THIS IS THE SEASON

Bye bye Pep and Hello Carrick

Season 1 Episode 58

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0:00 | 29:31

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Joel and Nige get in to it 

Pep is off 

Carrick is in 

It gets heated and emotional as the season draws to a close 

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SPEAKER_01

Have you ever thought about what kind of farewell you might want?

SPEAKER_00

Sorry?

SPEAKER_01

Have you ever thought about what kind of farewell you might want if you knew you were leaving? Next, Ellie. So it's news that's not news that is the biggest news, but is not news, and it's not a shock to anybody, apart from a couple of deluded city fans. Welcome to This Is The Season. I'm Wingman, a City fan. I'm Joel, I am a United fan. Hey, we didn't that was that was dead professional, that was very good. I felt it was like news at 10. Coming up. That's it. Hey, so um the the news sort of broke during during the uh the the Burnley Arsenal game last night, Arsenal, weren't they?

SPEAKER_00

Do you know what is a weird one? One thing I'll say is Pep must be absolutely gutted, and there's still no official word from the club. But I think everybody um kind of feels that this is probably the best time for Pep. I mean, we would love him to stay forever, but it's not gonna last forever. And uh 20 trophies in 10 years is absolutely unheard of. Are you uh and ridiculous?

SPEAKER_01

You count in the UA for Super Cup in that as well.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, every everything we've won, yeah. That's I mean, that's absolutely insane the amount of trophies that he's won in the 10 years he's been here. I've just feel sorry for him. I can't help but feel that whoever the reporter was that broke the story yesterday, uh, and again, it's it's he's not got any official lines. Uh the the what I heard is he was going off uh some of the sponsors have started to be told the news because they've got to obviously let these huge sponsors know. And off the back of that, um some some story broke last night, and it's everywhere now. Everyone's putting their messages up, it's it's all over, it's everywhere. Do they announce something now or do they do they wait till the end of the season? Because we are still in with the come on now! At what point? Even when it's over. The only reason I'm saying it is because of how Arsenal like hobbled over the line last night against a relegated Burnley, one-nil, and at one point, you know, they could have been down to 10 men.

SPEAKER_01

Was your score against Burnley?

SPEAKER_00

One-nil. Right, okay. Away away that's the difference to and and it was also their last game where they had to get a result to try and have a chance of staying in the Premier League. Come on, you've got Burnley at home. It could come down to goal difference still. You should be battering teams like that at home. They are nervous, they are that nervous, you could smell it through the TV yesterday, and it's not over. They've got to go to Palace, albeit they've got a cup final coming up in a couple of days. But you know what? The the bottlers could bottle it again, but it looks like the league might be over. Anyway.

SPEAKER_01

Hang on, no, a couple of things in there. Havertz, red card, yes or no?

SPEAKER_00

If it happened to a city player, I'd be screaming out for a red card for that. It has happened to city players. It happened in the derby. No red was given. I don't know. Sooner or later, someone unfortunately is going to get a leg break. It's not good, is it?

SPEAKER_01

Okay, anyway, I don't like just coming here and um slagger football, especially X-Man United ones. Hannibal Scheit, isn't he? Always delivered with a lovely yellow card and gets holed off 20 minutes before the end.

SPEAKER_00

But just honestly, I mean, it listen, the thing is, you you will you it has got to the stage now where you're literally clinging on to anything. And if they'd have gone down to 10, who knows what would have happened. But they won the game, they're uh the they're comfortable at the top uh of the Premier League, and now literally we are down to such an important game tonight against Bournemouth. Um, and if we drop any points at all, Arsenal will win the Premier League tonight. They'll be champions. Alright, what do you think tonight? In all honesty, I mean It's a weird one now because of all this Pep news. Now, how's that going to affect the players? I think Pep will be absolutely gutted about the way that this has happened. And I think after you know the legacy he's got at City, after everything that he's done at the club, he would have wanted to have told the players himself and make his own announcement. I think he's earned that.

SPEAKER_01

But I think he probably has, but throughout the season, he mentioned that John Stones is leaving, he's mentioned that Bernardo Silva's leaving, and people go, Why are you mentioning it now?

SPEAKER_00

Because he wants to give them their moment in the sun that they fully deserve after being club legends as well, and not just take it away from them at the end of the season because he's that much of a uh a wonderful man. Do you know what I mean? If they'd have just announced that, then it it would have it would have totally overshadowed two legends, and at least Bernardo and uh John Stones, I mean, at Wembley the other day, the send-off the two of them got seeing Bernardo lift his second trophy of the season, uh domestic cup double. It was just amazing. What a perfect exit for a legend of the club. So he would have been there for what, ten years?

SPEAKER_01

Bonalatilva.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

He's been there since Pep. Pep, this is what I mean. So therefore he's got 20 trophies then, has he?

SPEAKER_00

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01

And who else is John? Johnny Stones as well. Johnny Stones.

SPEAKER_00

He'd have been the Exactly. I mean, they both lift the cup together. It was a nice moment winning the FA Cup and uh and seeing them both lift the trophy. All right. I'm never going to win an argument against a United fan, so I can't even be bothered going into that. But in my opinion, he is the greatest manager of all time.

SPEAKER_01

Completely. Well, well, right, different eras. Different eras. Different eras, different times. And do you know what? People have people have different opinions. Is he the best manager of the last ten years? Yeah. Absolutely. But he's done it at by Munich, money. Well, and the and a one and a one uh.

SPEAKER_00

He keeps saying money. United spent an absolute fortune at the time. So what you're on about money, just don't just say money, look at what he's done. Elite play. Look at the way that the the national teams in the countries that he's played in have have replicated what he's done. He transformed three different leagues in three different countries.

SPEAKER_01

I like the way when he went to uh Barcelona, bins off Ronaldinho. You watch him now on YouTube, and I always say to my kid, look at this in his prime. Got rid of him. Did he bring is it Danny Alves he brought in for a record fee? He got rid of some of the big names and this whole playing.

SPEAKER_00

Well, there's a thing with Ibrahimovich as well, boys.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, but he brought this thing about that everybody was doing playing um FIFA where you'd play it out from the back. Everybody who played FIFA played it out from the back and not booted it, and then suddenly he went, hang on, this is quite good, this, because the goalkeeper boots it, it's up in the air, it's a 50-50 who's getting it, who's getting the second ball straight away. So let's play it out in the back. And then he brought in what was your goalkeeper that was only there for a little while.

SPEAKER_00

Bravo, Bravo. Claudia, Claudio Bravo, yes. Claudio Bravo.

SPEAKER_01

And and you know, that was like a marquee signing, and he went, Don't fit this, don't fit the style now.

SPEAKER_00

Well, you know what? He didn't have players good enough to play the Pep Guardiola style of football that he wanted to play. So playing it out from the back, we had incredible players like Jolion Lescott was uh there was a time where you had Jolian and Vincent come. I mean, it was just we've had some incredible centre half partnerships at City. It took City a while to be able to get used to the style of football that he wanted to play. I mean, we had Dimikales in there as well. There's loads going back over the years.

SPEAKER_01

Well, he cropped when he arrived, though.

SPEAKER_00

In my opinion, he is the greatest of all time. And it is weird because we're about to open a brand new stand which just comes at the right time. That surely is going to be named the Pep Guadiola stand. I don't know, but I would imagine. Obviously, we found out that we were doing the parade, rightly so, to celebrate a domestic double. It was then announced that we're going to be doing the co-op arena afterwards. I can't wait for that. I've not heard any information, by the way, but I've been asked uh to keep the date free uh because I'll be I'll be working. I can't wait. I mean, it's just gonna be a celebration of the men, the women, and the youth cup, all the FA Cups there. Why do you clean sweet?

SPEAKER_01

Well, you could take that as a treble, couldn't you?

SPEAKER_00

Absolutely. You could take that as a treble, right? 100%. It's massive for the club. So there's loads to celebrate. The women have won the league. City are oh, it's right down to the wire. I mean, obviously, we've not we've not had the Bournemouth game. If you're listening to this now, we're recording it just before uh the Bournemouth game, which is tonight. It's nuts how well Pep's done. And we will be celebrating the team, we'll be saying bye to to Bernardo and John. Uh and we'll also Bernardo and John. Bernardo and John. Come on. I mean, you know, listen, mate, it's just incredible. If it is Pep's last season, then he's gonna get the most incredible of send-offs. And I I can just imagine the guest list that's gonna be there at the co-op, or even it may be video links with it being the World Cup just around the corner and people being dotted all over the world. Gary Neville, Roy King. Shut up. I'm talking Aguero, you're gonna you're gonna be talking Fernandinho, um David Silva, all these players who've just been superstars for City for years, Vincent Company. It's gonna be one incredible event on Sunday. Nothing's officially been announced yet. And you know what? I well one thing I would love is if Pep went, well, actually, no, uh, I'll make my decision when I'm leaving. I'm gonna stay for another year.

SPEAKER_01

I'm gonna stay for another game. Just one month.

SPEAKER_00

Another year. Another game, right? And Paul Morasca's just going, right, well, when do I start? When do I start then?

SPEAKER_01

I've got myself bidden at Chelsea purposely for you, so I could get me get me payout and I can start next season. So was this the difference between somebody like Pep and Amarim? So Pep comes into City and he hasn't got the players to play his system, so he plays like how these players are used to play him before he can bring his own players in. Whereas Amarin goes, This is the way I play, and everyone's going, but we we can't play this way. Is that is that the difference?

SPEAKER_00

Well, no, I think the difference as well is uh is a lot of quality and a lot of genius. I don't think it's just that. I think he is obviously I mean he's heads and shoulders above him as a manager, isn't he? He is amazing. The only the only other name that you well, there's there's there's there's other greats from years gone by, but in recent history, it's it's obviously just him and Fergie the two. I suppose you could put Angelotti in there as well, 100%. I mean, he's he's also an absolute worldie.

SPEAKER_01

And once you put Jose just below them, he's gone back to Real Madrid now. That's that's gonna be fireworks, he's gonna fall out with somebody because he always finds somebody to pick on, doesn't he? And kicks him out of the club. So is that gonna be Vinny? Is that gonna be uh Bepe? Who's it gonna be? But this is good because if he's getting in there now, the open market is there. So if they're getting binned and some of these top stars have only got a limited number of places to go to, get in there, fire sale.

SPEAKER_00

This is always gonna be the worry, but I'd like to think that City are in a much stronger position than we've ever been. Like you feel your fear of a mass exodus of players like going, right, well, Pep's gone, I'm leaving.

SPEAKER_01

Look at me in the eye. This is not the best City team they've ever been.

SPEAKER_00

It's a rebuild. We're rebuilding a team, we just won a domestic double.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, so Moreska.

SPEAKER_00

We're going through a process.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, Moresca comes in, right? So again, it's not been announced, we're just going on rumours, but I think it's very strong, isn't it? And it's it's very obvious. So Moreska comes in. Is this going to be the slot at Liverpool thing? You look at his managerial history, where do you go?

SPEAKER_00

Just listen, I'll tell you what, in my opinion, right, he's been Pep's number two. He knows the way that City work. From the youth up to the first team at City, everybody's playing a similar style of football. They have a way of playing and a way of doing things. Moreska is fully aware of the goings-on at Manchester City. He's been around the club for a good few seasons with Pep. And then he got his opportunity because Pep wanted to stay, he was staying. I think a lot of people, in their wildest dreams when Pep first arrived, couldn't have imagined Pep being at the club for as long as he was. And I think every number two that he's had was probably there for a period of time, thinking, right, well, how long's Pep gonna stay? This person could potentially take over. So you've got Arteta, for example. Maybe in that early on, Pep could have been, you know, uh looking to leave, but he didn't. He stayed, he's then moved on. You've got Moresca, he's then gone to Leicester, he's done very well at Leicester, he's got them promoted. Leicester wanted to keep hold of him, but then he got an opportunity at Chelsea. He went there and he's won two European Cups there.

SPEAKER_01

The FIFA World Cup. Exactly. Which again killed all the players.

SPEAKER_00

He's a good manager, he's got players performing well, and City have obviously gone in for him because we all saw what happened. City valued him and probably always had him marked down as Pep's replacement. Again, we don't know what's going to happen, but he'd been talking to City and then Chelsea got rid of him. It shows how much he wants the City job as a city farmer.

SPEAKER_01

We've been talking about the Carrick thing. Should Carrick get the job? It looks like he's got the job, and I said he'll probably get the job because there's nobody else around and probably deserves a pop at it. You look at Moresca, right? He's so he leaves City, he leaves City and goes to Palmer for a few months and gets binned. So then he comes back to City, he then goes to Leicester and won the championship, and then goes to Chelsea and got himself fired. Because he wanted the city job. Okay, now on paper, how is he qualified to be Man City's manager?

SPEAKER_00

Because he's won things and he's been part of the club. He's been number two. Like I said to you from the beginning, you're not listening. He knows how City works as a club. Now City moves on. We won the league before Pep. We'll win the league after Pep. We won it with two other managers before Pep. City haven't just won the league and got to where they are because Pep Guadiola is the best manager in the world. We've had the consistency for 10 years and we've achieved things beyond our wildest dreams, like the you know, the treble and winning winning the Champions League, winning four in a row, the Centurions, the Domestic Quadruple.

SPEAKER_01

We've won absolutely everything because of Pep. Because of Pep. Save this for the Pep podcast. Okay. Right, I'll let you sit in here with a box of tissues and you can go on for an hour, and the tissues obviously for crying.

SPEAKER_00

I'm gutted if there if it's true and it certainly looks and it's a downfall, innit? It's not the downfall. It is, it's it's it's it's it's slot, it's at Liverpool.

SPEAKER_01

It's not. Well it is that Liverpool is not Liverpool.

SPEAKER_00

How is it slot at Liverpool? Slot, it's not.

SPEAKER_01

Are you telling me it's not gonna tits up at Liverpool for slot?

SPEAKER_00

No, of course, yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_01

He comes in and he wins the Premier League on his first start, right? And then he's he's played fantasy football and spent half a billion quid or whatever it is on all these worldies that have come in looking like they've they've never played football before. So you've got that, and obviously, they don't like him.

SPEAKER_00

Let me tell you the difference now between the two, right? The style of football that Slop plays compared to Klopp is a million miles apart. The style of football that Moresca plays compared to Pep is very, very similar. Attacking football that's great to watch that brings success.

SPEAKER_01

When was the last successful a Netherlands manager and the Italian manager in the Premier League?

SPEAKER_00

Leicester winning the league. Claudio Ranier that's the last one, isn't it? And that was a successful one. Right, and is it keep signing for you?

SPEAKER_01

These Dutch, these Dutch coaches who are ripping it up in the Netherlands, and they come over here, and it's it's it's that me and you knocking a you know, me and you playing the back garden and then going, join um Barcelona now.

SPEAKER_00

How can anyone replace Pep? Like, how can anyone replace Fergie? David Moyce the way they're doing it is is gonna continue success because they're building a new team, we've got a young team that is a couple of points behind the potential champions when we just won two cups.

SPEAKER_01

Right, so here's one for you then. Obviously, Haaland would want to play at Real Madrid. Jose's going in there. Do you think Haaland's going in?

SPEAKER_00

I don't think they need a striker at Real Madrid. I think Haaland, I've got no worries about Haaland being there next year. I think he'll definitely be there. I don't think any of the players, apart from the ones that we said are going, are gonna go. I mean, we've already said a list when we thought that Pep may be staying of about seven players. There's gonna be a lot of players leaving this season, but there's gonna be a few coming in, and we've got a good squad. We've got a much better squad, and we're in a much better position when the same thing happened at Man United, when Fergie left and left you in the shit with an age squad and a bunch of players that he could get the best out of, but nobody else could. We are in a position, and the way that our football club is run, everything is miles apart from the way that it was when Fergie left.

SPEAKER_01

And don't go off your off your rocker and go and hit me and go, don't you don't know what you're talking about. Do you think they've heard something about the charges and and something may be happening? Point deduction or massive fine or whatever. You don't know, no, no, no. And you know, the the board comes to Pep and go, look, the thing is, lawyers have been on, we're looking at a 60-point deduction next season.

SPEAKER_00

When the news dropped uh that this was um a thing years ago, just listen seasons ago, when this news dropped, Pep could have walked away then and gone, we're talking about something that I don't know nothing about, right? But also, this was all these were all incidents that apparently happened pre-Pep, right? But he basically stayed and he galvanized our team. We went on to win the treble that year, and more and more, you know, it we've had great success since that happened. Pep isn't leaving because of this. Pep's leaving because he's done 10 years, he wants a break, and he wants a change. And you know what? Thank you for your 10 years, Pep, because you've been insane.

SPEAKER_01

Tell you what, someone at City might get 10 years after all these charges.

SPEAKER_00

Oh Lord.

SPEAKER_01

Right, let's talk about proper farewells to proper legends.

SPEAKER_00

Okay.

SPEAKER_01

Uh at the weekend, the final match for Casemiro at Old Trafford. The signs were there, please stay one more year. Do you know what? It was dead, it was dead nice. Uh comes out with the kids, you know, like like everyone does nowadays. It was lovely, it was emotional. Now, at the start of the season, I said, get rid of him. You know, he's done now, because you know, he was playing for Amerim, and I think he has been probably our second best player this season uh up there with um Bruno Fernandez. But I thought it was dead nice, and as a leaving present for everyone who loves to back him to have a yellow card, he did it again on his the only thing was um Michael Carrick made the triple sub. Yeah. Triple substitution at the same time. I would have done Casemiro by himself.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

To give him his moment. Yeah, you know, the 87 minutes. I know there was there was eight minutes anyway, so there'd probably be another 30 by the time he's got off and everything. But I that's that's what I personally would have done. I can imagine Roy Keane going, get off the pitch afterwards. You do all of this. Get off the pitch. Stop slowing it down. So the the Man United game, uh Beat Wolves 3-2. Yeah. Did you see the handball incident for Brian and Bermo? Yeah. Uh which led to Cunya scoring the goal just after they'd equalised.

SPEAKER_00

And they've they've officially come out now and said that it well, I mean, it was a come on, it was an absolute handball. 100%. Like it's embarrassing that the that VAR hasn't given that as well. It's just the whole thing is just embarrassing.

SPEAKER_01

This is where the thing goes wrong because people play in VAR. That's not VAR.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, well, they can't change the the the on the on-pitch decision.

SPEAKER_01

The ref gets a final say.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Right? So the ref is there and he says, accidental, no handball, gold stands. Yeah? Yeah. It goes to VAR, they say, nah, he's handballed this. Go and have a look, thinking he'll go and have a look. It is a blatant handball. Yeah, yeah. I mean, you know the one the ones where it comes off the tip of your fingers and you can't move your hand, and and golds get ruled out for that, and you go, oh, seriously, but this I mean, even Neville. I mean, Neville said that.

SPEAKER_00

I mean, to be fair, he called both the ones you've talked about. He was talking about the red last night, he said he's a very lucky boy, it should have been a red card. And then he talked about this one at the time. He was like, Yeah, I'm sure he used the word it's a bit embarrassing. But it is embarrassing. Because it was that bad. Um, I mean, you know, that there has to be a moment there where you just go, No, I'm really, really sorry, but this is not correct. You have to go and look at this because you are incorrect. It's not even down to someone's opinion, it's absolute, it's just obvious. It was it was a complete and ball.

SPEAKER_01

Do you know what was hilarious uh last week? Um, because you mentioned uh Robert Lewandowski. What did you call him? Uh Lewandowski. Lavindorowski or something. Lavindowski, I called him. Who? Lavindowski. Right, okay. So um, as soon as you'd said this last week on the podcast, the following morning, I'm sure they've not taken it from here, but the following morning, it was it was reported that contact had been made. Yeah, well. And how much he wants a week, he's got you know he's on a free and everything. I was just discussing this at kids' football last night, and I'm like, how old is he? I'm like, but he's still scoring goals. People had look at Harry Kane, man United would take Harry Kane now. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00

Because if he's still still Jamie Vardy, if you're still scoring goals. Going back to what you said about the way that United took Casemiro off with two other players, the way that they did it in Barcelona was perfect for Lavendowski. I don't know if you saw, but they waited till just before the end of the game. I noticed his substitution. Every single player, including the goalkeeper, ran the length of the pitch, gave him a big cuddle, thanked him for everything because where Barcelona were compared when he joined to where they are now, they're back, they've literally overtaken Real Madrid. They are the number one force at the minute over in Spain, and that's for a couple of seasons now as well. And he's a big, big factor of that. I think they'll probably go for Alvarez. I think he'll be a good sign in for them.

SPEAKER_01

Just to remind us again, who's at who's Alvarez? So was he surplus to requirements? He looks like a world beater now.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah, absolutely. No, he looked like a world beater at City, but he was second fiddle to Harlem. We're going over things that we've got to do. No, no, no, right, okay. Okay, so so he's a great, he's an incredible striker. I was gutted when he left, but he can't keep a player that doesn't want to stay.

SPEAKER_01

So you got you got rid of him, but you kept hold of uh Kelecci and Acco for about five seasons because he was the next coming.

SPEAKER_00

Well, Len Acho went to Leicester and now he's now he's flying at Celtic, isn't he? Yeah, exactly. But my point is he's a class player. I'd be a bit worried if United signed him, even for a season or two seasons. He's a he he's he's a goalscorer. Yeah, and and that's what you need. You need a number one. A Cesco can be number two, in my opinion, for someone, but he's not he's not your main striker, is he?

SPEAKER_01

Reports around this morning suggest it was 300 million, suggest that we've got half a bill to spend now.

SPEAKER_00

Right.

SPEAKER_01

Like the new kit's come out. And the playing in the new kit for the last two games, I mentioned this last week.

SPEAKER_00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

The only thing that I get on my Man United Alerts is get the new kit. Get the new kit. New kit's out Thursday, new kit's out Thursday. And we're also Be playing next season's kit for the last two games. And you know what kids are like? Well, my kit's out of date now. Yeah. And all of this. And they're bloody expensive. They are horrendously overpriced because you see at the end of the season, they start off with like half price, then 70% off, 85% off. You go to the club shop, 90% off. It's nuts, mate. Half a billion, half a billion to spend.

SPEAKER_00

You need to sort your squad out. You're now in a couple of competitions. The thing is, I know, listen, when we first when we when we first turned up today, uh, you were outside and you came, all right, how's it going? And you were just having a job.

SPEAKER_01

All right, how's it going?

SPEAKER_00

You were having a bit of a joke there, going, oh, we're gonna win the league and all this, that and the other. Okay, jump jump. And I actually feel like Chelsea now have got more chance of winning the league because of the situation you were in this season, where they've only literally got one game a week to play, and they've got a decent squad, and they've got a new manager confirmed in Xavi Alonso. I think they'll be up there with City.

SPEAKER_01

Start of the season, 100 quid on Arsenal to win the league of 41. Next week, I'm gonna go and collect my money, I'm gonna put it down in front of you. That was it. No, Man United will finish second, and you were like, mate, that's some turnaround. You're having a laugh. We've now cemented third. Right? And if you didn't have Amar in there, we'd have probably won the league. Now, this is what I'm thinking next season. Okay. Right? If they stick with slots at Liverpool, they're done. I think they'll be better next year. Right. Okay, no, they'll be done. They're gone, right? And and and Issaak could be back fully fit, but he'll get injured again. They're not a happy squad. They're not a happy squad, and now he's replaced Salah. Exactly, but Van Dyke and Kanate and McAllister and all of these. You've got Sobersly, which probably make my uh Premier League 11 this season. I think it's been I think it's been pretty quality.

SPEAKER_00

The reason why City are back up there again this year is because they made those difficult decisions. I was heartbroken when Kevin De Bruyne left. I thought he's got another season in him or two, and then he's gone at the right time. Liverpool needed to do the same with Salah. He was clearly unhappy last year. They've kept an unhappy player, they brought a new manager in who did quite well last year but with Klopp's team. He's brought his new signings in, but he's now got an unhappy squad because there's too many superstars that still want to play that aren't to the standard that they once were. Liverpool are going to get rid of that dead wood this year. I'm not saying dead, I know they're legends, but they'll be gone. They'll bring some other players in and they'll be a better team next year.

SPEAKER_01

I like the way you treat your players as pieces of meat. They're done, right? For Garum.

SPEAKER_00

If you look at the history of Liverpool as well, I know it was under Klopp, but they always had, even with Klopp, they had a great season, then a not so good season, then a great season. They never had that consistency every year. They literally had an insane season and then a not so good run. I genuinely think they'll be back up there next year. Not I don't think they'll win it, but I think they'll be right up there.

SPEAKER_01

So the downfall is happening, and this is going to happen to you. I think you'll do alright next season. This is when the downfall happens. So you'll do alright with Pep's squad. Moresco start bringing in his little comedy players from Italy and all that. Not at all. And then you're finishing 14th or something at the season after, right? So this is this is you done. Uh Arsenal, they'll win the league and then they'll fall off a cliff, right? So that's that's them gone. All right. Who else have I got up there? Spurs? Well, forget about Spurs and who else? Who else? There's no other contenders. So essentially, just give Man United the title now. Yeah. And you know, I mean, I don't want to be look because Carrick's not got any Champions League manager experience. So I don't want to go we'll do the double, but I can see us doing the double.

SPEAKER_00

Let me tell you what's going to happen. Right. And I mean this. This is what's going to happen next year. Liverpool will improve, Arsenal will improve, and if they win the league this year, that's a massive thing for them for confidence because they've not been able to get over that hurdle. So they'll be better. City will improve. They will. The squad that they've got is young and they've preferred this year. The squad will have played together for a season. A lot of those players that we've signed haven't played in the Premier League. Then they're flopped at Parliament. They're talking rubbish, mates. To get over that, they're going to get better. They're going to get better. Tottenham aren't going to be a shit. They're going to get better as well. United, on the flip side, have given it to Carrick because they had to, because he's performed and achieved things. And he's then going to sign a few players. He's going to try and build a squad. You're not going to be able to, you're going to be competing against other teams that are looking for players in those similar situations. It's not going to be as easy to get the players that you need, even though you're now in the Champions League. And if you get off to a bad start, another manager comes in and then you start all over again. This is the worry for you next season.

SPEAKER_01

This is the season next season, right? So United, one more game to go. Yeah. Third is cemented. Champions League cemented. Surely this is the week.

unknown

Right?

SPEAKER_01

You play Casemiro and Bruno. But surely this is the week. Kids, I'm going to give you half hour each. Who've you got last game? Right in a way. They're a foreign team and they're battling for Europe. But would you not just try because it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter now. Win, lose, draw, whatever. Doesn't make any difference. He's got the job. We're third. We've got Champions League football. Who wants to step up and have a go? Who wants a go? Give him a go. I mean, that's what I that's what I'm thinking. I get what you're saying. You've got players going off to play the World Cup as well. Before we start, Glenn, for 120 million quid for him and 140 million quid for him, who's had one good season at Ajax or something.

SPEAKER_00

Have a look what we've got. I think Carrick will be doing that anyway, not necessarily in a Premier League game, but he, you know, he goes, he was obviously he was at the um FA Cup U final. He's keeping an eye on it. He knows what he's doing. I don't think he needs to go, I wonder who I've got played.

SPEAKER_01

Did you hear this? I can't remember he said it on a podcast TV show, but Amarim never went to any of these under-21s, under 23s or whatever, wouldn't have a clue who was in the academy. He was just told, you know, generic player A and B and puts him in the squad. So people are going, Oh, oh yeah, yeah, look at him. He's he's giving a chance to youth. He hasn't got a Scooby-Doo of he'd never been to it, never been to one of those games. That's in the past now.

SPEAKER_00

Play some players that are probably gonna leave. Give them a bit of a round of applause. You you you've done well for the club. This is the thing. If City don't beat Bournemouth tonight, then Arsenal win the league. Our last game of the season is against Aston Villa. It'll still be a party because we've won two trophies. Pep's leaving, we're gonna give him a massive send-off. And then, of course, you start John Stones, who probably wouldn't have started against Aston Villa anyway, and they get to run out and play the last game. You know, there's there's positives to everything, but I'm still bloody hopeful that we win tonight. Well, we take it to the wire.

SPEAKER_01

Are you watching the game?

SPEAKER_00

Tonight I'll be watching it at home. Uh on Sunday, I'll be obviously working, I'll be there at the game.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Well we'll we might do another podcast. Um to be fair, unless there's anything to talk about, because at this point, Arsenal have won the league and West Ham have been relegated. So those Sunday games at four o'clock don't mean anything, do they?

SPEAKER_00

I think we'll still maybe do one before the end of the week and then we'll do one to wrap up the season and then maybe look forward to a bit of World Cup fun as well.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Oh yeah. What are we, a month away or something like that? Less than a month away, isn't it? Uh well, cheers. Cheers for listening. Ever you missed last week's episode. What is it like to be a City Academy player and get released? And what do you do after that? Uh, we spoke to Lewis Barker last week, Coach Barks. Go back in your timeline, have a look at last week's episode. Have a little listen. Yes, it's really good. And what is it like to be an academy player through City and then get released as a United fan?

SPEAKER_00

And what do you do after? Yeah, what do you think? What happens to players when they don't make it and uh what do they do afterwards? And that is it's a really good listen. It was top. So yeah, go back and have a listen to that episode.

SPEAKER_01

Lovely.

SPEAKER_00

Come on, City. Love you, Pep. Stay one more year.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, come on. Hang on, you've just been all over Mureska. No, he's all right.

SPEAKER_00

Oh, shut up.