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Football Weekly
World Cup playoff drama and Salah’s legacy at Liverpool: Football Weekly Extra
00:59:56
Max Rushden is joined by Jonathan Wilson, Nedum Onuoha and Will Unwin, featuring very sad voice notes from Barry Glendenning and Elis James, looking back on a disappointing night for the Republic of Ireland, Wales and Northern Ireland
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- [00:00]
Nadam
This is the Guardian.
- [00:10]
Hayden
Howdy, howdy ho, and welcome to Fantasy Fan Fellas. I'm Hayden, producer of the Fantasy Fangirls podcast and your resident lover of all things Sanderson.
- [00:18]
Stephen
And I'm Stephen, your bookish Internet goofball, but you can call me the Smash Daddy.
- [00:22]
Hayden
And we are currently deep diving Brandon Sanderson's fantasy epic Mistborn. But here's the catch. Steven here has not read Mistborn before.
- [00:31]
Stephen
That's right.
- [00:31]
Wilson
Hei hei.
- [00:32]
Stephen
So each week you'll get my unfiltered raw reactions to every single chapter.
- [00:36]
Hayden
And along the way we'll do character deep dives, magic explainers, and Steven will even try to guess what's next. Spoiler alert. He'll be wrong.
- [00:43]
Stephen
News flash. I'm never wrong. Episodes come out every Wednesday and you can find Fantasy fanfellas wherever you get your podcasts.
- [00:50]
Adam Grant
Hey, this is Adam Grant, host of Ted's podcast Rethinking with Adam Grant. Have you heard of Bill? It's the intelligent finance platform that uses AI to help you avoid costly errors and optimize cash flow. In fact, Bill reports that over 90 of the top 100 US accounting firms trust them to manage, move and maximize money. Proven by over a trillion dollars in secure transactions. Eliminate the friction and start scaling with the proven choice. Visit bill.com proven to talk with an expert about automating your business finances and get a $250 gift card as the thank you. That's bill.com proven terms and conditions apply. See offer page for details.
- [01:36]
Max
Hello and welcome to the Guardian Football Weekly. Agony for everyone, really. Wales and the Republic taking penalties at exactly the same time, both going ahead but missing at crucial moments. Dan James wonderstrike had given the Welsh a deserved lead and almost doubled it, but they lost control. And if 40 year old Edin Dzeko wanted to become even more of a national hero, he did it in Cardiff. Meanwhile, Ireland were 20 up in Czechia. Dreamland. How Ryan Manning will regret that silly, instinctive and totally needless shirt pull to allow the home side back in. They almost held on, but it wasn't to be. Northern Ireland looked good against Italy. Shay Charles every bit as good as the Italian midfield, but there was no cutting edge and in the end, two bits of real quality saw Italy through. We'll do the other qualifiers and discuss Mo Salah's legacy at Liverpool. They there's the vasectomy to end all vasectomies. We'll answer your questions and that's today's Guardian Football Weekly. On the panel today Jonathan Wilson, welcome. Morning.
- [02:26]
Wilson
How you doing?
- [02:27]
Max
Very well, thank you. Hi, Nada Manua. Morning, Max, and welcome Will Unwin.
- [02:31]
Will
Hello, Max.
- [02:32]
Max
AJ on Blue sky says. So I guess this is the sad pod Moonlight Hanger saying, speaking on behalf of all your non Scottish, non English listeners, is it high time we all boycotted this World Cup? And Richard says, can Northern Ireland be in part one for the first time in eight years? They were going to be until those concurrent sad penalty shootouts. I'll be honest about the voice notes. I asked for one from Ellis James, blue ticks, but nothing. And I can't pester him because Ellis will be too sad, and I believe that he will deliver. But if he doesn't, Ellis, you have my forgiveness. If he does send one, he. Here it is now.
- [03:10]
Ellis
Hello, Max. I am absolutely numb with disappointment. It's actually worse this morning than it was last night, because last night both my kids were crying and I was consoling them, saying, there'll be other World Cups, there'll be other Euros. Let's not forget the Nations League. Dad's an enormous advocate of the nation's league, and I was trying to make them feel better, saying, anyway, you know, dad probably wouldn't have been allowed into America anyway because of a tweet he did nine years ago. I sort of felt all right going to bed, but this morning, the magnitude of it hit me. I was just having a quick look at social media. There's a little bit of anger amongst our supporters on. On the socials in regards to substitutions and game management because we had the better of the game. We were definitely the better team in the first half. And then obviously, Dan James puts us 1 nil up in the second half with an absolutely spectacular strike. If you haven't seen it, you really should check it out because it's. It's an amazing. It was an amazing goal. I just didn't see it coming. He hit the cross spar. Harry Wilson in the first half, hit the post, doing Harry Wilson things. You know, he's such a good player for us, such an important player for us. So he came very close, but then as the game wore on, we just seemed to become very ragged. I think we really missed Kiefer more mainly because of his physical presence, because the Bosnians are all about 6 foot 9 and it's a very, very niggly game. Awful, lots of fouls. I think we missed Ben Davis's experience as well, certainly in the last 10 minutes. And then Fred and Dzeko, age 40 to equalize with four minutes to go. You know, that's. I thought at that point, I thought, I don't see us winning this now. And then when Carl Darlo saved the first Bosnian penalty, I thought, oh, my God, we're gonna win a shootout. I've never seen a team of mine when a shooter. I've seen the Swans lose shootouts. I've seen Wales lose shootouts. Don James, of course, had missed the decisive penalty when we lost to Poland in the playoffs for Euro 2024 two years ago. So when he scored that goal, I thought, oh, my God, we're going to win the narrative World Cup. God has done a script writing course and he's made Dan James the hero, but alas, not to be. I watched a very good documentary about Craig Bellamy on S4C, which is available on iPlay with subtitles. And they made the point in it. No, Mooney was our chief exec, said, you know, the FAW can't invest in grassroots if we don't qualify for tournaments. So there's. Obviously there's a big financial implication to what happened last night, but just on a pooleague footballing level, it was so disappointing. But we're Welsh, we're used to this. Well, my kids aren't. They're too young. But they, they will harden, they will toughen up.
- [06:07]
Max
We go again, we have got one from Barry Glendenning and this is it.
- [06:12]
Barry
Hello, everybody. I'm doing my best to be positive, and the main positive I'm drawing is from our defeat at the hands of the Czech Republic on penalties, is that it means we don't have to play Denmark next week, because that rarely ends well for the Republic of Ireland. Yeah, it was a terrible way to lose after going 2 nil up against the Czech Republic team, who looked to have very little to offer after they went 2 nil down quite early in the game. Then we let them back into it with a really stupid, needless penalty given away by Ryan Manning against a player who was running away from goal and out of play. But these things happen, and now is not the time for finger pointing and recriminations, although I do see there's a lot of that going on online. The general mood in Ireland seems to be split between those calling this one of the greatest bottle jobs in the history of Irish sport, and those who thought it was a good effort by a plucky team of underdogs who did well just to get into this playoff. I'm somewhere in the middle, I suppose, but we had the Czech Republic on the Ropes and we, we lost. So that. That ain't good, is it? Anyway, as I said, it means we don't have to play Denmark and we won't have to play in the searing midday heat in Mexico or at altitude in Mexico, which is, I think two of the games we would have had if we'd qualified. That's that an Ireland, Wales and Northern Ireland Free World cup, which is a shame, but there you go. Enjoy the rest of the pod.
- [08:05]
Max
Thank you, Barry. And maybe thank you, Ellis, but no worries. If not. And I suppose, Natum, you're watching both these shootouts at the same time and Wales got, you know, Darlo saves one and Kelleher saves one and it's looking so good and it is just that sign that football is just. And penalty shoes especially are just so cruel.
- [08:23]
Nadam
Yeah, absolutely, they are. But I was watching the Wales one primarily and like Ashley Williams was making the point that, you know, it's the best way to win and the worst way to lose at the same time. I think the fact that, say from the Welsh perspective and the Irish perspective that you had the high, it's like, we're going to do this, we're going to do this. It's only five penalties. We've got the advantage. Then all of a sudden the advantage just like disappears. And through all this as well, I've got to say, as somebody who never took a penalty in their career, I'm really happy I never took a penalty in my career because the stress of it all is so, so much. Even now, for example, with my, with my kids playing football and they're like less than 10 years old, the stress of a penalty shootout at that age, it like never goes away, does it? But it's such a shame for the two of them to be essentially having the game turn at the same time and the penalty shootout turn at the same time. And going from a belief that because you can't, you can't help but be caught up in the emotion of it, say Darlo saved that first penalty. We're that much closer to the World Cup. It's going to happen. It's going to happen. We're playing at home, Everything's going to be great. And then before you know it, you know, you just, it's just like tears and sadness because the four year cycle almost begins all over again after this special friendly. In the next game we could say, which is a shame in itself. Is it not, Max?
- [09:35]
Max
Yeah, it is. I don't know. And like, as a neutral, you want the home nations to go through. Right. It's good if they're in the World cup for us and I think for everyone in the uk. I don't know. I never feel comfortable, Wilson over a Brennan Johnson shot. And so I never. So when he's running up for a penalty, I'm not comfortable. I don't know if that's fair or not.
- [09:55]
Wilson
I have no idea what his penalty record is, but, yeah, I mean, he's always been a slightly odd player for me. I never quite understood how he scored as many goals he did. Because you seem to do one thing that wasn't actually that difficult, by the sounds of professional football, over and over again. I mean, I was watching the island game, so I only picked this up afterwards, but.
- [10:17]
Max
But the island one had the same thing, didn't it? The island one had exactly the same thing.
- [10:19]
Wilson
Right.
- [10:20]
Max
You have that feeling. You're there, basically.
- [10:22]
Wilson
Well, I mean, the island game, if you look back at the WhatsApp group I suggested at 7:54, this had heartbreak written all over it because Ireland was so on top and not scoring. They did, admittedly, then score twice. So it was perhaps even slightly more heartbreaking than I was picturing it being. But there was an air of doom about Ireland right from the start.
- [10:42]
Max
Were you coming in, Nadam?
- [10:43]
Nadam
Yeah, I was just gonna have a little intervention there, Max, because you've represented basically the whole football community to. When you say, like, oh, I didn't fancy this person to score a penalty. Like, we see them, like, miss penalties all the time. Like, what is that instinct?
- [10:56]
Max
I don't know.
- [10:57]
Nadam
I feel like we just like, project our insecurities, like, onto these players as they're coming out? Thankfully, they don't feel them. But say, for example, from a Welsh perspective, who could you name the five penalty takers you'd want to see it come up that you'd guarantee would score a goal or any team in that situation.
- [11:13]
Max
There are probably Wales players that I just don't have an opinion of.
- [11:17]
Nadam
So they're better penalty takers because you have no opinion on them.
- [11:19]
Max
Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's a totally. You know. And obviously, if he puts it in the bottom corner, I'm not here going, I never fancy Brendan Johnson over a shot. But at that, you know, you're right. It's complete recency bias. It's what happened, telling the narrative. But, yeah, you're coming to my defense here, Wilson.
- [11:35]
Wilson
Well, but I think you do pick up aspects of body language, don't you? And I think often this is not even a conscious process. When and this happens, it's not just in Bentley shootouts, it's in everyday life. You see people and there's about the way they move, the way they look, the way they carry themselves, that you're picking up signals from them. And it's so deeply ingrained on us that it can be quite hard to articulate. But there's a spectrum, right? So I don't know if you remember the penalty shootout at the end of the 2012 African Nations Final when Zambia beat Ivory coast. And that was a penalty shootout that I think it went to 11 penalties each. So everybody in both sides had to take a penalty. And it got to the 10th Ivorian penalty and Carlo Ture was going forward. Francois Zehui, the Ivory coast coach, he's screaming at him, go back. Giovinho's gotta take this. And you can see Colotira looking at him going, Giovinho doesn't want to take this. Like he's literally hiding. And so Collatera turns around, walks back to the centre circle and Giovinho won't move. So Colitiro then has to go forward again. And so that walk, which everybody says is the worst walk in football, Colitu has done it twice. And sure enough, he misses Zambia then miss their kick and then Jovinho has to take it because he's the 11th man and guess what? He misses it. So at one end of the spectrum is Giovinho in that circumstance, who has made it as clear as he possibly could he did not want to take a penalty in 2015 when Ivico's winner on penalties against Ghana in the final, he's substituted near the end. I think it's near the end of extra time to make sure he doesn't have to take a penalty. And he gets a plastic chair, puts it down behind the dugout and faces the crowd. Giovinio won't even watch it. He's just sitting there with his head on his chest with his hands over his ears. So Giovinho is at one end of the spectrum where you can absolutely see this man does not fancy this penalty. Who would be at the other end? I don't know. Ivan?
- [13:36]
Max
Tony? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [13:38]
Wilson
And then you get people in the middle and I'd say Brennan Johnson is, you know, if. If desperate to take a penalties at the far left and terrified to take a penalties at the far right. Brendan Johnson is definitely on the right hand side of that scale.
- [13:51]
Max
That's an interesting scale, the Giovinio Toney scale that can now live forever you watched the Wales game Will and I suppose it's like afterwards Craig Benny just said like they just sort of let it go, didn't they? Because they were in control. They Dan James goal is absolutely brilliant. He hits the bar again. They have other chances but just as the game went on they just sort of he Bellamy said they let it become chaos and they didn't want that to happen.
- [14:16]
Will
Yeah, they started really aggressively on the front foot chasing everything down. Dan James probably a sort of weird mix of the benefit of not of playing many minutes this season that he looked quite fresh and lively but then that caught up with him later on and he had to go off because I think for Leeds I don't think he's played 90 minutes cumulatively over the past sort of six months basically. So you know, the problem of not having a central striker. Keith more injured was another issue for them. So they had Harry Wilson in there and David Brooks another one who's not getting too many minutes. But they're really good, energetic. It looks first half in this sort of post bail era that Harry Wilson having the season of his life was the man that was going to do something for them. Hit the bar and they were, they were really good and they probably should have been ahead in earlier on. And then obviously that Dan James strike just takes the goalkeeper by complete surprise. You know, I think he, he wasn't set. He tried to set himself and sort of slipped a bit and by that it was done because he'd hit it so well. But yeah, they just didn't, weren't able to punish Bosnia. Karl Darlo did make an incredible save. Sort of showing the double sides of being a goalkeeper that you make that incredible save and I think you have to say it was at fault for the equalizer.
- [15:26]
Max
It's, it's, it's on the Seaman Pescar Salido scale, isn't it somewhere?
- [15:30]
Will
Well it's so close and it's actually very, it's not like it's you know, a lot of time when it's so close it just hits him and the keepers in the right position, he's had to dive full out stretch. It's an incredible save. And then obviously comes to the corner and doesn't get it. I mean I think you just have to look, you know, say the players tired for Wales, not much strength in depth on the bench. You know, Cullen and Harris, you know, not the same level as James and Brooks and players like that. And Silver Thomas came on and looked really dangerous down the left and was put Some good deliveries, but he was looking for key for more, which was problematic because he wasn't there as he just didn't have the height in the box and James at the bar. Wilson had a really good chance. It was blocked and that's it. You know, it's fine margins, you know, the lack of luck with injuries with Moore and things, and not having anyone, no striker on the pitch for 120 minutes, which then goes back to penalties, where you've not got a strike, you're probably less likely to score. They should have won, so they'd be disappointed, but I think go out in disgrace at least.
- [16:31]
Nadam
So interestingly, in fact, it's not for this game, just for this last couple of years, in particular for me, as somebody who is relatively recently retired, if that makes sense. Like we're talking about Karl Darlow and I remember Karl Darlo because I scored a goal against him 12 years ago in the championship and now here he is, he was on the verge of potentially going to the World cup. And on the sideline, the coach is Craig Bellamy, who I played with at City, and then he's having an argument with Edin Jeko, who I also played with at City, but who also, what I'll say is Edin Zeko in the air because he's older. A lot of his legacy is like a long time ago and stuff, but he scores a goal as important as Sergio Guros in 2012 for Man City. It's a header, 91st minute or something. And to speak from experience, it was me that was supposed to be marking him. So I know he can get up in the air late in games to get things done. So the fact that he did it again yesterday at the age of 40, for him to still be leading the line for his national team and to have that sense of pride that he has and they all have. You know, I was impressed by Bosnia, not necessarily because of, say, the in game approach in terms of trying to win the game, especially as time went by, but I think sometimes we can get lost in the idea of like the home nations and seeing things through that lens, but for those Bosnians going to play against Wales, in Wales, in that environment, with them pushing the way that they did and committing everything that they had to try and stop Wales from winning this game of football, to give themselves a chance and to score as late as they did, as I say, with that Dzeko header, it's very, very impressive. You know, some of these stories and the storylines just going through, the people involved and so on I was impressed with how hard they had to fight for that because I think another side with a little bit less commitment probably gets rolled over by Wales because Wales, I thought on the day actually played pretty well.
- [18:11]
Max
Yeah. Did that make you think you retired too early?
- [18:15]
Nadam
Absolutely not. No, no, no. Because I can't play for Wales. No Bosnia. So I wouldn't have been involved anyway.
- [18:22]
Max
Nico Williams as well. He misses another penalty. We can't just point at Brennan Johnson. Okay. Nico Williams was on target. That Wilson chance is so big as well, isn't it? I thought he just had so much time. If he takes that earlier, I think he scores.
- [18:36]
Wilson
Yeah. I mean, if Ellis has provided the voice note, I'm sure he will reflect on this is another one in the great catalogue of Welsh. What might have beens. I don't think any other nation has been so close so often to major tournaments and failed to get there because of a terrible refereeing decision. A brilliant save, a brilliant goal, an inexplicable mission. I won't start going through them because Ellis may already have gone through them. But you think of a Paul Bowden penalty miss against Romania in 93 and there's so many of these moments that are just part of Welsh law. And there's three or four from last night that can go in that list as well.
- [19:17]
Max
God, I still can see. You can still see Paul Bowden looking sad after that penalty. I mean, he strikes it incredibly well, doesn't he? Wales fans do not want to hear us talking about Paul. They're feeling bad enough as it is. Before we bring up Paul Bowden in that moment. Moment, the Republic. I mean, it was. It was an attritional game of football, Wilson, wasn't it the island game.
- [19:37]
Wilson
And I mean, you're using a traditional there when you mean terrible. It was one of the worst games of football I've seen in years. And, well, I mean, actually the first sort of half hour or so, Ireland were very good. I mean, the last. The last hour plus extra time was terrible. The bit where Ireland were good was good. And I was amazed by how bad Czechia were. I was amazed by how dominant Ireland were. The Czechs couldn't deal with Ogbene. Troy Parrot's movement was causing them all kinds of bother. I mean, at Tulip, I was almost thinking, do I commit another 2 pound 49 to watch another game? Because this one feels like it's over. And as that thought went to my head, Ryan Manning makes that needless foul and gives away a daft penalty.
- [20:21]
Max
And Barry's brought that up, that penalty already. But it, I, I feel for him because you. It's so needless, but it is instinctive, right? I mean, Naden will know this better than any of us. But even at any level there just at times where you just do something where you just think, oh, oh, I've done that. And I. That is what Ryan Manning's done, isn't it, Nadim?
- [20:41]
Nadam
I've never done that in my life, never in my career. I don't know why you came to me on that one. That is a disgrace that you've done that. I've definitely not done that many times in games and been penalized for it. But again, talking about another former teammate in Ryan Manning, this is, this is all about me, this show. I appreciate it.
- [20:55]
Max
Here we go.
- [20:55]
Will
Okay.
- [20:55]
Nadam
And Ryan is a very.
- [20:56]
Max
You brought everything together here.
- [20:59]
Nadam
Exactly. Yeah. This is, this is why you bring me on. The only reason there's sometimes, like from the outside, people see somebody make that decision, wonder why they did it, why did not think it through, but it's a split second decision and your instincts do just kick in. And Ryan's somebody who like it, as the case of others, like, they're hugely competitive to where they can't just let things happen. They always want to be involved, they have to be involved. They have to be engaged with some level of defending. And unfortunately for him on that particular occasion, that instinct has led to that moment. I'm sure, you know, I'm sure in some ways he regrets it and in times gone by, maybe he would have gotten away with it. You know, times, for example, when he'd be. When he, because he started off in the championship, obviously he's had a couple. He's had a spell in the Premier League. But back in the championship now, like, maybe that doesn't really get seen, maybe it doesn't get reviewed, that type of stuff. But on that stage, you need to try and turn off some of those instincts. But unfortunately, it just wasn't the case for him yesterday.
- [21:53]
Max
Yeah, I, I did feel Wilson. I, I did think they'd hang on, though. I mean, I was watching both games saying, okay, they're both gonna get through. This is good. And I did, I didn't, I didn't see. Even though Czechi were, you know, putting the pressure on, I didn't, I just didn't see where the goal was coming.
- [22:07]
Wilson
I don't know. They had so much pressure in that second half and Ireland just lost all capacity to get out of their own half, which I Don't know what happened. I don't know why the game changed so radically on that one moment because Ireland was so in control. But by the second half they just couldn't hold the ball in the Czechi half at all. I don't know if Ogbene got tired, but he became a lot less effective and eventually taken off. Clearly they could have held out. It's a slightly odd header from a free kick that Quecci sort of almost turns away from goal and it comes off the back of his head. I'm not sure if he knew exactly what he was doing there, but it's an annoying goal in the sense that it just didn't really feel planned. I guess you can say the Irish second goal didn't really feel planned. It sort of just a ball into a dangerous area and it bobs about. And that I think was the real issue of the game is just lack of quality from both sides in the final third that you think, oh, four goals, it must have been quite good. But it's two penalties and both penalties are sort of for nothing. I mean the island penalty would never have been given without far. I mean it's like the Harry Kane penalty in the year 2024 semi final. And it was a good minute of play after that before it's eventually given and I saw it in real time. I was like, oh, that might be one of those horrible modern penalties. And then the game sort of moves on and you're always forgotten about and they go back. It's like I think I probably is. So it's two not dodgy penalties because they are both fouls, but two penalties that haven't really been created. They just sort of happened. Two set plays and really not much else. And that did make me worry a bit about this World Cup. It has the expansion of 48 teams, let in too many sides that don't really have much about. I think eight groups of four was perfect. 32 teams. Almost every game matters with two of four to go through. What we've got now is we've got 48 teams, some of which are not very good. It's going to be very hard for a half decent team not to go through because one win will take you through. With eight of the eight of the best third places pretty much, pretty much.
- [24:15]
Max
You could be unlucky. There will be someone who. Whose goal difference is bad enough. I. I actually did a spreadsheet and to plot England's route to the final I wrote a column about it, but I did, you know, Scotland Beat Haiti in my spreadsheet, but they didn't get through on goal difference. But you're right, one win is probably enough to get you.
- [24:31]
Wilson
So you then get a last 32. That's not going to be very different from the 32 teams you've seen at other World Cups. Except isn't there not going to be a group stage? You don't have that security to make sure the better teams do prevail. You've got 16 knockout games. It's entirely possible. Quite a bad team can draw two games, nil, nil win on penalties and they're in the quarter final. And that suggests to me there's a possibility we could have a really weird set of quarter finalists. Not because they're suddenly good or last 16.
- [25:01]
Max
Last 16?
- [25:01]
Wilson
Well, I mean, I'm suggesting it could happen twice, but yeah, it should have last 16. And then people go, oh, look, this justifies the expansion because I don't know, Uzbekistan and Jordan have both got to the semis. Well, you know, if they've got there by winning one group game and then two nil, nil draws and penalties, which. What could happen. I think it introduces the randomness and the jeopardy at the wrong stage. And I think because of that, people be aware of that. And I think the football in the last 32 and last 16 could be extremely defensive.
- [25:31]
Max
I mean, it is unlikely that Jordan and Uzbekistan will be in the semi finals of the World Cup.
- [25:36]
Wilson
But I said quarterfinals. But.
- [25:38]
Max
Oh, quarterfinals, fine. Well, you know, still, my, my point is. Still remains valid. You're right. And actually, you're right. If you're going to have 48, you might as well have 64, right? Because then at least it's top two go through. Although that's a lot of countries, isn't it?
- [25:52]
Wilson
And the strain on infrastructure. I mean, you should just have 32 because that's the right number. You can fiddle about with the final round of qualifying to try and give teams from the competitive, which only get five or six slots, to give them more of a chance. You can make that final phase of qualifying more global to try and not make it quite so euro, South American centric, but 32 is the right number.
- [26:16]
Max
Okay, well, I'll see what I can do. That'll do for part one. Part two, we'll begin with Northern Ireland's defeat in Italy.
- [26:27]
Hayden
Howdy, howdy ho, and welcome to Fantasy Fan, Fellas. I'm Hayden, producer of the Fantasy Fangirls podcast and your resident lover of all things Sanderson.
- [26:34]
Stephen
And I'm Stephen your bookish Internet goofball, but you can call me the Smash Daddy.
- [26:39]
Hayden
And we are currently deep diving Brandon Sanderson's fantasy epic Master Mistborn. But here's the catch. Steven here has not read Mistborn before.
- [26:47]
Stephen
That's right.
- [26:48]
Wilson
Hei.
- [26:48]
Stephen
Hei. So each week you'll get my unfiltered raw reactions to every single chapter.
- [26:52]
Hayden
And along the way, we'll do character deep dives, magic explainers, and Steven will even try to guess what's next. Spoiler alert. He'll be wrong.
- [26:59]
Stephen
News flash. I'm never wrong. Episodes come out every Wednesday, and you can find fantasy fanfellas wherever you get your podcasts.
- [27:07]
Adam Grant
Hey, this is Adam Grant, host of Ted's podcast, Rethinking with Adam Grant. Let me share with you why smart finance leaders turn to Bill. They know that clarity isn't just helpful, it's strategic. As the intelligent finance platform, Bill uses AI to automate the busy work for nearly half a million businesses so they can focus on intentional growth, eliminate the friction and start scaling with the proven choice. Visit bill.compenven to talk with an expert about automating your business finances and get a $250 gift card as a thank you. That's bill.com proven terms and conditions apply. See offer page for details.
- [27:49]
Max
Welcome to part two of the Guardian Football Weekly. Northern Ireland lost two nil to Italy. I thought Nadam. They were good. Like, I like Shay Charles. I thought Ethan Galbraith was really good. They play good football, right? It was not attritional. It was like they moved the ball well. But once they get to the final third, it's a bit like there isn't. There isn't anyone there.
- [28:10]
Nadam
Yeah, I think to say there's nobody there feels a bit harsh, but, yeah, you know, especially at the national stage. But if that's what you want to say, Max, then that's Max Rushton, everybody. He says they've got nothing. Okay, okay.
- [28:20]
Max
Nothing is. Nothing is harsh. I agree. But the thing I thought if. If now you've attacked me is that
- [28:27]
Nadam
reveals a lot if you think you're being attacked. But carry on.
- [28:30]
Max
I thought, I thought, I thought they were just as good as Italy for, like, in, like, big parts of this game. I didn't think there was a discernible difference in the quality of these teams, apart from the moments where Italy scored goals, which, like, is an important part of football, granted.
- [28:45]
Nadam
Yeah, Yeah, I would agree with that. We're back on the same page now.
- [28:48]
Stephen
Yeah, good, good.
- [28:49]
Max
Yeah, nice.
- [28:49]
Nadam
I think, I think for me One of the differences between sides, yeah, that is at times subtle, but when you look back, it's quite clear, is the ability to create chances against sides who defensively are good, but then also like the discussion around sort of the finishing the final pass and so on, that's like the last piece of the whole thing. Even though it might not necessarily be the best back four in the world, the four of us could play at the back and be committed and like throw ourselves towards things. The four of us probably aren't going to create a ton of chances against really good sides. I don't think I could be wrong. I've not seen you guys.
- [29:22]
Wilson
I'm not putting myself in the way of anything. Not these.
- [29:24]
Nadam
Well, are you more like, are you more likely to be able to block a shot or take a shot and score from a top?
- [29:29]
Wilson
More likely to be able to block it, but it's more like the shot will hit me rather than me blocking it.
- [29:33]
Nadam
Okay, so if we use you as example of like a mannequin, if you were to be a mannequin in the space of the six yard box, the ball could hit you. And technically speaking, that is a block. However, the other side of things, to be creative and to find solutions to break teams down who are also very, very committed. I think that's what the difference can be. And that's how I saw this Northern Ireland game. As you were saying, Max, because the players for Northern Ireland, they're obviously the good players, they can score from anywhere, they can do however they please. But it's that last section, like the Moyes Keehan goals. For me, it's a great goal, it's a great finish, It's a great moment. He'd been consistently like persistent rather playing on the shoulder and he'd had a couple of efforts beforehand which, which were saved well. But that one is different because he's come back onto his left side and he's finished it into the corner. That's a big moment. The ball dropping to finale and the technique to get over it and keep the ball low to take that first time, that's like real, real quality. And the Northern Ireland players, they couldn't all do that, but it's a lot more difficult to do it in the moment when it's needed. And I think that ended up being the difference between the two sides. Just key moments and key actions that make a big difference. And you know, now Italy are into that. I'd say that final to try and get to the World cup for the first time in you know, in the three attempts. So I'd be disappointed if I was Northern Ireland because they know that the difference isn't great. But it's enough. That's the thing, it's enough. Especially when you are playing away from home, you have to be clinical in both boxes. And I thought defensively they were good, but in attack, as you sort of alluded to in a violent way, you know, they just didn't really. Couldn't really create the stuff that they needed to.
- [31:07]
Max
Yeah, I mean, I suppose, Will, Italy have missed two World Cups and it is good to have Italy at a World Cup. Right. You know, it's a good kit there. It's a good set of, you know,
- [31:18]
Nadam
hey, you can buy the kit anyway, Max, don't worry about that. You can buy the kit.
- [31:21]
Max
No, I know, but when I. When, you know, if you grow, you grow up watching the World cup and you think of tardelli and Schillache, etc. Etc. Etc. Italy being in the World cup is good. Obviously, you know, it makes a big difference to the group that they, you know, they go in. I don't have that in front of me and that would have probably changed the spreadsheet that I just gave defeats to all the playoff teams. But now they've passed this and now they can't play Wales. I suspect a lot of people would like to see Italy there.
- [31:47]
Will
I did quite enjoy Nedham as well, wanting to own a back four with us to add to his sort of endless list of former teammates.
- [31:55]
Max
I was. Thing is, I was looking at it going well, clearly me and Natum have got to be the center backs, right? Because I've got a bit of height here and then I'm just. Wilson. I. I can't see Wilson kicking it with his left foot. So that puts you at left back, Will. And I don't know if you're an overlapping left, but it feels quite a deep back four.
- [32:13]
Will
Yeah.
- [32:14]
Max
Anyway, to the question at hand, Will, on Italy being at the World Cup,
- [32:18]
Will
I mean, I think for general interest, the bigger, in theory, better nations is what you want there. As you say, there's going to be so many mediocre teams, but you sort of watch SC last night and you just think they're not going to trouble the scorers in the final stages, are they? They don't look like they've got the X factor. I mean, you know, Northern Ireland are missing people like Ballard and Bradley and, you know, they are a small nation, let's be honest. They didn't have the quality to Cause too many problems. Interesting. Even with people like Donna Rummer, Tonali, they just didn't look particularly exciting. It didn't look like they'd be problematic. So, I mean, it'll be great if they can get there. And there is always a little, as you say, a little sense of excitement with these teams being the 1 teams. You'd switch on a game where England aren't involved if you're English because you think, oh yeah, Italy, you do have that history. But yeah, they don't look great. So it'd be nice that they're there, that you have a few different options. But it's good to see that. Moy's Keane, he looked lively when it was stretched a bit. He looked quite dangerous. But wouldn't be too concerned if I was playing anything at the moment. But maybe give it a few more games, bit more build up, they might get more riven. But not these three.
- [33:29]
Wilson
Bold, I'd say Canada, Qatar and Switzerland is. Is the group for whoever wins between Positive and Italy.
- [33:35]
Max
Right. So that is a nice. That's a nice group, isn't it?
- [33:40]
Nadam
Nice in what sense?
- [33:41]
Wilson
So, yeah, for whom?
- [33:43]
Max
I mean, probably all of them.
- [33:44]
Boost Mobile Announcer
Right.
- [33:45]
Max
Like if Italy aren't, you know, Italy, you are scared on paper. But it is not Italy of. Of old Switzerland are, you know, quite good. I don't know. That is in the preview. It will be quite a short preview for a sort of odd group, I guess.
- [34:00]
Wilson
I mean, I guess it's good that if Wales have got there, all of those are teams who wear red or white. So just to get a different color in the group. It's good that it's going to be Bosnia or Italy.
- [34:11]
Max
There was a moment in that game where Ragui was put through and looked like he was running on intriacle and I was like, oh, this is. That's bleak, you know, like there must be old Italy fans going, what's happened to us? But you know, they could, they could hammer us in the quarterfinals. I have no idea. And they might not even get there right. You know, they still have to get past Bosnia. So as Barry alluded to in his voice note, the best part about Ireland not going through is they don't have to play Denmark again. Who hammered North Macedonia. It was nil. Nil at half time. But then Denmark turned it on. Dams got opened the scoring. Isaacson got two, Christian Norgaard scored one from about 0.1 centimeters. Unless anyone has any strong thoughts on Denmark. Oh, now forever hold your peace. Sweden won in Ukraine. Will a hat trick for Victor Yokoes and I had forgotten until you mentioned that Graham Potter was their manager.
- [35:01]
Will
Yeah. I mean, he'd had a few games in charge and got a contract extension, which I quite enjoyed, but it looks like it's paying off, you know, good move for him. Eureka has took his goals really well. Ukraine didn't really have much up front. That seems to be sort of the telling thing in these playoffs. Teams are lacking in the final third. Maybe there's a constant dearth of strikers or something.
- [35:23]
Nadam
Yeah.
- [35:24]
Will
So Sweden can get through the next round. It'd be useful to have an English coach at the World Cup.
- [35:30]
Wilson
So that group, if Sweden do get there, that's Netherlands, Japan and Tunisia. So those are. I mean, I don't know what'll happen with prices, but Japan, Netherlands certainly tend to travel in numbers. Sweden travel in numbers. Very colorful. So in terms of the aesthetic, which seems to be for some reason what I've started talking about in this episode, that is nice. No, I agree with you.
- [35:51]
Max
I think that is nice. But also Sweden. I don't know what the fitness of Isaac is like and Kulasevski, but like, they actually could have, like. Let's talk about the final third. They could have a lot in the final third if those guys are fit by the time the World cup starts. But I mean, I haven't. I haven't checked. They may not be Poland red and white. We don't need another red and white one. But they beat Albania and actually, I don't know if any of you saw the highlights Albania really are. They had an amazing chance at 1 nil to make it 2. Nils. They had an amazing chance at 1 all to make it 2 1. And Zielinski scores a brilliant goal about a minute later. So I think Poland always goes at major tournaments and then just. Wilson, I look to you as our Eastern European expert. Do absolutely nothing when they get there.
- [36:33]
Wilson
Since 982 that. That has been true. Yes. Yeah. Obviously Levandowski, there'll be as it was in 2022. Can he finally do it at a World Cup? I don't think he even scored at World cup until 2022. Had he? I did. He was. His goal against, I want to say Saudi Arabia, was that his first ever World cup goal?
- [36:49]
Max
I'm going to agree with you.
- [36:50]
Wilson
I remember watching that with Nick Ames. There was people selling grilled chicken. There was lots of tents. And it was sort of like a fan zone. It was an unofficial fan zone, but very clearly aimed at the local market in Doha. And it was. It was yeah, Grilled chicken and candy floss seems the only two foodstuffs they sold.
- [37:08]
Max
I wouldn't put them together.
- [37:09]
Wilson
Crisps. But on a. On a skewer, like very finely fried potatoes. Yeah, it was so. And it was beside, you know, that big hotel in Doha that looked like a horseshoe. It was just beside that, I think. I think Nick and I were going to another game and he insisted. Oh, we have to go in this local fan zone because, you know, Nick loves local color and, God, he loves a sunset. Nick, he loves a sunset. Oh, it's so orange. You know, he's. He's a. He's a great man for sunset. He's a great man for a bar or a cafe on a hill where you can see a sunset.
- [37:40]
Max
Who doesn't like a sunset?
- [37:41]
Wilson
Well, I'm indifferent to them, to be honest.
- [37:43]
Nadam
Sunset. I don't want anything to do with that. Give me the fucking moon now.
- [37:48]
Wilson
Well, they happen every day. I just don't think it's worth going out your way to see one.
- [37:53]
Ellis
Okay.
- [37:54]
Wilson
Maybe I'm just lucky because I grew up by the sea and regularly, I mean, I suppose the sun rises over North Sea rather than setting, but the sun doing things doesn't bother me that much.
- [38:05]
Max
I mean, it is important that it does its thing.
- [38:08]
Wilson
Same one sunset. You see them all.
- [38:10]
Max
We're on Google reviews. Sunset, one star. Dark horses. Turkey beat Romania one nil. Beautiful pass from Ardagula for the goal for the Brighton fullback, Karioglu. They'll play kosovo, who won 43 in Slovakia, which was quite a fun game. Not the perfect 4:3 because Kosovo were 4:2 up at one point, but still lots of fun. So Kosovo, Turkey, Sweden, Poland, Bosnia, Italy and Czech Republic. Denmark. England play Uruguay tonight. So I've plotted our route to the final item. As I said, South Korea in the last 32, then France in the quarterfinal. We beat them and beat Argentina in the semis. And then we beat Spain in the final in the heat. So shall we all just Fast forward to 20? 30 is my.
- [38:58]
Nadam
Yeah, that's one way to boycott it. England win and then. Yeah, just. Just everybody move on.
- [39:02]
Will
Yeah.
- [39:04]
Max
What are you. Are you looking forward to this game? I mean, sort of. We talked about a bit on the last pod that it is a bit, as Ali Maxwell said, squids Gamesy, where basically you've got 45 minutes to prove to. To have a good 45 minutes, and you might do. And that might squeeze you in. If you're Adam Wharton above Kobby Mainoo or Jed Spence above Tino liveramento or whatever. I got, I looked at it and went through the squad and was like, it doesn't really matter who he picks as the reserve. They're all quite good and none of them will really play.
- [39:33]
Nadam
Yeah, do you know what? You've nailed it with that, with that exact remark. Because, say, when the tournament comes around, is it going to be a 25 place squad? 26? The, the sad thing about that is, you know, football being 11 aside, there are so many times where they will do an 11 aside in training and people will be substitutes. So whatever you think about, say the person that won't be getting any game time in actual matches at the World cup, there'll be people who'd be doing individual work for probably six weeks at the World cup, which is quite a tough position to be in. Especially because these players that we're speaking about, they're for the most part regular starters for their club sides, important players for their club sides. So yeah, this game against Uruguay, I'm always interested to watch like national team games, international games, because I don't like going into tournaments, just completely blind and I'm trying to figure out what to expect and so on. Whereas I think more generally people tend to tune into international football when it is tournament season. But to watch them play will be interesting to see what Tuchel's trying to go for. Because Tuchel, I think yesterday or I think yesterday was talking about Alexander Arnold as well and like his style of play versus what they're trying to do and so on. So it's interesting to see what Tuchel wants his England side to do, how he wants him to play, and whether this is almost revealing in some ways of what to expect for the summer. Like if against Uruguay, all of a sudden it's a flippin. He's gone for a back six and just like four people holding in front, it's like, okay, cool. So this is the defensive strategy when they're under the cosh a little bit come summer and it's 30 degrees or is it going to be more expansive? It's going to be a back two, back three and so on. So yeah, I always tune in to watch that. But also like if somebody plays four to five minutes and they do really well, one of the worst things they can do is believe that that means they're going to be going to the World cup because that is like Tuchel probably has seen more from the players in training that matters compared to the result or the performance in this game itself. Maybe he's Looking for the way that the partnerships and stuff are formed. But if you do it for 45 minutes playing say two center halves together, they've probably done it for three days through this camp already. They do it for another three days, potentially after. Unless the next squad comes in. Was it 35 man squad? They've gone for this, this time?
- [41:40]
Will
Yeah.
- [41:41]
Nadam
So he knows what he likes, he knows who he likes and he knows who can do it. He knows the different profile of the players. And this game is probably just a game that's just in the way of training for him. A game that just essentially has to be played for people to watch England, for England at the fa, to make money and so on. But I don't think it matters that much to him. But I guess as you say, for those players it's a cap, it's a chance to represent their country and to sort of put something positive out there. But I don't think Tuchel's going to be the one that decided, decides that because of that game against Uruguay. You know, you can start in the final against Spain in the World cup this summer.
- [42:15]
Max
Wilson, is there anything in the selection that interests you?
- [42:17]
Wilson
I think the fullback issue is the big one because England used I think five different right backs and four different left backs in certainly as starters in qualifying. And the left back who played the most was Malzer Skelly, who presumably is not going to be involved in the summer. So I think fullbacks are the areas where, you know those days when England had sort of the 15 best right backs in the world. Royal English, they seem a long time ago and I don't think there's any clarity on who's going to get those positions. I think the fact that Alexander Arnold is not even in the squad, I think what we've seen within the managers throughout time is a tendency to pick the most famous, the best players without really necessarily thinking of how the team's going to work. Well, Tickle has not done that and I think you've seen that with leaving out Bellingham for Morgan Rodgers, that he's got a clear idea what he wants from each role. But as to who those fullbacks are going to be, I don't think that's clear at all. I think these two games will at least give us some clues as to that. And I think it probably would have been Rhys James, but with the injury, I mean, at best he's going to be going to the World cup without a runner games behind him. But it may not even make the World cup and I think he would have been the right back.
- [43:27]
Max
Yeah. And also, you know, someone who struggles with fitness, you know, there will be, you know, can you play this many games in this many days?
- [43:34]
Nadam
Well, Max, he had struggled with fitness before this season, and then the hamstring injury kicks in now because he'd. I think he'd played more games this season than he had done for maybe three or four years. And it's fair to say. Well, I think it's fair to say that he looks really good as well. I think he's one of Chelsea's, like, best and most important players, getting the praise that, you know, he deserves because we can talk about his ability and, like, hopefully this hamstring injury isn't too long and maybe he's becoming more robust because I think if he does start for England in the summer at right back, I think he's one of the best right backs that will be at that entire tournament. And it can be a difference maker in so many sort of like, subtle ways. Really tough and robust defensively, but the quality on the ball, like, I know Alexander Arnold has got the range of passing and so on, but I think to a certain extent, so does Rhys James and some of his set pieces. For me, they're as good as it goes.
- [44:22]
Max
That's true. But if Tuchel doesn't like, you know, defense, splitting passes from a fullback, Rhys James would be best advised to keep them in his pocket. Don't play, don't play. Don't put anyone through for a goal because Tles does not like that sort of right back.
- [44:36]
Nadam
That was, to be fair, that was his right back when he won the champions league in 21 though, wasn't it, for Chelsea? So, you know, I'm sure he's got a spot for him.
- [44:42]
Max
Speaking of the World cup and prices, the athletics, Adam Crafton was in Boston for the Brazil France friendly and has reported that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority intends to almost quadruple its usual prices for a roundtrip train ticket from the center of Boston to Gillette Stadium during the World Cup. So the tickets weren't enough or a parking space, you know, what cost 20 bucks on the train will now cost 80 bucks. So that's good, isn't it? I mean, who knows? Dynamic pricing for.
- [45:12]
Nadam
I'm sure the pet. I'm sure the price of fuel is going down as well, you know.
- [45:15]
Max
Yeah, I think that is true. Well, because of Donald Trump won the peace prize, you see, everything has settled down in terms of that kind of thing. Anyway. France won that Game 2 one. And Mbappe, even with his wrong MRI leg, scored. So he's moved within one goal of equaling France's all time top goal scoring record, which I think is Olivier Girou. Anyway, that'll do for part two, part three. We'll talk about.
- [45:38]
Wilson
Oh, yes, well, just if you wanted to say about Uruguay, I'll. I don't know.
- [45:41]
Max
Yeah, go, please do. Oh yeah, Beelsa.
- [45:43]
Wilson
Well, there's. There's two things I interesting about Uruguay. So it's a Beelsa who started really well with Uruguay and you have a classic Bielsa arc that he comes in. Everybody's won over by his charisma, by his intensity. They play this incredibly dynamic football and then as time goes by they start to get worn down by Luis Suarez's retirement national football in September 2024. And then launched this astonishing attack on Bielsa, saying he's isolated the players, that he was too harsh with them. He told the story of when Uruguay won 2 nil away in Argentina, how at halftime when Uruguay 1 nil up, he'd hammered Darwin Nunez in the dressing room to the point that Nunez burst into tears and Suarez had to sort of console him. And Nunez apparently then has a much better second half scores. The second goal, they win it 2 0. And Suarez spoke to Bielsa about it afterwards and Bielsa was like, you've just got to talk to him like this. It's the only language he understands. And Suarez was, well, I'm not really sure reducing your players to tears is a great idea. So I think because Suarez is such a hero in Uruguay, that has perhaps intensified the criticism of Bielsa, which would come anyway because he is Argentinian and there is that Uruguay, Argentina rivalry. And I think as results have declined, I mean they picked up right towards the end of qualifying low. They had two or three easy games at the end. I think Uruguay is three and a half million population. They're never going to have consistent level of good players. And I think one generation is just getting to the end. So Suarez has retired, obviously and Vecino's fallen out the side. Ben KE had injury issues and so I think results would have dipped anyway, but Bielsa is sort of getting the blame for that. And of course their last game was a friend against the US where they hammered. Right, they got in five. Yeah, to Pochettino as well. So player who used to play for Bielsa. And so I think there is a lot of uncertainty around Bielsa and Uruguay at the minute. But the other thing that is mildly interesting, is one of the reasons this game is happening is on the initiative of the Uruguayan ambassador to Britain, who's a bloke called Luis Bermudez, who, for a series of slightly odd circles I ended up having a drink with a couple of months ago. He's a really interesting, nice bloke, loves his football. He genuinely is a big fan. He was going on about, oh, yeah, we need to mark 60 years since the opening game of the 1966 World cup, which I don't think anybody's mentioned in the build up, but he's very, very keen on that. But he was Uruguay's ambassador to South Africa in 2010, and he told me this story that the day before their first game, which was against France, he went to the camp and sort of went around, talked to everybody, talked to Digger Lugano, the captain, sort of asked him, how's everybody getting on? And Lugano said, oh, it's all great, you know, great facilities having. It's just one thing we're a bit worried by. Okay, what is it? And Lugano says that our national anthem is really long and FIFA only let you have 90 seconds. And we're worried they'll just do the instrumental bit first, but we want to do the singing bit. That's where we sort of, kind of can everybody get together? And so Bermudez himself recuts the Uruguayan national anthem and takes it to FIFA and says, can you use this version and FIFA play it. They say, I'm sorry, it's 92 seconds long. We're gonna have to lose two seconds off the end. And he's come on, it's two seconds. I've re cut it down with four and a bit minutes or whatever it is today. And they said, look, okay, France's anthem is actually quite short. So if the French agree that you can have two seconds of their time, you can do it. And so you went to whoever's in charge of this, France, and they were like, oui, c' est bon. And every game Uruguay played through that tournament, he had to ask the opponents, can we have two seconds of your anthem time? And every single one agreed. And Uruguay, of course, got to the semi final of that tournament with Luba Mudes version of Uruguay national anthem.
- [49:21]
Max
I will say, Wilson, that's an excellent anecdote.
- [49:23]
Will
Thank you.
- [49:24]
Max
You have a place on this podcast. As we said before we came on air. Play the hits and it's exactly what you're doing. Part three, we'll talk about Mo Salah
- [49:36]
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- [50:09]
Hayden
Howdy, howdy ho, and welcome to Fantasy Fan Fellas. I'm Hayden, producer of the Fantasy Fangirls podcast and your resident lover of all things, Sanderson.
- [50:17]
Stephen
And I'm Stephen, your bookish Internet goofball. But you can call me the Smash Daddy.
- [50:21]
Hayden
And we are currently deep diving Brandon Sanderson's fantasy epic Mistborn. But here's the catch. Steven here has not read Mistborn before.
- [50:30]
Stephen
That's right.
- [50:30]
Wilson
Hey.
- [50:31]
Stephen
Hey. So each week you'll get my unfiltered raw reactions to every single chapter.
- [50:35]
Hayden
And along the way we'll do character deep dives, magic explainers, and Steven will even try to guess what's next. Spoiler alert. He'll be wrong.
- [50:42]
Stephen
Newsflash, I'm never wrong. Episodes come out every Wednesday, and you can find Fantasy Fanfellas wherever you get your podcasts.
- [50:49]
Nadam
Foreign.
- [50:57]
Max
To Part 3 of the Guardian Football Weekly. So Mo Salah announced on Tuesday he's going to leave Liverpool at the end of the season. He arrived from Roma in 2017 for 34 million pounds, 255 goals in 435 games. 3rd highest Liverpool scorer ever behind Ian Russian. Roger Hunt, obviously a key part of that Fab 3 with Firmino Amman. And as Wilson, you wrote he had that brilliant connection with Trent Alexander Arnold and Jordan Henderson as well. Scored 29 goals, assisted 18 last year to help Liverpool win the title again, his second title with them. And I think will, it's when you're sort of, you know, people sort of say he's now up there. Like he is up there with D and you know, the, the great Liverpool players of all Time and Hanson, etc. Etc. Etc. I think it's quite hard when your sort of history is happening in front of your eyes to sort of agree that this guy is. Is up there with the greatest Liverpool players of all time. But he is.
- [51:53]
Will
Yeah, I mean, the trophies tell the story generally and he's a key component of the trophies. You know, goals, win matches he scored those goals and won those matches. It's, you know, it's straightforward times. Yeah. You know, no one generally has a stand or a statue built in their honor during their playing days. It comes afterwards. This is, it takes time to reflect, you know, because if, if for any reason, if you know, Federico Chiesa goes on and scores, you know, 40 goals next season, Liverpool win the league, then he'll get the statue and that's the nature of the game. So you have to wait a few years for it to happen. But you know, you look at the games last season especially there's a lot of games won by a single goal or so and it was often Salah making the difference. And that is what you get from these top players in tight games they're doing it. It's very easy at times when teams are all dominant and they're beating teams three or four nil that everyone chips in. But I do think last season with Salah it was a lot of his making at times where he had that extra edge, that point of difference that you need in your final third game. We were talking about the playoffs before the teams that went through with Eurekez and Lewandowski scoring key goals. Those other, the losing teams didn't have them then. That's the matter of fact. And I think we can all accept that it was inevitable that Salah was going to leave after the Ellen Road outburst and a bit unfortunately it's gone like that. But nature of football. So yeah, an absolute legend. He'll go down as I think everyone will forget the last bits of negativity and the montages won't include him. Stood in a mixed zone at Leeds, there'll be goals and stood on podiums lifting trophies and you know, considering how long he's been there, the consistency he's shown has been quite incredible. And at 33 he's taken a bit of a dip that I didn't really see coming necessarily this season in the drastic way it has. But bodies catch up with people. Football evolves, football's changed. But yeah, one of the sort of players I've been most excited to see when I go to Anfield and see Liverpool. So yeah, I'll miss the sort of dynamic running and the finishing and the cutting in and all that. So no thanks. Thanks for the memories.
- [54:14]
Max
Mo so and Natum will makes a good point about that consistency. Right. That is the thing that marks out these players. That is ridiculous. You know, 255 goals is just an unbelievable amount of goals. And there was just last Season and in other seasons there has just been that air of inevitability like when he's got that ball in his left foot in that arc that he's just going to curl it in the top corner.
- [54:36]
Nadam
Yeah, for sure. I think his significance for Liverpool is huge because obviously football existed before the Premier League but the best versions of Liverpool in the Premier League has featured Mo Salah for all the, all those years. Like the section just before, you know, when it was Sturridge, it was Suarez, Sterling, all that stuff, they were good but they didn't carry the weight that these guys did long term. And I think Mo Salah, when you talk about the Mane Firmino era, well, those two guys left but Salah still remained just as impactful and you could argue became even more important. And his goal scoring record is remarkable. The moments that he's provided for those Liverpool fans so many times in front of the cop, you know, so many times say in European competition, even helping them get the domestic title, which they were, which they were craving as well. Like he's huge. And did we see this coming when he first signed for Roma or was this Mo Salah who'd gone from playing in, I think it was Switzerland to doing that thing at Chelsea and then in Rome, it's oh yeah, maybe he'll be a good sign. Well, he's been a great sign and arguably one of the best in the, in the Premier League era in terms of being one of the most important in their history. Like if you're third top scorer for a club the size of Liverpool for the success that they've had, I think in some ways that that speaks for itself as well. So yeah, an absolutely incredible servant these this last year. I'll be honest, I've not liked it. I've not liked it. Some of the stuff that he said, the outbursts and so on, but as Will was saying before, it's like a blip in what is an incredible, absolutely incredible record for Liverpool and all those people who've played alongside him, you know how good he is, how good he has been. You know, he will be spoken about as a legend, I'd imagine in the same way like they talk about someone like a Steven Gerrard, the boy from the city as well. So to do that, hugely impressive. And I'm just, I'm just curious as to just what happened. You know, it was like a year ago. He was in the best form of his life. Will he sign? Will he not sign? And he signs, you know, the biggest deal that Liverpool probably ever given out to anyone. And then a year later he's on his way out. It's a shame, but these things can't go on forever. You know, I've learned that myself as a, as a player and his legacy, you know, to give him full credit after he leaves. If someone wants to do a highlight reel of all his goals, the video will last a lot longer than most other people's. I remember a few years ago. Yeah, yeah, I watched the mess. I've seen the Messi ones and the Ronaldo ones for La Liga and those videos are really long. The same will. The same will go on for Mo Salah at his time at Liverpool, not these other strikers who will probably get like a little 10 minute one. This would be a really, really long video showing just how great he's been for the football club.
- [57:07]
Max
Yeah, you wrote a piece about him, Wilson.
- [57:09]
Wilson
Yeah. I mean, I'm not sure I've got much to add to what Will and Nadam have said, but it doesn't matter how good you are, you have to have the right team to get the best out of you. And you talked about that front three, which obviously got absolutely the best out of him with Firmino dropping back, creating the space for him. But he was also in that great three on the right hand side. And I think to be sort of the junction of two interlocking great threes, it's hard to imagine a better scenario for a player. Jesse Mourinho gets rid of him from Chelsea in the same season, gets rid of Kevin de Burna in the season when he says I only have to look at a player for 10 minutes to know if he's any good or not. I mean, A, that's just quite funny, but B, that probably does show just how significant circumstances and environment is that. You can be a, you know, a 90 out of 100 player, but you can look like a 70 out of 100 player if you're not in the right place. And you look like a 99 out of 100 player if you are in the right place.
- [58:06]
Max
There was another interesting stat Stanford University did where since Mo Salah joined Liverpool, I think hate crimes in the area and anti Muslim comments went down. I think hate crimes around 19 and anti Muslim comments dropped by 50. So that, you know, it's incredible impact on and off the pitch. However, you know, if you can quantify it totally for his impact and how well he did at Liverpool on that, it's impossible to say, but it must have had some impact. Now AOB Baz Isn't here, Wilson. So you're gonna have to take the role on as. As Barry in a wedding celebrant me the day. Yeah. You don't think you do you want Will to do it?
- [58:42]
Wilson
No, I'll do it, I'll do it. I just. I wouldn't get your hopes up though. Whoever's getting married, well, you know, Barry
- [58:48]
Max
normally just says it won't last. So, you know, at least you are married, you have experience. Whether that helps or not, I don't know. Callum says, good evening. My partner and I, childhood sweethearts, are 15 years, getting married this Saturday. Every time Hannah, my partner, overhears Barry on the pod, she says, ah, it's the nice Irish man. But after another five minutes or so, she asked to get that football rubbish off. So thank you, Barry, for extending my pod listening to by those five minutes. If he could let her know the rest of the pod is top quality too, that would be great. Good luck on the run. I hope I can email again on the decade or so for my vasectomy. Best wishes to the rest of the gang. Callum. So it's Callum and Hannah and you're very much the. He wanted, Barry, but he's got you. Wilson, I know you like playing the role of understudy to Barry Glendenning. Two very similar journalists in my. In my. In my experience. Would you like to wish them the best?
- [59:36]
Wilson
I would like to wish them the best and I'm sure it will. Lastly, Callum sounds like a lovely lad. It sounds like he's understood his place in the relationship, that he is essentially subservient. He has to. You put up a bit of a fight, but you have to give in in the end. That's just how marriages work, in my experience. I hope you have a lovely day and I wish you all the best and I'm sure it will last for a very, very long time.
- [59:55]
Nadam
Max, if I've heard the intro correctly. So she's into Barry's voice, then five minutes later she's out. That's. That's what we're hearing. Yeah. So why don't we do the, like the whole YouTube type thing and say, make sure you stay tuned for the end of the video because I've got something to. To reveal. So you just push Barry just later and later and later and later in the pod.
- [60:16]
Max
Oh, I see.
- [60:17]
Nadam
So you could say, oh, no, no, no, it's just going to be on in a minute. Just give it a second, give it a second. And then at the end, you know, here we Go Barry Glenn's Dennings Closing remarks Two hours into a podcast. There we go.
- [60:27]
Max
I think he'd actually, I think Barry would probably quite like that if you
- [60:30]
Nadam
just say, take it back. Just take it back.
- [60:31]
Max
Sit tight for 55, not too sure says which is more difficult to win the World cup or Metro Southeast Football Victoria Metro Southeast Division 7 this is with regards to an Instagram story that was posted by the A League yesterday where I found myself playing golf with Juan Mata, Glenn Maxwell and Aaron Finch. Five World Cups between us. I don't, I don't. I don't have any of them. Anyway. It was wet. It's fair to say the two Aussie oafs could hit the ball further than me and Juan, but we were more delicate around the greens. The video will be out. It was so wet. But yeah, as you can imagine, Juan Mata is an absolutely marvelously lovely man. And this is a vasectomy email. It's quite. It's amazing. It's from David, 45 and a half from France. Hello. As a man who had his vasectomy a few years before the current trend of discussing the topic on my favorite football podcast, I've not really had anything to add to the conversation. However, after last week's sad news that Max will not be live blogging or vlogging his own imminent emasculation, I finally feel I have something I can contribute. Before my own operation, my doctor revealed he was being interviewed by the national news for a piece on the growing trend of men in France undergoing the procedure and would I mind taking part. The news crew were to ask me some softball, no pun intended, questions before I went under the knife. Just to find out my motivations for taking this course of action. I told the doc I had absolutely no problem taking part. On the day of the op, I'm in the hospital and as I'm lying on the trolley in my gown, I answer the questions put to me by the journalist. They asked if I was happy for them to record me going into the theater. No problem, I replied. Here in France, vasectomies are done under general anesthetic, not the 15 minute in and out job you get in the UK. So I woke up some hours later before going home that afternoon. A few weeks later, my doctor sent me a YouTube clip of the news segment that went out on national television, and I sat down to watch the video, proud to be the face of the pro vasectomy movement here in France. After a little chat between the doctor and the interviewer there I was sat in my trolley looking ridiculous in my gown. Followed by a close up of face as I gave my reasons for having the operation. A few seconds of footage of me being wheeled into the theater. The next piece of video that appeared on my screen will haunt me until my last breath. In evolutionary terms, I don't think the human brain is comfortable with seeing its hosts innards exposed and being quite literally sliced apart. Especially not in Ultra high definition 4K video they'd filmed and included in the segment. The actual moment the doctor snipped an exposed pipe that looked like a piece of rancid tripe surrounded by my jam and pubic hair. I vomited on the spot and forwarded the video to everyone I know with no warning of what it contained. Having gone through that, I think that you are a coward, Max, for not allowing us to be part of your big day. For shame. Thank you, David. I'm not going to search out the video, but I'm sure you can find it and we appreciate you sharing your story with us. That'll do for today. Thank you everybody. Thank you, Natum.
- [63:29]
Nadam
Thank you very much.
- [63:31]
Max
Thank you, Wilson. Thank you, Will.
- [63:33]
Will
Cheers, Max.
- [63:34]
Max
Football Weekly is produced by Ian Chambers and Jesse Howard. Our executive producer is Danielle Stevens will be back on Monday.
- [63:44]
Nadam
This is the Guardian.
- [63:54]
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- [64:25]
Hayden
Howdy, howdy ho, and welcome to Fantasy Fan Fellas. I'm Hayden, producer of the Fantasy Fangirls podcast and your resident lover of all things Sanderson.
- [64:32]
Stephen
And I'm Stephen, your bookish Internet goofball. But you can call me the Smash Daddy.
- [64:36]
Hayden
And we are currently deep diving Brandon Sanderson's fantasy epic Mistborn. But here's the catch. Steven here has not read Mistborn before.
- [64:45]
Stephen
That's right.
- [64:45]
Wilson
Hey.
- [64:46]
Nadam
Hey.
- [64:46]
Stephen
So each week you'll get my unfiltered raw reactions to every single chapter.
- [64:50]
Hayden
And along the way we'll do character deep dives, magic explainers, and Steven will even try to guess what's next. Spoiler alert. He'll be wrong.
- [64:57]
Stephen
Newsflash. I'm never wrong. Episodes come out every Wednesday, and you can find fantasy fan fellows wherever you get your podcasts.
- [65:04]
Adam Grant
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