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NFL QB Carousel Heating Up | Will Cade Cunningham’s Durability Win MVP? | Can Chelsea Stop Arsenal?
11 Plays6 days ago
Episode 64 of Who’s Got The Ball? is here!
James and Shane break down the latest NFL Quarterback Carousel rumors, analysing which NFL teams are most in need of a QB this offseason and predicting the most likely landing spots for the top available signal callers.
In the NBA, the 2026 MVP race is heating up — but with the 65-game minimum rule in play, could leading candidates miss eligibility? And if so, who benefits in the race for MVP?
Over in the Premier League, Fulham delivered the standout performance of the weekend with a huge away win at Sunderland. Does this push them into European qualification contention? Plus, we look at the battle for the Top 8 and who’s best positioned heading into the final stretch.
Gan Seans rolls on, along with this week’s updated Power Rankings.
(0:00) Intro
(3:11) 2026 NFL Quarterback Carousel
(22:03) NBA MVP Race: The 65 Game Rule
(30:50) SGA or Jokic for MVP?
(35:28) Gan Seans: Our Underdog Picks
(43:23) Premier League’s Middle Pack Fighting for Europe
(51:27) Arsenal vs Chelsea Preview
(56:08) Our Football Officiating Gripes
(1:03:17) NBA X Premier League Power Rankings
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Transcript
Introduction & Episode Milestone
00:00:09
Speaker
Alright lads, welcome back to another episode of Who's Got The Ball. It's me, James, back here once again with my gorgeous co-host Shane, as always, two of us going strong. What is the crack, Shane?
00:00:20
Speaker
I think if we need to introduce ourselves as jamesus shane are James and Shane now at this age then, I think we've we've done something wrong on episode 64. Yeah, all quiet. I don't can't remember what I did last week. I'm in the Hinch, so I probably had a quiet enough weekend or just down in the pub having a bit of fun.
00:00:35
Speaker
Other than that, it's being all quiet, just walking the beach every evening, and making you jealous. The usual stuff. How about yourself? Yeah, only place in Ireland with a bit of sun, it seems, at the moment. Yeah. Sure, look, we have to intro ourselves because we're getting new listeners every every minute. like I'm seeing new listeners rolling in here the whole time, so let's keep the people knowing who we are. Don't want them getting confused. you know They don't know which one is which and yeah which one's the last. Yeah, we're so similar looking as well. Correct.
00:01:05
Speaker
With the big Jets s logo there. be that's That's always Shane. Whoever has the Jets s logo on them, that's Shane. But yeah, nothing much with me. Was
Ireland vs. England Victory Discussion
00:01:15
Speaker
absolutely over the moon, as I'm sure you were, with Ireland beating England last week. that was Came out of nowhere.
00:01:21
Speaker
Yeah, unexpected. we both said last week we're really nervous for it and we were hoping they wouldn't lose by double digits and they go out and have a performance like that where they all literally give everything for the shirt. and So yeah, really happy with that. I was i was delighted to see it and hopefully it continues and we can...
00:01:39
Speaker
grab a triple crown by beating Wales and Scotland in the last two weeks. So, yeah, let's let's look ahead to that and let's move into talking about what we're going to go through in this week's episode. We got a lot of kind of debates about what way things are going to go or where people are going to end up that and we think you'll definitely
NFL Quarterback Movements Overview
00:02:00
Speaker
enjoy. So we started with the NFL, talked about the QB carousel and went into all the QB needy teams and nearly all the QBs that are kind of hanging out there waiting for a club and where they might end up.
00:02:12
Speaker
So that's what we started off with. Moved then into the NBA and we had the MVP debate. Spoke about the rule of how many games that players need to play to be eligible and what we thought about that and who we thought should win regardless of that but also with that in place.
00:02:27
Speaker
Then we moved into Gonshance, gave our picks for this week, hoping to a better week than last week. And then we went into football, talked about the middle pack of the league, how Fulham and Brighton's wins were probably the performances of the weekend, even though they probably didn't play the best out of all the teams.
00:02:44
Speaker
They got two wins that were really important and how that impacts then the 7th to 14th range and who's going to grab those last few European spots. previewed Arsenal versus Chelsea. Shane had a few gripes about decisions that were made that put us on a bit of a tangent complaining about some things in the in the football sphere at the moment of of what we don't agree with at all. And then we wrapped up on the power rankings. So let's jump straight into
Teams in Need of Quarterbacks
00:03:09
Speaker
the episode. You're going to enjoy this one.
00:03:10
Speaker
All right, so jumping into the NFL side of things, there's a pressing topic that we want to talk about because we're leading into... a lot of madness i would say is what's going to be the next while because it's just like the combine then what they call like the legal tampering period which is basically where you can talk to free agents before they're actually free agents it's just a pointless window in my opinion and then you have free agency and then you have the draft so it's all just like players moving around it's hard to keep up with everything but the main thing everyone thinks about during this time is quarterbacks where the quarterback's going, what's going on with the QB carousel, as they like to say. So I'm going to give all the teams we kind of said between the two of us that are QB needy for definite.
Free Agent QBs & Trade Possibilities
00:03:57
Speaker
And then obviously if we have other ones, we can throw them in. But right now, teams with a need at quarterback are the Cardinals, Vikings, Browns, Colts, Raiders, Dolphins, Jets and Steelers. The question marks surrounding the Falcons and Panthers also.
00:04:12
Speaker
But that's the initial list. Free agency, we've got Kirk Cousins, Daniel Jones, who's most likely going to and sign a contract with the Colts. Malik Willis is out there. Aaron Rodgers, will he retire? Will he go back to the Seelers? Will he go somewhere else? Russell Wilson, Joe Flacco, Jimmy Garoppolo, and then most likely Tua and Kyra Murray will be released. So how do we make sense of this mess? What is going to happen in the next few weeks?
00:04:42
Speaker
Honestly, like you might as well be putting these into a crystal ball and asking the crystal ball what's going to happen because anyone could end up anywhere over the next couple of weeks. Like Kyler Murray talks of the Jets, but there's also talks of him going to the Dolphins. Mac Jones end up with the Dolphins. There's just names flying around left, right and centre.
00:05:01
Speaker
like None of it makes any sense at the moment. It it just needs one team to make to to make a move and then the dominoes will fall, as they say. and i i Who will be that first team? if I think it might be the Dolphins are the first team to move on from Tua and go and try and sign their Malik william maleque Willis or someone like that. And that will kind of start the run around then.
00:05:26
Speaker
I can't remember the last time there was this many teams in one window that need a quarterback. So they're all kind of, they're literally all shopping in the same supermarket and they're all looking for the same people. So teams are going to start working quick on it from now.
00:05:40
Speaker
Yeah, I think so. I think it's like, a situation where it's probably not the best market as well. Like the people I listed, none of them are going to light your world on fire. Like really, I kind of had some ideas of where people might end up. So you mentioned Malik Willis. I think Dolphins is one possibility for him.
00:06:01
Speaker
I also think he's a possibility for the Cardinals because Michael Aflo are going in there. I think there's some rumors around that, but obviously they would need to move on from Kyler Murray first.
00:06:13
Speaker
So there's a couple of teams sniffing around him. He's kind of rated as one of the top free agents. He was poor with the with the Titans. He looked good in a few games with the Packers. But sometimes you see these guys that look good in a few games towards the back end of the season. Now his was in a in crunch time. He made some brilliant passes. He looked superb. But it was only three or four games. And he did have an excellent play caller there. So, you know, he might be going to from Matt LaFleur to Michael LaFleur. So that might make sense with the Cardinals move. I don't know how good do you actually think he is? like
Backup QB Options & Injury Risks
00:06:45
Speaker
Is he starting level?
00:06:47
Speaker
I think he's he's grand for a team that aren't trying to have winning seasons. So he'd be grand out of Titans, probably be fine out of Jets. Dolphins, he'd be okay. But like there's no way the Steelers are going to bring him in here and think that they can...
00:07:01
Speaker
like I know they played him couple games last year, but like there's a reason he's not staying there as their next kind of they're they're they're an next person line. Because they want him gone. Because they're looking to kind of push on and start making playoffs again for another 16 years row after missing out. So...
00:07:16
Speaker
I think he'd he'd be a good like lower down level quarterback for teams who are still kind of rebuilding. But as soon as these teams are rebuilt, they're like, okay, now we need to go and draft our next superstar because this fella's not going to cut out and get us to that next level where we want to get to.
00:07:32
Speaker
Yeah, that's true. I think he's probably around that level where he can do a job for you for like a year or two. I would agree with that. And I think the Jets are the type of team that go after people like that.
00:07:43
Speaker
Yeah. Because it always seems like they're a year or two away from starting to do some kind of a build and the Browns are the same. I think right now it looks like the Colts are going to go with Daniel Jones. and i mentioned that, but...
00:07:58
Speaker
Like, he's going to get a multi-year deal after having a half of a good season and then getting two really bad injuries. yeah He's only been fully healthy maybe in one season with the Giants. And that was the year he had the he got the really good contract after we won the playoff game with him. And he was injured in every other season of his career, including last year, with the Colts. So i don't know that's the right thing to do for them. I'd say they'll likely look to get a back-up. But then what do you do from there as a backup? Like, do they go and get a Mac Jones? and Because he'll want to start somewhere, but then Daniel Jones is most likely going to be someone who gets injured. And Anthony Richardson has requested a trade. That's no surprise. He'll be probably a backup in Minnesota or something. And he'll be brilliant in a few years with Kevin O'Connell. But I think the Colts are making a mistake
00:08:47
Speaker
signing Daniel Jones to a long-term contract if they pay him a lot because he is way too injury prone for my liking and I know it as a Giants fan. See, I think you're right, but I also think it's what they're going to do anyway. There's no amount of sense I can be spoken to him here because the start they had last year, they were 8-1 or I think they started. I think they started 8-0 before they completely fell off the cliff.
00:09:12
Speaker
But he was so good at in that time that that's all they're going to look back on. And his agent goes in and says, well, this level I can play at. So either you pay me or you could have another Sand Arnold situation where I'll go off to someone else.
00:09:24
Speaker
and go win him a Super Bowl because x y and Z reasons. And he probably won't. both Well, he sorry, he there's no problem. He he definitely won't. But the Colts would look like some bunch of fools if they let him walk out to another team and he goes and has a 14-win season. Next year, they'd be like, well, that's what we could have. Instead, we have...
00:09:45
Speaker
Tua or instead we have Carter Murray here and they're not doing anything or we have Mac Jones so I think they will definitely give it him I agree with you I think would be a mistake they won't get Mac Jones a backup because as you said again he wants to go in and now and just start somewhere after being a backup in San Fran for the last two years
Jets and Browns QB Moves
00:10:02
Speaker
so i think I think it's really risky if they just bring him in and don't want get in a kind of a Kirk Cousins or someone as a backup. Maybe not him, but Aaron Rodgers even, who might be willing to win as a backup now and can take over then when he eventually gets injured and misses six games.
00:10:19
Speaker
Yeah, i think ah I think you're right on that, that that the backup is going to be important for them and they can't do something ridiculous like get like a Russell Wilson backup. I don't think he would be wanting to do that anyway, but if you do that, you're basically hamstringing yourself because you know that Jones is likely going to have some sort of injury.
00:10:37
Speaker
The Raiders are sorted because they're just going to draft Mendoza first overall, so that's kind of boxed off. think... i think A landing spot for Kirk Cousins for me is the Steelers. I think it just makes too much sense that the Steelers just do something quite plain and quite easy to try and get them through this Mike McCarthy era, which I don't think is going to be...
00:11:03
Speaker
too long maybe a couple of years if not shorter than that if it doesn't go well and Cousins is the type of guy who can go in there and do a good job but he's the type of guy that will deliver you another 10-7 season which seems like is all the Steelers rack up and they're already waiting on their hands and knees for Aaron Rodgers to come back for some unknown reason they're looking after him again like us if he doesn't make it clear to you this that he's coming back then just forget it because he draw them he drew them out so long last season and it took way too long and they weren't settled. I think Rodgers wants to go to the Vikings. I think he will go to the Vikings because I think Kevin O'Connell wants him now. They made a mistake last year and I think it's going to be Rodgers in Minnesota in the Dome playing inside with Justin Jefferson because JJ McCarthy gets phased out and Kirk Cousins is in the black and gold of the Steelers. What do you think of those two propositions?
00:11:58
Speaker
I think Kirk Hussins is nailed on for the Falcons.
00:12:03
Speaker
I think he'll save Puss. He's done with the Falcons. Oh, i don't know. I'd be surprised if they cook t didn't resign him. Really? 100%? He's gone? Really? Okay, interesting. Yeah, they were talking about that there could be a re-signature, but then they said that they're they're done completely with him. So I think he is out in the in the cold since the last 24 hours maybe or so.
00:12:25
Speaker
Okay, well then, yeah, what you've said in that case makes sense then because he's obviously not going to want to retire. And if the Steelers do what they are doing with Aaron Rodgers again, they're going to come down, it's going to come down to them. They'll be looking at bare bones the same way they were last year by the time they signed Aaron Rodgers. And he could still be sitting there like, I'm still here. you want to just, do you want to put my name on that contract now? Or you still going to hang on for the fellow who's now signed to Minnesota? So yeah, he could very well end up at the Steelers.
00:12:54
Speaker
Oh, I don't know. i just There's something about Kirk Cousins that I've never trusted him. and He's never been a quarterback that I wanted to sit down and watch at any stage. And he's had some good seasons and he was good when he came in last year for a couple of games, but...
00:13:08
Speaker
i just I think if you're a team that are trying to push on and get your your playoff contentions back, then he's not the man that's going to be pushing you over that line. As you said, 9-8, if you want a win season, then he's he's not the one that's going to get you there at all. He's not even close to being nice.
00:13:27
Speaker
Yeah, I definitely think that he is the type of guy that doesn't get you above that level, but he's just competent, which is such a Steelers thing to do. And it would annoy the Steelers fans a lot just to pair him with Mike McCarthy because they're already underwhelmed by that.
00:13:41
Speaker
So I think we've kind of looked at Dolphins are probably looking at Willis. Cardinals may fight them on that one. We've got Kyler out there in the cold.
00:13:52
Speaker
I think jets the Browns could make sense for someone like him. think Jets, yeah. I have like a toss-up between the Jets and Browns going for Tua and Kyler.
00:14:04
Speaker
Two guys that are just out there and have some ability, but their clubs don't want anything to do with them anymore. And they're the guys that say, oh we're going to sort this out. And they inevitably never do. But they'll try to do it once again. And I think I have it that the Browns end up with Kyler and the Jets end up with Tua. Just because I think Tua is so petty that he left the Dolphins. He'll want to go to a division opponent. But what do you make of the Jets situation? You think it's going to be Kyler?
00:14:31
Speaker
Yeah, I don't think it'll be Tua. I don't think they're going to go down that road of... I know they're stupid, but I don't think they're that stupid. I think the Browns are the ones that are stupid enough to pick up Tua on and top of the other 15 quarterbacks they've gone through in the last 12 months. So I think Tua could end up with the Browns and Kyler ends up.
00:14:49
Speaker
Kyler Murray won in the Jets and Justin Biel is either released or they might reshape his contract as a backup, but I don't think he'll want to be a backup. But I think it's it's gotten disap point to the point with him now where he might just have to accept it. And then him and Kyler Murray, their style is very similar. They both like to run.
00:15:07
Speaker
They're not the best passer. So it would make sense if you had Kyler Murray and Justin field Fields there that you're not having to make a completely different playbook if Kyler Murray goes down injured because Cod is out or something like that. So you can kind of just you can just walk in Justin Fields then to take over from Kyler.
00:15:25
Speaker
Yeah, the only man to have a contract incentive that had like, or a contract stipulation that had like, you can't stay up all night playing video games or whatever whatever it was. I know exactly the wording that was in it, but like, was ridiculous that that was included for Kyla. So I think we kind of covered off a lot of teams there. um We've got the Cardinals, we've got the Jets, Dolphins, Raiders, Colts, Browns, Vikings, all covered. And the Steelers, they had a little chat. I think one thing that sticks out to me is that Jimmy Garoppolo is still hanging out there. and I think he's...
00:16:03
Speaker
Probably happy being a backup. He always kind of seems to be happy and he'll want to be somewhere sunny. So if the Dolphins miss on Willis, I could see them going for Jimmy G and just trying to roll him out there, do a job, pocket passer and build a different kind of system over there.
00:16:21
Speaker
I don't know. I think if they miss out on Willis, Jimmy G will be loving that Miami sun and he'll be sitting over there um happily just just taking reps as their starter. And the last guy that's left out there is Russell Wilson, who I think is the perfect backup for the Falcons.
00:16:38
Speaker
because I don't trust Michael Penix Jr. at all with his help. And I think Stefanski is a good enough coach to do a decent job with Russ if he does need to back up.
00:16:48
Speaker
So covering off those two guys, what do you think about Jimmy G? Do you think he's an option for anyone really? And what do you think about Russ to the Falcons as the back up? I like your Jimmy G to Miami shout because think Miami are going to start heading into some dark times now. Getting rid Tyree Kill, getting rid of Tua.
00:17:08
Speaker
it's They've literally you ripped up the book and they're gone again. and like i don't think there's anyone in this draft class that's worth trading up for unless you're going to trade up to number one. And there's no way that the Vikings are going to give up. there Not the Vikings, sorry, the Raiders. They're not going to give up that number one pick either.
00:17:23
Speaker
Bring Jimmy G in for a year, a one year, 20 million contracts, get it over the line, have your terrible season and then try and rebuild from next year then with the quarterback you can find. Maybe Jimmy G will be a backup then next season because he still gets to sit in the Miami Sun every Sunday from 12 until 4 in the afternoon, which is pretty much ideal. So yeah, I like that show for you.
00:17:44
Speaker
The other one was who, sorry? The Falcons backup. Oh, Russell Wilson. Yeah, Russell Wilson was the backup. Yeah, I think it's time he accepts that his role has completely changed in the NFL now as well. I think he kind of accepted it at the Giants, but he wasn't overly happy with it. I think he should go in now and show, especially the Falcons, because Michael Penix could go down again very, very easily. ACLs, like they all heal differently.
00:18:07
Speaker
Some people come back like absolute monsters, better than they were before. some Some players never come back to what they were. So it's kind of it's worth a fifty fifty fifty gamble for him go into the Falcons and see if he could get a couple of games out of it, maybe get five or six games towards the end of season.
00:18:23
Speaker
Yeah, and Michael Penix has been like so injury-prone during in his college career as well that it is so likely that he gets injured again. And as you said, not much options in the draft. I think after Mendoza, we've got some guys maybe like Ty Simpson might go late first round, early second
College QBs Entering NFL Draft
00:18:42
Speaker
round. And then after that, it's guys like Carson Beck, Nussmeier, Drew Aller, like the type of guys that probably go on the third day of the draft, just someone taking a punt and seeing if they can do something with them. and But... I think Ty Simpson is an interesting one.
00:18:55
Speaker
Maybe the Browns take a punt on him because they have that late pick from the Jags that they got from the trade last year. and another option, I think I would not be surprised if Sean McVay really likes a guy like him, picks him late in the first round and goes, look, you're going to be backing up Stafford for a year, maybe two years, and you're going to learn from him. And then we're going to go with a different style here because I think He's a really driven player. He believes in himself. He didn't play an awful lot in college, but he seems like someone who who wants to go for it And then he said he he's going into the draft. He believes in his abilities and what he's done when he was with Alabama that he learned enough in that system. So let's see. I think that would be the type of thing I wouldn't be surprised on draft day if the Rams go and do something like that or maybe take a Nussmeier on the second day with their second round pick and and try and build for the future. But I don't know, outside of Mendoza, it's not exactly an exciting draft class at all. And a lot of teams will be looking to the year after, including the Jets, I think.
00:19:58
Speaker
Yeah, um I think the big talking point from this should be how the Browns are looking for a quarterback again after a drafting three of them last year. Like how they've messed that draft up so badly with the picks they had is it's it's actually, it's one of the worst drafts in history.
00:20:15
Speaker
When you look back on it now, it that's everyone they've drafted like, oh, well, we actually need to move on from all of these lads because none of them are good enough. And... They could very easily come out and do the same again this year, take a punt on three lads again and be in the same position next year.
00:20:31
Speaker
Nothing would surprise you with that team. um Other than that, I don't know too much about the players you're talking about from college, so I'm just going to kind of skip over that. but just just Whatever you said, I'm going to agree with them. Just pretend that I think you're right, so I'm happy enough.
00:20:46
Speaker
Yeah, no, that's fair enough. I think you're right about the Burns, though. like this they They wouldn't surprise you no matter what they do. And I think that's kind of a wrap on all the teams and some of the guys that are floating out there. I think the only other question mark I had was with the Panthers. It seems like they're not going to give Bryce Young a long-term deal yet. So I think he'll have to play out of his skin if he wants to earn a long-term contract for good money and coming into this season. But do you have any other teams that you think... could be could be looking to make a move or might be a bit iffy on who they have at the moment?
00:21:18
Speaker
So the ones I had were the Raiders, the Cardinals, the Steelers, the Browns, Falcons, Dolphins and Jets. So we have covered all of the seven teams I had put together. So i didn't think there's any need in listing all 10 teams that we had because I knew you'd have a couple as well. So I'm happy enough. I think we've think we've given it a good comprehensive look out there. And honestly, I'm really excited to see where all these three agents end up, like where is Gina Schmidt going to go?
00:21:44
Speaker
So things like that. So we didn't even mention him. do He could literally land absolutely anywhere in the league and it wouldn't surprise me. So it's going to be a long off season. Yeah, it feels like the answer to every question about guys like Geno Smith is just the Browns. Yeah, that's about it.
00:22:02
Speaker
But let's move into another debate, this time an NBA side of things with the MVP conversation, because while the NFL is in the offseason, the NBA is in full flow.
00:22:14
Speaker
Right now, if you're looking at the odds, we've got... SGA's hitting that favourite. He's 5-7 on. Jokic is 3-1. Cade Cunningham is 4-1.
00:22:26
Speaker
Wemby is 18-1. And then you're getting further out, like your Jalen Browns, Luka, around thirty to one each. Donovan Mitchell, 100-1. Ant, 150-1. So, yeah, you're really stretching out there at that point. But a big point of this year's debate is...
00:22:43
Speaker
games missed. So if you miss 18 games, you're you can't be in consideration for the MVP. So right now, Shea has missed 11 games. So in their 22 games that are left, he can't miss another seven or he's out of the race. Jokic has only has i already missed 16 games so two more and he's gone Wemby 13 I think he needs five more and he's gone Lucas 12 six more and he's gone so I think that SGA and Jokic are the clear front runners as they were last year but they are both very close because SGA is still out with injury and Jokic is only a couple of games away from missing So I think it's very, very close to being the best of the rest and for Cade Cunningham maybe to kind of pick this up as a guy who didn't miss a lot of games and that's why he's in the driver's seat.
00:23:37
Speaker
Yeah, so Wemby is three games away from missing and Luka is five. So that those four are all four them are so close to the deadline. I have a list here of the top 10 favourites and It's just like Cade Cunningham is the only one with a tick that is likely to not miss the 18 games.
00:24:02
Speaker
Shea is possible but risky. Luka, possible but risky. Jokic, unlikely. Wemby, unlikely. Anthony Edwards is very close as well. Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Brown, Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunton all need perfect help between now and the end of the season. So...
00:24:17
Speaker
It's one of those where it's like, what's that one where the Robin sits in the eagle and jumps off at the end and gets over the finish line to win the race, the run or something. Kay Cunningham is kind of sitting on the shoulder and it's going to come towards the finish line. He's just going to hop off and run over the line and win it because the others just haven't made their 65 games.
00:24:39
Speaker
the sixty five games it took you I know they brought it in to make sure that it was competitive to the end of the season, but it's actually now just screwing them because everyone is getting injured.
00:24:49
Speaker
And it's such a more physical league this year than it was two years ago. so And like I know some of the injuries, so Wemby's missing games because of, like it's because he's an alien.
00:25:00
Speaker
He's a freak. He just keeps missing games because of how how that bit tall he is. But the likes of Jokic is missing games now due to wear and tear or having played. 82 games a year for the last five years so i think if they brought it down to 60 games maybe you can miss 20 we'll say i think that would make far more sense i think that will put everyone on this list in contention still then as well because they're not all going to miss joe kic most won't miss another seven games from now and in the season if it was 20 games or sorry 60 games he had to play so
00:25:32
Speaker
I think if Cunny on Wednesday, fair play to him, he's had a great year in the Pistons of being unreal, but he hasn't been the most valued player in the NBA. It's just the most valued player, only he played 64 games. Yeah, you made a lot of points I agree with there, especially the one and about the number of games played. So essentially that was brought in as like an Embiid rule because the year Embiid won it, all the Jokic defenders and fans were all whinging that Embiid misses too many games.
00:26:01
Speaker
You need to bring in the rules so that you have to play X amount of games. That comes in. And then the following season, Embiid forces himself to continue to play and absolutely destroys himself with injuries because he's going after it again.
00:26:14
Speaker
And then you have Jokic fans now going, oh, no, you know, you shouldn't have to play this amount of games. Look, Jokic is getting injured. Like, the shoe is on the other foot now. This shouldn't have been a thing that needed to be brought in at such a strict level.
00:26:27
Speaker
So I agree with you that it should be brought down to maybe 60. And it's ridiculous as well, because I think there was maybe six-man-of-the-year conversation last year or the year before for Dante Di Vincenzo. And he had, like, one game...
00:26:42
Speaker
under he played the right amount of games but he had one game that was under like 15 minutes or 12 minutes and they're like no that one doesn't count because it needs to be x amount of minutes as well yeah so all this stuff is just like no one cares about this stuff like no one cares about looking at how many minutes every single player played and how many games every single player missed before you vote on who's the best player it's either you're the best player or you're not if you played even 55 games and you're unbelievable I still think you should be considered because everyone knows who the best player is.
NBA MVP Race Debate
00:27:14
Speaker
It's not like, oh, we're going to just we're going to vote for this guy because he played so many games. like I think the reason that SGA is the heavy favourite and not Jokic is because Jokic has been injured more. He's missed more games.
00:27:25
Speaker
So already people are going real, SGA has been amazing, so has Jokic, but SGA has been a guy more available now. He has missed more games as of late with his injury, but it's like he was more available. so in people's minds, he was pushed forward and that's only natural. So this rule is kind of redundant in my point of view. And I think...
00:27:45
Speaker
Cade Cunningham is an excellent basketball player, deserving to be in the top five right now in the league. And maybe he's not one of the best five players in the league if everyone was fit and playing well on a good team. But this season he has been and he's taken a leap in every single statistic.
00:28:01
Speaker
But he's not as good as SJ or Jokic. So I think I wouldn't like him to win it or I wouldn't like to be him and have won it and then have this asterisk over it because you only got it because of other guys were out.
00:28:13
Speaker
Yeah, look, I think if if you do want to have a, you have to play X amount of games, then there's 75% of 82 is 61 and a half.
00:28:23
Speaker
So make your line 62. That's three quarters of the games. If you don't play three quarters of the games, you're out. Like 65 is like, I know it's only three games and I might be sounding completely pedantic here by saying give him another three games, but and another three games makes all the difference, especially to the likes of SGA, the likes Jokic.
00:28:42
Speaker
It's not like they're being set because they're waiting to get in a massive, really deep playoff room. And every time they're on the court, they're absolutely unbelievable. So why are you punishing them now by saying, oh, you've only played 64 games, we're not giving you this, we're giving it to the hint best player in the league who's just had a really, really good standout season.
00:28:59
Speaker
And that's what annoys me. And we said this when were talking about the NFL awards as well, that these awards annoy me in general. the and MVP of the year. Like it's just it's nonsense. It comes down to voting. comes down to popularity. It's not about who was actually the best player.
00:29:15
Speaker
And if this goes to Kate Cunningham, it's just another example of why these awards are so redundant. They're all just about ticking boxes. Here's your trophy. Go put in your trophy cabinet. You can tell your grandkids in 50 years I was the best player in the NBA that year, but no one's going remember any of the rest of them. it doesn't really matter. It's just just very annoying the way they do it having this rule at 65 is just it's it's infuriating to be honest it makes no sense Yeah, and I think I can imagine a situation where if SGA didn't win it last year, he forces himself to come back now and play the extra games to try and win it when he's the favourite.
00:29:51
Speaker
And then misses the playoffs. Yeah, and misses the playoffs and makes everything 10 times worse. So I think him and Jokic both having won it would probably not do that and put themselves in a harmful situation. But it'll also be in their minds that they want to play the games because they want to win it.
00:30:07
Speaker
and like it's like wanting to win the Ballon d'Or like but you don't go in the Ballon d'Or oh sorry now you made like four sub appearances there you're subbed off and in three games because something that happened or you missed one game where you're playing four games and in in the space of ten days you know you missed two one of them games like Nobody looks at all this stuff in other sports.
00:30:28
Speaker
I get it. I get they made the rule, but I i i don't agree with the rule. And I just agree that you but what you said and what I said that as well at the start. No one cares about this stuff. It's just completely pedantic.
00:30:42
Speaker
And it car ruins like the debates of who's the best player. Because if you if we were just to sit here and say who's the best, like right now, let's let's talk about SGA and Jokic. Let's forget about about the...
00:30:57
Speaker
the fact of the games played. I think Cade, brilliant season. Wemby, really good defensively. He's going to win defensive player of the year, but he hasn't been perfect on offense. Not enough, in my opinion, to win the the MVP because there's other guys who are more valuable and that's SGA and Jokic. So if you were to make that decision right now between SGA and Jokic, regardless of games played, who do you think should win the MVP this season?
00:31:21
Speaker
I would go with Shea again. um I still think, I know they haven't had the season I expect them to have, but I thought they were going to just run amok and beat everyone, but they're still, he's he's the best player on the best team in basketball.
00:31:35
Speaker
And he shows it nearly every single game he plays. He's always head and shoulders out there. He's always getting to the line. He's always putting shots up. He's just, he makes everything tick for that team.
00:31:47
Speaker
I think without him, and I know they haven't been terrible without him, but if they had to go, if like if he did his Achilles in the final instead of Halliburton last year, what would OKC be doing what they're doing now? And I don't think so.
00:32:01
Speaker
So I think he's very important. Don't get me wrong, I think Jokic is incredible. And the two of them, I think they're head and shoulders above everyone else in the league at the moment. But I would just have SGA Pippis. Yeah, I agree with you. I think the ah the way he's played with this team this season and the fact that he's...
00:32:21
Speaker
kind of matched what he did last season nearly to a T. Like, he's on 32 points per game, four and a half assists and six... Or four and a half and rebounds and six and a half assists with two combined steals and blocks on 67% shooting.
00:32:38
Speaker
so He's like just so efficient to be that high on points per game and then to be that high on true shooting percentage and still be putting your effort in on the defensive side of the ball. Like he was better on steals last year marginally, but he was much less efficient. Well, not much less, but he was less efficient around 64%. So he's having his most efficient season and still doing everything else pretty much to the same level. Jokic, superb, obviously. 29 points per game, 12.5 rebounds, 10.5 assists. Like, you're looking at somebody who's averaging a triple-double, two seals and blocks combined. And he's 68.6% on true shooting, which is crazy. and
00:33:24
Speaker
And he's shooting probably the best of his career from three, about 40%. And he's shooting the most threes of his career too. So he's doing so many things amazingly well. And when you put that on its own, you go, how can you give that to Shea? But if you're watching the games, you're watching the impact that Shea has had. And also the games missed by Shea have been less than Jokic. So that's another thing that you consider.
00:33:46
Speaker
And you've seen more of him. I just think... He has his will to do whatever he wants. The team is amazing. But then he can just click into gear. And there's like Jokic, yeah, he spreads the ball around. He's so good. He's the best player in the world, probably technically. But if it comes to the fourth quarter, OKC are just looking where Shea gave him the ball. that's yeah That's what they do. They want him to have the ball in the big moments. He had the ball in the big moments in the playoffs. And he's backing it up again this season. So I hope...
00:34:14
Speaker
He plays the games needed because I think he's deserving of the of a back-to-back and MVP run. and i think he's he's more than well deserving of that. Yeah, I think you' like it but it needs to not be overlooked that Jokic is averaging a triple-double because that's absolutely, it's scandalous behavior across the course of a season to be getting a triple-double in nearly every single game. But as you said, everything you said, I agree with. I just think Shea has just done so much for the OKC that he absolutely deserves to be the man who picks up that award again because, yeah, they are absolutely brilliant and they blow teams out left, right and center, but he's still the one that's helping them get to the level where they are.
00:34:52
Speaker
25, 30 points clear of the team they're playing before. and like, yeah it's it's very hard to argue against, like if Jokic got it, I wouldn't be upset. I wouldn't at all. I'd be like, okay, fair enough. I don't care enough to be upset about it in general, but I really, it wouldn't bother me at all if it was Jokic got it, but I just think it has to be Shea. I think, as I said, they're the best team in basketball and he's the best player on the best team. So it's very hard to look past that.
00:35:17
Speaker
Yeah, I think that's a nice way to end this conversation because we've got our grapes out with this situation and we came to the conclusion we both think he is deserving of it. So let's pivot into Ganshans from there.
00:35:31
Speaker
and Last week, not so hot, both of us got zero. so I had Wolves to beat Palace Leeds to beat Villa and the Cavs to beat OKC all losses Cavs cuffed and puffed but they couldn't get it done you had Leeds too I thought both of us were going to get that one but Villa got a late goal unfortunately for Leeds you also had Spurs to beat Arsenal and the Pelicans beat the Bucks so they did not to come off what have you got this week So I've come back to doubling up on the NBA and won football. So backed Wolves to beat Villa.
00:36:07
Speaker
I know Wolves are literally still 20th in the league, but they have looked an awful lot better recently. I think they actually look like a good football team again. And they're 3-1 at home to Villa.
00:36:18
Speaker
Villa are really being found out at the moment. I said it last week, or the week four when I backed against them as well. Their draw against Leeds, they were lucky to get it. They look to have kind of run out a bit of steam. Maybe not a bit steam, but they're they're not scoring goals from 25 yards every week now. So I just thought Wolves Villas 17-10, might as well just go for Because Wolves are going to break the record. They're not going to be the Derby.
00:36:41
Speaker
They need one win to not be Derby. So it wouldn't be surprised if it was this weekend. Over in the NBA, gone for two towards the top because I really want the five-pointer. So the Cavs are 37 and 23. The Pistons are 43 and 14. I'm going with the Cavs to get one over on the Pistons.
00:36:58
Speaker
And the Nuggets, 37 and 22. The Thunder, 45 and 15. I'm going with the Nuggets to beat the Thunder as well. So they're ones that it's not like... um i to star At the start, I was going, oh, the Pelicans are going to beat everyone around them. I'm actually just trying to keep it as close to the five-point margin towards the top. And these two games just kind of...
00:37:16
Speaker
they jumped out at me to have a run of them so hopefully we can get at least one this week yeah case in point to last week you had the pelicans to win so yeah shipped off that one I think Cavs to beat Pistons and Nuggets to beat Thunder are good shouts Wolves to beat Villa would be for them it would be sweet to beat a local rival and get to above that like points total that everyone's bantering them about but I don't have any of the same which is interesting to easily have one that overlaps at least I've gone the same split as you, but I've gone Everton 7-2 to beat Newcastle away Yeah, I was looking at that and i I was kind of tossing and turning that one in the Wolves on and I was like, Newcastle playing Champions League, I know they made lot of changes, but I just can't see, we'll talk about Newcastle in a couple of minutes now, but I can't see Newcastle dropping more points, but that's why, sorry I don't know why you caught a question there, we never talk over each other in Ganshan, but I did look at that as well, I do i do like the shows.
00:38:12
Speaker
No, you're grand. I think good points that you made there because though that is the stuff that went into my thinking. Like that Newcastle are just playing in so many competitions and yeah, they rested guys, but they played a fairly strong team and they brought on then Gordon and stuff like that in the game.
00:38:28
Speaker
And I was watching it and I thought they were awful. Newcastle in that game, they were good for the first five minutes and then they were just all over the place making way too many mistakes. Carbag left their match for the majority of the game, which is not something you want to be saying. I know Newcastle had it wrapped in the first leg, but at home in front of a sold out stadium, you want to be putting up a better performance than that to instill like confidence in your fans going into the weekend. and I think Everton against United they didn't want to play it's just like I think they tried to go on the counter but every time they went on the counter they had so many bad passes unless it was in joy and other than that they were happy for United to have the ball because that's when they work their best and then in the last 20 minutes you saw Everton have the ball they had no notion what to do just pumping in corners wrestling in the box that was about the extent of it I think
00:39:24
Speaker
They're so stodgy that they might just pip Newcastle 1-0 in a ridiculous game that drives Newcastle fans mad. So that's why I'm going for that one. Next up, I'm going for the Bucs. 26-31 to beat the Knicks. 37-22. Friday night.
00:39:39
Speaker
um friday night Bucs are in their last 10. They're making a mad push since they got Cam Thomas and they actually look a lot better since they got rid of some guys. I know Jan is still isn't playing but I actually like the look of them a lot more recently and the Knicks are making a lot of mistakes lately so I know they broke out of a bad run, they had a good run and now they're on another bad one so...
00:40:02
Speaker
I like the books here to just to to go and beat the Knicks and push further onto the Hornets because they're right behind them and they're right behind the Hawks too. and And then last up, I'm going with my Sixers to beat the Celtics. So Sixers are 32 and 26, Celtics 38 and 20. Very close.
00:40:19
Speaker
I'm not so sure about this one. It's going to be very tough, but... We are 2-1 against the Celtics so far this season. Three really close games. So I expect another close game. And I think I'll just take a punt on two teams that are pretty close to each other. And I'll go with the team that I support on that one. So those are our picks on that side of things.
00:40:39
Speaker
we could We could very easily have had the same three picks because all three of yours I looked at as well. And I didn't go for the Friday night one because it's Friday night. I try and stick to Saturday, Sunday. And I just liked the other two matches more than I liked the Sixers, but we were very close.
00:40:55
Speaker
Before we move on to football, can we just actually have a word on that United Everything Because we're not going to mention it in the football section. That's the worst game of football I've watched, I'd say, in three years. It was absolutely abysmal. Those corners in the second half from Everton are some of the worst things I've ever seen in my life. It was like Arsenal on steroids.
00:41:14
Speaker
All it was was pushing, shoving, fighting for place and then not winning a header. They had 10 corners and they did absolutely nothing with none of them. I don't think they won a single header off them, despite the fact they were throwing every single player they could possibly get their hands on was thrown onto the ground. it was just a horrific game of football and that really summed it up those corners.
00:41:33
Speaker
Yeah, and I agree with you. I think I would say if you hadn't watched the United versus Everton game earlier in the season, it was just as
Premier League European Spots Battle
00:41:44
Speaker
bad. um There were two shockingly bad games this season. Everton are just 1-0 in each. One went either way. Everton are just so stodgy under Moyes. They have some good players, but they don't want to play, most of them. they Sometimes they just want to Flap around in the box.
00:42:03
Speaker
Do a fake hard man act with Tarkovsky. and Throwing lads onto the ground when they're not looking at you. Whinging to the ref. And then, like you said, every corner. like The definition of of what they say, the definition of stupidity is the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. They're launching the ball in on top of Lammons every time. sure he's saying, give me them every time. He's just punching them away.
00:42:27
Speaker
It was not a bother to him. And they just kept doing it. They weren't saying, oh, we'll put one near post. put one back post. Just ridiculous football. It was like dave it was like they looked up Lammons and were like, oh, this fella's pouring the high balls. Let's put everything one in on top of him. he hasn't shown one time this season that he's not good under high ball. So I don't know who did their analysis and that and said, drop them all in the top and he's going to flap at one and drop it into the six-yard box.
00:42:53
Speaker
All they wanted was someone to get a nick on it. Didn't care who it was. If was Lemons, it was Harry Maguire, if it was Indy or Tarkowski. All they wanted to do was target it was Lemons to knock it down on top of someone. He was never going to do it. An awful game of football.
00:43:06
Speaker
Yeah. Absolutely awful. I agree. i think United to come out of a win with that though is something they wouldn't have done last season. So I was happy with that and going to the next game and see how they play. It'll be much more open against Palace. But let's move into football then while we're on the topic. and We usually do performance of the weekend, but we wanted to say two teams had really good wins in Fulham and Brighton and because they were right in the middle of the pack. They were both in bad slumps and they both got a win. Now, Brentford, I thought, were better than Brighton. I think it was just not their day. Fulham reserved their win against Sunderland, who were slipping. But...
00:43:44
Speaker
Right now it looks like third to sixth in the Premier League table are are pretty much fighting for the same thing. They're all pushing her around the same level. There's not much to split them up. But who's going to get the seventh and eighth spots are very interesting because eighth is most most likely going to be European place too. Ninth is that?
00:44:03
Speaker
Possibly ninth too. So we're looking at a real push right now. um I think... We'll start with naming the teams that are still in the conversation. So Brentford are on 40 points and Brighton are on 34. So Brentford are 7th and Brighton are 14th. So we'll go from 7th to 14th. In between that six-point gap, we've got Bournemouth, Everton, Fulham, Newcastle, Sunderland and Crystal Palace. So what do you make of that bunch of teams? And is there any clear standouts of someone that's going to push away?
00:44:37
Speaker
So I have those eight teams written here as well, but I i put in the bottom three just so I could just so I could say let's rule them out because i know Sunday and Newcastle are on the same amount points.
00:44:49
Speaker
But yeah I think Newcastle have a hundred times more of a chance of getting into Europe than Sunderland have at the moment. Sunderland, they're four losses in their last five, same as Newcastle. But Sunderland have just kind of fallen like a stone once since Shaq went out injured.
00:45:04
Speaker
I think they're like they're obviously safe. There's no issue of them going down. And maybe next year they'll push for this top 10 finish. But I think Sunderland, Palace and Brighton are all going to finish kind of between 12th and 15th. So I think we can rule them out.
00:45:17
Speaker
Then it's Newcastle, Fulham, Everton, Bournemouth and Brentford. I'd like Brentford to stay in around where they are seventh or eighth. I just think they've had a really, really good season.
00:45:28
Speaker
They just don't draw games and that's really handy. They've 12 wins, four draws, 11 losses. If they finish the season with 17 wins, 7 draws, 14 losses, then they they're going to finish between 7th and 9th and they'll get into European place.
00:45:45
Speaker
And after that, it depends on if Everton want to play football and if they can get get past Bournemouth. Because I think it's joe what it's actually probably the most interesting part of this season now because relegation...
00:45:58
Speaker
Like there's three teams fighting for one slot, fair enough. But this is kind of like, there is technically eight teams here fighting for two or three spots. And none of them can put a string of his results together. Bournemouth are the best at the moment. Three wins, two draws.
00:46:12
Speaker
Everyone else three losses or more bare pallets have two losses. So it is just like, there's no team in the league at the moment who can put together a run of five wins.
00:46:23
Speaker
Arsenal can't do it. City can't do it. So if i any of these teams put together a run of three wins or two wins, two draws in the next four, I think that would really open it up for them. Yeah, i'm I'm in agreement on the Brentford point. I think that they've just had a really good season and they look to be a better team than a lot of the teams around them. Like, they are well drilled. Even the games they lose, they play well. I think they should have beat Arsenal in that draw. They should have got something against Brighton.
00:46:53
Speaker
So I'm very happy to rule out Sunderland Palace and Brighton. Everton are a joke, to be honest, lately. Their last five games, two losses, two draws and and one win. I know I've picked them to beat Newcastle, but I think that's part of the game. You pick an underdog, like, they're an underdog for me. They're not the type of team that's going to get into...
00:47:14
Speaker
these kind of positions. So that leaves me with Bournemouth, Fulham and Newcastle for the last spot or two spots. And I actually like Bournemouth to finish at above Brentford. I think Bournemouth have no other cup games left. yeah They're in a really good form lately. Three wins and three draws in their last six. They've drawn too many games. They're the opposite to Brentford. They've drawn as many games as Brentford have lost, but they're still behind them.
00:47:40
Speaker
But I think if they get a few more wins going, they don't have to play in the Cups. They could leapfrog them. And then you're looking at Brentford in 8th and 9th.
00:47:51
Speaker
I just think Newcastle are going to get some kind of a run going at some point. I don't think they're good enough to get above 9th really right now because they're playing way too many competitions. They're still in in the f FA Cup. They went...
00:48:05
Speaker
far in the Carabao Cup they're still in the Champions League and they're fighting in the Premier League so I think a max 9th for them so I'll go with my prediction of 7th 8th and 9th will be Bournemouth in 7th Brentford in 8th and Newcastle in 9th and I'm just hoping that they can get back into Europe with that I'm saying Brentford 7th, Bournemouth 8th and Fulham 9th.
00:48:28
Speaker
I said at the start the season about Newcastle, it might have been on our first one of the season that Eddie Howe cannot manage when this team is in Champions League and Premier League. I've been shouting from the hilltops but with this about him for the last two or three years. I just don't think he's a Wednesday to Saturday manager.
00:48:45
Speaker
Every season that they get in into Champions League, the next season they fall like... They fall down to mid-table because he's not able to manage a squad and he doesn't have enough players to manage a squad to do Champions League and Premier League. If they get knocked out in the next round of the Champions League, which actually might be like the XM and Prud'er playing, I think they might have PSG.
00:49:04
Speaker
think that might of their options. It's either Barca or Chelsea. Yeah, so if they get knocked out in that round, then give them some kind of hope of finishing ninth. But if they can get through and are into the last eight Champions League, you can forget about them even looking at Premier League games. They'll be going all out for that Champions League to get the money to be able to spend it. So that's why I'm not putting Newcastle up there. Because Newcastle will finish 10th.
00:49:27
Speaker
I think Everton will drop to 11th or 12th, but it's not worth talking about. So I'm going Brentford, Bournemouth, Fulham. first seven to eight in ninth. And I think it would be so Fulham's luck that we only have eight European places the year they finish ninth and they should be getting a conference league place. Someone's going to mess it up for somehow.
00:49:44
Speaker
Yeah, I think it would be perfectly Fulham to get that. And I think they deserve it as well with Marco Silva because he's doing a great job. They didn't work that much there. um ah But on the Newcastle point, I know, like I mentioned before, my dad supports Newcastle. I watch a a lot of Newcastle and I've said to him multiple times that how I don't think can manage the same way you just said it. And it spills over a lot in the seasons that they get a little bit closer. It seems that they fall back then in the league.
00:50:13
Speaker
And it's a recurring theme. You can't just keep going back to him because it it clearly doesn't work. and But a really interesting stat is, and i think my dad sent it to me a couple of weeks ago, about how many times they've played Man City in the last three seasons. So they played them twice in the Premier League in 23-24, but also in the Cup, in both Cups, they played them. Then 24-25, just in the Premier League, twice. 25-26, twice in the Premier League, twice in the Carabao Cup, and now they play them again in the FA Cup. So that's 11 times in three seasons.
00:50:49
Speaker
Which is is absolutely crazy. That's like when Liverpool and Chelsea seem to enjoy each other in the group stage the Champions League every year and then somehow meet in the knockout stages and play in every cup final and play in the league. So it's a bit like that now. It's the new Liverpool-Chelsea.
00:51:02
Speaker
live from hesi Except one is in second and one is in 11, whereas that was a bit slightly different at the time. yeah But yeah, it is mad when you see teams keep and it's it's probably very annoying for Newcastle because if you you look at the results over that stretch, they they beat City twice, one draw and the rest are all City wins. So yeah, it's not been it's not been a happy stop. Yeah.
00:51:26
Speaker
and Let's look at Arsenal versus Chelsea then on the weekend. That's going to be our preview Super Sunday. Arsenal go into this eight games unbeaten.
00:51:38
Speaker
They lost to United in January, and since then they've they've been on this run, but they've slipped up a couple of times. They had that draw to Brentford away that I mentioned, and they drew with Wolves, which is crazy. like this They almost drew to Wolves twice this season, and they did draw with them just a couple of weeks ago.
00:51:55
Speaker
They beat Spurs, but to me that's not exactly a sign of strength because Spurs are just absolutely awful, so I wouldn't take a whole lot in that. It's like the same... is this team actually good or did they just play Spurs? Like that's what a lot of people put on when teams beat Spurs recently. And then Chelsea are unbeaten in the Premier League since the 7th of January, but their last two games against Leeds and Burnley, they just threw both of them away.
00:52:20
Speaker
Not good enough at all. And I think a trip to the Emirates might not be coming out at a great time for them. Yeah, so Chelsea are not a serious football team. and Again, it's like we're going over all ground again. They're just the things they do.
00:52:34
Speaker
Just mental. That Leeds game, the goals I can see in that Leeds game are absolutely off the charts. It's insane. And then they just couldn't put Burnley to bed. And I know Liverpool did the same and fair enough. Liverpool couldn't put him to bed either and they were caught. But...
00:52:48
Speaker
The goal to concede it then is, okay, it's James Ward-Prowse taking the corner and he's the best in the business at it, but they should have been so far out of sight against that Burnley team, it should never have mattered.
00:53:00
Speaker
And that's what they've been doing all year. It's the reason that they are dropping again. They were in a title race, now they're not in a title race because they can't put a string of results together. and they just they' they're they're not going to go here and do anything. and i love coming down here and bashing Arsenal, but this is the one time I really can't bash Arsenal because there's no chance they're dropping points here to Chelsea.
00:53:21
Speaker
Yeah, I agree with you. I think... i put I said that they can put a good half of football together. That's about the extent I'll go. Because they can play like really well in one half, but then they just look awful in the second half without fail. And in that Burnley game, there was like two more corners by Ward-Prowse after that where they should have scored again. Burnley should have won that game.
00:53:43
Speaker
and And I think played Arsenal twice in the Cup lately. The first one, Arsenal beat them and three two The second one was 1-0 to Arsenal. I think... The second one was just a joke of a game. That's probably the worst game of football I've seen in a long time. Neither team wanted, like Arsenal didn't want to play. They just wanted to defend. Chelsea had couldn't figure a thing out. And then Havreau scored a ridiculous goal at the end and all the Arsenal players ran on as if they'd just won the Champions League final.
00:54:11
Speaker
Yeah, I didn't watch that, thankfully. It was awful. And I think for them to have any chance, Joe Pedro will have to be on fire, Palmer too, and not just score penalties. I'm not sure about their defence either at the moment. It looks very poor. Obviously, Fofana is suspended.
00:54:28
Speaker
And then you look at Arsenal and Eze. Yeah, he did well against Spurs. But might that be just Spurs again? and We'll have to wait and see. But Saka looks to be flying. He looks to be in great form and creating a lot. And Odegaard is coming back in, whether that be off the bench or as a starter. So i think Arsenal are a better team.
00:54:44
Speaker
They'll get the win. But Chelsea will have some decent moments. They'll get a goal. I think Arsenal will be 2-1 up and just nervous for no reason like they have been lately. And just see it out in a very nervy last 10 minutes of 2-1 win at home.
00:54:59
Speaker
Yeah, do you see the Eze stats after the game? I haven't. Just about
Eze's Performance at Arsenal
00:55:03
Speaker
his per his season. So he has six goals this year, five against Spurs, one against Palace. His six goals make him join second highest goal scorer for Arsenal in the league this season. And he's only scored in three games.
00:55:16
Speaker
And it was his first shot on target since his hat-trick goal against Spurs back in whenever they played the first game. was His first goal was his first shot on target since that game. So I think it's safe to say that it was just Spurs. It was nothing to do with his actual ability. Although I do think he's a really good player.
00:55:32
Speaker
I think this move has really just it's blown up in smoke for him. It's absolutely ruined his confidence. Arteta doesn't want a player like him, so I think he'll he'll be he might be gone the summer.
00:55:43
Speaker
Long story short, I've gone 2-0 to Arsenal here. I don't even see Chelsea getting a goal. I think they're just so unserious and Arsenal just going to swat him aside. Arsenal don't do it very often. I think this is one of the times that they are just going to just come out and be just be all business and just get it just get it done.
00:56:00
Speaker
Okay, interesting. We're both going with the same result, but yeah, you don't have any faith in Chelsea at all and I can't argue with that because of how they've played lately. I think you have something you want to bring to the table before we move into power rankings. Yeah, I am so sick of some of these decisions going on the Premier League and...
Controversial Football Decisions
00:56:20
Speaker
I've been talking with the lads about him at times and I understand that the rules are the rules and so like they're there and I can't argue with the rules but that Alexis McAllister handball for Liverpool It should never be a handball.
00:56:32
Speaker
Like his back is turned and he's jumping to block it down. It hits his elbow. Like he's not put his elbow out to make himself bigger. It couldn't be more tucked in when he's jumping. And if that hits his elbow and drops Ekotike and Ekotike puts it in, that's absolutely fine.
00:56:46
Speaker
So why is it that hitting his elbow with his back turned, not trying to gain an advantage, and it it can't stand. And once you saw the replay, you're like, well, they're going to rule it out, even though it really shouldn't.
00:56:57
Speaker
And the other one is the Gabriel dive that stopped the Colm Morane second goal is outrageous how that's a foul. the one The one that Eketika did and for his header against Spurs is worse than what Colin Moraney did there.
00:57:11
Speaker
And that's, I think, what's getting Spurs up the wall so much because Eketika put his both hands on the shoulders and held down Romero and put the header into the corner. Colin Moraney is just feeling for space and Gabriel has just chucked himself down.
00:57:24
Speaker
One of lads made a great point. If Gabriel was as good as the Arsenal fans say he is, he wouldn't need to flop around as much as he does. And I think that's it. Both of those decisions drove me and insane over the weekend. and It's not the first time this year. It's the same with the penalty that Man City got against Liverpool. Yes, it's a penalty, but if you're getting to the ball solely to kick it out, then why is it a penalty? You'll never get into it. There's no advantage to you kicking it over the keeper straight into the crowd.
00:57:53
Speaker
these They need to be changed because they're driving everyone insane. Everyone has the same opinion. And what's the point of going on like this when nobody is happy with how these decisions are going every single week?
00:58:05
Speaker
Yeah, no, I agree with you. I think the McAllister one and the law even makes less sense as well, because i I'm not sure on this, I might be wrong, but I think that if he, say, they kicked it off him and it hit his elbow and it went on the ground and then he turned around and kicked it in, i think that's also not going to be allowed because he yeah set himself up for a goal-scoring opportunity. Yeah, you're right, yeah.
00:58:29
Speaker
How does that make, like, I know it's, you're just clutching, like, I'm just kind of looking at small details and making a big deal out of it here. But like, I just think it's completely ridiculous that that would even be included in it. That like, that could be a possibility that you'd set yourself up in that way. Then he's kicking it into the net. So there goes your issue of the hit and the arm and going in, which shouldn't have been an issue in the first place. Cause like you said, his elbow is literally welded to his side. There's nothing else he can do.
00:58:57
Speaker
I just think that was that was, yeah, I agree with that. And i even stronger... have an even stronger opinion about the Gabriel one. For a guy who in the opposition penalty box suplexes players onto the ground and borderline like MMA fighting in the box and they get away with it.
00:59:17
Speaker
And you can't even just... even It was just even a rest on his back. It wasn't even a push more than anything. It was kind of like you said, you put your hand out and you're putting yourself into space to set yourself and he throws himself on the ground. And then the ref... doesn't give VAR a chance to intervene because he's going no goal before it's even like, oh, it's a goal. Let's take a look at it after like they do say in rugby.
00:59:39
Speaker
Yeah, like could the way he fell should be enough of a reason not to be disloving the goal because he's clearly making such a dramatic issue out of it that it's it's not a foul. It's quite simply not a foul. And that might be a different game if it gets back to 2-2 because they've been paid back for a second time. They probably don't go on and win 4-1. Spurs are still Spurs. They probably still put a 1 at maybe 3-2 or something with a late goal. But...
01:00:03
Speaker
It's completely game. actually stopped watching the game after that. I was like, actually cannot deal with any rest of this game now if that's getting ruled out for foul. So I literally just walked away and left it there and went back down and saw it finish 4-1. I was like, OK, that makes sense. That's the way it was going when that ball was when that goal was ruled out.
01:00:19
Speaker
These are the kinds decisions that just make everybody angry. if Nobody wants to see these things given and bar the Premier League, obviously. And then in Europe, it's worse, but we won't get into that. The handball rule in Europe, i don't I don't know what a handball is in Europe.
01:00:34
Speaker
And I don't think I ever will for the rest of my life. Every time ball hits a hand now, I think, oh, that's penalty. And then, oh, it's not. And then it's like, oh, that's definitely not a penalty. And it is. It's like everything I think is the opposite.
01:00:47
Speaker
Another one was the Bodo-Glint one last night. Yes, that one is a penalty, 100%. When he puts his heel back and kicks the... sorry, not Bode, Glenn, sorry, dormant against Atalanta.
01:00:57
Speaker
Like that was a penalty. But the ones where the player is ducking down with his head and he gets kicked in the head, your fault. He's almost on the ground. Yeah, exactly. You're ducking down to knee level and you get kicked in the head because your man's put his foot in because he doesn't want to go head to head with you.
01:01:12
Speaker
And you get a penalty. That shouldn't be a penalty either. But there's just so many things that have really started annoying me the last couple of weeks. Might be getting old, but it was just those two at the weekend in particular. And they were both on Sunday. They'd have to sit and shoot that Liverpool match, which was...
01:01:26
Speaker
Almost as bad as everything United in the first half because Liverpool were not a football team in that first half. It's one of the worst i've ever seen. And then I'd go in and watch Gabriel hamdaling all over the place and getting away with it and stopping goals counting. But I was just couldn't. like i was so sick of Well, while we're on it, that that that that champions the in the Champions League, that Lloyd k Kelly red card was um absolute disgrace. Like, he's literally jumping and landing, and he just happens to land on somebody, and they're like, oh yeah, that's a red card, because it was with your studs. Well, obviously, why can't you land on my laces?
01:02:00
Speaker
Yeah, Camavinga then is doing the same thing, and he actually kicks out and kicks the Benfica player on the ground underneath him, and nothing is said about it, so... It's just so inconsistent. Yeah, but the Lloyd Kelly one. Yeah, like what's Lloyd Kelly meant to do?
01:02:13
Speaker
Like he's literally gone up for a header and your man has lost his footing. And then Lloyd Kelly is, he's not even stamping. He's literally coming down at a normal pace. Yeah, he's just landed. And your man is just in the way. There's nothing he can do about it. And I know he rakes down the back, but it's not like he's gone out to intentionally do a Bernardo Silva and try to kick someone down the back their leg. He's actually, he just has nowhere else to put his foot.
01:02:34
Speaker
Yeah, and then you mentioned people getting kicked in the head and then you saw, what was it, Trossard or Martinelli recently for Arsenal to go off with a concussion because he got, like, someone put his back on his shoulder. That should be a retrospective ban because you're using the concussion sub-rule to gain an advantage there.
01:02:54
Speaker
He's only been allowed to the next game, I think. No, he shouldn't have been. And also that like he they use that as an extra sub, which, yeah you know, and when it's not actually a concussion, teams can just do that whenever they want now, if that's what's going to happen. But yeah, we do sound like our lads giving out, but a lot of these things are very annoying when you just want to watch the game and not not be plagued by this sort of crap all the time. But we'll move into the power rankings to wrap things up. I'll go ahead first. So last week,
01:03:24
Speaker
We did our rankings and... I watched Arsenal, then draw to Wolves, and I said, I'm putting this out on social media the next day. I'm not leaving Arsenal where I had them.
01:03:37
Speaker
So I bumped them down to last place where you had them also. um So that is the one I'm going off. I did also say they were going to draw Wolves three times in the podcast last week. Yeah, you did. 100%. You called it.
01:03:49
Speaker
But I had... So going off that one then, I had Pistons, Cavs, Man United, Hornets, City and Arsenal in sixth. So... This week, I've gone slightly different. Pistons are still first.
01:04:03
Speaker
I've got the San Antonio Spurs coming in at second. They've won 10 games in a row. They've been absolutely brilliant, so they're moving in there. Man City move up. to third because they're on a three game winning streak they look like they're putting a lot of pressure on Arsenal so that drops United down a spot because although they still are on a great run unbeaten under Carrick and their performance against Everton was not warranted of a third place in this and then fifth I've got OKC coming back in I know they've not been amazing as of late, but like they beat the other night, they beat the Pistons with, without basically their whole squad.
01:04:40
Speaker
And they look really good. They look like a team, even without Chet, without Jalen Williams, without SGA, they can still be so good. And then sixth is Arsenal. They just stay where they are. So it's Pistons, Spurs, San Antonio Spurs, City, United, OKC and Arsenal.
01:04:57
Speaker
Yeah, that's fair. So last week I had Pistons, Hornets, Chelsea, San Antonio Spurs, Manchester United and Arsenal Football Club. I have pushed the San Antonio Spurs up to number one for me and because they're 10 wins in a row now. They were in there for me last week, so I'm not just kind of bringing them in and dumping top. I think they are deserving to be up there.
01:05:18
Speaker
So that drops Pistons to second for me. and Man City are back in for me and they're in a third. Same reasons as you said, they've just been extant recently. I didn't want to take the Hornets out even though they haven't been the same. It's like the all-star break came at the worst possible time for them.
01:05:33
Speaker
But they might drop out next week, but they're not dropping out this week. OKC will probably be back in there next week. And then United and Arsenal finish out my my top six the same as last week. So San Antonio Spurs, Pistons, Man City, Hornets, Manchester United and Arsenal.
01:05:50
Speaker
Nice. I want to correct myself because I did say that they beat the Pistons. I meant to say they beat the Cavs, missing players. Yeah, yeah. and They were quite good against the Pistons, but they didn't get the job done. But still missing a lot of players, they still didn't go. That's OKC that I'm talking about. But yeah, those are our two lists, power rankings. Another week wrapped. Hope you enjoyed the episode. Plenty of debates in this one. and Plenty more to come as the season goes on.
01:06:14
Speaker
So hope you're enjoying. I'll throw it to you, Shane, to wrap it. Yeah, cheers lads. Just really appreciate all the support. um I'll be in Prague for Ireland game in a month's time as well. So I'll try and get a couple of bits done for that as well.
01:06:26
Speaker
Not 100%. I probably actually have nearly 0% chance I'll be going to the game at this stage because tickets are so hard to come by. But I'll be in around fun and the fan zone. So give us a follow you want to see more about that. And we'll be talking about that more in the next couple of weeks when it's time to come closer as well. So get us on the road to 100,000 followers, as I say, every week now. And we'll see you next week.
01:06:48
Speaker
Yeah, and just to add on to that, the week after, a few days after, if Ireland make the get the win in Czech Republic, I shall be seated for their next game. Have it ready. Rockin' season ticket.
01:07:00
Speaker
Let's go. They're going win in Prague. Let's just say Yeah, they are. Welcome back to another episode of Who's Got the Ball? with Shane and James.