Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
How D'you Solve a Problem like......... Liverpool, West Ham and Wolves
0 Plays2 seconds ago
Join your Global Sports Podcast Network team for your daily briefing on all things premier league – News, transfers, analysis and opinion – you’ll find it here on Daily Premier League part of the Global Sports Podcast Network podcast channel
Subscribe, leave a review and share the podcast and you can join the debate by emailing us at: dailypremierleaguepodcast@gmail.com
Our Sponsors
Bioniq - Don't settle for off-the-shelf solutions made for ANY body. Get what's right for YOU. Right now.
We’ve spent years analyzing blood markers to develop our patented algorithm, enabling us to create a 100% personalized supplement to support your health by optimizing your micronutrient status.
Follow the link and Use code GSPN2025 for 40% of your first month’s subscription.
www.bioniq.com/gspn2025
Zencastr
Built for quality - Designed for growth
A new era for creation is here.
The only complete audio + video platform to get best-in-class recording, intuitive editing, AI-powered growth features, and top-tier distribution tools — all in one place.
We highly recommend it!
https://zencastr.com/?via=ken
Global Sports Podcast Network - Creating the world’s first network of daily podcasts for the major teams in the world’s biggest sporting export, the English Premier League.
For advertising and sponsorship details or to learn more about the scale and demographics of our audience – email Ken Davies, VP Business & Development at:
ken.davies@globalsportspodcastnetwork.com
www.globalsportspodcastnetwork.com
Copyright | 2025 Global Sports Podcast Network | All Rights Reserved
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Hypothetical Consultancy Scenario
00:00:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Welcome everybody, welcome wherever you may be around the world, welcome to the Daily Premier League podcast on Wednesday, the whatever it is, is it the 29th?
00:00:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Feels like it. It's the 29th everyone, welcome.
00:00:24
Nick Britten
It is the 29th, yes. Two days away from Halloween, Ken.
00:00:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh my word, a busy night for us. Yeah, welcome as we take another daily deep dive into everything in the greatest domestic league in the world, and I'm talking about the Premier League. My name's Ken Davis.
00:00:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
His name over there, the bloke with the things on his ears, is Nick Britton.
£7 Million Consultancy Challenge Accepted
00:00:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
And a lot to talk about, but I want kind of do a slightly different one today in the sense of, I want imagine, Nick, imagine for a second, you got a phone call today from one of the following chairmen, either Liverpool, West Ham or Wolves, saying, Nick, if you're free next week, could you pop in?
00:01:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're going to give you £7 million. pounds but we want you to act as a consultant and solve our problems. How do you solve a problem like Liverpool, West Ham, or Wolves? So that is your, if you decide to take the £7 million, pounds that's your assignment.
00:01:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
So ah are you accepting the challenge? Yeah.
00:01:42
Nick Britten
I'm accepting the money, thank you very much.
00:01:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:01:44
Nick Britten
I'm also accepting that i'm about to book a flight to a nice island in the sunshine.
00:01:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah yeah
00:01:49
Nick Britten
I'll just do do this job remotely if that's all right.
00:01:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, absolutely.
00:01:53
Nick Britten
I don't think it'll take long. It'll take 10 minutes to solve the problem and then I can have the rest the week off.
00:01:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, let us judge whether you successfully solve them.
English League Cup Highlights
00:02:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Solving the problem might be a big ask. ah Let's try and come up with some seeds of hope okay for these teams.
00:02:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Before we get on to that, just very, very quickly, the three games last night in the English League Cup. ah Brentford trounced Grimsby away.
00:02:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Fulham didn't trounce Wickham, but went through on penalties. And there another game involving two Welsh teams, it will gloss over.
00:02:28
Nick Britten
I think we should start there, shouldn't We we should start with Wrexham's home humiliation. And that's exactly what it was. Humiliation at home to lower league Cardiff City.
00:02:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:02:38
Nick Britten
There's only one team in Wales, the Cardiff fans sang.
00:02:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. It's... it's ah
00:02:44
Nick Britten
thought Wrexham were pretty poor.
00:02:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
gri And it was on the telly. It was on the terrestrial telly, wasn't it?
00:02:47
Nick Britten
It was a poor game. Wrexham were really poor. I was expecting much better. than You keep telling me how good they are.
00:02:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Yeah.
00:02:56
Nick Britten
Well, they weren't last an night.
00:02:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
They're not great at home.
00:02:57
Nick Britten
And the last 15 minutes, no, the last 15 minutes when you expect them to throw the kitchen sink, they just literally offered nothing at all.
00:02:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
They're really not very good at home.
00:03:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
I know. It's disappointing and frustrating and all those things. And it was Cardiff, and that always makes it that much worse. But there there you go. So we're not into the hat in the round of, well, would it would have been quarter-finals, wouldn't it?
00:03:16
Nick Britten
Court finals, mate. You missed your big chance. Big chance with Glamour tie.
Wrexham vs Cardiff City Fan Reaction
00:03:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Five games tonight, most of them involving Premier League teams. So I think what we'll do, we'll do a deep dive, obviously avoiding the Welsh one. ah We'll do a deep dive into all the League Cup games tomorrow.
00:03:33
Nick Britten
Yeah, see who's left.
00:03:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
That sounds...
00:03:35
Nick Britten
There's good games tonight, but lots of changes being made.
00:03:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes, there are.
00:03:38
Nick Britten
I've seen the Liverpool side, goodness me. Centre-half pairing of, is it, Robertson and Gomez, but
00:03:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well...
00:03:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, that'll be interesting. Gomez is a player. Well, we're going to come to this. Gomez is a player would like to have seen a bit more of this year, too.
Solving Liverpool's Defensive Woes
00:03:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Okay, so your challenge, Nick, you've accepted the £7 million, pounds ah is now to how workout how We try and solve a Liverpool team that has been, certainly in the last month, dysfunctional.
00:04:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
The new signings, I think, have diminished rather than augmented the team. Diminished and augmented, obviously, they are guitar-chord things, but I just thought I'd throw them in. in Add in a bit colour, if you like, to the podcast.
00:04:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
Arsenal doesn't seem...
00:04:27
Nick Britten
you perhaps get your gazaar off the wall and and sing this bit of the podcast then?
00:04:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
I feel like he should really. Arnie Slott doesn't seem to have found the answer. So can you can you deliver your thoughts on how we can make Liverpool a little bit more successful?
00:04:48
Nick Britten
Well, the the first challenge, and it it has to be the first challenge, is to stop conceding so many goals, is to shore up the defence. And actually, we mentioned Gomez. I would have Gomez in the team. He needs a run in the team.
00:05:00
Nick Britten
And I would have him next to Van Dijk because it's been a bit of a car crash this year.
00:05:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:05:05
Nick Britten
He's been very shaky. So it'll be interesting. He's playing alongside Naoni tonight, not Robinson, in the middle of the defence against Crystal Palace in the Cup. It's good for Gomez. He needs 90 minutes under his belt. And if he has a good 90 minutes under his belt, I'll chuck him in at the weekend.
00:05:19
Nick Britten
the second The second thing I would do is consider how the midfield two in a 4-2-3-1 are working because they don't seem to be offering enough protection to the defence.
00:05:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
and
00:05:32
Nick Britten
And if particularly down the down the flanks, I think we've seen the full-backs suffer this season, but also just straight down the middle. balls down the middle, whether Kanate, whether it's Van Dijk, who thought looked shaky in the last game. And and so,
00:05:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do you think that's an issue of protection then in terms of the centre?
00:05:47
Nick Britten
well, I think they need to offer more protection. Yeah, ah absolutely.
00:05:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:05:50
Nick Britten
yeah Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:05:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Would you change the shape would you simply?
00:05:51
Nick Britten
But whether that's true, change the formation, potentially. Change the formation.
00:05:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because 4-2-3-1 is quite a defensive formation really, isn't it? You've got those two chit-back, can we?
00:05:59
Nick Britten
Well, I don't think it is, actually. No, I don't think it is. I think, actually, it's it's quite an attacking one because if you've got two good defensive midfielders, or two good midfielders, say, in that position, you can say, right, well, essentially, we've got six defensive players on the pitch outside of the goalkeeper, which will allow the front four to just go and play.
00:06:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
a bomb. Yeah.
00:06:20
Nick Britten
Yeah, just go and play. Now, the problem is, if it doesn't work, you yeah know you you you were criticising Salah the other day for not tracking back, and that's part of the issue.
00:06:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's very...
00:06:29
Nick Britten
the full-backs aren't being protected at all by the midfield. So you're kind of relying on the wingers folks for a bit of an old-fashioned phrase. They're not really wingers, but you're relying on on the wide players of those front three to try and track back and defend. Now, that shouldn't be the case.
00:06:44
Nick Britten
So it may be that he has to reshape the midfield a little bit.
00:06:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Would you go for 4-3-3?
00:06:48
Nick Britten
Oh, maybe 4-3-3, yeah. Yeah, he's got the players to do that. got the players to do that.
00:06:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Interesting.
00:06:53
Nick Britten
and And just allow, maybe maybe just get one of them to hold.
00:06:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
Interesting.
00:06:58
Nick Britten
Just get one of them to sit and hold and offer the defence little bit more protection in that kind of McAuley-Kante role for Chelsea that did so well.
00:07:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:07:06
Nick Britten
That that kind of role.
00:07:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, Kaysado's doing pretty well.
00:07:07
Nick Britten
and ah so yeah because i was that might be That might be. You're looking for suggestions on how to make things better. And the last thing really I think is... is
00:07:19
Nick Britten
how how to get the best out of the signings they've made. Because they're all very good players. They just don't look at it at the moment. um and And I think key key key to that is getting Florian Verts playing because he's got the quality, I think, but he's just not showing it at the moment. So does he need a change of formation? Does he need things to work around him a bit better in order to get the best out of him?
00:07:40
Nick Britten
Because he looks a little lost when he plays.
00:07:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, because he's kind of sitting behind ah the main striker, isn't he, really, in ah in that three.
00:07:43
Nick Britten
So...
00:07:48
Nick Britten
Yeah. Yeah.
00:07:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Rather than, you know, 4-3-3, you become, you know, clearly you're you're one of the strike force, aren't you, really, in three?
00:07:58
Nick Britten
Yeah. So he needs to start getting a tune out him because that that creativity is lacking.
00:08:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:08:05
Nick Britten
You Salah, we know, hasn't been scoring. Scored a great goal the other day against Brentford, but couldn't save them from defeat. They'll be hoping that that helps kick him on. We won't know tonight. He's not playing tonight. He's not involved.
00:08:18
Nick Britten
ah But, yeah, I think getting that front
Liverpool's New Signings and Tactical Challenges
00:08:23
Nick Britten
line moving. And I think key to that, key to that is is is getting Florian Verts playing.
00:08:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I think I like that. I like that. I think you've earned your money. A couple of things that when I was thinking about this as well, I think there's more problems than answers, but you know that's why you're getting the big books now.
00:08:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah is ah One of the things I've noticed about Liverpool this year, and I've noticed about Arnie Slott, is how many changes take place during the game.
00:08:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
and mean's It's become quite common in Liverpool games for both full-backs to be replaced 60-65 minutes into the game. I mean, that's very unusual.
00:09:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
and you've got You've got players playing really out of position. Slavishai is a good example. playing plane You'd play him in the three of a three in the midfield, wouldn't you? That would be his natural position. You wouldn't play him in ah naturally is a as so as a full-back, but you'd play him as a full-back because he's the v he's best person in squad to do that.
00:09:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
But it just strikes me as on his slot has got a lot of... ah There's too much change. There's too much too many things happening. in Too many people being moved out of position in critical positions.
00:09:46
Nick Britten
if you
00:09:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I just wonder whether actually part of this problem is that Slott needs to hook a bike up, decide what his best team is and just stick with that and not check make these big key changes all the way through the game.
00:09:46
Nick Britten
if you
00:10:01
Nick Britten
If you had just dropped the word Liverpool or slot out of that sentence and said to anybody who we're talking about, probably nine to nine out of ten people would say Manchester United.
00:10:13
Nick Britten
Because that's exactly what Ruben Amorim was criticised for.
00:10:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh.
00:10:15
Nick Britten
Changing the defence around, moving players about like like on a chessboard, changing positions and not having that settled back three as Manchester United play.
00:10:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm. Mm.
00:10:26
Nick Britten
And Amorim was getting hammered for it. Absolutely hammered for it. And, you know, by that reckoning, i guess so should Slott, should he
00:10:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I do think he should. I think it's starting to start to happen as as we as we know. The other thing, and I was looking at the some of the Liverpool comments on on some of the Liverpool fan pages, I hadn't picked this up, but they're picking it up, and I wonder what your view is on this. that The Premier League has become a far more physical league quickly.
00:11:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Liverpool are rather technical rather than physical midfield in defence. And actually, it is catching them out in terms of their they they're suddenly up against different types of specimens than they've been up against before.
00:11:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
And they're not coping very well with it. And there's a number of people saying, you we lose out on the physical battle every week.
00:11:26
Nick Britten
always have to be
00:11:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're we're not good out of possession. We're not good in in the... in In the real kind of physical battles, we lose out. which we We tend to be weak in those combat situations.
00:11:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Do you think there's anything in that?
00:11:50
Nick Britten
Well, you've got to add into that, of course, and something that the guys, so Nick and Victor, were talking about last night on last night's broadcast is that we've seen a massive increase in set pieces, and longer balls and throw-ins into the box and a big emphasis on corners.
00:12:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:12:04
Nick Britten
And so you throw those two things together and you don't have tall, big players. And and and teams are having to increasingly learn to defend their box better because more and more balls are just getting bombed in.
00:12:17
Nick Britten
And you've got to be able to do that. So
Spotlight on Wellety Lucky, Liverpool's Rising Star
00:12:20
Nick Britten
it's a kind of a two-pronged thing, isn't it? Not only is it is a a physical league, But more and more emphasis is now being played on balls into the box or throw-ins into the box.
00:12:30
Nick Britten
and And you've got to be able to, in the stromash of 20 people, all pulling, pushing and and and fighting each other, sometimes to get the ball, sometimes not, you've got to be able to stand up for yourself in there. It's a bit of a bear pit penalty here as these days when balls are being flung into it.
00:12:47
Nick Britten
And you've got to be able to stand up for yourself and and beat your opponent. that's all That's all you've got to do You've got to stop your opponent getting to the ball. That's it. that's all yeah yeah and and Unless, of course, you do the dreaded zonal defending, which I can't stand.
00:13:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, no.
00:13:01
Nick Britten
ah But essentially, so yeah, there's absolutely that absolutely credibility. you can mean, Kerkhez is a great example.
00:13:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, he's a good example of that.
00:13:06
Nick Britten
You know, he's <unk>s he's slight, isn't he? He's going to come up against a big strapping centre-half or a big so big strapping striker like Mateta or Haaland or something like that.
00:13:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, you don't you don't imagine what the outcome is going to be.
00:13:15
Nick Britten
He hasn't got a chance.
00:13:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
the The other thing, just to finally finish that bit off, that something else was being mentioned, which, again, i hadn't really picked up, is that obviously Liverpool have got a pretty decent ah press, but teams are playing over the press.
00:13:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
Teams are playing, not in terms of playing their way through it, but literally playing over it. And, you know, balls in the air, over the press, releasing runners. And it just seems to be, and therefore Liverpool's press, if you like, is being annulled, if you like, because of that pickup because of that that strategy that teams have got of actually we' goingnna we're going to launch it launch it long and run on to it.
00:14:00
Nick Britten
Yeah, absolutely yeah there absolutely. There's absolute credibility to that and that's that's what they've got to do because if that's the way to get at your opponent, then that's what you do.
00:14:08
Nick Britten
I should say, before you move on, there's a young man who's on the bench for Liverpool tonight. who I think in all my many, many, many, many many many many years of watching football, I've never come across such a great name.
00:14:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
very Very good.
00:14:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:14:22
Nick Britten
there's a young centre-half, he's 19 years old, on the bench at Liverpool, called Wellety Lucky. What a great name.
00:14:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Well, it's good look. yeah
00:14:29
Nick Britten
Wellety Lucky.
00:14:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
well so with good luck
00:14:31
Nick Britten
He's born in Zarragotha, but actually plays for England. He's played for England under 15 and England under 16. He's got sort of one appearance for the fifteens three for the 16s. And he's the centre-half.
00:14:45
Nick Britten
And he's on the bench.
00:14:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Very good.
00:14:46
Nick Britten
strong So we were I'm hoping Wellity Lucky will get in because that's a cracking name. though
00:14:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
He'll be lucky. i let's go on Anyway, but so good look good good luck.
00:14:54
Nick Britten
He'll be Wellity to get on.
00:14:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Good luck.
00:14:56
Nick Britten
Let's hope he's lucky and gets on and then does Wellity.
Zencastr Partnership Promotion
00:14:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, it's just thiss endless, isn't it, really? We spend the whole podcast just talking about that.
00:15:03
Nick Britten
i didn Go on. Yeah, move on. move on
00:15:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
As we know, as well as your lucky nose, as Arnie Slott knows, it pays to get your team selection right. And here at Global Sports Podcast Network, we spend a lot of time selecting our delivery partner. We chose Zencaster.
00:15:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
Zencaster makes it easy to bring your vision to life, share it with your audience, wherever they may be. It's got 4K video recording. It's got really easy AI editing. And if I can use it, it's easy. And top tier distribution tools all in one place. So if you've got a story to tell, tell it with Zencaster. If you want to check the show notes, you'll find out lots more about that.
00:15:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. ah Patient two, Dr. Britton, who's just about to walk through the door of the waiting room and sit down, lie on the couch um of your ah new newly founded psychoanalysis treatment clinic, is Mr.
00:16:05
Nick Britten
Yeah, all right, all right. Just get on with it. You're going too far now.
00:16:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
West Ham. is ah is mr west ham
00:16:11
Nick Britten
Do I get, before we carry on, do I get another 7 million?
00:16:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, you get 7 million every year.
00:16:14
Nick Britten
If not, I'm not.
00:16:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
I mean, it's not cheap, psychoanalysis of this nature and consultancy of this quality.
00:16:19
Nick Britten
It's good quality though, isn't it? Yeah, it's good quality.
00:16:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's probably well spent for them if they're staying up. ah West Ham have had the worst start in 52 years. Interestingly, little facts, little nugget that I found out, they've got the sixth highest transfer spend of all the Premier League teams since 2016. Where's that gone?
00:16:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
f y yeah
00:16:42
Nick Britten
Well, it's gone on a succession of players, and particularly strikers, who aren't good enough.
00:16:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:16:48
Nick Britten
It's as simple as that. they're just not good at they're They're just not good enough. And what they've been left with now is a team that's ageing, a team that's slow, and really have only got two high-quality players in it.
00:16:59
Nick Britten
So the first thing I would do through the door is tie Jarrod Bowen down and Lucas Pacitar down to as long as possible.
00:17:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Package I want to move in January.
00:17:08
Nick Britten
Well, of course he does. so Why wouldn't he?
00:17:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:17:10
Nick Britten
mean, like ah I say this very regularly on the podcast and um I might as well repeat it as soon as we're talking about it, but I cannot believe that Jarrod Bowen is still playing at West Ham. I mean, he's just he's too he's far too
West Ham's Struggles and Improvement Strategies
00:17:20
Nick Britten
good for them. And I appreciate his loyalty and I appreciate everything he's about because he's normally the one of the only players who you just look at and go, yeah, this guy's putting the effort in, he's putting the shift in and he's really good.
00:17:30
Nick Britten
He should be playing for much, much, much better team than West Ham.
00:17:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah i think there's that every team in the premier league bar about four would welcome her into the team wouldn't they
00:17:39
Nick Britten
Yeah. Oh, 100%. And so so that's that would be my number one, is just try and get get those two to stay the rest of the season. Because if if either of those goes, or if they both go in January, that's it anyway. i think it's it I think it's anyway. i think they're going to go down anyway.
00:17:54
Nick Britten
I don't think there's much much you can do. They're lying there almost, you know, with... with the odd deep flatline going already. and We're only nine what nine games into the season.
00:18:05
Nick Britten
And it's very difficult to know. i mean, the the second thing, that the they've got to buy players. They've got to buy players in January, and they've got to try and limp on as best they can, keep in touch with fourth from bottom as best they can.
00:18:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
They really do, don't they?
00:18:19
Nick Britten
And by youth, by energy, by legs in that midfield particularly, that's absolutely critical.
00:18:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
because that's the issue the issue is pace isn't the issue is pace it's it's physicality ah it's it's being hard to beat they're not hard to beat are they West Ham
00:18:37
Nick Britten
No, they're not hard to beat. They're not hard to beat. And the third thing, which I know, because you asked me, do you ask me for three things? I don't know. I can't remember.
00:18:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
I did want to send you a text earlier saying get your get your thinking cap on these
00:18:46
Nick Britten
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the other is absolutely make yourself rock solid at said set pieces. One of the reasons they're down there is because they just conceded so many goals. Now, I know this is under Graham Potter.
00:18:57
Nick Britten
And set piece defending is bound to improve under Nuno. I mean, I don't think much will, but set piece defending has to. If he can't get if he can't get and better defending better set pieces, then you might as well go now.
00:19:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Nunez has i think because newonna got reputation for making teams harder to beat.
00:19:11
Nick Britten
wasn't
00:19:15
Nick Britten
Well, exactly, yeah. I mean, I don't think he's a great fit for West Ham, but it might be a short-term, give them a chance of staying up. I don't i don't think they've got much of a chance, but give them a chance of staying up.
00:19:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
One curious thing about looking at line-up against Leeds, he had a right-back playing at left-back, which is Mbukasa. And he had a left back stay and playing at right back, which is Oli Scarl.
00:19:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
So what's going on there? i out i mean and I mean, it's the kind of mistake I make, ah you know, ah when I play football manager. yeah I mean, that's weird.
00:19:57
Nick Britten
Yeah, it is. And there's a suggestion amongst West Ham fans that he's just, I don't want to use the word desperation. He's he's trying things. So he's trying different things to see what works. Now, he's gone into a club that is in in in chaos, in chaos off the pitch and in chaos on the pitch.
00:20:13
Nick Britten
And the first thing he's done is just look at different players who haven't played much. That hasn't worked. he' He's trying to see, can i get how can I get more out of the players I've got? And but i think he's just trying things out at the moment.
00:20:28
Nick Britten
It's just as simple as that. I think he's just trying and hoping somehow by luck more than judgment, something clicks.
00:20:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's not so far.
00:20:39
Nick Britten
No, it's not. No, no. no
00:20:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
But, you know, it's...
00:20:42
Nick Britten
Ultimately, you know the Premier League is is tough and you know we're going to come on to Wolves in a moment and West Ham are suffering from exactly the same problem Wolves are suffering, which is they don't have a cushion of three promoted teams getting relegated again.
00:20:53
Nick Britten
So the trap door so exposed this year.
00:20:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that's a very...
00:20:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that that that that's that's a really, really interesting point. I think from from a hope perspective, I suppose the two things are, we're still only nine games in of 38-game season.
00:21:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's something. And if you can just stay in touch, you know, two or three wins on out of four, suddenly... it's a different It's different and the whole mood changes.
00:21:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
But, I mean, the problem is at the moment, there's just no sign of that. but But, so yeah, we're very early in the season. So, I mean, that's the one thing. If if you're going to be dreadful, be dreadful now, not not with nine games to go.
00:21:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Least January, May. Though, yeah, I know the owners are getting a lot of ah criticism at West Ham and at Wolves. at least they've got a chance to try and rectify something come January. But that's a very difficult time to be finding superstars.
00:21:56
Nick Britten
Yeah, I think for every other team in Premier League other than Arsenal and Sunderland, 18 other teams are going, yeah, I'm glad we've only got nine games to go and there's plenty of time here.
00:22:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:22:09
Nick Britten
Because Arsenal will be going, no, I wish the season was over tomorrow. Sunderland will be going, I wish the season was over tomorrow.
00:22:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:22:14
Nick Britten
Actually, be bought I'll throw Bournemouth into that as well.
00:22:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Almost probably would.
00:22:17
Nick Britten
yeah but And I suppose Tottenham would as well, actually. They would settle for third. But Man City, Man United, Liverpool, Villa, Chelsea, Newcastle, I think particularly we'll all be going.
00:22:30
Nick Britten
I'm glad we've got a long time to go in this season because we haven't really hit our straps yet or hit our stride.
00:22:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that's very true. Very true. Okay. Global Sports Podcast Network is partnered with Bionique, the world's most personalized supplements, because your body is unique. And because without knowing what deficiencies you have, taking off the shelf supplements just means that you're probably not getting enough of the nutrients you need. Maybe too many of the ones you don't need.
00:22:55
Global Sports Podcast Network
Bionique very cleverly provides 100% supplements.
00:23:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
tailor-made supplements, tailor-made to you as an individual person, designed to deliver precisely what your body needs at exactly the right levels. So click the link in the show notes. If you use the code GSPN2025, you'll get 40%, 40% off your first order.
00:23:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
forty percent your first order
Wolves' Managerial and Tactical Reassessment
00:23:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
OK, so we've ah we've given some insights to Isla and Liverpool. We've given some insights to Nuno at West Ham. Now we're going to provide the same service, £7 million, pounds thank you very much, for Wolves.
00:23:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Seven goals in nine games. Well, we all know the issues. The issues have got no talent. ah they've lost They've lost their key the key players. ah One of the big issues, because, I mean, they were pretty dreadful this time last year, last season, and managed to escape.
00:24:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
problem the big difference between those two things are ah they had played many of the top clubs this time last year, and they haven't played the quality the same quality this year, and they still find themselves in the same place.
00:24:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
They've got a weak squad. And I suppose, as Nick's just alluded to, actually, the teams that have come up are a lot better than last year's teams that came up. So it's like, feels like a bit of a perfect storm for Wolves.
00:24:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Is there any, any light at the end of the tunnel that isn't an express train, Nick?
00:24:34
Nick Britten
I might have said this last week, or might not at no I might not have said this last week, but I am going to say it this week, after what happened on Saturday, or Sunday. When did they play Burnley? Was is Sunday?
00:24:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
Sunday, yeah.
00:24:48
Nick Britten
Yeah, Sunday. they need to They need to sack Vita Pereira and get Brendan Rodgers in because he has now very, very acrimoniously departed Celtic.
00:24:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
no ye
00:24:59
Nick Britten
He's on the market. And they need and and at the at the same time as that was all going on, Pereira was having a stand-up row with supporters in the stands after the loss to...
00:25:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, I saw that was that was That was remarkable, wasn't it, really?
00:25:12
Nick Britten
Yeah. And and so i yeah a week ago, i would have said, no stick with him. you know They've offered him a three-year contract. Sorry, he signed a new three-year contract, strangely.
00:25:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yes.
00:25:24
Nick Britten
I don't know why he was offered three-year contract into a season where they had' weren't winning a single game. But there you go. But he signed new three-year contract. And I would have thought that there's no point getting rid of him at this stage. you've got to give him a bit of time because he did dig them out of a hole last year.
00:25:39
Nick Britten
But those two things happening in the space of a few hours, one, this stand-up row with supporters after the Burnley game, and secondly, Rodgers coming onto the market, he's going to get snapped up by somebody.
00:25:50
Nick Britten
And...
00:25:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
but you I mean, do you think Rodgers would bring something to it that Pereira can't bring to it?
00:25:55
Nick Britten
Yeah, i think I think they just need to hear a new voice. They need to change the direction. they need a new and you know They need new instructions on the pitch. They need to learn how to be able to see out games because that's their biggest problem, conceding ridiculously late goals week after week after week.
00:26:05
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm. Hmm.
00:26:09
Nick Britten
And they need a bit of a confidence boost. And supporters need that. i mean, it's not just the team. Supporters need it. And the board needs it. Everybody at Wolverhampton Wanderers needs a confidence boost. Now, unfortunately, when this normally happens, it's the manager who's the full guy.
00:26:27
Nick Britten
And I like Vitor Pereira. I think he's a good coach.
00:26:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:26:30
Nick Britten
I really do. But something's gone...
00:26:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
You want sugar to get something else, and that's for sure.
00:26:33
Nick Britten
No, he won't. But he's been handed a bad hand at at ah Wolves, as we've talked about, you know, in terms of the players that they've signed and and against the players that they released in the summer. They're not a Premier League quality squad anymore.
00:26:44
Nick Britten
So he's having to make do, you know, with perhaps some standard players at this level.
00:26:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm. Hmm.
00:26:50
Nick Britten
And there's not a lot, there's not a lot you can, you can take certain players so far and then that's as far as you can take them. And I wonder whether this, this was a tipping point at the weekend and therefore actually what players need, what they need now is just a different voice, a different vision, ah different ideas.
00:27:08
Nick Britten
And that will, might just give them a bit more impetus and a bit more, I mean, imagine what going, imagine what going into training was like on Monday morning for Wolves players or Tuesday, probably the day off Monday.
00:27:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
judge
00:27:18
Nick Britten
yeah Imagine what it was like.
00:27:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
it's It's an interesting, I mean, clearly, Brendan Rodgers is a very good communicator.
00:27:21
Nick Britten
Yeah.
00:27:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's the one thing. He's a very good communicator and he's an intelligent man. And I think he does think about the game and he can explain things well. And I think, and of course, Pereira is amongst a lot of Portuguese, he's Portuguese, he's amongst a lot of Portuguese players.
00:27:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. I mean, to be honest, Wolves are the Portuguese representation in the Premier League, aren't they? i mean I mean, all the way through that that club, you see Portuguese influence.
00:27:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah i think I think, yeah, Rodgers has got a roger just's got a chance in the sense of he will be able to explain things in a different way and he will explain things well and communicate that to the players.
00:28:06
Nick Britten
But he also knows he also knows this league.
00:28:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
He does, yeah.
00:28:09
Nick Britten
He knows he knows the league well. He'll know... um mean, that you can go for another Portuguese coach if you want, or another foreign coach. Yeah, they've made that mistake in the summer. All the players they bought in the summer, not a single one of them, had Premier League experience.
00:28:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
no
00:28:21
Nick Britten
Not a single one. So, are you then going to go for a coach... If you if you get rid of Pereira, by the way, and... and yeah It's difficult to see how he can continue unless things turn around very, very, very quickly.
00:28:33
Nick Britten
And that can happen. We've seen it happen at Manchester United. So it can happen. It's not, you know, you're not out the door till you're out the door. and But if he does go, do you really want to bring in a coach with no Premier League experience?
00:28:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
No, you definitely don't. Not in this situation.
00:28:46
Nick Britten
No idea. So you've got who's on the market. Well, Solskjaer's on the market. Rodgers is on the market. Eric Ten Hag's on the market. and can't, yeah, Steven Daryl's on the market.
00:28:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Pereira came in much later didn't he Pereira came in later last last season he was later in the season about half over the season even later than that Pereira came in ah he did a remarkable job but to be honest they were a much better team he was dreadful yeah
00:29:07
Nick Britten
Yeah.
00:29:11
Nick Britten
Well, they were a better team and you you had three teams below them who you knew come January. life You didn't have to get much better to be able to move above them.
00:29:22
Nick Britten
and And it proved that way.
00:29:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
hmm hmm
00:29:24
Nick Britten
They didn't really rock it clear. They just kind of edged clear of the bottom three.
00:29:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
But they were fairly comfortable by the end.
00:29:30
Nick Britten
know what?
00:29:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
The other thing, I suppose, is you've got to get start getting something out of Strand Larson. i mean I mean, nothing out Strand Larson. I mean, obviously, nearly had this really big move to Newcastle.
00:29:41
Nick Britten
No, no.
00:29:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
didn't work out. But, I mean, I don't know if it's a question of service, but he's just it's just not the same player, is it Hmm.
00:29:50
Nick Britten
ah just don't think he's part problem. He's had niggling, he's been out injured or had niggling injuries for a while, but you've got all the top scorers of Wolves, i think there's about six of them, are all top scorers with joint one goal.
00:30:04
Nick Britten
And that tells you as much as you need to know at one end of the pitch.
00:30:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:30:07
Nick Britten
And then look at the times they're conceding. That tells you what you need to know at the other end of the pitch.
00:30:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's true. I think if the games were 75 minutes long, Wolves would probably mid-table, to be honest.
00:30:17
Nick Britten
this Well, this is it. I mean, there'd be what? Against Tottenham, they were three points. They dropped two points there. Brighton, they dropped two points. That's four. Burnley, they dropped one point. That's five.
00:30:29
Nick Britten
um Add five to two, seven. And they're out the relegation zone.
00:30:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly right.
00:30:34
Nick Britten
by doing nothing by doing nothing different vastly different to what they're already doing.
00:30:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah. um that that that That makes a lot of sense.
Conclusion and Listener Engagement
00:30:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. So you're £21 million pounds better off, Nick. and I thought we might split that, obviously, as your representative, as as your representative if you like, in those negotiations.
00:30:51
Nick Britten
I think that's only fair, mate. We'll do that 99-1 split. That's fine.
00:30:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Okay. Well, enjoyed the 1%. And Liverpool, so solved Liverpool, and we've solved West Ham, and we've solved Wolves. And next week, I don't know, we'll will solve world hunger.
00:31:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
What do you reckon?
00:31:12
Nick Britten
Yeah, I think solving walls is a bit easier, to be honest with you.
00:31:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's true. Yeah, i was just going appoint Brendan Rodgers as the hunger czar. See how we got on. ah
00:31:23
Nick Britten
lovely team.
00:31:23
Global Sports Podcast Network
brilliant Brilliant. Okay.
00:31:24
Nick Britten
Yeah, why not?
00:31:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
Why not? Okay, brilliant. Thanks, everyone, for joining us. 31 minutes of Pulitzer Prize-winning football punditry. Again, they just don't know that yet, but eventually they'll catch on. ah And we'll see you all tomorrow when we will be talking about the the league, the English League Cup, or whatever they call it these days. What do they call it now?
00:31:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Football?
00:31:45
Nick Britten
Well, they call it the Carabao Cup is what it's called because it's sponsored by Carabao.
00:31:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
yeah
00:31:49
Nick Britten
And on the basis that we've given them two mentions now. me Actually, no, don't really want any because it's an energy drink. that Isn't that nice?
00:31:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't even know what Carabao is. But anyway, it took place.
00:31:56
Nick Britten
It's ah is an energy drink.
00:31:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
thought it an island somewhere off the off the edge of, ah that I don't know, Jamaica.
00:32:00
Nick Britten
No, it's not. It's not.
00:32:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Anyway, I'm going. And you're going. and Let's go and get our tea. Thanks, everyone, for listening. If, by the way, you might want to be in contact with us, the best thing to do is to send us an email to dailypremierneakpodcast, gmail.com.
00:32:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah We'll probably have have a postbag episode in the course of the next few days as well. So get those emails in. And we'll see you next time.
00:32:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
Bye-bye.