Latest / Friends on Football / Ep. 27 - Premier League 101 (A Breakdown of all 20 Premier League Clubs)

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Ep. 27 - Premier League 101 (A Breakdown of all 20 Premier League Clubs) · Friends on Football

0:22
SPEAKER_01: Hello, friends.
0:23
SPEAKER_01: Welcome back to the Friends on Football Podcast.
0:25
SPEAKER_01: I am Sean Boyle.
0:26
SPEAKER_01: I am joined as always by my right-hand man, Brandon Johnson.
0:29
SPEAKER_01: Brandon, how are you?
0:31
SPEAKER_00: Sean, I'm good.
0:32
SPEAKER_00: I feel like tonight is the start of the next season.
0:36
SPEAKER_00: I know we've been teasing it, but tonight we're gonna get into it.
0:39
SPEAKER_00: And I think it's funny, I feel like those NBA guys that are in the summer that are working out and they post their videos and they're like locked in, getting ready for the season.
0:47
SPEAKER_00: And I feel like this was this is our locking in episode.
0:49
SPEAKER_00: We're getting we're getting back to it.
0:51
SPEAKER_00: So I'm great.
0:52
SPEAKER_00: I'm I'm thrilled.
0:53
SPEAKER_00: How are you doing?
0:54
SPEAKER_00: I'm doing well.
0:54
SPEAKER_01: I think that's a good way to frame it.
0:56
SPEAKER_01: We've been beating around the bush, I guess.
0:58
SPEAKER_01: And now we're kind of diving fully headfirst into the upcoming Premier League season.
1:03
SPEAKER_01: Today's episode will be an introduction to the Premier League.
1:06
SPEAKER_01: I've kind of dubbed it as Premier League 101.
1:09
SPEAKER_01: It is going to be kind of a brief history of some of these clubs.
1:13
SPEAKER_01: We're going to dive into just the basics, and I want it to serve kind of as a twofold for not only new fans, but fans that have been around for a while.
1:22
SPEAKER_01: I think there's going to be something in it for everyone.
1:24
SPEAKER_01: Before we get into that, there's a couple of quick show notes, Brandon.
1:28
SPEAKER_01: We are doing a Fantasy Premier League.
1:30
SPEAKER_01: I will put the link in this show's description.
1:33
SPEAKER_01: We will send the link to our friends and try to get some people in the mix.
1:37
SPEAKER_01: The winner will be loaded up with some merch.
1:40
SPEAKER_01: It's mostly for fun, but it's also for bragging rights and some merch on top of it.
1:44
SPEAKER_01: Brandon, I know you're looking to improve upon your fantasy Premier League finish from last season.
1:48
SPEAKER_01: Are you a little bit more confident this year?
1:50
SPEAKER_01: Uh no.
1:52
SPEAKER_00: Honestly, I'm not.
1:53
SPEAKER_00: I for whatever reason, Sean, really struggle with these, and I seem to put a lot of my eggs in one basket, and then if that team or those guys don't perform, it kind of screws the whole team.
2:04
SPEAKER_00: So I need to spread my wealth this year a little bit better.
2:07
SPEAKER_00: But definitely hoping for a better performance, but I'm not not expecting it.
2:11
SPEAKER_01: That's that's fair.
2:12
SPEAKER_01: I also struggle with these.
2:13
SPEAKER_01: I don't select players from Arsenal or Chelsea.
2:16
SPEAKER_01: So really the rest of the league gets to compete with 20 teams.
2:19
SPEAKER_01: I only have 18.
2:20
SPEAKER_01: That narrows my pond quite a bit.
2:22
SPEAKER_01: That always comes back to bite me, it seems, especially when Arsenal goes on to win the league.
2:25
SPEAKER_01: So that didn't help last season.
2:27
SPEAKER_01: But it will be a good time, regardless.
2:29
SPEAKER_01: My fantasy team name, if you guys don't know, it never changes.
2:32
SPEAKER_01: It is it's always Sonny, S-O-N-N-Y, in honor of one Youngman's son.
2:37
SPEAKER_01: Even if he's not in the league anymore, that name is here to stay.
2:40
SPEAKER_01: Another housekeeping note, Brandon, before we jump into a very Premier League-centric episode, I wanted to ask you: have you seen this new Jose Mourinho documentary that has come out on Netflix?
2:52
SPEAKER_01: I don't know if you've dived into any of the episodes yet, but have you seen that it was released?
2:57
SPEAKER_00: I saw that it was released.
2:58
SPEAKER_00: I have not uh dove into any episodes yet.
3:00
SPEAKER_01: Have you have you been watching?
3:02
SPEAKER_01: I'm only about 20 minutes into the first one.
3:05
SPEAKER_01: I was just watching before we started recording just to try to see what it was about.
3:09
SPEAKER_01: I've heard good reviews.
3:11
SPEAKER_01: I was hoping it wouldn't be propaganda, and immediately it seemed like they were chirping Jose as much as they were praising him, so that's good news.
3:18
SPEAKER_01: Now Jose is heavily featured in it, so I'm sure it's not going to be a full 100% accurate truth, but it does seem entertaining.
3:25
SPEAKER_01: If you you could say a lot of things about Jose Moureno, a lack of entertainment is not one of them.
3:30
SPEAKER_01: He is absolute box office wherever he goes.
3:32
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
3:33
SPEAKER_00: I'll definitely check it out, Sean.
3:35
SPEAKER_00: Uh maybe honestly, tomorrow uh with a little bit extra time during the day.
3:40
SPEAKER_00: But yeah, I'm excited to see it.
3:42
SPEAKER_00: I I've I have heard good things as well.
3:44
SPEAKER_00: I've seen some clips online, but I haven't dove in fully yet.
3:48
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna do the same.
3:50
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna try to get it done this weekend.
3:51
SPEAKER_01: It's only three episodes.
3:52
SPEAKER_01: It's it's pretty short, it's pretty palatable.
3:54
SPEAKER_01: So we'll have a little bit of a review for the listeners on that next week.
3:58
SPEAKER_01: If you guys want to tune in and give us your feedback, that would be appreciated as well.
4:02
SPEAKER_01: Like I said, today's episode, the goal of it is twofold.
4:05
SPEAKER_01: It's a Premier League primer, but first of all, if you're new to the sport, if you're new to the Premier League, if you were following the World Cup and kind of want to take the next step in your fandom, the Premier League's the place to do it.
4:19
SPEAKER_01: This episode we're hoping will serve as kind of a behind-the-scenes look at some of these clubs, maybe give you some background information.
4:26
SPEAKER_01: If you're undecided on who to root for, some of this information we provide today might help you make a more educated decision or at least narrow the playing field of teams that are available for you to root for.
4:36
SPEAKER_01: And then if you are already an existing fan, listen, I've been a fan for over a decade, and in my research today, I learned a ton about these teams.
4:43
SPEAKER_01: So I think there's going to be something in it for everyone.
4:45
SPEAKER_01: Would you agree with that?
4:47
SPEAKER_00: Definitely, Sean.
4:48
SPEAKER_00: And same.
4:48
SPEAKER_00: It was some of these teams are a little bit of a refresh, but you'll listeners will understand as we get going.
4:56
SPEAKER_00: You do learn a lot about these teams, a lot about their history, and some some cool facts that maybe even us who who are pretty locked into this game don't don't know.
5:05
SPEAKER_00: So it was a cool little experiment getting to do this.
5:08
SPEAKER_01: For sure.
5:08
SPEAKER_01: And it's gonna be a similar format to kind of how we did those World Cup previews.
5:12
SPEAKER_01: Brandon and I have split the Premier League in half.
5:14
SPEAKER_01: We've each taken 10 teams.
5:16
SPEAKER_01: We went in alphabetical order, pretty basic.
5:18
SPEAKER_01: Brandon took odds, I took even.
5:20
SPEAKER_01: So without further ado, Brandon will be starting us off with AFC Bournemouth.
5:25
SPEAKER_00: So funny enough, we're starting with AFC Bournemouth Sean because some websites list Bournemouth without the AFC.
5:32
SPEAKER_00: So they're they're not the first team, but the website we used uh had AFC Bournemouth first.
5:37
SPEAKER_00: So we're proper names here.
5:38
SPEAKER_00: Proper names.
5:39
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, proper, proper, proper football names here.
5:42
SPEAKER_00: AFC Bournemouth, they are located in the city of Bournemouth, which is on the south coast of England.
5:48
SPEAKER_00: The nickname of Bournemouth are the Cherries.
5:51
SPEAKER_00: They were founded in 1899.
5:54
SPEAKER_00: They are currently owned by a man named uh William or Bill Foley, and he is part of the what's called Black Knight Football Club ownership group.
6:03
SPEAKER_00: Uh, they actually also own the Vegas Golden Knights hockey team in the NHL, which I did not know before this.
6:09
SPEAKER_00: They play in a stadium called the Vitality Stadium.
6:12
SPEAKER_00: It is actually the smallest Premier League stadium with only 12,300 seats.
6:17
SPEAKER_00: AFC Bornitz has actually never won a major top flight trophy, Sean.
6:22
SPEAKER_00: Their current manager is a man by the name of Marco Rose, uh, and some key players on the team, Tyler Adams, which we've known, Ryan, who played for Brazil at the World Cup, and then two others that maybe people don't know as well.
6:36
SPEAKER_00: Eli Jr.
6:37
SPEAKER_00: Krupi.
6:38
SPEAKER_00: He's a 20-year-old forward.
6:39
SPEAKER_00: Uh, he actually had interest from PSG in this last transfer window, stayed at Bournemouth.
6:44
SPEAKER_00: Um, he got injured in preseason, so they're still not sure exactly how fit he'll be uh come once the season starts.
6:51
SPEAKER_00: He may have to miss some time, but he'll be a key player for them.
6:54
SPEAKER_00: And Antonio Silva, uh he new transfer defender from Benfica.
6:58
SPEAKER_00: He has Champions League experience and over 20 caps for Portugal.
7:03
SPEAKER_00: I think for Bournemouth Sean, a successful season is a top half finish and to make some noise in the Europa League.
7:09
SPEAKER_00: By finishing in the sixth spot last year in the Premier League, they qualified for the Europa League, which is a great, great honor, but also comes with more games.
7:20
SPEAKER_00: And I think this will be a repeat topic we'll come up on in this episode, Sean.
7:25
SPEAKER_00: But two games a week, uh it's it's tough to manage sometimes.
7:30
SPEAKER_00: And maybe with a squad that's not as talented as some as some of the European powerhouses, teams can struggle.
7:36
SPEAKER_00: So I think a good season for them would be to finish in the top half and just to make some noise in the Europa League.
7:41
SPEAKER_00: And I think a reason to cheer for Bournemouth if you if you don't have a team, maybe here's a reason why.
7:46
SPEAKER_00: I think they're an underdog and they're they're really getting a chance at it at a bigger chance on a bigger stage.
7:52
SPEAKER_00: I I think it's an opportunity for them to really show who they are.
7:56
SPEAKER_00: And I think it's in it's a team where the recent successes we'll find out in the coming months whether that was a fluke or it was real.
8:04
SPEAKER_00: And I think it's kind of a cool team to to hop on the the bandwagon for because it's not a it's not a favorite, it's not a not really a household team name, honestly, if you ask me.
8:14
SPEAKER_00: But I think they have some some fighting power in their team, and I think they could put together some strong performances.
8:19
SPEAKER_00: I don't think they're gonna win the Premier League or anything like that, but a fun team to root for.
8:23
SPEAKER_00: And and it seems like it's a club that is, as of now, on the up and up.
8:27
SPEAKER_01: Brandon, I think that was well done.
8:29
SPEAKER_01: Great job leading the way, kicking things off there.
8:31
SPEAKER_01: I did not realize that their stadium was so small.
8:34
SPEAKER_01: That was something I learned.
8:35
SPEAKER_01: I've watched games at Bournemouth.
8:37
SPEAKER_01: You don't get the feeling that it's that tiny.
8:39
SPEAKER_01: That's I would say by far the lowest total in the Premier League, at least the teams that I had in my half.
8:45
SPEAKER_01: I don't think I have anything too close to that.
8:47
SPEAKER_01: And then also, I would toss in another little reason.
8:50
SPEAKER_01: I believe part of that ownership group is Michael B.
8:53
SPEAKER_01: Jordan.
8:53
SPEAKER_01: I think Michael B.
8:54
SPEAKER_01: Jordan is he makes up a percentage of that ownership.
8:58
SPEAKER_01: So if you're a Michael B.
8:59
SPEAKER_01: Jordan guy, maybe you're a Sinners fan, maybe that's a reason to hop on the cherries as well.
9:05
SPEAKER_00: I like that, Sean.
9:06
SPEAKER_00: And yeah, you'll again, I'm sure you'll come up with this with some of your teams.
9:10
SPEAKER_00: A lot of these teams do have some celebrity ownership.
9:12
SPEAKER_00: It's it's typically very small, but that's a great shout as well.
9:16
SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
9:16
SPEAKER_00: Bournemouth?
9:17
SPEAKER_00: Uh Bournemouth, Michael, Michael B.
9:19
SPEAKER_00: Jordan fans, this this might be your team.
9:21
SPEAKER_00: So thanks, Sean.
9:23
SPEAKER_00: Who are you gonna start us off with?
9:24
SPEAKER_01: Boy, this is it takes everything in me to try to be as objective as possible.
9:28
SPEAKER_01: I let Brandon pick if he wanted odds or evens.
9:30
SPEAKER_01: He graciously granted me the evens because Tottenham were included in this list, however, Arsenal were as well.
9:36
SPEAKER_01: So I will try my best to be objective.
9:38
SPEAKER_01: They are located in North London, they are nicknamed the Gunners, their supporters are called the Gooners.
9:44
SPEAKER_01: They were founded in 1886 as Dial Square, but they were founded in Woolwich, which is in Southeast London.
9:51
SPEAKER_01: So their song, North London Forever, you see Anne Hathaway singing it on talk shows, it's a bunch of shit.
9:57
SPEAKER_01: They've not been in North London forever.
9:58
SPEAKER_01: They picked up and moved to North London.
10:01
SPEAKER_01: They are not a proper North London club.
10:03
SPEAKER_01: They are owned by Cronkey Sports and Entertainment.
10:06
SPEAKER_01: If you're familiar with that name, they also own the Los Angeles Rams, the Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche, and the Colorado Rapids.
10:13
SPEAKER_01: So a lot of U.S.
10:14
SPEAKER_01: ownership there.
10:15
SPEAKER_01: Their stadium name is the Emirates, and it holds 60,700 people.
10:20
SPEAKER_01: A pretty big, pretty big unit there in North London.
10:24
SPEAKER_01: They have won the Premier League or the top flight, we should call it, 14 times because before it was the Premier League, it was just referred to as the top division in England.
10:35
SPEAKER_01: So they have 14 top flight titles.
10:37
SPEAKER_01: That is the third most in the history of the country.
10:41
SPEAKER_01: They have 14 FA Cups, they have two League Cups, and they have one UEFA Winners' Cup, which is not a real European trophy.
10:49
SPEAKER_01: So they have an illustrious career in England.
10:53
SPEAKER_01: They have a trophy cabinet full for domestic trophies, but they don't have any European trophies of note.
10:59
SPEAKER_01: They are managed by Mikel Arteta.
11:02
SPEAKER_01: He's been there for a while.
11:03
SPEAKER_01: He has done a good job of kind of reshifting their culture and ultimately winning the Premier League last season.
11:10
SPEAKER_01: Their key players, I would point out two, two Englishmen, Bukayu Saka, he plays on the right wing.
11:16
SPEAKER_01: He has come through Arsenal.
11:18
SPEAKER_01: He's their star boy, as they refer to him.
11:20
SPEAKER_01: And then in the middle of the park, they have Declan Rice, who kind of anchors things.
11:23
SPEAKER_01: He does the same for England.
11:25
SPEAKER_01: He was kind of run into the ground during the World Cup.
11:27
SPEAKER_01: We'll see what his fitness level is like.
11:29
SPEAKER_01: They've been trying to hold him out of training just to try to get him rested ahead of another long season.
11:34
SPEAKER_01: Another guy that they just signed is Bruno Grimarge from Newcastle.
11:39
SPEAKER_01: He's a stalwart in the Brazilian squad.
11:41
SPEAKER_01: He's one of the better midfielders in the Premier League.
11:43
SPEAKER_01: And I would expect Arsenal to have one of the best midfields in the Premier League again this season.
11:47
SPEAKER_01: What does a successful season look like for them?
11:50
SPEAKER_01: It's got to be title or bust.
11:52
SPEAKER_01: I think as we get into more in-depth previews of on-field things next week, you'll see that Arsenal are by far the most settled squad in terms of not as much movement as some of these other contenders.
12:04
SPEAKER_01: They have a lot of returning firepower.
12:07
SPEAKER_01: They've got a manager in place that knows what he wants to do, and they're the title holders.
12:12
SPEAKER_01: So I think that would be what their fans expect.
12:15
SPEAKER_01: This is a tough one for me.
12:16
SPEAKER_01: Why should you root for Arsenal?
12:18
SPEAKER_01: You might like them if you're a terrorist or a fraud.
12:23
SPEAKER_01: I just I can't give you many reasons to hop on board.
12:27
SPEAKER_01: Joking aside, I would say if you like if you like winning and you want to pick a team that finished first, that might be a reason to do it.
12:35
SPEAKER_01: And genuinely, I don't shame you too much for that reason.
12:38
SPEAKER_01: I'm full of losers.
12:40
SPEAKER_01: So in my current hunt for MLS fandom, I'm trying to pick a winner.
12:44
SPEAKER_01: It's not the worst thing.
12:45
SPEAKER_01: And then another thick good calling for them would be they're in London, so it's pretty easily accessible.
12:50
SPEAKER_01: If you wanted to take a trip across the pond to support this team, it's easy to get to.
12:55
SPEAKER_00: Well done by you to keep that somewhat objective.
12:59
SPEAKER_00: The terrorist line might have cross might across the line.
13:01
SPEAKER_01: But other than that, I think I was pretty objective.
13:04
SPEAKER_00: Maybe a bit.
13:05
SPEAKER_00: The also the the little European trophy shout.
13:08
SPEAKER_00: Those are facts, Brandon.
13:09
SPEAKER_01: We can't hide facts, you know.
13:11
SPEAKER_00: It is a fact.
13:12
SPEAKER_00: No, but you're you're right.
13:14
SPEAKER_00: I at the end of the day, they are returning as champions.
13:17
SPEAKER_00: Sean, they're one of the strongest teams.
13:19
SPEAKER_00: They have one of the biggest global reaches in this league.
13:23
SPEAKER_00: They play in a stadium.
13:23
SPEAKER_00: You set over 60,000 seats.
13:25
SPEAKER_00: So it's definitely a favorite.
13:27
SPEAKER_00: And you'd expect them to probably do well again this year.
13:31
SPEAKER_00: But I do I do appreciate your your insight on that.
13:34
SPEAKER_00: I do like I also like the uh Woolwich mention about them not starting in North London.
13:40
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
13:41
SPEAKER_01: Again, I didn't want to do anything other than state facts about Arsenal.
13:44
SPEAKER_01: I don't want to come across as disingenuous.
13:46
SPEAKER_01: They sing a song literally titled North London Forever.
13:50
SPEAKER_01: They have not been in North London Forever.
13:52
SPEAKER_01: So that's just me stating some facts.
13:55
SPEAKER_01: So I think that's where I have to leave it with Arsenal because I will derail this conversation if I go further.
14:01
SPEAKER_01: Who do you have next?
14:02
SPEAKER_00: Fair enough, Sean.
14:03
SPEAKER_00: I appreciate it again.
14:04
SPEAKER_00: I have Aston Villa next.
14:06
SPEAKER_00: Aston Villa is located in Birmingham, England, which is pretty much in the center of the country.
14:11
SPEAKER_00: Aston Villa's nickname are the Villains.
14:14
SPEAKER_00: They were founded in 1874.
14:17
SPEAKER_00: They are owned by a group called V Sports.
14:20
SPEAKER_00: Nassif, Sawiris, and Wes Edens are the main owners of that group, and actually Comcast owns part of the team as well.
14:28
SPEAKER_00: They play in Villa Park, that's the name of their stadium.
14:31
SPEAKER_00: And currently the capacity is 37,000.
14:35
SPEAKER_00: It's going to be over 50,000 by next season.
14:38
SPEAKER_00: They're currently going into a renovation for part of their one of their stands.
14:41
SPEAKER_00: So that stand will be partially closed for this upcoming season.
14:45
SPEAKER_00: Aston Villa have seven English League titles, seven FA Cups, one European Cup, which was the essentially the precursor to the Champions League.
14:55
SPEAKER_00: That was in 1982.
14:56
SPEAKER_00: And they are the current Europa League winners as well.
15:00
SPEAKER_00: Their manager is Unay Emery.
15:03
SPEAKER_00: Some key players on Aston Villa.
15:06
SPEAKER_00: Returners, Ezri Konza, Maddie Cash, Viktor Lindelof, Pal Torres.
15:10
SPEAKER_00: Those are mostly their defenders.
15:12
SPEAKER_00: That's kind of their, I would say, the core of their team.
15:15
SPEAKER_00: They did sign Johan Manzombi from Switzerland.
15:20
SPEAKER_00: He played for Switzerland in the World Cup.
15:22
SPEAKER_00: They spent 51 million on him.
15:24
SPEAKER_00: So they'll expect him to lead the line and be a strong forward for them.
15:28
SPEAKER_00: I think a successful season for Aston Villa would be to advance to the knockout rounds in the Champions League and re-qualify for European football next year.
15:38
SPEAKER_00: Similar to AFC Bournemouth, uh they're playing probably a little bit above their punching weight, but I think if they were to advance into the knockout round for the Champions League, that would be huge.
15:50
SPEAKER_00: And then to re-qualify again for European football, which would require usually about a top seven or a top eight finish in the Premier League, I think would be a successful season for them.
15:59
SPEAKER_00: Why cheer for Aston Villa?
16:01
SPEAKER_00: Prince William is a big fan of Aston Villa.
16:03
SPEAKER_00: So if you're into the Royals, he's he's one of the fans.
16:06
SPEAKER_00: They've seen success at the highest levels.
16:08
SPEAKER_00: And I think they're one of they're also one of the oldest teams in England.
16:11
SPEAKER_00: So I do think there is some history with them.
16:13
SPEAKER_00: Not the most recent history.
16:15
SPEAKER_00: Of course, the Europa League last year is big, but before that, uh not too much.
16:20
SPEAKER_00: So I think if you're a fan of a team that does have some history, but maybe struggling a little bit currently, looking to get back into form, Aston Villa might be a good fit for you.
16:30
SPEAKER_01: I think, yeah, I think Aston Villa is certainly an interesting team if you were going to pick one.
16:34
SPEAKER_01: One of my good friends, Jeff Josewski, a few years ago adopted the villains as his team.
16:39
SPEAKER_01: So give him a shout-out.
16:40
SPEAKER_01: He's become a pretty big fan of theirs.
16:42
SPEAKER_01: Birmingham is also, I believe it's the second most populous city in England.
16:46
SPEAKER_01: It doesn't seem like it would be.
16:48
SPEAKER_01: You would think it's Liverpool or Manchester, but I'm pretty sure it goes London, then Birmingham in terms of people.
16:53
SPEAKER_01: So another one, it's not too hard to get to if you ever want to make a trip over.
16:57
SPEAKER_01: I would also point to Brandon, you made the point, Una Amory is their manager.
17:00
SPEAKER_01: He's a fantastic manager.
17:02
SPEAKER_01: He's done wonders for Aston Villa since he's taken over.
17:05
SPEAKER_01: I would put my faith in him, even if I'm a little bit skeptical of their squad this season, just given some of the losses they've suffered and how they've replaced those people.
17:14
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, they're an interesting, interesting bunch on, and just like Bournemouth, two games a week now, and now they're playing their second game of the week in Champions League, which is even higher than Bournemouth in the Europa League, could cause for some struggle.
17:27
SPEAKER_00: So it'll be interesting to see how they prioritize it, how they manage minutes, and and how they kind of move forward because it's not going to be it's not gonna be easy for them.
17:35
SPEAKER_01: No.
17:36
SPEAKER_01: I will move us along to the fourth team we'll talk about.
17:39
SPEAKER_01: It is another London club.
17:41
SPEAKER_01: You're going to pick up a theme, folks.
17:43
SPEAKER_01: The first five clubs I preview that Brandon handed me are all based in London.
17:47
SPEAKER_01: I'm not taking trips anywhere across this country.
17:49
SPEAKER_01: I'm staying put.
17:50
SPEAKER_01: This club is Brentford.
17:52
SPEAKER_01: They are located in West London.
17:53
SPEAKER_01: They are nicknamed the Bees, and they were founded in 1889.
17:57
SPEAKER_01: They are owned by a man named Matthew Benham.
18:00
SPEAKER_01: He is very data-driven.
18:02
SPEAKER_01: I believe he made his money with gambling sites.
18:05
SPEAKER_01: They play in Brentford Community Stadium that holds 17,250 people.
18:10
SPEAKER_01: So I would I would say, Brandon, that might be the second lowest we see here.
18:13
SPEAKER_01: It's it's not as few as we talked about with Bournemouth, but it's certainly not one of the bigger stadiums in the country.
18:21
SPEAKER_01: They have never won a major trophy, but they have won some lower divisions on their way up to the Premier League.
18:28
SPEAKER_01: I guess that counts.
18:29
SPEAKER_01: Hey, a trophy's a trophy, we don't discriminate.
18:31
SPEAKER_01: And they've also won some wartime regional honors, but that's really it in their trophy cabinet.
18:37
SPEAKER_01: So they're a proud club, they're an old club.
18:40
SPEAKER_01: They are managed by Keith Andrews, who is in his second season.
18:44
SPEAKER_01: I think he's he did a fantastic job last year.
18:47
SPEAKER_01: I'm interested to see how this year goes, but credit to him.
18:51
SPEAKER_01: He was unbelievable taking over for Thomas Frank last year.
18:54
SPEAKER_01: A couple other best players, I expect Igor Tiago to be their best player if he does end up sticking around through the end of the transfer window.
19:01
SPEAKER_01: He's a Brazilian striker.
19:03
SPEAKER_01: He was a part of the Brazilian World Cup squad, even if he didn't feature too much for them.
19:07
SPEAKER_01: Another creative player for them is Mikhail Damsgard, the Danish midfielder.
19:12
SPEAKER_01: He has a lot of quality when he gets on the ball.
19:15
SPEAKER_01: Those two often link up to create a lot of Brentford's attacks.
19:18
SPEAKER_01: What's a success look like for them?
19:20
SPEAKER_01: I would say a mid-table finish would be pretty good.
19:23
SPEAKER_01: I'm a little bit skeptical of them being able to replicate that top half finish that they put together last year.
19:29
SPEAKER_01: I think they'll be fine, but I just want to see it again.
19:33
SPEAKER_01: It's one of those things where you had a great season, you might kick your feet up and get a bit complacent.
19:38
SPEAKER_01: You just need to take care of business and make sure you're not all of a sudden fighting for relegation.
19:42
SPEAKER_01: So I think success for them looks to be a mid-table finish.
19:45
SPEAKER_01: If you want to root for Brentford, a reason I would give you, if you're a working class nerd, and that might sound like a bad thing, but hey, we've all got some nerd in us, and their owner is very much a nerd.
19:57
SPEAKER_01: Their approach to football is very much a little bit nerdy.
20:00
SPEAKER_01: It's very data-driven.
20:01
SPEAKER_01: It relies on analytics to make decisions.
20:04
SPEAKER_01: And I think their club just represents the working class around them in their part of London very well.
20:10
SPEAKER_01: I think there's those are two really good reasons to root for this club, even if they might not sound like it on the surface.
20:16
SPEAKER_00: I like that, Sean.
20:17
SPEAKER_00: I think if I weren't a Spurs fan, that might be my team.
20:20
SPEAKER_00: I feel like that's that's kind of what I believe.
20:23
SPEAKER_00: I I have a little nerd in me.
20:24
SPEAKER_00: I feel like I'm a working everyday man.
20:27
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
20:28
SPEAKER_00: I yeah, I think it's a cool, I think it's a cool story.
20:30
SPEAKER_00: And I think it's great to see teams that maybe traditionally don't have the biggest history in the Premier League starting to make noise and starting to to bring people aw and make them aware.
20:42
SPEAKER_00: It's interesting again, the the no trophies, because I have a couple teams on my list as well with no trophies.
20:47
SPEAKER_00: So it would be cool to see if a couple of them can pull off a leagues, a league cup or an FA Cup potentially, and make a run in one of those tournaments to get their first first piece of uh top-level silver silverware.
21:00
SPEAKER_01: Completely agree.
21:01
SPEAKER_01: And I've been to their stadium, I've checked it out in one of my London trips, and it's pretty cool.
21:05
SPEAKER_01: It's a cool area, it's a nice little stadium.
21:07
SPEAKER_01: You pass it on your way to Heathrow from downtown London sometimes.
21:11
SPEAKER_01: If you were to take an Uber, I'm pretty sure the most direct route does go through Brentford.
21:15
SPEAKER_01: So I I just think it's a cool club.
21:17
SPEAKER_01: I like the Bees nickname.
21:19
SPEAKER_01: It's another one that's central in London.
21:20
SPEAKER_01: If you ever want to take a trip over, easy to get to.
21:23
SPEAKER_01: A lot of cool stuff, and it's certainly not easy if you're gonna adopt Brentford as your team.
21:27
SPEAKER_01: It's not gonna be easy, you're not gonna be covered in glory, you're not a glory hunter.
21:31
SPEAKER_01: I think that's a it shows something about yourself in a good way if you choose Brantford to be your club.
21:36
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I agree with that, Sean.
21:38
SPEAKER_00: My next team is Brighton and Hove Albion.
21:41
SPEAKER_00: Uh, Brighton and Hove Albion is located in Brighton and Hove, which is on the south coast of England, right on the water.
21:46
SPEAKER_00: It's pretty much a beach town, essentially.
21:48
SPEAKER_00: And because of that, the team's nickname are the Seagulls, which I think is incredible as a football team to have the nickname Seagulls.
21:55
SPEAKER_00: They were founded in 1901.
21:58
SPEAKER_00: Their owner is a man.
22:00
SPEAKER_00: By the name of Tony Bloom.
22:01
SPEAKER_00: And funny enough, Sean, similar, a little bit similar to your Brentford guy, but Tony Bloom actually was a former poker player, made all of his money playing poker, and then made some investments and things like that, became an entrepreneur and businessman.
22:14
SPEAKER_00: And he essentially saved his childhood club.
22:16
SPEAKER_00: He his dad, his uncle, and some other relatives had been involved with Brighton and some on the front office side, not not on the playing side.
22:24
SPEAKER_00: And they were in trouble and they kind of went to him and said, Hey, can you help us out here?
22:29
SPEAKER_00: And he ended up buying 75% of the team.
22:31
SPEAKER_00: So shout out to Tony.
22:32
SPEAKER_00: Their stadium is the American Express Stadium, uh, simply known as the Amex, which is I know, I I know corporate sponsorship, yes, no, maybe.
22:41
SPEAKER_00: Um, I think the Amex is such a cool name for a stadium.
22:44
SPEAKER_00: So shout out to them for that.
22:46
SPEAKER_00: The capacity is 31,800.
22:49
SPEAKER_00: Just like Brentford, they actually also don't have any domestic titles at the highest level.
22:54
SPEAKER_00: Their manager is uh a man by the name of Fabian Hertzler.
22:58
SPEAKER_00: He's actually both German and American.
23:00
SPEAKER_00: He's very young.
23:01
SPEAKER_00: I believe he's 34 years old.
23:03
SPEAKER_00: Uh, some key players for for Brighton, Diego Gomez and Jorginho, Jorginho Rutter.
23:10
SPEAKER_00: They also just signed Luka Viskowitz from Tottenham Hotspur.
23:14
SPEAKER_00: I think success for this team this year would be a big run in the conference league.
23:19
SPEAKER_00: Uh they they made qualify for conference league in Europe, and I think them making a big run is definitely possible.
23:26
SPEAKER_00: And I think they'll be competitive there.
23:27
SPEAKER_00: I think for the Premier League success, probably a top half finish, just similar to my last two teams.
23:33
SPEAKER_00: Uh, two games a week, a lot of football will be tough to manage a squad, but I think a top half finish in the Premier League and a big run in the conference league, and they should be happy with that.
23:43
SPEAKER_00: Again, similar to Brentford, why cheer for them?
23:46
SPEAKER_00: Uh they're very data-driven.
23:49
SPEAKER_00: I think the analytics are are uh very prominent with this club.
23:54
SPEAKER_00: They like to buy low, develop their players, and sell them high and kind of rinse and repeat, and it's worked for the especially the last uh decade or so.
24:02
SPEAKER_00: I think just like Brentford, if you're a nerd, but maybe you don't want to be a nerd in London, you want to be a nerd on the beach in Brighton, this might be your team.
24:10
SPEAKER_00: So similar, very similar to you, Sean, with with Brentford.
24:14
SPEAKER_00: But but yeah, a cool team, cool stadium.
24:17
SPEAKER_00: I think they're another one to keep an eye out for.
24:20
SPEAKER_00: I don't know how much they're gonna make noise in the Premier League, but definitely a tough team to play, especially on their day at home.
24:27
SPEAKER_01: 100% agree with that.
24:28
SPEAKER_01: I would I would echo that point about if you want to root for Brentford or if you want to root for Brighton, one good reason might be if you're just a beachgoer, if you're a fan of the beach, I think this would be the club for you.
24:38
SPEAKER_01: It's it by all accounts a beautiful coastal city, a nice place to visit.
24:43
SPEAKER_01: I also think they play really good attacking football, or at least they have under the last few managers.
24:48
SPEAKER_01: Herzler, he is young, Brandon.
24:50
SPEAKER_01: I don't know if you've seen, he's just got a hair transplant.
24:53
SPEAKER_01: He had a full head of hair at the end of last season, and he showed up the preseason this year with some Turkish implants in place.
24:59
SPEAKER_01: Interesting development.
25:01
SPEAKER_01: Not sure what happened to our guy, but he does appear to be a young, exciting manager.
25:05
SPEAKER_01: He's very progressive.
25:06
SPEAKER_01: I mentioned in a previous episode, he's very active on social media.
25:09
SPEAKER_01: Brightner, just a fun club to root for.
25:11
SPEAKER_01: You're going to see a ton of good young players come through there.
25:14
SPEAKER_01: The one frustrating part, if you are a fan, might be knowing in the back of your mind that they will be willing to sell those players once they become of a value that they see fit.
25:24
SPEAKER_01: So that could be frustrating.
25:26
SPEAKER_01: I'm not sure that Brightner are ever going to be contending for titles, but they're playing European football and they're playing an exciting brand.
25:33
SPEAKER_01: So I certainly think they're a good shout to root for.
25:35
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, pretty cool club, Sean.
25:38
SPEAKER_00: Uh, like you said, young manager, fun team.
25:40
SPEAKER_00: I'll definitely keep my eyes on them.
25:42
SPEAKER_00: Not obviously not going to be my favorite team, probably not my second favorite team either, but uh definitely somebody to keep an eye on.
25:49
SPEAKER_01: Brandon, my next club is another one you grenaded me with.
25:53
SPEAKER_01: Another rival.
25:54
SPEAKER_01: It is Chelsea Football Club.
25:56
SPEAKER_01: They are located in West London.
25:58
SPEAKER_01: They are nicknamed the Blues, and they were founded in 1905.
26:02
SPEAKER_01: They play in Stamford Bridge, which holds just over 40,000 people.
26:08
SPEAKER_01: They are owned by Blue Co., which we did just discuss last week.
26:13
SPEAKER_01: I keep comparing them to Ellis Island of Sorts.
26:15
SPEAKER_01: It seems like they need to get their hands on every up-and-coming prospect entering European football.
26:22
SPEAKER_01: They are that Blue Co.
26:24
SPEAKER_01: group is chaired by Todd Boley.
26:27
SPEAKER_01: He is also the owner or one of the owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Lakers.
26:34
SPEAKER_01: I'm not sure if that recent Lakers sale included any of Todd Boley's shares or not.
26:39
SPEAKER_01: I believe it was a partial sale.
26:41
SPEAKER_01: I think Todd Boley is still around that Lakers picture.
26:44
SPEAKER_01: Uh, Chelsea, they have six Premier League or top flight titles.
26:48
SPEAKER_01: I believe five of them are Premier League titles.
26:50
SPEAKER_01: They had one in the 1953-54 season before Jose Mourinho arrived in the early 2000s, and they were purchased by a Russian oligarch, Roman Abramovich.
27:03
SPEAKER_01: He took them to a new level financially.
27:06
SPEAKER_01: He was the first one to really enter the Premier League with that much power and money and financial influence behind him.
27:12
SPEAKER_01: They kind of were the introduction to this new era of Premier League football that we've seen with a ton of cash being thrown around.
27:19
SPEAKER_01: Aside from the five Premier League titles and the six top flight titles, they have eight FA Cups, five EFL Cups, two Champions League wins, two Europa League wins, one Conference League win, and two Club World Cup wins, making them the only club in the world to win each European trophy and the club World Cup.
27:40
SPEAKER_01: Because a lot of clubs haven't been able to play in that Conference League, which was only added a few years ago as well.
27:45
SPEAKER_01: They are managed by Jabby Alonso, he's an iconic player, playing at Real Madrid, Liverpool.
27:50
SPEAKER_01: He is entering his first season at the helm.
27:53
SPEAKER_01: A couple of their best players are Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers.
27:57
SPEAKER_01: Both of them are kind of number 10s, creative midfielders.
28:01
SPEAKER_01: They can move out to a wing.
28:02
SPEAKER_01: They're opposite footed, so that helps.
28:04
SPEAKER_01: They're both English, they're both young, they're both exciting to watch.
28:08
SPEAKER_01: I think their expectation this year will be to push for a title.
28:12
SPEAKER_01: I think given the amount of money they've spent over the past several years, that will always be the goal.
28:17
SPEAKER_01: I'm not sure how realistic that is.
28:19
SPEAKER_01: I think the minimum for them this year will be a top four finish qualifying for the Champions League.
28:25
SPEAKER_01: That's what fans are expecting.
28:27
SPEAKER_01: If you want to root for Chelsea, I would say the type of person that roots for Chelsea is similar to the type of person that would root for the LA Dodgers.
28:34
SPEAKER_01: I think not only is it the same ownership group, I just think those teams are pretty similar in how they splash money around.
28:41
SPEAKER_01: And it's a good thing if you're a fan of those clubs.
28:44
SPEAKER_01: I mean, it's exciting to bring in some of the world's best and see them play for your club.
28:48
SPEAKER_01: I'm not going to shame you in whoever you pick, unless it's one of the teams I talked about earlier.
28:52
SPEAKER_01: I wouldn't recommend necessarily Chelsea.
28:55
SPEAKER_01: I just think some of the historical context into how they've achieved their success plays a role in how I would evaluate who I root for, but it doesn't necessarily mean it needs to influence your decision.
29:06
SPEAKER_01: If you want to just root for a winner that is well supported across the United States, Chelsea are an interesting club for you.
29:11
SPEAKER_01: It's located in a beautiful part of London.
29:13
SPEAKER_01: The Fulham Chelsea area is great.
29:16
SPEAKER_01: It's easy to get to.
29:18
SPEAKER_01: There's a lot of interesting things going on at Chelsea Football Club.
29:22
SPEAKER_01: If it's not my cup of tea, it might be yours.
29:25
SPEAKER_00: Thanks, Sean.
29:26
SPEAKER_00: I do, and we'll probably go over this a little bit more in our more specific preview next week, but I'm interested to see how Morgan Rogers and Cole Polymer get along together in that midfield because you did make a good point.
29:37
SPEAKER_00: They do play similar positions.
29:39
SPEAKER_00: I guess you put one out wide and one more central, but I do think they both like to be on the ball and they both do like to play in that central role.
29:45
SPEAKER_00: Maybe Cole goes to the left and Morgan plays in the center.
29:48
SPEAKER_00: I don't know.
29:48
SPEAKER_00: Uh, but that'll be an interesting one to keep an eye on.
29:51
SPEAKER_00: And and I do think Chelsea do have the firepower to to make a run.
29:55
SPEAKER_00: I don't I don't know if they're going to be able to pull it all together.
29:58
SPEAKER_00: I feel like they always sputter at certain parts of season.
30:01
SPEAKER_00: They'll go on like a 10-game unlosing streak or or not not win in 10 straight games.
30:07
SPEAKER_00: But um I do expect a top four finish from them, and they definitely have the quality of the players in the squad to do that.
30:14
SPEAKER_01: Yes, I would I would be surprised if they finish outside.
30:17
SPEAKER_01: I would say the top six is like the lowest.
30:19
SPEAKER_01: They finished 10th last year, was very disappointing.
30:21
SPEAKER_01: I think Jabbi Alonso is a really good manager.
30:23
SPEAKER_01: I think they will improve upon that finish pretty drastically.
30:27
SPEAKER_01: The one point I could maybe see happening, I think maybe Jabby Alonso goes to a back three with two wing backs that provide the width and then that allows him to play two tens.
30:36
SPEAKER_01: So I think that's something we could see from Chelsea.
30:38
SPEAKER_01: I'm just not so sure they have the wing backs in place.
30:40
SPEAKER_01: I know they're trying to sign some now, but they're also trying to play some guys that are pretty natural wingers in wing backs, in wing back roles in preseason.
30:48
SPEAKER_01: So that'll be something to keep an eye on to see exactly how Chelsea line up.
30:52
SPEAKER_01: There are a lot of Chelsea supporters in the United States.
30:54
SPEAKER_01: Unfortunately, I know a few of them.
30:56
SPEAKER_01: I don't, I I again, I will say I don't necessarily recommend you rushing to buy a Chelsea kit and adopting them as your team, but certainly if you like the prospect of not being alone in your fandom in the United States, Chelsea are one of those big clubs that you'll have a ton of people to connect with here in the States.
31:14
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Sean, that's a good point.
31:15
SPEAKER_00: Uh shout out my guy Trey.
31:17
SPEAKER_00: He's a huge Chelsea fan.
31:18
SPEAKER_00: And actually, Chelsea, I don't know if I've ever told you this before, Sean.
31:22
SPEAKER_00: Chelsea was actually the first team I really started to like in the Premier League when I first started to follow soccer.
31:27
SPEAKER_00: And reason being was this is when ESPN still had the rights to the Premier League, and the only teams you could ever see were Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea.
31:37
SPEAKER_00: And Chelsea had Drogba and Frank Lampard, who is going to be mentioned with my next team, and I loved those guys, and that was my team for a bit.
31:45
SPEAKER_00: Uh probably like a three or four year stint when I was in like middle school, uh, before I realized who Gareth Bale was and absolutely fell in love with Tottenham.
31:54
SPEAKER_00: But so yeah, a lot of American fans are a lot of American Chelsea fans.
31:58
SPEAKER_00: So it's a good group to have, and you know, it's a good, it's a good club to support, I will say that.
32:03
SPEAKER_01: And that Joseph Mourinho doc that I referenced in those first 20 minutes, it's very it's very fixated on Chelsea.
32:09
SPEAKER_01: It's it's talked about his transition from FC Porto, where he won the Champions League, to taking over Chelsea with Roman, as Mr.
32:16
SPEAKER_01: Roman as he called him, his chairman, who was just pumping finances into the club.
32:20
SPEAKER_01: And I've already seen snippets of interviews from Lampard from Drogba.
32:24
SPEAKER_01: So that documentary will be right up your alley.
32:26
SPEAKER_01: And any Chelsea fans alley.
32:28
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no, thank you.
32:29
SPEAKER_00: I appreciate it.
32:30
SPEAKER_00: Switching gears, but funny, we're gonna be on a similar wavelength here.
32:33
SPEAKER_00: We have Coventry City as our next team, Sean.
32:36
SPEAKER_00: Coventry City plays in Coventry, which is just east of Birmingham, so pretty central in England.
32:43
SPEAKER_00: Uh Coventry's nickname is Sky Blues.
32:45
SPEAKER_00: They were Sky Blue Kit.
32:47
SPEAKER_00: Uh they are founded in 1883.
32:49
SPEAKER_00: They are owned by a man named Doug King.
32:52
SPEAKER_00: They play in the Coventry Building Society Arena, which is a little bit of a mouthful, but it works for them.
32:58
SPEAKER_00: Stadium capacity.
32:59
SPEAKER_00: We gotta cut that down.
33:02
SPEAKER_00: That's a tongue twister.
33:03
SPEAKER_00: What's championship behavior, Sean?
33:04
SPEAKER_00: Not for it.
33:07
SPEAKER_00: Uh stadium capacity, over 32,000.
33:10
SPEAKER_00: They have one FA Cup title.
33:12
SPEAKER_00: That's their only real domestic uh trophy in 1987.
33:17
SPEAKER_00: Their manager is Frank Lampard, the former Chelsea legend.
33:21
SPEAKER_00: Some key players for Coventry City.
33:24
SPEAKER_00: We have Haji Wright, the American, who played for the U.S.
33:27
SPEAKER_00: at the World Cup.
33:28
SPEAKER_00: Not much, but was on the team.
33:29
SPEAKER_00: Uh he had 17 goals last season at Coventry City.
33:33
SPEAKER_00: They're expecting to have that again from him this year.
33:37
SPEAKER_00: Their right back is and one of their main guys, his name is uh Milan van Ewick.
33:44
SPEAKER_00: Uh he's the right yeah, he's he's their guy.
33:46
SPEAKER_00: He creates a lot of their opportunities, and the offense kind of runs through him, similar to how uh Kai Wagner of the Philadelphia Union runs it for M here in the MLS.
33:57
SPEAKER_00: Uh he's similar to that for Coventry City.
34:00
SPEAKER_00: And then they also signed Caleb Urenki, a Ghanaian midfielder.
34:04
SPEAKER_00: He was actually their club record transfer.
34:06
SPEAKER_00: So hoping to get some productivity from him this season.
34:11
SPEAKER_00: I think success for Coventry City, honestly, Sean, is just survival.
34:15
SPEAKER_00: We've seen the yo-yo, we've seen the teams come up and down, and I have another team that uh just came up as well that I'll go over later, but I think for them as well, it's just survival.
34:25
SPEAKER_00: Um, it's very hard to come up to the Premier League and survive, and I think that would be success for them if they're able to do that.
34:32
SPEAKER_00: Why cheer for them?
34:33
SPEAKER_00: This one's interesting.
34:34
SPEAKER_00: I don't know if Sean, if you know the song, it's called Will Live and Die in These Towns by the Enemy.
34:39
SPEAKER_00: Um it's like their club anthem, they played all their games.
34:42
SPEAKER_00: It is rocking at the Coventry Building Society Palace, whatever it's called, arena.
34:49
SPEAKER_00: And it's cool.
34:50
SPEAKER_00: So if you're into that, you're into some spirit in the stadium singing a song all together with your team.
34:56
SPEAKER_00: I watched some videos on this earlier and I was like, all right, I can get behind this.
34:59
SPEAKER_00: So hopefully we'll hear a lot of that this season.
35:02
SPEAKER_00: Probably not super likely for them to do well, but you hope for the best.
35:06
SPEAKER_00: And I think that's a cool team if you want to work for a true underdog and somebody really just trying to scrap for survival.
35:13
SPEAKER_01: Yes, I think Coventry are if you're going to pick that true underdog mentality approach this year and take one of those newly promoted teams as your own, I would recommend Coventry.
35:24
SPEAKER_01: I think they have the best chance of surviving.
35:26
SPEAKER_01: Not only just that, but I think there's a bit about them that I like.
35:29
SPEAKER_01: I love that song, Brandon.
35:30
SPEAKER_01: I was introduced to it from watching a Coventry game a couple years ago.
35:33
SPEAKER_01: I was like, oh, what is this?
35:34
SPEAKER_01: And it's great when you see them singing that in their home stadium, which I will not try to pronounce.
35:39
SPEAKER_01: It's just it's simply too much.
35:40
SPEAKER_01: We do need to work on that.
35:42
SPEAKER_01: Also, Frank Lampard as manager, it's interesting.
35:44
SPEAKER_01: It's an interesting storyline.
35:46
SPEAKER_01: So I think there's a lot going on at Coventry that's pretty exciting.
35:49
SPEAKER_01: And I would, if I had to just maybe tip a team that was promoted to stay up, I would think Coventry are probably the most favoured to do so.
35:57
SPEAKER_00: Agree with you 100%.
35:59
SPEAKER_00: I you'll go you'll go over Ipswich Town, and I have Hull City, but uh I do think Coventry City is probably in the best position to stay up.
36:07
SPEAKER_01: Yes, I would echo that.
36:08
SPEAKER_01: My next club, the eighth on our list, you guessed it, it's in London.
36:12
SPEAKER_01: It is Crystal Palace.
36:13
SPEAKER_01: They are in South London.
36:15
SPEAKER_01: They were founded in 1905.
36:17
SPEAKER_01: They are nicknamed the Eagles.
36:19
SPEAKER_01: They are owned by Woody Johnson, who owns the New York Jets, Josh Harris, who owns the Philadelphia 76ers and the Washington Commanders, David Blitzer, who basically owns the same things Josh Harris does, and Steve Parrish, who is an English businessman and he serves as Crystal Palace's chairman.
36:37
SPEAKER_01: They played their home games at Sellhurst Park, which holds about 25,000 people, but maybe most importantly, was the home to AFC Richmond in the show Ted Lasso.
36:47
SPEAKER_01: That is where the Greyhounds, I believe the name of the team in AFC Richmond is.
36:51
SPEAKER_01: I believe that's where they I know that's where they play their games, which is a pretty cool little fun fact about Crystal Palace.
36:56
SPEAKER_01: They're current European trophy holders.
36:58
SPEAKER_01: They won the Conference League last season, meaning they will play in the Europa League this year.
37:03
SPEAKER_01: They also won the FA Cup in 2024-2025 under Oliver Glasner, who was their manager, had a very successful, if short stint at Palace, taking over for him after he had a kind of unceremonious exit after achieving so much in so little time, just didn't agree with the decisions of the board, felt like he wasn't supported in the way he should have after bringing two trophies to Palace.
37:29
SPEAKER_01: They are right now being managed by Pierre Sage, I believe that's how you pronounce his last name.
37:35
SPEAKER_01: It is his first season, and he has a pretty heavy goal, a heavy weight on his shoulders, a lot to live up to.
37:44
SPEAKER_01: They need a successful season just because their fans are kind of hungry.
37:47
SPEAKER_01: They've got the taste for winning.
37:49
SPEAKER_01: So it's an exciting time to be a Palace fan coming off the back of those last two seasons.
37:53
SPEAKER_01: But there is a lot of uncertainty with how they get on under a new manager.
37:57
SPEAKER_01: What does success look like for them?
37:59
SPEAKER_01: I think a European qualification this year would be great.
38:04
SPEAKER_01: It'd be I think it'll be hard to do for them.
38:06
SPEAKER_01: They will be one of those teams balancing Europe throughout the season that will affect their standing in the Premier League, I predict, which is a sacrifice you kind of just have to make.
38:15
SPEAKER_01: It's cool to get to play in Europe.
38:17
SPEAKER_01: It's just tough that there does come with some cost associated with that.
38:21
SPEAKER_01: So I think the success for them, if they could qualify for Europe again or make a deep cup run in either the FA Cup or the EFL Cup, I think that would be a pretty successful season.
38:30
SPEAKER_01: They've got a lot of interesting players to watch.
38:33
SPEAKER_01: The first guy I have to start with is Adam Wharton.
38:36
SPEAKER_01: We'll see if he's at Palace by the end of the window.
38:38
SPEAKER_01: He is highly sought after.
38:40
SPEAKER_01: He's one of the best midfielders in the league.
38:43
SPEAKER_01: He's one of the best young English midfielders in the country for sure.
38:47
SPEAKER_01: He is just so good at passing the ball for midfield, such a progressive passer, very calm on the ball.
38:53
SPEAKER_01: They also have this male SSR.
38:55
SPEAKER_01: He is an electric player on the wing.
38:57
SPEAKER_01: He could also play as a forward.
38:58
SPEAKER_01: He scores goals, he could provide assists.
39:01
SPEAKER_01: He is someone to watch.
39:02
SPEAKER_01: I would root for Crystal Palace.
39:04
SPEAKER_01: I would recommend you root for Crystal Palace if you like to support a proud club that isn't necessarily mainstream.
39:10
SPEAKER_01: They're proud, they're in London, they have a really cool badge.
39:13
SPEAKER_01: I think their crest is great.
39:14
SPEAKER_01: You see the tower bridge in there with the Eagles swooping down.
39:17
SPEAKER_01: Maybe if you're an Eagles fan, that's a Philadelphia Eagles fan, that's a direct correlation to just root for the Eagles.
39:24
SPEAKER_01: I will say, maybe if you're a Sixers fan, I don't think you want to root for another Josh Harris club.
39:29
SPEAKER_01: That might be a deterrent.
39:31
SPEAKER_01: But Crystal Palace has a lot of pride about them.
39:34
SPEAKER_01: They're often kind of the little brothers of all the London clubs.
39:37
SPEAKER_01: They're one of the smaller London clubs, if not the smallest, aside from maybe Brentford.
39:42
SPEAKER_01: So there comes a certain pride associated with rooting for them.
39:46
SPEAKER_01: So that would be some of the reasons I would point to as to why to cheer for Crystal Palace.
39:50
SPEAKER_00: Sean, I would say the only thing I would change about what you said is I don't know if Eagles fans will want to cheer for Crystal Palace because uh Josh Harris owns the Commanders.
40:00
SPEAKER_01: So I know, I know.
40:01
SPEAKER_01: And he also it's almost like you want him to own the Commanders, though, because he's such a bad owner of the Sixers that it's like, well, go ahead, take over one of our rivals, you know what I mean?
40:11
SPEAKER_01: But the fact that Philly's Eagles fans are likely Philly Sixers fans, it's probably a deterrent.
40:17
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
40:18
SPEAKER_00: I will say the because of the Philadelphia connection, Crystal Palace has come to the US a few times.
40:24
SPEAKER_00: Back when I worked at the Philadelphia Union, they trained there and scrimmaged the union one summer and and spent maybe four or five days training.
40:31
SPEAKER_00: So got to see them train.
40:32
SPEAKER_00: And I was cool.
40:33
SPEAKER_00: Cool to see a top flight club.
40:34
SPEAKER_00: And and you are right, Sean.
40:36
SPEAKER_00: They're sort of a forgotten about club.
40:38
SPEAKER_00: But like you mentioned, FA Cup winners playing, uh conference league winners, playing in Europa League this year.
40:43
SPEAKER_00: So definitely some pride behind their team, but not always the most talked-about club.
40:48
SPEAKER_00: So interesting, interesting shout about those guys.
40:51
SPEAKER_01: For sure.
40:52
SPEAKER_01: And I I think as a Tottenham fan, I I pretty much hate the rest of the teams in London.
40:57
SPEAKER_01: Except for Crystal Palace and Brentford, I would say.
41:01
SPEAKER_01: And even Fulham, who I'll get to next when I'm up, those are the clubs I don't I don't have a problem with.
41:06
SPEAKER_01: You know, they're kind of they do their own thing.
41:08
SPEAKER_01: They're not super worried about what Tottenham's doing.
41:11
SPEAKER_01: They're they're focused on themselves.
41:12
SPEAKER_01: They have a lot of pride about them.
41:14
SPEAKER_01: They have some cool stadiums in that mix.
41:16
SPEAKER_01: Sell her Spark seems like it's cool.
41:17
SPEAKER_01: I'll get to Craven Cottage in just a bit, but I think that would be a club I could certainly see people adopting in the United States.
41:25
SPEAKER_01: There's a lot of ties to the United States with this club.
41:27
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
41:28
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
41:28
SPEAKER_00: Sean, I'm going to take you far away from London with this next one.
41:31
SPEAKER_00: I have Everton Football Club.
41:33
SPEAKER_00: Everton is located in Liverpool, uh, which is in the very far northwest of England.
41:38
SPEAKER_00: Multiple, multiple hours away from London, actually.
41:41
SPEAKER_00: The nickname for Everton are the Toffees.
41:44
SPEAKER_00: They were founded in 1878.
41:47
SPEAKER_00: They are owned by a group called the Friedkin Group.
41:50
SPEAKER_00: Majority owner is a man by the name of Dan Friedkin.
41:53
SPEAKER_00: They are actually Texas-based, which I did not know.
41:55
SPEAKER_00: And they also own your team, AS Roman in the Italian League.
41:59
SPEAKER_00: So pretty cool, pretty cool fact.
42:01
SPEAKER_00: They just bought Everton about two years ago in 2024.
42:04
SPEAKER_00: Uh, they play in a stadium, a new stadium called Hill Dickinson Stadium, uh, which holds just under 53,000 fans.
42:14
SPEAKER_00: They have nine English League titles, five FA Cup titles, and one European Cup title back in 1984-85.
42:22
SPEAKER_00: Their manager is David Moyes.
42:25
SPEAKER_00: Some players on the team that are uh key for them.
42:28
SPEAKER_00: Illman and Drai and uh Beto, they lead their line.
42:32
SPEAKER_00: Jordan Pickford is their goalie, uh, was England's goalie at the World Cup.
42:36
SPEAKER_00: And they just signed Hayden Hackney uh from Middlesbrough.
42:40
SPEAKER_00: So we're expecting some some good stuff from him this season.
42:43
SPEAKER_00: I think success for Everton is to qualify for Europe.
42:48
SPEAKER_00: Uh they're only focused on the Premier League this year by finishing by because of where they finished last year, and it's an opportunity for them to really take a big jump.
42:57
SPEAKER_00: I don't know if they will, but I do think if they can qualify for European football, that would be a successful season for them.
43:03
SPEAKER_00: And a good reason to cheer for them.
43:05
SPEAKER_00: They call themselves the People's Club.
43:06
SPEAKER_00: It seems like they're very, very focused on community, Sean, which is which is great.
43:11
SPEAKER_00: You love when teams take care of their backyards, not they don't just put a stadium there and a training ground and don't worry about it.
43:18
SPEAKER_00: It seems like Everton's really invested in the community.
43:20
SPEAKER_00: Also interesting because Liverpool is also right there in the same same community, so there is that fierce rivalry, but it's it's cool because it seems like behind the scenes the teams do things together and the teams do get along behind the scenes, which which is great, and you and you love to see that.
43:34
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, the derby between them is the Merseyside Derby, and it's one of the better games on the calendar each year in England.
43:41
SPEAKER_01: I I think Everton are a really cool club.
43:43
SPEAKER_01: They're a big club, they're often not talked about as one of the biggest clubs in England, but they are well supported as one of those big clubs.
43:50
SPEAKER_01: I think there's a lot of good things to like about them.
43:52
SPEAKER_01: The Toffees is a cool nickname.
43:54
SPEAKER_01: That new stadium looks amazing.
43:55
SPEAKER_01: It's kind of on the water there.
43:57
SPEAKER_01: Looks really cool.
43:58
SPEAKER_01: I would certainly like to take a trip.
44:00
SPEAKER_01: Up to see an Everton game.
44:02
SPEAKER_01: I prefer them in the Liverpool Everton rivalry.
44:05
SPEAKER_01: I would always find myself rooting for Everton there, a bit more of the underdog, at least in recent years.
44:10
SPEAKER_01: I think there's a lot of cool things.
44:11
SPEAKER_01: Also just the US history.
44:12
SPEAKER_01: It's kind of where Tim Howard was a mainstay for several years.
44:16
SPEAKER_01: If you are a Tim Howard guy and want to revamp your fandom, I think Everton would be the club for you.
44:21
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's a it's a cool, cool club, Sean.
44:24
SPEAKER_00: And the they I do feel like they have they do typically get mentioned in that big club in England group.
44:31
SPEAKER_00: Uh they do have the money behind it.
44:33
SPEAKER_00: They do have the investment.
44:34
SPEAKER_00: We see this with the new stadium that you just mentioned.
44:36
SPEAKER_00: But it'll be interesting to see if they can put it all together on the field because they haven't in the last few years.
44:42
SPEAKER_01: No, and I I'm not I'm not sure what to think of them ahead of this season as well.
44:46
SPEAKER_01: David Moyes is a legendary manager, but the fact that he's kind of old and been around the block, it doesn't exactly inspire a new change.
44:53
SPEAKER_01: I I can't exactly see a total change in how they've been going the last few years under David Moyes.
44:59
SPEAKER_01: It seems like it may be more of the same, which isn't necessarily a great thing for Everton.
45:03
SPEAKER_01: I think they'll be looking to approve upon that.
45:05
SPEAKER_01: So an interesting season ahead for the Toffeys.
45:08
SPEAKER_01: Who's next on your list, Sean?
45:10
SPEAKER_01: I have, you guessed it, another London club.
45:12
SPEAKER_01: It is Fulham.
45:13
SPEAKER_01: We are heading back to West London.
45:15
SPEAKER_01: This is right next to Chelsea Football Club.
45:17
SPEAKER_01: That is their biggest rival.
45:19
SPEAKER_01: They the stadiums are, I believe, less than a mile apart.
45:22
SPEAKER_01: I've walked to both in the same day.
45:23
SPEAKER_01: It did not take long.
45:24
SPEAKER_01: So Fulham, they were founded in 1879.
45:27
SPEAKER_01: They are nicknamed the Cottagers after their stadium, Craven Cottage.
45:31
SPEAKER_01: The Craven Cottage Stadium, it's just absolutely incredible.
45:34
SPEAKER_01: It's got an old school feel to it, but they've done some modern updates on the one end.
45:40
SPEAKER_01: The other end is completely historic.
45:42
SPEAKER_01: So you kind of get the best of both worlds there.
45:44
SPEAKER_01: It holds 28,100 people.
45:47
SPEAKER_01: They are owned by Shahid Khan, who also owns the Jacksonville Jaguars.
45:52
SPEAKER_01: So another American sports owner owning a Premier League club.
45:57
SPEAKER_01: Full are a club who have never won the top flight or any European trophy.
46:03
SPEAKER_01: They have won several lower tiers of the English football pyramid, but they've never got it done in the top flight.
46:09
SPEAKER_01: That alone would be enough of a reason to root for them.
46:12
SPEAKER_01: They are managed by Alvaro Arboloa.
46:16
SPEAKER_01: It is his first season.
46:17
SPEAKER_01: He comes from Real Madrid, where he took over in the middle of the season and was let go immediately after.
46:24
SPEAKER_01: He is an interesting one to watch.
46:26
SPEAKER_01: Kind of a younger, up-and-coming manager.
46:30
SPEAKER_01: A lot to prove still.
46:31
SPEAKER_01: Fulm's an interesting place to try to do it in a Premier League.
46:34
SPEAKER_01: It's the highest level of the sport.
46:36
SPEAKER_01: We'll see how that goes about this season.
46:39
SPEAKER_01: Success for them, I would say a mid-table finish would be a relative success.
46:44
SPEAKER_01: I think their fans will be wanting a European place that they were close to achieving last season.
46:49
SPEAKER_01: They've been close a couple of campaigns over the last few.
46:53
SPEAKER_01: That would be an actual success that gets fans excited.
46:56
SPEAKER_01: I guess the more realistic version of what I see for this club would be a mid-table finish.
47:00
SPEAKER_01: A player to watch, the guy I have to highlight, it is the American Jedi Robinson.
47:06
SPEAKER_01: He is becoming a mainstay there.
47:08
SPEAKER_01: Tim Reim was at Fulham for forever and became sort of a club cult hero legend there.
47:12
SPEAKER_01: And Jedi Robinson appears to be on the same track, and he's doing it at an even higher level.
47:17
SPEAKER_01: He's doing it throughout all of his career being in the Premier League with Fulham.
47:20
SPEAKER_01: And he's an electric left back.
47:22
SPEAKER_01: We saw flashes of that with the United States.
47:25
SPEAKER_01: He'll be one of their mainstays in the starting 11 this season.
47:29
SPEAKER_01: They have a really good, really good back line, in my opinion.
47:33
SPEAKER_01: I think Calvin Bassey's a strong center back.
47:36
SPEAKER_01: They're still figuring out some other pieces under the new manager.
47:39
SPEAKER_01: But I think overall, Fulham have just enough to not worry too much this season.
47:46
SPEAKER_01: I mentioned on a previous episode I'm a little bit concerned with them being pulled down into a relegation fight.
47:50
SPEAKER_01: And I still think if things go wrong, that could happen.
47:53
SPEAKER_01: But overall, they've proven themselves to be at least a mid-table club in the Premier League over the last few years.
47:58
SPEAKER_01: I would expect more of the same.
47:59
SPEAKER_01: A reason to root for them, I think this club is just really, really cool.
48:03
SPEAKER_01: I think their stadium's cool.
48:05
SPEAKER_01: I think the neighborhood that they're located in is a little bit posh, but it's pretty cool.
48:09
SPEAKER_01: It's a lot of great pubs, an easy place to walk around.
48:12
SPEAKER_01: The cottage is beautiful.
48:14
SPEAKER_01: They also have been referred to as Full America because if there are ties to Americans in the past, we've had Brian McBride, Clint Dempsey, Tim Reim, now Jedi Robinson, a long line of American players playing or have played at Fool.
48:28
SPEAKER_01: And I think that creates a little bit of a special tie as well.
48:31
SPEAKER_01: And then yeah, I just can't emphasize enough how cool Craven Cottage is.
48:34
SPEAKER_01: So I think those would be the reasons I would point to as to why you should support Fool.
48:39
SPEAKER_00: Thanks for that.
48:39
SPEAKER_00: Would you consider Craven Cottage sort of like a Wrigley field where it's historic, modern, but also modern, kind of in the middle of town?
48:48
SPEAKER_00: That that sort of vibe.
48:50
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I get that vibe.
48:51
SPEAKER_01: I get the vibe of Wrigley and Fenway with a lot of these stadiums that are they're very walkable.
48:56
SPEAKER_01: And the big difference between stadiums in England and much of Europe and the United States is they're not very commercialized.
49:02
SPEAKER_01: They're not surrounded by parking lots.
49:04
SPEAKER_01: Where aside from Wrigley and Fenway, in terms of baseball stadiums in the United States, basically everything else is kind of commercialized.
49:12
SPEAKER_01: There's a lot of pavement around where you drive and park your car, walk in and then sit in traffic on the way out.
49:17
SPEAKER_01: That's just not the culture around football.
49:19
SPEAKER_01: These are very much neighborhood clubs.
49:21
SPEAKER_01: I've previewed five teams already.
49:23
SPEAKER_01: All five teams are in London so far.
49:25
SPEAKER_01: So they're very much stadiums that you could just rock up to, taking the tube, walking from a short distance of where you live.
49:33
SPEAKER_01: And that creates a cool feel because you get to know those pub owners on the on your normal path in.
49:39
SPEAKER_01: And I think that's really special.
49:41
SPEAKER_01: I think Craven Cottage is a real highlight of that.
49:43
SPEAKER_01: So I think I take your point and I think it's a good one because that's what I get when I think of Wrigley.
49:49
SPEAKER_01: That's what I get when I think of Fenway.
49:50
SPEAKER_01: And I think Craven Cottage is along those lines.
49:53
SPEAKER_00: Cool.
49:53
SPEAKER_00: No, that's that's cool.
49:54
SPEAKER_00: And I do love the American connections as well.
49:57
SPEAKER_00: So yeah, it's a cool team.
49:58
SPEAKER_00: And then obviously with Khan and owning the Jaguars, that connection as well.
50:03
SPEAKER_00: So yeah, that's cool, Sean.
50:05
SPEAKER_00: Thank you for that.
50:05
SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna take us back out of London again.
50:08
SPEAKER_00: Um, I actually don't think I have a London team on my on my list.
50:13
SPEAKER_01: No, I got them all.
50:14
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, don't worry.
50:14
SPEAKER_00: I've got them too.
50:16
SPEAKER_00: So the next team I have is Hull City, another recently promoted side from the championship.
50:22
SPEAKER_00: They play in a town called Kingston upon Hull.
50:25
SPEAKER_00: Um it's on the east coast of England.
50:28
SPEAKER_00: Hull City's nickname are the Tigers, due to their orange and black uh kit.
50:33
SPEAKER_00: They were founded in 1904.
50:35
SPEAKER_00: They're owned by a man, a man by the name of Akon Ilikali.
50:40
SPEAKER_00: He is a Turkish businessman and a Turkish media personality as well.
50:46
SPEAKER_00: And his media company was actually the group that bought Hull City.
50:51
SPEAKER_00: They play in a stadium called the MKM Stadium, holds 24,620 fans, so it's a little bit on the smaller side.
51:01
SPEAKER_00: They just like some of the others I've had, uh, no major trophies in their history.
51:07
SPEAKER_00: Their manager is a man by the name of Sergei Yakorovich.
51:12
SPEAKER_00: The key players on Hull City are Louis Coyle, he's their captain, he's also their right back, and Ollie McBurney, he's their number nine forward.
51:22
SPEAKER_00: He scored 19 goals in the championship last year.
51:25
SPEAKER_00: They're gonna need 19 goals from him again this year if they want to make any noise.
51:31
SPEAKER_00: Successful season for them, and I also would mention they have not done a lot in the transfer window.
51:37
SPEAKER_00: Hopefully, they will do some more in the coming weeks, but haven't had any what I would call transformational transfers in this window so far.
51:44
SPEAKER_00: Uh, successful season is simply to stay up.
51:46
SPEAKER_00: Uh, out of the three promoted teams, Sean, I think they are probably the weakest.
51:50
SPEAKER_00: So them staying up is incredible.
51:53
SPEAKER_00: Why cheer for them?
51:54
SPEAKER_00: I think honestly, it's this one's this one's kind of a little bit on the sillier side, but the orange and black colors are really cool.
52:00
SPEAKER_00: You don't see that a lot in football.
52:02
SPEAKER_00: They also are compared to uh like the Buffalo Bills, this sort of always a bridesmaid, never the bride situation, but but a very cult fandom of the fans that they do have.
52:13
SPEAKER_00: Um, and they're looking to gain that first trophy this year.
52:16
SPEAKER_00: I don't know if it's gonna happen, but could be a cool reason why to why to cheer for these guys if you like the true, true underdog and somebody who's been kind of on the cusp of success, but just hasn't reached it yet.
52:28
SPEAKER_00: I think it'll be it'll feel that much better when once they finally do reach that that point of success.
52:34
SPEAKER_00: But not sure that it will be this season, to be honest.
52:37
SPEAKER_01: The whole city is an interesting one, Brandon.
52:39
SPEAKER_01: You did mention their lack of transfer activity, at least notable transfer activity so far, that's going to make a direct impact.
52:45
SPEAKER_01: And I do agree, I share that concern.
52:47
SPEAKER_01: They did sign Lucas Harrington, the MLS boy from the Colorado Rapids.
52:51
SPEAKER_01: But again, he's not one I'm sure is going to make a quick impact in the Premier League.
52:56
SPEAKER_01: That's a big jump for him, and he's just a young kid.
52:58
SPEAKER_01: So a lot to get done and get sorted for Hole City before the window closes.
53:03
SPEAKER_01: You never know.
53:04
SPEAKER_01: Maybe you just have a magical season punch above your weight and can stay up.
53:07
SPEAKER_01: But Ollie McBurney, he did score the winner that got them promotion in the playoff.
53:12
SPEAKER_01: I I think 19 goals last season is great.
53:15
SPEAKER_01: I'm not so sure he's gonna find it as easy in this league as he did in the championship.
53:19
SPEAKER_01: So that'll be that'll be a change of pace for him and whole city.
53:22
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
53:23
SPEAKER_00: And I I like the Lucas Harrington shot because you know, we did mention him before the World Cup as someone who was on Barcelona's radar.
53:30
SPEAKER_00: Didn't obviously happen with Barcelona, but whole city is not a bad transfer.
53:33
SPEAKER_00: Being able to transfer from at 19 from the MLS directly to the Premier League is is special.
53:39
SPEAKER_00: And honestly, with the team they have, he may play.
53:42
SPEAKER_00: I don't know if he's gonna start and be their sort of main center back, but I think I could see him playing in some games, which is incredible for a teenager.
53:50
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it might end up being a good move for him in the long run to prioritize whole city, a place where he can compete for minutes.
53:57
SPEAKER_01: I will say, the prospects of living there compared to Barcelona, boy, that's a tough one to swallow.
54:04
SPEAKER_01: That's a tough one to swallow.
54:06
SPEAKER_00: Very true.
54:07
SPEAKER_01: That's boy, that's a big drop.
54:09
SPEAKER_01: Uh, another team, Brandon, who has come up, the 12th team we'll talk about today, it is Ipswich Town, the Tractor Boys.
54:17
SPEAKER_01: I have finally left London.
54:18
SPEAKER_01: That was like my own personal odyssey.
54:20
SPEAKER_01: I'm out, I'm in Suffolk, England, Ipswich.
54:24
SPEAKER_01: They were founded in 1878.
54:25
SPEAKER_01: I did mention their nicknames, the Tractor Boys.
54:27
SPEAKER_01: They play at Portman Road Stadium, which holds 30,000 people.
54:31
SPEAKER_01: That's that's a pretty substantial size stadium.
54:34
SPEAKER_01: And Ipswich are a pretty substantial club.
54:37
SPEAKER_01: They've got some history to them that a lot of these clubs we talk about that don't have major trophies, the the Ipswich do.
54:43
SPEAKER_01: So that's interesting.
54:44
SPEAKER_01: They are owned by Game Changer 20.
54:46
SPEAKER_01: It's an ownership group.
54:47
SPEAKER_01: Ed Sheeran is a small part of that group.
54:50
SPEAKER_01: He's the hometown boy, he's a lifelong fan.
54:53
SPEAKER_01: He's their most notable celebrity owner.
54:56
SPEAKER_01: They have one first division title, so it wasn't a Premier League then, but in 1962, 1963, they were the champions of England.
55:03
SPEAKER_01: They have one FA Cup title in 1978.
55:06
SPEAKER_01: They have won UEFA Cup in 1981, which is a European trophy, equivalent to the Europa League.
55:13
SPEAKER_01: And a fun fact, they've never lost a home game in Europe, and that includes games against Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter Milan.
55:21
SPEAKER_01: So a proud history for the Tractor Boys, and I'm excited to have them back in the top flight.
55:26
SPEAKER_01: They are managed by Gary O'Neill.
55:28
SPEAKER_01: He has bounced around several clubs in England.
55:30
SPEAKER_01: People will be familiar with him.
55:31
SPEAKER_01: He was at Wolves when they were in the Premier League.
55:34
SPEAKER_01: I think he's an interesting manager, at least.
55:36
SPEAKER_01: He has some Premier League experience.
55:38
SPEAKER_01: He's been in this division before.
55:39
SPEAKER_01: Some of their best players, they have signed Dyson Maeda.
55:43
SPEAKER_01: He's a fun one for me personally.
55:44
SPEAKER_01: He was at Celtic under Ange Pastakoglu.
55:47
SPEAKER_01: He is of Japanese descent.
55:49
SPEAKER_01: He played for them at the World Cup.
55:51
SPEAKER_01: And he is one of the most energetic pressing forwards you will ever see.
55:54
SPEAKER_01: He just does not stop.
55:55
SPEAKER_01: He's like the energizer bunny pressing the entire game.
55:58
SPEAKER_01: He'll be the player I'm watching for Ipswich Town.
56:00
SPEAKER_01: They've done a bit of business in the last couple of weeks in the window to try to improve their squad.
56:04
SPEAKER_01: I still think they need to strengthen and continue strengthening, but at least they're showing signs that they know they need to do so.
56:11
SPEAKER_01: Why would you root for Ipswich Town?
56:14
SPEAKER_01: What would be some reasons?
56:16
SPEAKER_01: I've jotted down just a couple.
56:17
SPEAKER_01: If you're an edge here and diehard, that's one easy reason to just boop, sign right up.
56:22
SPEAKER_01: Another reason, if you're a fan of farming, if you're a fan of farming and agriculture, the tractor boys, I think that's a direct, hey, that's an easy one to hop on.
56:29
SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
56:30
SPEAKER_01: If you're a tractor guy, if you're John Deere guy here in the States, go root for the Tractor Boys.
56:35
SPEAKER_01: Also, they share a lot of the things we talked about, that underdog mentality.
56:38
SPEAKER_01: A club with a proud history trying to get back in a time where much larger financial wallets are dominating some of the game in England.
56:47
SPEAKER_01: Ipswich don't necessarily have that, but they do have pride and they do have a puncher's chance to make an impact in the top flight this year.
56:55
SPEAKER_00: Thank you, Sean.
56:56
SPEAKER_00: I did see uh they released their like kit numbers with all the players and all the numbers they're wearing this season.
57:02
SPEAKER_00: They gave Ed Sheeran a jersey, and people were giving him some stick online, and he basically said, Look, people have wanted to buy my jersey, my name on these jerseys for for years, and they've been doing it custom under the table kind of deal.
57:16
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, he's like, we might as well legitimize it and make some money for the club.
57:19
SPEAKER_00: So kudos to Ed for that.
57:21
SPEAKER_00: Kind of a weird one, you don't see that every day.
57:23
SPEAKER_00: No, you don't, but yeah, teen guy right there, and and you and you love to see it, especially for a small club like Ipswich.
57:28
SPEAKER_00: So shout out to Ed.
57:30
SPEAKER_00: Who do you got next, Brandon?
57:32
SPEAKER_00: I have Leeds United next.
57:34
SPEAKER_00: Leeds is located in the north central part of England.
57:39
SPEAKER_00: League's nickname are the Whites.
57:40
SPEAKER_00: They were founded in 1919.
57:43
SPEAKER_00: They are owned by a group called 49ers Enterprises and actually also Red Bull.
57:50
SPEAKER_00: Uh 49ers Enterprises also obviously own the San Francisco 49ers NFL team.
57:55
SPEAKER_00: Red Bull as well, but they are not part of the Red Bull factory of clubs, Salzburg, Leipzig, uh, New York.
58:03
SPEAKER_00: Leeds play at Ellen Road, just a quaint stadium, a lot of energy there.
58:09
SPEAKER_00: Leeds always seem to raise their level when they play at home at Ellen Road.
58:13
SPEAKER_00: Ellen Road actually holds over 37,000 people, so not too small.
58:17
SPEAKER_00: Pretty, pretty good sized stadium.
58:19
SPEAKER_00: Leeds have three English League titles and one FA Cup back in 1971-72.
58:26
SPEAKER_00: Their manager is a man by the name of Daniel Fark.
58:29
SPEAKER_00: Some key players for Leeds, uh Dominic Calvert Lewin, who previously played at Everton.
58:36
SPEAKER_00: They received Harry Wilson from Fulham in the transfer window this year.
58:39
SPEAKER_00: They also received James Trafford.
58:41
SPEAKER_00: He was the Manchester City, I believe, third string goalie or backup goalie.
58:46
SPEAKER_00: He's gonna probably slot right in and be Leeds starting goalkeeper.
58:50
SPEAKER_00: Success for Leeds this season, uh European qualification.
58:54
SPEAKER_00: I think they made some good signings and they seem to be more comfortable in the Premier League.
58:58
SPEAKER_00: I feel like the last few years they've started to gain traction, but then they'll go, just like some of these other teams, they'll go on a run of seven or eight straight losses.
59:06
SPEAKER_00: But I think they've really started to gain their footing in the Premier League.
59:10
SPEAKER_00: And I think a European qualification would be huge for them and would be greatly appreciated.
59:14
SPEAKER_00: And for someone looking to maybe follow Leeds, a good reason is they really buy into this Us Against the World mentality.
59:22
SPEAKER_00: Marching on Together is their theme song, similar to Coventry City, played in the stadiums, and it's really their club anthem, and they and the players and the fans really get behind it, and Leeds really do embrace that underdog mentality.
59:38
SPEAKER_00: Typically have cool yellow, blue, yellow, and light blue jerseys, not a color scheme you see too often.
59:43
SPEAKER_00: But yeah, I I think I think this could be a a good year for them.
59:47
SPEAKER_00: I think some of the other teams I've previewed, I I do worry about.
59:50
SPEAKER_00: I think Leeds maybe is kind of on the uh ascension rather than some of these other teams, but it it'll have to all get put together once the once the ball gets kicked, Sean.
1:00:00
SPEAKER_01: I I'm with you on being a little bit bullish on Leeds.
1:00:03
SPEAKER_01: You could even say red bullish.
1:00:04
SPEAKER_01: I am I'm I'm optimistic on their their season this year.
1:00:08
SPEAKER_01: And I think the Premier League's a better place with Leeds United in it.
1:00:11
SPEAKER_01: They're a historic club, they're they're a cool one for me, and I I could see why you would be a Leeds fan.
1:00:17
SPEAKER_01: I think they have a lot going in their direction as to why fans support them and they have a proud fan base.
1:00:23
SPEAKER_01: I I'm always intrigued by Leeds.
1:00:26
SPEAKER_01: I'm always rooting for them kind of to stay up and have a nice season, as long as it's not at my Tottenham expense.
1:00:31
SPEAKER_01: So I think I think that Leeds, I think you did a good job summing them up.
1:00:36
SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
1:00:36
SPEAKER_00: And also still have Brendan Aronson, American player who played in MLS for the Philadelphia Union.
1:00:42
SPEAKER_00: He's from New Jersey, so cool American connection there as well.
1:00:45
SPEAKER_01: Next up, Brandon, we are taking our talents back to Liverpool.
1:00:50
SPEAKER_01: And we're talking about Everton's biggest rival, the Reds.
1:00:53
SPEAKER_01: Liverpool were founded in 1892.
1:00:57
SPEAKER_01: They play at Anfield, which holds 61,200 people.
1:01:02
SPEAKER_01: They're most well known for their song that they play before and after games, You'll Never Walk Alone.
1:01:08
SPEAKER_01: They hold up scarves and sing it.
1:01:09
SPEAKER_01: Admittedly, I am far from a Liverpool fan, but that is a pretty cool tradition.
1:01:14
SPEAKER_01: They are owned by Fenway Sports Group, which, coming to no surprise to many of you American listeners, they also own the Boston Red Sox.
1:01:22
SPEAKER_01: They have 20 top flight trophies.
1:01:25
SPEAKER_01: That is tied for the most ever with the club that I will talk about next.
1:01:29
SPEAKER_01: They also have eight FA Cups, 10 League Cups, six Champions League or European Cups, and three UEFA or Europa League Cups.
1:01:40
SPEAKER_01: They are managed by Andoni Ireola, who is in his first season in charge.
1:01:45
SPEAKER_01: He comes from Bournemouth, Brandon.
1:01:46
SPEAKER_01: You talked about their success last season.
1:01:49
SPEAKER_01: A lot of that was down to Irola and his tactics as a manager.
1:01:53
SPEAKER_01: Their best player, in my opinion, and the player I will be watching first is Dominic Zelbazlai.
1:01:58
SPEAKER_01: He is an unbelievable midfielder.
1:02:00
SPEAKER_01: He has had to play right back for them, unfortunately, because of some lack of depth since losing Trent Alexander Arnold.
1:02:06
SPEAKER_01: I hope for Liverpool fans' sake that he's not deputizing as a right back this year.
1:02:10
SPEAKER_01: He's much better when he's in the center of the park, but he makes an impact wherever.
1:02:14
SPEAKER_01: One of the best free kick takers in the league.
1:02:16
SPEAKER_01: Scored a couple worldies last season.
1:02:18
SPEAKER_01: Another pairing that I'm interested in seeing were a pair that they signed a season ago.
1:02:23
SPEAKER_01: They made big transfer news, spending over 100 million euros on both Alexander Isak and Florian Verts.
1:02:29
SPEAKER_01: Both of them kind of failed to impress.
1:02:31
SPEAKER_01: Esak was injured for much of the season.
1:02:33
SPEAKER_01: It was actually a Tottenham player who injured him.
1:02:35
SPEAKER_01: It was Mickey Van De Ven on a goal clearing chance.
1:02:39
SPEAKER_01: Kind of took him out roughly, and he missed a lot of time.
1:02:42
SPEAKER_01: Verts didn't click on as they were expecting and hoping he would in his first season.
1:02:47
SPEAKER_01: There were signs there, but not necessarily the full end product.
1:02:50
SPEAKER_01: I'm interested to see how those two get on this year.
1:02:53
SPEAKER_01: If you want a reason to support Liverpool, I would echo some of the things I said about wanting to root for a big club and having that companionship in the United States in your fandom.
1:03:02
SPEAKER_01: If you're picking an obscure team in England, you just might not know any other fans.
1:03:06
SPEAKER_01: It's hard to meet them.
1:03:07
SPEAKER_01: But if you pick a team like Liverpool, there are tons of supporters clubs across the country where you can go and watch games and fraternize and meet people of a similar mindset.
1:03:16
SPEAKER_01: So that's a good reason.
1:03:17
SPEAKER_01: Also, fans of the Beatles, I think both Liverpool and Everton, there's a direct correlation there from where the Beatles started and where these clubs are from.
1:03:27
SPEAKER_01: I think the main reason for me would be just that U.S.
1:03:31
SPEAKER_01: support.
1:03:32
SPEAKER_01: They're a big club, they're one of the biggest in the country.
1:03:35
SPEAKER_01: They're very successful, they have a good squad, and they have a really good young manager.
1:03:40
SPEAKER_01: So I think there's a lot of reasons to pick Liverpool as a club.
1:03:44
SPEAKER_00: Thanks, Sean.
1:03:44
SPEAKER_00: I do agree with you there.
1:03:46
SPEAKER_00: Shout out to my guys Graham and Yassin, big Liverpool guys.
1:03:50
SPEAKER_00: Liverpool, huge, huge following in Philly.
1:03:52
SPEAKER_00: Black Taxi.
1:03:54
SPEAKER_00: As not being a not being a Liverpool fan, I will say a Saturday at Black Taxi watching a Liverpool game is pretty good.
1:04:01
SPEAKER_00: I will say I've enjoyed a I've enjoyed a Saturday there.
1:04:05
SPEAKER_00: But I guess maybe a little bit more on the field.
1:04:08
SPEAKER_00: And you mentioned some of these new guys coming in, not really clicking on last year.
1:04:11
SPEAKER_00: Is this are they title contenders, would you say?
1:04:14
SPEAKER_00: Not really.
1:04:15
SPEAKER_00: Just in this weird sort of space waiting to see everything out.
1:04:19
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I don't get the title contender vibe from Liverpool right now.
1:04:23
SPEAKER_01: I I think I really like Ireola, so I I do trust him to figure things out, but it just seems like their squad isn't exactly in the best place to contend.
1:04:32
SPEAKER_01: They still are working out what's going on at right back.
1:04:35
SPEAKER_01: Their center back situation outside of Virgil van Dyke isn't exactly nailed on.
1:04:39
SPEAKER_01: They've signed some guys over the course of the last couple years, but they're relatively young and unproven.
1:04:43
SPEAKER_01: They lost Ibrahima Kanate to Real Madrid.
1:04:45
SPEAKER_01: I think there's a lot more questions and answers for a title contender at the start of the season, at least for Liverpool.
1:04:51
SPEAKER_01: I think maybe in November we might see them start to hit their groove.
1:04:55
SPEAKER_01: They're missing Hugo Ekatique, who suffered a serious injury last season.
1:04:58
SPEAKER_01: That's a big loss for them.
1:04:59
SPEAKER_01: He was excellent.
1:05:00
SPEAKER_01: He was a guy who they signed and was making an impact immediately.
1:05:03
SPEAKER_01: They also have the departures of the legends, Mohammed Sala, Andy Robertson.
1:05:07
SPEAKER_01: A changing of the guard at Liverpool.
1:05:10
SPEAKER_01: So I think there's just too much influx to for me to say that they're a title contender immediately.
1:05:16
SPEAKER_00: That's fair.
1:05:16
SPEAKER_00: That's fair.
1:05:17
SPEAKER_00: Almost like a little wait and see approach, and we'll we'll reevaluate in a few months.
1:05:21
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think if you were to look ahead two years from now, like next summer, I think we could be talking about Liverpool as a team that could win the title.
1:05:28
SPEAKER_01: I just think we might be a year early under Ariola.
1:05:31
SPEAKER_01: Okay.
1:05:31
SPEAKER_01: But I think you also made a good point, Brandon.
1:05:33
SPEAKER_01: You mentioned the black taxi.
1:05:34
SPEAKER_01: I think just in general, something we should convey.
1:05:37
SPEAKER_01: I think going and watching any football at a pub, especially a supporter pub, of which all these big clubs in England will have supporter clubs in the major cities in the United States, even the non major cities, you can sometimes find a Tottenham bar or Liverpool bar or Manchester United bar.
1:05:53
SPEAKER_01: So going and watching, that's the best way possible to experience these games.
1:05:57
SPEAKER_00: Sean, I'm glad you brought that up.
1:06:00
SPEAKER_00: I've it's funny, I've watched more, probably more games at away at Spurs bars in other US cities than I have at the Philadelphia bar.
1:06:07
SPEAKER_00: I watched once in Portland, actually.
1:06:10
SPEAKER_00: Uh, another shout out to my guy Ruben.
1:06:13
SPEAKER_00: It was visiting him out in Portland, and Spurs were on, and of course, because of the time difference, it was even wackier.
1:06:18
SPEAKER_00: So I think it was like a 6 a.m.
1:06:20
SPEAKER_00: kickoff.
1:06:21
SPEAKER_00: And they played Sean, it was like in the suburbs of Portland at this like VFW hall, and it was just like a projector screen.
1:06:31
SPEAKER_00: No idea what was going on.
1:06:33
SPEAKER_00: Like somebody was just kind of pouring drinks, and it was like four dollars, like not nothing official.
1:06:38
SPEAKER_00: I don't know who had the licenses or or what that was, but a ton of fun.
1:06:43
SPEAKER_00: And and that's what it's about.
1:06:44
SPEAKER_00: I think going and finding these clubs, and you can literally Google, you know, Tottenham Fan Club, uh Philadelphia or whatever cities, um, and you'll find a group, and people are always welcoming.
1:06:54
SPEAKER_00: They they love new people, they love visitors.
1:06:56
SPEAKER_00: So if you're on the fence about a team, huh?
1:06:58
SPEAKER_00: Maybe maybe try out a game at a visiting at a supporters pub.
1:07:02
SPEAKER_00: If you like it, maybe you stick with them, maybe not.
1:07:04
SPEAKER_00: You switch to another team if you're still looking for a team because it's a cool way to spend a Saturday or Sunday morning just amongst the fans.
1:07:11
SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
1:07:12
SPEAKER_01: I was a frequent at the Philadelphia bar in the back half of my college career.
1:07:16
SPEAKER_01: I was a frequent in Lexington at Lexington Spurs.
1:07:18
SPEAKER_01: I was a frequent in Minneapolis Spurs.
1:07:20
SPEAKER_01: In Minneapolis, we had this tradition, we had this guy, the Reverend.
1:07:24
SPEAKER_01: He would get up on a little stage before each game and kind of do a little pump-up speech.
1:07:28
SPEAKER_01: Absolute legend.
1:07:29
SPEAKER_01: Shout out the Rev.
1:07:30
SPEAKER_01: And after wins, we would always he would get up on the mic and he would say, Bring on the awful taste of victory, and we would do a shot of Molort.
1:07:38
SPEAKER_01: So just the instead of the sweet taste of victory, he said, bring on the awful taste of victory.
1:07:44
SPEAKER_01: You would almost dread winning because you'd have to do a Millort shot.
1:07:47
SPEAKER_01: That's how bad Malort is.
1:07:48
SPEAKER_01: But boy, that's just some of the stuff.
1:07:50
SPEAKER_01: You pick up these little idiosyncrasies that go into some of these clubs, and I think it's great.
1:07:55
SPEAKER_01: It's a great way to connect with people as well.
1:07:57
SPEAKER_01: So I just wanted to point that out.
1:07:58
SPEAKER_01: I think that was a good, good to thing to bring up by you.
1:08:02
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, no, and Millort, look, if you're willing to sponsor, we'll we'll we'll change what we say about you.
1:08:08
SPEAKER_00: We we love it.
1:08:09
SPEAKER_01: I don't know if I will.
1:08:10
SPEAKER_00: I don't know if I will.
1:08:11
SPEAKER_01: That's how bad Melard is.
1:08:12
SPEAKER_01: That's just Millord is kerosene.
1:08:16
SPEAKER_01: Like, I'd rather do a shot of diesel.
1:08:19
SPEAKER_00: You know what I mean?
1:08:20
SPEAKER_00: Sponsorship dollars down the drain, but that's alright, Sean.
1:08:23
SPEAKER_00: I can't lie to listeners, Brandon.
1:08:25
SPEAKER_00: I can't lie to back to our our preview here.
1:08:28
SPEAKER_00: The next team I have to talk about big following in the US, this one has a huge following in the US.
1:08:34
SPEAKER_00: Manchester City.
1:08:35
SPEAKER_00: Manchester City is located in Manchester, which is east of Liverpool and west of Leeds in England.
1:08:42
SPEAKER_00: The nickname for Manchester City are the Citizens CIT.
1:08:46
SPEAKER_00: Really, really Citizens.
1:08:52
SPEAKER_00: I didn't make it.
1:08:52
SPEAKER_00: They were founded in 1880.
1:08:54
SPEAKER_00: They are owned by City Football Group, uh, which also owns New York City FC and a few other clubs around the world.
1:09:02
SPEAKER_00: A lot of uh investments from uh the Middle East go into that team as well.
1:09:08
SPEAKER_00: Uh they play at the Etihad Stadium, which holds 61,000 fans, one of the larger stadiums in the Premier League.
1:09:15
SPEAKER_00: Major trophies and titles.
1:09:17
SPEAKER_00: They have 10 English League titles, eight FA Cups, one Champions League as well.
1:09:22
SPEAKER_00: And in 2023, that was the year they actually won all three: the English League, the FA Cup, and the Champions League.
1:09:31
SPEAKER_00: Their manager is a man by the name of Enzo Moresca, who's new, replacing Pep Guardiola.
1:09:37
SPEAKER_00: Some key players, fans, listeners will probably know most of these guys.
1:09:42
SPEAKER_00: Uh Erling Holland, probably one of, if not the most famous player that came out of this last World Cup this summer.
1:09:49
SPEAKER_00: Uh, we also have Ryan Cherkey, who played for France, Phil Foden, Antoine Semeno, and they just signed Elliott Anderson, the midfielder from England, uh, who played at Nottingham Forest last year.
1:10:02
SPEAKER_00: A successful season for Manchester City would be to win the Premier League.
1:10:07
SPEAKER_00: I think to make a run in the Champions League and the Cup runs, cup is cups as well would be a good season for them.
1:10:14
SPEAKER_00: Realistically, I don't know if they can do all of that.
1:10:18
SPEAKER_00: I do think they'll be very strong.
1:10:19
SPEAKER_00: And I do think with Arsenal really just being the only quote-unquote title favorite that we've at least that we've gone over thus far, the Premier League seems to be pretty open.
1:10:28
SPEAKER_00: So I do think they can make a run in that.
1:10:30
SPEAKER_00: And why cheer for them?
1:10:32
SPEAKER_00: I know you mentioned this with Chelsea being the Dodgers uh fan, but I think if you like the Yankees, the Lakers, the Dodgers, the big flashy team that spends all the money, uh Manchester, you'll fit right in at Manchester City.
1:10:45
SPEAKER_00: So they they they bring in world-class players, they sign world-class players and have world-class expectations every year.
1:10:52
SPEAKER_00: Some years they live out to it, some years they don't.
1:10:54
SPEAKER_00: But if you like the the big, shiny, new, fanciest things, I think you'll like Manchester City as well.
1:11:01
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I would almost go as far to say as I encourage you not to root for Manchester City.
1:11:06
SPEAKER_01: I think for a couple of reasons.
1:11:07
SPEAKER_01: And honestly, it's you're basically going to be looked at as a glory hunter if you adopt them as your club because you're taking over the most successful club in the last decade in England by a wide margin.
1:11:19
SPEAKER_01: But also you're doing it at a time where they don't have that world-class manager that achieved all of that success for them with Pep Guardiola.
1:11:25
SPEAKER_01: So I think you're buying high on a team that maybe won't be as successful this next decade.
1:11:31
SPEAKER_01: Actually, you can pretty much assume they won't be as successful because that was one of the most decorated runs we've ever seen in the country.
1:11:37
SPEAKER_01: I just think also that a lot of people in England don't have a ton of respect for Manchester City because of the way they went about achieving their success, just essentially buying it.
1:11:49
SPEAKER_01: And also the great tactician Pep Guardiola deserves some credit in that as well.
1:11:53
SPEAKER_01: But they don't exactly always sell out that home stadium, whereas some other teams that we've talked about will always have a packed venue.
1:12:01
SPEAKER_01: There's a lot of jokes in England about how yes, it holds 60,000, but there's only ever 40 there.
1:12:07
SPEAKER_01: It's it's just one of those clubs that a lot of people won't be tipping their cap and showing respect when you say I'm a Manchester City fan with an American accent.
1:12:14
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Sean, it's funny you say that because I'm sure if we took a poll of the United States and and people that follow the Premier League, I wonder if you go to that under 18 demographic, it's probably hugely skewed towards Manchester City.
1:12:28
SPEAKER_00: Whereas you take the over 18 population, and I think a lot of them will be fans of the team that you're gonna go over next, Manchester United.
1:12:36
SPEAKER_00: And the obviously there's a derby between the two teams, and I'll let you know describe a little bit more when you talk about Manchester United.
1:12:43
SPEAKER_00: But growing up, I feel like they were the team that everybody was like, oh, I'm a United fan, I'm a United fan, I'm a United fan.
1:12:49
SPEAKER_00: And it was fine, but they had Ronaldo and they had these stars, Sir Alex Ferguson, and they were winning cups and titles, and that Saudi money just just shifted it from that side of Manchester over to Manchester City side.
1:13:03
SPEAKER_00: And it's really interesting to see that demographic shift of fans, because I guarantee you, if you ask the average American kid who follows the Premier League, they're probably gonna say City versus people our age or maybe a little younger than us that that were probably much more towards United.
1:13:20
SPEAKER_00: So it's interesting to see how money can change things very quickly.
1:13:24
SPEAKER_01: A hundred percent agree.
1:13:26
SPEAKER_01: That's a good transition as well.
1:13:28
SPEAKER_01: That's a good segue because Manchester United were the club that were the big bad boys in town throughout the 90s, throughout the 2000s, throughout much of their history.
1:13:36
SPEAKER_01: They were founded in 1878, they are nicknamed the Red Devils, and they play in the largest stadium in England just across town from Manchester City.
1:13:45
SPEAKER_01: Old Trafford holds over 74,000 people.
1:13:48
SPEAKER_01: That's a mammoth of a stadium.
1:13:51
SPEAKER_01: They are owned by Manchester United PLC, which is also known as the Glazer family, and the other, I believe, 29% of their ownership is owned by Sir Jim Radcliffe, who is an English investor.
1:14:05
SPEAKER_01: They, the Glazer family, they also own the Tampa Bay Bucks.
1:14:08
SPEAKER_01: That's their American tie, as it seems par for the course with these teams that we're discussing today.
1:14:13
SPEAKER_01: They are, as we have just referenced, one of the most successful clubs, if not the most successful club, in English football history.
1:14:20
SPEAKER_01: They have 20 top flight titles, which is tied, of course, with Liverpool, as I mentioned.
1:14:24
SPEAKER_01: They have 13 FA Cups, six League Cups, three Champions Leagues, and one Europa League.
1:14:29
SPEAKER_01: They almost had a second Europa League if it wasn't for Angie Pastacoglu and his pesty bunch.
1:14:34
SPEAKER_01: They are managed this season by Michael Carrick.
1:14:37
SPEAKER_01: He took over midway through last season as an interim manager, and due to his performances, he was able to get the full-time gig.
1:14:44
SPEAKER_01: He is a Manchester United legend of sorts.
1:14:47
SPEAKER_01: He was a good player for them for a long time.
1:14:49
SPEAKER_01: Also a former Tottenham Hotspur player before joining Manchester United.
1:14:52
SPEAKER_01: So Michael Carrick has a lot of the fans' hearts in Manchester.
1:14:56
SPEAKER_01: We'll see how he's able to carry on into the next season.
1:14:59
SPEAKER_01: Sometimes the interim job is a lot different than the real job.
1:15:03
SPEAKER_01: There's often a change of vibes that comes with replacing a coach, and sometimes you're able to ride those and finish a season well.
1:15:10
SPEAKER_01: And then the next season sometimes doesn't go as well.
1:15:12
SPEAKER_01: So that'll be interesting to monitor.
1:15:14
SPEAKER_01: They had a third place finish last season.
1:15:16
SPEAKER_01: I would be a little bit surprised if they improve upon that.
1:15:19
SPEAKER_01: I think their upside, their ceiling this year would be third place.
1:15:23
SPEAKER_01: But one of the key reasons why they could achieve another good season is Bruno Fernandez.
1:15:28
SPEAKER_01: He's one of the best players in the Prem.
1:15:31
SPEAKER_01: The assist leader last season broke the assist record.
1:15:34
SPEAKER_01: He is by far their main man.
1:15:36
SPEAKER_01: They've done well in the window.
1:15:38
SPEAKER_01: They've had to revamp their midfield.
1:15:39
SPEAKER_01: They've started to do so.
1:15:41
SPEAKER_01: I feel like they're still a couple of signings shy of really being in that same title conversation as an arsenal or even a city, just in terms of the strength of their squad.
1:15:50
SPEAKER_01: But there's good vibes at Old Trafford because of Michael Carrick and what he was able to do.
1:15:56
SPEAKER_01: I have to shout out Michael Collins, our friend, one of my very best friends, he is a Manchester United fan.
1:16:01
SPEAKER_01: He has wavered in the past.
1:16:03
SPEAKER_01: He's tried to adopt a different team because maybe some bullying by me, Sandy's a glory hunter.
1:16:08
SPEAKER_01: He was a Ronaldo guy, those sort of things.
1:16:10
SPEAKER_01: He he had a cup of coffee with Brentford in Fulham, but he is a devout Manchester United supporter.
1:16:16
SPEAKER_01: And I think that's just a sign of the times, maybe, is, you know, like we just talked about, Manchester City have taken over as the best football team in town, which is not something anybody would have expected 20 years ago, let alone 50 years ago.
1:16:29
SPEAKER_01: It's been a quick and drastic change in Manchester.
1:16:34
SPEAKER_01: I'm interested to see if this Michael Carrick hire and maybe the departure of Pep Guardiola can maybe shift those tides back in the direction we were familiar with when we were getting into the sport.
1:16:44
SPEAKER_01: I think a good season for them would be a top four finish.
1:16:48
SPEAKER_01: Champions League football needs to be a regularity for Manchester United.
1:16:52
SPEAKER_01: Anything else is pretty much unacceptable.
1:16:54
SPEAKER_01: Why should you support them?
1:16:56
SPEAKER_01: I think this one's a bit different because of the timing.
1:16:59
SPEAKER_01: You are going to be looked at as maybe a bandwagon fan.
1:17:02
SPEAKER_01: You're rooting for the biggest club in England.
1:17:04
SPEAKER_01: Manchester United are the biggest club that England has to offer.
1:17:07
SPEAKER_01: But it comes at a time when they haven't been operating as one.
1:17:11
SPEAKER_01: So there's a little bit of a chance to hop on board with a fallen giant, so to speak.
1:17:16
SPEAKER_01: They did finish third in the best league in the world last year, so it's not necessarily like you're buying super low, but they haven't been winning trophies at the rate that they were under Sir Alex Ferguson.
1:17:26
SPEAKER_01: I think this is a decent time.
1:17:28
SPEAKER_01: If you want to hop on board a big fan base, have that big, big club feel.
1:17:31
SPEAKER_01: Manchester United, the Red Devils, would certainly be an option for you.
1:17:34
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Sean.
1:17:35
SPEAKER_00: Shout out MC.
1:17:37
SPEAKER_00: Big friend of the show.
1:17:38
SPEAKER_00: We know that.
1:17:39
SPEAKER_00: But yes.
1:17:40
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think it is an interesting time, and I'm glad you brought up that comparison again, because I do wonder if there will be a shift now of the next crap of people growing up and becoming fans of the sport if they will go back to Manchester United United, and there's sort almost like a crisscross and back and forth, maybe even generational divides between people.
1:18:02
SPEAKER_00: I've never been to Manchester.
1:18:03
SPEAKER_00: Have you been to Manchester?
1:18:04
SPEAKER_00: No, I never have.
1:18:05
SPEAKER_00: I would love to go and just walk around town and just talk to people because I do wonder like how it's split there.
1:18:13
SPEAKER_00: It does seem like United is more of like the town club, if you will, and City kind of came in and took over.
1:18:21
SPEAKER_00: But I would be interested just to hear what people have to say about it because it's it's such a big rivalry and they're so close to each other.
1:18:29
SPEAKER_00: And it people go both ways on this, so so it's an interesting one for me.
1:18:35
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I would bet that it's kind of similar to how we talked about in the United States with the younger, I think maybe younger people skew more Manchester City, but not over 50%.
1:18:46
SPEAKER_01: I still think overall it's probably 80-20 Manchester United.
1:18:49
SPEAKER_01: I just think maybe over the course of the last 10-15 years we do see some of that creeping towards Manchester City, whereas in the past it was pretty unanimously Manchester United, and then guys who were a little different or were born into City who were a much smaller club as they came about.
1:19:06
SPEAKER_01: Maybe then we see a little bit of a shift in recent years, but overall I would say Manchester United still probably dominates.
1:19:14
SPEAKER_01: But I do think it's an interesting conversation to have with that next generation.
1:19:17
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, it's it's it's interesting.
1:19:20
SPEAKER_00: We have how many more teams left?
1:19:21
SPEAKER_00: Four teams left, Sean?
1:19:23
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, we've got I've got two.
1:19:24
SPEAKER_00: Yep, two and two.
1:19:26
SPEAKER_00: All right, yeah.
1:19:26
SPEAKER_00: Here we go.
1:19:27
SPEAKER_00: Next one I have on my list, not in Manchester, is Newcastle United.
1:19:32
SPEAKER_00: Newcastle United is located in Newcastle upon Tyne.
1:19:36
SPEAKER_00: It's very, very far north, Sean.
1:19:38
SPEAKER_00: I looked it up and it's about five hours drive from London, which basically in Scotland.
1:19:43
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, basically.
1:19:46
SPEAKER_00: Just barely on the on the border up there.
1:19:48
SPEAKER_00: Uh the nickname Newcastle United are the Magpies.
1:19:51
SPEAKER_00: They're founded in 1892, uh currently owned by a Saudi-led consortium of groups.
1:19:59
SPEAKER_00: So uh again, that foreign investment sort of similar to Manchester City.
1:20:03
SPEAKER_00: They play in St.
1:20:04
SPEAKER_00: James's Park, is the name of their stadium, holds over 52,000 fans.
1:20:09
SPEAKER_00: Newcastle have a decent history, Sean.
1:20:10
SPEAKER_00: Not a great recent history, though.
1:20:12
SPEAKER_00: They have four English League titles, six FA Cups, and they did win uh League, the Carabao Cup, the Leagues Cup in 2024-25, but before that 2024 League Cup title, uh they haven't won anything since 1955.
1:20:27
SPEAKER_00: So history, but not recent history.
1:20:29
SPEAKER_00: Their manager is Mateus Yassel and some key players.
1:20:33
SPEAKER_00: I think this team, Sean, I think the their key losses may be even more important than their key new guys.
1:20:41
SPEAKER_00: They lost Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, and Bruno Guimaras, who you profiled earlier going to Arsenal.
1:20:49
SPEAKER_00: Their returners, they have uh Lewis Hall, Tino Lee Romento, Dan Byrne, Joan Wiesa, and Nick Waltamonde.
1:20:57
SPEAKER_00: Some some good players in that squad for sure.
1:20:59
SPEAKER_00: And then they also signed Bazumana Torre, uh Winger from Hoffenheim, and Alaji Bamba.
1:21:06
SPEAKER_00: Uh, defensive midfielder from Ajax.
1:21:09
SPEAKER_00: So they have looked to replace some of their guys.
1:21:12
SPEAKER_00: I think success for Newcastle is a top 10 finish, maybe a cup run.
1:21:17
SPEAKER_00: I don't personally have very high hopes for them, but I do think a top 10 finish would be success for them this season.
1:21:24
SPEAKER_00: And why cheer?
1:21:26
SPEAKER_00: Why cheer for them?
1:21:26
SPEAKER_00: Why follow Newcastle?
1:21:28
SPEAKER_00: The Toon Army, that's their fan supporter group.
1:21:32
SPEAKER_00: Pretty cool stuff there.
1:21:33
SPEAKER_00: They're a very working class club.
1:21:35
SPEAKER_00: Um, they seem passionate.
1:21:36
SPEAKER_00: They seem honestly, and I know you can say passionate about a lot of these teams, Sean, but I feel like they have a little bit extra in them.
1:21:42
SPEAKER_00: Maybe it's just because they're so far away from everybody else, they really just buy in and to that localness of the team.
1:21:49
SPEAKER_00: But very passionate club and not a favorite.
1:21:52
SPEAKER_00: But now with the Saudi money, um, it does kind of make things a little awkward again, where it's maybe it's not the traditional way of being successful, but they found that this is probably their best way to be successful.
1:22:04
SPEAKER_00: So, you know, have it that as you wish.
1:22:07
SPEAKER_00: But that's just kind of my thoughts on Newcastle.
1:22:10
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I have to shout out one of my good buddies, Joe Zweibel.
1:22:12
SPEAKER_01: He is a high school soccer coach here in the States, and he is a diehard magpie.
1:22:18
SPEAKER_01: He loves Newcastle.
1:22:20
SPEAKER_01: I believe he's been to see a game.
1:22:22
SPEAKER_01: He is down bad.
1:22:24
SPEAKER_01: These guys are down bad, Brandon.
1:22:27
SPEAKER_01: They I and one of my favorite things to do in sports is to laugh at your friends when they're in pain because listen, it what goes around comes around.
1:22:34
SPEAKER_01: Always every time Tottenham goes up five and a half hours north, we get battered up there.
1:22:38
SPEAKER_01: It's it's like playing in a foreign land at St.
1:22:40
SPEAKER_01: James, and I think this is my opportunity to laugh at Newcastle fans.
1:22:45
SPEAKER_01: I feel for them.
1:22:47
SPEAKER_01: I do.
1:22:48
SPEAKER_01: They're a really, really tremendous group of fans, devout supporters, great attendance, a really tough place to play, maybe because of the travel as well.
1:22:56
SPEAKER_01: It's like flying to a different country.
1:22:58
SPEAKER_01: But I I think this is a tough situation.
1:23:01
SPEAKER_01: The last two summers for them with the Esack saga last year, then club captain material Bruno Gomage basically forcing his way to Arsenal.
1:23:10
SPEAKER_01: This window, it's kind of a club where you look around and they lose Eddie Howe as well, who I think was a great manager.
1:23:15
SPEAKER_01: And it's you look around the room and you're just not sure who's lifting this group up.
1:23:20
SPEAKER_01: And I hope for their sake that they're able to find it, but I think everybody's kind of reading the room and sensing some bad vibes with Newcastle.
1:23:27
SPEAKER_01: And we'll get into more of it next week, but it's certainly a fascinating one.
1:23:30
SPEAKER_01: I'm gonna have my eyes on Newcastle to start this season.
1:23:34
SPEAKER_01: It's just a a proud, great club that really, for some reason, the Saudi thing was really good to start, but now all of a sudden there's some doubt around it.
1:23:44
SPEAKER_01: I they're not splashing money due to some regulations and financial fair play rules.
1:23:49
SPEAKER_01: They're not able to.
1:23:49
SPEAKER_01: It's just crazy to me that the Newcastle fans kind of they were like, okay, you know what?
1:23:55
SPEAKER_01: We're anti-Saudi at first.
1:23:56
SPEAKER_01: No, no, no.
1:23:56
SPEAKER_01: And then they adopted them, they're like, Oh, yeah, you know what?
1:23:58
SPEAKER_01: They're doing good in the neighborhood, you know.
1:24:00
SPEAKER_01: Well, they're really not that bad.
1:24:02
SPEAKER_01: And now it's like, well, what the hell?
1:24:04
SPEAKER_01: We can't even spend this money.
1:24:05
SPEAKER_01: This is why we don't want Saudis, so it's it's an interesting dichotomy there.
1:24:10
SPEAKER_01: I am I think Newcastle are one of the most interesting teams heading into this season.
1:24:13
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
1:24:14
SPEAKER_00: You know, the Saudis came in, they built a couple playgrounds, maybe a wing on a hospital, and people are like, Oh, yeah, these are good guys, bring them in.
1:24:21
SPEAKER_00: These guys, top men, top men, and now it's like, oh well, yeah.
1:24:25
SPEAKER_01: You couldn't keep Isak.
1:24:27
SPEAKER_01: It's like, what are you doing?
1:24:29
SPEAKER_01: You know?
1:24:29
SPEAKER_01: And they hate Alexander Isak.
1:24:32
SPEAKER_01: I I think one reason if you do want to root for Newcastle, this might be very commercialized in the US.
1:24:36
SPEAKER_01: I think we've touched on the real backbones of the club and why you should root for them.
1:24:40
SPEAKER_01: A lot going in their direction.
1:24:41
SPEAKER_01: Good time to get into.
1:24:42
SPEAKER_01: Get in when the getting's tough.
1:24:44
SPEAKER_01: We'll respect you for it.
1:24:45
SPEAKER_01: I'm also a big Sam Fender fan, and he's a proud Geordie.
1:24:48
SPEAKER_01: He's uh he's a good musician and he absolutely loves Newcastle.
1:24:51
SPEAKER_01: So if you're a Sam Fender fan, that would be the club to root for as well.
1:24:54
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
1:24:55
SPEAKER_00: Good shot, good shot, Sean.
1:24:56
SPEAKER_00: Did not know that.
1:24:57
SPEAKER_01: Yes.
1:24:58
SPEAKER_01: So the 18th club, Brandon.
1:25:00
SPEAKER_01: We've got three left.
1:25:01
SPEAKER_01: I will be talking about Nottingham Forest.
1:25:03
SPEAKER_01: They are located in Westbridge, Nottinghamshire, founded in 1865.
1:25:08
SPEAKER_01: They are nicknamed, they have a few nicknames.
1:25:10
SPEAKER_01: They are the Reds, which they're really not Liverpool or the Reds, you can't really do that.
1:25:15
SPEAKER_01: They are the Garibaldis.
1:25:17
SPEAKER_01: I don't I've never heard that one before.
1:25:19
SPEAKER_01: And then also the Tricky Trees, which is my favorite of those three.
1:25:22
SPEAKER_01: They have a really cool badge that features that tree.
1:25:25
SPEAKER_01: They play in the city ground that holds 31,200 people.
1:25:30
SPEAKER_01: They are owned by Evangelist Marinakis, this guy.
1:25:34
SPEAKER_01: This guy, he talk about corruption.
1:25:37
SPEAKER_01: He just has a cloud of it following him wherever he goes.
1:25:40
SPEAKER_01: He also owns Olympiakos in the Greek League.
1:25:42
SPEAKER_01: He's been involved in some match fixing scandals over there.
1:25:46
SPEAKER_01: Found innocent, but where there's smoke, there's fire.
1:25:48
SPEAKER_01: This guy operates.
1:25:49
SPEAKER_01: It's kind of sick how he operates.
1:25:51
SPEAKER_01: It's almost like a TV or movie villain.
1:25:53
SPEAKER_01: His look, his vibe, his his operation.
1:25:57
SPEAKER_01: It all screams villain to me.
1:25:59
SPEAKER_01: But it makes for an interesting club.
1:26:00
SPEAKER_01: Nottingham Forest, another one with some really, really good history, even if they haven't been at the top in a considerable amount of time.
1:26:09
SPEAKER_01: They have won two European Cups, which is equivalent to two Champions Leagues.
1:26:13
SPEAKER_01: They have won a league title in 1977-1978.
1:26:17
SPEAKER_01: They have won two FA Cups and four League Cups, so a lot of trophies in the cabinet there, if none of them have been in recent times.
1:26:24
SPEAKER_01: I believe they're one of the only six to win it once at all, not even just twice.
1:26:28
SPEAKER_01: So that shows the level that Nottingham Force have been at in the past.
1:26:32
SPEAKER_01: They are managed by, interestingly, Oliver Glasner, the guy who I mentioned departed Crystal Palace after having a ton of success there.
1:26:40
SPEAKER_01: Maranakus said, I'll have a bit of that.
1:26:42
SPEAKER_01: Come on over.
1:26:43
SPEAKER_01: And he is no stranger to a new manager.
1:26:45
SPEAKER_01: He loves hiring and firing managers at the at the drop of a hat.
1:26:49
SPEAKER_01: Whenever he gets in the mood, he will make a change.
1:26:52
SPEAKER_01: It seems like he has some faith in Oliver Glasner, and they're building for the future.
1:26:56
SPEAKER_01: Their best player, the main man in Nottingham, is Morgan Gibbs White.
1:27:01
SPEAKER_01: He pulls the strings in their attack.
1:27:03
SPEAKER_01: And then I think they have a very underrated, one of the best center back pairings in the Premier League with Mario and Milankovic, the Brazilian left footer.
1:27:12
SPEAKER_01: He does a great job of playing out from the back.
1:27:14
SPEAKER_01: He's physical, he's good in defense as well.
1:27:16
SPEAKER_01: And then Milankovic is just an absolute unit.
1:27:19
SPEAKER_01: His head finds a way onto everything.
1:27:21
SPEAKER_01: He's also a very good center back, and together they make up a strong, stout defense for Nottingham Forest.
1:27:26
SPEAKER_01: If you're a fan of a good rebuild, would be my recommendation of why you should root for them.
1:27:30
SPEAKER_01: They are doing it the right way.
1:27:33
SPEAKER_01: They've been down in the championship.
1:27:35
SPEAKER_01: They are a proud club with a lot of European history.
1:27:38
SPEAKER_01: And it seems like they're taking steps slowly but surely to steady themselves and maintain in the Premier League.
1:27:44
SPEAKER_01: And that's what you have to do first.
1:27:45
SPEAKER_01: You have to walk before you can run.
1:27:47
SPEAKER_01: They're not super mainstream.
1:27:49
SPEAKER_01: They have a really cool badge.
1:27:50
SPEAKER_01: It seems like a cool place to visit, and they have a great history.
1:27:53
SPEAKER_01: So those would be the reasons I would recommend rooting for the tricky trees.
1:27:57
SPEAKER_00: I love that nickname, Sean.
1:27:58
SPEAKER_00: And thank you for the.
1:28:00
SPEAKER_00: The preview, I they're always an interesting team.
1:28:02
SPEAKER_00: They are always so interesting to me because they show they have moments in games where you're like, wow, these guys are legit.
1:28:10
SPEAKER_00: And then there are other moments, usually right before one of the eight team managers gets sacked, where I'm like, this team actually sucks.
1:28:17
SPEAKER_00: Like they're horrible.
1:28:18
SPEAKER_00: Like, can't put anything together.
1:28:20
SPEAKER_00: And this dichotomy of team, it's like you you roll a die and you're like, are or you flip a coin, you're like, are we gonna get the good team or the bad team today?
1:28:28
SPEAKER_00: And I think bringing Glasnar in is interesting.
1:28:31
SPEAKER_00: It's great for Maranakus to get Glasnar, but Glasner, like, dude, you're gonna have to perform from day one.
1:28:37
SPEAKER_00: Like Crystal Palace.
1:28:38
SPEAKER_00: I know you weren't thrilled with how Crystal Palace was doing things, but you at least had a tenure there.
1:28:44
SPEAKER_00: This could be this could be a three-month situation, Sean.
1:28:47
SPEAKER_00: It really shows me out by Christmas.
1:28:50
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, it really shows how much he believes in himself because yeah, if he didn't, he's a legend at Crystal Palace.
1:28:57
SPEAKER_01: He could do whatever he wants.
1:28:58
SPEAKER_01: If he would just point to the board if he was struggling and say, look, I don't have the players.
1:29:02
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
1:29:02
SPEAKER_01: Well, here, this Greek god complex guy, Maranakis, he's gonna he thinks he's gonna give you the players.
1:29:08
SPEAKER_01: He at least he thinks he does.
1:29:10
SPEAKER_01: You're expected to perform.
1:29:12
SPEAKER_01: I guess Glasner believes he will, and that will be a good match.
1:29:15
SPEAKER_01: I could see it really working because I do think Glasner is just a quality manager.
1:29:19
SPEAKER_01: I don't think Glasnar's much of a man manager.
1:29:22
SPEAKER_01: It seems to be his tendency is kind of get results out of guys and then after a couple years bounce because they don't necessarily love them.
1:29:28
SPEAKER_01: So I think that might be the formula here in Forest as well.
1:29:31
SPEAKER_01: But it's certainly another one that I want to have my eyes on this year.
1:29:34
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's it's and not to compare because it's not the same, but it's it does have a little bit of Mourinho Real Madrid where it's the board and the club are fighting and they're back and forth, and it's like you bring in this manager with this personality or the success, and it's like how are they gonna bond with the team?
1:29:50
SPEAKER_00: So maybe not Mourinho at that level, but on a on a smaller level.
1:29:54
SPEAKER_00: I could see Nottingham Forest pulling out some off-field fireworks for sure this season.
1:29:59
SPEAKER_00: I think Glasner's Austrian, maybe.
1:30:05
SPEAKER_00: Yes, tag that one.
1:30:06
SPEAKER_00: That's an SP, an SB tag right there.
1:30:09
SPEAKER_00: I like that, Sean.
1:30:10
SPEAKER_00: Sean, two more teams left.
1:30:12
SPEAKER_00: I have one, you have one.
1:30:13
SPEAKER_00: I'll start off with the team that maybe people don't know too much about Sunderland.
1:30:18
SPEAKER_00: So Sunderland are located in Sunderland, uh, which is near Newcastle in the north.
1:30:24
SPEAKER_00: So another very far trip for teams from London.
1:30:28
SPEAKER_00: Sunderland's nickname are the Black Cats.
1:30:30
SPEAKER_00: They were founded in 1879.
1:30:33
SPEAKER_00: Sean, the owners of Sunderland are the Lewis Dreyfus family.
1:30:38
SPEAKER_00: Um, they have a multinational conglomerate.
1:30:42
SPEAKER_00: It's involved in like agriculture, food processing, international shipping.
1:30:46
SPEAKER_00: So it seems like a just a big European powerhouse that's actually based in the the Netherlands.
1:30:50
SPEAKER_00: And Julia Lewis Dreyfus, the the actress, she is she's related.
1:30:54
SPEAKER_00: She's like a granddaughter of Sunderland.
1:30:59
SPEAKER_01: I've always liked Sunderland a bit.
1:31:01
SPEAKER_01: Now we got my girl Julia in the mix.
1:31:04
SPEAKER_01: That's a game changer.
1:31:06
SPEAKER_01: I've I've planted my flag firmly on the Sunderland side of the tiny weird derby against Newcastle just because of Joe's Weibel.
1:31:13
SPEAKER_01: So I'm gonna up that a level this year as well.
1:31:16
SPEAKER_00: I that was a cool little fun fact I learned when doing this research.
1:31:20
SPEAKER_00: They play in the Stadium of Light, which is a pretty cool name for Stadium, holds just under 50,000 people.
1:31:28
SPEAKER_00: They've won six English league titles and two FA Cups in their history.
1:31:32
SPEAKER_00: Their manager is a man by the name of Reggie Labrice.
1:31:36
SPEAKER_00: Uh, some key players on Sunderland are Brian Broby.
1:31:40
SPEAKER_00: Uh, he scored seven goals last season and three at the World Cup with the Netherlands.
1:31:44
SPEAKER_00: They'll expect a lot of goals from him this season.
1:31:46
SPEAKER_00: Uh Granite Jacca, unfortunately, uh, is also one of their key players, former Arsenal player.
1:31:51
SPEAKER_00: And they signed Thomas Mounier, the right back from Lille, who played on the Belgian national team.
1:31:57
SPEAKER_00: They'll expect a lot from him pretty immediately, I'd say.
1:32:00
SPEAKER_00: I think successful season for them, it sounds silly, but I put top 15 finish.
1:32:05
SPEAKER_00: I know there's only 20 teams in the league, Sean, but I think they need to not be in that relegation battle.
1:32:11
SPEAKER_00: And they are also in the Europa League.
1:32:13
SPEAKER_00: So I think that will really pull them in in multiple directions.
1:32:17
SPEAKER_00: I think qualifying for knockouts in the Europa League and a top 15 finish would be an incredible season for them.
1:32:23
SPEAKER_00: Why cheer for them?
1:32:24
SPEAKER_00: A few different reasons.
1:32:25
SPEAKER_00: They're a very resurgent club.
1:32:27
SPEAKER_00: Um, they were in League One in 2022 and worked their way back up to the Premier League.
1:32:32
SPEAKER_00: Those that have been following the Premier League for years know that Sunderland's always been a mainstay in the in the top flight, but fell down twice all the way down to League One.
1:32:42
SPEAKER_00: And another reason uh for those that are into media, the Sunderland Till I Died documentary on Netflix, Sean is class.
1:32:50
SPEAKER_00: Um, it's a few years old, a few years old now, but it was Wrexham before the Wrexham documentary.
1:32:56
SPEAKER_00: And you saw the sadness in the fans, the joy in the fans, and you and I I just feel like that was the premier soccer behind the scenes documentary before Amazon and before everyone else kind of got into the game with these.
1:33:08
SPEAKER_00: Sunderland Until I Die is world class.
1:33:11
SPEAKER_00: I mean, if even if you're not a fan of this team, it's a fantastic watch.
1:33:15
SPEAKER_00: Something I would re-watch again because it you can just really it really helps the average fan to understand what these clubs mean to people.
1:33:23
SPEAKER_00: And watching that documentary as someone who's not a fan of them, you you definitely gain a lot of respect.
1:33:28
SPEAKER_01: I love that documentary.
1:33:30
SPEAKER_01: It's one of the best I've seen, regardless of sport or genre or anything.
1:33:34
SPEAKER_01: It just is really well done.
1:33:36
SPEAKER_01: And it it it it almost was perfect timing because it highlights the the hard times in Sunderland, and you start to see the turn and the build back for the future.
1:33:45
SPEAKER_01: So I would recommend that to everybody.
1:33:47
SPEAKER_00: I I echo that as well.
1:33:49
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's it's a it's a good one.
1:33:51
SPEAKER_00: And unfortunately, this year on the field, it's I think it'll be tough.
1:33:55
SPEAKER_00: I think last year may have been a little bit of an anomaly.
1:33:58
SPEAKER_00: Finishing high enough to make qualify for the Europa League.
1:34:02
SPEAKER_00: I don't see that happening again for them.
1:34:04
SPEAKER_00: Just with the the number of games and the quality of the squad, I think they'll kind of regress back to the mean, which I think is probably around that 14 to 16 mark.
1:34:15
SPEAKER_00: I don't think they'll get relegated, but I do think they need to be a there are they'll be a team on relegation watch.
1:34:22
SPEAKER_01: I I trust Reggie LeBrie, the manager, to keep them out of that relegation scrap, but I do agree with you.
1:34:27
SPEAKER_01: It's just going to be hard to compete on several fronts with the finances they have, as opposed to some of the other clubs that they will be competing with that have had down seasons in the Premier League with only the Premier League to play for.
1:34:39
SPEAKER_01: I think it's easy to project a swap of positions with clubs like maybe a Chelsea or a Tottenham, which we'll get to.
1:34:45
SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
1:34:45
SPEAKER_00: I mean, even like an Everton uh didn't finish well, Leeds, like some of these teams you'll expect Nottingham Forest to take some solid jumps.
1:34:53
SPEAKER_00: And unfortunately, Sunderland, just with the the competitions that they're in, it'll be a lot tougher for them to do that.
1:34:59
SPEAKER_00: I agree with you.
1:35:00
SPEAKER_00: Finally, Brandon, the 20th team, last one.
1:35:03
SPEAKER_00: Finish us off, Sean.
1:35:04
SPEAKER_00: Just happened to be ABC.
1:35:07
SPEAKER_00: Look, we did ABC order and alphabetical.
1:35:09
SPEAKER_00: T comes after all the other letters.
1:35:12
SPEAKER_01: So go ahead, carve out the next half hour.
1:35:14
SPEAKER_01: We gotta talk Tottenham.
1:35:16
SPEAKER_01: I I am glad that I have these guys.
1:35:19
SPEAKER_01: I almost didn't need to do too much research, but I just want to make sure I have the facts right.
1:35:23
SPEAKER_01: So this was an easy one for me.
1:35:25
SPEAKER_01: Tottenham Hot Spur are located in North London N17, to be exact.
1:35:30
SPEAKER_01: They were founded on September 5th, 1882.
1:35:32
SPEAKER_01: September 5th, important day in the Boyle household.
1:35:34
SPEAKER_01: That is both of my parents' birthday, September 5th.
1:35:37
SPEAKER_01: So I was destined to be a Tottenham fan.
1:35:39
SPEAKER_01: Wow.
1:35:40
SPEAKER_01: They are often referred to as simply Spurs, but their nickname is the Lillywhit.
1:35:45
SPEAKER_01: They play in what by all accounts is the best stadium in all of Europe, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
1:35:50
SPEAKER_01: It holds 62,850 people.
1:35:53
SPEAKER_01: I believe that makes it the second largest in England, aside from Wembley.
1:35:58
SPEAKER_01: It's the second largest stadium that teams play in regularly.
1:36:02
SPEAKER_01: They have two top flight titles in 1950 and 51 and 1960 and 61.
1:36:07
SPEAKER_01: So yeah, it's been a while.
1:36:08
SPEAKER_01: Okay, I'll get off my back.
1:36:10
SPEAKER_01: They have eight FA Cups, four League Cups in Europe.
1:36:13
SPEAKER_01: They have one European Cup Winners' Cup, which admittedly is a bit Mickey Mouse, but they do have three UEFA Cups or Europa League titles, which far, far exceeds our crosstown rivals.
1:36:26
SPEAKER_01: They are owned by Enix Sports, which is made up essentially of the Lewis Family Trust, that is Joe Lewis and his children, Vivian and Charles.
1:36:35
SPEAKER_01: In the past year, Daniel Levy, who was a chairman and shareholder, has sold his shares, and Vivian and Charles have become a lot more involved in the club.
1:36:45
SPEAKER_01: It started off a little bit rocky.
1:36:47
SPEAKER_01: They started turning up.
1:36:48
SPEAKER_01: We immediately found ourselves in a relegation fight.
1:36:50
SPEAKER_01: I was saying, hey, go back home.
1:36:52
SPEAKER_01: We don't want uh what are you doing here?
1:36:54
SPEAKER_01: But now they're selling some family art pieces, some Picasso, some Da Vinci's.
1:36:59
SPEAKER_01: We're making some money, we're buying some players, I'm all back in.
1:37:02
SPEAKER_01: So that's the ownership.
1:37:03
SPEAKER_01: The Enix Sports Group, they don't own a ton of other sports teams or anything like that.
1:37:07
SPEAKER_01: So it's a little bit different than some of these other conglomerates that own clubs across several sports in several countries.
1:37:13
SPEAKER_01: They are just owners of Tottenham.
1:37:14
SPEAKER_01: Roberto De Zerbi is the manager.
1:37:17
SPEAKER_01: He took over last season in a relegation fight, and he has already become a bit of a cult hero because he was able to keep Tottenham in the Premier League.
1:37:25
SPEAKER_01: He is widely regarded as a great tactician, but some of his management styles can be seen as abrasive at times.
1:37:32
SPEAKER_01: There's been some famous video footage from a documentary of a blow-up with Ismail Kone at Marseille.
1:37:39
SPEAKER_01: We haven't seen anything of the sort at Tottenham, so I expect everything is smooth sailing.
1:37:43
SPEAKER_01: I think the player to watch for Tottenham this year, I think their backline in general is going to be very, very strong, but the guy you have to highlight is the man who was the right back of the tournament at the World Cup.
1:37:52
SPEAKER_01: That is Pedro Porro.
1:37:54
SPEAKER_01: He has been great for Tottenham in the midst of some very bad seasons.
1:37:58
SPEAKER_01: He's been a fixture at right back.
1:38:00
SPEAKER_01: I think this season only having one game a week will help him a ton.
1:38:04
SPEAKER_01: It's tough when you're leading off the players to watch with a right back, but Tottenham's attacking options are still kind of in flux.
1:38:10
SPEAKER_01: We're figuring out exactly what they're going to look like.
1:38:12
SPEAKER_01: Another guy I want to point out though is James Madison.
1:38:14
SPEAKER_01: He's kind of injured again right before the season, which we don't love seeing that.
1:38:18
SPEAKER_01: But I don't think it's anything major, and I expect a big, strong bounce back season for James Madison off the back of missing last year with an ACL.
1:38:26
SPEAKER_01: He came back in the final few matches and was able to give us just a little bit of hope and optimism and also just a bit of quality on the ball.
1:38:32
SPEAKER_01: I think if he's fit and firing, he takes Tottenham to a new level because he is a genuinely class player who loves playing for Tottenham.
1:38:40
SPEAKER_01: So I want just a healthy James Madison season.
1:38:42
SPEAKER_01: If you want to become a Tottenham fan, boy, there's a lot of reasons to say don't.
1:38:47
SPEAKER_01: You know, it's not easy.
1:38:48
SPEAKER_01: It's not easy.
1:38:49
SPEAKER_01: Yes, we are one of the quote unquote big six.
1:38:52
SPEAKER_01: We're a massive club.
1:38:53
SPEAKER_01: We're widely supported.
1:38:55
SPEAKER_01: And from a fan's perspective, there's no doubts about us being in the Big Six.
1:38:58
SPEAKER_01: The problem is our owners and the club haven't always behaved as a Big Six club.
1:39:02
SPEAKER_01: So we don't necessarily have the trophy cabinet that some of those other clubs that we're often compared to do have.
1:39:07
SPEAKER_01: You know, we haven't won a top flight title since 1961.
1:39:11
SPEAKER_01: That does need to change for us to be really, really regarded as one of the biggest clubs in England.
1:39:18
SPEAKER_01: But in terms of fan support, there's no doubting just how powerful Tottenham are.
1:39:22
SPEAKER_01: I think there's it shows a lot about your character if you're a Tottenham fan.
1:39:25
SPEAKER_01: That would be my sell to you.
1:39:27
SPEAKER_01: There's something that goes into knowing when something good happens, the back of your mind is immediately like, well, something bad's about to happen.
1:39:34
SPEAKER_01: And that's not an easy skill to live with.
1:39:36
SPEAKER_01: You know?
1:39:37
SPEAKER_01: It's it's also on the flip side, even when times are at their darkest, there's still this little ray of hope in all Tottenham fans.
1:39:44
SPEAKER_01: It's just a special, unique fan experience.
1:39:46
SPEAKER_01: I can't compare it to anything else.
1:39:48
SPEAKER_01: I've been a diehard fan of American sports teams my whole life, and since becoming a fan of Tottenham, it's completely overtaken all of that.
1:39:55
SPEAKER_01: So that would be my selling point to you.
1:39:57
SPEAKER_01: We're more than happy to have you on board.
1:39:59
SPEAKER_01: You're buying in at a great time.
1:40:01
SPEAKER_01: Back-to-back 17th place finishes.
1:40:04
SPEAKER_01: I've personally guaranteed a top five this year.
1:40:07
SPEAKER_01: I might have even said top four.
1:40:09
SPEAKER_01: I'm stretching that one more spot because we still don't have an attacker over the line.
1:40:12
SPEAKER_01: I think there's a lot of good on the horizon for Tottenham.
1:40:17
SPEAKER_01: And as soon as that good starts to happen, you will hear me say watch out because there's a pothole ahead.
1:40:21
SPEAKER_01: So that's just the life of a Spurs fan summed up.
1:40:24
SPEAKER_00: I love that.
1:40:25
SPEAKER_00: I don't even know how to respond, Sean, because you 100% hit everything so accurately.
1:40:30
SPEAKER_00: It is truly the biggest just mind warp like this team.
1:40:36
SPEAKER_00: We never ever can just have everything nice and perfect and great.
1:40:41
SPEAKER_00: We of course you know it's not it's about to not play.
1:40:45
SPEAKER_01: So that's the that's the dilemma.
1:40:47
SPEAKER_00: Yes, I think winning Europa League a few years ago or two years ago now was the highlight of being a fan because you watch that game and you go up 1-0 and you're like, all right, like we're winning, but you know something's gonna happen where we lose, or or something wrong is gonna go wrong.
1:41:04
SPEAKER_00: But then Mickey Vandeven has the the save off the goal line and then it starts to be like you say, could it?
1:41:10
SPEAKER_00: Could it?
1:41:11
SPEAKER_00: Could we could we could we like and and they end up winning that game, and I just remember being so happy because I was like, I don't care if that this is a second tier title, whatever, say what you want, but having that trophy and and being able to see them win that is is incredible, and it's just a fun, it's a fun fan support if you're if you're okay with being angry about 85% of the time.
1:41:32
SPEAKER_00: The 15% of time where you're happy is incredible.
1:41:35
SPEAKER_00: It is the highest of highs.
1:41:37
SPEAKER_00: The rest of the time when we're losing and players are getting injured and we're selling the team and firing managers, it's it's rough.
1:41:43
SPEAKER_00: But because we are a big six club, Sean, you always have somebody to lean on.
1:41:47
SPEAKER_00: I I know I can call you in a moment and be like, Sean, what are we doing?
1:41:50
SPEAKER_00: And and you can do the same.
1:41:52
SPEAKER_00: And it's it's it's a weird one to follow, I will say.
1:41:55
SPEAKER_00: It's not gonna be roses and sunshine all the time, but when it's good, it's great.
1:42:00
SPEAKER_00: Until it's not.
1:42:01
SPEAKER_00: It's like a drug.
1:42:02
SPEAKER_01: It's a drug, it's a drug, and I'm an addict.
1:42:05
SPEAKER_01: So yeah, Brandon, it's honestly it's crazy.
1:42:07
SPEAKER_01: If you want sunshine and rainbows, like you said, don't pick Tottenham.
1:42:11
SPEAKER_01: But if you want to genuinely feel something all the time, all the range of emotions, we're the club for you.
1:42:17
SPEAKER_01: And also, another thing about mighty old Tottenham, Arsenal's biggest game on the calendar, Tottenham.
1:42:24
SPEAKER_01: Chelsea's biggest game on the calendar, Tottenham, West Ham's biggest game on the calendar, Tottenham.
1:42:29
SPEAKER_01: Everybody's worried about little old Tottenham.
1:42:31
SPEAKER_01: That's the thing.
1:42:31
SPEAKER_01: You know, you could say what you want.
1:42:33
SPEAKER_01: Some people say, Oh, they're not big six, they don't win anything.
1:42:35
SPEAKER_01: Well, then how come we're four different clubs' biggest games?
1:42:37
SPEAKER_01: You know, I I feel like that that goes into it.
1:42:41
SPEAKER_01: You know, that matters.
1:42:42
SPEAKER_01: If another great reason to follow Tottenham, I will give a shout-out.
1:42:46
SPEAKER_01: One of my favorite podcasts in the world is The Fighting Cock.
1:42:48
SPEAKER_01: I think these guys are incredible.
1:42:49
SPEAKER_01: They're Tottenham specific podcasts, and they are hilarious.
1:42:52
SPEAKER_01: I'll give them a shout-out.
1:42:54
SPEAKER_01: It's worth it to be a Tottenham fan just to listen to those guys alone.
1:42:57
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's it's great to have the support and the backing of people from all over the world because it is such a such a big club.
1:43:05
SPEAKER_00: The stadium, I will say, Sean, you you touched on it in the in your preview, but I mean you're talking one of the world's best stadiums, period.
1:43:12
SPEAKER_00: I mean, we have Bad Bunny and Jay-Z and Beyonce and all these concerts every weekend there.
1:43:18
SPEAKER_00: It's it's it's the place to be in London.
1:43:20
SPEAKER_00: And just to just to be able to go into that stadium, I think is just another reason why this club is is so special.
1:43:26
SPEAKER_01: Yeah, get off the tube at Seven Sisters, walk the high road in, hit every pubble on the way.
1:43:31
SPEAKER_01: It's just special.
1:43:32
SPEAKER_01: I we're not biased at all.
1:43:33
SPEAKER_01: I said if you want to root for Tottenham, you're a great person.
1:43:35
SPEAKER_01: If you want to root for Arsenal, you're a terrorist.
1:43:37
SPEAKER_01: I I stand by it.
1:43:39
SPEAKER_01: I stand by it.
1:43:39
SPEAKER_01: So I think that's probably a good way to end the show, Brandon.
1:43:42
SPEAKER_01: We've been going for almost two hours now.
1:43:44
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, no, this this is a good one.
1:43:46
SPEAKER_00: I know it's a longer episode, Sean, but I think it's one that we'll give the listeners just a good preview on all the teams.
1:43:53
SPEAKER_00: And you know, you and I both split this half in half, but we were learning things about teams that we presented, I learned things that you presented, and I hope vice versa.
1:44:01
SPEAKER_00: So yeah, it's a longer episode for sure tonight, but I think this is one that you can listen to later.
1:44:08
SPEAKER_00: Listen to in pieces if you need to listen to it in pieces, and and find your team and and and start to back them.
1:44:13
SPEAKER_01: That's right.
1:44:14
SPEAKER_01: And we will go to the next level of actually previewing what's going to happen on the pitch next week.
1:44:19
SPEAKER_01: Where we've got a couple episodes lined up and games kick off next weekend.
1:44:24
SPEAKER_01: So a lot to get to.
1:44:26
SPEAKER_01: Uh it's right around the corner.
1:44:28
SPEAKER_01: It's an exciting time.
1:44:30
SPEAKER_01: I think this will be a useful tool and just learning a bit about some teams you might be interested in, or learning a bit more about some teams that you've already known about.
1:44:38
SPEAKER_00: Yeah, Sean, we're back.
1:44:39
SPEAKER_00: We are fully back.
1:44:41
SPEAKER_00: This will be cool to be in our first full season doing this podcast as well.
1:44:45
SPEAKER_00: So we'll we'll get a full, full 38-game season.
1:44:48
SPEAKER_00: We'll give you the breakdowns, we'll we'll talk about what's happened in the transfers, everything, coaching changes, and we're we're excited to bring you along this season.
1:44:56
SPEAKER_01: I couldn't have said it better myself, Brandon.
1:44:58
SPEAKER_01: Listeners, a reminder, go ahead in the episode description, join our fantasy premier league, some free merch up for grabs, and most importantly, some bragging rights.
1:45:08
SPEAKER_01: That would be great.
1:45:09
SPEAKER_01: We want to fill that up.
1:45:10
SPEAKER_01: We want to compete with you guys.
1:45:11
SPEAKER_01: You guys can chirp us throughout the year.
1:45:13
SPEAKER_01: I'm sure you'll be doing better than us because neither of us are great at the game.
1:45:16
SPEAKER_01: That's not what's important.
1:45:17
SPEAKER_01: What's important is the games are coming very soon, and you guys need to pick your clubs, or if you have your clubs, use this as a primer to get ready and get in the mood.
1:45:25
SPEAKER_01: Thank you all for tuning in.
1:45:27
SPEAKER_01: We appreciate it.
1:45:28
SPEAKER_01: Hit the like, hit the subscribe button on your way out.
1:45:31
SPEAKER_01: A rating wouldn't hurt anybody.
1:45:32
SPEAKER_01: Five stars, not four, not three, not two.
1:45:34
SPEAKER_01: It's like LeBron when he entered South Beach.
1:45:37
SPEAKER_01: Not one, not two.
1:45:38
SPEAKER_01: We want five.
1:45:39
SPEAKER_01: Thank you all for tuning in, and until next time, take care.