Transcript
Killian Ginnity: Hello, hello, hello, hello, hello. hello hello It is the Not A Pundit podcast, but sure you already know that, you clicked on the link. Why am I telling you? I am Cillian Ginnity and I'm delighted to be joined as ever by Conor Glennon and Nathan Byrne. Gentlemen, how are we doing?
Conor Glennon: Good, I tell you what, I'm ah um'm a hell of a lot better than than our Man United friend over there. they they're They're in a bit of bother and we are, even though we're we're we're not exactly where we want to be, we're we're pretty damn close and I'm excited for for a weekend of Premier League game. Seems like a pretty bumper weekend.
Conor Glennon: ah I'll throw to to our dear red friend, how are you sir?
Nate: Yeah, I'm okay. I've been a bit under the weather the last few days and United haven't helped that. but um you know it's It's not long to the end of the season now, so we're trooper in a way and please please God we get some points and we don't get relegated.
Conor Glennon: King and the Maccams, how are you?
Killian Ginnity: ah Other than Sunderland breaking my heart yet again. And lads, if I'm not grey by Christmas, so it'll be a miracle. Like, 90 plus 5, we concede the losing goal.
Killian Ginnity: We were winning up until like the 60th minute.
Nate: If you're not gray,
Killian Ginnity: ah Yeah. Like...
Conor Glennon: i mean, Jesus, ah Nate's going to have no hair if that's that's what we're playing at.
Nate: don't go bald, bud.
Conor Glennon: like
Killian Ginnity: Oh, boo-hoo, you used to win Trebles. We were in League One up until like a year or two ago. um
Conor Glennon: Nate's booking a flight to Turkey as we speak. like
Nate: ah
Killian Ginnity: um Before we do get into the Premier League preview, um I do want to actually say we were kind of wrong last week. We were a little bit more pessimistic about Bo's Shamrocks being in the Aviva Stadium than we probably should have been.
Killian Ginnity: Because, Nate... what What a show. What a spectacle. What a weekend.
Nate: Yeah, it was a good watch. and Something to build on. and like I think going forward now, I think they should look at still the smaller stadiums. I think visual-wise, packed-out stadium looks a bit better to me.
Nate: Although, that's nothing against what they did in the weekend. and it was ah It was a good derby. um yeah they got They got numbers in.
Killian Ginnity: Well, the
Conor Glennon: 35,000, I think, in the end. So they they they build so around, what, 8 10K more than we thought, which is...
Killian Ginnity: 33, I think. Yeah.
Conor Glennon: Look, like as Nate said, it was it was great to see... I suppose, the spectacle of it. I mean, its its you'd almost wish they'd just packed everyone into a smaller segment so it it was a bit more rowdy. It seemed a bit patchy in places. But look, it'ss as you said, I think we were a bit overly pessimistic. I do hope that the gate receipts were were kind of down in the middle and both clubs benefited from it. But I do think, like, I saw the Rodfather talking about it on somewhere or other, and he he was very much like,
Conor Glennon: you know the importance of the league. look it's ah it's a It's always been a bit of a niche thing in Ireland. It needs to kind of stay that stay like that to keep its its it's i suppose beauty. and like look I want the game to get as big as it can, but there is a something nice about it being ah bit more small-scale than what we're used to ah across the water.
Killian Ginnity: I have to say, like, there was probably, what, 10, 15,000 people more that could go to that game and did did get to go to that game than would have if there were was in a smaller stadium.
Killian Ginnity: I think as a curtain raiser for the season, ah between the TV coverage, the social coverage from... outlets and clubs and the league itself. um It was just a great and exciting way to open open and the season for everybody.
Killian Ginnity: And for those kind of, i don't want to say fair weather fans, but maybe fans that haven't got to experience it yet, I think it was a great introduction for for everyone. And like, ah I think one of the issues that we can see, and it's league-wide and ah for all the resources that Dublin has, there's no kind of in-between.
Killian Ginnity: It's either you're getting like 5,000, 8,000, 10,000 or 50,000.
Killian Ginnity: or fifty thousand And after that, it's 80,000.
Conor Glennon: Yeah.
Killian Ginnity: So, yeah, we we were pessimistic for the right reasons. We didn't want it to overly cost. And I would still stand some by what we said if the ticket sales had stayed as it was when we were talking about it.
Killian Ginnity: But getting over that 30 mark, you'd presume, even if it was only expenses covered, for the the hype that it brings and for the ah aspiration that it'll it's going to bring for the league, I'm just so happy for it.
Conor Glennon: I'd love to see the numbers on it when when you said with the the kind of, I suppose, the level of press it received. I'd love to compare that to like what's that in your average amount of games it takes to get to those numbers. And yeah, like I think it definitely brings more eyes to it.
Conor Glennon: I think, look, it's I think Diageo coming in from a Rockshore point of view is only going to benefit the league from a sponsorship. you know, Virgin coming in, off the ball coming in like, it's it's definitely grown getting there and growing legs. I think we're in the same predicament from a sports perspective, and this isn't just limited to football, to be honest, like, we have it as as well in music where, you know, you've got Whelan's, you've got the Olympia, and then you've got to jump to the three arena, like, ah there there is probably an argument there for a a multi-purpose stadium to be built that's somewhere in the middle of you know kind of a 20 000 cedar stadium and and and i know people are going to say there's other stadiums as outside dublin that could be utilized for these things and that is something that the league could look into because i i don't know if they've spoken to it but i mean i'd assume that this is probably going to become a if not yearly thing twice a year
Nate: Well, like, one of the things is and the RDS is currently being built. Like, that could be a perfect solution.
Conor Glennon: Yeah, actually that's great show.
Nate: It's going to be $22,000. Like, that's ah' a good size, in my opinion. i think, like, why have to be careful of there is, like, you want... you know Instead of going above and beyond with number-wise in the stadium, I think they need to prioritise atmosphere.
Nate: And I think that's one of the things that probably lacks when you don't fit out a stadium.
Conor Glennon: Yeah.
Nate: So I think having a look maybe at the RDS in the future and stuff like that could be could be very beneficial.
Conor Glennon: ah Yeah, you'd just hope with that, that the kind of red tape of rugby doesn't get involved there because that's you know always been a predicament previously. But that's a great show, Nate. I've been to Robbers-Bows games over the years. They're absolutely and electric. They're incredible. And you know I'd love to...
Conor Glennon: see the perspective of someone who's gone to those games for 20 odd years, what was the atmosphere like, it you know, compared to your smaller scale. And I think that's what has led to the, let's face it, like I'm i'm not, so I don't want to insult any players in the League of Ireland. There are some serious athletes there, but I think the thing that's always sold that league is the atmosphere. It's it's been its USP the entire time.
Killian Ginnity: Well, I think as a curtain raiser, the Aviva could become a very cool tradition, even if it was only like one once at the start the year or once at the end of the year that you kind of have like the big match.
Killian Ginnity: And then for other games where, say, that it gets sold out and there's still people looking for tickets, like make a waiting list, and then it gets bumped up to the RDS throughout the year.
Killian Ginnity: um And I think that would be a nice kind of middle ground to preserv preserve that kind of ah massive atmosphere where it becomes like religious experience because everybody's there everybody's really into it every like sounds become deafening and it becomes a real experience um but also
Conor Glennon: Yeah.
Killian Ginnity: balancing like bringing in money and getting to allow as many people to go because like the amount of I wouldn't say criticism but complaints over the last kind of two years from especially Bose fans just being like i want to go to games so I can't support my club because they keep selling out what a complaint to have it's amazing
Conor Glennon: yeah
Killian Ginnity: But it's also not great because then suddenly there's going to be people that are not going to go to games. And you also don't want to get to that kind of American isms where it's like, oh, well, if you can't go to their game, just go to the other game because we're all friends.
Conor Glennon: Yeah, yeah.
Killian Ginnity: No, no, we we still want rivalries.
Conor Glennon: one thing ah One thing I was delighted to see as well is that there wasn't any major incidents from a security or trouble perspective. So, like, I mean, I think fair play to the fans and um on the day where there was the most eyes of all time on it, they kind of did their bit and kept things calm.
Killian Ginnity: No, it was absolutely absolutely brilliant and a fantastic season to come. um But let's turn our attention to what is going to be ah very, very busy Premier League period because from Saturday, I think it's true, till Thursday, those games.
Conor Glennon: Thank you.
Killian Ginnity: um We'll start off with Everton versus Man United. We'll rip the bandaid off now. um How is going to feel when Moyes beat
Nate: to feel the same as every other time, to see Levin Mbps. and I'm not really feeling much from a United perspective currently. like I'm going a bit numb, lads. and We're just shocking. like like I struggle not to go a couple of notches higher with the words I'm using.
Conor Glennon: Bye.
Nate: We're just shocking. um Yeah, like the football's atrocious. The atmosphere's atrocious. Our players are atrocious.
Killian Ginnity: Well, let's just start on on that that point though, Nate. The football being atrocious. Because when Amarin came in, that was kind of like, okay, the results aren't exactly where we want them to be straight away.
Killian Ginnity: but he's playing in an interesting way. So what's gone wrong?
Nate: Well, I just don't understand the decision-making personally in terms of you brought in a new ah manager mid-season who has a very definitive style of play, who loves wing-backs and utilising more abnormal, I'd say, positions than currently.
Nate: and We just haven't backed them in January. Yeah. If you're going to bring in a manager mid-season, you've got to get behind them, give them money. and he's I feel like he's just been left out to dry and the football is a sorry sight currently.
Conor Glennon: You'd wonder, was he told, I suppose, from a recruitment standpoint, what the road was going to look like? Was he kind of told, you're you're not going to have much in January, you're going to have to sell to buy, we're going to have to decrease the wage structure, and does he buy into that? And I suppose at the same time, was he kind of promised, look, this is a gimme season, but but then if you're the ownership, you didn't see it going this south.
Conor Glennon: You guys are, what, 14th? fourteenth
Nate: 15th.
Conor Glennon: like whoa like
Nate: We're 12 points off the drop. And and just just to put it, like, when Amorim came in, we were four points off top four.
Conor Glennon: That's insane.
Nate: just Just, like, just to put it out there.
Killian Ginnity: Justice for Ten Hag.
Nate: Like, I'm not saying 10-1 actually kept the job, but it goes back to the decision-making that why did we bring him in mid-season if we weren't going back him in January?
Conor Glennon: Well, like, I mean, Ten Hag could have had you in 15th you know?
Nate: Like,
Conor Glennon: like i mean like and i i mean i mean um i mean I mean, that in a, in a ah like, Amram's not doing anything that Ten Hag couldn't.
Nate: But, we like, and we are we...
Conor Glennon: And I think it's, a you know, why if 15th is where you're going to be in February, you may as well have hold of Ten Hag, bring him in and swap out in the summer and then have a full summer window to play with.
Conor Glennon: It just, it doesn't make sense.
Nate: Like, it's it's actually... Like, we're currently in, like, a miserable spot in terms of there's no communication going on and what the vision is. um Like... Why not communicate with the fans that you think this season's going to be a... you know We're not going to back them this season because we're going to back them in the summer.
Nate: There's zero communication along them lines. Our players, like I don't know, Anthony left, went on a my a madness. like He's scoring goals left, right and centre.
Nate: He couldn't do it at United. and None of our players seem to be able to do it either. Hoyland... like if we saw them for a fiver, I'd be like, that's good going.
Conor Glennon: when
Conor Glennon: went where but when When you look at Anthony's output, I suppose, in four games, he's got four goals and assists in there. Do you think that's just a Michael Jordan, last dance, kind of prove-to-the-world situation or Like, we're starting to see when the shackles come off, some of the players that leave United, like Sancho is playing reasonably well.
Conor Glennon: Rashford had a good game last weekend, nearly got that free kick, which would have been an absolute belter. McTominay's channeling his in their inner Maradona over in Napoli. And, you know, even Anthony, who we all took great enjoyment laughing at, is is actually, like, one of the goals I saw other day he was half volley outside the box, absolute worldy of a finish line.
Nate: Yeah, i like the club's just toxic currently, and that's not to say that some of the players who've left have not been added to the toxicity in the club. But I still go back to, I think it's inexcusable with how bad some of these players are playing.
Nate: like It doesn't make sense. You're footballers. You've been doing it your whole life. Score fucking goal, please. That's all I'm asking. Score a fucking goal. I want to see a goal. Like, it's generally baffling. And like i just don't understand where we go currently.
Conor Glennon: Do you think it's a case where, like, it has to be one of three things. They either can't play a system, don't want to play a system, or, like, Jesus.
Nate: I don't know.
Conor Glennon: Like, it it it's, you know, they I just don't even understand what the problem is. It's like, is his system even workable in that team? Do they want to do it? And, like, does he have the resources to do it in? I just, I...
Nate: i I don't think they care, personally. um i I said it when we sacked Dan and I said, this gives the players the licence to write off the season. That's what happened last time, is when you sack a manager mid-season, you go, whatever happens from now on, you know you're just right now.
Nate: like that's That's how it gets treated.
Killian Ginnity: Do you think Amaran's in ah danger of becoming a Ten Hag 2.0 where Ten Hag was brought in to play the Ajax way of playing football and then results started going not his way. The tactics weren't working.
Killian Ginnity: He was getting criticized for maintaining his tactics and he adjusted. And then it just became ever more toxic. when he was getting some results and getting some cups but like will Amarin be painted into a ah corner now where he's going to be forced to kind of break his his ah his omerta and of of his tactics and like go back to like a 4-2-3-1 or something
Nate: Wow.
Conor Glennon: if if he If he pivots out of that 4-3-3, he's got nothing.
Nate: now
Conor Glennon: He's got no leg to stand on. The only possible thing he has in his back pocket is if that comes around and they start winning things, playing that. because like He is at risk of being Vinny company where it's, Jesus, mate, you know anything other than 4-3-3? If not, you're getting the boot.
Conor Glennon: But ah I don't know about you, Nate. If he moves away from that, he is open to so much criticism.
Nate: I don't think he's going to move away. He's most stubborn factor we've ever seen. it's like He doesn't even make adjustments mid-game. and No, I don't see him moving whatsoever.
Conor Glennon: Sounds like Stephen Kearney. Ooh.
Nate: like The thing with Tan Hig is he switched from his formation day one. so it's the I don't see him switching at all.
Killian Ginnity: But like at what point you just start like making your tactics work for your players? If the players aren't working for your tactics, like there has to be some kind of give here because...
Killian Ginnity: as you say, just a 12 point off relegation. Like, what would be better to kind of go, right, let's just play 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 or whatever formation you want it to be until the end of the year. Let's just get you useless bunch of over the line and then I'll get rid of the Lottias and I'll get people in that'll actually play the way I want because like I saw a post ah the other day saying that ah you know they kind of keep sell or whatever ah they only had six players to be kept like
Nate: you You tell me, Cillian. It's been 10 years and 10 managers. don't think the players have played for... I don't think any tactics have worked for them. and
Conor Glennon: when you When you even look at that though, Nate, it's like, you know, i saw an article going around, don't know whether it was, what day it was during the week, but since 2013, in terms of getting rid of managers, you've spent £72.2 million pounds paying off their contracts.
Conor Glennon: you know, added on top of that, you've got Dan Ashworth, who's got 4.1 million contractually. have to buy, have to do his buyout of 5 million. So that's what, 9 million quid. And he worked there for 150 days. Like from an optics point of view, when you're,
Conor Glennon: making people redundant left and right you're taking away subsidies for charities you're taking subsidies away for oap tickets it's it's like where do they possibly think the positive pr is going to come from this and i'm very aware the way i'm saying this sounds like you're the one making these decisions you're not the bad man
Killian Ginnity: Yeah, Nate, why did you decide this?
Nate: Honestly, I don't know why i laid them all off, personally. have no clue. and But in Durham, there is no positive view. How can you spend any of it? It's just been shit. Like...
Conor Glennon: but you just But you just think if you're going to be this poor on the pitch, wait till next season to make all these financial moves.
Nate: and like
Conor Glennon: like Do something that the whole club isn't going to hate you from the people working there to the fans watching the games, you know?
Nate: like I go back to it again, and I got ridiculed for defending Den Haag the way I did, is he won two trophies in back-to-back seasons, and they sacked him four points off top four.
Nate: We are now 12 points off the drop.
Killian Ginnity: and It's looking like a miracle now.
Nate: like We are 12 points off the championship. where How many ham many games to go?
Conor Glennon: it
Nate: like 13 games to go, like we are in danger.
Killian Ginnity: Not that many.
Nate: like like
Conor Glennon: ah like It's funny seeing you down there, but like you're let's face it, the three at the bottom are goners anyway, so you' you are safe, but it's
Nate: the not
Nate: you say You say that, but like we're not winning games. We're not putting points on the board. like
Killian Ginnity: You should not be relying on other teams being worse than you.
Nate: always All we need is a City little revival again, and we're toast. like we And I think that's one of the things I've been saying recently is like we need to stress to the United fans, we are in a relegation battle. like You can sugarcoat it as it is, but how many points we've dropped from from when Amran took over to where we are now is astronomical. like
Conor Glennon: but Where you are like in 15s now, like when Amarum came in, how bad like what was the worst you thought it could get? like Are we there or have we passed that by a country map?
Nate: Oh, I thought we were going up. I thought we were getting better. I'll say it again for the people in the back. We were four points off top four.
Nate: like I thought we we we could put put up a battle for top four, like genuinely. But it's only gotten worse. And I don't put that down to Ammon personally. I put that down for delusional decision-making.
Conor Glennon: But like how much of the blame lies at Radcliffe? like Obviously, the Glazers are there too.
Nate: Oh, a lot of it is.
Conor Glennon: They're they're doing they're doing whatever the Glazers like doing on their their super yachts ah off the coast of Tampa. But it's... it Is Amram doing... Like, we look at Ten Hag.
Conor Glennon: Do we think Ten Hag at that point... yeah you were four points off. But, like, if he'd been there now, do you think they still would have drifted further down the table? Because, like, it it seems... It's almost getting to Spurs level of, like...
Conor Glennon: what is the issue? Because you've gone like Spurs through 10 managers. There's still the chronic issues there. It's, you know, you've spent money on players not fixing the issue. It's players leave or do better when they leave. It's like, I i don't want to call you Spurs, mate, but you're trending that way. Like,
Nate: Oh, but, like, we are spurs at this rate. Like, in terms of, like, what we're showing on the pitch. Yeah, like, lads, I don't really know what say other than it's going to be a scary couple of weeks.
Nate: Because I'll just add to this is, like, if you go look at our form, if Leicester City had a win to their last five games, they're on the same form as us. Like, generally, like, they're on the same form as us.
Nate: So...
Killian Ginnity: Like if United were a smaller club, like say like a Leicester, I think the conversation we'd be having right now would be, ah I think United needs a relegation. I think that's the only way that they're going to clear the decks enough to be able to rebuild. Because Conor, you've seen it with Newcastle when they went down. I've seen it with Sunderland.
Killian Ginnity: You do need something catastrophic to break so that it forces the... the the rot out and allows you to rebuild. Like Sunderland had it really, really bad, really, really negative by the time we got down to League One.
Killian Ginnity: And now we're so, so positive. and Newcastle had it where that the spine of players that left when you got relegated, and was it 09-10 or whatever it was, or 10-11?
Killian Ginnity: and Like good players, Viduka, Obafemi Martins, Michael Owen, but they weren't the players that were going to stick with you.
Conor Glennon: Well, yeah, we like it don't get me wrong. It's called a spade to spade. Getting relegated is absolutely atrocious. that it's it The feeling is will it'll burn into your brain for any real football fan. But i I do think it recalibrated us as a club, both from a...
Conor Glennon: Wade's structure point of view from a fan perspective of, yes, we're a massive club, but here's where we are right now and we need to build. Did we bring in some managers that were incredibly questionable after that fact? Yes.
Conor Glennon: Did we get rid of managers like Rafa Benitez that we had no right in having in the first place? Yes. But I do think those trips down ah stuck with us from a club perspective, like in and the DNA the club.
Killian Ginnity: Like you would' have been in a position to finish fifth under Paradrew if you didn't have the relegation because you would have been still straddled with these big wage players. And...
Conor Glennon: that that That fifth season, I will say, though, was that was our Leicester moment. you know i mean that was like That was as big as it got. like that was No one saw that coming.
Conor Glennon: We basically had a French national team as our team that season. We had players of levels that had no right to being and and up north in Newcastle. like That was our crowning achievement until we had the Saudi takeover.
Nate: To be honest lads, like how it's felt this season, a relegation sounds pretty fun, like a few games. Like, just check.
Conor Glennon: hey
Killian Ginnity: No, but like, ah rate really, like it was not long ago we were talking about but Everton.
Nate: like
Killian Ginnity: Like, do they need to go down to get that opportunity? And like, I don't think United are going to get relegated. i don't think that ah they would nearly be allowed to get relegated. But you need that kind of a moment because just something's got to give. And unless something really drastic happens, it looks like you're going to be just putting another band-aid on this cut.
Nate: just Just to put it into perspective, like, what how miserable the season's been, we have lost 12 games. Ipswich Town have lost 14.
Conor Glennon: well like Look, I think you're you're you're you're doing it for the for the football fans out there.
Nate: good
Conor Glennon: you know Once those charges hit in, City will be in the championship. You're just joining them, so there's a bit of excitement down there. That's all you're doing.
Nate: Yeah. Well, not on far sit third. Like, Jesus.
Killian Ginnity: With all that context now ah for for the listener, and what do make of the weekend against Everton? Obviously, Moyes has gotten Everton cooking. Like, i don't care what...
Conor Glennon: if the league start If the league started a month ago, he'd be top, boys. Just saying.
Nate: Honestly, on our form, we're getting battered on the weekend. Like, literally.
Conor Glennon: ah do think I do think it's going to be a great game because it seems like Everton have, i don't I don't even think it's a new manager bump because like he's been there, obviously, for a long time previously. I think they're going back to what Everton are. I think they're but they're also playing with no fear because I think they do, like they're 30 odd points now, something like that. like They're not far off safe. There's a big gap. They're lucky with the bottom three in the positions that they are. I dare say they're safe, you know.
Killian Ginnity: but I think we also need to mention the fact that Moyes is the top half version of Sam Allardyce now. like He's consistently proven he can go into clubs when they're underperforming and get them overperforming.
Killian Ginnity: Man United should hire him.
Conor Glennon: Oh wait, oh wait, they did!
Killian Ginnity: yeah
Nate: I don't think I can take the 12th manager.
Conor Glennon: how, and and they spent five million quid getting rid of them.
Nate: but really don't.
Nate: Oh.
Killian Ginnity: No, but genuinely, like, he, on paper, he looks like he should have been the man to get the United job now, because, like, he is able to work with the players that he gets. um I think it'll be a really, really fascinating game, and if United don't win, and or even get a draw, like, if United lose here, Nate, just give me a call, please.
Killian Ginnity: want I want to keep you safe.
Conor Glennon: kind like jokes jokes are aside can I ask how long is Amarum's contract like what did he sign like sub three years
Nate: Like, what? I can't
Nate: remember. No, I think it was around three years.
Conor Glennon: like I mean I never thought we'd be in February going what's left in his contract like if they get rid of him man I don't know what is next
Nate: like... I don't know what to say other than, like, we can score goals. Like... like like It's the fabric of football.
Nate: Oh, yeah, I might be calling.
Killian Ginnity: I'll write Michael Owen.
Nate: Lads, he's might get a call off me on the weekend. just Just needing a chat. like
Killian Ginnity: the Next episode's title is going to be Nate Gives Up on Football. um But, like, it's it's not the only game going this weekend, Connor. um Who are in Newcastle facing?
Conor Glennon: We have the unfortunate game of Forrest. i do think Chris Wood's going to be on. There's been my second mention of the last dance, Michael Jordan stuff. I think he's going to come back up to the two and have something to prove. We didn't exactly...
Conor Glennon: thank him for his uses when when he was up there. Look, i mean, we've talked about and in previous episodes. It's great to see what Forrest are doing. I do worry we are going to drop points against them. um I mean, look, we're good we're we're playing very well at home. We've got players kind of really coming into peak form.
Conor Glennon: I do wonder, though, with Liverpool only a couple of days later, and that game's huge for us and in the fact that I'd be very worried if we beat Liverpool. Like, look, I never want Newcastle to lose a game, but I think if we beat Liverpool, they destroy us in the cup final just out of karma. Sorry, not karma, revenge.
Conor Glennon: So ah I think we're coming into a period now where we've got a lot of Like, Forrest and Liverpool back-to-back is a very tough do. So i'd I'd wonder what squad rotation were we'd look at for...
Conor Glennon: the forest game. um I would personally think that we'll get a draw out of it, but not much more.
Nate: imagine Imagine selling the best striker in a memory lane. It's mental.
Killian Ginnity: he was he was He wasn't even the best striker in the championship when they sold him. But
Conor Glennon: I remember I heard Alan Shearer talking about Chris Wood recently and he was like, i he was like I'll admit it, i I didn't think he had that in him. And then I think Lineker was like, I don't think he knew he had it in him.
Conor Glennon: yeah like i like i'd i I love seeing players like Chris Wood have a season like they're having, but ah I'd love to kind of look in the crystal ball and what's next year look like, you know?
Nate: But like genuinely,
Conor Glennon: What age is he even now? He's not young.
Killian Ginnity: He's 32, I think.
Conor Glennon: Yeah, like...
Nate: me Say he kicks on into next season, yeah? At what point does a club go like, yeah, let's get him, let's buy him?
Conor Glennon: I think the only club that are 33 going 34, I think his arguably look, if Forrest finish where they are right now, why on earth would he leave anyway?
Killian Ginnity: He's 33.
Conor Glennon: um But I think, say they, by the end of the season, fall out of top four, even top six. I think like best case scenario is a top six team who get an injury and need eight goals before the end of the year.
Conor Glennon: like i don't see him. It's not like Arsenal are going come knocking on his door and go,
Nate: dare ah Dare I say it, Chris Wood this season is top five prolific goal scorers in the last five years.
Conor Glennon: Prolific and Chris Wood should not be in the same sentence.
Nate: I'm just going to say it.
Conor Glennon: yeah
Killian Ginnity: I'm going to look in the crystal ball here, lads.
Nate: Football lacks prolific strikers these days, and Chris Wood this season is one.
Conor Glennon: Well, yeah, not to sound like old man shouting into the wind, but like it it does seem when you look at Premier League years and you know even think of football, eight, nine, like tail end of Fergie, it seemed like every team had two strikers that were tops.
Conor Glennon: you know Now would's you'd struggle to see one in every team.
Killian Ginnity: I'm going to look in the crystal ball here, lads. I reckon next season comes, he has three goals by Christmas and he goes out loan to Man United for the second half of the season.
Killian Ginnity: Like, they're
Conor Glennon: shout-out veg horse kind of move.
Nate: Keep my club of your mouth.
Killian Ginnity: Cavani, Igalo, like, don't know, to be honest, he's brilliant.
Conor Glennon: He's prolific, though.
Killian Ginnity: No, but but genuinely, though, he he like he's the kind of player that would give you actually something different.
Nate: He is.
Killian Ginnity: And I think that's the big learning with him this season, is that, like, when United...
Nate: Mate.
Nate: I'd take...
Killian Ginnity: go on now.
Nate: I'd take 42-year-old Benny McCarthy back up front at this very last.
Conor Glennon: Ha!
Conor Glennon: Ha! Ha!
Nate: Have you seen our strikers? It's like...
Killian Ginnity: Well, see, is what I'm saying. Like, when every other club now is going out and buying these young, slight, like, technical strikers, Forrest have big fucker.
Killian Ginnity: And like we said when Moyes went back to Everton, big fuckers work.
Conor Glennon: You need a big fucker and a little fucker.
Killian Ginnity: And he's proven it.
Conor Glennon: That's what works and in in in Premier League football.
Killian Ginnity: wells But like even when you say, it like if you look back when Crouch was still playing and Guardiola talked about him, was it in an interview or a book?
Conor Glennon: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Killian Ginnity: And he said that he was the hardest player to to try and tactically ah deal with because he like he was better with his feet than he thought. he was just so big and he could do so many different things that his
Conor Glennon: But he was he was also abnormal in his movements. You didn't know what he was going to do next because arguably, look, I think Peter Krejci is tremendously underrated and people take the piss out of him just because of what he looks like. and like I mean, he has over, was is it 100?
Conor Glennon: At least over 100 goals in the Premier League. But you know I think he was a very unique player and people like him cannot be underestimated and they've disappeared.
Killian Ginnity: But this what i'm saying. like When every other player is starting to have similar-ish kind of physiques and stuff and ah ideas on how to play football, defenders are starting to train specifically for that.
Conor Glennon: Yeah.
Killian Ginnity: So then when you have somebody like... Nate, you even saw with Veghorst at United, just having that opportunity to offer something different can just disrupt the opposition enough that'll give you a gap either directly by the player scoring...
Killian Ginnity: or by them opening up space for somebody else to get get a ah score. And yeah it's I think like when Conte came in at Chelsea and started playing with three at the back and the wingbacks, I think next season and you're going to see a massive premium putt on big fuckers.
Nate: Honestly, I i take Meghorst back.
Conor Glennon: ah and in terms of In terms of big fuckers, right?
Nate: like
Conor Glennon: I know we're saying height-wise, Peter Crouch is obviously, he's God-level. But like, are we like big fucker to me is also like, I don't know, Emil Heskey, John Carew, Troy Deeney.
Killian Ginnity: oh so Look at Decore at decoy at um Everton. He's not that tall. He's like 6'6", but he's a big fucker.
Conor Glennon: But just units. Yeah, just like immovable objects that can hold up a ball and spread it.
Killian Ginnity: Yeah.
Killian Ginnity: Could you be a bouncer? That's what we want.
Conor Glennon: Yeah. Yeah.
Killian Ginnity: we just we like Just having some somebody there that can physically disrupt, and you don't have to be Akinfenwa. You don't have to be benching the other the opposition team's total weight.
Killian Ginnity: You just need to be somebody that's built, reasonably strong, and can hold up the ball. like Fellaini, right now in the Premier League, would be amazing because most teams wouldn't have a clue what to do with him anymore.
Conor Glennon: Again with him, it's it's it's the hindsight with these things. like It's the same with like managers. you know When Mourinho was managing, people underestimated how tough a job he was doing. like People laughed at Fellaini.
Conor Glennon: Fellaini was a great player. He was useful.
Killian Ginnity: Flaney had...
Nate: Nah, he was shy for us. Come on.
Conor Glennon: no but as in he would No, he wasn't great for use.
Killian Ginnity: He wasn't great for use, but ah he had ah he had a really bad injury at Everton that he was out for months before.
Conor Glennon: And he never really came back.
Killian Ginnity: No, but the thing about him as well, though, even when he was at United, he had a better chess control than some players have first touches. Like, if you played specifically for him, he...
Killian Ginnity: Just by having something different that the other teams didn't know how to handle, that first control of his chess was so unbelievable.
Nate: Yeah, but so like the fella literally had something wrong with him that he couldn't pass forward for some reason.
Killian Ginnity: Unbelievable.
Nate: I think he literally couldn't pass forward. like I can remember this day shouting at the TV.
Killian Ginnity: In fairness, seeing all the players come and go at United, I'm not going to hold that against Fellaini.
Nate: Honestly, do you think Zlatan would come back mid-season to save us, like?
Killian Ginnity: ah he He did at AC Milan not too long ago. um
Conor Glennon: I do think one thing that United are lacking, just to kind of bring us back down out of the clouds on this one, is like the bare minimum takeout result is effort, but also physicality. Like it's been a long time since I've seen a United team that's just absolutely physically dominated a team.
Conor Glennon: you know where they didn't have an inch to move. Every tackle was ah strong, not two-footer, but you know what I mean. seems it seems a very half-arsed United at every point.
Conor Glennon: I would even take, I don't know about you, Nate, look, you're you're the red, not me, but like I you would come out of games, if United lost a game 2-0 that they were going to lose anyway, but it was two just goals on the break, but for the rest for the rest of that game, they physically dominated, they tried to every inch, and they were just unlucky. I can deal with that a lot better than I can deal with the not trying, the missing their man, not tracking back. Like, all the just... They're the basics.
Conor Glennon: They're... Like, you don't even need...
Nate: Listen, I'm...
Conor Glennon: Like, that's just hard work. You don't need talent for that, you know?
Nate: Listen, I'm just going to say, I think we are one right back, one centre-back, one...
Conor Glennon: Half a team, so...
Nate: No. Right back, centre-back, and someone with the ability you to put the ball in the back of the net.
Conor Glennon: Center made.
Nate: That would be startingbbing a good start, right?
Conor Glennon: You need a spot into the team, realistically.
Nate: Like, I think we have a good team there. It's just... It's just like adding the missing pieces.
Killian Ginnity: No, you have good players. You have good individuals.
Conor Glennon: Yeah.
Killian Ginnity: You don't have a good team.
Nate: I think we did like... I feel bad for you, Gareth, because I genuinely think he's come in and been unreal. And I think now, think the good things he's done at the beginning is now being overshadowed with just how shit we are.
Nate: Like, I genuinely think he's a quality player. And loads of people doubted him before he came in in the summer. and Like, Kobe Maynard, unreal. Like, I feel like we have a spine. It's just we need a vocal point, like...
Killian Ginnity: um Actually, before I ask the same kind of question to you, but on ah on the different match, Conor, Nate, what do you think the result Everton United is going to be
Nate: Oh, fuck.
Nate: you
Conor Glennon: I'm saying 2-1 Everton both both
Nate: Do you want my United answer or do you want my... Okay, head says 3-1 Everton.
Killian Ginnity: be? Give us your head first before your heart.
Nate: 4-0 United. Yeah, think...
Killian Ginnity: What about your heart?
Nate: four million united
Killian Ginnity: 3-0.
Conor Glennon: Kylian what are you saying what like I'm saying so Nate you're saying 3-1 I'm saying Everton I'm saying 2-1 Everton what are you saying Kylian
Nate: yeah i think
Killian Ginnity: um I think it's going to be ah probably 1-0 Everton.
Nate: i say i
Killian Ginnity: I could see a 2-1. just, I doubt United getting a goal.
Nate: I think they could batter us, honestly, with the new stadium bounce. In terms of there's only a few games left in Goodison.
Killian Ginnity: Yeah, it would it be great if they did. um Just because like I think of the two teams in this relegation battle, Everton deserves to kind of just secure their safety sooner rather than later.
Killian Ginnity: and Let unit United struggle a little bit more.
Nate: I don't know, we deserve to...
Killian Ginnity: No, no, no. Deserve. Not entitled to. and But Conor, I'll ask this to you before I pass it on to Nate. The Newcastle-Nottenham Forest Champions League race match.
Killian Ginnity: and Who would have thought that five years ago? um What are you saying?
Conor Glennon: I'm thinking, again, there's the head and heart thing. Look, heart, I think,
Conor Glennon: one all draw. My head thinks we'll lose it. I just, yeah, I hope I'm wrong. And if I lose it, i I think it'll be borrised.
Conor Glennon: forest
Killian Ginnity: Why you saying that?
Nate: I think 2-1 winner, Chris Wood last minute.
Conor Glennon: Oh god, I could not handle that.
Nate: and Sure, just that big fuck-off stand that goes to the sky.
Killian Ginnity: I'm going to say a 3-2 win to Forrest.
Conor Glennon: Oh, you're going proper spice bag game.
Killian Ginnity: and
Killian Ginnity: Yeah, no, I think it will. i Forrest, I think, can concede. um And I think Newcastle can get some goals.
Conor Glennon: But if we hinge though on like, if Isak has an off day, we're done.
Killian Ginnity: Yeah, I can still see he's getting, um like, put Dan Byrne up front.
Conor Glennon: Anthony Gordon is our backup. Or, yeah, like, I mean, look, um i thought look ah maybe I'm just having a pessimistic day. We do have players that can score outside. He's like, I'm aware of that. But, like, I do think even... I think the players...
Conor Glennon: It's a very cohesive team at the moment, but I think they vibe off their superstar and in in a way that, you know, United used to have prime Ronaldo. You know, if he's having an off day, what oh God, what do we do? Everyone's a bit like, oh, what's plan B, you know?
Killian Ginnity: I just think rather than necessarily Newcastle's strength to be able to score, i think yous will get goals more based on Forrest's ability to concede.
Conor Glennon: Who'd...
Killian Ginnity: ah but out But they'll also win ah based on the fact that they're just very good at outscoring dealers their opponents. I i know that's obvious. like That's how football works.
Conor Glennon: yeah
Killian Ginnity: But you know what I mean. like they They always just seem to get that ah that extra attack to get the extra goal. And I think that's that's what's going to happen with them.
Conor Glennon: No, it's the time has come. Tell us who the filthy Maccams have. who are Who are you playing?
Killian Ginnity: um i actually i haven't actually looked it up uh after the the leads result i was so depressed um so i just didn't so we have hull on saturday i reckon we should get a result there if we don't uh i would say automatic promotion is off the cards um and we'd just be going for a uh a playoff um and if we're going through playoffs just
Conor Glennon: Playoff.
Killian Ginnity: based on number of games, I'd have a question mark. um ah But we do have some of our better players coming back from injury, like Mundell and then stuff. So um I'm i generally quite quite optimistic about it.
Killian Ginnity: And then the other kind of big game of the actual weekend is on Sunday, which may be ultimately a title decider, Nate. Man City versus Liverpool. Obviously, City coming off of the 4-0, demolishing...
Nate: By sitting here in the title race. Huh?
Killian Ginnity: No, not no, no, no. I think it'll be a title decider. I don't, and I'm not saying that City's in the race. I'm saying that this is a result that could decide Liverpool season.
Nate: Okay.
Conor Glennon: i was I was going down the same route as Nate.
Killian Ginnity: play
Conor Glennon: I was like, what is you smoking over there?
Nate: Well first, she didn you didn't ask me my Sunderland score prediction.
Killian Ginnity: oh ah im I'm sorry. um to Tell us what what you think of ah the the whole City formation first.
Nate: I think they're a good squad. I really like the one in the... Orange and black shirt.
Conor Glennon: i like I like that lad that wears number nine.
Nate: and
Conor Glennon: Yeah.
Nate: But yeah, I think it's going to be a 2-1 win for a whole last-minute winner. Shush the Sonnenberg fans. That's what I think.
Killian Ginnity: Well, we bet them last time we played them, so...
Nate: We won't this time. um Now, on to real football. What are you joking?
Killian Ginnity: Go on. so So City, Liverpool.
Nate: They never put...
Killian Ginnity: Obviously City bet ah Newcastle 4-0 in their last game.
Conor Glennon: I thought we were going to get that out of the way. thought we were going to dodge that. I thought I'd done a pretty good job of mentioning
Killian Ginnity: No, no, no. god I'm going to make sure that's got that that's got in there. um So going in with a bit of confidence.
Nate: Why did you say it was four and half of 80?
Killian Ginnity: Liverpool, as you said, had a little bit of a wobble recently. um But I don't know. Is it enough to kind of disrupt the title risk?
Nate: um Well, considering... like I think Liverpool is having a big wobble. I think they could struggle against City.
Nate: I don't know how Newcastle lost 4-0 to them. I'll say that. I even back United to beat them right now. and I think Liverpool will win just because City are just horrible.
Nate: But...
Conor Glennon: Is Slott banned from the tilt line for that guy?
Nate: um I'm unsure, but Villa's about to draw with Liverpool. It's getting shaky. He's at tonight's game, isn't he?
Nate: you know get shake
Killian Ginnity: I'm not actually sure when it's going to be. ah It's too much ban though. So he might not be there for City.
Nate: but he's he's at tonight's game isn't he
Killian Ginnity: and
Killian Ginnity: Yeah, so tonight as as we record it's against itsgainst Villa um but when ah when it when it goes out the next game will be City so but then there's it's it's it's a rapid fire turnaround of games and so by ah Wednesday is the next game and in the Premier for Liverpool and that's against Newcastle so by Thursday Slough will be back on the touchline for whatever the following game is so
Nate: to all.
Conor Glennon: I have to say, Jesus, he got rattled. He he fully lost ah like i mean it. i mean I do think it it was nice to see a bit of bite in him. I don't think you get to that level as a as a Premier League manager or a top-flight manager without having that streak to you. But what was your take on that whole argy-pargy?
Conor Glennon: like a like I love to see that kind of thing, and I've missed that kind of thing in big games.
Killian Ginnity: Yeah, like, I don't know, after Klopp, when Klopp was doing these kind of things and people are accusing him of whinging and stuff, I don't know.
Killian Ginnity: Yes, I like to see it. Like, in the Sunderland-Leeds game, ah Daniel Farke actually celebrated the 90 plus 5 winner.
Nate: Thank you.
Killian Ginnity: And because he celebrated with the players, I think it was, I don't know it just a culmination of yellow cards or whatever, but now he is the touchline ban and that kind of stuff I hate. But when you're... going and having a whinge at a referee i I don't like it but I'm not against it i don't I don't think it deserves a touchline ban for two games anyway what do think Nate?
Conor Glennon: My favourite part of it, boys, was the knee slide from Pickford. Majestic. Absolutely. That is the shithousery I live for.
Killian Ginnity: he's one of our own he's one of our own ah Nate what do you think of Slott's antics?
Nate: um I thought it was a bit of a show weakness from Liverpool that they got so rolled up by Everton Nick at a point. Yeah, i think it's one to keep an eye on, lads. you know ah loss to a Plymouth Argyle and then a draw with Everton and now a draw with Villa.
Nate: Yeah, well...
Killian Ginnity: Well, the bet wall was in between as well. Do
Nate: yeah well
Conor Glennon: so So over the weekend, I should be expecting a call from you, Nate, and Arne as well.
Nate: Yeah, yeah. You'll be definitely having one.
Killian Ginnity: you think it'll be ah not a title decider, but I think this this could kind of help sway ah where the Premier League goes at the at the end of the season just because... while Liverpool have ah our are ahead, ah is a enough now that they're having these wobbles for Arsenal to be able to kind of pull some ground back.
Conor Glennon: i don't I just don't think Arsenal have it in them. um you know it Especially with not bringing in a striker in in January, thank Christ we managed to keep hold of Isak. Havertz being out for the rest of the season, look, I know they threw Mikkel Marino up top and got some goals out of it, but it's only so long you can you can live on the edge like that. i I think the league's wrapped up, to be honest. It's it's just a matter of how many points they win it by.
Nate: Well, if Arsenal beat West Ham on Saturday, they're only five points behind Liverpool.
Conor Glennon: I just don't think they have it in them.
Nate: Equal games played.
Killian Ginnity: Do you think there's enough of a wobble in Liverpool, Nate, for Arsenal to make up that ground if if results go their way?
Nate: Yeah, yeah, i do. um Like, i think the pressure only goes up now. I think there's less pressure on Arsenal because people don't think they're going to do it. I think there'll be a lot of pressure on Liverpool.
Conor Glennon: There's less pressure on Arsenal, but they still they don't have a goal scorer.
Killian Ginnity: Any forwards anymore.
Conor Glennon: Yeah. Yeah.
Killian Ginnity: Like Havertz is out for the rest of the season now, so...
Conor Glennon: Like, i'd say this wobble happened and they'd full strength Arsenal team, different gravy. But as of now, they have no goal threat and that West Ham game is not going to be easy either.
Conor Glennon: Like, there there's some cracking games this weekend.
Nate: yeah but They just end up scoring a header off the corner, don't they? like That's what they do.
Conor Glennon: What are you saying, Killian?
Killian Ginnity: um I really don't know. what like City going from beating Chelsea 3-1, 5-1 loss against Arsenal, battering of Newcastle, just battering Newcastle, just four goals after goal after goal after Newcastle.
Nate: Oh, Lord, man.
Killian Ginnity: um and like but It depends on what City turns up because apparently it's like Jekyll and Hyde at the minute. um I think Liverpool will be strong. um I think Liverpool will win.
Killian Ginnity: don't think it's going to be that convincing. am If Arne is there, yeah, I think it could be 2-1. If Slott isn't there, it might be a draw. Yeah.
Killian Ginnity: If City win, though, if they were to be on their day, it could be 3-1 City. i
Conor Glennon: Boys, the biggest question is, are you captain in Salah in fantasy for this game?
Killian Ginnity: I don't know.
Nate: no
Conor Glennon: I'm not.
Killian Ginnity: Yeah. I am.
Conor Glennon: You are?
Killian Ginnity: i He just keeps scoring.
Conor Glennon: Yeah.
Killian Ginnity: And this is the kind of game that he will get a goal or two, or a goal and an assist. They don't have to win. He just needs to score.
Killian Ginnity: um And that's the philosophy we should be taking into this long footballing weekend. um Let's just have lots of scores and do well at fantasy we hope football. Gentlemen, it's been an absolute pleasure as always.
Killian Ginnity: My thanks to you, Conor Glennon, and to you, Nathan Byrne.
Nate: Thanks.
Killian Ginnity: And we'll chat to you next week.
Conor Glennon: Bye-bye.
Nate: Bye.
