SPEAKER_02 0:07

So welcome back to Puncer ahead of the European football season, which starts. I mean, it's technically underway, but the Premier League kicks off tomorrow. With me Alex. Welcome back, Alex. What have you been up to since we spoke during the World Cup?

SPEAKER_00 0:23

Luke, nice to be back. I was wondering when we'd be back on. Yeah, I've got a little little bit of news in the last month. I'm now the head coach of a second division club in Lithuania. Never been here before, but uh when I got the call, uh the negotiations took about a week, 10 days, and then I decided, yep, that's a fit for me. Um and uh flew out here and and yeah, I've managed uh three games so far. Lost two, one-one, my first one last week, and now we play um tomorrow now. Uh no, sorry, Friday, Friday night we play again. And uh league goes on until mid-November. So I'm here till mid-November, and uh yeah, you never know what happens next in in football.

SPEAKER_02 1:06

That's amazing. And um have you been what surprised you by going out there? Like, I mean, not necessarily in terms of football, but like how how is your life there?

SPEAKER_00 1:17

No, it's really good actually. You when you don't know a place and you're only you don't you know your geography, you know the names of countries, and you always get a small um vision of something, I guess. And I'm just being blown away to be fair, Luke. The countries run really well. Uh the what I've seen bus services, trains, shopping malls, everything's very clean, everything's organized, uh, the people seem very friendly. Um, and it's great to actually embrace, and I'm learning each week a new store or a new road or somewhere new. Um and it's exciting just to keep to keep learning about the country. Um how's your language? How's your Lithuanian? Well, thank God I'm I'm fluent since last week. Um takes me three three weeks, uh, every country. And what's what's the funniest part is uh this is the 10th country I've lived in. Um so when you do go to somewhere new, because I'm some some of my countries that I've coached in, I've I've I've coached there before or or something, I'm going back. So coming to a new place, new football, it's like I'm soaking in everything, you know, the football, the culture, learning about the players, how Lithuanian teams play, style, the players individually, how they think in the training. And then, of course, you know, living here as well and looking around, um, everything is new to me. There isn't anything that can be like, well, I didn't know that. So everything's like, oh wow, they have this here, they have that. And um, I live next to the national team stadium, so uh it's it's kind of nice the environment around as well because the Champions League games come on here. One was last week as well, uh preliminary rounds. So uh, but other than that, stuck into the job and taking it day by day, week by week, and I'll do a bit more tourist stuff once the international break comes along, I think.

SPEAKER_02 3:06

And what's for any listeners out there, what's the team called?

SPEAKER_00 3:10

FKB1. So in Lithuania, and it probably maybe Latvia or Estonia could be the same. FK is football club, so FC, um for people listening. FK um B1, B E and then one, um, not O N E, the the number one. So FKB1.

SPEAKER_02 3:31

Okay, very good. So uh next game on Friday, so shout out to the listeners if there's anyone. Uh probably no no listeners, but if there are any, yeah, yeah, we know have an eye out for FKB1 on uh Friday night. So uh you're just hoping for a win for you anyway, Alex. Yeah, no doubt you'll get it. Yeah, uh you so you mentioned you're you're living beside the national team stadium and you've got some Champions League football on there. It brings us nicely to actually what we're kind of gonna look at. Um well, hopefully on a weekly basis now. We're gonna look at the kind of the main stories from the uh European and not just European leagues. I think that we would try maybe at some stage look at beyond Europe, but obviously we're in the build-up to the Premier League kicking off on Friday night, Arsenal as champions. Um there's been a lot going on over the summer, it's been a it feels like a long summer, it feels like a long time since the World Cup ended. I know it's transfer news, sorry, and it was on for so long as well.

SPEAKER_00 4:39

When you're in it, you're kind of like living in this bubble of like, when does this end?

SPEAKER_02 4:42

By the way, man, I was I was like that before we even got to the knockout stages. I was my god, this thing doesn't end. There's only 35 games on tonight. I know. Oh my god, you got there's still goals I haven't seen, you know. I know, even me.

SPEAKER_00 4:57

I'm creeping in. I tried to catch up everything the next day, and everything I'm just like, God, how do you keep up with this?

SPEAKER_02 5:02

Yeah, no, it's impossible. The World Cup that never ends. I know. Uh well, finally it did end, and we've had a long transfer season of speculation, and I think Arsenal have been kind of for various reasons, they've been kind of top of the columns, uh, column inches in the newspapers, the websites. Yeah, they've recruited pretty well. Um, they've obviously signed Bruno Gilmar Gomara, who's we all know is an established Premier League player, and we assume he'll fit in really well uh with Arsenal. They've signed this guy Solas, which I don't think many people know too much about, but in the community shield two assists, he looked good. But there was some hope they might sign Vinny Jr. They didn't. Saliba's out, injured for unknown period, and it's still talk that they'd like to sign a centre forward. Yeah. Um, how do you think Arsenal are looking ahead of the new season?

SPEAKER_00 6:02

Uh well, I mean, when you're when you've done what Arsenal have done, you can't really rock the ship as much as if you remember the great the Manchester United and some of the Liverpools, you don't really upset the whole locker room, dressing room, and start shipping in players. The advantage, yes, Arsenal were the Premier League champions after 22 years, or I can't remember. Yeah. And um, and they're the Champions League finalists. So, of course, you've got to think you can't a player can't say, Oh, what's your plan? What's your like Rooney said to him Ferguson, what's what's the plan? Who are you signing? You know, get out my office. Um, you know, so all the players around the world know that Arsenal are now like and they're playing this nice brand of football, um, etc. But um so I think that they they they need one or two, which they do, but I think I think that they're still fine because if you if you win, if you win and achieve what they achieved already, um you you just want to add something, but you want to add that right character, I think, not necessarily the player, it's that character because if you get one of them Ibrahimoviches in on something well or Vinny Jr. Or Vinny Jr., which was uh I mean, I I never thought it was gonna go through due to the salaries and the money involved, and and you know, it's uh it's uh catch 22. He knew that Real Madrid would want him and they need to sell him.

SPEAKER_02 7:27

I thought it might happen only because I knew Vinny wanted to stay at Real Madrid, and I was pretty sure Real Madrid wanted to keep Vinnie, they certainly don't want to lose him on a free next season. The chance his contract was up next season, but I thought it might happen in the sense that maybe the manager comes in. I think at the time it was Arbaloa, Mourinho hadn't come in yet at Real Madrid, and because if I'm looking at it, the Real Madrid team, I would rather play Mbappe on the left, and if that and if you do that, well then there's no room for Vinny there because they're like ideally they're very similar players, they are, they are, and there's only room for one, really, because Mbappe, I don't care about anyone, no one will ever convince me that Mbappe is better through the middle. I don't buy that for a second. No, so I thought maybe there's a possibility where actually Real Madrid take this opportunity to say, well, let's take a hundred million for Vinnie now, put Mbappe on the left, and then we have other players or we can sign another striker to go through down the middle and get the best out of Mbappe, and maybe that makes the balance. But of course, we're talking about Real Madrid here, so everything I said is actually just in terms of Real Madrid, it's a lot it's illogical, it's logical to all of us, but completely illogical. Real Madrid's approach is just like no no no, we sign everyone we can, all the best players.

SPEAKER_00 8:49

And the thing is that what what as well, Lucas, is I knew that no one is coming into Real Madrid for Vinnie to go out, and Florentino Pires is an ego for Galacticos. So if he doesn't, if he wasn't signing Haaland, then Vinny's going nowhere. Vinny's go, they're gonna offer him that extra 10 million. I know he wanted the 30, they've offered him another whatever it is. He doesn't want to leave Real Madrid in this moment, of course he doesn't. You know, going to speak English, going to the Premier League, going to the champions, going, it's he's not really ready, I don't think. And the thing is, next season, it's the same as what Alexis Sanchez did to Manchester United. If if he waits another year, then of course there's no transfer fee. So he couldn't, Arsenal could probably afford to pay him 500 grand a week, and he'll be like, yeah. So obviously, you know, he still wants to probably get Ballon d'Or and the achievements that he missed out on before. And I think he likes Real Madrid. I think he feels at home. It's just that, of course, this is the moment where agents do the work. Here's more money, we can do this, we can rock the boat. Um, but if you look at it, that who was mentioned for Real Madrid this summer? No. Haaland, but you know.

SPEAKER_02 9:58

Well, I mean, there was a few, obviously. I mean, we'll come we'll come back to Rodri and Barcelona and Real Madrid, we'll come back to them, but like from uh from an Arsenal point of view, um I think okay, we both agree that maybe he probably wouldn't have been the best character for Arsenal as well, just because that's it. He is one of the best players in the world, he has a big personality, and that can work in some instances, but I think it's been clear that Arteta has tried to build a a particular type of mentality as at Arsenal, and I agree, I'm not sure Vinny would have been that like he seems like the type of man who would argue with Arteta, and I don't think Arteta would like that at all.

SPEAKER_00 10:42

No, he would that's and that's where I can see there's a lot of patterns with I don't want to say Spanish coaches, but the from the falling downs with uh Guardiola, Ibrahimovic, the Ronaldinho, you can leave because we have Messi coming in. Um, you know, Arteta, a student of the Guardiola era and and and being under him City and looking at you know why play why he knows that he doesn't need because they're characters in the dressing room and remember it's not anything to do with Vinny's Brazilian, but Brazilians living in Spain for a while, playing for these Galacticos, Barcelona and Rael. When they come to an Arsenal for and they get all this money, they feel that they can take it a little bit slower. Or I'm warming into the season where the Premier League, but we know there's no warming up here. Yeah, you know, look at Gorkaretz. I know that he came from sporting, you know, he was at Brighton before this and that. I'm still not a really big fan of him for the money Arsenal paid, but that's the risk in football business. That's what you do. Um, but of course, you know, there's the character behind of what could he do and what other roles. Vinny is like, no, I'm coming here. This is gonna be my position. Um, if you want me on the right wing, I'll do it left wing. I'm not gonna be doing extra things, this and that, because I'm I'm close to winning Ballon d'Or. And maybe if I'm listening to Arteta sitting down like a student, I'm never gonna win Ballon d'Or. I want to be let free like a Galactico and just do what I want. Yeah, that's why that and that and if hence, sorry to go overboard, hence why you look at um how can if someone failed at Real Madrid and becomes Chelsea manager, it can't be the it can't be lack of knowledge or something that uh Javi Alonso's not not he's missed out on. This is surely about players are first and coaches are second at Real Madrid. The reason why they brought Mourinho in is because he's at even his stage where he doesn't even care about players, he doesn't he doesn't give a shit. Yeah, the players already know who's coming in, and he's not gonna get fired from players because otherwise you just pay Mourinho out, and he's like, okay. So with Alonso, he's vulnerable. Albiola, they're vulnerable. So just throwing that in there, and I think that Arteta, if he would, you know, if they if he would be able to control, but Vinny's doesn't want to be controlled, he doesn't want to feel like a student, he just wants to say, like Ancelotti, just let me do that and I'll win it. Oh, exactly. Like Enrique said, you've got to be a player of the system first, you know, and then and then you do your magic.

SPEAKER_04 13:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:03

So okay, the kind of still leaves. I mean, Vinny gone, forgotten about it. I think the question now for Arsenal is they're a team who relied a lot on Set piece. I think it was 25 goals or so they scored last year from Set pieces. We know, like you've already touched on Goyker as not being the most clinical. Havart's Havertz is a different type of player, he's a tech, he's a better technical footballer, he's a better footballer than Goyker has ever will be, but he's still not a clinical striker, still not a clinical goal scorer.

SPEAKER_04 13:35

They got a lot of weight.

SPEAKER_02 13:36

There's that question about Arsenal, like if referees decide to crack down, because that goal they scored against West Ham last year, the corner, that basically sealed the league for them. Do you remember there was that controversial goal where the goal was given and West Ham it basically relegated West West Ham? They were saying it shouldn't have been given because there was a Decton Rice, I think it was, fouled the goalkeeper. That's right. I can't remember what it was. Uh, but the goal was given. And then this big controversy about Arsenal and their physicality at corners and their fouls at corners. So it wouldn't surprise me if that's something that referees look to crack down on this year. And if that is the case, uh well, then Arsenal suddenly less goals are coming from set pieces, they're already with a striking pair, but won't be a partnership. But whoever starts, whether it's Goy Krazer Havertz, we know they're not clinical. So could Arsenal actually struggle in that sense up front? Unless they sign someone, obviously, but let's assume I mean they're not being linked with any big striker at the moment, so let's assume they don't sign that person. Could like how do you see that going for them?

SPEAKER_00 14:48

Yeah, yeah, it's a good point. Um, I'm I'm always because I don't necessarily fully support a club, I like and I have little feelings here and there for different clubs. So uh I'm a bit of a devil's advocate. I I I don't know how strong Arsenal are with all the talk that's that's going on. I don't I I don't know. Now, if you score 25 goals from set pieces, refs obviously gonna look at exactly what happened in the World Cup. Was it Haaland? There was someone standing in front of the goalkeeper, or no, no, was it Argentina? I don't know which game it was. It was one of them where he he he fell over um oh the Paraguay goalkeeper. Oh, yeah, yeah. You know, so obviously refs are gonna now have to train up on that and be very aware that if Arsenal scoring 25 from set pieces, you know, which ones are really uh viable goals and which ones are a bit um I'm still not convinced Arsenal are gonna win again. I'm not I'm not fully convinced. Um, players and that, just that I thought the Premier League was weak last year in the sense of Guardiola will always be up there, but he dropped off. Liverpool dropped out, Man United dropped out but came back because there was only one way back. You can't go any lower than what Reuben Ambron did, so there's no no difference to Carrick. Hopefully, I wish him the best. Um, who else Chelsea just started well and then it all just flopped out. So, really and truly, were Arsenal playing against an old school Manu versus Liverpool right city rivalry? Come on, they wasn't no, they weren't.

SPEAKER_02 16:19

I mean, the as soon as Rodri got injured with uh how many games to go, was it six, seven games to go? It was kind of done then. We knew City aren't the same city, but it is well. The only I push back slightly because I think Arsenal are the clear favourites, I can't see anyone challenging them. The only reason why I agree as well, there's not no one that can challenge as much. They're not, I don't think Arsenal are this great invincible team at all. Um, they could go on and become a great team, they've got a lot of the right ingredients.

SPEAKER_00 16:50

I would like to see that's what I'd like to see be champions, be champions again, be again.

SPEAKER_02 16:55

No, no, I think for them to become aside, like Real Madrid have won what six of the last 12 Champions Leagues or something, but no one talks about them as one of the best teams because nobody really the style of play, nobody really like but the Realm the Pep Goliath Auto Barça team that won two Champions Leagues, everyone talks about as the greatest team of all time. And so the reality is if Arsenal want to be considered like a really great team, I think they're going to have to play in a bit more attractive football. I mean, where he has a team built on defence. Lots of teams built on defence have won a Premier League, but not many have gone on to continue to win Premier Leagues, back to backs or two out of three, or anything like that. Chelsea are probably the best example, the first Mourinho team, but that was but they weren't just a defensive team, they were also massively physical, they had loads of money. Roman Ramwich came in, yeah, loads of money. Um the bet the best city teams were were good to watch, they controlled the games. Arsenal, they'll need to develop, in my opinion, and at the moment, but what they have in their favour is that there's no one obvious, like Chelsea. We don't know what they're going to be. I know no idea. Liverpool, the same. Liverpool have not bought well for the last few seasons. The only thing going for them is maybe Isaac and Wirtz can can do something this season because we know they're good players, but but they're very unbalanced. Uh Man United, I have my doubts about they've signed a few midfielders, they signed another one today, Baleva. I mean, he's young. Andre Santos from Chelsea, don't know anything about him to be honest. Yeah, Yuri Tielemans is obviously a good player. Is he a great midfielder? I don't know. They should be good, Man United, they should be better, but they also have the Champions League this year. They didn't have any European football last year, so yeah, yeah. Then there's Man City who will come on to. I just don't see who's going to really challenge Arsenal. I mean, I think for that reason, Arsenal don't even have to be that good. 82, 83 points could win the league for them, I think.

SPEAKER_00 19:10

Yeah, yeah. I mean, like we know, we we the September the this Saturday it starts, everyone's first. We are Arsenal, Arsenal 130, they'll this and now they're the clear frame this, and that injuries start to happen, September, October get out of the way, and that's when you have a clear picture, first stage, first stage picture of what just the the next two weeks are going to be scrambling in the transfer market. There's gonna be, you know, suddenly someone will take the deal, like Martinelli will say, Okay, then I'll leave from Arsenal because they try to obviously balance some books to sell, he doesn't want to go. Um, rightly so. I think I think he's better than Gore Gorkuretz anyway. So I don't know why they're they would I think because of his value, they wanted to cash in on him because Gorkoretz's value won't go as what they'd paid for him, but Martinelli will. Um but uh I'm really the same as you to be fair. I I can't really challenge much. Uh uh Tottenham's um Bournemouth, Brentford's are always gonna do well. Um I don't really know who else. I think Everton will actually crack on and push into the the top seven. Um that's that's the one I'll go with. I'll go with that one. If if I know anything of what I've a steady ship and a steady kind of way of coaching and the way the team wants has its identity, I'll go with an Everton to be to be finishing probably above Chelsea and and and potentially Liverpool.

SPEAKER_02 20:36

Um you know I like I don't know who of those big let's say six teams they're not all going to do well, they're not all going to finish in the top. So I'm not I'm not uh I'm not against an Everton or a Spurs. Like Spurs under the Zerbie, we know he can play a really attractive type of football, a really effective type of football for at least a period of time. It seems to come off the wheels seem to come off after a while with them. Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if they get a good run. Uh, but like you say, it could be Everton as well. And I do love your point about um having that identity. Like there's no mistaking Everton, they're everton, and David Moys is everything. And they will they will be very solid, they'll win some games that maybe they're not expected to they'll probably lose some, but that's the thing.

SPEAKER_00 21:29

They're the teams, they're the ones that look that for them teams, it works the other way around. They'll go and beat um Chelsea at at Stamford Bridge. Yeah, they'll go and lose to Fulham at home. Yeah. So you know, Everton can go out and beat the big dogs. They can that ca 'cause they got nothing to lose. The fans know what's happening. They're excited for the occasion because they have their identity. They don't go there and just don't get don't play, uh, sorry, they don't turn up.

SPEAKER_04 21:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 21:56

Whereas, you know, the bigger ones they can go to places and be like, oh, you know what? Not fancying this tonight. So there's that side. But um, you know, uh let's there's only a certain amount of budget with these Evertons and stuff, and they they're you know, and attracting players um is not easy, but but they've got the best man for the job. David Moyes is an absolute one of the greatest Premier League managers of all time because he's never had a budget of what Ferguson said. He's never had a budget of Mourinho, he's never had any budget of, and the fact is that he's he was Everton manager for 13 years or 11 years and now back.

SPEAKER_04 22:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:32

So he's gonna be in at least another four or five years and he'll retire probably. But um, that's that's what I love about managing clubs is that De Zerby, like you said, if you see his pattern, um, I think I think he's a great coach. Uh, I've learned a lot of things from him. I think, wow, but then there's sometimes there's more personally, it's for him, or is it for the club or the players? And Mourinho spoke about this in an interview the other day I listened to. He said, when I was in my coaching in the journey, as in coming into bigger, bigger levels, he said it was about me. He said, now it's about the players. So even he's saying it now at 63 with that evolvement. But you could see, but I think Deservi's kind of in that bracket where he's like, I'm a great coach, and I know this, you've got to play my way and this, and fighting with players, and then he leaves a club and then he goes to another one and then moves. So he's got great value, but Tottenham need they need uh maybe a Moise, someone that is needs to find the identity of the club. I mean, it's easy to change managers. Everyone, I mean, maybe you can't. Yeah, but I like the well. I was gonna, you might even, I don't know if he was gonna ask who's gonna get fired first.

SPEAKER_02 23:37

Well, no, I mean I think um who is it? I think the Zarbi is it or Carrick is one of the longest serving managers in the Premier League or something. I mean, there's been 10 sackings since Carrick has come in, or so it's a ridiculous league at this point with this with this stuff.

SPEAKER_04 23:53

That's right.

SPEAKER_02 23:54

So um, but I'm not sure about Tottenham getting a David Moyes type. I think they've been down that route, they've tried everyone at this stage. Clubs like Tottenham and West Ham, I think they come to mind as two clubs. I would think their fan base expectations are way above what they should be. But for some reason, in my opinion, I don't understand why Tottenham fans consider themselves a top six club. I don't understand why West Ham fans think, oh, we're we have our West Ham way. Sorry.

SPEAKER_00 24:30

Because look, both look, if Fulham and Brentford and Bournemouth built them ginormous stadiums that West Ham and Tottenham have, what would you think the fans would think? And what are we building this for? We've got to be in the Champions League for this.

SPEAKER_02 24:42

Yeah, but they haven't won anything.

SPEAKER_00 24:43

That's right. So they've they've done it as an intimidating the commercial, so all the fans want to get behind and look what we brought you. I'm the own David Sullivan, I'm Daniel Levy, I've brought you this billion, we we got money, this and that. And then suddenly it's like, but we're in relegation, both of us, West Ham and Tottenham. Yeah, and Almouth are freaking fighting for Champions League, Europa League, full of and all these guys, like, how does that all make sense? Craven Cottage, what is it, 23,000 people? Like, I don't know. So it's all backwards. That's why I'm I'm very much I always sit on the outside now and I look in. I always look in to be like, yeah, great stadium, great kit, great training. Oh, they got the new field, yeah, it's all good, but suddenly it all disappears in in 10 games.

SPEAKER_02 25:26

Yeah, no, it's true. I think um, okay, so Arsenal, we've kind of spoken about uh a few other clubs. I want to get your take on Man City. So just to set it up, obviously, we know Rodri has just left, he's just signed for Barcelona, Bernardo Silva, who's been one of their great players, he's left, and uh John Stones has was a very important player during their kind of possibly their best team under Pep Gordiola, the one that won the treble, um, he was an important player for them, and obviously the main man himself is gone. So, um, so let's do an exercise here. I'm curious to think like most people think they're going to not be a shadow of what they were under Pep Guariola and the community shield, they got beaten comfortably. But I want you from a manager's point of view, make an argument, convince me that Man City are going to be actually a better team this season than they were the last few seasons. Can you do that? Is that impossible?

SPEAKER_00 26:30

Uh so yeah, I mean you put me on the spot in a in a way where I sometimes the change takes a while, but we all know. Look, we've seen it. Moise at Everton, Ferguson at Man United, Plopp at Liverpool. Obviously, they won it straight away. Then look, look what happened. So um, players, when you build a 10-year relationship, a five-year relationship with with Guardiola, this and that, sometimes when someone leaves, it's just the area just seems empty. There's just some some players just feel that there's nothing against Moreska, nothing against the new assistant coach, nothing against the analysis video guy, none of that. Just there's sometimes that maybe is it me I have to move next. Maybe I want that feeling again where I'm I'm I'm in an environment where I'm learning, I'm scoring the goals, I'm defending well, and I'm learning. So Moreska is well known, and obviously, I of course I know as a top-level coach, but I'm gonna be skeptical and I I just don't I think Man City won't um won't be up there. I I think that it will take a time. I don't know if the club will give, I think they will, they'll give him this season to see what they can do, because he's probably had to sit in there with them and say, Look, I'm replacing one of the greatest managers in history. What that you know, there's good give me a give me a second here. What's the expectations? If they say no, win the league and win the Champions League, then of course he's still gonna say, okay, I'll take I'll still take the job. Um, I just think yes, they've got Ryan Jecki. Obviously, this will be his second season. He needs that that that spark because he's a he's a really top-talented player. Silvinho is going to be sold. Doku just signed a new contract. John Stones, injury-wise, they thought just let him go. I think that was they should have. I'm I'm an inter Milan fan, so I'm so happy that he's gone to Inter because I think as his position and who he is, he's got he's got five years at top level, John Stones. Um, I I just don't think Moresca is he's taking on an absolute Titanic.

SPEAKER_02 28:34

Okay, so I'm gonna make the argument. You if you're not going to, I'm gonna do it. So Man City in 2026-27 season will win the league. And here are the reasons why. Go on then. So what do you know about Pep Guardiola as a manager? What makes him so great? What makes him what he's done is what sets him differently? Not not I'm not talking about a style of play. What sets him apart from all other managers?

SPEAKER_00 29:08

He's been able to drawn the best out of the players for their positions to play other positions and be he's a lunatic.

SPEAKER_02 29:18

That's the he's a complete lunatic. He's complete like he's intense, he's incredibly intense.

SPEAKER_00 29:28

We know he was happy to get a divorce as well.

SPEAKER_02 29:34

This is the thing, this all is part of it. Like, I think he's an incredibly intense man. We saw him scraping himself and doing damage to himself on the side pit sidelines. He's obvious his marriage has fallen apart, he can't have been great fun to be around. And there's a part of me that wonders, has he already been checking it? Like the last the Man City team that won the treble, there's a very strong argument, and one that I would genuinely buy that the the team before that treble-winning team was actually better. Oh, yeah, that one was amazing. That one was amazing, they've got goals from everywhere, and everyone who was trying to criticize it were like, Oh well, they don't have that centre forward, and of course they go and sign Halland, and there's a part of me that wonders did Pep Guadiola just kind of think, Well, what's the fucking point of all this anymore? If it's just kind of gone to Halland, what's the point of me tricking the players into a into pressing me, tricking the opposition into pressing our team and finding ways out, getting stones to play in the number 10 role, and then if and then it just comes down to Halland just bashing the ball in from the next point 90 minutes 10 times and scored three goals?

SPEAKER_00 30:41

Exactly. It's like, well, what's the fucking point in it all? And Harlem walking around saying, guys, where are you doing all these rotations around the field for? Just send it up to me and I'll finish it. Bash goal.

SPEAKER_02 30:50

And so part of me is like, maybe I know this man, this intense man, who's not even that bothered anymore. He's just got this overwhelming personality that's been there and now he's gone. Yeah, and maybe because they still have an incredibly talented team.

SPEAKER_00 31:09

Oh, this team is strong as hell.

SPEAKER_02 31:11

They still have Halland, they still have, like you said, Ryan Shirke, they still have Doku. They've a frightening team. You know, they're not gonna struggle for goals. Arsenal might, Man City won't. Their defense, I mean, they they still have good players. I think the big question is Roderie, but my who was if you take the years that Alex Ferguson was at Man United, who would you say was their most influential player?

SPEAKER_00 31:42

Uh well, there was Roy Keene, there's no doubt. Um for me, I would say Roy Keane as well. I think for 13 years, however, he played 12 and a half, whatever I mean, you can't you can't really question his consistency of leading when Ferguson can't say no more across that line.

SPEAKER_04 32:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:00

He's he's on there and he's done he's he's he's he's he done it, you know, he ran it.

SPEAKER_02 32:05

I remember there were times when when Roy Keane would be injured for a game or two games, and you just knew Man United would lose, and they would. There is a period around between 98 and 2002 where if Roy Keane wasn't there, United were a shadow of the team. Yeah, and Rodri is similar with Man City, but what happened after Roy Keane left Man United? Man United probably had their best team under Alex Ferguson, they had the Tevez Rooney Ronaldo team. Yeah, they never had a Roy Keane again, but and in my for my money, he was the most influential player at Alex Ferguson's time. But Rodry has left, he's not injured, they're not sitting there waiting for him to come back. Yeah, he's gone, and so now they've brought in Eddie Anderson, who there's obviously the jury's out on, we don't know. No player is worth 130 million or whatever they pay for him. He's not going to yeah, like he's not going to be worth it, but he might be a very good player, and he might be direct, more direct than Rodri, and that might help Halland. Suddenly, Halland doesn't have to worry about like all these fake runs because he knows it's gonna have to be passed 10 times before it even they even look at him. Yeah, now he's knowing that oh shit, Eddie Anderson has the ball, he can ping one Steven Gerald's like into my feet or over the top. Yeah, and so the big weighty atmosphere pressure of Pep Coliola sulking around the change game room. Well, my missus broke up with me, he's gone. Um that's how everyone's been a bit lighter, you know. Even they're not worried about Rodri. Yeah, Rodri's we've he's been our probably our best player, but you know, he's gone now, we moved on, so we we move on, and then we have Halland, who's who's actually even better in the team now that even suits him even more, possibly could be true.

SPEAKER_00 33:58

I mean, I'd love to I Lou, I'd love to see that. On the contrary, like I I love to see that, I'd love to see someone else succeed. I mean, obviously, we don't know about um uh Arna slot, but of course uh he didn't have to change anything, he just inherited his team and he kept uh he kept a good balance and rhythm and they went on and won the league. Um but then obviously at the end of it, you know, he had a fallen outsala, and obviously we knew that you know he could he wasn't going to keep that job because that's when he couldn't add anything more. He didn't need to change anything from Klopp, he just added in a couple of little extra things defensively that maybe was a bit different, but at the end of the day, he didn't need to. But now Moreska is a good coach, he can add in whatever he wants because he has the players, they already know how to play in certain systems of rotating systems in the game. And Moreska's worked with Guardiola, so he has a I he has a Man City DNA anyway, because he worked there, he produced the Cole Palmer's, he was the one, so it's a shame that he didn't work at Chelsea because I actually liked him at Chelsea because it was his own project, yeah, it was his. Now he's going back to Man City, and me being a professional coach in the mindset of knowing that that's a bit risky. That's why I'm out with that, because I I I guarantee you there's always one little phone call thinking away that who could we bring in to replace Enz Moresca after September for somewhere. I know already because they've got him in. It's a way different budget to bring in in a Klopp or someone. But um, I I I think that they're letting Moresca do his own his own thing. He knows the club, he's very good at U-23 development, so I think that's another one where they really need to balance the books and sell players that aren't like a Cole Palmer. I mean, what do they get for Palmer? 45 million. Yeah, you know what I mean. I think they need to sell a few as well, but I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 35:51

Uh I'm convinced you're on Man City.

SPEAKER_00 35:55

No, no, can can go direct, which I think is great, and I think getting him into Haaland, Harland struts around up there. He's look, he's so he's proved it because outside of Man City, he goes and plays against Brazil and just bangs in two, yeah, yeah. And he had 10 touches.

SPEAKER_02 36:12

Yeah, I don't like I haven't convinced myself either. I think that'll be crap. But uh but it's worth it's worth the uh the exact thing.

SPEAKER_00 36:22

They're gonna be vulnerable, put it that way. In the Premier League, they're gonna be vulnerable. When a Bournemouth cracks one in and one-zero up, and a Fulham, that's when you see who is Man City now.

SPEAKER_02 36:30

Yeah, I will say as well though, the last point on it, and again, I don't believe this, but Barcelona, Bayern Munich, they were both actually very successful after Pep left. Um yeah, that's right. So but I think it's a different story. I think there's so many players leaving. I agree with, I'm not sure Mariska is the man for the job. Uh he just his personality seems like you say a very good coach. Yeah, but we're on to the personality, and I don't know if like I think we're at a time in football more than ever possibly where the playing career of a manager really matters. And yeah, it doesn't. I think at that I I think now the players will be like, unless Moresca is amazing, I think as soon as uh he starts showing vulnerability or people start questioning him, then the question's about well, who did he even play for? And all this stuff starts starts coming up, you know.

SPEAKER_00 37:34

Um I mean he shouldn't have left Chelsea. I mean, if you see the way he acted, wherever obviously Chelsea had to let him go, but I mean he shouldn't have I mean, not he shouldn't have, but he shouldn't have left Chelsea for doing well. Like obviously, there's there's moments where he'd done a deserve moment. I know I love my Italians that worked for years and years in in that in that environment, but obviously there's some firework that he was like, Oh, I'm I'm the Chelsea head coach, this is my pro because it's my club, my pro boom, you're fired, you're gone.

SPEAKER_04 38:02

Like that.

SPEAKER_00 38:03

Amarim the same, tries to they try to reach out of I'm I'm the manager of this team, I'm not the coach at hey, listen, amigo, like you're the you're you're the you're the head coach of Manchester United, whether they call you manager or not. They can call me the the cleaning, the the kit man, they can call me the the guy who's the assistant chef. I don't I don't care if I'm running the training sessions and leading the team out and picking the lineup. I'm the boss. I think call you Mary.

SPEAKER_02 38:30

Yeah. Alright, so who's gonna win the lead the Premier League? One one word answer. Manchester. Nochester.

SPEAKER_00 38:46

I'm gonna say Arsenal. There's nothing I can really say right now because I haven't seen anything, I haven't even watched, or when it hasn't come out yet, but I mean haven't seen any preseason. Not that that matters, preseason friendly is a bit, you know, just a so I'm I'm just waiting for all of September to be done and I could really we could do this again and I could not say that's a head start, you still got eight months to go after September.

SPEAKER_02 39:06

No, of course. I like I fully expect, I expect I don't think Man City will be good, but I expect them to be very good in September and beat teams heavily because they always do that, they always come out, Haaland scores a hat trick two two in a row sometimes. They always do well in September, and then by you said earlier, by Christmas, that's when we really begin to see who are the challengers. There could be three or four teams around top spot by Christmas, but by the other side of Christmas, there'll be one, I think, and I think it'll be Arsenal.

SPEAKER_00 39:37

Well, the thing is, what I think as well is like not to go on on it, but is I know we always talk about which we do because these are the guys that uh the big the big monies and all that, but how much have the teams from sixth place to twelfth, tenth and twelfth, how much have they improved because they're the ones that go and beat all these teams. Yeah, they beat Tottenham's, they beat the Chelsea's, they beat the Arsenal, they they go and so shop. So, how much have they improved? And that's the thing is Chelsea might like like it might be a Man United and Tottenham. It doesn't, it can literally happen because I don't believe in now the a bit Premier League years ago when you can clearly see Man City are absolutely machines. Liverpool were unbelievable. You can see that. So it wasn't like they were worried about a Bournemouth now. Liverpool go to Bournemouth or Aston Villa. Look at Aston Villa. You know, you're you're you're not going there to get three points, you're going there to see what's happening in the first half.

SPEAKER_04 40:35

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:36

Second half, you don't know what's going to happen. The first half is what you're traveling on away game to Aston Villa for or Fulham and Brentford's. So I think, you know, all credit to the teams between you know the obvious ones that are going to finish in the top five, up to the 10th and 11th position, these teams are solid, strong. They've all adapted to the same Premier League levels as in uh the physios, the workload. They've all adapted. I know obviously they have an extra five, six games, depending if you qualify further in the Champions League, Europa League. Um, but there that's why I'm saying that they're vulnerable because these other clubs take advantage of that. If they've just finished a Europa League game, they finish a Champions League game, Everton don't care. They'll just come at Arsenal, they'll come at City and be like, let's get out there, make them, you know, Tuesday night, they don't want to play us. Um so I'm always for a bit more of the underdog. I want Everton to do well, I want Bournemouth, I want Aston Villa to keep threatening, keep keep going. They've sold players, but good coaches, new players come, that's what coaching is. I hate I hate hearing coaches all the time say, Oh, I didn't I I don't have 18 million, I don't have I need another hundred to buy Ronaldin, I need another 20 to buy him. No, no, do you know play play with what you have, and that's what coaching is as well. Not just I need money, then I can coach.

SPEAKER_02 41:51

Yeah, no. So speaking of um Jose Mourinho has gone back to Real Madrid. Yeah, the old dog is gonna have one final crack. He needs some money to buy a centre midfielder, I think. Um what do you think? Like, did you watch the Jose Mourinho documentary? No, uh I haven't watched it yet, no. No, neither have I. I've heard it's okay. I will give it a watch, but I think at this point it's hard to see how he'll be successful.

SPEAKER_00 42:26

It is, it is uh uh when you I I hate to see it when I at his level and his he's a multi multimillionaire, so obviously we all know that. I don't like to see too much of a journeyman of someone who's done so much. I don't like I don't know what it is. It's like I'll go to Fenavacchi, I'll just go to Tottenham, I'll just go here. And it's I understand they're jobs and you want to work, of course, even me, of course I do. But when when you okay, then now Benfica and now Real Madrid, he's happy to just journeyman himself. And he's like, Josie, what do you want to do? Because you we know what can erupt in that dressing room of Real Madrid that Vinicius and you have one explosion and they should have sold him for they should have sold him for 100 million, but you come along, and now he's sitting on the bench, now he wants to leave, and now his value drops, now he's signed a new contract, and Mourinho fucks it all up, and Mourinho leaves. So um there's a there's a the jury's out, but because Florentino Pires has a good relationship with him, he wants him to come in and be the school teacher. And he says, I'm not paying you here to have any relationship with players like Ancelotti.

SPEAKER_02 43:36

Um not even paying them to come up with some fantastic tactical system. It's like you say, it's put some discipline on these ads to maybe stop Barcelona winning another league. That's all it is.

SPEAKER_00 43:49

All it is is hatred for Barcelona that fuels him to do it again. At sixty three, he still has the energy, he's not an old guy, he's he's fresh, he's ready. But Florentino Perez is. Is exactly very intelligent. He knows all I need you to do. I know you're gonna go beat Granada away. I know you're gonna go beat um uh can't think on top Levante away, Hetafe away. I know you're gonna beat them. I'm not worried about that. You need Homan away to beat Barcelona, and Barcelona will they'll remember that for the rest of the season, and you'll float, you'll put them off track. Atletico Madrid will hit and miss, they'll beat Barcelona as well. So if they can beat them home and then you're up to win La Liga. Obviously, yes, it's a battle to beat Atletico Madrid too. So it's them two games. He beats Atletico Madrid away and he beats Barcelona because he can be he can beat them at home because he has the advantage. Obviously, we know that what can go wrong.

SPEAKER_02 44:41

He's got a great team. The team set up already. Man, the team is great. They I they could deal with some midfielders at least one Rodri. I cannot believe they let that one slip away. Yeah, but he seems like he doesn't want to play for Jose Mourinho. Do you think that's what it is?

SPEAKER_00 45:00

Yeah, yeah, it is because there was side. I when the when the rumors come out, and Man City worked fine before the World Cup, he's gonna leave, and that was all good. You know, he announced it was good. There was all neutral. I mean, you can't say like someone's a traitor for leaving, he wasn't going to Liverpool or something like that. So when he every player at that level of making that 30-year-old, he's still young because today's football is a bit different, especially for his position. Every player like that, before they sign that new four-year deal, where am I gonna live? Who's the manager? And they Real Madrid didn't have it lined up fully, but obviously it did start, obviously, it was early indoors. Actually, Mourinho was coming in, and obviously, I think that he said, Let me make up my mind, and I think he let he left it as that. I don't think he he stringed them along. I think he said, uh, I'll tell you after the World Cup. Yeah, I think he spoke to, and then they said the pros and cons of Mourinho, and I just think his relationship with Guardiola, I think his relationship with the way he plays football. I don't think he wants to go into a Mourinho war battleground signing for one of the big, if not the biggest club in the world, and ruining the whole time, the whole experience.

SPEAKER_02 46:04

Yeah, that's my opinion. He really, Rodri, as a player, he seems he is what you see on the pitch. He's this kind of tranquilo is a Spanish student, midfield, yeah. Just like tranquilo, chicos. I'll run this when you've got Mourinho telling him like for Descarral, for Descaral, play the Rino creating chaos in there, and he's like, Oh man, what are you doing? Like, that's just relaxed.

SPEAKER_01 46:31

Rodri, what are you playing all these stupid passes for? These little ones, I want the ball straight into Vinny. Get the ball to Vinnie, we need to win this game, you know.

SPEAKER_00 46:40

Like, drop this stuff that Guardiola showed you, and then it'll start, the whole thing will start.

SPEAKER_02 46:44

Passing it, passing it to the fullback, Mourinho having a heart attack on the side of the line.

SPEAKER_00 46:48

I go, What the fuck are you doing? No, no, so I knew a lot of players, and I like that. They're smart, you know. They're it doesn't doesn't he's not short of anything, it's just a decision of it.

SPEAKER_02 46:57

And it's funny because Hansley Flick, he isn't like either Mourinho or Guaniola. Like he's I really like him. I like that. He he seems to be like this kind of almost bigger brother kind of figure to the players at Barcelona. He's awful.

SPEAKER_00 47:15

Brother Uncle to the north, they love him. And the fact is he he didn't even he hasn't he hasn't even bothered trying to speak Spanish, like that's what I love as well. At first, I was like, oh, he's doing his interviews in English. Because your handler inspect, yeah, but my guys international now, it's just big.

SPEAKER_02 47:34

I love it, like you know, I think I think Barcelona probably love it, you know, because it's funny, Barcelona. Like, you go to the city, English is the first language. Obviously, amongst themselves they speak Catalonian or whatever, but for foreigners, I think they'd rather speak to us in English than than Spanish. That's it. It's the language you hear. When I go into a shop in Barcelona, they say, Hi sir, how you because they all speak English, they all speak English, Spanish, and Catalonia. That's right, yeah. Or Catalan, and uh they speak English, right? And so I think they'd rather Hanzi Flick represents the club speaking English as opposed to speaking Spanish. Uh he probably speaks Catalan.

SPEAKER_00 48:14

Because, of course, that little Catalan thing where Enrique was a player there, Guadiola, um Ricard was a player there, Kuman was a player there, so they still all have a tint, a hint of Catalonian understanding of their Spanish and Catalunya language, so they can get by with understanding this dialect, this a little bit, because they've been there, they've lived there, they've been part of the history. But Flick comes in, he's like, listen, I ain't got no time for none of this. I don't know any of this half Spanish, half Catalonian. I'm coming in here to like, you know, pick up the boys internationally. Um, so no, it's good, it's good. And I I really think Barcelona will crack on having Roger, I think, is a huge, huge sign in, not just for the ability of the player, but to have that pinnacle Javi, Iniesta, former Guadiolof, Enriquez, having him sit in there and build for four years now. That's why Roger going to Real Madrid isn't that project because it's Mourinho in. How long's Mourinho staying? They had two coaches last season. Uh Vinnie was in and out, uh leaving and not leaving. Rodri's like, okay, Roger, you're gonna be here and we're gonna build four years of success around you, and after that, you can go off MLS, Saudi Arabia. Do what you the rest is you. So, and I think that's a great thing as a player that he wants to hear because they're not asking him to sprint to the corner flag, like Mourinho's gonna ask him to sprint to the box to box. He's gonna be like, Look, I can't do that.

SPEAKER_02 49:37

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, it's true. I think as well, we saw like Leandowski, he was blown away by how much he loved to that Barcelona. They seem like a really close. I hate you know, these jobs or whatever, or football clubs, and it's like we're a family. I hate, I really hate that bullshit. But I feel like at Barcelona they believe that and they buy into it, and as a result, it probably does have that feel. Whereas Real Madrid, like we saw what happened last year between uh Chiumeni and um Valverley, the fighting between them. We know what Vinny's like, we know what Mbappe and Bellingham are like, they all have these massive egos and they're all kind of fighting about who the big dog is.

SPEAKER_00 50:20

It's like going to one of them nightclubs, it's like going to one of them nightclubs, and you see them all in the corner, like sunglasses on their head, they're dressed like this, they oh oh you're wearing them Gucci shoes, oh what are you wearing? And the boss are coming with their little school uniforms on. Their backpacks, you know, the backpacks come in. But we're looking for the um, you know, uh no, sorry, not in not in this nightclub, no. Yeah, yeah, get out. So no, I'm I'm really looking forward to Barcelona. I I like I like the chaos at Real Madrid. I love seeing all the because I like Atletico Madrid on the semi-from the onlooker's point of view.

SPEAKER_02 50:56

The chaos at Real Madrid is amazing. I don't like if I had to play in one of the if I was offered to play in one of the teams Barcelona Real Madrid, I'm obviously choosing Barcelona, but if I have to go watch it every week, I'm like like if I could do a documentary on one of them, it'd be Real Madrid. That's the one I want to watch. Yeah, yeah. Can you imagine Mourinho in there when it's all going a bit shit? They're losing one nil to Barcelona.

SPEAKER_00 51:21

Mourinho, it's like Vinny, you fucking oh no, it'll be it'd be chaos this season. I I'm waiting for the first fight. Mourinho with who? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 51:31

I think it's gonna be Vinnie because there's a bit of uh there was something that happened between Real Madrid and Benfica last season of the Champions League, where basically the racism claim against Vinnie Jr. and Mourinho came out and said something like, Well, I think he brings it on himself, or something like that.

SPEAKER_00 51:52

Yeah, you're always looking for it.

SPEAKER_02 51:55

You're always like the scapegoat, you're saying it's always you. Exactly. And apparently Vinny's happy with Mourinho and all, and I'm sure he probably is while it's on a good term, but as soon as there's an issue, that's like and and he signed that contract, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 52:11

He signed the new the new uh deal.

SPEAKER_02 52:14

So I mean Okay, so the chaos of Real Madrid or the Brotherhood of Barcelona, who's winning the the Spanish La Liga?

SPEAKER_00 52:25

I'm gonna go with Barcelona, yeah. They're not gonna Atletico have a chance of stopping them. But as well, uh I think Atletico are actually actually they're another club that is very well run and very well held together. I just hope I would really like to see them win it. So again, again, you know, let's go into September, early October, but for the moment, from what I see, and especially having someone like Jamal, and then you just sign a Rogery, that's just frightening already, you know, that. Um so and having Hansi Flick already leave, not the tactics-wise, just the presence at a huge club like Barcelona who can change the coach at any time. Um, and for him to stay there as a German, it's not easy. I know Bernd Choyster was there years ago, I know he used to play for them as well, but you know, they're not really into sort of going too far away from a Portuguese, a Spanish coach, um, you know, and then to take on, you know, a German coach, and he's succeeded, and he's actually got through to the youth side, understood the project of Barcelona, where listen, you have to introduce a couple of the Lamacia players each season here. You know, a Mourinho would be like, no, I don't want to do that. Yeah, but he's he's happy to accept that you know the club is has their way and he fits in, and so far, like I'm thinking, wow, what a job he's done.

SPEAKER_02 53:52

Yeah, there is one thing we which could shift everything we've actually spoken about already, yeah. And that is we still don't know where Julian Alvarez would be playing next season. He seems like he's going to be leaving Atletico, but if he stays, well then that's a big coup for Atico. But I don't think like, but let's say he leaves the options, he wants to go apparently to Barcelona, which would be amazing for Barcelona, yeah. Um but atletico don't want to sell to Barcelona or Real Madrid, so there's talk of him going to Arsenal, which would be amazing for Arsenal. I don't know if Arsenal necessarily needs him. I think they're a striker, he's not a striker in that sense.

SPEAKER_00 54:38

Um Arsenal, I don't know if they're just trying to play roulette games in the transfer market. I don't know if Arsenal can can they really afford him from Atletico, afford to let him go to I don't know. It's a it's a bit of a I know what you mean. It's he's definitely wrong. Sorry, go ahead. He's definitely well known in the Premier League, but if you go from the Premier League and then you have two, you just have one season at Atletico. Had to have been, right?

SPEAKER_02 55:08

No, two seasons.

SPEAKER_00 55:09

Two. Then you have two, and then you come back to the Premier League. It's like, hmm. I know, of course, it doesn't matter, he's young enough, but I don't know, like can he done really well Atletico Madrid? I think he likes a Spanish lifestyle to go to Barcelona rover around Madrid because of that um I don't know. Is he an Arsenal kind of player? Yes, definitely.

SPEAKER_02 55:30

But he's an he's an anybody type of player, he's in he's an incredible player.

SPEAKER_00 55:34

Like can that's what and then my view is like can can Arsenal afford a hundred million? Arsenal are bluffers, like they're not you know, they say he spent 70, 65 on Gokares, and he's he's half the player to be fair than Tubin Alvarez is. Um I don't know. I can't can Arsenal spend a hundred million now, the last week of August? They could, but uh I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 55:59

I mean I I just don't think they actually need them at this point. Uh that's right. I just think they're not a striker.

SPEAKER_00 56:05

If you if you can go all the way to January knowing that you've got someone, the owner or whatever says, listen, I can give you 50, 60, or even I don't know, the financial fair play, I'll give you 100 in January. Then it's different. If you can get us your top of the league by January, then you're you're in maybe you don't need anyone. Maybe that's why Arteta's doing so well because he's balancing the books like David Moyes did, like Arson Wenger did. You know what I mean? So maybe they're waiting to see.

SPEAKER_04 56:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 56:32

I like maybe if Arteta brush buys for 100 million, you have to play that player. There's no 100 million man sitting on the bench and he hasn't scored in 10 games, and you're trying to help him. Oh, I'm helping him in step by step, you know, this and that. No, that's why Gokares was out to out for the jury because it's like he's Arsenal's most expensive player, I think.

SPEAKER_02 56:52

Yeah, for sure. So, okay, so are you you're sticking with Barcelona to win the league?

SPEAKER_00 56:58

Barcelona win the league, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 57:00

Alright, so before we finish up, I'm just gonna run through my bet for the season. Alright. Small bit. I've just gone with the winners, so there's nothing, it's not even actually particularly interesting, but so in terms of um Premier League, I've backed Arsenal.

SPEAKER_00 57:25

Yeah, me and you also at the moment.

SPEAKER_02 57:27

I'm no no one else I can see. Um I've had to pick a relegation team as well. I've gone if such their favourites to be relegated, uh the second favourites.

SPEAKER_00 57:38

But well, well, to be fair, you could be wrong on that. They know not what to do now. Yeah, true. No, that I yeah, but you gotta because all they need to do is say, listen, just stay in the league. So as a coach, you're like, alright, I don't care if I if I get a draw for 10, if I get 10 draws in a row, you know what I mean, and win five. I mean, then I might be that's it. There's my survival.

SPEAKER_02 57:58

Yeah, look, I've no idea. They might they might surprise me, but like you gotta pick someone, and the new teams are always the safest bet. FA Cup. So this is probably the the wildest one. So my theory for the FA Cup generally, the teams who win the league don't really do the double these days because they're concentrating on the league and the Champions League, so that kind of discounts Arsenal for me. But I do think there's a lot of new managers. There's Ariola, Caragas are new, but he's kind of new, there's the Zerbi, there's um there's Javi Alonso, there's a lot of movement at the top clubs. Maresca, of course, they all want to win a trophy. The FA Cup is winnable. So I'm going with Chelsea because win the FA Cup. To win the FA Cup because if Xavi Alonso is this amazing manager like everyone said he was at Leverkusen, then maybe this is they're not going to win the league, but maybe this is their best chance to get a trophy on the board in the first season and they build from there.

SPEAKER_00 59:04

So I'm just yeah, the biggest trophy outside the Premier League that another coach would want to actually ruffle the feathers in between Champions League would be the FA Cup. The Carabown Cup, League Cup, who gives a shit.

unknown 59:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 59:17

So the FA Cup is like if if Arsenal can win the FA Cup, they'll they'll take it. They they'll they can go lightly in the caravan, but yeah. So it's if if Tottenham and all and Chelsea's can win the FA Cup, then that's a big statement.

SPEAKER_02 59:30

But um, but yeah, I'll I'll post it somewhere and we can follow along for the season. No, sounds good. No, good. So what so thanks Alex, but what time's kickoff on Friday? For F FKB1. Uh 6 30. That's Lithuania time, so 5 30.

SPEAKER_00 59:52

Someone said the someone said the other day, oh 7 30 kickoff, but I'll have to I know you need to get that. Yeah, I'm um I'm yeah, as as far as I know as far as I know, but anyway, um it's six it's six thirty or or seven seven thirty line.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:07

Make sure you get that one right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Show up at 7 30.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:13

Yeah, so Alex.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:15

Uh thank you. Great to have you. Great to be back on the podcast. Yeah, great to be back on uh on the chat next week.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:23

Yeah, thanks a lot, Luke. Yeah, and I'll see you next week. Cheers, adios.