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Crossover Special: West Ham
45 Plays9 months ago
Gavin is joined by Tom and Josh from the Daily West Ham team to discuss all things Fulham and West Ham before building up to the weekend's fixture.
Instagram: @gspndailyfulham
X: @GSPNFulham
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Transcript
Introduction to the Daily Fulham Podcast
00:00:09
officialgspn
Hello and welcome to the Daily Fulham Podcast, your home of all things Fulham. Today is our crossover crossover episode as we build up to the game on a weekend against the West
Meet the Guests: Tom and Josh from Daily West Ham Podcast
00:00:19
officialgspn
Ham. My name is Gavin Ruffell and join me today from the Daily West Ham Podcast. We have not one, but two guests. We have Tom and we have
Premier League Returns: Excitement and Challenges
00:00:27
officialgspn
Josh. Guys, it must be exciting to have the Premier League back after, well, the international break, the dreaded international break.
00:00:35
Tom Elkins
Yeah, it is mate, it's good. It's something that we've been talking about on on our show is that it's a really weirdly placed international break, isn't it? You don't really feel like this season has properly kicked off and it's already stopped again. So yeah, good to have football all back. Good to get in the swing. I feel like we're getting into the proper meat of the season now. So so it's exciting.
00:00:54
Josh Keech
yeah that's it Yeah, it's definitely suspiciously early, I almost thought. It's nearly you've sort of blinked after three weeks and suddenly international breaks reared its head again, which is what most of the time we we normally hate to see. But I think we've been saying that for us, it's probably a particularly nice time.
00:01:07
Josh Keech
Can't really complain too much about it, but some recent news has really helped our news really, to be honest. but yeah
00:01:11
officialgspn
Yep, so on today's show we're going to be talking about Fulham of course, we're going to be talking about West Ham and then we're going to be rounding things off by looking at some key battles, some key individual players and giving out predictions for how the game will go itself. So I just got to start things off with the season so far from the West Ham
West Ham's Season So Far: Wins, Losses, and Transitions
00:01:29
officialgspn
point of view. Tom, I'll come to you first. One win, two defeats, how do you reflect on the opening three games so far?
00:01:36
Tom Elkins
It is a difficult one, isn't it? I think anytime you're you face such ah an overhaul when it comes to squad and you know coaching staff, there's going to be that transition phase that isn't necessarily as fruitful as you want it to be. But saying that, we have showed glimpses of quality. i think You know, the the Villa game wasn't great. I don't think anyone's gonna pretend that it was, but the the Palace game was really strong. We looked really good. And then against City, that this is something that I've said as well, is we did a lot better than a lot of better teams than us will do. I think we actually like, we created chances, we hit the post. the There was a sum of it we'll save at the end from Edison that was also really good. So I know on the outside, it doesn't look great. And if you look at the stats and you look at the numbers, it probably isn't great either. but
00:02:23
Tom Elkins
with regards to you know working under a new system, under a new manager, trying to get a sense of what we want this squad to be. I'm i'm not too displeased, if I'm honest.
00:02:34
officialgspn
Would you agree with that, Josh?
00:02:36
Josh Keech
Yeah, it's um it's been an interesting one. I think the one thing we can safely say is that week on week, the quality of the performance has got so much better. I think, as you say, the the Villa game is so different to how we've been seeing the the typical Mois ball, which is a pleasant surprise because I think we love seeing more possession and love seeing more of our players on the ball, which is what I think everyone would love to see. So in that sense, that more possession based style of play has been particularly incredible to watch.
00:03:00
Josh Keech
but then the fact that every game it has been so much better so great to see a win at Palace obviously very shortly afterwards and then obviously the most recent game being the City one not the best result but I can safely say that that was probably one of the better performances we've seen in a very long time even though the probably the scorecard and the stats don't reflect it too much but individual performances on the pitch definitely showed a lot more on that day.
Facing Manchester City: Erling Haaland's Impact
00:03:21
officialgspn
Yeah, you mentioned the Manchester City result there. I'm sure like fans as many teams in the Premier League, you must be sick of the sight of that early in Harlem there.
00:03:30
Tom Elkins
god Yeah, he's a bit of a robot isn't he it's it's tough.
00:03:30
Josh Keech
Yeah.
00:03:34
Tom Elkins
That's that's why I think whenever you place it you have to go into it trying to see the positives because the likelihood is that you're gonna get broken down and you're gonna get beat in some way or another because they they seem to have the ability to break down those defenses and i think any team in world football would probably think the same so going into it and coming out of it you have to try and look at it for what it is instead of oh it's all doom and gloom and we lost hat trick whatever like Holland is going to do that to a lot of teams and the fact that we actually showed glimpses where we were able to tear City apart. I think especially on the break we looked really effective against them. I think Kudos is one that's going to have a brilliant season and ah this is something we've also spoken about is
00:04:18
Tom Elkins
We don't really see him staying around after this season because I think he's going to get poached by a Champions League team because I think he is that good. And I think people will start to realise how good he is. So, so, yeah, it's, you know, it's everyone will be definitely sorry for the sight of City and I think Harlem particularly.
Adapting to a New System: West Ham's Players in Transition
00:04:36
Tom Elkins
But I think that's something you have to kind of accept and not look too deeply into it.
00:04:41
Josh Keech
Yeah, I think the that the best thing we can take from the match regardless of the result is how so many players have got settled so quickly. And that's why we've been saying international break has been the perfect time because we've had a career mode almost sit window with the players we've signed and how many players we have signed in the end that I think from our side of it now, because the progression has been there every match that a nice two week break now to get everyone fully sort of almost on boarded and settled and getting ready to sort of get that guidance from Lopategi has been that beneficial time for us really, because I mean, the cleanest examples have been Max Kilman and Juan Bassaca at the back, we've looked so much more solid than than we have in in in recent years, I think it's been great to see that kind of individual sort of settling in and and performance has been there off the start. I think they've been pretty the two more shining stars so far from the window instantly with that immediate impact.
David Moyes' Tenure and Legacy at West Ham
00:05:29
officialgspn
Of course, it has been a summer of change at West Ham. Several players coming in, the most notable change, obviously being the change from David Moyes to Lopategi. We'll come on to Lopategi in just a moment, but before we do that, what were your thoughts on David Moyes? Were you a Moyes fan and what's his legacy at West Ham? Obviously bringing the European trophy there.
00:05:47
Tom Elkins
I think we have relatively similar views in this Josh. I think i'll let I'll let you go first, see if that's true.
00:05:51
Josh Keech
I think yeah go on then i'll I'll be the little test one for seeing that thought I think I think it's ah it's the the key bit for us is remembering the work that he has done because we looked before that I've if you'd have told me that in his stint that we'd be competing for some actual Europe tournaments and actually being able to be towards that top seven for a huge part of the the time he's with us and then to win a trophy I think it'd be it'd be rude of it not to sort of look back and sort of remember that positive side of it. So I think the key thing for me was that he we could kind of see there was going to be a change. And the fact he we we could try and leave it on good terms was the really positive bit. I know that kind of is a bit of a lukewarm sort of opinion where it's kind of in the middle of the fence almost. But I think it was almost time for a change, but also as well, I think that change has to happen in a positive way, because otherwise it would have been a much more a negative impact in us as well. I think the fan base has
00:06:42
Josh Keech
seemed bit more positive about it following how it's happened, probably in a bit more positive light than we have seen in previous manager changes. So i'm I'm happy it's happened. And I'm happy we've done it in a good way as well. Almost. That's probably my mike key sort of highlight.
00:06:56
Tom Elkins
yeah and i'm sorry um i was just gonna say that i'm the same i i think so many fans feel like you need to have this kind of you know enraged passionate opinion about something but it's like when it comes to moise he he did so much good for the club and i think he he deserves the respect to not be forced out of the club and i don't think that's what happened it seemed like it was kind of a
00:06:56
officialgspn
You speak it. Go on.
00:07:21
Tom Elkins
a mutual decision when it comes to he felt like it was time to leave and the club kind of wanted to move in a different direction after achieving something and then looking forward to what their next goal was going to be so so yeah i'm exactly the same as josh it's happy that he gave us so much and he's created these brilliant foundations that we are hopefully now going to build upon but then also not hating the idea of someone new coming in with new ideas to try and refresh the team and push us on to the kind of European heights. I think after having a ah slight taste of every West Ham fan now once more, and I think going for a lot of Portuguese, I think ah a positive step in that direction, whether it works full time, we don't know, but but only time will tell.
Mixed Reactions to Lopetegui's Appointment
00:08:08
officialgspn
What was the sort of immediate reaction to the Lopategi appointment? Was it generally positive amongst the fan base?
00:08:15
Tom Elkins
it's It's tough, isn't it? I think it was a lot of it was more kind of... Most people had only seen him from the Premier League and he'd he'd kind of had mixed success at Wolves. I know he had done well and then kind of, I don't think it came to the most acrimonious end. So I don't think there was as much excitement as some of the players that we were linked, or some of the managers that we were linked with. I know we were linked with Amarin for an amount of time. And I know he had meetings in London, I think, um about a potential deal. And that was one that really excited people, obviously, because he's you know the the new upcoming manager.
00:08:48
Tom Elkins
I think it was kind of let's wait and see. We don't want to jump to any conclusions about whether he's going to be good or bad. We'll have to kind of see what happens.
Comparing Coaches: Lopetegui vs. Pochettino and Tuchel
00:08:56
Tom Elkins
I don't know what you think, Josh. that That's kind of what I thought.
00:08:58
Josh Keech
Yeah, I think I think my biggest thing was the kind of, it was almost like this look at what we could have won with the amount of managers that were around at the time. Although I i can say differently now because I've seen how the starter players been, but I think looking back to how it was at that time when we found that it was Lopategi, I think it was almost not disappointment, but it was kind of like, well, look at who's around at the moment. You've got the likes of, you know, the Poggitina was around. Tuco was, you know, looking at potentially coming back to the Premier League and he'd had that discussion and with the press about, would you come back? And there was, there was so many more managers at the time that were on the table almost compared to what we'd we'd we'd agreed it so early in comparison to when we actually started. I think that was probably our biggest question mark then was right. One, everyone else is gonna be like, who's who's lopper take you because we have to find out as well. But also as as well, it was almost this. There's so many of the people available why we made such a quick decision. Although I can say now differently that it has been a positive
Changes in Style Under Lopetegui
00:09:49
Josh Keech
impact. So but yeah,
00:09:51
officialgspn
A lot is spoken about the West Ham way, whatever the West Ham way is, ah but just based on your initial impressions from what you've seen in pre-season and the first few games in the Premier League, what are the noticeable changes in terms of style, in terms of the setup from a Lopategi team compared to a David Mois team?
00:10:07
Josh Keech
Um...
00:10:07
Tom Elkins
I think the the main thing is about wanting to dictate the game more. I think a lot of time under Mois, we were quite happy to sit back and absorb pressure. We knew that defensively we were solid and set piece-wise, we were really good. And our main goals were usually to try and hit teams on the counter attack, which is, it can work for an amount of time. And obviously it did get us success. But if you're if you're looking to become a kind of stalwart in European football,
00:10:36
Tom Elkins
playing defensively counter-attack isn't really a ah good way to kind of get that consistently so I think the transition to being more on the front foot hopefully having more possession and bringing in players that are comfortable on the ball you can see that we've done that like quite a lot with some of the signings so So yeah, that that transition I think is one that had to happen. And I think so far there's been glimpses of it where you see it and you go, yeah, we we can see what we're trying to do. And hopefully the further on we get in the season, the more the players settle in, the more the manager settles in, the better it will get.
00:11:11
Josh Keech
it's definitely been much more of a shift towards some possession based football. I think looking back towards last season, I've been biting my nails thinking that I can't wait for 90 minutes with less than 20% possession or less than 30% at best. I think I think that side of it has been quite nice now seeing it being a bit more of a nicer split. Plus, you get you obviously get from a fan perspective, if you get to see more of your players on the ball. But I think that Definitely the the kind of the the way we're playing now with the more technical players we've brought in and already got with the likes of packet are and obviously cut us as well. Definitely that that more sort of the intrinsic kind of flare with it. We're seeing some of the players have been particularly enjoyable to watch in them, at least the early sort of phase of the the start of the league. I think that's been one of the more enjoyable parts. I think from our side, that's probably probably the name of the game so far is passing a lot more and holding up a lot more with the ball.
00:11:55
officialgspn
Another change as seeing Jared Bowen appointed as the captain. Was that always the logical choice?
Jared Bowen as West Ham's New Captain
00:12:01
Tom Elkins
Yeah, I think so. I think he he loves West Ham and it seems like he plays how every fan wants a footballer to play for their club. He's passionate, he's aggressive, he's tenacious, he he you know makes those runs forward, he tracks back, he scores the winning goal in the you know European Conference final to win it you know for us. so Yeah, I think it is a natural progression. I don't think he's necessarily the sort of, you know, natural born, assertive, dominant leader, like, you know, some of the, you know, leaders of the past. But I think the way that he conducts himself and the way that he plays for West Ham is very much in the mold of a leader. And I think other players will look to him to kind of get inspiration and get guidance on how they should carry themselves.
00:12:51
Josh Keech
you took all my words out my mouth. I guess the the key bit to highlight with that as well, you're right, is that if you looked at when you first signed with us, it was probably a lot more quiet. I think in that sense, it's something you say at school when you were younger, that yeah it can be a bit quiet, but sometimes shows a bit shows the promise. And I think now that it's been the other side of it where He's so much more vocal than what we've seen previously since he's obviously to joined us from Holland.
00:13:12
Josh Keech
And it's been fantastic having him to be honest, I think. I think they probably the wider note as well as obviously the fact that he's married into one of the biggest Western arm families being the dyers. So I think that's her. Hopefully that will keep him with us for even longer, which I like to hope so.
00:13:23
Tom Elkins
Yeah.
00:13:24
Josh Keech
So.
00:13:24
Tom Elkins
Yeah, like I said, I'll do it for you when it making you, you know, good with the West End fans is married into them.
00:13:24
Josh Keech
ah
00:13:29
Josh Keech
Exactly. Yeah, that's that's he's done all the things really, he he's got it all there. So I think it's, we look at who else it could have been at the time. And I think the only person it could have been which is way too soon would have been Kilman maybe because he's already had that, back he's got he's got that leadership ability, but it's just too soon and from joining into the club. So I don't think there could
West Ham's Summer Transfer Window Highlights
00:13:46
Josh Keech
have been anyone I would have picked that would have been a bad choice.
00:13:48
officialgspn
The lot was made of the summer transfer activity at West Ham. How would you sort of rate that and who's the most exciting signing in your opinion?
00:14:00
Tom Elkins
That's a tough question, isn't it? I think before the season started, I think people were touting us as having kind of the best window in the league and then the season start maybe was slightly underwhelming for some people and now people are changing their tunes and saying that other people have had better windows and it's tough. We've signed so much quality. I think for me the most, if I'm talking about pure excitement, I think it's the Somerville signing.
00:14:24
Tom Elkins
I think signing, you know, the championship player of the season is is always a really exciting move. And I think West Ham have done that really good in the past, you know, talk about Jared Bowden, signing people from the championship, bringing them into the Premier League and kind of nurturing them into, you know, high quality Premier League players. and maybe he hasn't necessarily got the minute so far, but I think, you know, it's a long season, so he definitely will get minutes. So I think when he does, he will be able to make an impact for West Ham and grow into a really strong kind of scary player to play against.
00:14:56
Josh Keech
i'm I'm going to agree, but also reinforce. I think we being bold, we definitely have had the best window. And that's probably going to be, that's that's my my biggest opinion, I think. that we definitely I think we have, because it it has been one of those career mode windows you'd have when you were playing with a rogue team back in the day, or you signed a ridiculous amount of players. It feels like we're doing similar to what Forrest did a couple of seasons ago now. But it's is I think it's definitely that time we've been saying previously, that leading into the window, that a lot of the time,
00:15:24
Josh Keech
You know, we had a lot of players that were not we're not just an aging squad but also as well the level we had is definitely diminished and Seeing that quality gets sort of reinvigorated and put back into the squad has been it's been Breathtaking really I'm gonna be a bit different. I'm gonna not not go down the same path as Tom with some of it But I'm gonna say I've been pleasantly surprised and also hyped up to sea see with Juan Bassaca. I wouldn't be saying if he hasn't had such an incredible performance, but he's one of those players that I keep thinking is ridiculously old and he's not. So he's got he's got so much more time and and ah experience to give as well with how much he's played already that I think that he's going to be another one that's going to add so much positivity into the team.
00:16:03
officialgspn
Yeah, so we've spoken about incomings there. One play that did go on deadline day to not on Forest Lawn alone was James Ward Prowse.
James Ward-Prowse's Departure and Its Implications
00:16:10
officialgspn
We're just having a scroll from social media. I noticed there was some, maybe some dismay from West Ham's about his departure. What's your sort of reaction to that? I know obviously a new manager's come in, he's got different ideas, different philosophies. Did that did that outgo and surprise you?
00:16:26
Tom Elkins
it I think with the transfer activity that we've had, I don't think it's necessarily a surprise that he's left, but that doesn't make it any easier to take, I don't think. I think if you look at all of the stats from last season, he was involved in so much of our football and he he ranks very highly in a lot of quite the pivotal stats when it comes to the season. So you you look at it that way and you go, it seems like quite a big risk, someone that's done quite well for us letting them go on loan. but I think you just have to trust the manager. You have to trust that he knows how he wants to play. James Ward-Prowse isn't necessarily someone that fits in his system as much. So if he gets gets him on loan to bring in one of his guys, ah as long as it works on the pitch, I don't think you can really have too many complaints. I'd have liked to have seen him stick around because I think
00:17:11
Tom Elkins
you know He's probably got the best set piece delivery in the world. I don't think there's anyone that's better than him. And we didn't get to see you know that classic James Ward proud free kick in a West Ham shirt, which would have been amazing. But but yeah other than that, it's a bit sad and a bit disappointing, but not one that you can really dwell on too much because you know he's done now. So I think we just moved past it.
00:17:31
Josh Keech
Yeah, I agree. It's one where I was more I'm more proud saying than those was up shock to see proust leaving. It wasn't a my bingo card for the window, to be honest, but I can say a lot of things that didn't that did happen that was surprised did happen in the end. I know I spoke with the city guys previously from last week. And, and it was that we'd have Obama leave, which I wasn't even counting on. But similarly that with war proust, I would not have called him leaving. I know we've just brought Carlos Soler in as well. And that's probably the next question that we've got to look towards is,
00:18:00
Josh Keech
can we see him doing the the job that obviously Lopategi sees him doing that's effectively he's going to be replacing in at least this season that Ward Prowse role or the the more role he wants him to do. So it's going to be an interesting one. I think we've obviously had the biggest headache with all the midfielders we've had and and brought in as well. but That's that's our one of our biggest areas of concern of making sure everyone gets the game time but also play as well in the same aspect.
West Ham's Most Important Players and Injury Impact
00:18:22
officialgspn
Just a last couple of questions on West Ham, who would you guys consider to be the most important player at the club? So if if anyone suffered ah a season end, an injury, who would you least want it to be?
00:18:36
Tom Elkins
It has to be Bowen. I think it has to be Bowen. I think especially now, now the fact that he's captain, if we lost our captain and probably most offensively threatening player, the one that you, if you were going to put a bell on someone to score, it's probably going to be Jared Bowen.
00:18:53
Tom Elkins
So yeah, I think if we lost him, it kind of puts us at a disadvantage in multiple different ways, because then it becomes, you know, who's captain for the season? Does it become Kilman? He's only just arrived. Is he able to you know step into this new team and become the captain? It's then, where do you replace those goals that we lose from Bowen? Fulcrum isn't necessarily going to school, all those goals. i think he I think he definitely will be successful. I think he will do well this season, but losing Jared Bowen only puts that emphasis on him more, which I don't necessarily think is a good thing. So yeah, for me, it's Jared Bowen.
00:19:28
Josh Keech
So a certain point, I agree, but I'm going to go against the grain because I do think, well, our recent news is that full crew has been injured. So that's our our biggest problem for this week. And that I know we'll probably go into a bit later on, but my problem then would be the the next person that's going to be our strike will be Antonio for the foreseeable future. I know we've got a kind of best case scenario for our injury currently is that it could be three weeks, but it can equal be one of those really long lasting injuries. Now, if that was the case for full crew, I wouldn't want to see Antonio get injured because then that means we've just got things left up top.
00:19:57
Josh Keech
or play Bowen which would be fine but I think in the other hand if I'm looking at it as much as I'd love to not see Bowen get injured we can play Kudas there and then some of it on the left so there's a the captaincy would be the biggest problem at that point but then I maybe look at maybe Alvarez or Wabazaka is still a bit fresh in the legs of obviously joining the team as well so that'd probably be where I'd have to look at where it'd be going after that but at least I think there's more solutions with if if we if we lost Bowen then it would be if we lost another striker.
00:20:23
Tom Elkins
Yeah, I'd like to give a little shout out to Ariola as well, because he is severely underrated. And if we if we lost him, that would be very difficult, because obviously Fabianci is good, but he's absolutely ancient, and Wes Fodgingham, I don't think he's that amazing, so...
00:20:39
officialgspn
Yep, former Fulham
Defining a Successful Season for West Ham
00:20:40
officialgspn
man, of course, Alphonse Arriola as well. And just finally, what in your opinion would constitute a successful season at West Ham?
00:20:51
Tom Elkins
Yeah, it's it's tough, isn't it?
00:20:52
Josh Keech
Great, great.
00:20:54
Tom Elkins
I think the target is European in football. I think that's the target. yeah But if we don't get it, it doesn't necessarily mean that it hasn't been a successful season. I think it it kind of has to do... Are we competing?
00:21:06
Tom Elkins
Are we there and about? And is it going to be ah a good platform for us to definitely get there next season? Because we We could demand European football this season, but if we don't get it, what are we gonna do? We're gonna sack the manager and then get a new manager and then sign a whole bunch more players and try it again. We don't wanna become one of those like yo-yo manager teams that sacks their manager every year and is spending so much money on changing the squad because that makes such a toxic environment, I think, for everyone. So yeah, I think as as long as we're competing and as long as we're there and about, and
00:21:40
Tom Elkins
European football is still the goal and there's no sort of talk of, I'm going to say, relegation because that's the obviously the last thing you want. I know you probably feel the same as a team where there is a possibility that a season could go wrong and that is something that you have to contend with. So as long as there's no none of that, want top half finish, fighting for European football, that that's all you can really ask for.
00:22:04
Josh Keech
Yeah, I think top top half is top half of the table is the expectation that we we should do that. The kind of would the would do target is definitely europe Europe really. Getting a top seven finish would be you know that'd be you know optimistic and I think aspirational. I'd be putting it in paddy power now to see what the odds are because it's definitely more than doable and I'd love to see it. But equally on the other side of it as well, I think that we come we can't walk into the season saying we have to get Europe. But it's something that I think is way more than achievable.
00:22:34
officialgspn
OK, that's great. That's just an insight into all things Westland before you give me a grid in on Fulham.
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00:22:39
officialgspn
Tom, would you do the honours and just read them out a few words from our sponsor, Zencaster?
00:22:44
Tom Elkins
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Fulham's Season Start and Key Fixtures
00:23:22
Josh Keech
Right then, all things Fulham then I guess from our perspective, although we love seeing how London club and and Southern clubs do really, it's always good to keep that vested interest, although I like to say I'm a bit less clued in than others in too much of Fulham, but I guess the one thing I have noticed is a couple of your early fixtures being quite indicative of the bottom half of the league, obviously you played Leicester and Ipswich, how how have they kind of reflected in the kind of initial performance? Because that's obviously I know recently being promoted back, that kind of will show how part of the season is going to go at least, what's your thoughts so far?
00:23:51
officialgspn
Well, you could even argue playing Manchester United is a slightly erring on the easier side of things as well.
00:23:56
officialgspn
So that that result didn't age so well after seeing Liverpool absolutely obliterate them.
00:23:56
Tom Elkins
but
00:23:58
Tom Elkins
Oh, yeah.
00:24:00
officialgspn
ah But no, I i think it's it's the Premier League. You can't expect three points. Three points are always earned, not given. and I feel like Ipswich away is going to be a tough fixture for a lot of teams this season. They were very very competitive in that game and I feel it was it was full and at the end it was almost not hanging on for a point but certainly if if he was scoring it ipswi Ipswich would have better side. They comfortably beat Leicester, Leicester looked the weaker of the two opposition sides but I feel so far after the three games if he would offer Fulham fans four points from those fixtures I think they would have said yeah we'll take it probably.
00:24:35
Josh Keech
Yeah, that's that's fair enough. I think it's been one of those where I think because of where where you guys are probably I guess from other clubs expected to be in that kind of area I know that previously has been pretty bit different when you guys been up in the Premier League I think it's one where you kind of expect to see that that kind of battle but because you've been coming up with those three That's where it's almost been associated So that's it's quite an interesting one to see where you guys will fare and obviously 1-0 against you United probably Yeah, it looks it looks a lot nicer on paper than that Then I think a lot of other clubs will take the same as well if you could say about that because they're that That battering, obviously, from Liverpool was not one that I think I'd be expecting at the time either.
00:25:08
Josh Keech
so But I know with the the transfer window, you guys had a mildly busy one as well, but I think it's been as active as our one, really. But one key player that I think we both were linked to for the last couple of windows was um was obviously with with the Arsenal man himself.
Emile Smith Rowe's Impact at Fulham
00:25:24
Josh Keech
So, yeah, how's ah how's you settled in?
00:25:24
Tom Elkins
and was with Romain.
00:25:28
Josh Keech
and And I guess, how was that a bit of an interesting sort of shock? I wasn't expecting to go to a London club, to be honest.
00:25:34
officialgspn
It looked like he he was rumored to go to Crystal Palace at one stage. you You guys said he's been mentioned with West Ham as well. I know it's interesting timing because Martin Edergaard's come back from Arsenal, injured on an international duty, so the name Smith Rose has come up a lot in in terms of Arsenal fans. but so ah Yeah, he's 34 million pounds signing, which you know on the surface can seem quite a lot of money, but I think he is a player. He's still a young player. At Arsenal, he's obviously competing with a higher calibre level of play. He's not getting the game time. He's had injuries as well. He's come to a team at Fulham where he knows he's going to get that game time. And I think this is where he can put his career back on track, really, and strive for strive for getting in England squads going forward.
00:26:12
officialgspn
In terms of his performances over the three games, he was very good against Leicester. He took his goal extremely well, ah but he's still coming up he's come in up to par in terms of fitness here. He's not quite there. He hasn't completed 90 minutes yet. um So along I think going forward, as the games and weeks progress, you'll only see a better version of Emmied Smith Road.
00:26:32
Josh Keech
that's that's good news for me since he's in my fantasy team so I can't complain too much there so that's all right with me
00:26:32
Tom Elkins
yeah Yeah, I would also like to kind of continue on the theme of transfers. What are you planning on doing to fill the power linear shaped hole in your midfield?
Replacing João Palhinha at Fulham
00:26:48
Tom Elkins
Because that's obviously the big move. He's he's gone to buy him for ah how much was it? Just over 50 million, I think, wasn't it? and Yeah, that's such a difficult hole to fill. What do you think um you're going to do with the players that you have to kind of fill in that hole?
00:27:02
officialgspn
Yeah, as you can imagine on our podcast, Joe Pelina has been the hot topic of discussion. A lot of times his name has been brought up and how do you replace him? It's very difficult because because of the things he can do, you almost need two players to replace one. What we've seen this season is someone like Sassadou Kitch, who's been at the club for a while, but he hasn't quite cemented his his place in the team. We're slowly starting to see that level of consistency in his performances. He's not a like for like replacement for Pelina. It's very difficult to find that sort of combative, tenacious, great tackling ability.
00:27:35
officialgspn
a defender's dream to have Paulina in front of them really and it's very hard do they have signed Sander Berger again he's not that sort of like for like player ah decent defensive ability adds physicality I think he's about six foot five but it's different sort of profile in terms of play he's better at sort of running forward with the ball um yeah it's it's a massive loss there's there's no getting away from that um You know, Sander Berger at the same time, his fitness hasn't been quite up to par as well. He's just been away with Norway. He's completed his first 90 minutes and in a long time since last season. He wasn't involved in any of Burney's games at the start of the season. So that is an area that teams will probably think, you know, we might have the better of full and with Pelina's absence this season.
00:28:17
Josh Keech
Yeah, I think with that.
00:28:17
Tom Elkins
Yeah, yeah, I think that's probably a good to do.
00:28:18
Josh Keech
that The probably biggest similarity, I think, between both of us at the moment is recently filling that big gap in the middle of
Replacing Key Midfielders: Fulham vs. West Ham
00:28:25
Josh Keech
the field. Obviously, our one was with Ryze going to Arsenal at the time. And I think, well, our our biggest solution was signing a Mexican from the yeah from the Netherlands. So so that was ah our our biggest fix was how good Alvarez has been. But it's one of those challenges, I think, we felt, and and that nerve of how do you do it? Because I honestly wouldn't be expecting us to be in the place we are now with what we've done in that trying to fix that problem. But I think that, yeah, for the from the players you're
00:28:50
Josh Keech
you're bringing in and the kind of style of it it's looking at least on the upward curve which is what you'd be what you'd be liking to see anyway so it's quite reassuring but um but yeah i think it's been one of those and i know i always forget about your your forwards really i know obviously the good westam side of it you guys have still got diop which i didn't i always forget where he goes around so it's good to see you've got some westam uh westam promise as well from our lot But yeah, your forwards this season, I mean, I've been not paying too much attention to the window, but I know obviously you've got the likes of Rhys Nelson and Wobi and a few others as well. But yeah, it sounds like one of my old FIFA teams in the past.
00:29:26
officialgspn
Yeah, I mean, I think Fulham are going to have to rely probably a bit more this season in terms of goals from their sort of wide players. We've seen Adama Truari start the season really brightly. He was a player that signed last summer but didn't have much action really because he was injured early on. He came back, he got another injury and I think he only started one game which was the a way game to Luton on the last day of the season. But he played a big part in pre-season. And we've seen we've seen this season, he's had a goal and assistant. The question mark labeled against him has always been his end product. So it's nice to see him start to hopefully produce more consistent levels of performances. Because on his day, you know what he can do. He's got the strength and he's got blistering speed. He's he's a fullbacks nightmare. But some of his decision making that times is questionable. In terms of the the center forward,
00:30:11
officialgspn
the guy leading the liners, Rodrigo Moniz, who came into the side sort of towards the second half of last season after Jimenez. Jimenez had got an injury. Jimenez had started to start to do okay.
00:30:25
officialgspn
He scored in a couple of games. I think he might have scored against West Ham, actually, in that 5-0 win at Craven Cottage.
00:30:32
officialgspn
But then, yeah, sorry to remind you about that.
00:30:32
Tom Elkins
Well, talk about that.
00:30:33
Josh Keech
That's enough.
00:30:34
officialgspn
But, you know, he came into the side and he was on fire. I think he won play of the month. He was either February or March. and he was looking like a real, real fine because he's been at the club for a few seasons but it's always been difficult for him because he's playing second fiddle to Mitrovic so he knew he was never going to get a look in. Went on to Middlesbrough, struggled to get a game there to be honest and no one really foresaw what was to happen the second half of that season and but the question mark then is can he do it again? Was that just a one-off?
00:31:02
officialgspn
it's being able to go again and he hasn't managed to score so far this season. and He's had chances, he's had some really good chances and hopefully just for him it's a case of he'll score one and then the floodgates will open again.
00:31:14
Josh Keech
Yeah, he's he's been one of my saddest stories from fantasy so far. I think he's the one who tried to get him on the cheap up top and it's not been um not been but also been expected. But I think i think you like it's almost one of those things with the amount of players you've got up top, actually, that the quality is quite good, I think, in comparison to what you'd be expecting from some other sides, I think.
00:31:33
Josh Keech
but but at least you've got the quality of a lot of Premier League experience up front, which is not a lot of, you know, I think there's been a lot of change in the window where people are brought in from other leagues, where you've got that people, you know, people you have know the league quite well, which I think is quite a nice, significant sort of change to what some of the clubs will be experiencing this window.
00:31:50
officialgspn
Yeah, I mean there was some consternation about from the fan base about maybe looking to strengthen in that area because they did lose Jay Stansfield's record signer for the League one. So I go into Birmingham for possibly up to 20 million when it included others, which is a crazy price, really. So they couldn't resist that. But then, you know, Jay Stansfield has never really done it at Premier League levels, never had the opportunity. So you never know if he was going to score the goal. So ah They weren't really many links to strikers. I think Marco Silva is showing a lot of faith in Rodrigo Migniz based on what happened towards the back end of last season and ah for him I think he's thinking along the lines of if he gets one he'll go on to give him that confidence where he can just score on on a regular basis and hopefully ah get double figures.
Joachim Andersen's Return to Fulham
00:32:37
Tom Elkins
Yeah, definitely mate.
00:32:37
Josh Keech
Yeah.
00:32:37
Tom Elkins
And I think, so the final bit for me I think is how influential do you think the poaching of Joachim Anderson from Crystal Palace is? That seems, it seems so out of the blue as well.
00:32:48
Tom Elkins
He's someone that's obviously done really well at Palace. I know he'd been on loan with you guys before and you've kind of taken him back and and left Palace one very strong centre back down very late in the window.
00:32:59
officialgspn
Yeah, I can imagine for a lot of people it's a very surprising move. Maybe it seems like a sideways move and I'm sure a lot of people associate with Fulham or Fulham fans will feel the same way. But I feel i think he came out and said that Crystal Palace didn't offer him what he what he wanted maybe in terms of wages, so that's when he found his home again at Fulham. He was a very very well respected and well liked when he was at Fulham. Obviously he unfortunately ended in relegation but it was a rare case where you saw a lone player made captain which you never really see. So he went down really well with the fans and
00:33:32
officialgspn
he didn't He didn't start the league game against Ipswich, so that's a decision for the manager to make this weekend because he did take part in pre-season for Crystal Palace, he played their opening game, he played 90 minutes in the Cup against Birmingham, he's just played 180 minutes for Denmark, so it's a case for Joachim Anderson, obviously knows he knows the club, worked with a different manager at the time, but I'm sure he's eager to get back into that starting line because it It's only a matter of time. You mentioned D obviously being at West Ham and he's the guy kind of in position at the moment possession of that position at the moment. And ah you look at it, I mean, he's not really put a foot wrong so far in the opening of three games, but I think obviously that's that's something that Silva's going to have to consider in the coming days, who is his man going forward. And I think he will be yuck in Anderson because you're not going to see Fulham really spend 30 million ah on a guy just for him to sit on the bench for the rest of the season. and
00:34:23
Tom Elkins
Yeah, yeah, I agree, mate. I think that's a really good point. And I think the ability to take a player that it seems like a side would move, I think maybe shows the ambition that the manager has been able to come to win with to say, I know we aren't necessarily a step up now, but what his plans are is to take you to that place. So so that can only be a good thing for the future.
00:34:45
officialgspn
Yeah, there's no doubt that the most important man at the club is Marco Silva. And maybe from other teams' perspective, they might not have such an opinion on, high opinion on him. But the important thing was to provide stability to that football club because you don't want to be associated as a yo-yo team that just goes up and down every season. And the last two seasons, managing to finish 10th and 13th.
00:35:06
officialgspn
And I feel confident, I can't say maybe Europe's realistic, but I have no doubt that with Marco Silva in charge of that club that there's no fears of relegation.
00:35:17
Tom Elkins
Yeah, definitely will. I think that's all from us, mate. um I think you're going to lead us into the GSB and advert.
00:35:23
officialgspn
Yes, absolutely. The Global Sports Podcast Network is changing the face of football podcasts. With dedicated daily content for every Premier League team, women's football, fantasy football and a daily Premier League rapper broadcast in five different languages, it's your one-stop shop for your daily football fix. Find GSPN wherever you find your usual podcasts.
00:35:44
officialgspn
So let's throw it forward to the game on the weekend. What do you see as sort of the key battles in terms of where this match is going to be won and lost?
Key Battles in Fulham vs. West Ham Match
00:35:55
Tom Elkins
Okay. So if I could start, um, I think making sure that we can keep tabs on ML Smith row is going to be really important. I know that he obviously, like you mentioned before, having come through the arsenal Academy, you know, that he has quality. So it's kind of the one-on-one matchup that I'm guessing it's going to be in between him and Aaron one by soccer. If he starts, will he be playing on the left? Do you think?
00:36:16
officialgspn
No, he'll be behind the strike, it'll be a world beast starting on the left.
00:36:19
Tom Elkins
I think the individual. okay okay sounds so it'll be it'll be matched up against whichever one of our dm's play so yeah i think i guess that kind of says more to it doesn't it the fact that he's gonna from Arsenal, I've only ever really known him playing off the left for Arsenal when he did you know have that occasional cameo. So the fact that he's got a more central role now shows the ah kind of importance that he has in your attack. So I guess it is being able to keep tabling him whenever he is. so So yeah, I think being able to kind of suppress him and not allow him the space to be creative and to kind of play with that youthful exuberance someone gets when they you know they leave the club, that they've not been able to get a chance and then they go to a new club and they're just able to thrive. like
00:37:01
Tom Elkins
We've seen that West Ham so many times the infamous Jesse Lingard loan, you know someone that's been a big club for so long not got the opportunity and then Comes into the team and obviously has class and smashes it when he's given a bit of license to to play so So yeah, I think he's definitely making sure we can keep him locked down and I think from our point of view I think Edson Alvarez starting is definitely the right move when it comes to that I think he's much more of a kind of general when it comes to sitting
00:37:05
Josh Keech
oh no
00:37:29
Tom Elkins
in front of the backline probably maybe slightly similar to Paulina maybe quite not quite as big or as physical but he has those sort of defensive qualities that allow him to kind of command in front of the defense and make some big challenges so I think that's maybe a battle to to look out for.
00:37:46
Josh Keech
Yeah, the the sheer mention of Lingard's name just brings a tear to my eye almost. I just remember remember how good he was for that time. um No, i I agree that our midfield is the kind of biggest, not only headache, but where I think a lot of that battle, the battles will be, because obviously we like to play with a 4-3-3, so the question is who's going to be playing our Sucek and Rodriguez, which seems to be our weekly debates at this point. But ah Alvarez will be one of the other men, and then Pacattara is obviously going to be the one that plays a bit higher up and has that freedom.
00:38:13
Josh Keech
But I think pretty one of the ball it'll be an underrated battle You won't see until it gets a bit settled But I think Adama and Emerson will be a good little interesting one to watch if you say that He's been quite vital for you guys for the Premier, you know, at least for the the preseason and then going into the Premier League so far That was gonna be very interesting and see how I'm missing fares because although I think he's been ridiculously solid for the value and and the return on them was investment We've got from from having him in the squad I know there's there's time sometimes when we can see him make a couple of slip-ups and Adam was one of those players that obviously causes those slip-ups so ah That'll be an interesting one I'll be expecting to see. But I think the the good thing for us will be almost that we'll have, like i could if i if i my life was on the line now, I could tell you who our back five players will be. We know that Ariola's going to start, probably. And and we also know that that the back five line is going to be the one that's been like it for the last couple of games, I'm pretty sure. ah But ah I'll say that now, and then there'll be news that comes out this week. But I think our biggest problem for us, at least, will be up top, because we've obviously felt very injured.
00:39:11
Josh Keech
What are we going to do? And I think that's our biggest headache for me personally. We're going to talk about this this week already. And that's going to be a big discussion for us in the West Ham podcast. But I think this is some of those time to shine. If I was predicting what this game is going to be like, and I would be starting him off the left definitely with.
00:39:27
Josh Keech
probably giving Bowen the role of going back down the middle again just for this game if seeing what it's going to be like with Folkwood going forward, if he's going to be injured, ah and Antonio's already played this morning in Jamaica, we've not got much time left for him to get back and get back used to a time zone. I think it's probably going to be the smarter play to play Bowen there for the time being down the middle and have Kudas back on the right, which we know he's more than capable of doing anyway because that's why he's been best suited normally and previously.
00:39:51
officialgspn
Yeah, I was going to ask you actually, I know you said Antonio's away there, isn't it? Pack of ties you weigh with Brazil as well?
00:39:59
Josh Keech
Oh, I.
00:40:00
Tom Elkins
He has been away. I'm not sure how much he's actually played, so...
00:40:01
Josh Keech
Yeah. yeah
00:40:03
officialgspn
Right, because I just know it can cause a headache for managers at times with players travelling from that part of the world um often coming back late and fatigued, so you don't see any issue there with him being left out or anything like that.
00:40:03
Tom Elkins
i be thats Yeah.
00:40:09
Josh Keech
Yeah.
00:40:14
Tom Elkins
No, I don't think so.
00:40:14
Josh Keech
No.
00:40:15
Tom Elkins
I don't think with Paquetta. I think it's... I'm just always scared when I hear Antonio's voice anywhere other than West Ham because his hamstrings are made of string cheese, which is what we always talk about. So the likelihood of those getting torn apart is always very high. So whenever you hear about him doing well and surviving with both hamstrings, it's amazing. So that's why I'm focusing on good things that he's he's in good health.
00:40:40
officialgspn
Do you think a Lopategi knows his best team if if everyone was fit right now?
00:40:41
Josh Keech
I think it's...
00:40:41
Josh Keech
so
00:40:46
Tom Elkins
I don't think so yet. I don't think fully. I think he think he knows what he wants his team to be, but I think when you've got a team full of ex David Moyes players who kind of do revert, and that's kind of what we saw in that and the first game and a bit against City is when we get under the course, we do kind of revert to sit back and kind of hit on the counter, which is ingrained into the Moyes players kind of that way of playing. so I hope that the further along we get in the season, the more he starts to understand which players are going to be better able to adapt to his new system, which signings are going to be able to adapt to his new system. And then, you know, I think probably, I don't know, in a couple of months, I think there'll be quite an obvious starting 11 that will will start to show itself.
00:41:32
Josh Keech
i I think there's only two positions that are causing the biggest problem in that definitive 11 players. I think the obviously the first is up top because it's how settled could Fulcrum have got before playing. That's obviously now a question mark because of injury, but that'll be the the biggest problem there. And then centre-mids will be the other one because we've got obviously Alvarez who will, I think we we can usually agree will be the one that will guarantee play.
00:41:55
Josh Keech
but then our our hot topic debate every week now is is is Guido Rodriguez going to play who's Tom's best mate or are we going to see, and I like to say for all the Star Wars fans out there, it's the rise of Sucek right now because he's he's come back from his sort of quieter stint we've seen previously and he's starting to sort of, he's always like he's woken back up again even though he's he's not been asleep the whole time but ah but yeah, he's he's performed ridiculously well since the pre-season so I think that's going to be the the probably the two players that are the ones that are in contention for who's going to be in that starting 11 each week because they're the ones that are sort of in the most competitive parts of the pitch that we have multiple players in depth.
00:42:34
officialgspn
Yeah, so from from a fullness perspective, I know Josh, you mentioned Adama Troyer there.
00:42:36
Tom Elkins
Thank
00:42:38
officialgspn
I think he's going to be a key man going forward, not just for this game on the weekend, but throughout the season.
00:42:41
Tom Elkins
you.
00:42:44
officialgspn
ah Hopefully he can continue continue where he left off before the international break and him up against Emerson. I mean, it's difficult for any fullback coming against him because you're not going to match him for pay so you won.
00:42:55
officialgspn
Bassaka would probably be do a better job defensively, but obviously he's going to be matched up against the world. And then the sort of question marks ah Silver has is whether he starts his new signings. That's Anderson and and Sander Berger because it's called ah caused a bit of a for all Ferrari, yeah Andreas Pereira at the start of season. He's not in the best books with the Fulham fans at the minute.
00:43:17
officialgspn
He's playing sort of slightly deeper than what you used to see him play with Emile Smithborough operating s slightly further forward but from what you would have seen.
Andreas Pereira's Role at Fulham
00:43:25
officialgspn
Right, he's taken the position of basically Van Drez Pereira, what you would have seen the last two seasons, Van Drez Pereira dropping back, sitting in alongside Lukic. Well, Lukic is the one that sits in and Drez Pereira will be given that sort of freedom to go forward. So whether it's he, whether he continues to start or whether he plays Sander Berger from the start,
00:43:44
officialgspn
maybe on the surface might seem a more defensive option. I think it's it's being flexible. A lot of people just want this Andres Pereira's centimetre experiment bin, but I feel it can work in certain games against certain teams, so that'll be interesting to see where he does that going forward. The other area that might be changed is the right back. Ken Aite, who's always been a solid dependable performer for Fulham,
00:44:09
officialgspn
gives everything, never let you down. But Kastanya came in last season and he he didn't put a foot wrong and he adds, he adds a good sort of relationship. It was actually a good relationship with at times, at times it will all be on that right hand side, right the world will be switched over to left side now, we've tried playing on the right. um So he could be another one that comes in. ah lets Let's just look at predictions and what what are your sort of predictions for how the game is going to play out, what are your sort of score predictions for the game itself.
Score Predictions for Fulham vs. West Ham
00:44:37
Josh Keech
gone out kids you can start with this one because headaches
00:44:41
Tom Elkins
Okay, well, so far, all our games have been you know relatively interesting and high scoring. So I don't see that changing anytime soon. So I'm going to say 2-1, West Ham.
00:44:52
Josh Keech
Now, we've been talking about this, and i I always say that I think it's one of those games, if you see Westam Fulham, I'm anticipating a win, so I'm going to say 2-0, but I'm on the preface, I think that it's one of those where, it's one of those things that anything can happen, and i'd I'd be a bit ignorant not to expect something could change to that, but 2-0 is what I'd be putting as the result.
00:45:04
officialgspn
Bye.
00:45:12
officialgspn
Just a word of warning, guys, in the last two episodes, when I've given my predictions, they've been absolutely bang on.
00:45:17
officialgspn
So I was going to say 1-0 draw, but considering you've both gone for West Ham, I'm going to have to back follow me. I'm going to go for 2-1. It won't be a repeat at 5-0 of last season anyway.
00:45:17
Josh Keech
Oh, no.
00:45:29
officialgspn
I know that this this has generally been a fiction. I know West Ham have had good success in over the years, haven't they? But they lost 7-0 on aggregate over the two games last season. and So they'll be looking to right the wrongs from that, won't they?
00:45:40
Tom Elkins
Yeah, I hope so mate.
00:45:40
Josh Keech
i say
00:45:42
officialgspn
Right. Okay. That's great. That'll do it for today's episode. Thanks to Tom and thanks to Josh from Daily West Ham Podcast for joining us today. Be sure to listen out to their podcast and join us again as we build up further to the fixture on the weekend. That's all for now. Take care.
00:46:00
Josh Keech
That's it.