Football 2

1. Spurs Survive.

2. West Ham go down.

3. Pep, Silva and Stones leave Man City.

4. Salah and Robertson say farewell to Liverpool.

5. Coventry, Ipswich and Hull get promoted.

6. Chelsea and Newcastle look to rebuild.

7. Keane versus Fernandes, and the war of words.

8. Crystal Palace win their first European trophy.

9. Anthony Gordon makes his dream move to Barcelona.

10. Nuno decides to stay at West Ham.

11. Anthony Gordon passes his medical, and puts pen to paper with Barcelona.

12. Can British clubs create European history and win all three trophies?

13. Nobody's Perfect poem.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

The football season is now over, and this is just a recap of um what teams are being promoted to the Premier League, what teams got relegated, and the in-betweens. So let's start off with some good news for Spurs fans. Spurs survive on the last day of the season. I don't know who they played now, but I think they survived by one point. But overall, I've looked at the Spurs games, and Spurs I noticed in the games that I saw the highlights of, they um scored important goals, last-minute goals, and overall, um the team worked hard. Um some people might have said that they got lucky, but I don't think there was lucky. If you look at the season overall, they had a lot of draws, um they look they had a lot of important goals. So when you imagine as well that the Zerby didn't have a full season, um when he took over, they were in the bottom half or virtually in the bottom half of the um the league. So he took over and he done a great job. So um I think that his job is safe. I think uh the players like him, and um he'll have money to spend in the summer to boost the club and the team, and I doubt it very much if Spurs are going to be in the same position next season, but who knows? So, yeah, um Spurs survive thanks to good hard work um in the team and good leadership from Deserby.

West Ham go down

SPEAKER_00 1:55

Now for some bad news, um, West Ham go down. Um, the games that I've looked at, even though they went down, um the Hammers went down with the highest um points total of any team that were relegated. I think they got 39 points um um two or three seasons ago, that would have kept the that would have kept them up. But the premiership now is so um it's so hard to get points, it's so hard to get wins, it's so competitive that sadly for um the Hammers and West Ham, it wasn't enough. But the games that I've looked at, there wasn't working hard when they lost the ball, they weren't chasing back. Um when they went a goal down or two goals down, their heads dropped, their shoulders dropped, and there wasn't the team spirit to keep fighting to give themselves a chance. So is it unlucky? I don't think so. Overall, um, they deserve to go down, sadly. Um, and a team like West Ham, they've got a lot of good players, even though they went down, they've got a lot of good players in the team still, and most of those players have got clauses in their contracts, which means that if they get relegated, which they have, they will most likely trigger the clause, which means they can talk to any clubs who want to um buy them or take them online. So I think we'll see five or six players from that West Ham team leave. Um, plus, as well, when you go down, um, you lose about 100 million pounds in revenue from TV and merchandising. So they've got that to think about as well. Um, and the two most important players are Jared Bowen. He was the heartbeat of the team, good player. Um all or most of the players looked for him to for guidance. He's very experienced. He wasn't picked for England, but still a good player. I think if he goes, I think a lot of the team um a lot of the team morale will also go as well. The manager, Nuno. Um if he does stay, he's gonna have a very hard rebuilding job because as I've just says, they won't have £100 million coming in, they won't have money to buy new players. Most of the new players will most likely come from the B team, and there'll probably be youngsters, 17, 18, 19-year-olds coming into the team. So if he does stay, which I doubt it, he'll most likely sign a one-year deal with the option to walk away if things don't go the way that he hopes they will. Um, but yeah, those are the most in two important people at the club. If Nuno goes, Gerard Boeing might go as well. Um saying that both of them could stop, or one of them could go. So it all depends how the talks go. Um, so yeah.

Pep, Silva and Stones leave Man City

SPEAKER_00 5:28

I've already mentioned about Pep going in an earlier um podcast, but yeah, Man City's season also comes to an end with three major departures. Pep's going after 10 years, so is Bernardo Silva and John Stones. Um Silva was a great midfielder, and also um he used to drop back in the bottom three to help out in defense as well. Great player, he had vision, um, tactics, good tackler. Um he worked tirelessly for the team. You know, a great player. Again, been there about seven, eight, nine years, probably. Then you had John Stones, great player as well, good defender, good header, um, good with both feet. He had great um tactical awareness. So, yeah, um, I think he was there for about nine or ten years, I think, as well. But um this season um he hasn't played that much due to injuries, which obviously wasn't his fault. Um, saying that, he's been picked to play in the World Cup for England, so let's hope that he stays fit and he can um feature in some good defending work for England. Um, so yeah, um

Salah and Robertson say farewell to Liverpool

SPEAKER_00 6:53

we move on to Liverpool again. There was a lot of talk about Mohammed Salah. Um, would he go? Um, but I think after what he said about being thrown under the bus by the manager um when things were going wrong, all in his opinion, all of the blame seemed to go on him and for him not scoring enough goals, um not working hard enough when they lost the ball. And I think the straw that broke the cameras back is when he done that interview saying that um he was to blame when there's 11 players in a team, but he he thought that all the blame was on him, and so in a way his decision was made up from that um that point onwards, and his relationship with the manager kind of broke down. Um and when he um got subbed in some games or wasn't played in some games, you know, um you could tell that something wasn't right between him and the manager, but yeah, so Mohammed's um gone. Most likely he'll go to the um the Saudi League last season. They wanted to buy him, but um he wasn't ready to sign then. He wanted to um stay for another year in Liverpool, so his career is um with Liverpool is over now. Um obviously he got emotional when he said a final farewell to the fans. So, yeah, a great player. Um the last season or season and a half hasn't seen the best of him, but you know, like I always say, um players are human beings, and you can't expect them to be scoring 25 or 30 goals every season, you know. He had a period where I think for three or four years he was top scorer, um got the golden boot. So, you know, you can't expect that player to keep on scoring goals, especially when he's getting older, he's getting more injuries. Um, the injuries that he used to like um knock off or miss a game, he's missing like three or four games. So, you know, and that happens to all players in all sports. So, yeah, um Mohammed Salah's gone as well. Robertson as well is going as well. Great defender. Um, I like the way that he used to bump up and down the wings, you know. Um he used to work hard as well, he used to chase back a lot, which was his strength as well, so he's going as well. Um

Coventry, Ipswich and Hull get promoted

SPEAKER_00 9:45

right, and that leads me to the three teams from the championship that have been um they've been promoted, and they are Coventry, Ipswich and Hall. We all know about Coventry and Frank Lampard. Um it wasn't his team or players that um that he brought in that had got him promoted. Those players were mostly from the um manager before, but he still had to get them over the line, and I think they won by about 10 or 12 points, but yeah, they won um comfortably. So yeah, um those three teams have been promoted. Um I'm being honest, I think two or three of those teams will probably most likely come back down again because when teams get promoted, they have to have the money behind them to buy players in the transfer windows. Um, if you're not making your team um stronger in those windows, you're gonna be in the bottom half. And by Christmas, if you're in the bottom three, I always say that the bottom three teams who are still there at Christmas are virtually in um quicksand, and once you get in quicksand, it's very hard to get out of. I think the only team who were bottom at Christmas and who were bottom on the last day of the season um and survived is West Brom, who done it in 2005, I think they've done it under Brian Robson. So it's virtually impossible to get out of if you're in the bottom three.

Chelsea and Newcastle look to rebuild

SPEAKER_00 11:39

Um, and the other club, um, I would say which are going through transitions, is Chelsea, Xabi Alonso. He'll have a new season to rebuild the club. Um, also Eddie Howe and Newcastle. I think Newcastle they finished mid-table, and um his last few games haven't been that good. Um he was hoping to get top ten and get into Europe in the UEFA league. Um, but yeah, I think the owners will give him another chance. They won't sack him because I think that he's a good manager. They've liked him when he was at Bournemouth. But when he was at Bournemouth, there was no pressure on him to get into a top ten. When he was at Bournemouth, the owners were happy for him to just stay in mid-table. Um, when he's come to Newcastle, the owners want better results. They want him and the team to get in the top ten, top eight, and Europe if possible. So I think um the owners have got faith in him. He's a good manager, I think, um, and with the right um funds. But I think Newcastle will have to offload about four or five players and bring in at least four or five players again because the team now I think I've gone a bit stale. So um yeah, and that's about it. Um so I think most players now are gonna have a holiday unless they've been picked to play for their countries in the upcoming World Cup. So um that starts, and I think June the 11th, I think the World Cup starts. So all the focus is gonna be on those players. Um so yeah, bring on the World Cup and let's see what our home team England do. And you know, like I says, they have to get through the group. I think they will get through the group. For me, they have to get deep into the tournaments. When I say deep, I think they have to get to the semi-finals or final for me personally. If they get knocked out in the quarterfinals, for me, that will be a failure. Um, after the last two tournaments in the European Championships. So, yeah, bring on the World Cup.

Keane versus Fernandes, and the war of words

SPEAKER_00 14:24

Over the past week or so, there's an ongoing um let's call it war of words between um Roy Keane and Bruno Fernandez. Um so um Bruno Fernandes, he was attempting to um make a pass, but I think he made a shot or something instead, um or vice versa. Anyway, um after the game, Roy Keane made some comment about that if um Bruno Fernandez was more um selfish and um took more shots at a goal, he would um win more games with um Man Uniting and probably uh win more cops and trophies as well and titles. Um but anyway, um Bruno got to hear about this in the press, um, and he said that Roy Keane was putting words into his mouth. Um and also Roy Keane um said that I think that Bruno Fernandez is after the passing um record or something. The stats now for the most pass and assists of goals um for a season. These days the stats really think, and I'm not a fan of stats. The only stats I want to know is Um for goal scorers, games played, and goals scored for and against. I'm not really into these stats as in um the team who've got the most percentage of the ball, the the most passes, most passes um in half an hour, the most yards ran in in a in a half or a full match, um the most saves by a goalkeeper, all these stats I'm really not interested in. And the thing is, um I think that um Roy was trying to say that this team is never gonna be as successful as the Man New team of the 90s, and I don't think they will. The Man United team of the 90s firstly was being managed by the great legendary um Salex Ferguson, and at that time he had a crop of six or seven English players that came through the ranks and they won everything league titles to FA Cups to um uh European trophies, doubles, things like that. And um I hope he I hope it um stops because I don't like comparing errors. I don't like uh comparing the players to other players because a player can only be as good as the ability that I've got. Um so yeah, um I'm not one for stats, I'm not one for war of words, and you know, Bruno Fernandez is a good player, um, he's a good midfielder, he's got good passing, he does great free kicks, but he hasn't won as many titles as um Roy Keane, and most likely he probably never will because he wasn't in that great side, and um yeah, I've got a huge respect for Roy Keane. You know, he's an he's a no-nonsense um um pundit because he was a no-nonsense uh um tackler, he was a great tackler. Um I can remember when this guy, right? I forgot his name, I can see his face. He was a blonde guy, he had long hair, and he done a bad tackle on on Roy Keane, and um Roy Keane he vowed to get this guy back and he waited. I think Roy was out of the game for a few other few weeks or a month or two with this injury, and when he played that team and that guy was in it, he went for him and he trapped him, basically, and he said some words to him um like that's for what he did to me a few months ago or something. That's the type of guy that Roy Keane is. Um he's no nonsense. I'm a big fan of him, and when players don't turn up, he says, you know, they don't turn up, they don't put a shift in, they don't um track back, they don't um, you know, if it's a captain, he says that they don't lead from from fr from the front. You know, he's he tells it as he is, he does he does not give no BS, he tells it as he is, and that's what I like about Roy Keane. He hasn't changed from his young days to his um his older days as a as a pundit. But getting back to this Bruno Fernandez spat with um Roy Keen, I think um Bruno, I think he took it to heart a bit, if I'm honest. Um and yeah, that's it basically. And I just hope it um I hope it stops because all this um a to and fro is not gonna be too good um for the club because both of them are um manual like through and through. So I hope they can sort it out and at the end of the day um shake hands and move

Crystal Palace win their first European Trophy

SPEAKER_00 20:26

on. I have some more good news for British clubs in Europe, um, because Crystal Palace have just won the UEFA Conference League Cup, which is a third-tier um trophy, which comes under the um European Cup or the Champions League. Um then it comes under the UEFA Cup, which Aston Villa won. So, yeah, um that makes it three cups in two years for Crystal Palace and Oliver Glasner. His first um trophy was beating um Man City in the FA Cup um last year. Then after that, he won the FA Community Shield against um Liverpool in August of last year, and then um obviously he's won the um the UEFA Euro Conference Um League um trophy, the first European trophy in the history of Crystal Palace. So Mr. Oliver Um Glasner is a good manager. Um yeah, I didn't know too much about this um UEFA Euro Conference Um Cup um Cup League. It started in 2021, so it's a relatively new trophy um to win for those clubs who can't make it to the um championship. Champions League or the UEFA Cup rounds. They beat Real Valicano, which is which is the third best team in Madrid, behind Atletico and Real Madrid, obviously. So yeah, um, I'm also a bit surprised that Glasna has decided to not renew his contract. I mean, to win um three trophies in two years is a very good feat for a club which is not a top eight or ten club, if we're honest about it, but yeah, he's a good manager, he gets on with all the players. Um I think what um sort of cemented his decision is when um the owners decided to sell Mark Gahey to Man City. Um as we all know, Mark Gahey is a very good defender, he's strong, he's durable, he's um tactically aware, he's good in the air, he's um not easy to knock off the ball, and he was um a good defender and the heartbeat really of the team. But when um the owners decided to sell and take the money from Man City, um that really didn't please Glasner, and that kind of made up his mind for him. So, yeah, um Crystal Palace win the trophy, but we'll have to start the new season with a um a new manager because as I've just said, um Glasner is up to pursue other um other personal um things in his life, so good luck to him.

Anthony Gordon makes his dream move to Barcelona

SPEAKER_00 23:52

The other breaking news, which I knew was happening, but I didn't think that it would go through, was um Anthony Gordon signing for um Barcelona. Um I knew that there were fans of his when Newcastle played um Barcelona in the Champions League. He actually scored against them at Barcelona, so they had the radar on him for quite a while. So yeah, um he signed a deal for just under um 70 million pounds. Um to be exact, it was 69.3 million pounds, which includes all the add-on fees as well. Um today there was um video of him and footage leaving um an air hanger and walking across the um across the runway to a jet to go to Barcelona to um get his medical done, and hopefully when that is all sorted out, he'll sign and get unveiled um for Barcelona. But I mean there was interest from uh Bayern Munich for his signature, but if it was if it was a um a choice between the hot son of Barcelona and La Liga and playing with the likes of Um Rashford and Lamille Lamelle, you know, the teenage superstar for um Barcelona and Spain, I think his mind was already made up. But yeah, um what can I say about Gordon? He's a he's a very quick, fast-pacy um winger who's right footed, he can play down the wings, he can play just in front of midfield, and he can also play um centre forward. He's he's done that for Newcastle on various occasions and games, so yeah, he's a um a good player. Um, he's 25, he's very ambitious. You know, I think he'll do very good, and I think he'll become a better player because when a player goes to a big club like Barcelona, they can only get um better. Um the most um famous person that's gone from here to Barcelona has got to be um Garelinka when he left from Spurs, and I think he went to Barcelona for two or three years, and he and he became a better player. So yeah, um Anthony Gordon going to Barcelona. I wish him all the best. You know, he's a top player, and he's also gonna be in the England team at this year's World Cup, so everything is going in the right direction for Gordon. So yeah, all the best to him.

Nuno decides to stay at West Ham

SPEAKER_00 26:49

Um another bit of news um which which really um surprised me a bit was Nuno for um Nuno for West Ham. He's agreed to sign a new deal to manage them in the in the championship. Um I think it's a year option or something like that, but yeah, he's um agreed to manage them. I think with Nuno. Um I think he's signed a deal where if things don't work out, um he's agreed to um walk away. But um I think it's a good um I think the owners and the people in administration talked him round. Um West Ham is a good club, you know, they are not the weakest in the um in the league in the in London. Um although they went down, I still say that West Ham is a strong club. They've got some good players there, uh Gerald Bowen and the like. So yeah, um hopefully Gerard Bowen will sign, and then he'll be there to guide the young players um uh um like coming through. So yeah, um those are the main football stories so far. Um I'm sure there'll be more um which will um pop up as we go into the World Cup and all the World Cup news. So yeah, Nuno is staying for the time being. Anthony Gordon is going to Barcelona and his new life in the sun. And um a huge congratulations to um to um Crystal Palace for picking up their first European Cup, but sadly saying goodbye to Oliver Glasner, a good manager. So um, whichever team gets Glasner, he's got a good manager there with lots of potential. So yeah, he's a young manager with you know he can still come into management if he chooses to walk away and do other things in his life, but yeah, um that's it so far.

Anthony Gordon passes his medical, and puts pen to paper with Barcelona

SPEAKER_00 29:13

Hi, just some late news before the weekend. Um Anthony Gordon flew to Barcelona yesterday for his medical, and the good news is that everything went okay. He passed and he put pen to paper on that deal, um, which is 69.3 million pounds to Barcelona. So um all being well, he should play in the upcoming games for Barcelona. Um I'm not sure if he's gonna play in the upcoming friendly um because Barcelona have got a game against Birmingham. Um I'm not sure if it's June um or July, but I know that it's a pre-season game. I'm not sure if he'll play. Hopefully he will play because Birmingham will see him play um for the first time for Barcelona at the Birmingham City ground in Small Heath. So um yeah, let's hope he shows um shows us his first outing there for Barcelona.

Can British clubs create European history and win all three trophies

SPEAKER_00 30:24

Um a bit of news on Arsenal's game against um PSG in the final of the Champions League tomorrow. If Arsenal win, that'll be the first time in history that um a country has won all three European Cups. At the moment, it is um Crystal Palace who won the UEFA Europa Conference Cup, and then there was Aston Villa who won the UEFA Cup, and hopefully Arsenal will make it a treble and make history as the first um country to claim all three European trophies. So good luck for Arsenal um tomorrow.

Nobody's Perfect Poem

SPEAKER_00 31:16

And lastly, for this episode, I will um say my poem that ends this episode. This poem is called Nobody's Perfect, and it goes something like this jealousy affects us all, nobody escapes. When you least expect it, everybody takes. It stares you in the face, admit it, you won't. The pointed finger of truth, you'll say, No, don't.