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Join your Global Sports Podcast Network team for your daily briefing on all things premier league – News, transfers, analysis and opinion – you’ll find it here on Daily Premier League part of the Global Sports Podcast Network podcast channel
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Theme
00:00:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Welcome, welcome, welcome everybody. It's your Daily Soccer Podcast, as the little sting just described. My name's Ken Davis. His name is Nick Britton. You're here. You're with us.
00:00:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're all communing together around the seance that is the Daily Premier League Podcast. don't know where that came from. ah We're going to go down all the rabbit holes of the Premier League you've ever wanted to go down. And believe me, Nick loves a rabbit hole.
00:00:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah So how are you doing, Nick? You see you've got your posh shirt How are you doing? Have you been able just come back in from work?
00:00:45
Nick Britten
I've literally just walked in the door, ah walked past my family, street ah into straight into straight into GSPN Tower's office.
00:00:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Adoring the family.
00:00:54
Nick Britten
And no, because obviously I'm podcasting from home today.
00:00:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well.
00:00:58
Nick Britten
And yeah, just waved at them and said, I'll be i'll be back out in half an hour.
00:01:03
Nick Britten
I'm well, mate. I know well. I'm well. I'm where you're going with your metaphors of ghosts and rabbit holes.
00:01:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Very.
00:01:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's Halloween, isn't it? Halloween's coming up
00:01:10
Nick Britten
It's not Halloween yet. No, you've got another two weeks.
00:01:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
I tell it's way, though.
00:01:12
Nick Britten
at it mean it's halloween Yeah, you can't do this for two weeks. can't keep this up. let's Let's do Halloween edition on Halloween.
00:01:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay. Okay. ah Fair enough.
Premier League News and Player Analysis
00:01:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Right, we're going to talk about two things main things today. We're going to talk about well some some news. We need to catch up on some news because it's been a few days since we had a Daily Premier podcast. There's been a few things happening in and they around the Premier League. just want to cover those things off, three things to talk about now.
00:01:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Then I want to talk about the performance positive or otherwise, of some of the acquisitions over the summer.
00:01:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I want to focus on main strikers. Just talk about some of the key... There's a lot of money that was spent on main strikers over summer. And it'll be interesting to see how we feel they've kind of settled into their new clubs. We'll give them a grading.
00:02:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
A to E. A being exceptional. That should be E, really, shouldn't And E being... ah Not very good.
00:02:11
Nick Britten
atrocious A for atrocious, E for exceptional
00:02:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
And so, no, that's completely wrong. around So A for absolutely award-winning and the E for being excrement. That's probably a nice way of putting it.
00:02:24
Nick Britten
what does C stand for then D and B
00:02:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
That is nice way of putting it.
00:02:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Could do better.
00:02:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Disastrous.
00:02:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Beautiful.
00:02:36
Nick Britten
Yeah, good. Well done.
00:02:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you. Great. Okay. Well, pressing on.
Newcastle's New Sporting Director
00:02:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, news. First things, interesting piece of news coming out Newcastle that they've appointed Ross Wilson as Sporting Director from Nottingham Forest.
00:02:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
You... You'll remember, of course, for no Newcastle had ah somewhat, what's the word, ah difficult, trying summer period when they were trying to get all kinds of players in at Newcastle. It wasn't really working. They'd lost Paul Mitchell, their sporting director, just at the very start of the close season.
00:03:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
That seemed to have a bit of effect on their ability to attract the talent they wanted. Now they've got Ross Wilson in for Forrest, who's done a very good job, I think, at Forrest. And I suppose part B to this conversation about this is, is there actually another dagger in, oh no, not another dagger, another kind of ah stone in the machine that is Forrest.
00:03:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
things just The wheel's falling off is what I'm saying at Forrest.
00:03:42
Nick Britten
um Oh, we'll get there.
00:03:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
And is this a wheel just falling off and is going down the road in a different direction?
00:03:48
Nick Britten
Right, well, we'll get there eventually, I suppose, with your your analogies and what you're actually trying to say.
00:03:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, because that's why I want to think. So the first thing the first thing is first. Good appointment for Newcastle, do you think?
00:03:57
Nick Britten
Well, they need somebody in, let's face it. They've gone through two sporting directors in very quick succession in terms of Dan Ashworth and Paul Mitchell. They had a very difficult summer.
00:04:09
Nick Britten
Couldn't get who they wanted until very late in the day. The whole Isaac thing and the whole saga of all of that. Still not ah not a sense that they they're fully at strength, I don't think, Newcastle fighting Premier League and Champions League.
00:04:24
Nick Britten
So... Yeah, they need so they need somebody in. I mean, Eddie Howe's got all the power there. He's been the one managing all the transfers. So Ross Wilson's success or otherwise will entirely depend on whether or not he can get on with Eddie Howe and certainly get on with Eddie Howe better than Paul Mitchell did.
00:04:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, it seems to be the talk is that they they've already got a pretty positive relationship. They've had it before, if you like, this appointment, which obviously augurs well.
00:04:49
Nick Britten
well they're going to have to, because if you think back to when Paul Mitchell first came, one of the first things he did was kind of out Eddie Howe, was trying to put him in a box and say, you're the coach, you coach, you know, we will we will handle the transfers from here, thanks very much.
00:05:03
Nick Britten
And that, I think, infuriated Eddie Howe, infuriated the Newcastle fan base. I think there was a power struggle going on at St James' Park for a little while, and Eddie Howe won it because Paul Mitchell departed. So there's going to have to be, this is going to have to work.
00:05:16
Nick Britten
It's going to have to work because it doesn't do a club like Newcastle much good if they don't have a sporting director.
00:05:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:22
Nick Britten
It's not really fair on Eddie Howe, to be honest with He's got enough to be dealing with trying to run the run the team and run all that stuff as well. it doesn't want to be knee-deep in having to sort out all the transfers, etc., etc. I mean, he's got a team around him, obviously. and But, yeah, I think... Look, it's it's it's a good move on paper, but the proof of the pudding will be not just how he gets on with Eddie Howe, but how...
00:05:46
Nick Britten
his relationship with you know going up with you know new chief executives, the owners, obviously, PIF group and and things like that. So it's early to say, and I think time will tell. We'll just have to see we'll just have to see how it gets, on only because the last two have come and gone so quickly.
00:06:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's a really interesting thing, isn't it, this sporting director, head coach relationship. dave It collapses so often. You often see it as actually the root cause of either a manager leaving or a sporting director leaving.
00:06:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
When it works, it works brilliantly. And it should work because organisations like Premier football teams are just too big now and too complicated and too nuanced for one man to be to be taking the team training on a Tuesday and coming in and doing the the the fine detail of a highly complex financial transaction – of hundreds of millions of pounds often of bringing a player in. So I quite understand why they do that, why they split that role, because it is quite a different role.
00:06:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
But those are relationships are absolutely critical to success, I think.
00:06:53
Nick Britten
Well, they are. Whatever you want to call them. I mean, his title at Forest was Chief Football Officer.
00:07:01
Nick Britten
and Whatever you want to call them, they do they do the same kind of role. But I wonder with... i mean, Newcastle have been after him for some time. this is not This is not a shock appointment.
00:07:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:07:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yep.
00:07:09
Nick Britten
This is not something that's come out of the blue. They've been after him for quite some time. And I wonder whether the arrival of Edu at Nottingham Forest as global head of football, which obviously put Nuno's nose out of joint massively,
00:07:21
Nick Britten
I wonder if Paul Wilson's kind of looked at and thought, hmm, yeah, maybe now's the time to go.
00:07:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, makes a lot of sense.
00:07:26
Nick Britten
Ross Wilson. Ross Wilson.
00:07:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Makes lot sense. Wheels have fallen off a forest. Just on the final thing on that.
00:07:32
Nick Britten
Well, don't know where the wheels are falling off. I don't know where the wheels are falling off of Forrest because I don't know whether, we don't know whether the arrival of Eddie, who was global head of football, what how that impacted Ross Wilson's ability to do his job or indeed his job full stop.
00:07:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Wheels have fallen off a forest.
00:07:45
Nick Britten
We just don't know we you know. We don't know that. Maybe maybe that kind of chief football leader officer, head of football, whatever you want to call it, and maybe that was subsumed to an extent by Edu.
00:07:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, but what's interesting to me is that Forest, one thing you say about Forest in the last two or three seasons, they there's been a lot of transactions terms of bringing people into the club. There's been a lot in terms of, I mean, it's been extremely successful, their
00:08:13
Nick Britten
Well, don't know. Has it been successful? i mean, I don't know. You tell me. brought in loads and loads and loads of players. They've sold loads and loads and loads of players. They had two seasons where they fight in relegation. Then they had an amazing season.
00:08:27
Nick Britten
One season fight in relegation, then started off poorly. Had an amazing season last season. and then And now back to kind of where you think they might be, which is down towards the bottom of the table. So you tell me, has it how successful has it been?
00:08:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think anyone would say Forrest have outperformed where anyone expected them to be.
00:08:42
Nick Britten
Yeah, but it's not
00:08:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
and nice
00:08:43
Nick Britten
no
00:08:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
the fact that their players have performed beyond expectation.
00:08:47
Nick Britten
yeah but is that because of a chief football officer or is that because of a manager who's been able to shape players into a system and a formation that has really, really worked for him? and that was, of course, Nuno Espirito Santo.
00:09:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, i
00:09:00
Nick Britten
He's having to... And he had hundreds of players, not obviously hundreds, but he had loads of players at his disposal. So I'm not sure i don't because i don't I don't really know and I've never quite...
00:09:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah It's got to be a bit of both, hasn't it? It's got to be a bit both.
00:09:12
Nick Britten
i've never known well i've i don't know I've never known what the Forest kind of transfer strategy is other than buy loads of players. I don't really know what and who's buying them. Is it the owner who's buying them?
00:09:23
Nick Britten
Is it the manager who's recommending them? Is it Ross Wilson stuck in them? I just don't know. It's really difficult to say because it seems so random. The Forest, the way they they got up, they spent £200 million pounds in season one. They spent another £200 million in season two. They've got loads of players who then left who nobody even heard of and didn't even know they were there.
00:09:40
Nick Britten
ah You know, you tell me.
00:09:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
I tell if you end up having the season Forest had, yes, last last season, I think you're picking pretty well. I mean, you might pick from a ah lot of people, but, you know, they've come through.
00:09:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I think we've got to give him some credit for that. Anyway.
00:09:56
Nick Britten
I'm not not giving it no i'm not not giving him me any credit.
00:09:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:09:58
Nick Britten
No, don't get me wrong. I'm not not giving him credit. What I'm saying is, from the outside, it's very difficult to know quite how well he's done and how effective because of the chaos of forest transfer policies.
00:10:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
This is true.
00:10:12
Nick Britten
Now, if you're only allowed to sell, if you're only allowed to buy, say, two players, and this is what he's going to face at Newcastle because a PSR. If you're only allowed to buy two players and those two players come in and have a massive effect on the team, then you'll go, yeah, he's done really well because he's identified them.
00:10:29
Nick Britten
He's done the deal to get them through the door and they've had a positive impact on the team. Equally, if you if you can only buy two players and they come in and don't do well, then yeah he's had a negative effect. i think I think going to Newcastle will tell us how good he is.
00:10:43
Nick Britten
And I wish him well. Listen, he must be good because Newcastle have been after him for quite some time.
00:10:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly, exactly. Now, couple of quick other ones before we get on to the second part of this.
Everton's Defensive Strategy
00:10:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Everton, they have tied up Tarkovsky, James Tarkovsky, for another couple of seasons to 2028.
00:11:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
They're poised to sign Pickford, Jordan Pickford, on a new deal. Lots of mood music in Everton talking about, well, we're... We've got Europe in our sights.
00:11:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Eighth in league at the moment. They've got some tid tricky games to come. I think we'll know a little bit more in four games' time. ah What do you think of that business? They've been very good at the back, Everton. So that seems to make a bit of sense in terms of tying Tarkovsky. He's been great since he joined up from Burnley.
00:11:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Pickford, who clearly is just the best best keeper in England.
00:11:39
Nick Britten
Yeah. Tarkovsky's been around the game for a long time. He is 32 years old. he's very, very experienced. He's probably just the man Everton need at the moment to help them move up the table. I think he started the season really well. Every time I've seen Everton play, he's played well.
00:11:55
Nick Britten
And particularly with Jarrah Braithwaite still out and that natural successor not coming through, which is what he probably would have been, I think tying him down to new contract makes absolute sense on loads of level, in terms of playing level, in terms of his ability to lead off the pitch, his influence in the dressing room.
00:12:13
Nick Britten
ah think it's a great I think it's a great thing for Everton to do. And I'll say exactly the same for Jordan Pickford because he's been England's number one for ages. I've always said... Up until perhaps this season, I've always said why on earth is he still at Everton?
00:12:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.
00:12:26
Nick Britten
Because I didn't understand why he wasn't playing for a ah bigger club and a better ground and ah with more opportunity to win things, win trophies, because he's not going to win anything at Everton. But this season, they look a new side, you know new ground, they look better, they're playing a more aggressive form of football.
00:12:43
Nick Britten
signing Grealish I think it's been brilliant. Gillesbury Hall's a great signing. They need to get a number a number nine or two through the door and if they can do that in January then there's no reason why they why they can't finish top ten certainly which would be a big improvement big improvement and heading and and very much heading in the right direction.
00:12:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do you
00:12:59
Nick Britten
So yeah, fair play and well done. I think it's a good move for both Pickford and Tarkovsky and a very good move for Everton.
00:13:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
think Tchaikovsky's England squad standard? like Tchaikovsky.
00:13:10
Nick Britten
I don't think so, because I think we've got talent in there already.
00:13:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've never been when I watched him.
00:13:16
Nick Britten
At 32, I mean, at 32, if he was... If he was 25, maybe.
00:13:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
He's 32.
00:13:22
Nick Britten
i don't know. Yeah, but he's 32 and he's not really in the setup. Now, if you think about, they've already got Gehi in there who's absolutely nailed on. Then you've got two or three others around him.
00:13:33
Nick Britten
ah think if you're looking to bring the old head in, you probably bring in Harry Maguire.
00:13:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:13:38
Nick Britten
ah
00:13:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:13:39
Nick Britten
And because he's been there, he's done it for England. So if you want want to bring an old head in for the squad for experience during the World Cup, it would be Maguire, I think, more than anybody else.
00:13:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, mcgo and Maguire has got quite a head on him as well, to be fair. ah Right, the only the other thing quickly you want to talk about is Cole Palmer.
Chelsea's Injury Concerns
00:13:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Chelsea out till November. There's this persistent groin injury that he's suffered from. He's only played four times in all competitions this season.
00:14:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
to call maiden interesting Thomas Tuchel made an interesting comment when talking about Palmer's injury in relation to England and he was saying it was concerning and could become chronic which isn't a very good sign obviously therefore much more long term groin injuries have a habit of course of being quite serious injuries because they tend to be pulls and strains rather than impact type injuries.
00:14:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah But in relation to Chelsea, I mean, just how important is put Cole Palmer to Chelsea? And if he's out till, let's say January, because it could quite easily be, ah is that just going to completely upset Chelsea's season?
00:14:43
Nick Britten
Yeah, it's worrying news. It's worrying news because Cole Palmer is very young man and he's a brilliant, brilliant player. And what you don't want is for his career to be sidelined or or worse because of a groin injury.
00:14:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh,
00:14:58
Nick Britten
So it's it's it's sad news. I mean, Tuchel... called it a chronic groin injury, but made out, you know, made out that, um that, you know, might be out for quite some time.
00:15:12
Nick Britten
Certainly the next Chelsea game or so. I think they play Forrest on the weekend, if I'm right and thinking. And yeah yeah, the signs aren't good because he's been out and he came back.
00:15:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah.
00:15:22
Nick Britten
Remember, he only lasted about 20 minutes of the game up at Manchester United.
00:15:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. That's glorious.
00:15:28
Nick Britten
Yeah, it' and and in in terms of what that means for Chelsea's season, it's a massive, massive b blow because Chelsea are a totally different team with him and a totally different team without him.
00:15:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
You're right, players can mush these things and sometimes you pay a penalty for doing that. Right, as we know, as Thomas Tuchel knows,
00:15:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
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00:15:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's got 4K video recording. It's got easy AI editing. It's got top tier distribution tools. And they're all in one place, which is the amazing thing about it. So if you've got a story to tell,
00:16:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
you might want to tell it with Zincaster.
Striker Evaluations and Transfers
00:16:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Why don't you check the show notes? You'll find out more details.
00:16:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, the second part of the episode, want to talk about players which have joined their clubs, but not any old player. We're talking about main strikers.
00:16:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
We want to give them a bit of a grade. We're going to go through seven of the highlight ones who joined their respective teams during the course of the close season. got start with Arsenal. going to start with Giocares. He came from Sporting Lisbon to Arsenal. He scored three goals in 578 minutes.
00:16:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's one goal every 192 minutes. Amazing I can do that just in my head, but it's 192 minutes. What do you make of Giocares? Do you think he's ah he's helped Arsenal? think he's improved them?
00:17:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah What's the general view on Mr Giocares?
00:17:12
Nick Britten
I think he's definitely improved them. And more importantly, I think there's a lot more to come. There's a lot more to come for him.
00:17:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:18
Nick Britten
I think he started the season off slowly. The first couple of games, he looked a bit sluggish, little bit out of sorts as he was just trying to get used to it. But I think every game I've seen him play, looks better and better and better.
00:17:30
Nick Britten
ah more of a goal threat. He's now got Saka, he's got Eze, he's got Madweke, he's got and Trossard, he's got Martinelli, all to fire the bullets in his direction, all to create for him.
00:17:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, yeah. yeah
00:17:46
Nick Britten
And he is the sort of striker you want in and around that six-yard area, in and around that penalty box to put the chances away. So, yeah, I've been very impressed with him of late. I think there's plenty more to come and I think he'll turn out to be an outstanding signing.
00:17:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, sounds sounds good. I think beauty to that one of the things I like about Jocko when I've watched it is that he provides space for others. He kind of occupies defenders, draws defenders away. He stretches the game.
00:18:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
He creates a little bit more space for if you're like the other three behind him, essentially to play in. And I think therefore, from an Arsenal shape perspective, i think he adds a lot more to it. So I think that's definitely the case. So i think what grade would you give him A to E, Nick?
00:18:36
Nick Britten
What does A stand for again?
00:18:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Awesome.
00:18:40
Nick Britten
What does B stand for? Brilliant.
00:18:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Beautiful.
00:18:43
Nick Britten
Beautiful. I think right here, right now, I'd probably say b plus
00:18:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
moving to a split That's fair enough. I'd go a little bit lower, maybe B-minus, because I think the other interesting thing is, and about to come on to this, obviously him and Isaac were playing for Sweden at the weekend, or over the current international break.
00:19:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Sweden looked dreadful, underperforming, bottom of the group. We'll cover that in the World Cup podcast. I want to imagine Roger World Cup 26. Enjoy the World Cup, you'll enjoy that. ah Both looked pretty out of sorts for Sweden.
00:19:22
Nick Britten
Yeah, they look a terrible side and Isaac particularly not scoring goals for Sweden similarly to him not scoring goals for Liverpool.
00:19:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, we're going to come on to Ezek. I said, and I'm going to take some credit here, credit where credit's due, Nick, because I said right at the start of the season, when we're talking about who do you think is going to be the most kind of underwhelming signing, I said to Alexander Ezek, and everyone laughed at me,
00:19:46
Nick Britten
You did. you did. Well, I laughed you. Not because you said that, just because the shirt you had on. It was...
00:19:53
Nick Britten
Yeah, yeah you did say you did say that.
00:19:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
That was rep.
00:19:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:55
Nick Britten
And i i felt, I'd actually still feel that that once, once ah said look, I think it just needs a bit of time. I know youre you you don't believe, I know you you firmly do not believe in time in football.
00:20:08
Nick Britten
And when you want Ange sacked after 25 minutes, you want, you know, he's slagging off Isaac and he's only, he just, look, it was a tumultuous summer for him, albeit with his own making.
00:20:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:20:19
Nick Britten
I'm not i'm not making excuses for him. or getting a violin out. But it was a tumultuous summer for him. He lacked match fitness. I think he's still getting up to pace. He's still getting up to the way...
00:20:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Wow, he's four miles off it.
00:20:31
Nick Britten
Yeah, he's getting up to the way Newcastle play. And I think beyond that, it's probably just quite a mental struggle, regardless of the physical aspects of it. It's a mental struggle. So it'll come, I think. we've Look, you've shown over the last two years at Newcastle what a good player is and what good striker he
00:20:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, he is.
00:20:47
Nick Britten
It'll come. It'll come.
00:20:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
You know the thing that... the I didn't really appreciate. He's 26 years of age. always thought of him as much younger than that, but he's 26 years of age. Eketike.
00:21:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
on the other hand, in a neat little segue, is only 23. Scored three goals in 386 minutes. That's 128 minutes per goal.
00:21:13
Nick Britten
Thank you.
00:21:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
He looked sharp, quick, decisive, on the ball, always on the front foot, trying to yeah get 10% on the defender. I mean, just looks a very sharp player, Ekotike. Been very impressed with him. ken Obviously came from Mindtrack Frankfurt.
00:21:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because they they're worried about getting Izak over the line. They went to Eketike. It's worked out. ah You know, he looks the it looks the finished article to me. I'm very impressed with Eketike. Oh, by the way, we didn't give Izak a grade. Were going to give Izak a grade?
00:21:44
Nick Britten
We haven't got to his act yet. We haven't got to him.
00:21:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
We kind of pushed through him. So give us your view on Izak and give us you grade on him. and then'll
00:21:51
Nick Britten
Right. well Well, I think I probably have in that case, yeah. he's he's He's struggled. He's hit the ground very, very slowly, as you might expect him to. I think he's got a lot of ground to make up, but I think he's a very good player and it will come eventually.
00:22:03
Nick Britten
But right here, right now, if I'm voting A, he's the top one.
00:22:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Or excrement.
00:22:08
Nick Britten
He is exceptionally bad. Excrement. and I'll probably give him a K or something. Yeah. No, it's got to be it's got to be and it's got to be an e isn't it? It's got to be an There's no other way about it because he's he's done nothing in a Liverpool shirt that has added value to their team.
00:22:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
hard.
00:22:29
Nick Britten
In other words, he hasn't scored a goal or he hasn't made an assist.
00:22:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, I give him a D. But OK, fair enough.
00:22:36
Nick Britten
So you gave him a D even though you hate him and you want him to fail.
00:22:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
I love the bloke, but I just thought he was worth a D.
00:22:42
Nick Britten
I mean, I'm happy to revisit this conversation in...
00:22:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Dismal.
00:22:44
Nick Britten
in Oh, he has got an assist, to be fair. I'm just looking at this.
00:22:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, there you go.
00:22:47
Nick Britten
Three appearances. Okay, I'll give him... I'll bump him up to a D in that case.
00:22:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, well, good. So he's a D for Dismal. Eketike,
00:22:54
Nick Britten
I didn't think he'd done that. Yeah, yeah. But listen...
00:22:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
how would you rate him?
00:22:58
Nick Britten
I like Isak. Eketike, yeah, he's done really well. He's he's the only Liverpool signing, really, who's hit the ground running.
00:23:04
Nick Britten
Out of all of their signings over the summer, a lot of them very, very high profile, he has not been the one that has cost the most money, stretch the imagination.
00:23:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:12
Nick Britten
In fact, he looks great value when you think about what they spent on Florian Verts and what they spent on alex Alexander Isak.
00:23:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
I agree. Yes. Yeah.
00:23:18
Nick Britten
He looks very, very good value, £70 million, pounds hit the ground running. I think he's he looks he looks great. Don't forget, of course, he was just about landing on the tarmac at Newcastle Airport to to go to St James' and play there.
00:23:31
Nick Britten
And Liverpool nabbed him at the last minute in a double and double doing the dirty over Newcastle.
00:23:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:23:36
Nick Britten
I think he would have been great for Newcastle, I really do. But he's been great for Liverpool instead. I think he's been terrific so far.
00:23:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, he's been started. So, Graydon Eketike.
00:23:45
Nick Britten
um great Well, good grade a grade A for me, because if you take his contribution out, you're left with Salah, you know, you're left with Isaac.
00:23:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
What are you, Leclerc?
00:23:53
Nick Britten
So without without his goals and his contribution, Liverpool really are struggling up top.
00:23:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:23:58
Nick Britten
And Florian Verts has done not a lot either.
00:23:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:00
Nick Britten
So he's the only Liverpool player who's really firing at the front line of the ah of the team.
00:24:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Interesting. Do you think Izzak's going to find it difficult to get past Eketike? Yeah.
00:24:11
Nick Britten
Well, at the moment, Izak's coming to the team and he's sort of doing the 60-65 minutes and XTK does the 25 minutes to 30 minutes.
00:24:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, they're kind of doing between them, aren't they?
00:24:20
Nick Britten
That might change if Izak is not scoring goals and Liverpool aren't winning games.
00:24:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:24:26
Nick Britten
so
00:24:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, makes perfect sense. ah Next one on my list, João Pedro. where Obviously, he only came from Brighton to Chelsea. ah Two goals in 586 minutes. Played a lot of game time.
00:24:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
In fact, he's played every game. 293
00:24:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah minutes per goal so that doesn't sound very good but like lucky João Pedro I think he looks quite sharp he's led the line pretty well for Chelsea who Chelsea have been a bit out of sorts as well I like the look of him so how do you rate João Pedro's contribution so far?
00:25:05
Nick Britten
I think to Chelsea's contribution has been massive because if you're looking to who's going score the goals, we've got him, you've got Liam De Laap in brackets injured, you've got Cole Palmer in brackets injured and therefore a lot of responsibility is falling on his shoulders. i mean you got Pedro Neto in there, but it's really all about Jao Pedro. think he started the season on fire.
00:25:26
Nick Britten
He started the season really, really well, but he, like Chelsea, have gone off the boil.
00:25:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, very much.
00:25:30
Nick Britten
They've gone off the boil recent in recent times, but two goals, three c assists, Three shots on target, seven chances created. But he's played, I don't know, he must have played pretty much every every minute of every game.
00:25:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
much every minute, yeah. Pretty much every minute.
00:25:45
Nick Britten
So, a difficult one. If you we had this conversation three weeks ago, probably would said that at A, because he's been really, really good. But he's just gone off the ball in the last two or three games, the last couple of games. So, I think on the basis we've only played seven games, probably B, B plus maybe.
00:26:03
Nick Britten
b plus maybe
00:26:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
that makes sense. Similar play in a way to Jokeres in the sense of he does stretch the play for Chelsea, creates space behind him, occupies defenders, kind of old-fashioned kind of centre-forward, which I like to see.
00:26:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
So, yeah, I think he's been relatively successful. Now, Global Sports Podcast Network has partnered with...
00:26:25
Nick Britten
What is your grade? You haven't given him a grade?
00:26:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
haven't given any grades. I'm just interested in your grades, to be honest.
00:26:29
Nick Britten
ah okay.
00:26:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
up Global Sports Podcast Network has partnered with Bionique, the world's most personalized supplements, because your body, Nick, your body, look at Nick's body, everybody, if you're on YouTube, just look at it.
00:26:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
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00:26:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
He hasn't had his tea yet. And maybe too many of the ones you don't need.
00:26:57
Nick Britten
just Get on and read the adverts.
00:26:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
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00:27:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right, we've got three minutes to cover three other the players. Benjamin Sesko went from RB Leipzig to Man United.
00:27:36
Nick Britten
Thank you.
00:27:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah I remember, do you remember ah when they played Grimsby in the court? And there would it was 10-10 or whatever in the panel shootout. Sesko went...
00:27:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
was 10th on the list, 9th or 10th on the list. think he was 10th to take a penalty, like after yeah the bloke who does the kit for him. ah At the time, I thought, his confidence must be shot.
00:28:07
Nick Britten
This is your 74 million pound star striker, by the way.
00:28:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
what
00:28:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, what's going on?
00:28:11
Nick Britten
Refusing, to not refusing, but yeah, well, pretty much refusing to take a penalty against Grimsby unless he absolutely had to.
00:28:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe my eyes. Yeah. And yeah there's Amerim with a gun to his head saying you're going to take the net for him.
00:28:23
Nick Britten
not, because Ameren just sits there looking at the floor.
00:28:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
He scored two goals.
00:28:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. That was brilliant.
00:28:27
Nick Britten
He probably was still looking floor several hours later, not realising Man United team bus had left.
00:28:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know. ah
00:28:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know, I know. Poor old Amaro. So two goals in 385 minutes of play, though. and One goal every 193 minutes. You know what? I think he's finding his feet. He scored a couple of goals recently. One was quite a neat little finish, I thought.
00:28:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
So is Sesco starting to be the kind of the player we all expected him to be?
00:28:55
Nick Britten
I think that's it, isn't it? I think that's it. it just i mean He's only 22. So coming over to play for Manchester United, with all the circus and the pressure that's going on around him, with his manager, with the chaos of the team, with all the media hype, it's difficult.
00:29:11
Nick Britten
And he looks he he looked terrible the first two or three games.
00:29:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. Yeah.
00:29:15
Nick Britten
But I think you're right. he's He's slowly starting to form a little bit of a partnership with Mbwemo.
00:29:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:29:22
Nick Britten
Acuna has been injured, I think should come in on the other side of him and he's got to start trying to work with him. is's He's looking a little bit better, scored a couple of goals and it looks to be heading in the right direction.
00:29:35
Nick Britten
Looks to be. And I only say looks to be because a couple of goals in you know two or three games is not a huge barometer of success.
00:29:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, it's not. it's It's quite a small sample size. But, you know, when you've seen enough football, and me and Nick have, believe me, we've seen enough football, you get a sense when people are just confident to start to raise a little bit.
00:29:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
And he just looks a little bit sharper than he was.
00:29:56
Nick Britten
Well, yes, but does that mean you get a sense that he's going to be a 20-goal-a-season striker?
00:30:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, I don't get that sense at all, do you?
00:30:03
Nick Britten
Not really. So, for £74 million, he's a good value?
00:30:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, well, it's good point. It's good point. Now, and this will be the final one. We were going to talk about Calvert-Lewin as well. I can't be bothered.
00:30:15
Nick Britten
ah'll give I'll give him a C in case you're asking.
00:30:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, C. Forget Dominic Calvert-Lewin at Leeds. We ain't got a time to talk about him. It's not relevant anyway. But I tell you you is relevant. Volta Marder at Newcastle.
00:30:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Just talking about these goals per minute. He scored three goals in 305 played minutes. That's the best of them all. One goal in every 102 minutes. I'll do the calculation for you.
00:30:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
He looks sharp. He suits Newcastle, I think. Again, just going back to what we're talking about, Shara Pedro, he looks like an old-fashioned centre-forward, 6'6", bit of a bully, tall guy. They're going have to mark him, creates a lot of space.
00:30:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
I really like the look of Valtomar. You've seen a lot more of him than I have. What's your what your take on Nick Valtomar and what's your grade you're going give him?
00:31:05
Nick Britten
Well, considering Newcastle missed out on Eketike and, of course, Isaac eventually left, they looked until very late in the window like they might have to go into the season striker-less.
00:31:17
Nick Britten
Well, or with Willis Sula, fair play, Willis Sula as their only number nine in recognisable format they were playing Anthony Gordon up there with no success early in the season.
00:31:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, which didn't work.
00:31:28
Nick Britten
So to pull Volta Marder out of the bag, And yeah who needs a director of football? It was a brilliant signing. great i love watching him play. i think he's terrific. I think he's a great signing for Newcastle as well.
00:31:38
Nick Britten
And more importantly, got off he scored in his debut, which is the most important thing. So he's got off to a flyer. Straight away, Newcastle fans love him. He scored in his debut. He's carried on contributing to him.
00:31:49
Nick Britten
He's carried on scoring. He looks a handful. He knows how to take a penalty if you watch the game against Forest the other week. He absolutely is one of the best penalties I've ever seen.
00:31:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
No.
00:31:59
Nick Britten
He absolutely brilliant. I'm still trying to work out how he managed to do it. Just, he kind of sort of, well...
00:32:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:32:05
Nick Britten
He sort of whipped it with bend, curve and something or other into the top corner of the goal. Postage stamp, top corner of the goal. But it hit the roof of the k net before it hit the back. That is a brilliant finish. I mean, if you look at the the the trajectory of the ball as it left his foot into the goal.
00:32:20
Nick Britten
He scored again for last night for Germany against Northern Ireland with a header stroke. Actually, it came off his shoulder. He missed his head completely. came off his shoulder. It doesn't matter. They all count. And I think he's exactly what Newcastle need.
00:32:31
Nick Britten
They've got Johan Wisser to come back in, which I think will help supply him. And he's been an excellent signing. The only risk they're in, I suppose, until Wisser is fit, is that he yeah there's a lot of pressure on his shoulders.
00:32:43
Nick Britten
He is their number nine in terms of he's only out-and-out striker. So there's a lot of pressure on him. He was managed into the team quite gently by Eddie Howe, which was...
00:32:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
He did a good job, Howard, with that, didn't he? Because he didn't just push him in straight away.
00:32:57
Nick Britten
No, I mean, the only time the only time I think he should have started when he hasn't started was in the Champions League game against Barcelona because Newcastle, we knew how they were going to start the game and they were absolutely on fire, rip into Barcelona from the off in the hope that they could get a goal or two up because we knew in the last 20 minutes they'd be knackered.
00:33:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes.
00:33:17
Nick Britten
And they created chances that Valtimada would have scored. I'm convinced.
00:33:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Annual grade.
00:33:20
Nick Britten
Yeah. Had he been on the pitch, they would have been two and up. Instead, the chances fell to Gordon, who missed an absolute sitter, and a couple of others. And they didn't get a goal. And in the end, Barcelona managed to control the game and and win the game.
00:33:34
Nick Britten
So, no, but I think Valtomar has been a great signing. I like everything about him. I really do.
00:33:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
and your grade
00:33:41
Nick Britten
A, without a doubt. Yeah, yeah.
00:33:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
And you feel amazing. Yeah, i think that makes sense. I think I read at the time when they made the when they made the move, I think it was Karl Heinz Ruminiger, the famous German player midfielder, described it as either madness or insanity that Newcastle would pay that kind of money for Votamada.
00:34:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
But hey-ho, here we are, ah six weeks later, saying what an absolutely fantastic piece of business it was.
00:34:10
Nick Britten
Yeah, that's because they were just jealous that he went to Newcastle and didn't get a Bayern.
00:34:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
You heard it here first, everyone.
00:34:18
Nick Britten
That's all it was.
00:34:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
You heard it here first.
00:34:19
Nick Britten
That's all it was.
00:34:20
Nick Britten
I mean, I read the comments, so I just laughed because it was just sour grapes without a shadow of a doubt because they were really desperate to sign him.
00:34:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Fair enough.
00:34:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
There you are. Well, brilliant. Well, that brings today's episode to an end. Thank you, Nick, for dashing in from the world of work in your work shirt to come and do the yeah the podcast. It's been an absolute pleasure.
00:34:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
And we'll see you again in a couple of days. And guess what? End of the week, there's some football to look forward to. Thank
00:34:48
Nick Britten
unmercifully mercifully ah Mercifully, yes, there's some football to talk about. Friday, obviously, we're doing the, or Saturday, we're doing the Premier League podcast. Friday, i think, or Thursday, I can't remember.
00:34:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
you.
00:34:58
Nick Britten
But we'll talk about Wales get beat again last night, shall
00:35:01
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, and that's not. What we're going to talk about is Cape Verde.
00:35:04
Nick Britten
Kate Verde have qualified.
00:35:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Go on.
00:35:06
Nick Britten
That's very exciting.
00:35:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
The Verde area.
00:35:07
Nick Britten
And England will qualify if they win tonight.
00:35:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yep, looking forward to that. So brilliant. Thanks, everyone. Thanks for joining us Make sure you send us your thoughts, comments, and just derision and insults to dailypremierleagepodcast.gmail.com.
00:35:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
We'll read them. We don't always broadcast them because some of them aren't broadcastable. But the ones that are, we will. So until next time, have a good one.
00:35:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
you