Tim: 0:11

Welcome back everybody to episode 22 of the Pattern Play podcast. You are joined by Tim again as your host with Von and Chris. Thanks again, guys, for joining. How are we doing?

Chervon: 0:24

It mixed emotions.

Tim: 0:26

Hmm.

Chris: 0:26

You seen how nice the weather is, eh?

Tim: 0:30

Outstanding weather your side.

Chris: 0:33

all we wanna talk about for today.

Tim: 0:35

Yeah, might be easier. Certainly more pleasant. The football does not stop, and we are just sort of hanging onto our coattails here, trying to stay along for the ride and, and stay updated with everything that's happening. We also got Champions League of course happening this week, so lots to talk about. Before we talk Premier League, let's just quickly reflect on. The draw, which happened since the last episode. We had a very weird, weird situation. I think it'd be remiss not to at least cover it as a football podcast after being told that you can't mix politics and football by FIFA as a footballing body. After the Israel Gaza situation or during the Israel Gaza situation, we're now faced by having a fake peace prize awarded to someone in a footballing environment, and then have a president sort of take the, the center stage at a footballing competition. Very odd, very odd vibes. Did you guys feel as uncomfortable as I did around that whole ceremony? Just a bit weird, right?

Chris: 1:47

I think for me, I mean the World Cup and all of that kind of lost credibility with the lost tournament. Let's be honest.

Tim: 1:58

Yeah.

Chris: 1:58

Like that whole, the whole thing felt like a bit of a sham. We could probably go back further. We could even go back to, to when we should have got the, the tournaments in 2006. But I think just think, yeah, I'm with you. It's a bit of a sham.

Tim: 2:13

Yeah. How do you feel v.

Chervon: 2:16

It's, it's really heartbreaking because I love the World Cup. I, it's one of my favorite times every four years. Like, I love football at the end of the day and the World Cup, just, it's a gift that gives, you know, and it's, it's, I kind of made excuses majority of the times because the football is so good everything that happens behind the scenes, the ends justify the means in a way. you can say it with the 2010 World Cup'cause definitely we know it came here. Because things were done behind the scenes for me. What, like even the Qatar one, I also, it was run, the way that they won the bid, not the greatest, but the football gave the best. I mean, I, I watched

Tim: 3:05

Very good.

Chervon: 3:05

game of that, of that, that tournament, and it was beautiful. This American one. Like I've said before, I was actually planning not to watch it, but then dreams are coming true with the draws and, and South Africa qualifying, Saudi Arabia winning. The one after that is absolutely, or not even the one. So we're gonna get the six countries and then Saudi and the way that that was done, like the six countries, done so that it eliminates everyone else except for Saudi to to host it. And then I think after that it kind of, every other continent is also eliminated so that it can go back to America or something side effect. And it's just, I don't like when politics takes away from the game. I really don't. It breaks my heart and 84 minutes of praising Donald Trump before we can get to a draw is just frustrating on a Friday night. But I mean, it's not like we're not gonna watch the game. It's not like we're not gonna wake up at four o'clock in the morning to watch. But it's because we love football. I hate the fact that it's in America. I hate the fact that Donald Trump is gonna be the face of this, this tournament. I also hate the stupid song. It sounds like a, a heartbreak love lullaby. It's got nothing to do with football.

Tim: 4:19

Definitely the worst in a long time in terms of World Cup chant or theme songs. Yeah.

Chervon: 4:24

Yeah. It's just, know. But like I say, I hate everything that. Comes with it, but I love the football, so I'm still gonna watch it. You know, it doesn't matter what I say. It doesn't matter how I feel. It's still gonna give back to me, and it's still gonna make me fully in love with football again.

Tim: 4:42

Yeah, it's a tarnishing, a tournament that shouldn't be tarnished, but well done. Gianni Infantino. And there's certainly a word in your last name there, which is your maturity level and your political development. But there we go. I've got two Liverpool fans on the show today, so I feel like we have to speak about the elephant in the room, guys. Pretty incendiary couple of days. F why don't we start with you first. It's obviously a bit of a while the football can go up and down. I think when the greatest, arguably the greatest ever Liverpool player sort of decides to go to war with the coach, which is certainly what it looks like might be going on. And now it looks like he's not coming with the squad to to the, the mid midweek fixture. How do you feel about it? Where, where do you sit at the moment? Initial thoughts?

Chervon: 5:37

It's so difficult because. I, I see both sides of the story and I dunno if that's just the journalist in me who, who sees both sides of the story and tries to remove the emotion from everything. But I can't, I cannot

Tim: 5:53

I.

Chervon: 5:54

be emotional about this. I cannot have feelings about it for both sides, both the club and the player. I remember the last time a club legend felt this way when a manager sort of. Through, through him under the bus. And I say that in quotes, in in quotes or whatever because I don't know how true that is. When Brenda Rogers kind of made Steven Gerard like sit on the bench and you know, it's difficult because I don't. I don't think Sah is on the level of Steven Gerard in terms of carrying the team on his back sort of thing. don't get me wrong, at the same time, I don't think we could have been where we are and won the trophies that we've won over the last 10 years without Mohamed Sah. I just, I don't think he's carried the team the same way as Gerard has or did, but that doesn't take away the fact that he deserves the respect. I think benching him for the two games was enough. Not bringing him on in the leads game is too much like I, and I think the fact that in the other two games that, that you binged him, we won one and we drew one. And it's not like it made the biggest difference, him not pitching up, which even said after the game or while we were. When we had conceded the two goals against leads before we had taken the lead again and then conceded again. I said to my dad like, this just proves that seller is not the problem in the squad. squad, the problem is the management like going defensive when you still have 30 minutes to play. That's not a livable mentality. It's not how we play. We don't score two goals and then sit back and say, come at us. especially when you're weak in defense. That's not what we do, but that's what, that's, that's the tactic. So him what he said is not the right thing. A hundred percent is not the right thing. You, especially when your team is going through what it's going through and before such an important travel day, he hasn't traveled. And I do think that that's the right decision. I don't it, from what I can gather, didn't necessarily come from Clapper, came from Michael Edwards and Co. they made the dec the, the decision not to let him travel, whether he plays against Brighton, not. At the weekend or not? I, I don't know. I do hope that they're going to take this time that he hasn't traveled to sit down with him and try and iron out the issues, but I feel like he, he's kind of getting. Hate online for his reaction, which I, which I think is justified at the end of the day.'cause like, like I said, you don't, it's not the livable way. You don't throw the team under the bus just as much as the team should throw him under the bus. And I do feel his pain, I also feel like. It's sort of a situation for me where everyone always sees someone's action or reaction to something. No one sees what caused him to have this reaction. We don't know what's been happening behind doors. We don't know what's been happening in the change rooms, and, and it's so. Prolific in a way that Dom, in his post match interview said what happens in the change room sort of stays in the change room. And it was a few hours before Sah let this bomb out, tells me that there is a lot of stuff going on. I've sort of suspected it for a little while that slot is slowly losing the change room and the dressing room. I feel like that the players aren't giving their, their all to him and I, and I think that's what's sort of breaking things down. So. I'm disappointed in Salah and his reaction, but I'm equally disappointed in the team in allowing it to get to this point where he feels like he needs to be heard and the only way that he is going to be heard is by speaking out in this manner. yes, it does hurt the club, but yes, it does also hurt the player, I would hate for him to leave on this note and be given. The Cher that he deserves to be given, given his service to the club.

Tim: 9:59

Chris, how do you feel Similar.

Chris: 10:02

think von said a lot of what I would've said. The first, my gut thing is he, he went about it the wrong way. I think as much as he is a world class player and he is so good, he possibly bought into his own hype a little bit too much. So he thought everyone's gonna come out in support of him and whatever.'cause I mean, this is only what, like the third or fourth interview he's ever given and he's, he, for me, that's a person who has preplanned this thing and he's gone, this is what's gonna happen. And in his, his head. He's thinking everyone's gonna come out and support me and on a slot. Which for me to, to v's point, I think slot, I think the last time I was on the stocks falling for me was slot because it does seem like he's lost the dressing room. The players, it's, it's that they all are playing so badly at the same time. You don't all lose form. In that much of a coincidence and top top players like Virgil Vandyke doesn't seem to be entered, is making far too many errors. He's, he's better than that. Like I just think even if, even if they're not playing badly on purpose one of club's ethoses was that he kind of gets everyone to know everything about everyone else and they're playing for each other, and that like he created a. Sort of atmosphere, I don't think is there right now. I mean, who there besides possibly who there can you honestly say is giving a hundred percent maybe caught of Bradley in the odd game?

Chervon: 11:46

Curtis.

Chris: 11:48

Kurt is, yeah, Curtis. the rest seem to be kind of going through the motions or whatever. I mean, Cody g Post. He's looking pedestrian. He just seems to do the same thing over and over and it's, it's, it's not looking like a team who wants to win. but that said always a big proponent of that you, you don't air your dirty, dirty laundry. if ser had an issue, I don't think he went about it the right way.'cause he just looks, he looks like a bit of an ass right now for me. Like,

Tim: 12:22

Yeah.

Chris: 12:22

think he should been kept on the bench and everyone's still, he has been playing badly. But then let the guy come on 20 minutes to go and kind of have, have a run, have a go, back into form. That would be my kind of thing. But instead he's going, I'm the scapegoat and I've been thrown under the bus. There's been so many of them that have been spoken about. But there's nobody who can replace digs. For example, Virgil VanEck, nobody. You can't put him on the bench'cause we don't have a decent or even half decent central defender to put him ka kaz. I dunno why he hasn't been benched. But anyway, that's a whole other story. But for him to say what he said. Have that go at the manager. I think even though he kind of came out and said, I love the club and everything, he kind of thought he was bigger than the club and that's always been a massive, massive Liverpool thing is,

Chervon: 13:16

he's bigger than the club, though

Chris: 13:18

I beg your pardon. I.

Chervon: 13:19

in the statement he does say he's not bigger than the club, but he thinks that he deserves to be treated better.

Chris: 13:26

He says, I'm not bigger than the club, but I've earned the right to be on the pitch or something like that. He said, I've earned this, to me is saying I'm not bigger than the club, but I am bigger than the club

Chervon: 13:37

Great.

Tim: 13:38

The actions. Yeah.

Chris: 13:40

Yeah. The thing is, in, in, in football for me, if you, if you, if you're not on form, nobody a present thing. You can't be like, Hey man, I, I was great last season. I have to play every single game. And the dude keeps himself in shape and everything. And there's been a lot of talk about how he's missing Trent, but I don't think that's the, the issue. I think the rest of the team maybe isn't putting in a big enough shift and then they're able to double up on him more than they ever did before, which kind of frustrates him, makes it harder for him to play. He's also kind of lost a a yard of pace, which used to be one of his big assets. But even besides that, he's been struggling to go past people, et cetera, et cetera. He's probably lacking a bit of confidence, but, but still for me. I, I don't think you're not playing well, you don't deserve an automatic starting place. So as much as he is has been our best player for years. I think also, I think Slot was trying to make a statement by binging him. So I think they both wrong, to be honest. It's like, for me, it just, it's just a, for the lack of a better term, it's a massive shit show.

Tim: 14:55

Yep.

Chervon: 14:56

My thing, my thing is, sorry, I, I get what Chris is saying. I agree a hundred percent. If you're not playing well, you don't deserve to be in the starting lineup. But for me, what the argument is is Salahs not the only player that's not playing well yet. He benches him, but leaves IBO on the pitch where you can play Endo or, Joe. Yeah. Joe, who's also a center central defender, end of plays as a defender Japan. So you can play him, Joe sits on the bench. On the bench. Cody's not having the greatest time yet. Cody starts every single game. The only reason why he didn't travel is apparently he picked up a knock against lead. So he's injured and he's out for a few weeks. That's what you just said in the press conference. Where you have Rio that can play on that side, you have words that can play on that side. You have Hugo that can play on that side, like Za guys, za. The only Kea literally saved slot's job a week ago, and that man sits on the bench, doesn't get any game time. He's left behind'cause apparently he's sick. That's why he didn't travel. And apparent slot says if he gets better by tomorrow morning, he'll fly in play in Italy. So case it in travel. So my thing is Coke is another one. Why is robo on the bench? And Coke is starting when Coke is.

Chris: 16:18

Yeah.

Chervon: 16:18

If this man is not falling over and causing cock, literally he still starts. I don't get it. So my thing is, yes, I get why Sah feels like he's being thrown under the bus and why he's been made an example of, because you can list mistakes from every single player besides maybe Dom and you have op maybe not the best options, but I mean. Won a final with the kids. So if you're

Chris: 16:49

Yeah.

Chervon: 16:49

talented enough to manage the right team, you can pull out results regardless of who's there. If your team is not showing up, play.

Chris: 16:57

Yeah. But that goes back

Tim: 16:58

Yeah.

Chris: 16:59

to Columbia's like methodology and his man management. Like I said, I, I think in, in as much as I think s was wrong to do the interview, I think Slot, definitely trying to prove a point. Show he's in charge, but he is having the opposite effect.

Tim: 17:17

I said this earlier on in the season, which was that Dutch managers often. Do well initially abroad and we'll have a period of success. And then when it goes wrong, it's often as a result of personnel issues, which is just man management is often less effective for Dutch managers than tactical management because as someone with a Dutch passport, I don't, I can get away with saying it. The Dutch directness, the sort of the emotional intelligence when it comes to. Approaching interpersonal conflicts, we are often very direct. We don't soften the message often and we don't allow it to land with tact. And I think when Salah says that he went from having a relationship to no relationship, I think it, it, it's bad look for slot as well in the sense that, when your arguably greatest ever player feels that his only way of emotionally releasing his frustration is to drop down the tunnel into the mixed stone, find the first journalist he could find, and I'm telling you that Norwegian reporter must have thought. Christmas had come early. The fact that it was him and his station who randomly got this expose interview off the cuff of the game, but obviously Sal's head is hot. He's seen leads come back and, and, and score the, the, the equalizer and it feels like he's dropped down the tunnel and he's just let it all out. But as a manager. You've gotta be better than that. You are. You cannot allow a relationship to get to the point where that's how the convo goes, because that's a what, what it sounds like to me is that. That that's a one-sided conversation for a boardroom where S sits down with slot and they have this convo, but there was no convo clearly. And so Sal has had that convo with the world in a very dirty, uncomfortable way for every single person. I'm sure Sal doesn't like it either. He's a professional, he's a, as you guys know, he's a kind of happy go lucky, cheerful bloke. You know, quite rare for someone with that level of talent. And so, for me, I, I don't like it as a player doing that. I think it, you shoot your team in the foot, but at the same time, I think it's a representation of really poor personnel management. And you guys say he might have lost the dressing room. I think it's gonna be really interesting to see where we go from here, because a lot of the players who are in that dressing room are new and their loyalties may align more closely with slots crew. Stand with Salahh because at the end of the day, an awful lot of those players don't know Salahh very, very well. And this was one of the themes of the athletic article was that their sources in the dressing room are saying. We expected Salahh to, you know, say something soon, that there were these tensions, but that there aren't an awful lot of very close personal one-on-one relationships, van Dyke being one of them with Salahh. But beyond that, a lot of his best friends have left the club and so he may feel more personally isolated and that he is being squeezed out of his, his club. So there's a lot of balancing frustrations here, and I feel it's a. A real shame, you know, for this to have happened. That said, when Arteta had a fight with Aba Yang and Aba Yang went from Arsenals, talismanic Striker to get him out of here on the first flight to Barcelona and sell him. I think it was all down to Abian coming late for a North London Darby, a couple, you know, I think he was 20 minutes late or something. He drove there instead of joining the team bus. Arteta used the fact that almost to like be an author, like authoritarian leaders sometimes need a moment where you can. Use some as as, as an example, and then it actually creates more team unity. So you basically, you other them a little bit and you go, that's not how we do it in Liverpool. And then you create this sort of yeah, backs to the wall mentality. We've been cornered. And it sometimes actually work to improve squad unity. So let's see how we go from here. But I wanna get quick predictions from you both in terms of. Liverpool first.

Chris: 21:49

to

Tim: 21:49

Go on, Chris.

Chris: 21:50

question before, before we move on, and it's something I'm kind of wrestling with in my head, von, if. Liverpool had to get an offer for Sila, which I'd imagine would be in the region of what? million? Would that be worthwhile? Sorry. Jumping in here.

Chervon: 22:15

It, it's difficult because

Tim: 22:20

Who are you getting 200 mil from?

Chervon: 22:23

Is the only option,

Chris: 22:24

the society's

Tim: 22:24

I don't see it for a one year contract.

Chervon: 22:27

but. I know Saudi's been after him for a long time. Right. And I, I think Saudi would be the only possibility for him. But the Saudi League is also changing. They're, they're not necessarily investing in big names anymore because they, they have come up and they have established themselves and they're trying to bring in younger talent right now. I don't think they're going to offer big money and cover his Salahry.'cause remember, he's, he's owning a lot. My thing is. Do I want to sell him? The answer is no. Does he want to go? I don't think so. It's, it's literally, it leads into what Tim was going to ask. versus slot. Which side are you on? Like, who do you choose who goes first? And if you have to ask me, I don't want either one of them. I want it all to be back to perfect and everyone loving each other in a real world. But if you had to ask me, I pick s. And I say this as someone who I don't even own Aala shirt guys. I own a lot of Liverpool shirts and a lot of of my shirts have players names on it. I don't even own Aala shirt, but I pick SLA over slot and it came down to, it was something small and I remember this when we won the league in Against Spur that, that specific game, was incredible, right? It wasn't necessarily when we got the trophy or anything. We, we won it against both and we had gone a gold down and we came back and all of that stuff. And when we had won, I, we were celebrating and I mean, it was a massive party. I was at the Liverpool Supporters Club in Cape Town, it was amazing. I said to my dad, just done the unthinkable in the, in his first season. But do you feel towards slot the same way you feel you felt towards lop both of us said, no,

Chris: 24:26

No.

Chervon: 24:26

for him, but I do not love that man. I appreciate him. I adore LOP and I adored him from day one before he had won anything. I, I like,

Tim: 24:39

charisma. Yeah.

Chervon: 24:41

dunno what I think. He just, he gets Liverpool, he gets the club, I feel like, and. It was small things for me with, with club, and I'm not saying I'm not, please don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to compare the two,'cause I know they're two very, very different human beings and two very, very different managers. Two very, very different ideals when it comes to football. But for me the difference is when Liverpool lost the Champions League final to real Madre the first time. They had already arranged an entire party or whatever in case they weren at the hotel. They lost. Everyone was upset and Hindo speaks about this in one of his interviews and everyone was upset and they had gone, gotten back to the hotel and everyone was like done. They wanted to go up to their room, sleep it off, travel back home the next day, like forget about it. K did not allow them to go back to their rooms. He was like, we party. We made it to the final, regardless of the fact that we lost, we made it to the final. No one thought we were gonna make it to the final. We made it so we party and we celebrate. And he, didn't force, but he encouraged them to all drink to party, to dance, to get rid of it, get the bad vibes out,

Chris: 25:48

Yeah. He said if If memory,

Chervon: 25:51

like

Chris: 25:52

yeah, if memory served me, he said, this is just the beginning. Why are you upset? It was the Europa League actually. And he was like, I wanna see everybody on the dance floor.

Chervon: 26:00

You're correct. It was league that we lost. It was off his final, but like I don't get that from slot. I don't get the camaraderie, I don't get the family feeling from slot. It's very tactical and it's weird because yes, you say he's Dutch, but Klo is German and I expect like a more military sort of way of things from a German as opposed to a Dutch coach. But. I know that they're two very, very different people and you can't expect the same personality and the same tactics, and the same morale to come from them. So please don't come at me for that. But feel like Liverpool is built on a family, a brotherhood. They look after each other and you can even see today Solo went to training, smiles. The guys were there like. As if nothing happened, sort of vibe. He was told afterwards, one minute, and, you know, one minute conversation with slop, you're not traveling. And, and he accepted it, sort of vibe. But I don't feel like that, that team, the coolness, the, the, the brotherhood is there anymore. And I, and I don't know if that's just the way that slot runs things or if things have just changed in, in the foundation of Liverpool.

Tim: 27:11

Yeah, I mean, KLO is a unique individual in some respects which is why he, you know, he was able to do so well at Liverpool. But also a unique. A unique style, which just meshes with your club culture and your club history as well. You know, like in many respects, even the German tactic that he sort of invented or or developed gag gagan pressing, of course, is. Very close to what Liverpool, as you guys all know, very well, associate with what a club identity for how to play looks like pressing high intensity. You wear your heart on your sleeve, you know.

Chervon: 27:54

like, like before we would go a goal down and it never worried us because we knew it would just make us angry and we would. Go harder. We would attack, we would throw everything we possibly could to get the goals back in. Now we go, go a goal down and everyone drops their head and they're like, oh, well it's another loss. That's it.

Tim: 28:14

Mm.

Chervon: 28:15

Or we go a goal up. They're not even celebrating the goals. We go two goals up. We're not celebrating. We make stupid changes and go all defensive.

Tim: 28:26

Yep.

Chervon: 28:27

really, I'm very emotional today. Let me be a goal. I'm sorry.

Tim: 28:31

Completely understandable. So quick thoughts on some of the other games for this week. So we'll just do a quick pulse check for the title race. Villa Beat Arsenal. Two, one. Quick thoughts on this one from my side are one's one game too far. It's been a wonderful run, but I dunno how to describe it, but in my head it's like, you know when you are, you are running into your house after a cold day and you've got like a jacket on and a hat on, and a scarf on and gloves on. You know what it's like when it's like snowing or something and you run inside and it's warm, and you start peeling off layer after layer, after layer, after layer after layer. I feel like Arsenal over the last few weeks. After each game, we peel off another player and just discard them and then go into the next game. And it's like we look gradually more and more naked until we're walking into the snow and it's just us in our boxer shorts, you know? And there's a limit to how, how far you can go with a squad like that. And a couple people have been saying, but that was the whole point in buying the defenders and the extra players and having a big squad. And my response to that is. You don't win titles with your B team, even if your B team is a very good B team, because the idea of a squad is to raise the floor of your minimum level so that if you do lose your Gabrielle, you can bring in someone like a mascara or a Hincapie or whatever. Or if you lose a timber, you can bring in a white. The intention is not that you lose. All of those players, replace all of them and still maintain your level. That's not how it works. And so I think we are starting to see the impact of not having big big Gabrielle Magalia at, at center back, no saliba and general fatigue from the players who have been playing way too much football because they're, they're second in commands for those positions have not been available and. It's great to have a center mid who can play upfront for like 20, 30 games in Michel Marino, but it's not sustainable. That's not how we're supposed to play. And so, yeah. Long story short, folks, I think. Villa played a very, very smart game. They played very well. It was the first time we've conceded that much xg this season. I think it was the first game. We've conceded more than one xg since the Man United game on the opening day. And we were, I think it could have gone either way. I feel like Arsenal could have won three Now I feel like coulda won three. Oh, I, I thought one, one was probably the fair result, but at the end of the day. If you don't clear your box and you do a couple of silly, silly mistakes which look like fatigue in this league, you're gonna get slapped. And we got slapped. Villa came to play. I think Arsenal didn't have enough fuel in the tank. And I think that when you are up against Villa, that can happen. And Villa Beat Arsenal twice. Last season I think it was LA no, the season before, they beat us twice when we had the title Race against C, they beat Citi that season as well. Home and Away Villa have a fantastic record against the big six over the last two, three years. I don't think they're going to be in the title race come the end of the season despite what they think. But they were brilliant. And sometimes when you come up against a team in, in really good form, this happens. It's the Premier League. This is why we love this is why we love our league, is because even if you think you're on top and you're on an unbeaten run. Someone will come for you one day and this time it was unfortunately Unai Emery, who loves to have Michel Art's number. Any thoughts on Villa and Arsenal guys?

Chris: 32:33

Villa's been on a great run of form. I think Liverpool's the only team that beat them weirdly enough, and so I wasn't too shocked. I actually think on Super Brew I put Villa to beat them. But yeah, Austal's got the, the injury problems or whatever. They just need to hang on and hope that, don't do anything great

Tim: 32:57

Agree. Agree. City looked good, didn't they? Again,

Chervon: 33:01

That that assessed by Turkey is, oh man, I could watch that on repeat for days.

Tim: 33:13

incredible.

Chris: 33:14

yeah.

Tim: 33:15

And fo,

Chervon: 33:16

It actually

Tim: 33:17

I mean,

Chervon: 33:17

he's back and it seems like our predictions of when Har, if Harlan doesn't score, said he have nothing FO is showing up and is back now and.

Tim: 33:30

doku scoring and Yeah.

Chris: 33:33

because

Tim: 33:33

Yeah.

Chris: 33:34

Harlan's been crap. he's, he's not scored. Yeah.

Tim: 33:44

Yeah, he has been a bit for a few games.

Chervon: 33:47

I We move

Tim: 33:48

I.

Chervon: 33:48

next game quickly, I, I don't wanna make fun of Arsal at all because I really do respect them and I think that this is their, their title to, to lose. Honestly, honestly, honestly. But I saw. Video and it's not the one I sent you guys of like everyone's reaction after them going this, the goal going in Villa's official Instagram accountant, I'm pretty sure they've done it on TikTok as well, have put the highlight reel of that goal to the Titanic Music and it is absolute gold. It is beautiful. Do yourself a favor and please go and watch it. It is absolute, absolute gold.

Tim: 34:33

Listeners, you can do that. I think I'm going to be protecting my mental health and leaving that one alone. Foden, just to jump back onto Foden for a second we did that episode a, a few games back where we Chris, you, you did mention Foden and he looked. Himself, even if he hadn't yet had an explosive game. It was actually, I think it was the, he, he played okay against you guys and then he played Newcastle away, which they actually lost Yeah. To one. But his movement looked like with Foden, it's sometimes weird. You can almost see from how he's just passing the ball around, whether he's on it or not. And so off the back of that game, even though they lost, I brought him in for fantasy football and I captained him. And last three game weeks, I've captained him and he got 15 points, 17 points, and then 12 points, which obviously captain doubles it. He has been insanely good. Now Foden is like this. He's very streaky, so I do expect it to go on for a few more games and then he won't score again for like. 20 games, but right now, that's all you want. Right? Your manager goes, Holland, stop scoring someone else fill the void and the dude just explodes. Crikey. Yeah. I, I don't envy Thomas Thomas OL's job in the summer, man to pick a fricking attacking lineup for England. My goodness. Me, Cole Palmer. Foden Saka Cain Bellingham. No. How do you put everyone together and make it work? We're back to England with the Gerard Lampard skulls problem, aren't we?

Chervon: 36:13

despite all of this, they still won't win the World Cup.

Tim: 36:18

Oh, no,

Chervon: 36:19

they won't.

Tim: 36:20

for sure. No, but they'll get close enough that football's coming home will become a trending song again. And then chelsea, I, I feel like Chelsea's just a, a bit of a tease at the moment. Arsenal drop a few points, and then you look at Chelsea and you go, oh, Chelsea are now gonna win and catch up, and then they lost to leads, which you did. You did. I, I didn't see that coming at all. And by the way, leads have had a fantastic few weeks. Oh my goodness.

Chervon: 36:54

played

Tim: 36:54

What on earth has happened there?

Chervon: 36:56

in one week.

Chris: 37:00

had a, a,

Tim: 37:00

And they've done well.

Chris: 37:01

his name? You know what I'm talking about? He's, he's had a lot to do with that. He's been spectacular for them. He is such a no. Yeah.

Chervon: 37:13

And the guy that scored the third goal for, for leads against Liverpool, I can't remember his name, with a T. He scored also his first two goals in the Premier League. Obviously in this week alone. Like the, yeah, no leads are leads. They were under pressure with their manager and they flu, and they were like, okay, we'll turn on for you.

Tim: 37:36

Are you talking about the Tanaka guy they signed a year before? Oh man, he is. When LEED signed Tanaka, I think that there was a lot of surprise that Leeds had managed to attract him to a, a non-prem league club. And yeah. Wow. He looks comfortable. I I think even if Leeds go back down, Tanaka will be picked up by a a team'cause he's brilliant at, at, at, at cent mid. Chelsea, Chelsea are a weird one. So

Chris: 38:06

to blow high gold,

Tim: 38:07

after the game against.

Chris: 38:09

all of the players, not just the

Tim: 38:10

Yeah,

Chris: 38:11

which they need to be like Liverpool's at least been consistent the last six, seven games.

Chervon: 38:17

Yeah. Consistently bad.

Chris: 38:18

Yeah, that's what I mean. But.

Tim: 38:21

There's is such an asymmetry in, in, in dedication to the cause for me. You've got players who are lining up for Chelsea, and maybe this is what happens when you give people 10 year contracts or whatever, that there's no actual motivation for some of them to try, but. You look at someone like Enzo Fernandez and Reese James, and they are literally putting everything on the line in every game to the point where I think they step over the line. Some of them, while Kaido definitely did in the game against Arsenal, and Enzo is a thoroughly unpleasant person most of the time, but I'm sure the Chelsea fans love it. There are others though, where you just look at the body language and you're like, dude. What are you doing? Like Garcio will lose the ball and then just jog back. Or Tosin, who was signed very recently from from Fullham and just suddenly looks like he doesn't know how to play football or care either that he doesn't know how to play football. So it's a bit of a weird asymmetry. It's like one moment they're like really, really hot. And then the second, then the next moment there. They're beaten thoroughly by leads and then against Bournemouth. Bournemouth have, I mean, we were loving Bournemouth at the beginning of the season, and they've just been sliding down the table, and yet Chelsea couldn't, couldn't do anything, couldn't lay a glove on them, really.

Chervon: 39:41

Inexperience and the young players because. When they do really well and they play really well, I feel like they get hotheaded and then they go into the next game and they're just like, oh,

Tim: 39:51

they don't.

Chervon: 39:51

you know, no one can touch us. We did this, we did that. they forget that every single game you have to turn up. So that's why your older, your older players, like, like you're saying, Reese, James and, and Enzo, they show up and they go, balls the wall every game because. Their experience. They know that you have to turn up every single game, whereas with the rest of them, but they, them being so young, they're not used to that sort of mentality maybe a little bit. And maybe they, they need to be a little bit more managed in terms of their mindset. So I think that's what it boils down to is just them being young and their ego is getting a little

Tim: 40:27

A bit emotional.

Chervon: 40:28

when they like, you know, beat am Barcelona, for instance.

Tim: 40:33

Yeah,

Chervon: 40:34

Yeah.

Tim: 40:35

or draw with Arsenal and then Enzo comes out and says, that's why we're the best team in the world. It's like, hmm. I think be easy with that stuff. I don't think you should ever crown yourself the best in the world in the middle of the season. Yes, you won the club World Cup, but

Chervon: 40:50

in Chelsea

Tim: 40:50

Mickey Mouse.

Chervon: 40:51

He's the best looking player in Chelsea though. I'll give him that.

Tim: 40:59

No comment on that one. Any other, any other comments on any of the games? I didn't really see any others of interest, to be honest with you.

Chris: 41:06

just,

Chervon: 41:06

back nicely.

Chris: 41:08

but in terms of predictions Von didn't you say stock rising? Harry Wilson. Did you scored another cracking goal on the weekend, so he is they lost still, but, but he's

Tim: 41:20

Did,

Chris: 41:21

magic little left foot of his is doing great things still.

Chervon: 41:26

Yeah. Harry Wilson, guys.

Tim: 41:31

they did lose. But I, I, I, I do like what I'm seeing from Fullham. I like the balance and Wow. They, I mean fullham of the ability, and sometimes this just shocks me for Premier League sites, which are around mid table. But like, you look at the starting lineup and you're like, whew, decent man. And then he at the 60th minute brings on ke Kevin, the Brazilian left winger, Josh King, the young right winger and someone else up front to partner with Raul Jimenez. And I'm looking at her and I'm like. He's just replaced his front three or added front three attackers that I would expect to start for a Premier League team. I love Josh King. I think Kevin is really exciting. Yeah, it's just a bit surprising that Fulham just have these players sitting around, you know, Emil Smith Rose and whatnot. But yeah, representation of how incredible our league is, I guess that a mid table club is just stacked with talent.

Chervon: 42:28

I think they Up if they

Tim: 42:29

cool.

Chervon: 42:30

be on the worst end of a, of a lot of VAR decisions. I know, I, I, hi. I hype on this quite a lot, but I genuinely think that they deserve to be much higher on, on the table than they, they are based off some of the really bad refereeing and VR decisions that they've had.

Tim: 42:49

Yeah, I can, I can agree with that. Right. We're almost at 50 minutes and I promised myself 30. On that note this has been Liverpool in the Limelight, a little bit of an episode where we focus on a single club with two supporters. We're probably gonna have a Manchester United in the Limelight later on this week with Balan and Sal. But until then, Von, Chris, thank you so much and have a great week folks. Cheers.