Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Superbowl Post-mortem + Kendrick Halftime Show Opinions + Arsenal Injury Crisis !
13 Plays3 months ago
- Super Bowl thoughts
- Eagles Domination: Are they the favorites for next year ?
- Is the Chiefs dynasty over ?
- Kendrick Lamar Halftime show thoughts and opinions
2. Kai Havertz out for the season
- Is this the final blow for Arsenal's season ?
- Starboy Ethan Nwaneri, "The Prince That Was Promised"
3. Games of The Week: Madrid vs. City; Liverpool vs. Villa/City
Recommended
Transcript
Super Bowl Recap: Philadelphia vs. Chiefs
00:00:10
Chino Onwuka
Hello and welcome to another episode of The Love of the Game. It's your boy Chino, I'm here with my brothers. you know It is it is great great to be back for another episode. you know A lot that's been happening in the sports world is Super Bowl is done, NFL season is over, a champion has been crowned. There's still fully going on, so there's always things to discuss. Like I mentioned, I'm here with my brothers, Chupu say hello to the fam.
00:00:39
Chuku
what's up guys here for another episode glad to be back you know what I'm gonna try to be you know more consistent you know with the know with the episodes but yeah I'm here the bros and hopefully you know we're ready to give you guys something you know something popping today so excited for today's episode let's see how it goes
00:01:00
Chino Onwuka
America, how are you you? Good. You're surviving.
00:01:02
Emeka
Hey man, we surviving and thriving. I could never waste an opportunity to come back with some sexy podcasts for you, you know, just the season. So let's get another episode cooking.
00:01:12
Chino Onwuka
Okay. Okay. Okay. All right. Well, we're just going to get started off with the main thing, which is Super Bowl 50, right?
00:01:22
Emeka
50 is like eight, something like that.
00:01:22
Chino Onwuka
What number was it? Yeah, Super Bowl 50-something. Philadelphia versus the Chiefs. Chiefs were going for a three-peat. And spoiler alert, that did not happen. It was a a thumping. It was a beat-down. It was so many things. But honestly, to to talk about the the Super Bowl, the game, the thoughts, the implications, I think it's only fair to
00:01:52
Chino Onwuka
to start with Chukwu. First of all, congratulations Chukwu on being the Super Bowl champions.
00:01:58
Chuku
Thank you.
00:02:00
Chino Onwuka
So ah how how how you feel, what are your thoughts on the game?
00:02:03
Chuku
Man, obviously, you know as any you know sports fan, you feel great when your team wins the big cup. you know I mean, it was actually so surreal because you know obviously, with our conversations previously on the game, I had all the faith in the world that we were going to win. Something about this year just ah ah Felt like it was gonna be our year, but I did not suspect that was gonna happen in the fashion I know from what you did like it was as you said earlier like it was a thumping and I mean the scoreline final scoreline definitely, you know Doesn't tell the full story because it's made his look a ah lot closer than the the game actually was I mean honestly you could have called this game off by a third quarter it was it was a wrap and I
00:02:54
Chino Onwuka
Eric Porter, you're being
Jalen Hurts: Can He Win the Super Bowl?
00:02:55
Chino Onwuka
generous. By halftime, that game was done.
00:02:58
Chuku
That's not right off my homes and it's I don't wanna say second my first half of this I'm gonna say third quarter to be you know to to keep it keep it honest thing I'm trying to be polite here, but like honestly the game was it was a beat down and really all it came down to was Everything was clicking like the defense Clicking they you know chiefs couldn't do anything to protect my homes my homes was seeing double Doubles by the time, you know, he was getting, you know, tackled on the ground, you know, throwing interceptions, wild interceptions that, you know, you don't normally see from my homes. you know, and then the offense, I mean, one more can I say, man, like Sequon Barkley, the addition of the year. I don't even know. I mean, the guy does it all like on the ground in the air. It's ridiculous what he does. And sometimes I'm just like, how, how is this even fair to have Sequon Barkley in the backfield?
00:03:55
Chuku
And then you still got two stud receivers in E.G. Brown and the Vontay Smith, who I feel like doesn't get enough praise for what he brings to the table. Like this guy is like the fact that the Vontay is our third option. It's, it's crazy, man. That's all I gotta say. It's crazy. And like, of course, Julian hurts. I mean, people have doubts with Julian hurts. Could he ever win the ring? Could he ever win the Superbowl? I mean, obviously he wasn't playing his best, hadn't been playing his best ball.
00:04:24
Chuku
second half of the year, even entering the playoffs, you know, wasn't really, you know, throwing for amazing numbers. But I always, I've always had strong beliefs in what hearts could do. Cause at the end of the day, he can, he makes it work. Like whether it's by throwing, whether it's by running, whether it's with the Tush push, like he does everything you need to win games. And I just don't think he gets enough credit to the fact that he's played with so many.
Eagles' Defensive Strength
00:04:55
Chuku
offensive coordinators if people don't understand like for the I guess the You know for those who follow the game, you know Closely, I'm sure you can you know, you can y'all on the on you can relate I understand that like, you know as as a quarterback having to deal with new Coordinators on a yearly basis like that's a man having to learn a whole new offensive system each and every year with the personnel that's on the field and Like the fact that you know obviously I was never expecting Hertz to look like someone that's you know been running this offense for you know for a while. But the truth is, when you have guys like Siquone Barkley and EJ Brown and and like the one to Smith, yeah you you just have to have the belief that he's he's he being JL Hertz is gonna make it work. and
00:05:49
Chuku
you know We saw that manifest itself in the in the game and yeah, everything was clicking man, offense clicking, defense clicking. I mean, I've always believed we've had one of the best defensive lines in the game like Graham coming back. you know Man, like and just it was just a beautiful feeling man, I'm just so glad and happy to to be a part of, you know you might see the Eagles win this and Yeah, I mean, I don't want you, what your thoughts were, you guys' your thoughts were, but from my end, it was just a complete masterclass and, you know, yeah, it was a great feeling.
Chiefs' Strategy and Mahomes' Performance
00:06:25
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, I'm just gonna jump in real quick. We're gonna go over to Emeka to get his thoughts because all I want to say here is, I remember coming on this pod and saying multiple times that I thought easily the Chiefs had the most talented team in the league. And Emeka kept arguing with me. I was just shocked because you just talked about Devante Smith being your third option, which means Jaylen Hurst is what your fourth option and we know how good he is in terms of being a weapon to use in the run game. You have that defensive line. You have how he rose in making smart picks. You've got Cooper Eugene as a second round pick Mitchell as a first round pick just studs all over.
00:07:14
Chino Onwuka
You have the stars, you have the the role players, you have depth on both sides of the ball. They were easily the most talented team in the league. I had them first, I had the Raven second, and this man over here kept arguing with me. Now,
00:07:29
Chino Onwuka
In all honesty, I did still pick the Chiefs to win the Super Bowl. And what I said, my reasoning was, Philadelphia is the more talented team, but the reason I think the Chiefs will win is because somehow, you know, I think this has been one of their weaker teams during this run. They've been finding a way to win and it is really hard to bet against Mahomes in the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl.
00:07:55
Chino Onwuka
I picked the Chiefs, but seeing how the game played out, seeing the but talent on both sides of the ball, the way Philly's D-line was able to just manhandle the Chiefs offensive line. you know i like if Yes, Philly scored 40 points. Yes, General Hurts won MVP, but to me, this game was won by Philly's defense, by the Chiefs not being able to string a drive together whatsoever with them essentially getting 14 points off my homes with a pick six and the second pick that was essentially pretty much a pick six. So that's 14 points right there. And after that, you know, the game was pretty much done. So shout out to Philly, you know, the Chiefs have been, you know, the the current dynasty in the NFL. But, you know, if you look at the the second team on that rung, it's the Eagles because they find a way to win.
00:08:52
Chino Onwuka
Reload and then win again. And so, you know with with the brain trust they have there You know, I think they have the the the the pieces to continue No, they don't have my homes a quarterback But I think they've shown the ability to okay build a great team Eventually that team gets older gets too expensive and they're able to reload so so shout out shout out to the Eagles and I have more thoughts, but I Mecca pass it on to you and
00:09:22
Emeka
See
00:09:22
Chuku
sort Just Before go bro, I just want to say shout out to Cooper the gene as well man dude on his own birthday made one of the best plays you're gonna see in a Super Bowl with that peak pick six and know couldn't like second-round pick. I mean like yo He had a stop performance and yeah, just just add on to the whole defensive line So just wanted to just give a quick shout out to Cooper the gene man. What a player and yeah Go off
00:09:52
Emeka
I mean, he's winning on and off the field, Cooper DeGene. But see how my man coming after me, like he didn't pick the Chiefs as well. God damn, free me. But the Eagles are very talented. I had them claw neck and neck with the Chiefs. They're most talented teams. The Chiefs are, well I mean, look, everyone's going to say it was an off year and it wasn't, it wasn't off a year, but they were 15 and one of my homes in regular season. like Yeah, they won through some black magic, but they added the defense was amazing.
00:10:20
Emeka
Solid team. Office was shaky. Turns out though,
Kendrick Lamar's Halftime Show
00:10:24
Emeka
the, the last minute change they made to the offensive line, uh, looking back at it now, no, any reason to wake up in the summer and think, why did I have Joe to Joe Thunie playing left tackle?
00:10:34
Emeka
Like what's going on? Like the Eagles just without blitzing lived in the backfield. It literally looked like a repeat of the Tampa Bay Superbowl against the teams.
00:10:43
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, that that's a really good point. They did all that just rushing forward.
00:10:47
Emeka
was rushing for like, and this is something that is such a triggering phrase for me, but NFL analyst who always sometimes will go on podcasts or TV shows and they'd be like, Bob, how do we stop good quarterbacks? They'd be like, I'm Joe. The key to beating good quarterbacks is when you rush with the defensive line, rush for getting interior pressure. Yeah. That's the key to beating every quarterback. No quarterback is good. But you can bring four guys and get pressure on him. Like there's no, there's no quarterback alive. And we just seen baby goat moms, even he, when you rush at four guys,
00:11:21
Emeka
he's going to make mistakes like man, the ah the Chiefs offensive line got bullied and it really goes to show the sometimes we we overlook the unsexy positions, the trenches, the line, O line and D line. Philadelphia i have the best O line in the league and we just saw they have one of the best. It must be the best D line in the league and they just dominated the Chiefs in all phases and you know, shout out Saquon because the it's so clear the entire game plan of the Chiefs.
00:11:50
Emeka
was literally, we're not going to let Saquon beat us. We're going to just crash on Saquon and force Hertz to beat us. And like, say what you want about Jalen Hertz. That's kind of a disrespectful game plan. He's still Jalen Hertz. Like, he torched him in the Super Bowl three years ago. And he turned up, he torched him again this year. Like, looking back at it, I watched him like the mic'd up. Quick shout out to the Eagles, because Saquon is such a man. No matter what happened to the game,
00:12:17
Emeka
Followed to calm em down and keep a cool hat. I love Saquon. But the mic dump was integral. I went out watching the game again. It hit me like, even though the first half was 24-0, it really could have been like 38-0. Like, the Eagles first drive of the game, see what you want. That flag on AJ Brown was some BS. And the way the Eagles were moving, they were going to score that drive. And then they get to the end zone and it hurts those a ah bad pick.
00:12:42
Emeka
They could have been up like 40. They were dominating the Chiefs that first half. And like my guy said, the Chiefs couldn't even get a drive going.
Are Eagles Next Year's Favorites?
00:12:49
Emeka
Like, shout out my home's generational stat padding. Because in 20 years, kids are going to look at the Super Bowl and be like, oh, my home's had 300 yards and two touchdowns and blah, blah, blah. But no, anyone who watched that game knows when the game was a game, when the game was in the balance, my home's did nothing. Absolutely goddamn nothing. Like he patted his stats with those bombs in the fourth quarter. Shut up, home's man. Always seeing the vision for the good debates. You got to pad up the stats for the future. So hey.
00:13:17
Emeka
Shout out there. Yeah, Eagles. Hey, I love Jalen Hurts. I like hope Sierra had to get some respect now because like my brother said, losing coordinators every year is hard. And props to the Eagles for losing talent, losing coordinators, and just bouncing back and doing it all again.
00:13:34
Chuku
And come just shout out so like I know you really did this but man like this Justin named the Talent that we're talking about on that defensive line man. I'm about your channel You know this because like I said, you'd be full of in the draft and and you Before the draft and I know you know, I know you keep up with these players but you know y'all remember when we drafted Jillian Carter and guys were like on it on us or basically on that pick because of the issues he had in college and All this all this rhetoric about like, you know, he's gonna be an issue in the pros Look at the look at the kid now, man. Look at the kid
00:14:12
Chino Onwuka
I mean, I mean, when it comes to Jaylen Carter, I don't think people necessarily thought he was going to be an issue with the pros. Nobody just knew what the result of that case was going to be, right? if It was going to lead to something. And so it just so happens there were everyone was saying there's two teams that are still going to take this guy and make everyone look stupid. It's either going to be the Eagles or the Ravens. And it was the Eagles and now everyone looks I don't know if they looked dumb because that was a legitimate reason for him to drop, but Eagles were willing to take that risk and it's he was the best player in that draft. He fell to what, ninth spot and so, yeah.
00:14:52
Chuku
And that and then that was one person and then other shout out to was Jordan Davis this dude Wow, like I mean, I thought like the the loss of Fletcher Cox would have heard our defensive line Jordan Davis, I mean ever since he's been in the league he is literally been the second coming of Fletcher Cox and like the combination of the two with you know, I'm Nolan Smith and And, and, uh, Josh sweats, like, yeah, just know, I've always been, in agreement maybe I haven't voiced my opinion too, too much. Cause I i know how talented the Eagles were, um, heading into the Superbowl. Uh, it was just glad to, I mean, it was it' just nice hearing it from and other parties who are not, you know, Eagles fans coming to that same conclusion. And personally speaking, I've always thought the Eagles were the more talented team.
00:15:47
Chuku
The only issue I was i had in the comparison between the Chiefs and Eagles was clearly the the Chiefs have the more talented QB and You know in the in the game of football QBs tend to carry carry the most weight in terms of making being that difference maker But this time around it was in my opinion the more talented team overall that won the game and I mean, yeah I'm just good
00:16:14
Chino Onwuka
Well, so on that note, then, you know, we've sort of given our analysis, our review of the game.
00:16:15
Chuku
up
00:16:22
Chino Onwuka
Looking forward, would you say Eagles are the favorite for the Super Bowl next year?
00:16:31
Chuku
Hell, yes. Hell, yes.
00:16:33
Chino Onwuka
Okay.
00:16:33
Chuku
We sick wise agent Brown, you know, one day Davis, uh, like, I mean, sorry, the Monte Smith, the two defense, our offense as a defensive line.
00:16:45
Chuku
Sure. We lost our, you know, offensive coordinator, but I mean, again, we've been, we've been dealing with this on a yearly, year to year basis.
00:16:56
Chuku
Like I have all the faith in the world with this current team has constructed. We are built to challenge and I have no reason to believe we're not going to be back in the Super Bowl this time next year. And yeah, second Barkley, year two with Jira Hertz, the offense I just told you, the offensive line, the defensive bus line, like, yeah, I have definitely all the feeling in the world that we should be favorites and I would put my money on us at the very least.
00:17:30
Chuku
making it back to the Super Bowl.
00:17:32
Chino Onwuka
Ameka, how about you? What are your thoughts?
00:17:35
Emeka
I mean favorites a year a year because a year is a long time man this time last year if if I said it was a Super Bowl favorites I don't know what it said the Chiefs know it said the Eagles Eagles just came back off a collapse end of the season last year so right now I'd say so I mean maybe one year I'll stop believing in Baltimore but I always come back to them for some reason I just get I can't quit Baltimore like yeah They're up there for most talented.
00:18:03
Emeka
They got Lamar, who's always doing Lamar things. And maybe they can... the Chiefs, I mean, look, it's boring to to say now, but did come off three straight Super Bowls.
00:18:10
Chuku
ah
00:18:12
Emeka
like I mean, we really go and sit here and act like the Chiefs aren't going to be back up here again.
00:18:12
Chuku
what
00:18:17
Emeka
I don't know why I was trying to write
Chiefs' Legacy and Future Prospects
00:18:19
Emeka
my home's obituary. like He's still my home's.
00:18:21
Chino Onwuka
No, no, no, no. I didn't ask if there are other teams that could win the Super Bowl. I said, are the Eagles the favorites?
00:18:29
Emeka
favorite You know what? As a gambling man, I'll be the East of Safe answer and say the Chiefs are the favorites because I have had to bet one team to go back. I bet the Chiefs. So I got picked up.
00:18:36
Chino Onwuka
Because, yeah, I see what you're saying because, you know, you know, in the AFC, you got the Chiefs, you got the Ravens, you've got the Bills, you know,
00:18:49
Chino Onwuka
but in the NFC there's one team that you know is going to be there the Eagles you know whether they they haven't done it or not like that's the team that's been a team energy for the a while the 49ers are they going to be able to come back the Detroit Lions they just lost both their coordinators are they going to be able to keep that thing going the Washington and but we've seen them be able to consistently be
00:19:10
Emeka
Ego's loss coordinator.
00:19:16
Chino Onwuka
a good, maybe not always great, a good team even after losing quarter.
00:19:19
Emeka
o true true
00:19:21
Chino Onwuka
They can keep that going. Washington, was that a one season thing? Can they come back? my My thing with the Eagles is, and my thing with the NFC is, AFC is a gauntlet.
00:19:34
Chino Onwuka
Even just getting to the Super Bowl is so tough. There's so many teams almost at your level or an equal level that it's, you know, you could win one juggernaut game and then lose the next one. And that sort of makes it harder to even get there versus in the NFC, right? Even though you talk about all those energy themes, like you can almost guarantee that Eagles are probably almost likely to be the NFC team in the Super Bowl. So that's just my thing there. Like again, it's it's NFL, it's the league of parody. There's a reason we haven't seen too many teams go back to back to back and things will change next season. But again, I still think the Eagles are by far the most talented team in the league still.
Eagles and Chiefs Future Success
00:20:19
Chino Onwuka
So if they can keep their motivation up, if they can avoid complacency setting in, they shouldn they should be the team to be in the NFL.
00:20:29
Chino Onwuka
Okay, we we've talked a lot about the Eagles now. What does this mean for the Kansas Cheetah Chiefs? I mean, they're already a dynasty, one of the greatest teams of all time, but they had a chance at another level of immortality for the three Pete and they choked the bed.
00:20:50
Chino Onwuka
i'm I'm mixing metaphors there, but.
00:20:52
Emeka
What to say? Choke? I wasn't close enough to be a joke, but I got what you're saying.
00:20:56
Chino Onwuka
They choke the bed. They choke the 3P. People are talking about Mahomes legacy. They're talking about his Kelsey Dodge and he retired. Are people overreacting to it? you know What what our thoughts are thoughts on the Chiefs going forward and what it means for them? Emeka, I'll start with you.
00:21:16
Emeka
This reaction, and you said it, overreaction to the Chiefs is, it just reminds me of people who used to come after Brady and who used to come after LeBron. Because for some reason,
Judging Sports Greatness
00:21:27
Chuku
so
00:21:28
Emeka
for some sports fans, it's worse to lose in the final than to lose around one.
00:21:34
Emeka
And I'll never understand this, to the day I die,
00:21:36
Chino Onwuka
True. true
00:21:38
Emeka
I just can't, it doesn't compute in my brain how final losses are held in such a high, Mahomes can't be the GOAT, he lost in the Super Bowl two times. So all your other GOATs you lost in the first round, what about them?
00:21:50
Emeka
Like, Mahomes literally the lowest, worst result he's ever had in a season is the NFC, AFC Championship game overtime, losing then.
00:21:51
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
00:22:00
Emeka
That is the lowest result you ever get from Mahomes. Other than that,
00:22:03
Chino Onwuka
yeah
00:22:04
Emeka
He makes two balls. He wants he's won three He's lost two and I heard his same chat with Brady when they were like, he can't be Joe Montana Montana's for no Brady's four and three like what are you talking about? Why is it better to lose? That's win in losing the glues in the Super Bowl. I'm like the second round. It's losing the Super Bowl Does it make sense to me? So the most talk I mean, look, I get it. I'm a Patriots fan Tom Brady's the goat blah blah blah Mom's nothing 30 years old. Yeah, why are we talking about goat stuff with him? That's how good he's been that we're talking for having him and go conversations when he's not even 30 yet Let the guy's career pan out like he lost in Super Bowl. It's tough. a I Picked in the Chiefs to be super well again next year man. I'm still in Chiefs and I asked for Kelsey to again and more people hating on Kelsey I don't understand
00:22:52
Emeka
I know people hate the Chiefs, but it really blow my mind after the c Super Bowl scene just how people hate the Chiefs but people and I own Kelsey fantasy so I can I'm a dude to say this Yeah Yeah, I know if you hate you when you when you pop it I get it but like it's just like damn We're all like waiting for writing Kelsey's obituary yeah He wasn't great to see wasn't bad either like people acting like he's washed up man.
00:23:00
Chino Onwuka
I mean, you, you, all people should understand. As an agent's fan, you, all people should understand.
00:23:19
Emeka
He's still good like damn
00:23:22
Chino Onwuka
And look, I think people need to be realistic and objective with that. He is up there in age. He's defying the curve.
00:23:31
Emeka
Yeah!
00:23:31
Chino Onwuka
So I think it's it's this thing in sports that we see these days where when people have sustained greatness, we hold it against them where they show their age.
00:23:42
Emeka
For real!
00:23:44
Chino Onwuka
like ah ah People don't understand that. The fact that he's even still being able to play in a Super Bowl, the fact that he was probably commanding a lot of attention you know from the Philadelphia Eagles defense because, you know, Rashid was hurt, you know, Pacheco, I don't know what happened with Pacheco in that game.
00:24:03
Chino Onwuka
And he's able to command that attention at, what, 36. Like, yeah, are his followers fading?
00:24:07
Emeka
bro he's the same age as grunk grunk is retired for like four years he's on tv he's doing commercials like grunk been washed out kelsey still playing it like yeah he's like you said we're holding against him that he's playing this long just people don't play this long so we're acting like it's a it's a crime when he's not putting up a thousand yards and 10 catches and 300
00:24:09
Chino Onwuka
Is he waning? Yes, but like, come on, man. Like, people need to be a bit more objective with that.
00:24:36
Emeka
Like he had a bad game it happens the entire Chiefs Everyone not named worthy on the Chiefs offense had a bad game. Let it be man. Let it be sometimes me You know what team has your number. I promise you every Chiefs player Halfway through the second quarter deep down in their hearts were like Bro, did we get cooked out here man? I just ate the game for us right now. We get cooked It's a lot of eat. They couldn't block anybody mom was getting molested all game Like it is what it is for him. Let them get a bad game. It happens I wouldn't be shocked them next year the Chiefs are 14 and 3 and back in a few championship beginning again I know I'll be shocked
00:25:16
Chino Onwuka
Chuckle.
00:25:19
Chuku
I mean, one more can be said. I don't get how people are still questioning. What what is that a really question?
00:25:29
Chuku
like i like Basically, I still think Mahomes is the best quarterback in the league. That ain't changing. He's still going to come back again with you know kelsey Kelsey and the crew.
00:25:45
Chuku
The kid, was what's the kid's name? Xavier? That's his name He's only gonna get better Russia Rice was missing all of the season he's gonna come back like and another dimension to this to this team like I definitely know if I put money on it, it wouldn't shock me to see in another like, you know my homos versus hurts Super Bowl it would not shock me like honestly speaking because
00:25:51
Emeka
Yeah, worthy.
00:26:17
Chuku
From what the AFC and NFC like speaking with AFC right now My home seems to own all the quarterbacks there man. It seems to be Reminded me of LeBron in the East when it was with the cops when all those years taking the cops to the you know Taking the cops to the finals my like it's it's ridiculous like he owns these quarterbacks and Yeah, I mean, I just don't see that changing And to me, this is all the viewpoints. This doesn't change anything with my home's legacy. He's still going to be one of the RF non-greatest quarterback to ever play the game when it's all going to be said and done. I mean, he's doing things that is just abnormal. And the dude's not even 30 yet. So it's crazy. Like, you know, quarterbacks we've seen, you know, can play this game till, what, till the 40s we've seen.
00:27:15
Chuku
what You know Brady did he was playing this game to 40 I guess it all depends on you know how my homes obviously take takes care of his body and his mindset and willingness to want to play the game and My home strikes me as someone that you know, I feel like again I don't know I'm just from observing from the outside looking in he struck he strikes me as somebody that you know clearly loves the game and I don't see him as going anywhere anytime soon. Like, I think he's going to obviously try his best to probably play his game for a very, very long time. And yeah, I can assure you over the next handful of years, I mean, I think you'd be a foolish man to bet against Mahomes not winning another chip before his career is said and done. So think his his legacy is going to be just fine. And yeah, yeah, um I'm sure we'll see him again in the Super Bowl pretty soon.
00:28:06
Chuku
so
00:28:08
Chino Onwuka
As long as they have Mahomes there, Andy Reid, the head coach manning the offense, Spaggs running the defense. you mentioned, Xavier Worthy, he's just going to get better. They're going to have Rashid Rice back. I'm sure they they they need to to work on that that line. It's an expensive line that wasn't very good. So I think it'll be interesting to see what they do there.
00:28:36
Chino Onwuka
Obviously, you know, Chris Jones, he's getting up there in age, Kelsey's getting up there in age, but and as long as they have, you know, some of those pillars in place, they're going to be a threat for a long time. So I don't think this is some sort of obituary for the Chiefs. NFL is tough. You know, what they're doing, what they've been doing the last couple of years does not happen in the NFL. Only a few teams have done that.
00:29:02
Chino Onwuka
And that's for a reason. So like you guys have both said, like, I think people are overreacting. They got beat. It's a bit of a wake up call. I'm sure you'll give them added hunger. Hold into next year. I think coming to the season, people probably weren't expecting much from them due to the situations that they faced having to retool an offense. They had to rely heavily on their D this year. And I wonder if they'll sort of try and find a little bit more balance to get that offense being a little bit back towards in in in the heyday. And yeah, like you said, they're gonna be a continued threat going forward, especially if Mahomes is still there. Okay, so ah the other big thing in regards to the Super Bowl, what was highly anticipated, maybe even as as much as the the matchup itself was the halftime show, you know,
00:29:57
Chino Onwuka
When we did the first episode, we said we were going to talk about not just sports, but pop culture, what's popping, what's trending. And no, we haven't done that a lot because we've been trying not to keep our have our episodes be three hours, but we've got to talk about the halftime show.
00:30:13
Chino Onwuka
What are your thoughts on the performance? Was it what you expected? Was it not? What are your thoughts on the reaction to the performance? You know, maybe this is, you know, a little bit of foreshadowing, but I was surprised at the reaction I've been seeing online, but yeah, we're gonna start with our regular Kendrick fanboy over here. I'm being rude, he's not a Kendrick fanboy, I know other people who are, but our Kendrick stan in the group, I'm like, ah ah what were your thoughts?
00:30:44
Emeka
I mean, listen, he called me a fanboy. It's whatever. I love Kendrick. But unlike a lot of people, I also love, you know, the guy he was rapping against, Drake too. But I love the, personally, I love the halftime show. The halftime show is what it is. On TV, the mics are always low. I haven't watched the movie for 20 something years. You'd think by now they fixed that problem. I don't understand it. While the mics are always low on live, but then they'll fix it on YouTube. But besides the mics being low, I loved it. Like, but I love Kendrick. So to me, it was a Kendrick concert.
00:31:14
Emeka
Instead of a like a traditional halftime show and I love that I love that he had Samuel L Jackson the Uncle Sam suit Giving us a skit. I love that. He teased not like us with the girls and I won't paint your favorite song I love that he had you know SZA in there looking fine. I love SZA I was shocked how little SZA there was because like, I don't mean to be mistaken to mind this, but I felt like they kind of advertised it as like a co-headliner. Like, yeah, you got Kendrick Weos again, SZA too. She was barely in there. She did like Luther and then all the stars chorus. She even do a single solo song.
00:31:47
Emeka
but Listen, I hear the big complaint going around is that people wanted Kendrick to play more of his mainstream songs and not just play GNX. I love GNX, so I was happy with it. I also get the that side too, like my mom texted me during the halftime show, and she was like, what's going on? Who's this guy? I don't know what's going on. So if my mom is lost, I bet a lot of people in the world are lost watching that. So like yeah, I guess if you're not up with it,
00:32:17
Emeka
you're not gonna You're not gonna appreciate it, but I loved it. That was the blackest halftime show ever. The guy I was talking about, 40 acres in the mule, bigger than the music. Uncle Sam, like not a single white person on stage, that entire performance.
00:32:30
Emeka
That was was close.
00:32:30
Chino Onwuka
i don't I don't know if it was the blackest halftime show ever because I remember Beyonce's halftime performance. and and so still so yeah I don't know if you were finished, but yeah, i i I'm someone who loves both Drake and Kendrick.
00:32:39
Emeka
My bulb. 40 acres in the mule puts it over the edge, bro. like You can't be saying stuff like that on national TV.
00:32:56
Chino Onwuka
I would say I'm probably more of ah ah of a Drake fan than Kendrick just because I think, you know, Drake's music, you know, you get all different flavors that can be for different situations and moods. Kendrick, if you're looking for just bars, you know, hard-hitting music, then Kendrick is your guy. I hate that two of my favorite artists are beefing, but it is what it is. I thought the show was good, but I thought it was just good. And I don't know whether it's because There was so much hype going into it. I thought, considering the the the list of the last halftime shows we've had over the last couple of years, and those have all been amazing, you know that was my expectation for Kendrick. That was the hype going in. And I think it it it was good, but it fell flat because of the hype. Two things for me.
00:33:48
Chino Onwuka
let Let me start with the good. you know I thought the the the cinematography, the choreography, the imagery was dope. I mean, ending any show with not like us and TV off. I mean, that's just energy right here. you know the the The whole crib was bumping. But like would I have liked to see a little bit more of the discography and not just all GNX songs, like, yes, like, I guess he has done some songs in previous Super Bowls, but like, come on, man, where are the hits from Good Kid Mad City or all your other albums? Like, I feel like the Super Bowl is a chance for you to flex your your history, your your greatness, everything you've done to to lead us up to here, to take people on a journey. You know, yeah, you do what's current, but you know, you touch on the past, and I don't think he,
00:34:48
Chino Onwuka
he He did that. So it was a little bit lacking for me in that area. I guess maybe some people thought he was going to come and do, you know, not like a 16 times, you know, that did happen. like And I think maybe the hype in terms of like, oh, yeah, this is going to come in and this is going to kill Drake. Like Drake already been dead, like.
00:35:09
Chino Onwuka
Between the way Not Like Us came out initially, like seconds after his diss, between him playing it, how many times at the pop out, between the music video, it's been over.
00:35:23
Chino Onwuka
So I guess in ah hindsight, there was nothing that could happen. Maybe there was something, but what happened at the Super Bowl wasn't enough to take it over where it already had been, really, in my opinion.
00:35:35
Chino Onwuka
so
00:35:35
Emeka
I'll challenge that with just one minor thing. You're cooking, but that on that point, though, I'll say, when Drake sued, and actually in like December, like five people texted me saying he's only doing this lawsuit so that Kendrick doesn't play Not Like Us at the Super Bowl. That was like a common thing. People kept saying that. So the fact that he actually did play it,
00:35:56
Chino Onwuka
America let me ask this respectfully. I'm actually let me just be curious. You know the five people that texted you like not ask that You know what I'm trying to ask the final Yeah, yeah i I Know people for that.
00:36:08
Emeka
I don't just say listen they they they ovi hoes as the as the defense would say but That was a thing though. Like people would think he wasn't gonna perform it and I even I oh
00:36:20
Chino Onwuka
I don't think there was any doubt that he was gonna play
00:36:23
Emeka
I thought it was crazy. I also win the Grammy the week before like if you wouldn't the Grammy you're gonna perform it Yeah Yeah,
00:36:26
Chino Onwuka
Oh, I really forgot about the Grammys. Yeah, he was at the Grammys. He wanted it was one record of the year like the whole pro So like I said, it was already like there was nothing that could have happened at the Super Bowl that really could have taught any all of that that could have already been happening so
00:36:32
Emeka
exactly
00:36:41
Emeka
All I'll say is even I was surprised. He said, say Drake, I was surprised. I thought they would for the legal state going on.
00:36:49
Chino Onwuka
I like the way he did it with the Michael Jackson turnaround. To me, the biggest killer was, you know, was Sabrina Cripple.
00:36:53
Emeka
Yeah.
00:36:56
Emeka
All right.
00:36:57
Chino Onwuka
I was like, you know, bringing people back to me.
00:36:57
Emeka
That was crazy. Three. of The crip walk is crazy.
00:37:00
Chino Onwuka
That was the that was the that was the only additional thing. But like, to me, it's been like he's been dead and buried.
00:37:05
Emeka
Yeah. It's been done. It's been done.
00:37:08
Chino Onwuka
He's been he's been murdered by the beef and like the damage that not like us did.
00:37:09
Emeka
He's not dead, bro. People too much.
00:37:16
Emeka
Yeah, I get what you're saying. I get what you're saying.
00:37:17
Chuku
Like and subscribe.
00:37:18
Emeka
He's still the boy.
00:37:18
Chino Onwuka
The maximum health from that attack has been done.
00:37:19
Emeka
He's still Drake. like
00:37:24
Emeka
I still was shocked he said, Cedric. I can't lie. I was surprised. I thought he was gonna censor that, just that particular line out. So when he, like you say said, said it and turned to the camera, I was like, damn, i he's he's he's doing that. But aside from that, I forget everything you said. Nothing's been, this is all a year old now, man, it's been done.
00:37:42
Chino Onwuka
anything to add?
00:37:44
Chuku
Not really, man. I mean, look, I just thought I was, look, as far as like for me personally, I thought it wasn't all right. It was okay. And the reason I can say it was all right and it was okay is because for one, the element of having, you know, Salano Jackson as, you know, Uncle Tom in the, you know, in the, you know, in the setting and him na Narrating some things as the performance is going on cool You know anytime you're playing, you know, not like us and TV off is always gonna be a baseline of of of good, right? The choreography dancing how everything was laid out Good, you know, it was it was good. I'll just say it was overall if I had to give it out of 10 I'll give it like a sex. It was alright. It was it was good now as and someone that know
00:38:42
Chuku
wants to know support the culture and see everyone, everyone in this case, Kendrick, portraying his best. I can understand and I have a sense of disappointment because of the fact that, you know like you already mentioned earlier, this is the Super Bowl. This is a nationally tele televised you know performance. everyone is looking to see you know to see what you what what you got.
00:39:16
Chuku
And it's not just for the black culture. It's great that you're probably of the black culture, but this is all eyes on you performing at one of the biggest sporting events in the world.
00:39:28
Chuku
Definitely the biggest sporting event in North America. And you're going to tell me you couldn't have made a better track list of all of the, like, I feel like you were just doing yourself this
00:39:40
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
00:39:41
Chuku
Kendrick, a huge disservice because you are more than what you just released out in in terms of that performance.
00:39:42
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
00:39:48
Chuku
You have bangers on bangers. And I'm not the biggest Kendrick fan. I'm like, I ah i i i like I love his music. And even I could tell you, like, you undersold yourself because what like there's one thing and you were always going to play not like us.
00:40:08
Chuku
That was always going to be there. Okay, cool. but you made it tell me you couldn't play some of your older older hits from you know go to my city and then like like and there were just so many things you could have done that could have made us better like yo you can't tell me you couldn't play you know based on kill my vibe you couldn't play you know money trees you couldn't play you know uh like there were so many so tracks you could have played you know that's all i can say is I honestly felt like as as a support of the culture and support of just music in general. If you are a a true Kendrick fan, I don't know how you watch this performance at the halftime and not come away thinking that you know Kendrick did his did himself a disservice here by not you know going deeper into his catalog of hits that we all know he has. And that's my only
00:41:07
Chuku
negative thing have to say about the performance
00:41:09
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, you won the the the argument that you know I've heard is that, oh, this wasn't for the others.
00:41:09
Chuku
all
00:41:16
Chino Onwuka
This was for us. This was for hip hop. This was for his people. I mean, that argument really hits flat for me because whatever Kendrick would have done would have still been for that demographic.
00:41:32
Chino Onwuka
Kendrick is not
00:41:32
Chuku
negative thing I have to say
00:41:34
Chino Onwuka
sellla anything he did would have been that. So like Emeka said, what he had to do was not perform a Kendrick concert.
00:41:36
Chuku
about the performance
00:41:40
Chino Onwuka
He had to perform a Super Bowl performance. And that, I think that that fell flat. I think there'd even been rumors floating around by people saying, yeah, we've seen the set list.
00:41:55
Chino Onwuka
It's not all that like, people were surprised at the set list. So I think that was still a miss on that point because like, yeah, what you're trying to do is, okay, we and our demographic enjoyed it, but you had what percent of people watching that being like, okay, like this is cool, but all right, bring me Taylor Swift next year then if this is what we're going to like.
00:42:01
Chuku
Mm.
00:42:24
Chino Onwuka
And thats and that's that's a little bit of the disappointment.
00:42:29
Chino Onwuka
When
00:42:29
Emeka
yeah like um'm i'm gonna put on my kendrick stan hat here for for five minutes and just and just say you know like he's kendrick like yeah he's main look he's super mainstream he's a pop star but he also is an odd fellow what type of guy opens up the simple bowl halftime show with an unreleased song like that's just a Kendrick thing to do like he's never as a Kendrick stan i was i'm not surprised that he's not gonna come out there and i hate to use this phrase but tap dance for the people like he's gonna play for the culture he he put on lack of a better ah word he put on a Kendrick concert and like
00:43:06
Emeka
Part of me, I can't lie. I respect the artistry. I respect that. He said I'm not going to. Yes, the Super Bowl. Yeah, i everyone's watching. I'm going to put on a Kendrick show for the people. And if people want to get more, they can get more. And look, everyone's stats these days are juiced and fake. But.
00:43:23
Emeka
All I'm seeing is is the most watched halftime show ever is shows, streams, the song streams up. We'll listen to artists and everything like clearly it worked for him. Like it. So if you can get away with performing a super lifetime show and just making it a concert about the things you like and just put it on for the people.
00:43:40
Emeka
Hey man, more power to you. And you know what? I respect someone who says I'm going to, I'm going to do, I'm going to do something I love and not just aim down in the middle. Like, Hey man, he's making something for him.
00:43:49
Chino Onwuka
what i'm What I'm saying is he could have still done that and done more. I think even you said that like, yeah, maybe you could have done a little bit more.
00:44:01
Chino Onwuka
I don't think he had to to be a sellout to show himself more, is what I'm saying.
00:44:05
Emeka
Oh yeah, listen, you guys aren't wrong. That's why I put him my Kendrick Stan hat on.
00:44:07
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
00:44:09
Emeka
You're not wrong, like yeah. But also I don't think Kendrick is wrong either.
00:44:10
Chuku
well
00:44:12
Emeka
And that's how I respect it. like I think he took a risk on it. Like that's his choice as a performer.
00:44:15
Chuku
is not but here's my momy sort of no i'm not what i interrupt you bro but like i am interrupted but like It's not about right or wrong. Like I don't understand how even you can be a Kendrick stand. You cannot be a Kendrick stand. Like regardless, bro, this is the Super Bowl. It's a Super Bowl performance. If it was like, say it's, you know, a Kendrick concert and he just wants to play, you know, this GNX and, you know, we're also seeing the Apples and Apple Music available, you know, what it was.
00:44:49
Chuku
Performance that can you have already played? No, I guess literally what how many like how many times you play that like 16 or however many times you did. Okay, great cool We understand you you know, you do what you want and you know, it's cool. But this is a Super Bowl halftime performance This is a honest kill to get this slot Like you know like to the point of like they don't even pay for this performance though because because of how important it is to you know for you to display your art. And there's no way you can tell me that Kendrick Lamar, as big of an artist that we know he is in the hip-hop community, in the hip-hop culture, is reduced to only playing a track list of what we listen to in that performance. Bro, he is way more in that. I just think, like no matter what you're telling me, bro, like I will forever still
00:45:49
Chuku
think he let himself down by not showcasing all of his vast majority of hits that he's given to the community, to the culture for all these years. And the fact that he made it a thing about just wanting to showcase this particular side of things that was mostly aimed at a certain artist that we all know.
00:46:20
Emeka
Ridiculous, ridiculous. I can't, I can't, I can't.
00:46:23
Chuku
you so What you want.
00:46:23
Emeka
most of yeah Mostly, mostly in America. People are deep in it, bro. Y'all, you couldn't have made it more clear. You had Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Samuel.
00:46:33
Chino Onwuka
I think there's two, let me just cut in here.
00:46:33
Emeka
How was that a about, how was that about Drake?
00:46:36
Chino Onwuka
I think we need to move on. I think we need to move on. Chuku, what I'm saying is that because Kendrick is Kendrick, that's why he can do whatever he wants.
00:46:39
Chuku
OK.
00:46:45
Chuku
And I know.
00:46:46
Chino Onwuka
And it's still, hold on, hold on, hold on. Let me wrap this up because again, we need to move on. And I think
00:46:53
Chino Onwuka
what the point is, you know, Juku is saying it was mostly about, I don't think it was the Kendrick. Kendrick had a message he was saying, but to everyone tuning in to watch, you know, with the most, you know, watched Super Bowl, that's why they were tuning in. They were tuning in to see, what's he gonna do with this whole drink beef?
00:47:10
Chino Onwuka
And so maybe that's why him putting his message across in that platform because he knew there's going to be up a lot of eyes, you know, is really what he was going for. The problem is, you know, apart from, you know, people like you going over to research the deep meeting did a lot of work.
00:47:25
Emeka
Research the deep.
00:47:26
Chino Onwuka
A lot of people really go and understand the message of what he was trying to say. I think maybe that that that fell flat because my reference back to to Beyonce, I was able to understand what Kendrick was doing.
00:47:39
Chino Onwuka
Some of it was a little bit meta. I had to go back on the internet to read it. So um'm I honestly think that probably went over the heads of like 90% of people.
00:47:49
Emeka
Hey, not to get too political.
00:47:49
Chino Onwuka
When Beyonce did it, do it was lying.
00:47:52
Emeka
Sometimes you gotta say something, man. Sometimes you got to say something, even if it doesn't go over.
00:47:56
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, okay.
00:47:57
Emeka
Last thing before we move on, I welcome the Sabrina Carpenter or Billie Eilish we're going to get next year. We had a good run, Black people. It was like, what, six, seven intervals in a row? We had a Black performer.
00:48:07
Chino Onwuka
well what
00:48:08
Emeka
They stopped in that next year. They stopped in that next year. I know America saw that performance, and they said, none of this, none of this anymore.
00:48:11
Chino Onwuka
not a more
00:48:15
Chino Onwuka
It's gonna be back to Aerosmith and...
00:48:18
Emeka
Oh yeah, we get s Sabrina Carpenter, we get Morgan Wallen, we get we get Post Malone, we get some Caucasian next year, so don't worry America.
00:48:22
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
00:48:25
Chino Onwuka
post Malone is all right. Post Malone is all right. I know he's he's he's not that he's made his money but yeah.
00:48:29
Emeka
We get a Country Post Malone, we're not getting, we're not getting Rap Post Malone.
00:48:34
Emeka
Yeah, we got a good run of people, we got a good run.
00:48:36
Chino Onwuka
Okay. Okay. so I think I'm gonna move on. Thanks for for those who stayed with us for the for the NFL chat. I know some of y'all have been waiting for us to get back to to to original football and so now we're we're gonna we're gonna switch lanes to talk a little bit of of footy.
00:48:54
Chino Onwuka
I don't think we've talked about it in a while. So, you know, looking back in the last week, week and a half, you know, I think, you know, the the major major headlines now have been transfer window ending and what teams did or didn't do at the end of the transfer window and the repercussions of that going forward. We will start with Arsenal, probably very predictably. Arsenal had a need going into the transfer window after Saka went down with the torn hamstring and everybody knew we needed a striker or an attacking player. In the midst of that transfer window, our backup striker
00:49:46
Chino Onwuka
Went down, the torn ACL, he's done for the season. Everyone knew the need. Something had to get done. Our Teta came out and said it. Declan Rice came out and said it. Doesn't believe that something would get done. Guess what happened? Nothing got done. But okay, at least we have Dubai trip. You know, everyone can go and refresh our energies, get some rest and relaxation, get a tan, some team building, you know, get ready for.
00:50:15
Chino Onwuka
you know, the the end of season charge. Oh, but no, as is very fitting, you know, of Arsenal's story this year, but worse that could happen happen. Kai Havertz, who is a German tank physically, tore his hamstring trying to block a free kick.
00:50:41
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, I ain't gonna let you guys, when I got that news, I think it was on Wednesday morning, was depressed. I know it's a little, myself, melodramatic, but I was like, are you serious? What's the point? What is the point? And even more annoying is, we all saw something like this coming.
00:51:05
Chino Onwuka
There was nobody behind him and that was the risk. If somebody goes down, what will we do? We probably didn't think it was going to be Kai and the worst that could happen happened. And so here we are. I know we're going to talk about, you know, you know, we're recording this late on a Sunday night, February 16th, you know, Arsenal started with the lineup of Raheem Trasard, young Ethan, wasn't working.
00:51:33
Chino Onwuka
We brought Marino on. He scored two goals. Is Marino our new number nine? Look, that might be the band-aid to put on it, but what I will say is it's Leicester. So a a lot tougher games to come in the prem, in the CL. I know I've got a bit of a rant, but that was just a recap. I'm going to throw it out to you guys because honestly, I didn't even
00:52:03
Chino Onwuka
Wednesday had me so done, I was like, I don't even want to talk about this team for the rest of the season, just the season's done.
00:52:10
Chuku
I mean, that's a bit, a bit overdramatic, but I mean, I get where you're coming from. I mean, look, at the end of the day, like, this was to be expected, in my opinion, because the players that we do have, they've literally been, and we're literally down to our, but even before this injury, we're literally down to the bear like our bare bones. Like, Harvard was already playing, literally,
00:52:39
Chuku
almost every minute already. There was clips prior to their Dubai trip of, you know, Havoc, who a player that normally you see leading the line, always running about trying to, you know, cause havoc in terms of pressing. There were clips that, you know, have been shown of him cramping up, not, you know, this is clips of Havoc prior.
00:53:08
Chuku
just prior to the, you know, the bye trip in matches played where he was literally holding on to his hammy, not, you know, given the full normal habits, you know, pressing that they were accustomed to seeing. And like, I mean, I can't, I cannot say that I'm shocked. This is why I was so disappointed when, you know, generally, generally when they came and went,
00:53:37
Chuku
And Arsenal didn't sign a single body. you know
00:53:43
Chuku
and so yeah i i brought reason you know like I don't know how we thought you know we're gonna just carry on the rest of the season with the injuries that we already had prior to this, thinking that we're just gonna keep this team in and you know find way to have the rest of these guys remain healthy for the you know remainder of the year. Even as we're talking right now,
00:54:04
Chuku
like We're down to our bare bones of trussards sterling and 17 year old you know Ethan one year II and I don't know if those three guys are gonna be able to last till We have backup know that comes comes back from the shelves like we have to keep our fingers crossed on that because that's not a guarantee but what I will say though is Even with the loss of Haverds, which obviously most things One One thing I will say is sometimes you just have to know Kind of look at the bright side in certain areas even do right now the bright side is is very hard to look at but You know the emergence of when you're he has definitely no helps, you know, I guess Overshadow a couple of things are key issues that you know, we're obviously obviously facing
00:55:03
Chuku
as the health of our team you know is ah has has become a big question mark. And you know hopefully, fingers crossed, he manages to know to stay fit, because I really think he can be a a huge, huge bright spot to help you know help us you know keep form in in these next come couple of games. And I hate that I have to even like mention it like this, because again, no 17-year-old should be relied upon as heavily as we're about to rely on you know on Ethan these next couple of weeks, but that's the situation we find ourselves in and Like I said, hopefully hopefully young Ethan can carry the weight because we're gonna need him to and Trussard man, you know Trussard is a professional he can you know, I can see him being a spark here and there but thank God for the emergence of Macomb Arena because
00:56:00
Chuku
I don't know, it's no I don't really know what else to say other than you know what what what an instant performance. I know again, it was against Leicester City. I know know, obviously we can't mention that enough because again, Leicester City are a pretty bad team. But from what I've seen from that 15, 20 minute cameo,
00:56:26
Chuku
Second goal. I'm telling right now a lot of top strikers in the league while james a top a lot of strikers in general in the league don't put that away and Marino seemed to have put that away with like like With ease he made that look so easy. So there is hope that I'm i'm really thinking that Marino might really turn into that, you know striker that we never knew it could be I mean obviously You know, I'm not going to bank my, you know, my cash on, on that being something that's going to be a sustained every weekend, week out, you know, top performance. But if he can chip in with the goals here and there with how we play. And, you know, obviously I think we're going to definitely rely heavily on set pieces and, you know, outside the box shots with certain midfielders. I just think, you know, we might just be able to put together enough run
00:57:25
Chuku
Still sustained top four. I mean I've told you I'm about you. Why you guys's thoughts are at this point in time But I've already given up me personally. I've already given up on the league I've given an open any trophies this year as things stand but just you know trying to finish the the season is strong in terms of seeing how far we can get in Champions League and ah ah You know sustaining a top at least a top four finish and I don't think that's out of the question. I think you know that's definitely something that you know even with the injuries that we have, it's something that I expect that Arsenal will be able to do. And you know I think know the biggest takeaway is just enjoy the emergence of Ranieri, because I'll tell you right now, my biggest takeaway from that game the over the weekend with Leicester is that I definitely think Arsenal have come again with
00:58:21
Chuku
another generational talent and, you know, barring injuries, barring no setbacks, health-wise, I just think, you know, Wanyere is just going to, he's going to grow stride by stride and he is going to become one of the top players in the league. I just, that's just my belief, having watched him play his first full 90 minutes and you know in an APL game. And, you know, hopefully, you know, I know, again, I don't want to jump too early, but hopefully,
00:58:51
Chuku
That's gonna be the case and this is something that's gonna you know, again help fast-track, you know his growth now that there's gonna be ample opportunities for him to play and Yeah, we just you know the sky's the limit to see where it goes See where he can take us because as of right now I can tell right now Rahim star is not the answer I mean We all know how powerful performance he had over the weekend. I'm hoping that It's going to be a blip. Hopefully, maybe you can pick up some form. Again, that's the hope. But to say that I'm going to be banking on that would be a bad lie. And you know at this point, anything that Sterling can produce, we will take it from now until the season. Because I can assure you right now, we're going to need him. as much as people want to and As much as I can come in here and and drag him.
00:59:45
Chuku
The fact is we need bodies and he's going to be, he's going to play game.
00:59:49
Chino Onwuka
yeah
00:59:49
Chuku
We're going to need him for rotational reasons until we get back, you know, key bodies, like hopefully Saka might come back, you know, towards the end of the season.
00:59:50
Chino Onwuka
that
00:59:59
Chuku
But till then we have to, you know, keep the faith. And, you know, my, my hope is that he doesn't, we don't, you know, get to a point of, you know, richly abusing or, or trying to, you know, you know, you know how these fans can be whenever
01:00:14
Chino Onwuka
Yeah. Yeah.
01:00:14
Chuku
I start to play, you know, doesn't play the best. So I hope the fan base doesn't turn on him. Like, again, just because I'm saying that doesn't mean we're just going to just turn a blind eye if he just has complete and other other terrible performances like like the one we just seen against Lester. But at the same time, these are this is a professional football football player. You can have your good days, you can have your bad days. And again, the whole period, this was just a bad day.
01:00:43
Chuku
in the the
01:00:49
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, we're I'm really glad you mentioned that part.
01:00:53
Chuku
yeah
01:00:53
Chino Onwuka
Because that was a.
01:00:54
Chuku
but yeah
01:00:57
Chino Onwuka
I was a sticker of a performance, but we're going to need him for the rest of the season.
01:00:59
Chuku
let me know for the
01:01:01
Emeka
Do we need him? I don't know, man. I don't know. Do we need him?
01:01:07
Chuku
and that on um
01:01:07
Emeka
because
01:01:08
Chuku
Is that honestly a question?
01:01:09
Chino Onwuka
We we we do because we have three
01:01:12
Emeka
Because... Hey,
01:01:15
Chino Onwuka
Ethan now is a senior attacker.
01:01:19
Emeka
man.
01:01:20
Chino Onwuka
We don't feel how look look had a really bad performance.
01:01:20
Emeka
I'd rather play Tierney there. I'd rather play Tierney there. I'm loving seeing this as a joke. I'd rather play Tierney there.
01:01:25
Chuku
Wow.
01:01:29
Chino Onwuka
Even if you say you want, you'd rather play Tierney there. i These guys aren't gonna play every single 90 minutes till March and maybe March and Ellie comes back and maybe Saka comes back So he's gonna need to play So regardless of what we're gonna say is he needs to play better and we hope that we can get that from him Yeah make out your your thoughts
01:01:51
Emeka
Amen.
01:01:55
Emeka
oh i still ah ah Part of me wants to say I can't believe Kai got hurt, but I also know. I'm expecting this because every game I'd watch him pass out and fall over and collapse at the end of games. We're using this guy up like a spark like you said. Our backup trucker got injured. Saka got injured. like Not getting a body in is malpractice. But hey, now that you're not there, you know we monitor. We we we stay alert. We apprise ourselves. What other words did he use?
01:02:25
Emeka
Monitors are big, but we monitor these targets because apparently there's no warm body in Europe that could could come in and just be a big boy. There's no one egg that exists. This is impossible to find our million dollar scouting staff, apparently. But hey, Marino, it's funny how sometimes things people say on the internet come to fruition. Every Arsenal fan I read online was saying, hey, throw Marino up front, man, he's big, he can move, he crashes the box.
01:02:52
Emeka
look pretty good to me like I'm not mad at that I'm joking with the tear anything but I'm really not joking because Sterling look awful and my goodness I don't know what happened to the guy man poor Sterling but this guy's gonna be playing in Saudi Arabia next year what that's what it looks like so he's not a long career
01:03:09
Chino Onwuka
If he keeps playing like that, I don't know if if even Saudi is going to want him.
01:03:15
Chino Onwuka
to but This might be MLS teams.
01:03:19
Emeka
man he had a long career though so i'll give him that he started off as a 16 year old yeah hu this is what i was scared of when we got him i talked myself into it maybe Arteta can you know bring back old memories and coach him but the boys watched
01:03:22
Chino Onwuka
He did. He did. He's a primarily great. We just need him to be stronger. That's all we need from him.
01:03:34
Chuku
Thank you.
01:03:37
Chino Onwuka
I did too. I did too. I didn't go in front. I did too.
01:03:40
Chino Onwuka
I really thought, you know, we could see, once he got out of that Chelsea dysfunction, I thought we could really, you know, utilize him better. But I don't know whether it's because of, he hasn't had a lot of rhythm in the season so far.
01:03:53
Chino Onwuka
You know, that's the only, it's copium right now. But hopefully now that he's being forced to have a rhythm, maybe he'll get something wrong.
01:03:59
Emeka
Oh.
01:04:01
Chino Onwuka
Because he could not do anything right. He couldn't stay on side. He couldn't take a man on one on one, which is supposed to be his stress. I'm not expecting him to be prime sterling, but just be something.
01:04:10
Emeka
Yeah.
01:04:13
Chino Onwuka
Hold on to the ball. Make a decent pass into the box. Something.
01:04:16
Emeka
Something, but.
01:04:17
Chuku
tell you all this and again ah again again This is a conversation I was trying to have with y'all in the in the group chat and Again, now we're here. I'm curious your thoughts on this but I just don't think he is a left-winger like I honestly don't think I Like he he plays that role That's his best role. Like I got it from what I've seen of Sterling so far even when I seen him in Chelsea uniform last year And for us this season, his more decent games, again, I use the word decent because look, he's not in the crazy, you know, crazy here, but his decent games that he's played for us, I've noticed, I've only seen it when he's on the right. Like, ah ah again, I'm curious your guys thoughts on this, but like, do y'all see that as well? Or am I just, maybe it was just the random game that, you know,
01:05:15
Chuku
You just rob now you have a decent game clean on the right What are your thoughts on this because that's what I'm noticing a lot with Sterling whenever I see him on the left Not it on the right Still on it, but at least Does something better than what I've seen compared to his game on the left your thoughts
01:05:35
Emeka
This is me being a hater, but I'm not gonna lie My first thought was when they still have a decent game ever for us. That was literally my first thought like he said Left or right? I get what you're saying because when he's on the left he cuts in to shoot and even in his prime Certainly can't shoot. So on the right it forces them to go outside put a cross in you know, maybe we'll get a ah jammy shot deflection or something so I get what you're saying, but i Being real my mystery reaction was left or right. He's been wank every time I've seen him play this year. So hey
01:06:09
Chino Onwuka
I still, I still, i I sort of get what you're saying, Chuku. He's had, you know, one good game on the right. I mean, that was what Derby County and in the league cup. And I think well there was a game you started recently, was it Champions League or something where he was actually, especially his first half. And I think he was on the left.
01:06:28
Chino Onwuka
he was actually really good, sort of faded a little bit in the second half. I like him better on the left because I think on the left he can cut in or still go outside. I know you say he always cuts in, but he actually does try to go outside a bit and then get to the touch line and then cut in. So I think there's a lot more variety that can come from him being on the left. And then obviously with the dynamics we have right now, show us how it hasn't been all that on the right.
01:06:59
Chino Onwuka
Ethan definitely has to be on the right. So, you know, it's either left wing or false nine for me. So however they want to interchange those positions is fine. But like ethan Ethan is on the right. um Apart from maybe them trying to arrest him and not rinse him.
01:07:18
Chino Onwuka
Ethan's on the right, and those other two have to figure out where they're playing. So, you know, that can be a good segue to talk about Ethan G.J. Berry. I have to add that's Monterey. Look, as someone who has been, and I know you all laugh at me a lot when I bring up, you know, 13-year-olds and 14-year-olds, and I say, oh, watch out for this guy. I'm sure you guys have a little smirk and say, oh, this guy has come again, but, man, it is so...
01:07:49
Chino Onwuka
It is so amazing to see someone that you've been watching since he was 13, 14. You know, you've seen the talent at the young level and been like, okay, this guy has it. He has something different and I think he can make it at the highest level. And even when they're that young, you never know what could happen. I have to see him up to that potential, playing up to that talent and being the best player on the pitch in a Premier League game,
01:08:18
Chino Onwuka
with all the other players that were on there is just amazing to see. I've been waxing lyrical about him. I when I say he's the best shooter on the team, y'all laugh at me. I still think that's the case. like He is so good. he His best position is in between the lines in the middle, but you can see with his attributes how devastating he is on that right wing.
01:08:41
Chino Onwuka
I just hope he stays fit, continues to to do what he's doing, you know, continues to do it in an arsenal shirt. And, you know, I think the season is done. Like Chupu said, let's just hope to finish in the top four, hope to not get embarrassed in the Champions League.
01:08:53
Chuku
Thank you very much.
01:08:59
Chino Onwuka
But my enjoyment for the rest of the season will come from watching Ethan and the other guy I brought up at the same time, Miles Luskelli, played for our club, Diff with Ball.
01:09:12
Chuku
yeah i hot I need, I need, I need the, I need the, need the I need, I need, I need it.
01:09:19
Chino Onwuka
Okay.
01:09:28
Chuku
going to be in the next three to four, three to five years. Arsenal's best player, AKA, he's going to be better than Saka. That is my take. That is my belief. And I'm telling you all, Ethan Wanyeri at 17 versus Saka at 17.
01:09:51
Chuku
one year the footballer clear of bakaya saka and i love saka i love saka sorry just just to clarify to make sure this is very clear okay the heartache is one year is going to be the best player
01:09:59
Chino Onwuka
easily. I don't I don't think that's a hot take at all. I know I'm gonna chime in and and say what he is but again I'm I'm the I'm the okay go ahead finish off before I go on.
01:10:21
Chuku
in the next three, three to three to five years, Max, the best player in an Arsenal jersey. If he does remain in Arsenal, which I believe he will, he will be the best player. No matter what the level soccer is, I'm telling you when you're the best player. And to add on to why I believe he's going to be the best player, I'm saying,
01:10:49
Chuku
that when you're at 17 versus bakarasaka at 17 it is clear to me and I'll again I'm hearing that you agree with this point so I'm glad that you know maybe I'm not going as crazy as I thought it was but to me when you're the footballer clear of bakarasaka and I love saka and we all know I believe saka is World-class has been more class in my opinion for what last couple of couple of seasons here in my opinion and one year I Think I just believe he's gonna take it up. He's gonna take it to the next level. So yeah, that's that's my hot tick
01:11:36
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, and and you know I really want to see know what Ameka's thoughts on this are because the reason why it's not a hot take to me is because, again, I watch the Arsenal U18s. I watch the Under 21s. I follow England from... I follow football from the U15s up, trying to see you know what the towns are out there. and so What Saka has become, Saka was always one of our better, one of the better players in the academy. He was never the best player in the Arsenal Academy coming up.
01:12:18
Chino Onwuka
He sort of is was that player who just kept, because of his his work ethic, because of his mentality, he just kept getting better and better and better. He wasn't that player that you saw at 14 and said, oh, he's the one. Even Thierry has said it because Thierry did his coaching badges and coached the other 18. He has come out and said that, yeah, nobody except expected Saka to be this. the star The guy who people thought was going to be the generational talent at that time was Reece Nelson. He was a star coming up and obviously we know now he hasn't been at that level at the senior game. so
01:12:55
Chino Onwuka
Saka was always one of the better talents, was always in the top five, but he was number number one. know Even looking at the England age groups, he wasn't you know ever seen as the number one. He was always a very good player. you know And there was always a thought, is he a left winger or a left back? He's a versatile player, assault player. Ethan has always been a wonder kid coming up. He's always been playing far above the age groups for both Arsenal and for in England, he was the youngest player ever to play for the under 18's at 14. Same thing for the under 21's, well up until Max Domen who I might refer to later. So because of that, yeah, Ethan was definitely a better player at 17, is a better player at 17 than Saka was at that age.
01:13:44
Chino Onwuka
Now can you keep doing what Saka did and keep getting better and better and staying fit and staying resilient? You know that is to be seen but in just in terms of talent at the same age like yeah if he keeps going at this trajectory I can definitely see the case where Ethan is the best player for Arsenal and that is a good problem to have. Now Growth isn't linear. you know We've seen someone who was an even bigger talent than both these two at the same age, Martin Odegard. And you see how his journey was up and down, up and down. And he's still a great player, but the leader of this team is Saka. What Saka did in in leading a team that was in the trenches and bringing them to where they are now, I think. I don't know how many players could have done that. And I think that's what I love about Ethan coming up is that he's not coming into a broken team.
01:14:35
Chino Onwuka
He's coming into a team with players who have been through that journey before, you know, coming as wonder kids and trying to make it a professional game. He's coming into a team with some another player, you know, who's a great role model, you know, from the Halin Academy who can show him the ropes and it doesn't all have to be on his shoulders. And he's coming in with his best friend from youth who is also an amazing talent, you know, different mentality.
01:15:05
Chino Onwuka
So I think all those things things, you know, he's coming in with Mikel as his coach will help it mold him into the player that I think he can be. I've always seen Ethan as a talent at the level of, you know, not saying he's as good as, but in that range of that that S class tier one talent.
01:15:23
Chino Onwuka
your Lamaze, your Wayne's, Emery's, Esteban Williams, that level of talent and it's great to have him in the team. you know The thing I'll say is, okay, you said three to five years is good because you know there's someone coming in behind who's broken all the records that Ethan has.
01:15:42
Chino Onwuka
which is scary to say who in seven years, maybe, you know, my, my eclipse. even And one thing I want to say about Ethan and one thing I want to say about miles, because, you know, I don't think we should downplay what miles did in that game. You know, miles, I'll keep saying miles is an eight. He's being played out of position. And the fact that he's been so good at left back and has surpassed four senior players, including the 42 million signing is, is unreal.
01:16:10
Chino Onwuka
It's so interesting the difference in in their mentalities. And if you haven't, especially if you're an Arsenal fan, you know I would encourage you to watch the Inside Hill End documentary because you get to see a little bit more of you know the journeys of these guys growing up. And you know those two have always been the stars.
01:16:31
Chino Onwuka
People who have been looking out for those two for the last couple of years. I think Ethan has sort of had the higher level than Miles, but it's always been Ethan and Miles. And it is so interesting to see how different those two are in their personalities. Miles is the leader. He's the one that's outgoing. You know, he's the one that's vocal. Ethan is just a stone cold killer. Like sometimes I watch him and I'm like, bro, do you enjoy playing football? Because this guy scores.
01:17:01
Chino Onwuka
He'll score a curling shot into the top corner and he'll just jog over. You know, you know, no crazy FIFA celebrations because like that's what he expects to do. And sometimes he's mad. He's only scored one goal. So that's the other thing about these two, in different ways, but their mentalities are the things you want to see at this level. But it's funny how, for how close they are, they're so different. It's good to have that balance. So I've said a lot.
01:17:27
Chino Onwuka
I make up probably things for talking crazy, so let's hear what you have to say.
01:17:34
Emeka
I mean, your first part of the statement is 100% factual. Sakha at 17 was always breaking into the team. Ethan at 17 is seventeen he's putting on men of the match performances in the Premier League and and looking like a man amongst boys. So yeah, I know facts. Ethan's better at 17 than Sakha was at 17. Honestly, Ethan is better than most guys were at 17. For the second part, I mean,
01:17:59
Emeka
Sure, I guess. i mean ah Progress isn't linear. so i can't i would If you tell me we're in a world where in far in five years, Ethan keeps going on this trajectory, I can see it. But that's a big ask, because a lot of guys who burst into the scene at a young age and don't really kick off. so like He has the talent to do it, but is he going to do it?
01:18:19
Emeka
I don't know. like I hope so. Hell, I hope Saka is still here in three to five years, because that was my thought. I was like, is Saka, is he going to be here? Like, you know, we laugh and joke about how, like, don't win trophy soon.
01:18:31
Emeka
Guys will leave.
01:18:31
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
01:18:32
Emeka
But it might happen.
01:18:32
Chino Onwuka
Yeah.
01:18:34
Emeka
Like, if someone tells me right now, it's a bigger chance in five years. It is better than Saka or Saka's left arsenal. I ain't going to lie, I'm a pick option B. So.
Bukayo Saka: The Talisman of the Team
01:18:45
Emeka
Like I will see you I guess in max dalman. Hey man, I hope in seven years He's better than everybody too. We hope we have all the nice players, but all I'm gonna say is bucayo if you're listening You're a fan here. America did not waver. Wukayo, you're still the star boy. Don't let Ethan Steyer steal your shine. You're still the star man. You're still the one, bro. Like, hey, I ain't gonna switch up on you just because you're answering, go to work, and you sit on the sidelines now. Now the young boys are coming in and getting some shine. Wukayo, I still love you, man. I still rock with you. Don't worry.
01:19:18
Chino Onwuka
No, no, no, no, no. Look, this is not a Twitter thing where just because you praise one player means you're downplaying the other, please. Saka is still the man. He is the heartbeat of this team. Bukayo, Saka, you are the man. You will forever be the man, no matter what. I don't think I can love a football player as much as I love Saka, I don't think I can love anybody more than I love Saka.
01:19:51
Chino Onwuka
So a Saka, Saka is still the man.
01:19:51
Emeka
Fox.
01:19:54
Chino Onwuka
He's, I know, you know, Odegard wears the armband, you know, you might say Gabrielle is the heart of the team.
01:20:06
Chino Onwuka
Saka is the soul of the team.
01:20:08
Emeka
Talisman of the team.
01:20:09
Chino Onwuka
And that will always be the case. We look forward you to you being back, King.
01:20:14
Emeka
But just to spin off my brother's question though, I know me and Chin will have this, I won't call it debates, but this ongoing conversation where you, i'm youre look you're right, Ethan progressed every level of football prior to the first team.
01:20:14
Chino Onwuka
and
01:20:28
Emeka
He played in midfield, but I think it's clear to say as a pro, he's excelled more at the right wing. I'm really curious how Arteta fits everybody. Like, I'll never say Saka's injury was a blessing in disguise, because I miss Saka. It kind of was, because they let Ethan really break into the the first team. And now, unless, you know, next year, everyone's fit, you you can't, you tell, you I mean, you can't bench Ethan. It's crazy to say this for a 17-year-old.
01:20:57
Emeka
You can't bench Ethan. So either you're playing him next to Odegard, which Arteta hates doing that. He always likes to have rice as he ate now. Or you're moving him or Sakha to the left wing.
01:21:09
Emeka
It's great problems to have, but I'm just so curious how you fit Sakha, Odegard, and Ethan into the lineup. You have to do all of them in my opinion. You have to do all of them.
01:21:18
Chuku
That's what it is. You don't fit go for those three guys into the lineup. That's what it is. What you do is, on any given weekend, two out of those three teams are going to be starting. It's a rotation. In my honest opinion, I just i look at Wanyari as calm, right wing.
01:21:40
Chuku
And the closest thing we have to someone playing that cam position, even though we, as of right now, we truly don't really play with a cam. We play with two eights is what it seems to look like. But out of the two eights, the more attacking eight seems to be the right eight, which tends to be Odegard. And I think Wanyeri can fit in that Odegard position, playing next to Asaka, or he can, as we've already seen,
01:22:10
Chuku
can be the guy playing the right wing position, playing next to an order guard. Either way, it gives us depth in those two positions.
Emerging Talents: Wanyeri and Ethan
01:22:19
Chuku
And this was one of the biggest reasons why I was so adamant in terms of the decision to let Fabio Vieira go. Because I see one year as that Fabio Vieira, a better player of what Fabio Vieira was envisioned to be.
01:22:39
Chuku
which was a player that can play that 8 slash cam roll and also chip in playing the right-winger roll, which is what he's done in the past. And I just think with the emergence of Wanyari now, if I were VR, I can kiss that roll goodbye. It's most likely, he's created ourselves, most likely mapping in my opinion done. And Wanyari is going to, that's what we're going to see. I don't think where we're ever going to see a situation of Wanyari Again, obviously we could be proven, I could be proven wrong on this, but I just don't see any situation where when you're originally playing, I was only asked to play on the left winger role or the left eight role. I just don't see it because as you've clearly seen, when your favorite foot is his left and he is most dangerous, you know, striking the ball with coming inside and
01:24:41
Chino Onwuka
21?
01:24:44
Chino Onwuka
While the time Odegard turns 30, Ethan will be turning 21. So maybe it's going to be a problem in the short term, short term but you know again, you know A year is a long time in football, who knows what can happen, but you know, I think it's, it might be a little bit overstated because at the very worst, like Chuku said, it's going to be a rotation thing. You know, I see Ethan as sort of like that Bernardo Silva, Phil Fulton situation where he'll just, you know, as you look at different
01:25:20
Chino Onwuka
games and and and the needs for each games and rotation and load management, you can now better manage both Saka and Odegard while understanding that at the levels those guys are, they are going to be expecting to play every single game or most games. I do think you will get games where all three are playing. We saw in preseason where it was Saka right wing, Odegard,
01:25:50
Chino Onwuka
right eight, Ethan, left eight. And, you know, Miquel is a young coach. He's evolving as a coach. You know, what he does now might not be what he does in the future. Could we see Ethan stay at that left eight? Maybe Martin goes right eight. Maybe as Odegard gets older, he starts to drop deeper and, you know, be that full deep line playmaker and Ethan stays up.
01:26:19
Chino Onwuka
It's going to be a problem when Max Doleman comes into the team because he is a left-footed player that plays attacking midfielder and they put him out on the wing as well.
01:26:31
Chino Onwuka
It's going to be a problem going forward because unless we keep MLS at left back, which I don't think is his best position, he is more of a six deeper line eight. So these are good problems to have. The talent will show itself up, but I do think you can put all those guys in the team. You know, I make, I understand you saying that, you know, that is Ethan's best position.
01:26:55
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, that might be his best position at 17. We saw with Wenger, he always said that you know at a younger age, it's easier to put them on the wing than in the middle with all the responsibilities that take. you know Coming up his best position, he was always he was so good that whether he played striker, right wing, or left wing, he was still always the best player. That's how good he was. But his best position where not only was he still contributing goals and assists he was also running games is that 10 because you then have that ability where he can and you saw that with his first couple of goals for Arsenal where him arriving he has that instinct to arrive in the box and finish so I think you can get a lot more of that when he's playing in that midfield position now when he's on the wing but
01:27:46
Chino Onwuka
He's something that can play and everywhere. Maybe at his young age right now, maybe you will see a little bit more out of the wind, but in terms of as he grows, gets older, gets more mature, physically develops, I still think that 10 is his best position. You know, Howard, Saka, Odegard,
01:28:04
Chino Onwuka
and MLS, you know, if Doman continues to progress, how are they all going to fit? You know, is Declan a six or eight? Are we getting to the demandee? What's all that going to happen? It's going to be really interesting to see, but I think, you know, it is a good problem to have, you know, these talented players and let the best, let the best player win. Let the best player win.
01:28:28
Emeka
Hey, good problems to have, man.
01:28:29
Chino Onwuka
that
01:28:31
Emeka
Good problems to have.
01:28:32
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, good problems to have, good problems.
01:28:33
Emeka
Come back, Saka, though. I miss you.
01:28:36
Chino Onwuka
Come back soon. Don't come back too soon, though, please. Please take your time.
01:28:39
Emeka
True. True. Take your time, but please come back, Saka. I miss you.
01:28:43
Chino Onwuka
So you know I think there's a lot more we wanted to discuss. We wanted to talk about NBA All-Star Weekend. We wanted to talk about you know the Champions League tie between Real Madrid and Man City. We just had the first leg, Real Madrid doing the Black Magic to win 3-2.
01:29:02
Chino Onwuka
But, you know, we were coming up at an hour and a half, and I think we want to be cognizant of people's time. So I think we'll we'll try and wrap it up. I think even the next episode, after we've seen, you know, we've had the result of the second leg, I think that's a good time to sort of look at, you know, everything with Roam Adrid and Man City, the tie. So I think where we can end it, and we can talk about the All Star Weekend next episode as well, is our game of the week or games of the week. Liverpool, yeah I think it's it's a seven point gap now. There's no more game in Hansel. It's a seven point gap. you know Arsenal have no strikers.
01:29:46
Chino Onwuka
So, but if there's a time where there could be a wobble, and we have seen them, Liverpool sort of wobble the last couple of games, you know, they lost to Plymouth, you know, last second equalizer against them at Everton, you know, even the game against Wolves, you know, at home, they weren't that convincing in the second half, you know, no shots on target. I think that's like one of the first times that's ever happened. If there's a time for a wobble, it is this week because they have Villa midweek and then City on the weekend. So those are games of the week. So we're going to wrap up the episode with this. Boys, what are your predictions?
Liverpool vs. Man City Predictions
01:30:27
Chuku
first
01:30:27
Emeka
First I'll go First of all, I want to predict we're not gonna talk about the all-star game next week because there's nothing to be said about that travesty for the kid for the games of the week ah Man, who not who not who not I'm talking to you now as a former Arsenal fan for some reason You love to have you to rotate your lineup Against our social title rivals for some reason.
01:30:28
Chuku
but
01:30:51
Emeka
I don't know against Man City you spread cheeks. I'm asking I i Understand it didn't end well for you in arsenal, but come on if I see ah villa rock up with a backup line of midweek I might crash up I know y'all are giving up but until the fat lady sings I'm still gonna be trying and brah if I see villa pull up with that Nonsense light up to did last year of again city. I'm gonna be mad but I'm still I'm gonna still have to go to a little to know Liverpool more satellite penalty because that's just how it rose these days and like I said, wouldn't I just love to just give up three points the people who play are so in title races but for the weekend and this is a shock because I've been slight known as slandered man city more than I am I feel like it over the last couple months That being said maybe it's cuz I saw my moosh have a nice hat trick. Maybe I'm just delusional and
01:31:45
Emeka
I think Man City are going to beat Liverpool. I think Man City are going to beat Liverpool. It's going to be a classic. It's going to be, you know, end-to-end, Holland, Mamous versus Salah. I don't know. For some reason, I just get a feeling, maybe after they lose to Madrid midweek, the pressure comes back up and they say, you know what? We're not losing the slots. We're not losing to Liverpool at the end. Nico Gonzalez is looking like a good signing. You know, they don't ship five goals like that anymore. I don't know.
01:32:14
Emeka
I'm picking Man City to beat, Liverpool 3-1.
01:32:19
Chino Onwuka
look I think I'm on the same page as you I think what I want Villa just give him a tough game make them work for it I think Liverpool is still gonna win because it yeah if you you look at it like villains what eighth ninth in the table so i think probably they're just putting all their efforts into doing well in the champions and doing well against arsenal everything else is is whatever for them but yeah that game against man city is the one that i'm looking at and like you i do think you know man city can
01:32:55
Chino Onwuka
can can win that game should win that game because one they're at home and two the key you know yes they've got Marmouche the key for me is Nico Gonzalez because now they have somebody who can play that he's not Raji but can play that Raji role He comes from you know the the Barcelona system, so plays the way Pep wants to play. And so he can be that fulcrum in the middle, both offensively and defensively a little bit. And I think with that with sort of the tightness that we've seen from Liverpool in the last couple of games, you know i think i think I think they drop points between the two games, and it's most likely against
01:33:39
Chino Onwuka
city. Now I will say that just because I think the drop point doesn't mean I'm now saying, oh, I think, are someone going to drop points too? Because we're not going to play Leicester every game.
01:33:50
Chino Onwuka
We're going to have tough games. And no, no, no, no.
01:33:51
Emeka
God damn, that's to live to live.
01:33:55
Chino Onwuka
What I'm going to say is the the issue is our margin for error has been slim the whole season. and It's even slimmer
01:34:05
Chino Onwuka
We've seen what has happened to us this season. So something is going to happen where we're probably going to, even with all the injuries we have, we're going to play well. But that last action, we still don't have a striker.
01:34:14
Chuku
and you going
01:34:19
Chino Onwuka
It's going to come back to bite up in the butt somehow. So I think Liverpool is going to drop points. You know, it's going to mean for some squeaky bump time, but I think
01:34:29
Chuku
yeah
01:34:31
Chino Onwuka
with our injury crisis, with the gap they've built, I think it's not gonna be enough, but I'm still, hey, Man City, do something for the board.
01:34:41
Chino Onwuka
Should we hear your thoughts as we wrap up?
01:34:45
Chuku
Very simple Liverpool beat Aston Villa and Massady beats Liverpool. I think that's how it's gonna go down and as far as scoreline I'll keep it simple 2-1 Liverpool is Villa and my city 3 3-1 I think I think my city are picking up steam and you know, this is gonna be their chance to run through and make me I think they're gonna make a well, I think they're gonna finish comfortably in top four In fact, I think actually my finished third
01:35:19
Chuku
ahead of nothing enforced. And this just starts with beating the title winners who I think they're going to win the league in Liverpool. And yeah, my city, I think my city is going to be good for a good pick for that win. So yeah.
01:35:39
Chino Onwuka
And sorry, I guess we're so focused on other game of the week has to also be room of treatment city. What am I thinking? So predictions for that as well.
Real Madrid's Winning Mystique
01:35:53
Chuku
Madrid go through rock magic very strong, you know Yeah, I have a score. I just I mean you can pick whatever but I just think Whatever. It's whatever you would think Madrid at the end of the day are gonna be the ones that make it through so I Was gonna say to one for that
01:36:19
Chino Onwuka
And Michael.
01:36:21
Emeka
I don't think, I think I was the only one who watched that game live, but if you watch that game, how, oh my, what when we joe we say Madrid Black Magic, it's every year I think I fully understand what that black magic means until I see it happen again. It literally is black magic. Like how they won that game in the first leg, I'll never understand. I'll never understand.
01:36:45
Emeka
but Madrid Black Magic is real, man. Like, hey, Mbappe is cooking. They're lucky that this is not La Liga. My boy, Jude, got to watch his mouth. He's out here yapping to all the reps against Santo, but lucky for Madrid. He can play. He can play, you know, in the Champions League. So he gets to play. it I can't at home. Maybe this was second leg was in in Manchester. I could I could I could pick Man City but in Madrid. Nah, no way. It weren't bad. If I want to go on a leg and say it's gonna be some some yo, yo, yo, man. Man City he will win like 2-1 begin the game. It'll go to penalties. I'm gonna do the win again just because they can't They can't help themselves, man. They're not going to lose a round of, knock out what a round of 32 where it is right now. That's that's not the Madrid I know, man. Like, nah, Madrid. you to To beat them, you have to kill them. You can't beat a scrappy game against them. You have to beat them like 5-0. Massity ain't winning 5-0. So I got to pick Madrid.
01:37:43
Chino Onwuka
Yeah, I think what will, I think City's gonna be stronger because Nico's probably gonna play, he he didn't play in the first leg, but I think it's gonna be a situation of Man City pressing and, you know, Madrid's gonna just try and hit him on the counter every time. And, you know, I i have faith in Mbappe and Vinicius to, between the two of them, they're gonna do something. So,
01:38:10
Chino Onwuka
I can even see it it being a 0-1-1 draw, but that's still been enough for Madrid to sweep by and into and into the next round. So yeah, some some some a lot of big games coming up, you know a lot to discuss the next time we meet. So thank you all for for sticking with us. There's another good one. So we will catch you next time on another episode of The Love of the Game.