THIS IS THE WORLD CUP SEASON
Joel Ross (MU) and Nigel Clucas (MC) get into all things Manchester United and Manchester City.
THIS IS THE WORLD CUP SEASON
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Joel and Nige are back - few games in
Are we WC mad yet ? Or does it really all start when the big hitters turn up
We cover Brazil, go down a Jo hole
Our love for the Scottish fans
Catch up with Nige’s mate in Mexico
and more of the usual
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Welcome back to this is the World Cup Season podcast. We just put World Cup in it because that's what people do. You just stick the World Cup sign all over everything until they come to you and say, um, right, that's 20 grand. You've got to pay for the trademark of the World Cup. Uh I'm Joel, I'm a United fan. Here is my friend Nigel, who is a City fan.
SPEAKER_01How are you doing? Yeah, and obviously it's World Cup time, so that is why it is. This is the World Cup season. Two things. Have you got a beer?
SPEAKER_02Yes, I have. Yeah. Do you know what I've got here, right? Listen to this. One of the nicest sounds ever. Are you ready? Oh. There you are. I'm just having a week. Um what? I always thought, I always thought, and like, this is such a missed opportunity for Man United.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_02You know, they every sort of five, ten years, they could have done an anniversary wine for Fergie and flogged it. Yeah. Because he's, you know, he's he's partial to red wine, isn't he? He loved a red wine back in the day. They made so much money from that, and they've never ever done it. Or even a whiskey, with him being a scort. Oh, fantastic. Well, look, I I I sat next to him. It was the um it was when Ronaldo had just had all that stuff going down with Man United. And I was in the Ozen Trainers place uh at Hadock, and I sat next to him. Is this the second stint of Ronaldo then, yeah? The second stint of Ronaldo, and obviously no one nobody wanted to ask him about it, and he had a runner there at Hadock. And he nursed the same glass of red wine for a good hour and a half. So he's not he's and he left a little bit before he went home. So he's not like you know, everybody used to say, Oh, I used to love a bottle of wine before the game and then afterwards and all of this, loves a drink. Do you know what? You know, as he's getting older and a bit more dodgery, he just sat there and and and nursed it. Right. So I thought if he has three or four, I'll just say, Alex, what's it what do you think about Ronaldo?
SPEAKER_03Then all this shit going down.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. He wasn't drunk, so he didn't really spill the goss.
SPEAKER_02I was seeing the TV and I didn't read that because I don't read anything, I don't read emails or whatever. And it was like Sir Alex Ferguson is in attendance and it was all the Ronaldo thing going down. Do not go and speak to him. And that was to like everybody on site. But you hadn't seen it. I hadn't seen it. So I've got the camera, and I'm like, right, you roll in, right? Here we are. Sir Alex, do you mind if I uh if I just if I just grab you, he turns round and I got that, you know, that death stare. Right. The oh oh my god.
SPEAKER_01The one that he used to intimidate uh journalists with and reporters after the game if he dared ask him why United hadn't won.
SPEAKER_02Because I turned around and he's he's got his ear and aids in, so I went, Sir Alex, do you mind if I uh just just just bump in here? And I think he thought I was going to talk about football, but straight away I said, So you've got your new horse running in the 240 today, what you're thinking? And that stare turned into a smile. Oh, and and and then he just oh well, you know, a new horse and everything, you know, probably from the extra and what have you and and he he he loves talking about his horses. Um, but normally what journos do is then turn it to football afterwards, like thank you, bye-bye, thank you. Yeah, but yeah, yeah, talk to him about horses all day long.
SPEAKER_01Because at the time, uh Ronaldo nearly signed for City. Can you remember this? Right. He was literally on his way to City, and then Fergie got involved and said, This cannot happen. You cannot let him go to City.
SPEAKER_02But Ronaldo's since said that that was never gonna happen. Is he just saying that because there was a couple of Ronaldo shirts that you saw on um Instagram and and Twitter and stuff, and people have already got made and he never turned up.
SPEAKER_01I think it was it was one of those things that would have happened uh genuinely. I think it was gonna happen, and then obviously, you know, United just wouldn't let it happen. There were other players that you needed in different positions, and it's one of the reasons that you it's taken an extra couple of years to get back to your former glory. Right, let's talk about shut up then.
SPEAKER_02Let's talk about the World Cup, right? Uh are you in World Cup fever yet? Because because we haven't seen like a proper big team play yet. I mean, the next one is Brazil, yeah. Uh, they're playing uh Morocco. We're not. Do you know what? This this will be a tighter game than most people think. People are thinking like Brazil will just turn up and roll them over. They've been a surprise package before. But I think once you start seeing your Brazil's and your Spains and your Portugal's and your France and and once England obviously start, then that's when we're fully into it.
SPEAKER_01It's that carnival atmosphere that that that Brazil bring. It's all the fans, it's the it's obviously you know, that's what the World Cup is all about. Um I know we're gonna have a chat to a couple of people that we know between us that are that are out there at the World Cup at the minute. I've got a friend who's just been in Mexico. I think he's making his way to a different part of uh North America at the minute, but we're gonna try and catch up with him at some point. He sent a few um voice notes over, uh, and I'll play some out in a bit because they they they are funny, mate. He's been amongst the crowd, and I I think he fancies himself um as a bit of a you know, like uh you know, like when they go over to someone in in the stadium and and a reporter and get their an update on the game. I think he fancies doing that for This Is the World Cup podcast.
SPEAKER_02So it's like uh Gillette Soccer Saturday or whatever it is, and you've got uh Simon Thomas Simon Thomason who's on there. Yeah, and he's uh right, okay, let's go over to uh Dave, who's watching the Mexico, Dave. What do you what do you think, Dave? Honestly, just and then they come. Well, let me tell you, it's it's been uh well, it's been end to end, and uh Raul Limenez, he's scored, he was nearly crying, what lads? Now he's gone back to Wolves, he was crying, he was it's it's one here. Hey, thanks very much there. We'll take you for come back to you in just a bit. Meantime, Muss, what's happening in Canada?
SPEAKER_01It's exactly that. Let me try and find some of these. I don't know if they're any good. I've not really had a listen yet, but he's a lovely lad, this fella.
SPEAKER_00The flag is up, and it might be one on the Mexican keeper is literally banking the jobs.
SPEAKER_01But the thing I mean you can understand what I mean there now, Joel.
SPEAKER_02But this is when you've got to go back to the studio and uh Simon Thomas is there, and he's gonna go, well, thanks very much for the update, uh Dan. Um let's get let's go to uh our uh our VAR over there, Mike Dean. What do you think?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, well I think he was definitely upside there, because I think he knows what I mean. He's very inside, but he's definitely offside.
SPEAKER_01He's a very lucky man. Oh my god, so what's happened?
SPEAKER_00We're going back to Shepherd Public Ron! Five minutes after Shepherd Public got a goal, we'll dump off side.
SPEAKER_01There you go. Honestly, so there we go. That that was he was actually at that game. Uh, one of the I think it was the second game. He's just been soaking up the fan zone over there, and uh I think a lot of fans have done this um because it's so expensive to obviously follow England. One, getting hold of a ticket at a reasonable price, two, your accommodation, your flight, everything. It just becomes impossible for the normal fan to do this. So, what a lot of people have done is they've flown and and took advantage of being amongst the atmosphere of the World Cup and gone to some of the other games and just kind of followed a different team. I mean, he he popped over to Mexico, went to uh see Korea, got himself a ticket quite easily in Mexico to see that game. Uh, and obviously the fan zones are insane as well. Have you ever been to a World Cup, Joel?
SPEAKER_02No, I've never never have.
SPEAKER_01Never mind. I went to Germany, I went to see a Brazil game, uh, we got tickets for one England game, and then the rest uh we just went for the qualifiers. We travelled to a couple of different cities, but we the the fan zones are insane, they're so good. Like you've got people there from all around the world, everybody gets on. It's not like you know, uh sometimes it gets a bit heated in the you know in the in the Prem, don't it? And uh, you know, uh well any any any UK league uh it can get a bit tasty with the opposition, but in the World Cup, it tends to just be like like I say, like a carnival party atmosphere.
SPEAKER_02The closest I've come to is watching I think it was a friendly between England, it may have been Sudan or someone like that back in the day at the State of Machite in uh in the North East.
SPEAKER_01I remember that when the when when they used uh when Wembley was being re I think it was being rebuilt um and and they moved to the new Wembley. So for a period of time, they used to do all the England internationals at different grounds across England.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and I think because I I was living up there at the time and I I was in like a five-mile radio, so you get cheaper tickets and you have to go in the ballot and all that sort of stuff. And I genuinely it it was somebody like Sudan or somebody somebody like that, you know, it was it was it was not good. Hey, I'll tell you what, speaking of um big teams like Sudan, um Brazil, I f I fell into a Joe Hole this morning, right? Your Brazilian striker at Man City from back in the day. Yeah. Off the top of your head, how many times did he play for Brazil?
SPEAKER_01I bet he played, I don't know. I I would imagine maybe 10 times. 20. Wow.
SPEAKER_0220 times for Brazil. I mean, God, he couldn't even get in the Everton squad. Well, you couldn't get in the Everton squad because he kept buggering off back to Brazil, didn't he? Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Do you know the best thing about Joe was it was so cheap to get his name on the back of your shirt.
SPEAKER_02I I'm doing all my research about Joe for no reason. It was 12 past two this morning, and I thought I'll just have a look at the game overnight. Uh, and it wasn't that exciting as of yet. So um the own goal goes in for um uh for for USA, so finished 4-1, yeah, USA Paraguay 1. USA looked decent, but I just started yeah, I just I just started looking on my phone and fell into this Joe hole. And um the conspiracy of why Joe was bought by Man City before the takeover. If you've ever been down that rabbit hole, you know, I've not have you not. I know that we signed him from uh a rock shooting club, yeah. Yes, yes, yeah. That's all I'll say. If you if you want to go and have a look, and it might be true, might not be true, but the same thing comes up over and over and over again. What you pay for him, 18 million or something like that, a big signing, it was no good. Yeah and it's worth a read, or it's definitely worth a video. The reason why Joe signed for Man City, it's you know, if it's true, it's a brilliant story. If it's not, just believe it anyway.
SPEAKER_01Right. Well, I I mean, I don't know. I might have a little nosy at that. We've had some brilliant Brazilians over the years in the Premier League, and I know City have had a few, United have had a few. Alano was one of the best footballers, such an incredible midfielder. It was him and uh Burkovich who played together and they were both insane. But Alano, he scored a free kick against Newcastle that shot into the top corner. If you can't, I mean you might not remember this goal, but it was it was honestly, it was a ri a ridiculous distance out where you kind of go, you know. I remember I'm sure it might have been at the time when Andy Gray was on uh Sky, and he was like, he can't shoot from there, Paul. It might be Brazilian, you can't shoot from there though. Whoa, what? Oh no, he's gonna be too far. It's gotta be, and then he's like, Oh, second boil, second boo. He was an amazing player, and obviously we had Rabinho as well, who was uh one of our most famous Brazilians. Rabinho is no good. He was a decent player, he was a decent player. He just he just came to City, and other than like Stevie Island, he didn't really have any much to play with.
SPEAKER_02I think as well, Alano um great at City, like you say before all the big money came in. So, so good. Good bargain and all. But the fact that he's called Alano, and you could say that in a proper mank accent, Alano! Alano, you're right, mate. I was just trying to find out what Alano is doing now. It looks like 15 years for a tax evasion. Really? No, I'm joking. Okay, good yeah.
SPEAKER_01Honestly, absolute ledge. He was such a good player. Who's your who'd your who's United's most famous Brazilian?
SPEAKER_00Casanero.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, of course it will be, won't it? I mean, you know, he's just left. He's still in the Brazil squad. I've got the Brazil squad here now. Obviously, it's not as good as back in the day, is it? I mean you used to look at that Brazil squad and going, that bench and the people who aren't even on the bench is better than 90% of these teams in there. I mean, I don't know if Neymar's still injured or whatever, what Rafinha, Cunha.
SPEAKER_01I think it's Neymar's been ruled out for this game, but the the the hopeful that he's gonna make an impact at some point during the World Cup. I hope teams like I know it's one of them, but uh I quite like it when the big boys do well and perform and have a good World Cup because it just means it's gonna be an extra special World Cup. It's always nice to have a couple of surprise stories along the way, but you want your Brazil's, your Argentinas, your Francis, obviously your England without doubt, to just have great tournaments.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean looking through this Brazil squad, there's there's obviously all your big names in there, there's some oldies, there's some classics, uh, and there's some new talent.
SPEAKER_01Always ends up turning up uh for Brazil. He scored some unbelievable goals over over in quite a few tournaments over the years. Is Rasharlison in the squad? I couldn't I I couldn't find him. He might well if he's not then fair enough, but I th I would have thought so. I've got Bruno Gimarais in the uh Conyer I uh I can't see him in the squad. Right, unless he's got one s no, he's not in the squad. Alright. He's he's not in the squad. Well, I mean, you know, he's not gonna have a good World Cup then, is he?
SPEAKER_02Hey, could that's the question uh before we move on to England or whatever? Yeah. So Saka's injured, isn't he? Is it Achilles issues apparently he's got a knock.
SPEAKER_01He only came on for about 15 minutes in that last friendly as well, uh, against Costa Rica, but he's got a bit of a knock. Um we've still got a few days, it's not till uh till Wednesday, is it? So hopefully he'll uh it'll it'll be okay.
SPEAKER_02Right. Um well what is the cut-off point for or is it passed already where you can go someone gets injured really badly in training or someone's injured?
SPEAKER_01As soon as the tournament starts, that's it.
SPEAKER_02That's it. Yeah. So so like for example, Jordan Henderson fell over now. No. You you you couldn't go right, Cole Palmer, Phil Foden, get yourself to bus get yourself at bus stop now, get the Wallace Arnold 127 from uh Chelsea to uh the airport.
SPEAKER_01Not a chance. That's it now. So let's have a look at the last starting 11 against um Costa Rica the other night when we had the friendly. Because I don't think it's too far from what I would think will probably be Pickford in goal, Reese James and O'Reilly are your full backs. Centre half was Conza and Stones. He does like Stones, doesn't he? He loves Stones, but he is such a brilliant player. As long as he stays fit, he can have an amazing tournament. I'll tell you what I was really impressed with Anderson, Bellingham, and Declan Rice. I think those three absolutely brilliant in midfield the other night. I know it's only a friendly against Costa Rica, but I do think that you know when it comes to a solid midfield, that that's up there with the best in the World Cup that. Anderson, Bellingham, Rice, and then um I would probably start Rashford on one side and um and Saka if fit on the other, and then obviously Kane up top.
SPEAKER_02So Saka's not fit.
SPEAKER_01What you playing, Medweki or um Yeah, well, I mean he he he played The Last Friendly, didn't he? And started and played played quite well. Um and then also well he played Gordon, didn't he?
SPEAKER_02Um yeah, he likes Gordon, he likes Gordon, doesn't he? Going back to your midfield here, I think we you know, on par with uh Portugal, we've got Anderson, Bellingham, Rice, love it. Have um Forrest turned down 120 million from um City for Anderson. Because I I was talking about it at the kids' football this morning, and you get all the dads there, and you've got a different you know, it's a Manchester, you've got you've got all the um Man City and um Man United fans there, and we're chatting about it, and and we're just in the same way of like you go and get him, and it's like but 120 mil they've turned down from City, and he wants to go to City, apparently. This is the big thing. Yeah, they're just trying to I mean he's so good, he's so he's such a great footballer.
SPEAKER_01I find it quite frustrating now. I know you don't want to just go too from too from and just like you know, basically otherwise you've got no you've you've got no power in the sale at all. Uh this is from a city angle. So although they're arguing now over pretty much five million quid, which is obviously a large amount of money, but when you're just adding that onto 120 million, get your five out and just get it over the line, get it done before the World Cup kicks off, let him have a good tournament, everyone's happy, move on.
SPEAKER_02You see at United, if it was us, what we do is just fire another four or five dinner ladies, you know what I mean. Sack all the people who were pulling the pints and get some of those um pull your own pint replacements in there. But look, yeah, look at that, look at that. I mean, Anderson, Bellingham, Rice. I think if Fergie had still been in charge now, that would have been Man United's um midfield.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. He had the pull to get those players to Man United, and that's another thing that you'd miss, but I don't want to upset you. Let's keep it England. So I'll tell you what, as well, let's quickly talk about England's bench because it's pretty impressive, even though we've said that in that midfield. If he wanted to mix it up, you've got Mainu on the bench, who had an amazing end to the season. So I think he might feature uh in the World Cup. I don't think he's gonna start Henderson, I think he must be there just to give that wise you know, bit of experience on the bench. I can't see him starting many games unless, of course, we get a few injuries. What do you think?
SPEAKER_02No, I I agree, but listen to people like Joe Cole, Frank Lampard, John Terry, and all this, and they were talking about the you know the golden generation, they were missing this sort of player. Okay. Uh, you know, Roy Keane always would say all the time, like, what's he there to do? Does he do magic tricks and all that stuff, and you know, organised nights out? What is it, what does he do? But uh at this point, when they have a lot of younger players, they need apparently they needed the senior, the seniority there. And and this is what Jordan Henderson brings. I don't think he's there to play. So therefore, my head goes straight to he could go on the coaching staff. There's nothing to stop him from going on the coaching staff, and therefore you take a Foden or you take a Cobarmer or something like that. So he is he's there, he can he can be on the touch child if he wants to be, he can be in the dressing room, he can I right look come on, lads. We're 4-0 down to Kev Verdy. We need to keep going here, and then we'll all have beans and chips and mash for tea.
SPEAKER_01We're shooting down little second half, we'll be alright. The sun's in my eyes, man. Do you know what? I'll tell you, let's talk about that as well. Because I know it's quite it is it's just one of those things that you're gonna hear over and over and over again, and it is the heat. How are they gonna survive in the heat? Well, the drinks breaks and everything like that. And is that just an opportunity to get more adverts on the tell?
SPEAKER_02I I think the the ITV set looks absolutely tremendous in that loft apartment in New York. It looks absolutely stunning. And then I saw the BBC one. Uh, and you see, we've got little waterfalls in and everything, and um, oh god, I bet it's only costing the same price as uh Micah Richards Airdo's. But the temperatures are only I think it was cooler in Mexico than it was in Canada, and it's it's like 30 degrees or something like that. We've all been in the park and played football. I mean, obviously not at a stupidly world-class level for 90 minutes and but one thing I've noticed so far, the amount of yellow cards. If you're a you're a betting fella or a betting lass, this is where your money should be going. Yeah um overnight another was it six in the game before, five and that first game three reds. Yeah, three red cards in the first game. Now I listen back to the first podcast we did, and I've said, Oh, you want loads of goals, loads of send-ins off. Well, we've got two goals and three send-ins off.
SPEAKER_01And looking back at those reds, I think in the Prem they wouldn't have been given as reds. Maybe one of them would, maybe one of them, but two of them were a bit soft. So is that going to be another thing that we've just got to keep our eye on in this World Cup? Do you think there's gonna be reds and cards left, right, and centre?
SPEAKER_02Well, well, Harry Kane's not that sort of player, is he? But I always think back to the Rooney and Ronaldo thing. You know, Rooney's that thick kid at school, isn't he? That you just keep poking him, poking him, poking him, and before you know it, he'll he'll go and smack you, and then he gets in trouble for it. And that's what Ronaldo did to him and then got him sent off, and then the you know, did the wink and everything. If you've got some really clever players who are just defenders standing on Kane's toes, and he's not that I say it's not that sort of player, it's not Richarlison, easy to get sent off, but you uh you know, and and and Thomas Tuchel will be telling the lads this and the and the backroom staff, just watch your heads here because they will try and wind you up. And if this is the way the tournament's going with the refs and the card happy, watch yourself, really watch yourself on this.
SPEAKER_01I'll tell you something, not long now, Wednesday night, 9 pm, England, Croatia. I'm so excited now, honestly. I really am. There's also obviously gonna be Brazil playing later on tonight, which is gonna be brilliant, and then let's quickly touch on Scotland as well, because they're obviously gonna play early hours of uh of the morning, Sunday morning, 2am. I am half half uh tempted to either stay up or set an alarm on my phone for this one because you know I think it'll be great, and you know what as well, bloody hell, there's gonna be some absolutely hammered people walking around Scotland because they'll already be drinking now, right? You don't kick off till 2am, and then the game could go on for about another, well, obviously a couple of hours with all the stops for hydration. The Scots are gonna be all over the gaff.
SPEAKER_02Well, do you know what? Like Sky Sports and TNT Sports and all the other channels around the world have been really focused on uh Brazil, Spain, Mexico, and the Scots. They've got them at the airport, they're the ginger wigs on, yeah, they're all absolutely hammered at the airport. There's foreign interviewers, they've got no idea what they're talking about. And you're the fun die.
SPEAKER_01I love it, I love it. They are brilliant, the fans are so funny, they're great. Like um, I was up in Glasgow. Uh years ago when Scotland beat France and it was a huge, huge game and a massive result. I don't know whether it was for qualification or something. I can't remember. All I remember is I was there, I was doing a gig up there. There was a pizza up next to the hotel. So we dived in there to just get some pizza before we were working. And just as we did, the full-time whistle went and everyone left the stadium. And I remember us all being sat inside and there were families and everything. Next thing you know, people are walking past, just absolutely pissed as far with a kilts on, and literally lifting up the kilts and just putting their asses against the window and whistles are up. It was so funny, man.
SPEAKER_02That would have been the is it your red 2008 qualifier who's uh Gary Colbell who scored. Do you remember? Yeah, I think it was one nil left. That was it, that was exactly the park, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Like people were just so happy, like the celebrations left, right, and centre, and people were just I mean, there was a lot of nudity, just fellas just naked running up and down the road in the middle of Glasgow. I love the Scots.
SPEAKER_02Probably 10 years ago, it's before COVID, yeah, and the Scottish FA were doing this whole thing um with the police and everything about when we do an old firm derby, it's gonna have to kick off at like eight o'clock in the morning or nine o'clock in the morning. And then because everyone's turning up pissed, right? And they went, they went, no, if it kicks off at nine, they'll start drinking at four. Yeah, I'll start drinking at four, they'll go right through. Oh, but yeah, the highlights of the next few days, right. So we got uh Qatar, Switzerland, uh, which nobody asks for, which is tonight uh eight o'clock. Uh Brazil-Morocco, Saturday night action there. There's Netherlands and Japan. That's probably gonna be the most competitive game so far, I reckon. Definitely. Um Ivory Coast and Ecuador, I'm calling it now nil-nil. Uh that's because Ecuador brilliant defensively, can't score goals. Yeah, Ivory Coast has got some good players, and then Sweden and Tunisia and the match that nobody asks for.
SPEAKER_01So I mean, listen, it's it is gonna be uh gonna be great. And you know what? Before we play as well, uh I know we're gonna we're obviously gonna do another episode, but we'll have seen Spain, we'll have seen Belgium as well. Uh by then they play on Monday. Also, France uh are kicking off their uh their tournament on Tuesday, the day before we do, and then obviously it's England on Wednesday. So lots to look forward to. Looking forward to seeing Brazil later on. Please share this podcast around people. Press follow, you'll never miss an episode. Uh get in touch with us as well. If you go to um at the season pod, uh give us a follow, get on our DMs if you want to come on the pod, if you uh, you know, anything. We're we're up for anything, aren't we, mate?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, um uh and I'm painting the studio this afternoon. Um so for next season when we go back to Man City versus Man United, we'll be in full 4K in a very posh studio in vision, so you can look at my beautiful dyed beard.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and it is beautiful as well, let me tell you. Do you know what we might have to do before between now and then though? Get ourselves to BM, get some England flags, put them on that back wall, and do something in the new studio. I'd love that.
SPEAKER_02It wasn't BM, it was a very similar shop to BM. Um I was I was waiting at the checkout and they've just got England merchandise everywhere. I picked up one of those plastic hats, one of those plastic flags, and of course, what's the country where they were made? Go on. China Amazing.
SPEAKER_01Wouldn't have it any other way, would we, Eck? Right. Listen, come on, England, it's coming home. Well, we'll be back soon, won't we?