Latest / Friends on Football / Ep. 36 - Premier League Matchweek 4 Recap, An MLS Minute and Fenerbahce's Manager Situation

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Ep. 36 - Premier League Matchweek 4 Recap, An MLS Minute and Fenerbahce's Manager Situation · Friends on Football

• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, friends, and welcome to episode 36 of the Friends One Football Podcast.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: I'm one of your co-hosts, Brandon Johnson, and joined with me as always is my main man, Mr.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_00: Sean Boyle.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_00: Sean, how are you feeling tonight?
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: Brandon, I'm doing well.
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_01: Got to see you and spend some time together this weekend.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_01: It was a great weekend of football.
• 0:38
  SPEAKER_01: I'm excited to talk about it.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_01: How are you doing?
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: Doing well, Sean.
• 0:42
  SPEAKER_00: It was great to see you as well this weekend.
• 0:44
  SPEAKER_00: It's been it's been a while.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: Seeing you over Zoom, it's a lot different then.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_00: It is.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_00: Seeing you in the flesh.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_00: So you and and the Boyle fam, always good to see all of you guys together.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: Sean, this is this will be an interesting episode.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: As mentioned, uh we had some time together this weekend, but also a full slate of games.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: We got a little bit of MLS hot updates, some European updates as well, Sean.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: First, I wanted to give do our episode number challenge and 36.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_00: Two players that you would that you are extremely familiar with, Sean.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: First, we had Dele Alli, who wore the number 36 when he joined MK Don's uh as a youth.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_00: And I see your Dele Alli.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: What's that a scarf?
• 1:27
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, you got a little whiteheart lane scarf.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: Dele Alli scarf.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_01: His face is on it, and I have a signed Deli Alley picture right up there.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_01: He's one of my favorite players of all time.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_01: Favorite Tottenham player ever.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_01: Wow.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_01: Excited.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: Excited.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: He's definitely no, he's definitely in my top as well.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, no, he he he wore that first when he first joined MK Don't.
• 1:45
  SPEAKER_00: And classic, you get called up, and there's not many numbers available, so you just take what you can get.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: But I thought it was cool that he wore 36 again when he went to Everton after his time at Tottenham.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_00: Sort of, I think, as a rejuvenation, trying to restart his career.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_00: Unfortunately, never really turned out after that, but a cool, a cool way to wear that number again.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: Another player that wore 36 was Kyle Walker.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_00: So he wore 36 when he was at Aston Villa in 2010 on loan from Tottenham.
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_00: So he was on loan from Tottenham.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: They sent an Aston Villa and he wore 36 there.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_00: So cool, uh, cool couple guys that we have connections with.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: Uh figured we'd start with that, Sean.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, quickly just on that.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_01: I I always appreciate you doing these numbers.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: Uh you learn something new each episode.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_01: Also, just you were right in saying it's very much a number that it doesn't seem like people choose to wear.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: It's one that's assigned to you.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_01: It's not the flashiest.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_01: We're entering a stage where these numbers are you're really in the mud wearing one of these numbers, so it's definitely usually not a choice.
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_01: I do appreciate the Deli Alley shot, though.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_01: He it was just a spectacular player, still available as a free agent, I believe.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_01: So I still think he's trying to make a comeback.
• 3:00
  SPEAKER_01: Hopefully, one day we just get to see him playing.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_01: I don't care what level it is, I just want to see him playing again.
• 3:04
  SPEAKER_01: An absolute goat for me.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: No, I I I agree with you there, Sean.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: I would love to see him, even if he came to MLS, you know, and just apply this trade here for a few years.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: Because he's still young.
• 3:15
  SPEAKER_00: He's still got legs.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: Just turned 30, maybe, so plenty of legs left in him, yeah.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_00: Wow, that would be that would be fun.
• 3:22
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, that that guy, Sean, on his day was unplayable.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, and that would instantly become my favorite MLS team if he were to sign.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, somebody go ahead and poach him up, you get me as well.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: Uh two for one deal, two for one deal.
• 3:34
  SPEAKER_00: Sean jumping into the football this weekend.
• 3:37
  SPEAKER_00: Some interesting results, I think.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: And we'll go through game by game and would just love to hear your thoughts.
• 3:43
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe things you saw, if it was an appropriate result or an inappropriate result for certain teams, and maybe who underperformed or overperformed.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, let's start with Saturday's early game, Sean.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_00: Liverpool Fulham, a nil-nil draw.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: I I saw some chances on both sides.
• 3:59
  SPEAKER_00: I think Isak, with a form he's been in lately, you would think he would convert one or two of those.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: Unfortunately, did not.
• 4:06
  SPEAKER_00: I think Liverpool would be upset with just the point, especially I predicted that this would be an easy one for them.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_00: You had mentioned that it would be easy, but maybe not as easy.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 4:17
  SPEAKER_00: And turns out that Fulham goes goes to Liverpool, goes to Anfield, and squeaks out a 0-0 draw.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's a fantastic result for them, but uh, what were your thoughts on this game?
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we both thought Liverpool would win.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_01: The thing I was most surprised by was I assumed it would be very high scoring.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_01: I thought Fulham had shown no signs of being able to keep people out.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_01: And the fact that they were able to go to Anfield and keep Liverpool scoreless in this one was the most impressive part for me.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_01: It was one, Brandon, I went back and watched a lot of it and all the highlights, and I don't think either team were at their best.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_01: I do agree Liverpool will probably feel a bit more hard done by not to come out with the win.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_01: They created more chances and certainly had the better of them, but they weren't able to put one in net, and that comes back to the ESAC point.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_01: Like you mentioned, he's just not that same Alexander Esak from a couple seasons ago.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not sure if it's still side effects from the in the long-term injury he suffered last year, and we've seen flashes of it this year, but they need him to be, like I said last week, consistently at his best because there's just not another out and out striker ready to score goals for this club until Ekatique comes back healthy, and that's going to be a little bit still.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_01: So we haven't seen him be able to string together these performances, and this was an example of that yet again.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like if he's on his best form, Liverpool get this win.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_01: I think the I think Fulham, like you said, great result.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_01: It a much needed great result as well.
• 5:42
  SPEAKER_01: They were a backs against the wall team, kind of a hungry dog run faster situation here.
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 5:47
  SPEAKER_01: And it's good for Arboloa to just show the boys that they could go somewhere and keep a clean sheet, especially a tough place like Anfield.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, definitely not an easy place to play, but to come out with that kind of result, you have to be thrilled if you're Fulham and their front office and their fans.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_00: Sean, the next game we saw on Saturday was Crystal Palace and Ipswich.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_00: Ipswich, the tractor boys going into Crystal Palace, into South London, coming out with a 3-2 win.
• 6:15
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I want to know your thoughts on this one.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, a red card for Crystal Palace definitely changes the game a bit, but still to put three goals in at away from home at Crystal Palace.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_00: If you're Ipswich, you have to be thrilled with that.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_01: For sure.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_01: A great result for Ipswich.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_01: Like we talk about Brandon.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_01: Anytime a promoted side can go away from home and pick up points, it's a great thing.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_01: If you could get all three points, it's a phenomenal thing.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_01: This was a really good statement performance from Ipswich, I think, in their campaign to stay up.
• 6:44
  SPEAKER_01: That should be the takeaway, is just how good they were and how many chances they were able to create and take them.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_01: And the Crystal Palace, it's a weird one.
• 6:52
  SPEAKER_01: The red car does just throw a wrinkle and things.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_01: It's one-one when DeSasi kind of loses his head a bit, makes a rash challenge, gets sent off.
• 7:00
  SPEAKER_01: Chris Richards was pleading his case with the official trying to keep his teammate on to no avail.
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_01: And then we saw a really good performance from Emerson, the Brazilian club record transfer.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_01: He gets a goal, he gets an assist.
• 7:11
  SPEAKER_01: And then another great bit of business for them, Brandon, Zion Fleming, who who was with Burnley last season, scored 11 goals, and kind of an under the radar move to bring him in on deadline day, I believe.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_01: And he he scores the winner in the 90th minute.
• 7:27
  SPEAKER_01: It's a great, great result for the Tractor Boys and a worrying result for Palace, honestly.
• 7:32
  SPEAKER_01: Red cards are something you can't make a habit of.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_01: And it's just a it's one at home where you really don't want to lose to an Ipswitch side that are very beatable on most days.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_01: And I think you could point to the red card, but I just don't think Palace was sharp enough to win this game.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you you don't want to throw the red card as the sole reason why.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: However, it's it's always tough to play a man down, and guys have to sort of buckle up and do extra work.
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: We'll go over that.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: That happened in another game, and that team ended up actually winning the game.
• 8:03
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so it's not a death sentence, but it definitely makes things harder.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you have to play with one one arm behind your back instead of being able to play freely.
• 8:12
  SPEAKER_00: So kudos to Ipswish going in and getting that win because yeah, three points away from home.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: That's gonna look great in in April and May when they're likely fighting to stay up.
• 8:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um we're saying that, but if you look at the table now, Sean, they don't they're not even thinking about that.
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: They're they're flying right now.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: So we'll see what happens there.
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: But uh more to come, more to come on Ipswich and the tractor, boys.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: The next one, and I believe you had quoted this as a Desmond 2-2.
• 8:40
  SPEAKER_00: Bournemouth and Brenton.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_00: Brentford.
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sorry, Bournemouth and Brentford, and it did end in 2-2, Sean.
• 8:46
  SPEAKER_00: So a little uh prognostication from you.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_00: I appreciate the the foresight.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we don't get a ton right here, Brandon, so we have to celebrate the small victories.
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_01: I was very wrong on Liverpool, I was wrong on a bunch of other matches.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_01: This one I did get right, and it was a good one.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_01: It seemed like a thrilling match based on the highlights.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_01: I was kind of expecting a draw, but it feels like Bournemouth yet again will feel like they left something on the table.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_01: It's been the story of the season for them thus far.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_01: They once again, they don't drop points from winning positions uh in how we view the game.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_01: Technically, they do.
• 9:24
  SPEAKER_01: I believe they gave away the second goal in like the 56th minute.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_01: So there's still a long game left to play.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_01: So it will go down to the books to drop points, but it wasn't a late equalizer from Brentford.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_01: It's just one where Bournemouth were the better team and failed to take the chances and keep Brentford out in their few chances that they did have.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_01: So I think a really good goal from Clavert, a really good goal from uh Tavernier with a little Evan Nielsen assists, which we do like to see.
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_01: And then Kevin Shada, Brandon.
• 9:52
  SPEAKER_01: He's been unbelievable for Team Brandon.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_01: He's been unbelievable for Brentford this season.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_01: He's really taken a step, I think.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_01: He was always a guy who had the physical traits and the tools, but hadn't really put it together in front of goal.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_01: And we're starting to see him put it together in front of goal.
• 10:08
  SPEAKER_01: He's got three so far, he's joint top in the golden boot race.
• 10:11
  SPEAKER_01: I believe that was the case on Saturday.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_01: I think Holland has restored order, which we'll get to later.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_01: But it's it's a good result for both teams in the larger scale.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_01: I think if you shrink it down to just that match, I think Bournemouth will feel like they should have left with three.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, uh agree, agree there.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: And we'll get into Shade's second goal later in the in this episode, Sean.
• 10:33
  SPEAKER_00: I don't want to say too much yet, but yeah, if you if you're Bournemouth again, I mean you you gotta figure out ways to close out games.
• 10:40
  SPEAKER_00: And I know, like you said, it was a fifth in the 50 in the uh 50th range, minute range of the goal.
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_00: So it's not like it was the 80th or 85th and it was the last kick of the game or anything like that, but still go up two goals if you don't think you can hold seriously.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_00: Just just just win by win by that.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, just figure it out.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: And the hard part is Sean, this happens week over week, and those habits continue, and it starts to get in your head where it's like, wait, we can't close out games.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: So later in the season, they're I'm sure they're gonna be playing in much higher stakes matches.
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_00: And with this looming in the back of their head, they're gonna have to figure this out very quickly because it's week four, and we've had the same story four times for these guys.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: So they gotta really figure it out quickly.
• 11:26
  SPEAKER_01: It's been brutal if you're a Brantford or a Bournemouth fan, because you feel like you've been good or at least half decent in every match through these four games, and you have three points.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_01: So that's gotta be incredibly frustrating.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_01: I think they'll figure it out to some extent eventually, but I do remain unconvinced on Marco Rosa.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_01: So I just want to keep hammering that point home.
• 11:47
  SPEAKER_01: He is not Andoni Ireola, and I think their expectations should maybe adjust accordingly.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: I I like that, Sean.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: I like the thought.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: Next game we had at the 10 o'clock window, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: An interesting result.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: Forrest go to Aston Villa and win two to one.
• 12:05
  SPEAKER_00: I know Aston Villa has not performed well at all this season.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: I think it continues.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_00: Also, probably some bad luck as Liam DeLaffe scores the first goal for Forrest.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: And for as much as we've talked bad about him on this podcast, uh, he goes and scores a goal for his team.
• 12:21
  SPEAKER_00: So shout out Liam.
• 12:22
  SPEAKER_00: But but yeah, it Forrest Forrest go and get three points on the road, that's great.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: Unfortunately, the the second goal right at the end, Igor Jesus, occurs after Ian Mattson gets injured for Aston Villa.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_00: And unfortunately, Aston Villa had used all of their subs in all of their windows, so they had to play the last few minutes with 10 men, which really stinks, and then eventually Forrest score and make it two to one.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: So interesting to know your thoughts and feelings on this one, Sean.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: If you're Forrest, I'm sure you're thrilled to get three points, especially away from home.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_00: Aston Villa, again, just more and more question marks.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: I know we're we have faith in Emery, Sean, but how how many games is too many games or when do we really have to say, hey, you're on the hot seat?
• 13:09
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's tough, Brandon.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's been a really dreadful start to the season, which was kind of expected.
• 13:15
  SPEAKER_01: We talked about just how much transition that squad underwent, how many outgoings they had, and not just the number, but the level of key player that they lost.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_01: And it was the entire spine of the team.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_01: And that's why I'm still giving them some grace and expecting them to eventually get better.
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_01: I think one of those signs would be the two guys that subbed on in this match, Ibrahim Mbai and Johan Manzambi, finally get on the pitch in a Premier League match for Villa.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_01: They come on in the 63rd minute and they they score in the 74th minute.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know if it was a direct correlation to those two coming on, but I do think the level of those two young talents is going to increase the floor for Aston Villa.
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_01: Whether they get back to that Champions League qualification point this season remains to be seen.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_01: I doubt that they're able to get that good again.
• 14:00
  SPEAKER_01: But I do think those two coming into the squad that will make them a better team.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_01: So that's the optimistic approach if you're a Villa fan.
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_01: I actually did predict this one correctly.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_01: I did say Forest will go on away from home and get a win.
• 14:11
  SPEAKER_01: It's just one of those things.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_01: We talked about last week how Glasner is a new coach at Forest, but they feel like a much more settled side.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_01: They really know how they want to play.
• 14:20
  SPEAKER_01: The squad is very similar to last season with just a couple of tweaks and enhancements, such as a Liam DeLap, a goal scorer, to come in and get a couple goals.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_01: Munoz at right back, he comes in and he's an instant upgrade on what they're able to do at that position.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_01: So I was bullish on Forrest preseason.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_01: I still think they're going to be a good side that are difficult to play against.
• 14:39
  SPEAKER_01: And I think they were clearly the winner in this one.
• 14:41
  SPEAKER_01: I think they deserve the three points.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, no, I agree with you.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_00: And again, I I know Forrest is a much better team than maybe Ipswich is, but three points on the road is huge, period.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_00: I think so many of these teams, even the teams that are not always the best, still play decently well at home.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_00: And so if you can go on the road and beat them at their place on their on their pitch, you you take that every day of the week.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_00: The last 10 a.m.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: game, Sean, Chelsea and Hull City.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: The Tigers again, the Tigers still unbeaten after a 2-2 draw with Chelsea.
• 15:15
  SPEAKER_00: This game was wild.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: Chelsea, my my first and biggest note from this game is Chelsea can't defend Sean.
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_00: They can't stop a nosebleed.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_00: What is going on with Chelsea?
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_01: Chelsea are a complete chaos club, Brandon.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_01: They are chaos so far this season.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_01: That is not how Jabbi Alonso has managed in the past at his previous stops.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_01: It's been a lot more controlled model.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_01: And I think they'll get there at some point, but it just not be this season.
• 15:44
  SPEAKER_01: I think their squad is weirdly constructed.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_01: We talk about how lethal that triumvirate in attack can be with Draw Pedro and Colt Palmer and Morgan Rogers, and we saw some of that again today.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_01: The first goal is Morgan Rogers from Draw Pedro, and then their second goal is Draw Pedro from Colt Palmer.
• 15:59
  SPEAKER_01: So they're all involved in the scoring, and they're a very difficult team to keep at bay for 90 minutes.
• 16:04
  SPEAKER_01: Chelsea are going to score goals in most matches.
• 16:06
  SPEAKER_01: But the story again, we talked about how we might need to name our team of the week award, the whole city award, Brandon.
• 16:12
  SPEAKER_01: I think we just need to put that in place.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_01: Even if it ages like milk, this start of the season for a whole has been so fun and exciting to go to Stamford Bridge, keep that unbeaten run alive.
• 16:23
  SPEAKER_01: The story of this one is Mohammed Balumi.
• 16:26
  SPEAKER_01: We'll get to him later.
• 16:27
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, he's you.
• 16:28
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not going to spoil anything.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_01: Listeners will know he's going to be one of my guys this week.
• 16:32
  SPEAKER_01: But he scores a brace all within six minutes.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_01: And it's a great, great, great result for Hole City once again.
• 16:39
  SPEAKER_01: And honestly, a well-deserved one.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_01: They they were at least as good as Chelsea in this match.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I'm I'm glad you shout out Balumi because I know that's your guy, and you've shouted him out multiple times already.
• 16:49
  SPEAKER_00: And now again, he he shows up and has a brace at Stanford Bridge.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, that's fantastic.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: But on Chelsea's side, first I would say if you're into betting, Sean, I'm not really a huge soccer better.
• 17:02
  SPEAKER_00: I'll I'll dabble.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_00: But Morgan Rogers' goal in the first 15 minutes of the game, I don't know if that's a possible bet, but you might have put a couple dollars on that.
• 17:10
  SPEAKER_00: Because that's all this man does is score early in games.
• 17:13
  SPEAKER_00: And it's great that he's been off to a great start at Chelsea.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_00: We had questions and he's definitely shut us up so far.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_00: And like you said, between him, Palmer, and Joel Pedro up front, those three are lethal.
• 17:27
  SPEAKER_00: But again, if you can't defend, you can't win games.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_00: They they're they are taking the approach that I think Bournemouth needs to take.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_00: Where it's like, let's just go score six goals, cross our fingers, and hope it works.
• 17:40
  SPEAKER_00: But but Bournemouth can't score six goals.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_00: And so I I don't know.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_00: These teams, these teams, the the construction of these teams, this transfer window has been so interesting to me.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: I've called out Liverpool for their holes in defensive midfield at outside back.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_00: Chelsea, I think, like you said, I do think they probably have their players that they want.
• 18:01
  SPEAKER_00: It's just gonna take time to get them to jail.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_00: And Boardmith, I don't know if they just don't have killers.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if they just like I don't know what it is, but something's not working there.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_00: And just closing out games to me, Sean, is that's like prime bar clays as we were kids.
• 18:18
  SPEAKER_00: You go up 1-0, you park the bus, and you win the game 1-0.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's so boring and awful to watch, but that's the football, and it works, and you win trophies that way.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_00: The this new age football for us as fans, sign me up because I loved chaos.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_00: I love to see goals, but oh my gosh, at some point we gotta stop the faucet, we've got to stop the leak, Sean.
• 18:38
  SPEAKER_00: You're 100% right, Brandon.
• 18:40
  SPEAKER_01: It reminds me of an example that's near and dear to us.
• 18:43
  SPEAKER_01: Tottenham under Ange Pastacoglu played this really front foot to a detriment and to a fault front foot style of football, which was basically all out attack, a high defensive line, causing our center backs to sprint back several times throughout a match to try to clear something off a line or whatever the case may be.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_01: But they won a trophy in the Europa League under Ange Pastacoglu.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_01: And if you go back and watch those matches on the run-in, it was a completely different method.
• 19:10
  SPEAKER_01: It was a completely different style.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_01: It was that 1-0, get a goal, see the game out, and Ange is sitting on the sidelines over there, just crawling out of his skin.
• 19:19
  SPEAKER_01: He can't stand to watch it because he wants to be entertained, which is what I love about him.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_01: But it's the antithesis of his belief system to see a game out.
• 19:28
  SPEAKER_01: He wants to just pour goals on.
• 19:29
  SPEAKER_01: But what ultimately got us a trophy was seeing games out.
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_01: So it's a good point by you.
• 19:34
  SPEAKER_01: And I think it's something that teams, it's it's honestly a skill.
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_01: And we talk about the dark arts, sometimes that's a part of it, but it's an acquired skill.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_01: Not all teams have it.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes having veterans in the room really does help in s in situations like that.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_01: For Chelsea, something they need to work out is just what their best midfield looks like.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_01: Moises Kaisedo is definitely a part of it, and he's been out injured.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_01: Once he's fit, they will look a better, more structured side, in my opinion.
• 19:59
  SPEAKER_01: I just don't know who his partner is going to be.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_01: They've dabbled with Reese James in midfield.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_01: For me, he's not a midfielder.
• 20:05
  SPEAKER_01: I think Reese James is brilliant when he's fit at right back.
• 20:08
  SPEAKER_01: And he could do a job in midfield.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_01: He's a he's a very high-level player.
• 20:12
  SPEAKER_01: It's just he's not he's not an out-and-out midfielder for me.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_01: And I think they have an issue as to who plays next to Kaiseido.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_01: I think it would ultimately be Lavia, but he's another one who deals with fitness concerns.
• 20:23
  SPEAKER_01: So that's something that because of that Enzo Fernandez deadline day transfer, I don't think they ever quite solved their midfield for this season.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe they'll revisit it in January.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_01: We'll see.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_01: But until then, I think we're gonna expect some more chaos from Chelsea.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I have two kind of follow-ups, Sean.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_00: One, you mentioned Reese James, and I appreciate you bringing him up because he's such a staple at Chelsea.
• 20:46
  SPEAKER_00: Can he play right wing back?
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_00: Or are his legs just not there anymore?
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: So it's it might be one of those situations where he you want him on the pitch because you want his leadership, you want his veteran experience, but he doesn't really fit.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_00: And so is it a situation where Manager has to talk to him and say, hey, you might be a 75th minute sub, but I don't know if I can play you from the start every week because you don't really fit into a spot in my system.
• 21:10
  SPEAKER_00: And the second point I was gonna bring up, and this is more just as a fun aside, you were talking about Spurs and and Chelsea and Antropos Sicagolo.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_00: I remember the game against Chelsea as a Spurs fan.
• 21:22
  SPEAKER_00: I believe they Chelsea beat Spurs.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_00: I want to say it was like four to two or five to two.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_00: And five, yeah, it was four or five.
• 21:29
  SPEAKER_00: Spurs Spurs had a couple of red cards, maybe, or injuries, and they're playing with like eight men, and the guys are still standing at midfield trying to press at the end of the game, and we're like, what are we doing?
• 21:40
  SPEAKER_00: Like, just take the loss and go home.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_00: We're fine with it.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_00: But that's the way he plays.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_00: So interested to hear what you think about Reese James, though.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you're right about Reese James.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_01: I don't necessarily think he think he fits in a back three system well.
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know that he's a right wing back by by nature.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_01: I feel like he's best at right back and In a four.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: I think he's one of the best in the world on his day in that position.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 22:04
  SPEAKER_01: I don't necessarily see the benefit to playing him at right wing back.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_01: I I think that just kind of negates some of the things he's good at and makes him do things he's not good at.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_01: So that's an interesting wrinkle because he is one of Chelsea's best, most high profile players that you would like to fit into the squad, and that's why we're seeing him play midfield.
• 22:23
  SPEAKER_01: But it might be a situation that needs revisiting in the near future if things don't change for Jabi Alonso.
• 22:29
  SPEAKER_01: So that's a good point by you.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_01: Something to monitor for sure.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_01: And that Ange Postacoglu anecdote was a good one.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, it was 4-5-2.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_01: It was a dark day.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_01: But Brandon, it was almost 3-2 with eight or nine men as well.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_01: Because Eric Dyer had a header that he just he just missed.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_01: We almost took a lead because of Ange's braveness, and that's why he's my goat.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna back him till the his final day.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_00: No, uh I remember that game, and I was just like, what are we doing?
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_00: But it was an absolute speaking of Spurs, they are the next game.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_00: They were the 1230 again, NBC Prime window.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_00: Can we please?
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_00: Like we we're begging, Sean, you begged it last week.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_00: Put us on Peacock, hide us on Peacock, put us on Peacock Premium.
• 23:12
  SPEAKER_00: I don't even know if there is a Peacock Premium, but you pay six dollars a month for Peacock.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_00: Charge us six more dollars for the special exclusive one.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_00: So only only the the psychos like us are watching it.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_00: Spurs at home, Everton, another draw.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_00: This time nil-nil.
• 23:30
  SPEAKER_00: Spurs, still no goals on the season, Sean.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know what to say.
• 23:34
  SPEAKER_01: We don't have to talk about this one, Brandon.
• 23:36
  SPEAKER_01: We could just go on to the final game if you want.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_01: All right.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_01: No, honestly, it's it's it's dark.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_01: It's dark, it's grim.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_01: I I don't know.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_01: I'm out of answers.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_01: It's 407 minutes we've played this season without a goal.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_01: I think once again, Tottenham, we're the better team in this match.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_01: They I think 37 touches in the Everton box, which is above Premier League average, so they're getting in good positions, but then the decisions from there are just woeful.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and they honestly don't even look likely to score a goal.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_01: Like, Tottenham started this match brilliantly.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_01: The first 15 minutes were a absolute buzz.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_01: I was having visions of grandeur.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, oh, we're back, baby.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_01: Now let's score.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_01: I just kept thinking in the back of my head, like, let's get one in, but we're back.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_01: I'm thinking we're we're cooking.
• 24:20
  SPEAKER_01: And then that fizzled out, and the game went on, and we just looked increasingly unlikely to score.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_01: And I don't know what the answer is.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_01: I think there needs to be some real questions asked about decisions in the final third.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_01: I think we need guys to take shots and and not overthink things and play an extra pass or take an extra touch when they don't need to.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's been an issue in these matches.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_01: But I also think an issue is there's just not an out and out goal scorer in this squad right now.
• 24:47
  SPEAKER_01: Dominic Selenke would be the guy you maybe point to, but he's just very out of form.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_01: Last season was riddled with injuries, and because of that, he hasn't really scored goals consistently for Spurs in a long while.
• 24:58
  SPEAKER_01: Marmous is kind of a nine and a half.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_01: He's not a real out and out nine.
• 25:03
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know where the goals are coming from.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think the football's been bad.
• 25:07
  SPEAKER_01: I think we've seen really good games like the last two games from John Paul Van Heck have been great.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_01: He's really grown into his role.
• 25:14
  SPEAKER_01: He might be our most creative passer, which is maybe something that we're embarrassing as a center back.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it's not great.
• 25:20
  SPEAKER_01: You don't love seeing that.
• 25:21
  SPEAKER_01: What are your thoughts?
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, was this was this terrible?
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_01: Was it fine?
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_01: What what are you thinking?
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_00: Uh I don't want to say terrible because you did get a point out of the game, Sean, but I I almost put it akin to like a baseball player who is in such a slump.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_00: He or she's hitting the ball well, and it's looking good, but it's always getting caught.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_00: Defenders are making diving plays and all this, and sometimes they just need to see that single go through the middle.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you get on first base, you're safe, just just touch first base, safe, and and have that feeling, and then maybe you're back.
• 25:57
  SPEAKER_00: And and that might be all it takes, Sean.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_00: We just need to see one go in the net, but it's game, it's about to be game five, and we still have not seen it go in the net.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_00: And then it's a little bit different than baseball, where you know it's a whole team and it's 90 minutes, it's not just one one player in a slump, but I don't I don't know what to think.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_00: Defensively, yes, I think they looked good.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_00: I think the defense has started to really come together.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_00: Kinski, I I think there were definitely question marks.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_00: He's had a few performances last year where it was a little questionable.
• 26:25
  SPEAKER_00: Getting subbed out at Atletico Madrid in the first half of the game.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_00: I don't want to just point at his weak spots, but that was horrible.
• 26:33
  SPEAKER_00: And you never see that.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_00: And you think sometimes those moments are career or at least club ending, where it's like, hey, I can't show my face in London anymore because that was so embarrassing.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_00: But he's he took it on the chin, and kudos to him.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_00: And he's a young guy, and he said, Hey, I sucked, and I'll be better.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_00: And he's looked great so far this season, mostly.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_00: So from that standpoint, I'm okay.
• 26:57
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, the goals are are the biggest red flag concern situation.
• 27:01
  SPEAKER_00: And yeah, when you're relying on Dominic Solanke, who did not play very much at all last season, injure injury, and then even when he was fit, at times he wasn't the number nine because Richarlison was really kind of that number nine, who was at the game in the stadium, but is not in the Premier League roster because he was supposed to leave.
• 27:20
  SPEAKER_00: And so they just have so many issues on their hands.
• 27:23
  SPEAKER_00: And I think the first goal is one of those things where it's it's kind of like when you win for the first time on a bad team, and you're like, hey, we actually still suck, but we won one, so at least we can all that cyber relief relief.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and so we just need that goal, Sean.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_01: You you're 100% right.
• 27:42
  SPEAKER_01: I love the baseball analogy.
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_01: I was thinking the same thing, but in terms of basketball, it's like a good shooter just can't get one to drop.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_01: You just need to get to the foul line, you know what I mean?
• 27:49
  SPEAKER_01: Just can't see one, maybe a penalty.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_01: God forbid we win a penalty in the fucking prem.
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_01: It's been a it's been a damn oh my god, it's been so long.
• 27:59
  SPEAKER_01: I don't remember, I don't even know who would take it.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_01: And and honestly, there honestly could be so bad if we win a penalty because I don't know who'd take it, and we might miss, and then things get way worse.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_01: So I don't even know if I want a penalty yet.
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_01: It's been bleak.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_01: And the worst part about this one, Brandon, we were together on Saturday as we talked about, and I said I'm gonna tape the Tottenham game and I'm going zero dark 30.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_01: I don't want any spoilers, phones off to get home and watch it in full.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_01: And what an absolute torture ritual that was to sit there through the 90 minutes thinking, no way we go another match without scoring, only to find out we went another match without scoring.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_01: It was a fucking somber mood for me on Saturday afternoon.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't like one second of it.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm I I don't want to sound the alarm bells, but Brandon, we have one league game before the international break.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_01: The break?
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_01: Oh no.
• 28:48
  SPEAKER_01: Tottenham play Liverpool on Tuesday in the Carabakh Cup away at Anfield.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_01: Disaster disaster draw.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_01: I don't even want honestly, tank that game.
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_01: Play the play the Academy.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_01: I don't care about the Mickey Mouse Cup.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_01: Saturday, we go to Villa in Birmingham, and Brandon, if they don't score a goal in that game, we won't score a goal until October 10th at best when we go to Old Trafford.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_00: We're taking good luck scoring there too.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_01: Mid-October.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_01: It could be all Hallows Eve before Tottenham find the net.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_01: It's fucking dark.
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_01: I don't like a second of it.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_01: We gotta move on.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_00: We gotta move on.
• 29:25
  SPEAKER_00: The fact that the fact that if they don't score against Villa, the next time they play, my house will be decorated for Halloween.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_00: So absolutely absurd.
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_00: That is it'll be cold.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_00: I'll be in a sweater.
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_00: Like, what are we doing?
• 29:39
  SPEAKER_01: All day sales are gonna be flashing next time we see Thomas.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_00: Can we buy Totem a goal for Christmas?
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_00: Jesus Christ.
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_01: And a quick and a quick correction.
• 29:49
  SPEAKER_01: I believe we actually are home to Villa.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_01: I believe we are home to Villa.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_01: I think I'd rather go.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_01: I think I'd rather go.
• 29:54
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, honest to God, I'd know we I'd rather go.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_01: Our ground is a ground is a fortress against us.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_00: We are home.
• 30:02
  SPEAKER_00: Home at 7 the early kickoff, 7 30 a.m.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_00: next Saturday.
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_00: I do like that.
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_01: I do like that.
• 30:07
  SPEAKER_00: So hopefully the the fake fans will still be asleep and we don't have to deal with their banter.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_01: But Wednesday light savings.
• 30:13
  SPEAKER_01: Can we trick them into a sleep here or something?
• 30:14
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_01: I don't want people watching us, Brandon.
• 30:17
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we gotta figure this out quickly, quickly.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_00: And then to make matters worse, the 3 p.m.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_00: game, the the primetime game, Arsenal go to Sunderland Sean and win 2-0.
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_00: Arsenal gets a penalty kick, so clearly whistles do work, just not for us.
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_00: I I think I had kind of I that was the game I actually projected exactly 2-0 for Arsenal.
• 30:38
  SPEAKER_00: You called it I was dead wrong.
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_00: Sunder look, Sunderland played hard though.
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_00: Sunderland played very penalty too.
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_01: They had a penalty kick.
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 30:48
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I'll I'll let you let you you know talk about it.
• 30:52
  SPEAKER_00: But Bruno Grimmer Grimarache, great goal, great, great goal from him.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_00: And then Sokka makes the penalty kick.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_00: The goalie kind of half saves it too.
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_00: It's one of those awkward ones, but Arsenal win 2-0.
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_00: Um, we can actually talk about the penalty kick if you don't mind, Sean.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_00: Because in my mind, when I was watching, I did I did not watch the game live, but I watched the highlight, Sokka's getting pulled like 25 yards before the the box, and he just keeps riding the challenge, riding the challenge, riding the challenge, and then kind of falls in the box.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_00: I'm surprised they didn't pull it back a little bit.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_00: I will say I do not know all the Premier League rules because I know certain things are a little bit different there than maybe in the rest of uh football, like at the younger youth levels or college levels, but yeah, just another performance from them.
• 31:37
  SPEAKER_00: They're the champions.
• 31:38
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you expect them to win, you expect them to do well, and they go to Sunderland and kudos to Sunderland, played well, but Arsenal's just a little bit better, I think, on the day.
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it could have gone either way.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_01: This one for me.
• 31:50
  SPEAKER_01: If Sunderland convert that penalty, I think things maybe are different.
• 31:55
  SPEAKER_01: But like you said, a great goal from Bruno.
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_01: I hate seeing that he was an absolute piss taker in the second half as well, just starting fights and doing typical Brazilian bullshit.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_01: I I I w the penalty is a weird one.
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_01: I do agree.
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_01: There was certainly something in the outside of the box on Sokka's way into uh the box, uh, but then I think they viewed it as two separate uh challenges, two separate fouls.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_03: Okay.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_01: Because I know if a foul occurs outside the box and continues into the box, it's given as a free kick outside the area.
• 32:25
  SPEAKER_01: So that is the rule.
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_01: You're correct.
• 32:26
  SPEAKER_01: It's the same as uh in the Premier League as everywhere else.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_01: But this one, I think there's a second nibble the defender goes in for, and they viewed that as a pen, but it is kind of a soft one.
• 32:36
  SPEAKER_01: So I I do understand what you're saying.
• 32:38
  SPEAKER_01: There was kind of contact the whole way, and then uh Ray Nildo, he's the one who gives it away.
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_01: He goes back in and then they call that the pen, and it's kind of like, oh, I don't know, in a really physical match.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_01: But Arsenal, the penalty they gave away was also one that they got away with all of last season, and you saw Mikel Arteta crying about.
• 32:55
  SPEAKER_01: So I think it was kind of equal on that front.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_01: Arsenal, just they find a way to get things done.
• 33:01
  SPEAKER_01: They're so hard to score against Brandon.
• 33:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 33:03
  SPEAKER_01: Because not only are they so solid defensively and out of possession, their structure is very good.
• 33:07
  SPEAKER_01: Rye is unbelievable.
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_01: So even in a one-on-one penalty situation, he's hard to beat there.
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_01: So it's really hard to break Arsenal down, and once you do, you really need to be clinical to finish.
• 33:18
  SPEAKER_01: So I hate giving them credit, but it's been a brilliant start to the season for them.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_01: Very much in control and look to be the favorites, in my opinion, in terms of just stability for this season.
• 33:29
  SPEAKER_01: Kind of how we projected.
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_01: Just they picked up where they left off.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
• 33:34
  SPEAKER_00: Bringing returning so many players, not having a ton in the transfer window, little bits and pieces, but they kept the core and they're they're doing their thing.
• 33:44
  SPEAKER_00: So unfortunately, you have to give them credit where credit's due.
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_00: Sunday's games, Sean.
• 33:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yesterday we saw two games.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_00: We had Coventry, Brighton, a five-piece from Brighton going to Coventry, winning 5-0.
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_00: I know there was a red card in this game as well, Sean, so that affected things.
• 34:01
  SPEAKER_00: But was Coventry just that bad, or was Brighton just that good?
• 34:05
  SPEAKER_00: Or did the penalty, or I'm sorry, did the red card really ruin things?
• 34:09
  SPEAKER_01: 5-0 certainly flatters Brighton a bit, but they were never in doubt of losing this one, Brandon.
• 34:15
  SPEAKER_01: They they controlled the match.
• 34:17
  SPEAKER_01: They clearly deserved all the points, if not that 5-0 scoreline.
• 34:21
  SPEAKER_01: This this seemed to be a pretty textbook 2-3-0, keep it moving.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_01: I think the red card, Taiwo Owone, he's a he's a signing from Nottingham Forest.
• 34:29
  SPEAKER_01: He comes in, and he's supposed to be the guy who's scoring goals for Coventry, and it just hasn't clicked yet.
• 34:35
  SPEAKER_01: I I do think he's he's a decent player on his day, but he's battled injuries, and I'm just not sure he's the exact answer you need if you're trying to stay up.
• 34:43
  SPEAKER_01: It's he really needs to round into gear quickly because Coventry are a sinking ship right now.
• 34:49
  SPEAKER_01: Brighton were brilliant.
• 34:50
  SPEAKER_01: I think they were really good in this game.
• 34:52
  SPEAKER_01: I thought that they just had some banger goals.
• 34:56
  SPEAKER_01: Like it's one of those games where they just scored some bangers.
• 34:59
  SPEAKER_01: And Pascal Gross adds a penalty, he gets a couple of assists to his name as well.
• 35:04
  SPEAKER_01: Just a really thorough performance from Brighton, and all of their matches seem to guarantee some goals.
• 35:09
  SPEAKER_01: So it's always pleasant on the eye if you're watching a Brighton match.
• 35:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I believe it was Lewis Dunk, their their center back, hit a hit a knuckle at him in a minute.
• 35:17
  SPEAKER_03: We'll get to his yeah.
• 35:19
  SPEAKER_00: I'll I'll let you cook on that later, Sean.
• 35:21
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, but but yeah, right.
• 35:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's tough.
• 35:24
  SPEAKER_00: And then Coventry, and again, maybe we'll talk about this in a little bit too, but no points, four games.
• 35:29
  SPEAKER_00: They see their friends from the championship rocking and rolling.
• 35:34
  SPEAKER_00: Is there a little bit of worry in Frank Lampard?
• 35:37
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know much about the behind the scenes at that club, but certain clubs, Tottenham Hosper, if they were in this situation, the manager might be on the hot seat already.
• 35:47
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know if Frank Lampard's gonna be in the hot seat quite yet, but it's gotta be really, really hard to see the other two teams doing well.
• 35:55
  SPEAKER_00: I think it'd be one thing if Ipswich and Hull were also struggling, but Hull is Hull's in third place.
• 36:01
  SPEAKER_00: They're flying.
• 36:02
  SPEAKER_00: And I believe Ipswich is tied for sixth.
• 36:05
  SPEAKER_00: So it's it's tough to see that, as especially because Coventry wasn't the team that came up that we were afraid of.
• 36:13
  SPEAKER_00: We were afraid of Hull.
• 36:14
  SPEAKER_00: Hall snuck into the EFL playoffs and then snuck into the the the Premier League and look at them now.
• 36:21
  SPEAKER_00: So is there is there bigger questions here?
• 36:24
  SPEAKER_00: Are we starting to to hit to panic a little bit in Coventry?
• 36:28
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, I'm panicking.
• 36:29
  SPEAKER_01: From Coventry, I am panicking.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_01: This is grim.
• 36:31
  SPEAKER_01: I couldn't imagine not scoring a goal through four matches.
• 36:33
  SPEAKER_01: Crazy work from Coventry.
• 36:35
  SPEAKER_01: But they have not scored yet, and they've conceded 10.
• 36:38
  SPEAKER_01: 10 goals in four games.
• 36:40
  SPEAKER_01: Not good.
• 36:41
  SPEAKER_01: I know this one really hurts that statistic.
• 36:44
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, conceding five at home is tough, but it's tough, Brandon, because Lampard built so much goodwill up based on last season and how they were absolutely flying.
• 36:52
  SPEAKER_01: They ran the championship, best team by far.
• 36:55
  SPEAKER_01: So they come up with optimism, but uh all that optimism's gone, and I certainly think that seat is at least warm.
• 37:01
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know about hot yet.
• 37:02
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know what the front office, the board are thinking, but it's gotta be at least warm.
• 37:06
  SPEAKER_01: You can't continue like this if you're Coventry.
• 37:09
  SPEAKER_01: So it's kind of these next few matches are really gonna dictate not only who's managing them, but just how quickly or how long they're able to stay in this Premier League fight.
• 37:18
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I do worry because I actually do like Frank Lampart.
• 37:22
  SPEAKER_00: I was a big fan of him as a player, and I think he's done well as a manager so far in his few stops, but I also worry about pulling the plug on Frank Lampard because you bring in a new voice, and yeah, there'll be some some energy, some different vibes around the club, but still the same 11 guys on the field.
• 37:41
  SPEAKER_00: Unless I have a guy that's buried in the bench that Lamper doesn't like, and then the new coach unlocks this guy, it's still gonna be the same guy.
• 37:48
  SPEAKER_00: So I I do w worry that if they do pull the plug, you're not really solving anything, and you honestly could be making things worse.
• 37:56
  SPEAKER_00: And it's not like a league like Major League Baseball or the NBA, the American sports, where it's like, all right, let's just tank and we'll get a draft pick, or tank and we'll just restat next season.
• 38:06
  SPEAKER_00: No, you're gonna go you're gonna be in the championship next year.
• 38:08
  SPEAKER_00: You're you're you'll be playing at Plymouth, Plymouth Argyle next year.
• 38:11
  SPEAKER_00: You're not gonna be playing at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium or Emirates or Anfield or these these big uh stadiums.
• 38:18
  SPEAKER_00: So you might be playing it, so you might be playing at Tottenham.
• 38:21
  SPEAKER_00: You might, yeah, actually that's true.
• 38:24
  SPEAKER_00: You might still be playing at Tottenham next year.
• 38:26
  SPEAKER_00: It's not ruled out.
• 38:27
  SPEAKER_00: You may still be playing at Tottenham next year.
• 38:29
  SPEAKER_00: I do apologize.
• 38:30
  SPEAKER_01: You you were cruising man, I didn't want to interrupt you, but I just had to cover us as a podcast.
• 38:34
  SPEAKER_01: You you might there's a chance you do wind up in the championship still playing at Tottenham.
• 38:39
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, that is true.
• 38:40
  SPEAKER_00: They may be uh coming down right with you.
• 38:42
  SPEAKER_00: But no, so so I do I do question that a bit, but it something's gonna have to change quickly because points are not gonna be easy to come by.
• 38:52
  SPEAKER_00: And like you said, this international break coming up, so front office has two weeks or so to sit and think, and sometimes when those people get into a room and they start thinking and throwing ideas out, you start to see some rash decisions.
• 39:05
  SPEAKER_00: So I hope Coventry get a point next weekend, at least one point to go into the break where it's something positive, something to look forward to.
• 39:14
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I know they're not playing Tottenham, so I'm not worried about that.
• 39:19
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, Coventry have Villa midweek in the cup, and then they go to Forest on the weekend.
• 39:25
  SPEAKER_01: So it's not an easy fixture.
• 39:27
  SPEAKER_01: It's not impossible.
• 39:28
  SPEAKER_01: It's not impossible.
• 39:30
  SPEAKER_01: And you just want to see a performance, a draw would mean the world to get something on the board before just before the international break.
• 39:38
  SPEAKER_01: But it's kind of like you said, it's sink or swim, now or never for Coventry.
• 39:42
  SPEAKER_01: It's getting dark early.
• 39:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that's unfortunate.
• 39:45
  SPEAKER_00: And Sean, the last game that has been played, Leeds and Newcastle will be playing today at 3 p.m.
• 39:52
  SPEAKER_00: The last game that was played yesterday, Sunday, was Manchester United, Manchester City, the Manchester Derby taking place at Old Trafford.
• 40:00
  SPEAKER_00: We saw a 1-0 win from City.
• 40:02
  SPEAKER_00: This game had a little bit of everything in it, and they said game of the week probably lived up to its standards.
• 40:09
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of stars, a red card again, some questionable questionable VAR.
• 40:15
  SPEAKER_00: It's this is your 2026 typical Barclays game.
• 40:20
  SPEAKER_00: 20 years ago, this game would happen.
• 40:22
  SPEAKER_00: There probably would have been more red cards.
• 40:23
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, there's no VAR then.
• 40:25
  SPEAKER_00: Probably would have seen even more crazy challenges and crazy things happen.
• 40:30
  SPEAKER_00: But now in this VAR world, a lot of that's been tamed.
• 40:34
  SPEAKER_00: But still, we're we're talking here after the game, and we have questions about VAR.
• 40:40
  SPEAKER_00: We have the technology, but we're still maybe not using it right, Sean.
• 40:44
  SPEAKER_00: I I I'm interested to hear what you think about this game overall and and maybe some of the flash points.
• 40:50
  SPEAKER_00: Brandon, a lot to unpack in this one.
• 40:52
  SPEAKER_01: We could have done a whole episode on this game alone.
• 40:55
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 40:56
  SPEAKER_01: You mentioned this is a proper, proper, not only Manchester Derby, but a proper Premier League game.
• 41:02
  SPEAKER_01: Had it all in terms of drama and intrigue.
• 41:04
  SPEAKER_01: And I think we should just start.
• 41:06
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, Holland finds the winner, City stay unbeaten.
• 41:10
  SPEAKER_01: A good result for them, a great gutsy, gutsy, gutsy performance away from home in a hostile environment.
• 41:16
  SPEAKER_01: They are still the kings of Manchester.
• 41:18
  SPEAKER_01: They they say that, they let that be known.
• 41:20
  SPEAKER_01: They deserve all the credit.
• 41:22
  SPEAKER_01: Enzo Moresca continues to prove me wrong.
• 41:25
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm happy.
• 41:26
  SPEAKER_01: I'm happy.
• 41:27
  SPEAKER_01: Enzo, keep it up, please.
• 41:28
  SPEAKER_01: I'll wear egg on my face all year long if you win the title.
• 41:31
  SPEAKER_01: So go right ahead, keep up doing your thing.
• 41:34
  SPEAKER_01: But Brandon, we have to talk about those flashpoints because the two biggest moments of the match are the Holland goal, which comes with some offside controversy, but before that, preceding it, is the Phil Foden sending off.
• 41:46
  SPEAKER_01: He sees red, and I'm gonna toss it to you.
• 41:50
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 41:50
  SPEAKER_01: Just plain and simple.
• 41:52
  SPEAKER_01: You're the referee in this situation.
• 41:54
  SPEAKER_01: They showed us the ref cam, actually.
• 41:56
  SPEAKER_01: We saw Michael Oliver's exact view of the play.
• 42:00
  SPEAKER_01: He is miles away from where he like he's so far away.
• 42:04
  SPEAKER_00: I have no clue how at the same time though, uh he was far away, but he also got hit by the ball at least five times in the game.
• 42:13
  SPEAKER_00: So he was either way too close or way too far away.
• 42:16
  SPEAKER_00: He was a better defender than Maguire in this match.
• 42:18
  SPEAKER_01: He he he had his footprints literally all over this one.
• 42:23
  SPEAKER_01: And I he might be a lovely guy.
• 42:25
  SPEAKER_01: I hate him.
• 42:26
  SPEAKER_01: He might be a lovely guy.
• 42:27
  SPEAKER_01: I can't stand him.
• 42:28
  SPEAKER_01: But I'll say it one more time.
• 42:30
  SPEAKER_01: Can't stand him.
• 42:31
  SPEAKER_01: He looks like a prick.
• 42:33
  SPEAKER_01: He just has the look of a prick.
• 42:34
  SPEAKER_01: He looks like one of those guys you can't talk to.
• 42:36
  SPEAKER_01: He's always right.
• 42:37
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know.
• 42:37
  SPEAKER_01: He he might be the antithesis of that, but the way he comes across, it's just I can't deal with Michael Oliver.
• 42:42
  SPEAKER_01: So anytime I see him near a match, I'm if it's not Tottenham, I'm kind of like, ooh, what's gonna happen here?
• 42:47
  SPEAKER_01: If it is Tottenham, like get him away.
• 42:49
  SPEAKER_01: But he this was the Michael Oliver show.
• 42:51
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks for tuning in.
• 42:52
  SPEAKER_01: He so they show us the ref cam footage, but he's so far from it, but he does have a clear view.
• 42:56
  SPEAKER_01: There's no one obstructing his view.
• 42:58
  SPEAKER_01: So he sees what happens.
• 43:00
  SPEAKER_01: Bruno kicks at Phil Foden once when he's on the ground, kind of a half kick.
• 43:06
  SPEAKER_01: Whistle goes, kicks at him again, and the second kick was a kick at him.
• 43:10
  SPEAKER_01: Okay.
• 43:11
  SPEAKER_01: Phil Foden then retaliates by kicking-ish Bruno.
• 43:16
  SPEAKER_01: It's kind of not a kick, in my opinion.
• 43:19
  SPEAKER_01: It's kind technically speaking, sure.
• 43:21
  SPEAKER_01: But he kind of like pushes his shin into Bruno's stomach, is what I would say.
• 43:27
  SPEAKER_01: It's above the private parts, which Bruno acted like he got hit in.
• 43:31
  SPEAKER_01: Because he sees Bruno go down, roll around, holding his privates, he's immediately shows red.
• 43:36
  SPEAKER_01: Phil Foden is just appalled.
• 43:38
  SPEAKER_01: He's he's stunned that a red card was given.
• 43:41
  SPEAKER_01: Brandon Johnson, you're refing this match.
• 43:43
  SPEAKER_01: What are you doing?
• 43:45
  SPEAKER_00: I think based on everything I saw, I think on the field I would go yellow, yellow.
• 43:50
  SPEAKER_00: Yellow card for Bruno, yellow card for Phil Foden.
• 43:53
  SPEAKER_00: And of course, at the same time, I'm I'm in the air.
• 43:55
  SPEAKER_00: They're telling me hey, maybe this could be a red.
• 43:58
  SPEAKER_00: Come look at it.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_00: Whatever.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_00: But to go straight red only to Phil Foden and not Bruno getting anything is odd.
• 44:06
  SPEAKER_00: I do think Phil was incredibly unlucky because of where his foot was when he retaliated.
• 44:12
  SPEAKER_00: His foot was already in the air because of the play.
• 44:16
  SPEAKER_00: So it so wherever he connects on Bruno, it's gonna be much higher than an ankle or a foot.
• 44:22
  SPEAKER_00: So it automatically looks bad.
• 44:24
  SPEAKER_00: And I think Michael Oliver, he does like to look.
• 44:28
  SPEAKER_00: I think the fact that we're saying his name and we know he's a referee and we know about his antics says a lot about him, period.
• 44:35
  SPEAKER_00: Like we should not be able to name Premier League referees by name like that.
• 44:38
  SPEAKER_00: I can I can name them all.
• 44:40
  SPEAKER_00: They're all but you you know what I mean?
• 44:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yes.
• 44:44
  SPEAKER_00: So so so yeah, so if if it's me, I'm going yellow, yellow.
• 44:47
  SPEAKER_00: We go to the VAR.
• 44:49
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, we think it's red, possibly come look at it.
• 44:52
  SPEAKER_00: Fine, I'll go look at it and we'll review it.
• 44:54
  SPEAKER_00: But to give a red card in such a crazy match like this, and you already know you're you're reffing a derby.
• 45:00
  SPEAKER_00: I think they said it's his eighth time reffing this derby, so like it's not like he's new to this.
• 45:06
  SPEAKER_00: No, there's gonna be challenges, there's gonna be late, there's gonna be afters.
• 45:10
  SPEAKER_00: You have to hold your emotions in and realize this is much bigger than just a Tuesday random game that you're giving me.
• 45:18
  SPEAKER_00: This is the game of the weekend, it's a derby, it's a rivalry.
• 45:22
  SPEAKER_00: These two teams hate each other, so you're going to see things at a little bit of a higher level than maybe you do in some other games, and you have to react to that appropriately.
• 45:30
  SPEAKER_00: Because if you're gonna give that red card to Phil Foden, you're gonna have to ref the game so tight for the rest of the match.
• 45:36
  SPEAKER_00: And he didn't.
• 45:37
  SPEAKER_00: I think he refed it fine after that, but you would have to almost blow every call, everything's a yellow card from then on, if that's your standard of red.
• 45:45
  SPEAKER_00: So I I think they messed up on that part.
• 45:47
  SPEAKER_00: I'm 100% with you.
• 45:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yellow, yellow for me all day.
• 45:50
  SPEAKER_01: The fact that Brun that fact that Bruno gets off scot-free in that yes instance is astonishing.
• 45:56
  SPEAKER_01: That just can't happen.
• 45:57
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it can't happen.
• 45:58
  SPEAKER_01: And for me, you go and read the rules for violent conduct, a red card, it needs to, it says, quote, excessive force or brutality.
• 46:07
  SPEAKER_01: That's the exact quote for what dignifies a red card.
• 46:11
  SPEAKER_01: That was not excessive force, and that was not brutality.
• 46:15
  SPEAKER_01: It was not.
• 46:16
  SPEAKER_01: I don't care what you say, I will I will very much go to bat for that never being a red for me, especially when you add in the context of a Derby.
• 46:24
  SPEAKER_01: And yes, you shouldn't ref things differently, but emotions are high.
• 46:28
  SPEAKER_01: And if Phil Foden lined up out of nowhere and kicked Bruno Fernandez, then yes, sure.
• 46:36
  SPEAKER_01: But Phil Foden was lying on the ground and got kicked twice by Bruno Fernandez, and then kind of kicked back.
• 46:41
  SPEAKER_01: And he gets sent off and Bruno gets nothing.
• 46:44
  SPEAKER_01: For me, that was a crazy decision.
• 46:46
  SPEAKER_01: But I think the important thing, Brandon, was how it galvanized Manchester City.
• 46:50
  SPEAKER_01: You want to see championship mentality?
• 46:53
  SPEAKER_01: I tell you what, that's a group of guys who have done it.
• 46:56
  SPEAKER_01: It's a group of winners.
• 46:57
  SPEAKER_01: I know a lot of the guard has kind of changed.
• 46:59
  SPEAKER_01: There's no more Bernardo Silva's and Rodri's gone, and some of that group's left, but immediately, guys like Erling Holland, he actually goes over and tells Phil Foden, get off the pitch, we're fine.
• 47:09
  SPEAKER_01: Like he points to, hey, go ahead, Leith, we're good here.
• 47:12
  SPEAKER_01: Mark Gahy gives him a kiss on the cheek, says, We're good, we got you.
• 47:16
  SPEAKER_01: And you just see the response from the group.
• 47:18
  SPEAKER_01: And honestly, I was kind of like, oh, that's that was cool.
• 47:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 47:21
  SPEAKER_01: Manchester United got worse when they went ahead of man.
• 47:25
  SPEAKER_01: They they literally were the better team before the sending off.
• 47:28
  SPEAKER_01: And then afterwards, City were galvanized.
• 47:31
  SPEAKER_01: They find a moment to win the match, which we now have to talk about just more VAR, more referee, and bullshit.
• 47:37
  SPEAKER_01: But they they get the job done, and I think it's a lot to do with just their championship mindset, which was great to see.
• 47:43
  SPEAKER_01: It's impressive.
• 47:44
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's the good part of this city group is that yes, they they're backed by Saudi oil money and they have the best players in the world, but they also have a good group of guys in that locker room, it seems like, who really, really put they keep the main thing the main thing.
• 47:58
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's why we've seen them be so successful over this run, and that's why I think Pep Guardiola might not be there anymore, but a lot of what he has instilled in them is still carrying over.
• 48:06
  SPEAKER_01: So that's the good news.
• 48:07
  SPEAKER_01: Brandon, let's quickly talk on the goal.
• 48:09
  SPEAKER_01: Uh Erlin Holland scores.
• 48:11
  SPEAKER_01: He was in an onside position when Gavardiol's cross comes in.
• 48:15
  SPEAKER_01: The point of contention from all of Manchester United fans is that Enzo Fernandez very much impacts the play from an offside position.
• 48:23
  SPEAKER_01: And I guess VAR didn't see it that way.
• 48:25
  SPEAKER_01: It's come out that maybe a mistake was made in this process and the goal shouldn't have been given.
• 48:30
  SPEAKER_01: Either way, the goal stands.
• 48:32
  SPEAKER_01: To me, this feels like a fair, fair result.
• 48:34
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I I don't think this was a good goal.
• 48:37
  SPEAKER_01: I think it probably was offside, if we're being honest.
• 48:40
  SPEAKER_01: I think Enzo does definitely impact the play.
• 48:44
  SPEAKER_01: But for me, I don't think Manchester City should have been playing this match with 10 men.
• 48:47
  SPEAKER_01: And if we're gonna get you know, if we're gonna get into the weeds on something, I feel like, you know what, I can let that offside go because it at best it's uh marginal.
• 48:58
  SPEAKER_01: Uh it's hard because in a vacuum, yeah, Enzo does impact that play.
• 49:02
  SPEAKER_01: It probably should be disallowed.
• 49:04
  SPEAKER_01: But when you factor in everything that else that happened in this match, it's like, you know what?
• 49:07
  SPEAKER_01: I could see how that mistake happens from a referee point of view, and I could see how that goal's given.
• 49:12
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 49:13
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, to me it's it's tough to swallow that.
• 49:15
  SPEAKER_00: I'm not a fan really of either team necessarily, but I I do understand they they messed up the penalty kick.
• 49:22
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sorry, the uh red card earlier to Phil Fodder.
• 49:25
  SPEAKER_00: That should not have been a red card, I agree.
• 49:27
  SPEAKER_00: But Enzo Fernandez was also offside, and I don't want to sound like a city hater, but we can't, you know, we can't waver from the line of truth.
• 49:38
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, we can't waver from that line of truth because oh, we we screwed those guys up over earlier in the game, so now we're gonna make up for it later.
• 49:46
  SPEAKER_00: The the quote that came out though, they said was we did not believe Enzo Fernandez was in a position trying to make a play at the ball.
• 49:54
  SPEAKER_00: He made it, he he was he was doing a diving header, Sean.
• 49:57
  SPEAKER_00: I've never seen anyone dive go for a diving header trying not to get it.
• 50:01
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, no, he clearly tried to impact the ball.
• 50:03
  SPEAKER_01: Now, he didn't touch the ball.
• 50:05
  SPEAKER_01: He didn't touch it, no, the goal was given, but his intent was it it certainly impacted the play.
• 50:10
  SPEAKER_01: It also, Lisandro Martinez was pulled into covering Enzo Fernandez, and it it all changed the whole context of the situation changes because of Enzo Fernandez's impact on the play.
• 50:20
  SPEAKER_01: So you're 100% right.
• 50:22
  SPEAKER_01: I'm moving goalposts, but I as a fan, I feel like it's justified, is how I would say it.
• 50:29
  SPEAKER_01: Okay, that's fair.
• 50:33
  SPEAKER_01: Each thing's an independent action, they should be refereed correctly each time.
• 50:37
  SPEAKER_01: One mistake doesn't, you don't get an eye for an eye.
• 50:40
  SPEAKER_01: I get all that.
• 50:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it feels like justice to me that that goal stood.
• 50:44
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, no, that when you put it that way, I I understand where you're coming from.
• 50:48
  SPEAKER_00: And but but I think the biggest point, goal aside, red card aside, was that mentality after the red card.
• 50:56
  SPEAKER_00: You said it, Sean.
• 50:58
  SPEAKER_00: I think the way that Holland, the way that Guardian, the way that Mark Gahey, those guys came together and said, Look, you're off, Phil Foden, but like we got you.
• 51:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and you could like it.
• 51:10
  SPEAKER_00: I saw I was watching the game live and I was like, wow, like it really sent something through you because so many times you see guys get red cards and their teammates are yelling at them, you're an idiot, you're this, you're that, the other.
• 51:22
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think they knew.
• 51:25
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, you know, like, hey, it's okay, you know, yeah.
• 51:28
  SPEAKER_01: But the link no, just for example, if Tottenham had a red card, the rest of the team would they would half-hearted damn it, you know, be like, okay, we'll try our hardest.
• 51:37
  SPEAKER_01: Whereas no, Manchester City were like, fuck it, fine, we'll do it with 10 then, you know, and that was cool to see.
• 51:43
  SPEAKER_01: So, yeah, your point, I think, is exactly right.
• 51:46
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so so no, big shout out to them.
• 51:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I think in a year where we said it, Arsenal looks to be the favorite to repeat.
• 51:55
  SPEAKER_00: There's really not, maybe not a second team that on paper is gonna be challenging them.
• 52:01
  SPEAKER_00: Moresca being new and them having those questions, United being good, but maybe some still some questions there.
• 52:08
  SPEAKER_00: Chelsea being a lot of a new team as well.
• 52:10
  SPEAKER_00: City kind of said, Hey, we'll be that dog, we'll be that second team to to challenge Arsenal to win this title.
• 52:19
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that'll be a moment that they look back at at the end of the season saying, Hey, that's when we knew we could do this.
• 52:26
  SPEAKER_00: Because not only did they not lose, they won.
• 52:31
  SPEAKER_00: And again, we we talked about the goal and should have counted, shouldn't have counted, fine.
• 52:36
  SPEAKER_00: But they had other chances.
• 52:37
  SPEAKER_00: They were playing to win the game.
• 52:39
  SPEAKER_00: They weren't playing, oh my gosh, let's get out of here, zero, zero tie, and go hide and get back on the bus and go home.
• 52:45
  SPEAKER_00: They were like, no, let's go get three for Phil and take this win back to to City with us.
• 52:51
  SPEAKER_00: So just just a big result from them.
• 52:53
  SPEAKER_00: And I think it's a moment that they'll look back on saying, Hey, this was our moment where we really said we're gonna title, we're gonna challenge for this title this year.
• 53:01
  SPEAKER_01: 100%.
• 53:02
  SPEAKER_01: I and I think I hope we do get an actual title challenge out of them.
• 53:05
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 53:05
  SPEAKER_01: I still think the stable side, the more predictable side is Arsenal and City have been a little bit more chaotic so far, but their quality is still there.
• 53:12
  SPEAKER_01: So hopefully we do get that title challenge.
• 53:14
  SPEAKER_01: I know we're already near an hour and we still have to do our awards, so we'll go quick through those, Brandon, but also just the repercussions of the Phil Phoden challenge.
• 53:21
  SPEAKER_01: Phil Foden had a brutal year last year, just really wasn't good.
• 53:24
  SPEAKER_01: He's been kind of down on his luck, it seems.
• 53:27
  SPEAKER_01: Him being out three matches now because of that straight red, is it's brutal.
• 53:31
  SPEAKER_01: It comes at a bad time.
• 53:32
  SPEAKER_01: He might lose his place in the team with guys like Cherokee and and Jai now being available for selection for City.
• 53:39
  SPEAKER_01: So it's really harsh for him.
• 53:40
  SPEAKER_01: And I just think that there needs to be V AR, we gotta do a better job.
• 53:45
  SPEAKER_01: That there's no way you can convince me that was excessive force or brutality.
• 53:48
  SPEAKER_01: And if that's the case, then why was the check 10 seconds and he's off?
• 53:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 53:53
  SPEAKER_01: You know, take your time with something like this and get it right.
• 53:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 53:57
  SPEAKER_00: No, I I definitely agree with you there because these decisions change so much.
• 54:02
  SPEAKER_00: And maybe there's an appeal process, Sean.
• 54:04
  SPEAKER_00: I don't know how that looks in the Premier League.
• 54:06
  SPEAKER_00: I know other leagues do have that process.
• 54:08
  SPEAKER_00: So maybe they can appeal even if it's a one game rather than a three, which would be great.
• 54:13
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, now potentially Phil Foden may not play football again for almost a month because you have the the game and then you have the two games off, the two weeks off with the international break, and then coming back.
• 54:23
  SPEAKER_00: So definitely unfortunate.
• 54:25
  SPEAKER_00: Let's transition quickly, like you said, to our best and worst team and best and worst performances of the week.
• 54:31
  SPEAKER_00: Sean, I'll start real quick with the best teams.
• 54:34
  SPEAKER_00: I had City was one for the reasons we just explained, but I also want to give Ipswich a shout out.
• 54:40
  SPEAKER_00: I think as a recently promoted side, going away, getting three points is is huge.
• 54:45
  SPEAKER_00: So those two teams, I think for me, really, really impressed me this week.
• 54:49
  SPEAKER_00: Took another step forward.
• 54:50
  SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm with you.
• 54:51
  SPEAKER_01: I I'm glad you shouted those two out because I went in a different direction, but I thought about those two long and hard, and I was kind of like they deserve to be mentioned.
• 54:58
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm glad you did it.
• 54:59
  SPEAKER_01: For my whole city team of the week, of course, whole city, of course, just once again finding a way to get it done.
• 55:04
  SPEAKER_01: Until they lose, they'll be getting at least a mention in this section.
• 55:07
  SPEAKER_01: Also for me, Brighton, when you score five, keep a clean sheet, you you deserve a shout.
• 55:12
  SPEAKER_01: Forrest going away from home, thought they were really impressive as well.
• 55:16
  SPEAKER_01: And now we've at this point, between the two of us, we've named five teams.
• 55:19
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna name one more.
• 55:20
  SPEAKER_01: I thought Fulham.
• 55:22
  SPEAKER_01: I thought Fulham really they answered the bell because we've been chirping them, especially me on this podcast.
• 55:27
  SPEAKER_01: They didn't win yet, and they only have a point to their name, but this was a really encouraging point for them.
• 55:32
  SPEAKER_01: Some real belief in that squad after that.
• 55:34
  SPEAKER_01: So that that's good.
• 55:35
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I think momentum, we talked about it with the baseball analogy and the the basketball shooter analogy.
• 55:40
  SPEAKER_00: I think momentum really is something that can't, of course, physically be tracked, but does really, really help a team.
• 55:47
  SPEAKER_00: And so a team like Fulham goes and gets a point at Anfield.
• 55:51
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's not sexy, it's not the most beautiful thing in the world, but it's like, hey, we can we can play with a team that's probably gonna be in the top four, top five of the league.
• 55:59
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, I I agree though.
• 56:01
  SPEAKER_00: That's a good mention from you.
• 56:02
  SPEAKER_00: So I appreciate that.
• 56:04
  SPEAKER_00: Worst team, Sean.
• 56:05
  SPEAKER_00: You kind of said it when you were talking about Brighton.
• 56:07
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's Coventry, and not just because of the loss, but losing 5-0 is a lot.
• 56:13
  SPEAKER_00: That's a tough score line to just say, Hey, yeah, we we gotta go play next week, and you and you just got pumped by five goals.
• 56:21
  SPEAKER_00: And then I think the other part is like we talked about earlier, they just see their friends doing well, they see they see their championship friends doing well, and I think there's there's a lot of concern around that.
• 56:32
  SPEAKER_00: So unfortunately, Coventry just not your week.
• 56:35
  SPEAKER_00: I have to give them my worst team of the week.
• 56:38
  SPEAKER_01: I also had them written down, Brandon, but I couldn't have said it any better than you did, so I'll just move.
• 56:43
  SPEAKER_01: I had a couple others as well.
• 56:45
  SPEAKER_01: I put Liverpool in this section on the flip side.
• 56:47
  SPEAKER_01: Sure, a draw.
• 56:48
  SPEAKER_01: It's not the end of the world.
• 56:49
  SPEAKER_01: The reason why I think it might be a little bit I think so far in this season, and maybe we weren't expecting them to tight challenge for the title, but I think this kind of just shows they're not ready to challenge for a title this season.
• 57:01
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 57:01
  SPEAKER_01: That's just a game you have to win.
• 57:03
  SPEAKER_01: Like Arsenal and Manchester City don't lose that game.
• 57:06
  SPEAKER_01: Or or draw that game without scoring a goal at home, in my opinion.
• 57:10
  SPEAKER_01: So I think that's that they're a loser this weekend for me.
• 57:13
  SPEAKER_01: And then also I had Tottenham, and and it's just kind of like it's tough because I like we said on on balance, I don't think they were that bad in this match.
• 57:20
  SPEAKER_01: They were probably a better team, controlled the game, never really looked like conceding.
• 57:23
  SPEAKER_01: But at a certain point, when you don't answer the questions and that they still linger, and then all the talk in the media is just how much you spent in the transfer window and how you still have a goal, and you you just can't go this long without putting some of those questions at rest.
• 57:38
  SPEAKER_01: And the longer this drags out, the worse it's going to get for Tottenham and just in terms of narratives.
• 57:43
  SPEAKER_01: So to not pick up a win at home against a very beatable Everton side, that they were a loser this weekend for me as well.
• 57:50
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, okay.
• 57:51
  SPEAKER_00: Let's transition to best and worst performances.
• 57:54
  SPEAKER_00: Best, I know one that you'll have, so I'll let you cook with the one.
• 57:58
  SPEAKER_00: Or I'm I'm I think I know one that you do have.
• 58:00
  SPEAKER_00: If you don't have him and it comes back to me, I'll I'll name him.
• 58:03
  SPEAKER_00: But I wanted to give uh Kevin Shade from Brentford.
• 58:07
  SPEAKER_00: He scores a brace, gets a draw away at Bournemouth.
• 58:11
  SPEAKER_00: That's a great result for Brentford, I think.
• 58:13
  SPEAKER_00: Uh so give him a shout-out.
• 58:14
  SPEAKER_00: He's also again on Team Brandon, so two more goals to the list.
• 58:18
  SPEAKER_00: And then another guy, Sean.
• 58:20
  SPEAKER_00: We haven't mentioned him too much, but Enzo Fernandez for City.
• 58:24
  SPEAKER_00: I thought he was absolutely class in his.
• 58:27
  SPEAKER_00: I think he played about 75 minutes.
• 58:29
  SPEAKER_00: They took him off late.
• 58:30
  SPEAKER_00: To play down a man, to play in that midfield position and have to match up with Kobe Mainu, Bruno Fernandez, these got Tielemans from Manchester United, dogs, dogs in their midfield, and you match them and maybe even played better than them.
• 58:44
  SPEAKER_00: I think he has to get a shout-out because without his performance, I don't think they come out with three points.
• 58:50
  SPEAKER_00: And again, I I think you and I are both fans of the guys who will make the great pass and and and do the great thing.
• 58:58
  SPEAKER_00: But at the same time, I also love a guy that'll just do the dirty work, they'll just get stuck in.
• 59:02
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe they're man for man with a guy, and they just, you know, when you play the box and one in basketball, and it's like, this is my man, you're not touching the ball, and and you just lock in like that.
• 59:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I think Enzo just had one of those performances where a lot of things won't show up necessarily on a score sheet or on a stat sheet, but without his performance, I don't think they get three points.
• 59:21
  SPEAKER_00: So I wanted to give him another best performance of the week as well.
• 59:24
  SPEAKER_00: I love that, Brandon.
• 59:25
  SPEAKER_01: And also I'm gonna lump in on the back of yours.
• 59:27
  SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna lump in Elliot Anderson into that same exact bucket, just putting on the hard hat, grabbing your lunch pail, going to work, putting in a shift, not asking for thank yous or oh wow, good jobs, just getting the job done, just putting in a shift.
• 59:40
  SPEAKER_01: I think both of those guys absolutely did that.
• 59:42
  SPEAKER_01: For me, I mentioned Mohammed Balumi, two goals for whole city.
• 59:46
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, the guy's absolutely electric.
• 59:48
  SPEAKER_01: Last year, he he got into a fight with his manager, or at least the manager had a real problem with him because he was asked to sub on and didn't have his shirt handy.
• 59:57
  SPEAKER_01: He wasn't ready to go on the pitch in like a big moment.
• 1:00:00
  SPEAKER_01: So he's kind of a wild card, but when he gets it right, he's been really brilliant so far for whole city.
• 1:00:05
  SPEAKER_01: So, of course, mentioning him, Lewis Dunk, that goal, Mike go down as the best goal of the season.
• 1:00:10
  SPEAKER_01: That was a fucking outrageous strike from a very unlikely source.
• 1:00:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, Lewis Dunk said afterwards he surprised himself.
• 1:00:16
  SPEAKER_01: Lewis, we were downright stunned.
• 1:00:18
  SPEAKER_01: I could not believe my eyes.
• 1:00:20
  SPEAKER_01: Not from you, Lewis.
• 1:00:21
  SPEAKER_01: It was, it was, didn't know you had that in you.
• 1:00:24
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think you knew you had it in you.
• 1:00:25
  SPEAKER_01: That's one you don't even get right in training.
• 1:00:28
  SPEAKER_01: And for him to do it in a game now, albeit a 4-0 against Coventry, awfully similar to a training session.
• 1:00:34
  SPEAKER_01: But I I do think that uh it was a great finish and needs to be awarded.
• 1:00:40
  SPEAKER_01: And then this one is kind of similar to the one you mentioned, Brandon.
• 1:00:43
  SPEAKER_01: Just a guy who's getting the job done at a high level and he's not getting a ton of praise or credit for it.
• 1:00:48
  SPEAKER_01: Xavier Schlager, who is a free transfer to Nottingham Forest this year from the Bundesliga, he's been awesome for them.
• 1:00:55
  SPEAKER_01: He just does a job in midfield, runs the hard yards, tidy on the ball, just never really around the danger.
• 1:01:03
  SPEAKER_01: You know, a lot of guys we talk about how they're not necessarily always to blame, but they're always at the crime scene.
• 1:01:10
  SPEAKER_01: You know, he's just, he seems like he's above it.
• 1:01:13
  SPEAKER_01: He's always doing a decent job.
• 1:01:15
  SPEAKER_01: He's one step ahead.
• 1:01:16
  SPEAKER_01: He's controlling the midfield for Forrest, and I think that's their way to victory a lot of the times.
• 1:01:22
  SPEAKER_01: It's going to be a lot of thankless jobs and clean sheets and good defensive performances, keeping teams at bay.
• 1:01:27
  SPEAKER_01: So wanted to shout him out as well.
• 1:01:29
  SPEAKER_01: If we flip it to worst, I'll kick us off here because I've got a two-piece.
• 1:01:34
  SPEAKER_01: I'll just go one because I feel like we might have the same second one.
• 1:01:37
  SPEAKER_01: I don't have any players in this section.
• 1:01:40
  SPEAKER_01: So worst performer, my first worst performer was Frank Lampard.
• 1:01:44
  SPEAKER_01: And we we're hammering Coventry in this one, but the reason why, Frank, every time they cut to you, you looked clueless.
• 1:01:52
  SPEAKER_01: And that's just not a fun sign when, you know, you're you're a promoted side, you're trying your hardest to stay up, and every time they cut to you, it's after you can see the goal, and you just look like you don't have an answer.
• 1:02:04
  SPEAKER_01: Michael Carrick, I'm not gonna say he was a worst performer in this either, but he has a little bit of this to him too.
• 1:02:08
  SPEAKER_01: I've never seen him open his mouth.
• 1:02:09
  SPEAKER_01: He's just always on the touchline with his hand on his, and he's just like, hmm, just trying to see what's going on.
• 1:02:15
  SPEAKER_01: Hey Bud, what's going on?
• 1:02:16
  SPEAKER_01: Is you're losing again.
• 1:02:18
  SPEAKER_01: And it's it's not been good from him, but Frank Lampard, we really need to figure it out at Coventry, or else you're gonna be out of a job soon.
• 1:02:25
  SPEAKER_01: I'm interested to hear what you have to say, Brandon, but I have one more if you don't take it.
• 1:02:28
  SPEAKER_00: Okay.
• 1:02:29
  SPEAKER_00: It's funny.
• 1:02:30
  SPEAKER_00: All right, we'll start off with my non-player.
• 1:02:32
  SPEAKER_00: It was V A R.
• 1:02:34
  SPEAKER_00: V A R slash Michael Oliver.
• 1:02:36
  SPEAKER_00: What do we do?
• 1:02:36
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, good.
• 1:02:37
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, my second one was Michael Oliver.
• 1:02:38
  SPEAKER_01: So Mikey Oliver, yeah, perfect.
• 1:02:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 1:02:40
  SPEAKER_01: Take care of it.
• 1:02:42
  SPEAKER_00: We we can't be making these mistakes, these decisions.
• 1:02:46
  SPEAKER_00: We have so much technology now.
• 1:02:48
  SPEAKER_00: It it questions everything because at this point it's like, all right, why do we have VAR if we're not gonna use it correctly?
• 1:02:54
  SPEAKER_00: Let's just play old school, and the ARs, the assistant referees, will do their job and they'll call offside.
• 1:03:00
  SPEAKER_00: They don't have to be worried about making their own call because that's just what we're gonna do.
• 1:03:04
  SPEAKER_00: Now we don't have to worry about them in the back office saying, Hey, actually, he was offside, put your flag up, and they put their flag up 30 seconds later.
• 1:03:13
  SPEAKER_00: So if we're gonna use VAR, let's use it right.
• 1:03:15
  SPEAKER_00: If we're not gonna use it, let's just get rid of it.
• 1:03:17
  SPEAKER_00: So I have to give one there.
• 1:03:19
  SPEAKER_00: The second one, all the players that got the red cards, or sorry, both, not all three, because I don't think Photon's was appropriate, but uh oh nee from uh Coventry, Desasi from Crystal Palace, it shows if your team's not good and you give up give up a player off the field, your team is probably going to struggle, and both of those cards were pretty early in the game, so their team struggled.
• 1:03:44
  SPEAKER_00: City, on the other hand, obviously did did really well, honestly, after Foden came off, which you don't see often, but again, that one I don't think was a red card.
• 1:03:53
  SPEAKER_00: And my third worst performance, uh, there were a lot of goalkeeper mistakes this weekend.
• 1:03:57
  SPEAKER_00: Some led to goals, some didn't.
• 1:03:59
  SPEAKER_00: I think uh Georgi Petrovich's mistake led to Kevin Shade's second goal for Brentford.
• 1:04:05
  SPEAKER_00: Um Emmy Martinez was not great again.
• 1:04:08
  SPEAKER_00: I still think he's better than Robert Sanchez, but he is not he has not looked incredible at Chelsea so far.
• 1:04:16
  SPEAKER_00: And you knew he had the antics around him, but his performances haven't been up to standard, in my opinion.
• 1:04:23
  SPEAKER_00: And then Kinski had one and Allison had one with the ball at their feet.
• 1:04:27
  SPEAKER_00: Can we just go again?
• 1:04:29
  SPEAKER_00: Uh maybe I'm just an old school guy, Sean.
• 1:04:31
  SPEAKER_00: But the goalie has the ball, just fucking kick it out of bounds, just clear it.
• 1:04:36
  SPEAKER_00: We don't have to be cute, we don't have to do a house divided.
• 1:04:40
  SPEAKER_00: That's fine.
• 1:04:40
  SPEAKER_00: We can be house divided, but when you're under pressure like that and you have no decision, don't just be cute with it.
• 1:04:47
  SPEAKER_00: Just kick it out of bounds, kick it into row Z, give them the throw-in, and you reset.
• 1:04:51
  SPEAKER_00: I cannot stand when goalkeepers try to get too cute.
• 1:04:54
  SPEAKER_00: I I will die on that hill.
• 1:04:56
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sorry.
• 1:04:57
  SPEAKER_00: Brandon, it's such a fun.
• 1:04:58
  SPEAKER_01: It's I'm glad we're divided on this because it's a fun, lighthearted topic that is constantly argued about in football.
• 1:05:05
  SPEAKER_01: Some managers' instructions are do not kick the ball along.
• 1:05:08
  SPEAKER_01: We want to take on that pressure from the back and build out from it.
• 1:05:11
  SPEAKER_01: We want to draw them out and they're easier to play through because of it.
• 1:05:14
  SPEAKER_01: I I fall in that camp.
• 1:05:16
  SPEAKER_01: Don't get me wrong, there are times like when Kinski did it for Tottenham where it's like, Jesus, don't ever do that again.
• 1:05:23
  SPEAKER_01: But there's other alternatives to playing directly into danger.
• 1:05:27
  SPEAKER_01: So I think a happy medium is what we're both asking for.
• 1:05:30
  SPEAKER_01: But of course, when push comes to shove, there are two camps and people fall into different camps.
• 1:05:35
  SPEAKER_01: I love that little thrill of shit.
• 1:05:37
  SPEAKER_01: Uh it's uh we conceded.
• 1:05:39
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, a goalie or it's brilliant, or it's a brilliant 20 touch sequence that leads to a goal.
• 1:05:44
  SPEAKER_00: I love it.
• 1:05:44
  SPEAKER_00: I live for it.
• 1:05:45
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, a goalie can a goalie can uh play out of the back, split the forwards, and hit the six in the gap, six turns and plays the diag, and then it's a counter right from there.
• 1:05:55
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely, sign me up.
• 1:05:57
  SPEAKER_00: But when they're under pressure like that and they can't make a decision, Just kick it out of bounds.
• 1:06:01
  SPEAKER_00: I do not care if it's a throw-in for the other team.
• 1:06:04
  SPEAKER_00: It makes no sense to me.
• 1:06:06
  SPEAKER_00: Or kick it 60 yards up the field and say, hey, all right, we'll reset.
• 1:06:09
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm glad we're on the same page, but that will be something that if I see my team give up a goal on a situation like that, I will lose my mind.
• 1:06:17
  SPEAKER_00: Because that is completely it's like a it's it's like a double, it's like a double fault in tennis.
• 1:06:24
  SPEAKER_00: It is completely self.
• 1:06:26
  SPEAKER_00: The other team did nothing to do this.
• 1:06:28
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, they're pressing and they're trying to help, but there is always an outlet.
• 1:06:31
  SPEAKER_00: They always talk about oh, the goalie didn't have an outlet, so we had to make this pass.
• 1:06:34
  SPEAKER_00: The outlet is to kick it out of bounds, just kick it in a crowd, really and just and just reset and start over.
• 1:06:41
  SPEAKER_00: So I will die on that hill and I'm fine with it, but I had to give a shout out as those goalies performances, some again led to goals, others were just these hectic moments that did not need to be hectic.
• 1:06:53
  SPEAKER_00: I can't get behind that.
• 1:06:56
  SPEAKER_00: I'm glad you've shot it at it.
• 1:06:58
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's Sean.
• 1:06:59
  SPEAKER_00: I just wanted to do a quick MLS update and let you do a little bit of a European update as we finish here.
• 1:07:06
  SPEAKER_00: We had some games last weekend.
• 1:07:08
  SPEAKER_00: I know on our last recording we had Philadelphia Cincinnati.
• 1:07:11
  SPEAKER_00: We at the time of recording that game did not happen.
• 1:07:13
  SPEAKER_00: That game ended up being 5-0.
• 1:07:15
  SPEAKER_00: So my Philadelphia Union beat your potential FC Cincinnati 5-0.
• 1:07:19
  SPEAKER_00: They're out, they're out, they're off the list.
• 1:07:21
  SPEAKER_00: That was a loser leave town.
• 1:07:23
  SPEAKER_00: That was it.
• 1:07:24
  unknown: Yeah.
• 1:07:24
  SPEAKER_00: Alright.
• 1:07:25
  SPEAKER_00: They did get a red card, I will say, early.
• 1:07:28
  SPEAKER_00: 16th minute, high, high boot challenge.
• 1:07:31
  SPEAKER_00: Ughly challenge.
• 1:07:32
  SPEAKER_00: Can't be doing that.
• 1:07:32
  SPEAKER_00: Can't be doing that.
• 1:07:33
  SPEAKER_00: But uh the Sullivan boys cooked.
• 1:07:36
  SPEAKER_00: Quinn scores his first goal back from his ACL injury last year.
• 1:07:40
  SPEAKER_00: Kavan, I believe, had two assists.
• 1:07:41
  SPEAKER_00: Quinn also had two assists.
• 1:07:43
  SPEAKER_00: Bruno Damiani, Hatrick.
• 1:07:45
  SPEAKER_00: Philadelphia's flying still.
• 1:07:47
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Cincinnati.
• 1:07:48
  SPEAKER_00: I know that was potentially one of your teams, but they did not look great at all.
• 1:07:53
  SPEAKER_00: The other two games I wanted to highlight uh were the ones that I had mentioned on the last episode, Miami-Nashville.
• 1:07:59
  SPEAKER_00: That game ended up being 2-2, a good one.
• 1:08:02
  SPEAKER_01: Good one.
• 1:08:02
  SPEAKER_00: Miami's or I'm sorry, Messi scores for Miami to make it 2-1.
• 1:08:06
  SPEAKER_00: Sam Surridge, former Nottingham Forest, former Bournemouth player playing for Nashville now with Hani Mukhtar.
• 1:08:13
  SPEAKER_00: This dude is just goals, just bags goals, has two goals in this game, scores the equalizer in the 91st.
• 1:08:19
  SPEAKER_00: They get away with a point, and now they are nine points ahead of everyone in the East.
• 1:08:26
  SPEAKER_00: Also in the pole position to win the supporters shield as well, which is just the best overall record in the league.
• 1:08:32
  SPEAKER_00: The Western Conference game I highlighted ended up being 1-0.
• 1:08:36
  SPEAKER_00: San Jose versus Houston.
• 1:08:37
  SPEAKER_00: San Jose wins at home 1-0.
• 1:08:39
  SPEAKER_00: Bruce Arena's team, they they really look fun.
• 1:08:42
  SPEAKER_00: I did not think they were gonna be that great.
• 1:08:44
  SPEAKER_00: They've they performed really well.
• 1:08:46
  SPEAKER_00: Vancouver's been struggling.
• 1:08:47
  SPEAKER_00: Vancouver's at the top of the table.
• 1:08:49
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, they've been really struggling since Seburalta has left.
• 1:08:52
  SPEAKER_00: And then Houston, Dallas, San Jose, St.
• 1:08:55
  SPEAKER_00: Louis, and LAFC, those are the top five in the West, Sean.
• 1:08:58
  SPEAKER_00: And they're all within six points of the top.
• 1:09:01
  SPEAKER_00: So it's gonna be hectic.
• 1:09:02
  SPEAKER_00: There's about nine games left in the MLS season, so we'll definitely keep our eyes on that, but a lot to play for in both the east and the west.
• 1:09:09
  SPEAKER_00: The west is definitely a little bit tighter.
• 1:09:11
  SPEAKER_00: The east kind of has three or four that are at the top and and then more of a middle group, but the west, I couldn't tell you who's gonna win the west, uh, especially with Vancouver struggling the way they have lately.
• 1:09:21
  SPEAKER_01: I appreciate that update, Brandon.
• 1:09:23
  SPEAKER_01: That you always do a good job of keeping the listeners and myself informed on the MLS.
• 1:09:27
  SPEAKER_01: I was able to catch not only that Philadelphia Cincinnati game, which side note, Philadelphia's back in the mix for my team.
• 1:09:34
  SPEAKER_00: Now for your team too.
• 1:09:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 1:09:37
  SPEAKER_01: Not just overall.
• 1:09:39
  SPEAKER_01: I might be I might be staying home.
• 1:09:40
  SPEAKER_01: It's gone, you know, football, it's gonna it might be coming home.
• 1:09:44
  SPEAKER_01: That's something to keep an eye on.
• 1:09:46
  SPEAKER_01: But uh also in the MLS, I was watching Saturday night and the MLS 360 on Apple, it's basically red zone.
• 1:09:52
  SPEAKER_01: Basically the goalazo channel for Champions League, which we recommended.
• 1:09:56
  SPEAKER_01: It's just a flash in all the games, keeps you up to date on all the major events in each game.
• 1:10:00
  SPEAKER_01: I'll tell you what, MLS, sometimes, Brandon, you get a start to the MLS evening and it it hits like crack.
• 1:10:06
  SPEAKER_01: They're the first 20 minutes, they're bopping around every match.
• 1:10:09
  SPEAKER_01: There's goals everywhere.
• 1:10:10
  SPEAKER_01: You're like, oh my god, look at this league.
• 1:10:12
  SPEAKER_01: So it was a fun weekend at MLS.
• 1:10:14
  SPEAKER_01: I'm excited to take us abroad quickly.
• 1:10:16
  SPEAKER_01: I only mentioned two matches last week.
• 1:10:18
  SPEAKER_01: I'll give you the update on those.
• 1:10:20
  SPEAKER_01: Milan and Lazio shared the points two apiece in Serie A.
• 1:10:24
  SPEAKER_01: Both teams had strong starts to the season, especially Lazio, who were joint top of the table with nine.
• 1:10:30
  SPEAKER_01: This is their first real slip-up.
• 1:10:32
  SPEAKER_01: Christian Pulisic makes his debut under Ruben Amorin at AC Milan.
• 1:10:36
  SPEAKER_01: He comes on in the second half and has a really good performance, picks up an assist, helps Milan get a point in a big match in Serie A.
• 1:10:42
  SPEAKER_01: Pulisik was really good.
• 1:10:44
  SPEAKER_01: So that's encouraging.
• 1:10:45
  SPEAKER_01: I think he'll get his starting position back now.
• 1:10:47
  SPEAKER_01: They were trying to work in a youngster Cise, and he just never really took the opportunity in that attacking midfielder role that Pulisik is going to play in off the left-hand side.
• 1:10:56
  SPEAKER_01: So I think Pulisik is the clear starter there when he's fully fit.
• 1:10:59
  SPEAKER_01: I think Amaram will now seat the same way.
• 1:11:02
  SPEAKER_01: So that's encouraging for all USM at T supporters, and certainly for Christian Pulisik, who has a lot to prove after a disappointing summer.
• 1:11:09
  SPEAKER_01: Elsewhere, we talked about on Sunday, same time as Manchester Derby, I used my other TV to watch Bayern Munich travel to Elversburg, who were off to a brilliant start in the Bundesliga.
• 1:11:20
  SPEAKER_01: And honestly, they put in a really good performance in this one.
• 1:11:23
  SPEAKER_01: They end up losing 2-1, but it was a strong performance.
• 1:11:25
  SPEAKER_01: Cole Campbell had a goal ruled out for offside.
• 1:11:28
  SPEAKER_01: It was marginal too.
• 1:11:29
  SPEAKER_01: It could have stood.
• 1:11:30
  SPEAKER_01: I would have been happy to see it stand.
• 1:11:32
  SPEAKER_01: It was in the buildup, and yes, the player was offside, but I'm not so sure the impact he had on the play, so that was a tough one.
• 1:11:39
  SPEAKER_01: And then also just a quick fun story from the world of Europe.
• 1:11:44
  SPEAKER_01: During the Champions League last week, Roma went to Fenerbache on Thursday.
• 1:11:48
  SPEAKER_01: They split the points, one-one draw, really hostile environment in Istanbul.
• 1:11:52
  SPEAKER_01: If you guys have not seen the Istanbul clubs, Bashiktas, Fenerbache, Galatasara, the environments there are absolutely insane.
• 1:11:58
  SPEAKER_01: So they're thrilling to watch.
• 1:12:00
  SPEAKER_01: Roma go there and uh they Fenerbache go down a goal.
• 1:12:04
  SPEAKER_01: And during this point, somebody throws a water bottle from the stands at Ishmael Kartel, who is the Fenerbache manager.
• 1:12:14
  SPEAKER_01: Fenerbache end up equalizing, ends in a draw.
• 1:12:18
  SPEAKER_01: In his post-game press conference, Ishmael Kartel says, I resign.
• 1:12:23
  SPEAKER_01: I'm done.
• 1:12:24
  SPEAKER_01: Out, quit.
• 1:12:26
  SPEAKER_01: He just took over the season.
• 1:12:28
  SPEAKER_01: He said he quit.
• 1:12:29
  SPEAKER_01: I don't know if the water bottle can cuss him or I don't know what happened, but he quit.
• 1:12:34
  SPEAKER_01: And then guess what the the chairman says?
• 1:12:36
  SPEAKER_01: I reject your resignation.
• 1:12:39
  SPEAKER_01: Not happening.
• 1:12:39
  SPEAKER_01: You're not allowed to quit.
• 1:12:40
  SPEAKER_01: And next thing you know, he stays in the job.
• 1:12:43
  SPEAKER_01: So it's just business as usual at Fener Bach.
• 1:12:47
  SPEAKER_01: Absolute scenes.
• 1:12:48
  SPEAKER_01: These are the stories that really, really get me going.
• 1:12:51
  SPEAKER_01: We got the Europa League kicking off this week, Brandon.
• 1:12:53
  SPEAKER_01: We've got some midweek care about cup fixtures in England that we mentioned a few of as we went through this episode.
• 1:12:59
  SPEAKER_01: So a lot to get to this week, and we have a we'll have a lot to talk about midweek.
• 1:13:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 1:13:04
  SPEAKER_00: I first of all I love that story about the Fener Brashe manager.
• 1:13:07
  SPEAKER_00: I will say I don't watch the Turkish League very regularly, but I will watch them when the teams are in the Champions League.
• 1:13:14
  SPEAKER_00: And it is proper, proper football crowd.
• 1:13:17
  SPEAKER_00: The chance, the noise, the energy, the flares.
• 1:13:20
  SPEAKER_00: It is class.
• 1:13:22
  SPEAKER_00: So I I appreciate you giving those guys a shout-out.
• 1:13:25
  SPEAKER_00: That's crazy about the manager just quitting and then being not able to actually quit.
• 1:13:30
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, a lot a lot more to come.
• 1:13:32
  SPEAKER_00: I I do appreciate you also mentioning the Europa League and the Carabel Cup this week.
• 1:13:37
  SPEAKER_00: I know we we teased it offline, but I do think we will do some US men's national team player updates and and maybe maybe some sort of competition.
• 1:13:48
  SPEAKER_00: I don't want to I don't want to say too much yet because it's still in the works, but uh we're looking at some some options on things to do uh in the next episode.
• 1:13:56
  SPEAKER_00: But Sean, this was another good one.
• 1:13:59
  SPEAKER_00: A lot of crazy football, a lot of crazy stuff going on.
• 1:14:02
  SPEAKER_00: My biggest takeaway is goalies and pressure kick the ball away.
• 1:14:06
  SPEAKER_00: I'll die on that hill, and and I'm proud of it.
• 1:14:08
  SPEAKER_01: So you're like little faint, keep it on the ground, we'll play the Nerds Man.
• 1:14:14
  SPEAKER_00: Sean wants prime Bar set 2010s, and I'm like, play me at Stoke City on a Tuesday and just kick the ball out of the stadium.
• 1:14:22
  SPEAKER_01: No, nothing pretty coming off.
• 1:14:25
  SPEAKER_00: Oh my gosh.
• 1:14:26
  SPEAKER_00: But no, Sean, thank you.
• 1:14:27
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you as always.
• 1:14:28
  SPEAKER_00: This was a fun one.
• 1:14:29
  SPEAKER_00: Excited to keep watching more games this week.
• 1:14:32
  SPEAKER_00: Before we do get a little bit of an international break coming up, so yeah, that'll be that'll be fun to switch gears a little bit to talk about international games and prospects and players and things like that.
• 1:14:44
  SPEAKER_00: But at least one more week of Premier League football.
• 1:14:47
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, so a lot to talk about.
• 1:14:49
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for hosting, Brandon.
• 1:14:50
  SPEAKER_01: You did a lovely job.
• 1:14:51
  SPEAKER_01: I will say we'll probably go down to one episode a week during the international break.
• 1:14:54
  SPEAKER_01: It's only three weeks, so it'll be we'll still be with you regularly.
• 1:14:59
  SPEAKER_01: It just might not be bi-weekly.
• 1:15:00
  SPEAKER_01: So excited for all that's to come.
• 1:15:03
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, a little quick podcast fall break for us for the boys.
• 1:15:07
  SPEAKER_00: That's right.
• 1:15:07
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 1:15:07
  SPEAKER_00: Let us reset, get our heads right.
• 1:15:10
  SPEAKER_01: Microphone's getting workout.
• 1:15:13
  SPEAKER_00: Some recovery sessions for us.
• 1:15:15
  SPEAKER_00: But listeners, thank you as always for listening.
• 1:15:17
  SPEAKER_00: Merch is in the store.
• 1:15:18
  SPEAKER_00: Merch is live.
• 1:15:19
  SPEAKER_00: I saw some merch in person on Saturday.
• 1:15:22
  SPEAKER_00: Looks great in person.
• 1:15:24
  SPEAKER_00: Sean's sister, gracious enough to wear the new friends on football hoodie.
• 1:15:28
  SPEAKER_01: Shout out, Megan.
• 1:15:29
  SPEAKER_01: Yep.
• 1:15:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, shout out Megan.
• 1:15:30
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you as always.
• 1:15:31
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, we appreciate you, Megan.
• 1:15:34
  SPEAKER_00: But yeah, merch is live.
• 1:15:36
  SPEAKER_00: Fantasy Premier League.
• 1:15:37
  SPEAKER_00: Sean's team's starting to cook a little bit, so keep your eye on his team.
• 1:15:41
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, team Brandon, again, just average.
• 1:15:44
  SPEAKER_00: Just just a solid six out of ten performance from us as always.
• 1:15:48
  SPEAKER_00: But but no, so some fun there.
• 1:15:50
  SPEAKER_00: So keep your eye on that.
• 1:15:51
  SPEAKER_00: Make sure you're doing your transfers, updating your rosters.
• 1:15:55
  SPEAKER_00: But overall, we appreciate the support as always.
• 1:15:57
  SPEAKER_00: Like and subscribe, tell a friend to tell a friend.
• 1:16:00
  SPEAKER_00: And until next time, take care.