
01:14:40
Emeka
What about you, Janelle?
01:14:47
Emeka
Damn.
01:14:47
Chino Onwuka
But I just wanted it to be an entertaining game. I want to see the Stars ball.
01:14:51
Emeka
Like I said, I want drama.
01:14:53
Emeka
That's what I want in this game. i want I want controversy. I want i want sparks.
01:14:56
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, I don't think we're going to see, I don't think we're going to see controversy.
01:14:57
Chuku
Okay, i think I think someone in Barcelona is going to get a record.
01:15:00
Chino Onwuka
I'm sure Audi is not that type of coach. Flick is in that type of coach, so.
01:15:05
Emeka
ah ah It's when but when by it when Barca and Madrid play it's it's just us natural. It's just natural.
01:15:12
Chino Onwuka
have Have we seen that in the last couple of derbies, though? I don't think so.
01:15:15
Emeka
I Think we remember last one of Belliam at that last minute winner that was that was drama I Feel like I vaguely remember there was there was some beef Yeah, that's what you know Vinny Vinny Vinny can get into some smoke Vinny can get into some smoke
01:15:20
Chino Onwuka
OK, that was drama, but it wasn't like beef or anything like that. It wasn't.
01:15:26
Chino Onwuka
I mean, it's usually Vinny and Araujo, and Araujo's not there.
01:15:33
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
01:15:36
Chino Onwuka
OK.
01:15:36
Chuku
then it was the system's home.
01:15:37
Emeka
a classical man, it's just a No matter what, you know, it's just football but it's football is purist is el classical, you know, that's how I view it to be like it's like a big week football week or whatever and everyone's just over it but
01:15:39
Chino Onwuka
It's going to be a good week. Two huge games.
01:15:48
Chino Onwuka
I don't know whether they've changed. I know usually what would happen is the same weekend you get out of Costco, you get the Milan Derby. I don't know whether that's just what I thought, but it always felt like those always seem to line up. So I did a quick check.
01:16:02
Chino Onwuka
OK, so I do see Inter Juventus. So that's another huge game.
01:16:06
Emeka
That's a big and the events is kind of struggling this year, but.
01:16:08
Chino Onwuka
I think one of the huge games. So there's second and third in in in Syria, separated by just one point. Napoli's in the lead. Okay.
01:16:19
Emeka
Also, so it's crazy how we had this whole conversation about Rio Madrid and we haven't mentioned a man like Jude Bellingham. That just shows how stacked Madrid is. You know, last year he was all I could talk about.
01:16:26
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, they're just, they're just loaded in in every position apart from at the back.
01:16:31
Emeka
You know. And yet Papa Flo was still claim poverty.
01:16:33
Chino Onwuka
We've not talked about Drago. We've not. And Drake is still on the bench. You know, Arda Gullar, who's a talent.
01:16:39
Emeka
I can't Balverde I can't stand Madrid.
01:16:41
Chino Onwuka
He's still marinating. Kamo Venga, Chomani. Yeah, yeah.
01:16:49
Emeka
I can't stand Madrid because they I Swear the Galactical and they still will claim poverty.
01:16:50
Chino Onwuka
This is the greed they talked about in the Bible.
01:16:56
Emeka
It annoys me. It infuriates me We can't compete with man city.
01:16:59
Chino Onwuka
And they're probably...
01:17:00
Emeka
How can how do you expect us with Venetius in Bapin, Rodrigo? Come a finger toward how can we compete with this man? Get out of here. Get out of here
01:17:07
Chino Onwuka
yeah They're probably gonna get Trent and Davies on a free or something like that this summer.
01:17:11
Emeka
And words probably. And that'd be Alonso. Why not? I can't stand these mans, man.
01:17:14
Chino Onwuka
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
01:17:16
Emeka
I can't stand these mans. That being said, they go smack Barcelona. Sadly.
01:17:20
Chino Onwuka
Okay.
LeBron and Bronny James in NBA
01:17:21
Chino Onwuka
All right. Yeah. So that that's, you know, where we're going to, we mentioned it at the top. We're going to, you know, wrap up the episode, but we did want to touch on on on something, a little NBA talk.
01:17:32
Chino Onwuka
And this is not something that, this is not something that we're going to do very often.
01:17:32
Emeka
The biggest news of the week.
01:17:37
Chino Onwuka
You know, I think we we we want to be, you know, we want to have, actual sports, legitimate debates. We don't want to be hot tape merchants. We don't want to be, we we don't want to be aggregator merchants, you know, but want to talk about things with substance.
01:17:47
Emeka
but Speak for yourself. I don't co-sign the statement I'm trying to get off first take bro. I'm trying to get off first take bro.
01:17:58
Emeka
Y'all crazy.
01:17:58
Chino Onwuka
So we had history being made in the and NBA, the first father-son duel on the court in an NBA game at the same time.
01:17:59
Emeka
What was this all what we talking about here, man?
01:18:10
Chino Onwuka
The king
01:18:10
Emeka
yeah Yeah, you know I mean
01:18:11
Chino Onwuka
LeBron James and the Prince, Bronnie. They're the court for two minutes and nine seconds or something like that.
01:18:21
Emeka
Yeah, two minutes and 30 seconds The uni universe into that three to go in man the universe needed that three to go in Yes to all the above
01:18:22
Chino Onwuka
but Couple of passes between each other, you know, an almost assist on a Bronnie three.
01:18:29
Chino Onwuka
Yeah. So here's what we want to talk about though. How did we feel about the moment? Was it? Did we feel like history being made? Did it feel a little bit contrived? Was it forced?
01:18:46
Emeka
It was absolutely contrived.
01:18:46
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
01:18:47
Emeka
it was It was contrived.
01:18:48
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
01:18:48
Emeka
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's not better on the bush. Bronny only has a contract because LeBron is his dad. I get it. I don't care. That's my stance on it. Like people take sports way too seriously.
01:19:01
Emeka
Unless you can name me the 54th and 56th draft pick and in this year's draft, I don't want to hear any complaints about nepotism because that pick is meaningless. I promise you it was meaningless. And you are meaningless because I promised you no one can without looking it up tell me the 54th pick in the draft. But everyone in the world knows the 55th pick in the draft because it was a brawny.
01:19:22
Emeka
He sells tickets sells clicks. Everyone wants to talk about brawny. He haters talk about him fans talk about him It's fun sports are supposed to be fun.
01:19:28
Chuku
Thank you.
01:19:30
Emeka
I don't why people start have to act like it's the life or death Crows nepotism blah blah blah look at all these teams executive and front offices. You'll see nepotism there The 50th man in the league.
01:19:42
Emeka
I don't care what the 50th man in the league Giannis has been getting his family paychecks for a decade Who cares? Worst players in LeBron have gotten family members paid. Kawhi's trainer right now is suing the Clippers. That was his boy, he got on the payroll. Like, if you're a star player, yeah, you get some benefits. And LeBron has played for so long, he gets to get his kid played with him. Isn't that cool? i rooted I've never rooted for an athlete more than I've rooted for Brony James. It's not gonna happen, but I just wish so much that he's good. I mean, if he's not good, who cares? Life's gonna move on. It is what it is.
01:20:18
Chino Onwuka
here Here's how I feel. I think it's a great moment for LeBron. I think it's a great moment for Bronny, you know, achieving his, what's probably, not probably, what is his his dream to be an NBA player, you know, and how cool is it to to share that with your dad, with your family, on your home court in the city that you live in. You know, thinking about this, you know, like legit in the moment, I was like, oh, this is kind of cool, but us kind of forced, but you know, I was thinking about it the other day,
01:20:47
Chino Onwuka
Looking at other forms of life, you you talked about nepotism in sports. How many of us got to where we are today? Yeah, we did we we had to work hard to be where we are today, but our parents were there to to give us opportunities.
01:21:06
Chino Onwuka
a leg up, and and that's the job of a parent, to to be able to provide your kids with any advantage that they can get.
01:21:09
Emeka
Yeah.
01:21:13
Chino Onwuka
Now, it's up to us to be able to take advantage of that, to be able to put ourselves in that position to take advantage of the opportunities our parents give us. And that's definitely happened in my life, in my career, in so many different things.
01:21:25
Chino Onwuka
And that's what happened with Brony. When I talk to people who don't really, because you guys know, i watch these I watch these guys in high school, college, Bronny is a legitimate NBA prospect.
01:21:40
Chino Onwuka
He has the talent to play.
01:21:41
Emeka
You're top 20 in high school.
01:21:43
Chino Onwuka
Would it happen at this speed or the way it happened and not for LeBron? No, but he actually has. It feels a situation where this guy was a complete scrub. You know, maybe I feel a different way, but he he's an NBA.
01:21:56
Emeka
he Scrubbing Jason.
01:21:57
Chino Onwuka
He's an NBA player or has the potential to be within time. So his dad just. Grease the wheels a little bit to put him in a very favorable submission situation.
01:22:07
Chino Onwuka
Got him a nice contract. You know, got him right next to me where I can protect him a little bit. And it's good. Now, what I want to see is, all right, LeBron, you've ticked off your goal. LeBron, he's ticked off his goal.
01:22:20
Chino Onwuka
Now send that man to the G League so he can develop and play basketball and grow and sort of fill and maximize his potential.
01:22:24
Emeka
And he will.
01:22:28
Chino Onwuka
that That's what I want to see. I would prefer not to see Sports center start off with whatever the Lakers G League team is, Bronnie highlights, let that man go and marinate in peace and in solitude.
01:22:43
Chino Onwuka
I doubt that's going to happen. We're going to be getting Bronnie G league updates, but no, it's cool moment. It's happened. Now let's move on to, you know, the other main big stories, but it's, it's super cool because, Hey, you know, this needs to be added to the goat debate because for as good as it was, he couldn't, he didn't have the, he wasn't able to do this with his kids.
01:22:58
Emeka
Hey, man Where's Marcus Marcus Jordan out here banging Scotty Pippen's wife, that's what he's doing his kids are doing LeBron's got his kids on the straight and narrow He's got his kids on the straight and narrow.
01:23:08
Chino Onwuka
so So we got to add that to the ledger.
01:23:11
Emeka
That's what I'm saying Hey
01:23:15
Chino Onwuka
Chupu, do you have anything to add?
01:23:20
Chuku
no i mean yeah no i think i've covered enough on it i don't have too much to add on the whole topic to be fair all i know is man i'm ready for them i'm ready for a classical
01:23:31
Chino Onwuka
My mouse is ready for the weekend. My mouse is ready for the weekend. yeah
01:23:38
Chuku
I'm Yeah man, that's what it is these days.
01:23:39
Emeka
Just I mean i just to conclude because it's really annoys me because People who say oh my god Just stories to over covered. I I hate brawny. They still be chasing them clicks all those people who say oh a Disgrace whatever they still be putting up the videos are burning in the in the subject title because they know if you say Barney's name you get clicks so it's just all performative to me like I
01:24:01
Chino Onwuka
Thank
01:24:04
Chino Onwuka
you.
01:24:04
Emeka
It's a big story.
01:24:06
Emeka
Everyone's talking about it. Like this one of those stories where I always called the mom test My mom was in one sports, but I promise you she was like, yeah I heard about LeBron playing with his kid because it transcends sports and like our yeah, it's not it's not the Griffey's Obviously, that's the greatest thing ever back-to-back home runs.
01:24:22
Emeka
That's not what happened there But like it's just a testament to the fact that you said LeBron has played so long and he's had a kid who was good enough that he can swing it and he can get him drafted and at the end of the day it's not the end unless you can tell me the 54th pick in the draft i get I don't want to hear anything about whatever because 55th pick in the draft is teams literally sell these picks they sell them for cash straight up just sell even higher picks like 40s and 30s they sell these picks so the Lakers quote-unquote like bookie cousins was like oh Lakers don't care about winning because they took a guy in the 55th pit it's so silly to me like so performative I don't understand it since when do teams anyone care about teams 15th man that's what i I want to know GR Smith got his brother a contract with the Knicks
01:25:09
Emeka
Jasmine in LeBron. I'll tell you that they mean little got his boy in contract with the blazers hell Curry got his brother-in-law contract with the way this happens in the league man I don't understand why when LeBron does it all of a sudden it's whatever and to my final point I work in an industry I will not disclose but uh, you know pretty high prestige industry and a lot of last names are familiar when I wear I work is is crazy how like Six sixty sixty to-year-old man his last name and it's in a 25 year old person last name to say offices What a coincidence like nepotism is everywhere.
01:25:37
Chuku
Okay.
01:25:42
Chuku
Okay.
01:25:44
Emeka
Yeah, it's not the worst thing He's not the best thing in the world But when a brother wants to get some nepotism now when it's a black man, you know people start complaining. I'm not here for it, man I'm not here for it. Let let let the brothers eat off nepotism too, you know, that's where I met
01:25:59
Chuku
cry
01:26:02
Chuku
sir
01:26:02
Emeka
And Lakers are 2-0 for the record. like yeah that They just won
Weekend Game Anticipation
01:26:04
Emeka
today. So for all these not serious about winning, it hasn't been a big deal so far.
01:26:10
Chino Onwuka
OK, I think I think we can wrap it up there. Another good episode in the bag, you know, leading into an exciting weekend. So, you know.
01:26:22
Chino Onwuka
Thank you again for for for sticking with us, you know. Looking forward to. oh I'm hoping that the next episode we're smiling.
01:26:34
Chino Onwuka
You know.
01:26:35
Emeka
I'm smiling regardless, baby.
01:26:36
Chino Onwuka
We're feeling good.
01:26:36
Emeka
I'm smiling regardless.
01:26:38
Chino Onwuka
Based off the results of this weekend,
01:26:38
Chuku
The smaller with also second I know. Okay.
01:26:40
Chino Onwuka
with me.
01:26:41
Chuku
Okay.
01:26:41
Emeka
i Bro, i yeah I've said this for millions of times, man.
01:26:43
Chuku
Okay.
01:26:45
Emeka
I saw this finish eight, two years in a row. I saw Emery can see 25 goals to Wolves, I think it was. I'm going to take this Arsenal season. I'm smiling. That being said, please win let please win.
01:26:56
Emeka
Please win. Please win. Please win. Please win.
01:27:01
Chino Onwuka
i will not be smiling if we lose even though i expect us to lose i will
01:27:04
Chuku
swear.
01:27:06
Chino Onwuka
so again i hope i hope i hope we will we I hope the title of the next episode says Arsenal 7 Liverpool, you know, but let's see.
01:27:17
Emeka
Hey, please would please would please would please would please would Hey, please would please would Hey, please would please would please would please would we go in?
01:27:18
Chuku
We might be able to have an emergency stream if we lose.
01:27:18
Chino Onwuka
Anyways guys,
01:27:23
Chino Onwuka
you might have to show, not to show our faces for that one.
01:27:24
Chuku
so
01:27:27
Chino Onwuka
You might have to show our faces for that one. But again, thanks guys for taking the time out today for listening to us.
01:27:30
Emeka
Hey, man, I believe two one two with the arsenal man Yes, sir
01:27:36
Chino Onwuka
Emeka Chupil, Again, so it's is's always great chopping up with you guys. you You'll have a good night, you'll have a good weekend. I will see you on the next episode of The Love of the Game. Bye.
01:28:16
Chuku
Thank you.