Who will be crowned champions of the Premier League this season, What does MLS need to do to be taken seriously globally?

Craig D'Alessandro: 0:24

On this episode of missing the point, it's our first MTP kickabout. We'll discuss of the BBC Sky Sports in the mainstream media in Britain, this kind of Liverpool's chances of winning the Premier League this season, and how do we think Juergen Klopp feels about having his full strength Liverpool squad back. We'll also discuss why Lionel Messi left Barcelona to go to PSG. It also will talk about what steps Major League Soccer needs to take in order to be taken seriously by the likes of the Premier League series A and Bundesliga fans across the globe. This is missing the point, Episode 80. But it's all relative.

Joe Malkin: 1:13

Welcome to missing the point My name is Joe Malkin joined this afternoon evening. Good morning. Whatever time of day you're listening to this. dk Dave Clark is with us. With me from the west coast I Oh, it's weird to say us because it's just you and me. A lot of these Oh, I'm sorry. Hey, Craig, how are you?

Craig D'Alessandro: 1:31

This here if my cigarette in the shadows.

Joe Malkin: 1:34

Right where you belong on this topic.

Dave Clarke: 1:37

That's why we call you deep throat I thought it was a different connotation. That makes a lot of sense. Now.

Craig D'Alessandro: 1:43

We have live secrets our presence

Joe Malkin: 1:45

while you're probably not the only one. So speaking of secrets, Dave, we're gonna we're gonna play a little MTP football kickabout as you as you so eloquently have phrased it, we're going to call it red versus blue. And if you're wondering, oh, football, they always talk football. No. Now that football we're going to talk about with Dave and most of the world would call real football. We're going to talk about the English Premier League. We're going to talk about the contract for former Barcelona superstar Leonel Messi and current Paris Saint Germain, superstar, Lionel Messi and we're going to make sense some other things, probably talking about dpl. But also what we're going to do is Dave and I have an interesting connection in the football world where Dave is a Liverpool fan. And I am a supporter of Everton are which they currently until 2023, but currently they play point six miles away from each other in the city of Liverpool in England, on the the border of England and Wales. And I'm probably boring all of our listeners at this point with this but what we're going to do is take a look at the English Premier League. We're going to take a look at Dave's team Liverpool, my team Everton and where they came from,

Dave Clarke: 3:03

did you ever hear the story of how how Liverpool was made? Because Because of Everton, do you know the whole backstory?

Joe Malkin: 3:09

Dad, I do not know.

Dave Clarke: 3:10

So originally Everton was and this is back in the late 1800s. They the people on the stadium and the owners of the team were like separate people. So the guy who owns the stadium of Anfield which is where Liverpool play now, Everton played there, and he was there was like some sort of contract dispute and they were like, it's cool. We'll go across to build a stadium over Goodison Park, and then we'll come back that everything and you won't have a football team anymore. And he was like, actually, I'm gonna fucking start my own football team. So in 1882 Liverpool was founded as the second team to play that field they used to be everyone's home team. little interesting factoid there Joe for your for the back background on your on your toffee blue football team that you like, inexplicably,

Joe Malkin: 3:54

it's not inexplicably but we can talk about that story as well. Because the soccer football association football has gotten a lot bigger in the United States over the last few years of probably over the last decade. It's really kind of taken off the MLS has gotten huge, and Americans just to have more exposure. Because there's not much better as an American than to turn on NBC Sports on a Saturday morning and see Rebecca Lowe's face start talking about the English Premier League because not only is she awesome at her job she's one of my favorite sports casters in the world probably I think she does she is really good.

Dave Clarke: 4:34

She she like there's a lot of really good sports casters or like hosts or commentators whatever buried in this weird kind of loaded an American would consider niche sports we noticed that like I did a couple of UFC guys this guy john Annika UFC, unbelievable like he's like the most polished play by play guy in all sports today. And then it but like he's just stashed away in the UFC because like, I those people don't die, I guess. It's like, well, the football guys are like 100 and I'm like looking at I'm looking at Terry Bradshaw, who has been hitting the head way too many times if he's like trying to form coherent sentences and I'm like, oh man, such

Joe Malkin: 5:08

a good old boys club. problem in American football for a long time. Well, I'm just gonna use that just were good at the game at one point all of a sudden think they can talk about it. It's so good

Dave Clarke: 5:19

sir. Again, I was like comms word.

Joe Malkin: 5:21

Yeah, columns. I see. You and I are in the camp. I Sometimes I like Hollandsworth and all the times I've dealt with the guys the guy is good.

Dave Clarke: 5:28

I like I'd like to I just like how he breaks down plays I don't listen to them otherwise but I get why people are annoyed by him and I also would America like I think Rebecca Lowe could come in and do like be the next Al Michaels but would America like rejected lady with an English accent due to a good football? Of

Joe Malkin: 5:42

course they wish Oh yeah, without a doubt what they would have to do is really grow the MLS to a point where they get rid of their silly salary cap rules and roster have to put in promotion relegation and then maybe somebody like that would be respected in that fashion but she's very well respected in the in the, you know, European football circle in America.

Dave Clarke: 6:04

Yeah, she's awesome. She's really good. And I remember the days of watching Fox lifted the Premier League on Fox and like you know, no disrespect to Fox but like they hired a British referee to just pull people in off the street to be their commentators. is none

Joe Malkin: 6:20

of them were very kind of had to

Dave Clarke: 6:23

Yeah, I don't even mind like the two Robbie's the two Robbie's other four are fine on NBC like I did you know, it's it's a good product they put the product together.

Joe Malkin: 6:32

We talked about men and blazers great podcast, they have a they have a TV show I mean they've kind of come from literally just talking nonsense about football and now they're they're one of the biggest podcast football podcasts in the world so and that's what we're gonna become with this show alone that so So to give you the backstory is gave me that wonderful backstory on Anfield and goes and park which is funny because Goodison Park isn't actually even in the everted neighborhood of Liverpool, but they're still called evidence but Liverpool plays in the everyday neighborhood.

Dave Clarke: 7:04

Yeah, that's why that's where it makes sense now, right?

Joe Malkin: 7:06

Right. Now it does make sense and everything will be moving into a new stadium in two years time. So that's

Unknown: 7:12

there's another third team right across the river Mercy College. Tranmere called Tranmere Rovers. They're,

Joe Malkin: 7:18

they're in league to League One, three.

Dave Clarke: 7:21

I don't know they've always been shy.

Joe Malkin: 7:23

It's so funny. Alright, so this is this is an interesting point because I have a lot of friends I have a friend who's a big Arsenal supporter, you big Liverpool supporter. And then but what I always find interesting is people who are big supporters of their team and then Premier League never really know the lower leagues and

Dave Clarke: 7:40

what Well, I don't know, Nick, this is a different product. I do to a certain extent I mean, I there's there's certain teams I know about because I remember Liverpool playing them in the FA Cup. I win the FA Cup rolls around. That's actually a bike that's the kind of Super Bowl season for the lower league teams because they get to go and play like the Liverpool's Manchester United's it sounds condescending when you talk about like in those terms, but it makes them a lot of money. And you can like send all you know you Can you spell that your stadium? First off, right? There's no question about that. And then you kind of get to have this big pageantry day if like, we're playing Liverpool, and like that, if they win, which happens in the FA Cup, from time to time, like a big team, maybe they don't feel the right team or they're not taking it seriously, or they're just having an off day. And they get like giant killed by like an FA Cup tea. That's like the coolest thing ever, when that happens, except for me when it's Liverpool, but that's the thing I've always tried to draw American supporters in with, which hasn't really made sense to them, where I'm like, No, all these competitions happened kind of like at the same time. So it'd be like, if the NBA had like an alternative league that was going on, at the same time, as the MBAs are talking about doing. Yeah, and you would like play with your same team. But it would be like a different competition, like a different tournament. And like the prestige of the said, tournaments is kind of decided by the public, you know, so for a long time, like my dad was growing up, the FA Cup was huge to win. Like, everybody wanted to win the FA Cup, and it was like a prestigious honor because everyone would feel their best teams, they would try their best with fixture congestion. And then with the advent of like, three European Cup was now the Champions League, you have bigger competition with bigger money with like more players coming in. And they're currently the FA Cup, whatever. So that kind of hurts the lower league teams. So I feel like yeah, my generation just in a very long winded way. It's your question, my generation of football support, and probably your friend who likes Arsenal, are not as connected to the lower league teams, but like, the old that well, we call in Ireland and they call an England the alpha is like he is the alpha is like, Ah, you know, do you remember, you know, Brighton Hove Albion did something right? Well, they have like, or like Wimbledon FC like they always have like all I remember the FA Cup Final in 1970, whatever the fuck. And you're like, ah, let's see they fuckin lay No. And then also the, you know, I have the added disadvantage of having never lived in England and although I know the geography of it, because of like watching the Premier League, it's I don't have any real connection to where these towns are, you know, in some way like, whatever. But yes, I am a shift to Premier League supporter because I'm not

Joe Malkin: 10:13

at the lower leagues. Well, it's just it's so interesting because that I wouldn't, it's not a bad I mean, good Premier League sport because you pay attention to league you could probably name all those I probably could as well name all 20 Teams the lake

Dave Clarke: 10:26

could typically do about 30 teams yeah right

Joe Malkin: 10:28

that someone else is just calling us that we don't see in American sports now along with tournaments going on at the same time this season let's do that. Again the only thing we can really equate it to is the the MLS right which of course you call the Semi Pro soccer in our in the pre show which is fine I understand but they have the US cup Have you ever heard of the US cup Is that real? The US Open Cup yeah they it is it is and literally it'll be teams from you know who did the revolution the New England Revolution who I am a season ticket holder have long gone to their games good way to go

Dave Clarke: 11:02

have fun, they're fun. I've been a few redskin and they need they just want as in their their top the top of the league which would be great and most other leagues because you hit them it means something in most other leagues here I am I was waiting personally and video is that they have to stop americanizing the MLS I just played like kinda like what you're just saying like just play it the way it's meant to be played like line it up with all the big leagues across Europe. And like then then you can start to mold yourself after them and get the talent and then start to compete at those higher levels. And like that's your better that's your best bet you know cuz like this post salary cap thing to try and like playoffs and try to make it like they're more American friendly product I it's just not for me, but I mean, maybe the numbers dispute that.

Joe Malkin: 11:47

I mean, American football is king in the United States, but there is plenty of leagues Ireland the name thing the name thing has been a thing to

Dave Clarke: 11:55

the fact that it's called football everyone's like I don't trust it That sounds communist.

Joe Malkin: 12:01

And then it the whole thing behind the name soccer. It's like God, it came from literally from association football, which is what Americans called football before we changed into soccer. So it's just it's interesting to watch. But the I think that the MLS itself needs to go to promotion relegation number one, which is a hard sell for Americans.

Dave Clarke: 12:22

Is there enough teams to do that? I mean, after 2023, they'll be 28 teams. So there's enough and you have USL teams that can play pretty well. The in Pittsburgh, they have the Pittsburgh room. So you could maybe get like take the shittiest eight teams and put them in like MLS B or whatever, right? Or like MLS that's a busy day right now. I just have them play each other all the time and just knock the shit out of each other. And then they play and then they play like an 18 playoff or a 760 play or whatever. And then you do maybe to go up and to go down because like I don't know if there's enough teams for like three. I don't know. Is it luck to work out there?

Joe Malkin: 13:00

I think there's enough I think there's enough but i think i think yeah, I think they're gonna work towards it because I think they have to and the teams help. Yeah, the US Open Cup is something that's that's interesting because, you know, the US Open Cup so like, in England, any team that's within the English FA can play in that right so even the teams that are in wet based in Wales that play in the, the English FA can play in the MLS, Oregon in America, the US Open Cup, the Canadian teams can't play, right, and they have their own championship that they enter another problem is the North American Champions League. I mean, we could fix all the problems.

Dave Clarke: 13:41

The weird thing is weird though, because it's like Wales is like a smaller country. I feel like where they you know, they couldn't have that feeling teams issue.

Joe Malkin: 13:49

Sure, but there's not enough

Dave Clarke: 13:50

there's on Scotland and Ireland have their own way of their own and they don't play the The only time you would ever see any. And this would be pretty unlikely. But every time you'd see an English team play Scottish or Irish teams, probably in the European club in the Champions League. So there's I think people have been calling for that. like it'd be cool to because everyone always asked the question like, you know, Celtic and Rangers are like the two best teams or the historically two best teams in Scotland. And it's always sort of hot hot button pub debate that people like to have like you've heard this conversation many times of like in like pubs in art and it's like or Scotland or whatever like Oh, if you put Celtic in the Premier League they come in fourth or third or they win the whole thing they're pretty whatever like or 10th or who knows right? So I always recommend being like a mid table team Oh yeah.

Joe Malkin: 14:36

Without a doubt it would be it would be it sell sell tickets to Everton North I mean, honestly,

Dave Clarke: 14:41

yeah, no, they're good. They're good. They're you know, I'd like I always had I always had a soft spot for them because like the Catholics are supposed to like sell taking the properties you're supposed to like Rangers, but then Steven Gerrard went to Rangers and a mica which they carry were more like, like people to kill over the first world. As as serious like as soon we're gonna get angry at me anyway. So there's that connection. But yeah, like, open borders are a good thing in football. You know, the more teams play each other, the better, the better you get because you get more competition. You know what I mean? Like so that's why that's super late thing was such a pilot. Shoot. I don't want to get into that because I'm sure don't talk to death by everybody. But that's why I was so stupid because it's a cat. You're just like, you guys are all just gonna play each other all the time. Like, that's just sounds fucking ridiculous.

Joe Malkin: 15:23

I'd have a Almost like an 18 second league for the MLS, there wasn't conversation again, that wouldn't be enough. You're probably right. Right. And you know, another thing that that has been floated is that and it's always floated in American sports is that the MLS and La Liga BBVA are illegal Mexico Lima,

Dave Clarke: 15:40

I was gay. I would I would have looked it up.

Joe Malkin: 15:45

Lately, Amex would would kill following and then he would have, they'd make two leaks out of the two leaks basically and have the top teams from two but there's loads

Dave Clarke: 15:55

of good club teams that at different sets you go there's loads of good club teams like all the reality teams and a Brazilian teams are like, they're great. But if I cared to you if like he started having MLS teams play resilient teams, they could be fucking murders, like so what happened is, oh, yeah, the MLS fans are actually pretty legit. You know, and I think that they have like a, like, their own kind of standing in fandoms. You know, where people are like, Oh, yeah, they're kind of like their supporter sections are like pretty legit. And I think that's cool. And they have and I heard something like suck my brother told me like, they had they like, copied the German teams or like they had the German like some guy taught them how to like do German supporting. I don't know, I heard that. But I just take half.

Joe Malkin: 16:33

Yeah, it's it's very, just from what I've seen what I've watched, because you can get a lot of these wacky leagues, if you just turn the TV on. Sometimes you can watch Brazilian League games Who? Yeah, and they kicked the fuck out of each other too. Oh, yeah, they do it. It'd

Dave Clarke: 16:47

be the crap out of you. Every once every like two years. You hear story about like, they're beheading a referee, or you're gonna play this cat. It's candidates.

Joe Malkin: 16:56

I know, we haven't been in Africa. And it's like, I laugh. Better yet, right. But it's, it's it is kind of amusingly, it's like at the end of the day, it is a game that is so intense. But I heard that story to where they kind of taught American fans how to watch football properly. And I mean, American game is pretty close to the German game. It's big. And it's Yeah, in everything except for like quality of player. Sure.

Unknown: 17:23

Without a doubt,

Dave Clarke: 17:25

is that true, though? I didn't know that. I bet that American foot soccer,

Joe Malkin: 17:29

the style is so close to the German

Dave Clarke: 17:32

stick to pace is the pace that

Joe Malkin: 17:34

the physicality and the pace better in the BBC to play Yeah, the quality of play is higher because it's much easier in other leagues to sign foreign players. Yeah, and big name foreign players. And I get so difficult here. I mean, there's always been conversation of these guys coming over here and you know, everybody's got masteries gonna go to the kitchen with their old

Dave Clarke: 17:54

or whatever.

Joe Malkin: 17:55

Yeah, legs locked on came here for what two years and it was like kind of just dominate the league, which was kind of a point to the MLS. Did

Dave Clarke: 18:03

he go back to United and it was still good. He went back to United and then we're still good, but then he was like, fresh off of being pretty good at United, right? either one or the other.

Joe Malkin: 18:12

Yeah, and then he went off and he owns a team and plays for testing. He's back at Sweden, but

Dave Clarke: 18:18

I forget that stick is a bit old, isn't it? That old Latins stick, like under birthstone brilliant and like, yeah, you're already like, perfectly now like you've had to say jokes since I was like 20 It's a preview of a new joke. And then I heard he said some weird shit ever. Like he had to say some like racist shit to somebody one day on a football pitch. I don't know that fell off for me. It was cool for a while but then it's like it got kind of grimy. Think he tried to come and be cool in United States? Yeah, maybe. I mean, lame. But that German stands cool as well. Because like Juergen Klopp came into Liverpool and he was like, a bunch of fucking midgets on this team. We have to get a bunch of fucking big tall guys. And now we're massive. But it's so irritating to watch a massive bunch of lads play for your football team and just be bigger and stronger and weirdly faster than everybody else is awesome.

Joe Malkin: 19:09

As long as Van Dyck can stay healthy this year.

Dave Clarke: 19:11

Yeah, I mean, he got he was it's just with the water and we're gonna get into this.

Joe Malkin: 19:15

I know I know what the load is you won't get into it this was this was more of a segue into it because for those of you that don't pay attention much more but in the what geez was the was one of the first few weeks of the season last year. Yeah, you were but you can't injured every two years in Everton in England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford,

Dave Clarke: 19:37

big awkward fucking lump. Yeah, she

Joe Malkin: 19:40

she makes those those tackles all the time when he rolls out and he went after Virgil Van Dyck and kind of

Dave Clarke: 19:46

I don't think it was intentional. I just think he's a bit clumsy. Fuck,

Joe Malkin: 19:50

and it wasn't the first time it's happened. The when where Pickford has committed this

Dave Clarke: 19:55

fall. It reminded me of like, what had happened to remember the show pumped with Ashton Kutcher. He was a real it was an Israelite guys for a while it was real cultural touchstone and sometimes or at least one time they did a like a prank where they made they replaced some sort of very expensive piece of art with like a prop. And they had whatever celebrity it was at the time like shyla boo fight and like knock it over. And then they're like, you just knocked over like a billion dollar piece. So far like that was the prank right? However that celebrity filled pre reveal was how I felt when Jordan Pickford damaged for like, I was like this it was like some idiot. Some like child walked into like the loof and like, drew on the fucking Mona Lisa said, Who even let him near the Mona Lisa, why is he any? We're over there. This is absolutely ridiculous. You know what I mean? So I knew it was bad, right when it happened, and it completely fucking derail their season this year. You know, it just, it's, it's smashed up our season so hard. So, because like, he goes out, and he noticed this in the in the knowledge game, I feel like it's like he goes out. And then everything kind of folds back in on itself going backwards, you know, because it's like, Ah, you can pretty much leave Virgil Van Dyck by himself, you know, holding the line back there, that everybody else gets to like, run forward and do whatever they want it that people have, right? Oh, what's going on over there attack. It's like, well, everyone's fuckin injured First of all, and now the midfielders and the fullbacks have to help out inside a lot more than they're used to, which expose things like trade dogs and URLs, one on one defending which, like, you know, everyone's going to be better at that when Virgil Van Dyke is big, you know, right. We're like Joe Mattis, behind you even you know, and he was he was heard as well. Like going down to the center. And as you can see, that's going to have a ripple effect here of the whole team. On Norwich on when we played Norge granted a start with this. They're not brilliant, you know, and they were ravaged by COVID. Her and dad, they didn't have a great preseason because of that. So I'm not I'm trying not to overreact. We're like, I don't know, it's Liverpool. So I have a tendency to Yeah, shortly. And I thought we were great. You know, like Virgil beanbag makes all the difference. Its players look at them. And they go like, what's the point like they they hold the ball up? And verges across when they go out? Guys pass it? Because he's so like, his reputation precedes him at this point, say, everyone they've nobody would throw to Ed read? Or like anywhere near a read, you know what I mean? It was like, Yeah, he's like, interception numbers fell off. That's because nobody will throw in anywhere near him. You know what I mean? So same thing like Richard Sherman, that was like an argument with him. I was like, No, whatever throws that sides, you know, he's got it covered. So like, it screws up your like impact stance or defense or whatever. It just made all the difference. And honestly, it felt like being wrapped up in a big fuzzy blanket launch in it, it just it was like, offered his back and he was like he came in and it was like COVID hit and like Virgil got hurt. And like 2020 happened in a shit season with no fans. And then Virgil came back and he was like, how you suffered long enough my son like it's gonna be all right. And he like wrapped me up in a fuzzy blanket and like levy down he was like, don't worry. And I have to say, on that note, the fact that no Condit no media organization or outlet no newspaper, no person who's paid to, to write about or talk about football, gave Liverpool a shot. I wouldn't delete the season, which I think is an absolute dereliction of duty. We walked to me two seasons ago, walked he walked in, we were on pace for like 120 points. Sorry.

Joe Malkin: 23:27

No, that was just continued. You have Juergen Klopp and Liverpool at Anfield and you have a healthy virtual man bike. And they spend the money that they spend which actually hasn't been a lot of money.

Dave Clarke: 23:38

They got that guy cannot say though he looks at business. Yeah,

Joe Malkin: 23:40

but they I mean, they got Joel Matt, as you remain here you know, Alex Oxley, Alex oxlade Chamberlain, that's always a tough one. The the team they've put together there's no reason why they shouldn't be the favorite. Who was the favorite?

Dave Clarke: 23:54

Man City? Well, Man City are definitely been a favorite. Right? Because like they they were they spent 100 million on jank range. They won the league last year, they won most the most leagues and anyone the past 10 years or so whatever it is, they've got the most money. I'd like there is actually a correlation by highest wage bill. Most points right exceed the anomaly being Liverpool over the time we jump up three or four places we have like the third or fourth highest stuff. Nowadays, for your city. What city are the favorites? No problem you buy jack grealish for 100 million. You know, you've averaged a crazy high amount of points in last few seasons. And you probably have another 100 50 million to spend on Harry Kane. Like that's probably what's gonna happen, you know, and that's a very formidable outfit. I think unlike Pep Guardiola. I don't turn my nose to him. I think he's a very good football manager. But I do believe that it's different to manage a football team and to being really good when you have a billion dollars to spend as opposed to how your club has been forced to do it. Because you know, as you guys know, Fenway sports group that FSG john Henry and co they could be a little tight fisted sometimes. And I, I've noticed talking to my baseball friends, you know, Pete, the Red Sox fans, they kind of say like, you know, they want to win but spending some times is like they won't because they know they're not going to win or whatever it is right at the money is a little bit different in enabling, like, maybe it's more I think the football might be a bit more expensive to try to compete it in like the global market especially. So they might not look as Bigger fishes. They do a baseball because baseball they're one of the top richest, right? Am I right? Yes. Yeah, they like two or two or three. So they're not that by any stretch in football so they try to kind of Moneyball it but that's become kind of a bad word and in Liverpool circles what they they spend when they need to and they've brought success back the infield so there's a lot of FSG people a lot of people that don't like them they resent being owned by Americans, which is, you know, a thing. Especially, you know, like you actually you'll notice the FSG oh crap get louder when Americans are being bigger tossers on the world stage. This is like I wanted these guys to split like during the Trump era they got real loud. I don't know. I haven't done any studies on that. But I think they've been decent owners overall, to be honest with you, they got virgin. They can listen to wellness Champions League so

Joe Malkin: 26:13

like I'm not and then a league and I'm not super angry with them. They've been better than some of the other American owners like the Glazers, who are just bad on our system,

Dave Clarke: 26:22

but it's even tough to compete within they got fucking boatloads of cash. Yeah. And like they could spit shitloads of money and when city is backed by an entire country and Arsenal have a lot of weird shit going on. But like I think there's money in there so where they just always seem to spend it in the wrong places.

Joe Malkin: 26:38

Therefore

Dave Clarke: 26:39

fast a Chelsea obviously we're Russian oligarch money. So it's, you're competing with a lot of really, really rich football clubs for for success, boy. So I think that might be why, you know, maybe Liverpool where it's super relevant the transfer window. So people like, you know, they were great last year, you know what, like, they still have a bunch of phospho good players, they still have the best manager in the league, it would have been so

Joe Malkin: 27:02

here's my favorite manager, he probably is the best manager I think Pep is number two and Sox because I just like Liverpool, because of the Fenway sports group because of their proximity to Everton because of the obvious reasons why people wouldn't like Liverpool, but also Juergen Klopp is one of the best and sending with Pat, perhaps perhaps, outstanding. And then anybody could have Juergen Klopp as their manager. And

Dave Clarke: 27:26

if you read if you read on the internet, so you'd be like, Oh, he's passionate about it up birds like you're jealous, bro. You're jealous. I can tell. He's so great. He's handsome, he's tall. He's charismatic. His outfits are always on point. I mean, he's great.

Joe Malkin: 27:41

He dresses just as well as he manages his team. So speaking of that, you you've gone on your Liverpool run here, and we'll keep going with that because Liverpool beat Ooh, excuse me. norridge and matchweek won three nil. That was at home. Right? That was that and guy was at Norwich who's on the road? Yeah, it was a way. But you know, you kind of ran through this, that the team is coming back. Nobody has picked Liverpool to win the league. And then going into the players that you just mentioned, and I love your line that you wrote here, but it's not necessarily wrong.

Dave Clarke: 28:16

Do you really believe Alison Becker? Is that the the best keeper in the world? Oh, yeah, easily so even close? It's honestly not even close. It's him. And then fucking a bunch of space. And then I don't know who's next. Probably some Latin fucking you know, whoever the PSG guy is or some shit. It doesn't matter. Alison's unbelievable. Like He's unbelievable. If you watch him every week, it's just like, it's mesmerizing. Like the some of the stuff he pulls up a couple of seats he had at the end of the nerf game it was just like I do with the closest I've seen in my lifetime and I know there's been a lot of really good goalkeepers especially in the English leagues with like, you know, the actual homegrown English players that like my dad always talks about being good goalkeepers like Gordon banks and stuff like that. And then there is a Peter Schmeichel for United has agreed to go but how do you read watch those guys? The closest I recite do what Allison does, and he doesn't he didn't even do as good as Alison was the hay for United, where he actually had this weird effect on the goal where like players were trying to like, stick them every time I tried to put it in the top corner every single time because they had kind of the yips when they went into the hair because they were like in Liverpool were bad about this as well. They wanted to put it on a postage ship and top left hand corner because they were just worried too Hey, would save it otherwise his reputation would come ahead of them. And I've noticed that same exact thing happened with Alison like, he just takes their souls right at the start of the game and like he'll just he'll make a save and he'll just be a presence and you know, it's catchy is underrated as distributions really, really good. Yeah. Oh, yeah. He's definitely the best one. I mean, thingies. I think most people would agree. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I live in a bubble that I wouldn't.

Joe Malkin: 29:51

I mean, and that's coming from, you know, a lot of people hate Liverpool. I get that. You know, I'm short but I mean, but again, you can't you know, we've as a baseball fan, we were taught growing up hate the Yankees hate the Yankees hate tianqi I loved Derek Jeter, I loved Mariano Rivera. I loved Jorge Posada because they were great baseball players you can't hate on greatness even when your team is getting the short end of the stick on it. But part of the reason why he is so good as well for Liverpool is because of the defense baclofen and Virgil Van Dyck Joel Matta, you have cannot pay Joe Gomez. Then you have the Greek costs and some Micah's and see the case several years. And which is weird pronunciation for a QB totally rotor so well that the republicans who say it is funny how that happens to, especially in England because, you know, we say things a lot differently over here but it's funny because there's, like Marino, it's Josie Marino is whenever get in, and everybody here is like, that's Jose. And they're like, no, it's not and it's like, whether it's right or wrong. It always seems that the English come up with pronunciations for things for now. Do

Dave Clarke: 31:07

we have players in Liverpool is a teenager I found out I watched him for I was watching the game. I was watching him for like five years and everybody's calling him kite kite kite like fly kite and then finally one day just click for everybody like I don't know if he's an interview or whatever it's like you're really fucking his neighbor is like bragging it goes for Liverpool like remember was like Yeah, he's like who was that

Joe Malkin: 31:33

some new guy

Dave Clarke: 31:34

yeah didn't like it was back to it to like the commentators don't get it right they're not specific everyone into a kind of a weird mispronunciation spiral so says and it's a bit it's also it's eclectic races people from all over the world but I know it's a melting pot here but everybody got everyone knows people's names got Ellis Island did so I feel like you know when you get the pre LSI of the names that the raw when you get raw dog with names over in the European league. You get it right from the source right from the babbling brook. You notice they're hard in English because you're not English.

Joe Malkin: 32:05

Right? So and the English always seem to pronounce every syllable if they do get it wrong. It's usually every syllable and every letter in the name so good midfield, Alex oxlade Chamberlain, who has he's fine, their midfield honestly the midfield is really just fun for me for a little

Dave Clarke: 32:28

that's not really our midfield is the thing and I agree with you 100% on your lukewarm associate assessment of although his song is good, that's very catchy tune So Luke, I'm lukewarm on him as well I have a very has a very strong theory that he needs to let and if you know if you know this expression, and you know what I mean? Let me know he said that again come to him a little bit more. He's he forces things and sometimes he comes on like you know, he'll come on as a substitution sometimes and he he'll be a machine and he's just like I'm making this habit and it'll have an impact you know, this way straight off the bench in my opinion. He kind of has that same attitude when he goes into starting to get a match and then he's forced at it and then he kind of has to disappear because he's been trying too hard. I just think if he got to run a games in a really strong midfield you'd be able to do good I feel the same way whenever you kind of what yes to me feels the weakest point however that was not are starting midfield. across all three. The starting midfield is fubini Oh who is in my opinion and I might start to sound redundant here at the best number six in the world. It's mainly between him and content and Chelsea I think they do different things. I used to be news fuckin up there. Top Five holding midfielders broken spider legs, go go gadget legs, like he makes tackles he should never he has no right to he's brilliant. He's and he's massive. Like you said the German system is massive. So he's great. He's a starter Henderson our captain obviously. And then Tiago, I think is the other guy that the Spanish Spanish stud who's played on you know, Barcelona and Bayern Munich and one fuckin everything there is to wit, and he's a brilliant passer and he's ready. He was just getting used to the league last year. So I think he comes in if he can stay healthy, and it feels pretty great. But I do agree midfield is the weakest point what that's only because the other two spots are so strong.

Joe Malkin: 34:16

That's what I was gonna say as we got up to the attack is that you know, the only name you need to mention for the Napoleon's masala, the Egyptian wonder kid who is just been outstanding in his career, we Liverpool and kind of came out of nowhere a few years ago when and he his career was is very interesting. But he has been better in the later parts of his career and he makes it he makes it happen up toxicities.

Dave Clarke: 34:46

He's deadly, he's deadly. He's he's got such a crazy fitness regimen. He always comes back in and he also like, you know, he's Muslim. So here's a drink. It's probably helps like I'm sure if you were the lads like Andy Robertson's getting pissed in summertime just having a good time with his friends. Well, salic was back in peak physical condition every year and it's wise. I think a big part always got this record of like, the only guy ever scoring his first five consecutive starts. So like the first five years he's scored the first game every single time which I think is pretty impressive. Like it's a pretty cool stat because that means He always comes back in reporting ready to go and I agree I take him look even better this year and I think he is going from st straight and what I really liked about him in the knowledge games, my one criticism has been he doesn't pass ball enough reason, for example, he almost did it too much against an arch. He was trying to get everybody involved. I think it's because he's decided he's going to be the best player in the league this year. And like potentially the best player in the world. I think he's going for insane numbers here. I think you know, the post Rameau site here by shoulder year and like all the kind of different stuff that's happened to COVID ups and downs, he's like, we're back. Like, I'm making a real use to my team. Now I play with all my teammates for enough years. And he's Asian can be a bit of a shithead sometimes, but like, whatever. I think like he's here for like, you know, hopefully we'll get him down to a new contract like soon, but it's gonna be expensive. He's an absolute stud. So I always love Maddie, like, my personal favorite is many of the new tech because just this this style, it's reminds me like the Reese speedy tricky ringers I watched when I was younger, like Salazar, deniable, he's just absolutely undeniable and like, I just I could just not enough superlatives that you can pick out to talk about how fucking excellent he is football because he's just so good. And he could have had three goals and three assists, you know, against Norwich, if a couple of things go go different ways. So he's a very happy very happy that masamichi

Joe Malkin: 36:40

is only 29 years old on witches. Some would say in his prime,

Dave Clarke: 36:46

he'll have a beard of a beard for 29 year old.

Joe Malkin: 36:48

What Yeah, and you know, that would say, some would say that that was right around the time that Jamie Vardy really came on the map for for lesson nobody know who the fuck he was before he was like total for 2016 when he was just started begging him and left hanging him in bank and you could win a lot of money if you put money down on luster to win the championship because they were like 10,000 to one to win and they did it and they pulled it off.

Dave Clarke: 37:11

I mean, I you know you don't want to sound like the miserable old guy but like I remember that season and it was cool and it was cool. Everybody got involved in it and I don't want to take anything away from them like that was the season of everybody else underperformers Oh yeah, no, it was like six teams just like not they just had no business like I could play football that year.

Joe Malkin: 37:29

Yeah, and I mean and lobsters played well since so it wasn't a flash and

Dave Clarke: 37:32

especially embarrassing for Tottenham that was Tyler's best chance at winning the league there right there and it just couldn't put it together and it's just like you guys come on. They had

Joe Malkin: 37:40

a tough last five years to Tottenham because everybody else got better. And then they were considered one of the one of the top teams in the league era January in the Champions League Final a few years ago they lost they think Yeah, and then Liverpool gets a lot better and men Minh city started spending a lot more money and then of course tomlins got this brand new beautiful stadium that's a ragging and it's like Alright, well they're under fold so they're in there now I think Yeah, they're in there now they're really now which it was of course supposed to be this like NFL human as well.

Dave Clarke: 38:15

Right when the NFL come to you?

Joe Malkin: 38:17

Yeah. We'll see when and if that happens this year. I don't I think you've kind of run down the team a little bit but another favorable game knock on wood for Liverpool this weekend in week two against Burnley who have been in the league for a while now. I mean they've stayed up now since coming up a few years ago what do you what are you predicting for Liverpool and in their I think this is their home owners and

Dave Clarke: 38:46

it's their home opener it's a little disappointing it's I have 12 kickoff because it dabbled a little bit more of a lukewarm atmosphere the earlier kickoff times like obviously you know Anfield on the lights Champions League night like eight nine o'clock kickoff, whatever it is in England, it's eight o'clock kickoff. Ah, they have legendary stories about like those atmospheres and I was a little disappointed that the first game back in Enfield after you know whether it's gonna be the first full capacity and feel for like what you refer to as a regular season game, you know? It wouldn't be popping them up more I think if it was like later in the day, but whatever, who cares right? I think it's still gonna be poppin for a half 12 match, which is like half for here on the West Coast so that's gonna be a fun wake up but like I haven't missed the game yet, so I think it'll be good. I think enfields gonna win the game for us. Whatever happens I think we're the better team no disrespect to Burnley but come on. I'm probably gonna win every fucking game

Joe Malkin: 39:41

that's why I mean it's Burnley gone you need me Agen Berlin's not again not a bad team. They can be a middle mid table team they can finish top 10

Dave Clarke: 39:49

and you know faded very old team very like they were David arounds, they you know, they're an old timer. They're not a new newcomer on the scene. Bernie's been a football team for longer number blason good for them.

Joe Malkin: 40:00

They still and they still have the guys from that original team number. As watching here's all pops macgibbon coming down the way Yeah. Trying to see who's their manager at Burnley used to be

Dave Clarke: 40:17

Yeah, okay, childish. Shambo fucking is that fucking orange round headed guy? I

Joe Malkin: 40:22

don't like him. Yeah, he's really Have an interesting one guy.

Dave Clarke: 40:26

Him and Crapo is go at it and I'm always immediately on club side. But then I think maybe like stage I don't know they always yell at each other.

Joe Malkin: 40:33

I feel like all the managers yell at each other for some rederi especially back there especially But speaking of Juergen though, did he get lean sinker contact lenses because he already

Dave Clarke: 40:42

spoke and asked him What a fucking dereliction of duty that is right I haven't seen I haven't heard one journalist asked him the question. I said it right away when he came back for like pre pre season like I was watching the video on like Liverpool calm alert manager arrives at training ground and he just like looks just watch them walk through his car into the building when yea it started. And he liked it with glasses on I immediately clocked in on who's to know he doesn't have a Twitter account. So yeah, he doesn't have anything so ask him to press conference cheese peers cheese, it's

Joe Malkin: 41:09

got buddies, but the glasses are atomic so he needs to keep the light oh

Dave Clarke: 41:14

they sold all this merch I got like four magnets in my fridge that have like a silhouette of your gun club and glasses. money back

Joe Malkin: 41:21

do you think it has like nightmares of you being a Liverpool supporter because we release

Dave Clarke: 41:26

Lee's fucking Lee's all Amen. She's diehard she's diehard a she's she can she could go into a pub in Liverpool and win a trivia game right now. Like Abed Liverpool.

Joe Malkin: 41:37

doesn't surprise me when I met her at Ollie's so

Dave Clarke: 41:41

when I met when I met Leah she was in LA Galaxy fit and one of our first dates we I took her to the bar and just made fun of the LA Galaxy for like an entire hour or however long you guys play football matches for in America is a 90 minute landing minutes. Let's try to do everything weird. If not. I did it for like 90 minutes. No z. Let's just come watch the Liverpool game. Like you can see the difference. She played soccer or like and she's like is is a lot better. No offense, the NFL mlsa me But yeah, no, she's diehard. When she wakes up, she'll be up at 430 watching the matches this weekend. So

Joe Malkin: 42:16

well. But you guys couldn't agree on an American football team

Dave Clarke: 42:19

still too late before we met was before we met. Yeah. And they play sure that Steelers in the various places here that could be

Joe Malkin: 42:26

that could be tense. I wouldn't want to referee that one where we might have to do a show.

Dave Clarke: 42:32

Sir, reading up on the deposit rules on these wedding venues.

Joe Malkin: 42:38

I can see Can I get your money back?

Dave Clarke: 42:41

If I get fucking maimed one day.

Joe Malkin: 42:45

Although Steelers fans are a little angry, so they're always angry. But none of them will be listening to the show anyway,

Dave Clarke: 42:55

so it's no wonder

Unknown: 42:58

well, yeah,

Joe Malkin: 42:59

she's crazy. cuz she's, she's with you. But that's a whole different conversation. So So someone you mentioned before is we're going to flip the script from red to blue. But something we mentioned before and thrown in there is that in week one of the premier league season, and no games ended in a draw. So there are 10 teams tied for first place and 10 teams tied for 11th.

Dave Clarke: 43:24

I mean, that's good. Nobody likes to draw. You know what I mean? Nobody likes to draw really like they're, I don't mind a point like in the Napoleonic sense in the grand scheme of a premier league season. There's games where I'm very happy to get a point get out of there. You know, I wouldn't I don't mind going to Man City and getting a point. Obviously, we're all free. But you get a point your fight doesn't ruin your weekend. You know what I mean? To get a beat at the Etihad or Chelsea at Stamford Bridge at Old Trafford doesn't doesn't hurt you. But from the American fans perspective, I know you guys have a bit of a hurdle. When it comes to the tight end, you kind of want to see it seeing out to its bitter conclusion to the death.

Joe Malkin: 44:01

It was just kind of interesting, because when they change that in hockey, a lot of people were upset that they were taking the tie out of hockey. And then that went away. Because then they went Oh, no one's gonna be a winner. Explain to me though,

Dave Clarke: 44:13

how do the points systems work? in hockey? Go you get both teams get one point if it's if Yeah, if you go to Yeah, right. And then you can get all three if you win.

Joe Malkin: 44:22

Correct, but it's only 202.

Dave Clarke: 44:25

So when you're splitting the three points at the end, or whatever it is, we're splitting the two. So there's two points. It's always two points. Okay, so

Joe Malkin: 44:31

if you win, but if you go to shoot, if you go to overtime, each team is guaranteed a point. The winner gets to

Dave Clarke: 44:40

you could do that. Like he could probably apply that. Like I that might work in the MLS that's a rule that might actually like work.

Joe Malkin: 44:46

If he did it. That's not bad. But see, but I don't I don't Well, I mean, this is where I've becoming a fan of real football. Who's enlightened me is that if the if you can't figure it out 90 minutes, you get a point and that's the way it should be. Yeah,

Dave Clarke: 45:03

yeah. Except a turian. sipping like tournaments, tournament style, you know, you got to step up events. That's why you have to that's why you have the credit, side by side leaks. He can like implement these different rules. And then you know what I will say though, I know that by done that Major League Soccer a lot tonight but I will say this I firmly and for a long time held the belief that the penalty The old MLS or old American now it's brilliant. It's great. It's like a hockey penalty. It's a lake. They take it you put the ball and a half of this correct me if I'm wrong, right but you put the ball on the halfway line, and it's just one v1 Uverse the keeper keeper can come out, you can try and go around him you can shoot early you can shoot late for like, he got to get it done. It's a one v one situation if he like if he turns you around, and he sends the ball the other way at all like he wins. You got to do it in one go. Way fucking better. Can you imagine how much more exciting that would be? It's so much worse. That's the whole point.

Joe Malkin: 45:58

But isn't there is such a suspense and I and this is kind of a rhetorical because we both know the answer is yes. But isn't there this suspense of a guy walking up to the ball on the spot, the keeper between you know, between the woodwork standing on the line, you know, holding his line can't get legs attention to it. There's so much right. There's intention. There's so much suspense. And it's like, however, new. It's like 90 75% of the time, a goal is going to be scored on a penalty kick in. Well, now they're all the same. But the way that the MLS used to do it. I mean, it worked. But there's there was a famous one for the New England Revolution with Alexi Lalas who's here. Now, I guess, American legend Alexi Lalas, who scored one with long hair for New England in Foxboro stadium. And it was impressive. And it was fun to watch. But at the same time, I'd rather have the intent the walk up the suspense the build up. Alliance. I'm not watching Rinaldo and stand over the ball. That's a different story. But I don't know. I think I understand what you mean. Because you've watched it one well, man like they did it that way. So it's kind of fun. But I was glad when I choose hockey, hockey does, right because it's hockey. It's kind

Dave Clarke: 47:16

of a it's kind of a four or five game Rock Paper Scissors the way that the English or like the world game does it though anything and it's when it's your team. It's it's miserable. Like it's so awful. Like it hurts. It's just like, it's anxiety inducing, you know, I mean, so

Joe Malkin: 47:32

Well, that's why you need those best keepers in the world because they can stop more penalties than not because he usually pretty good at.

Dave Clarke: 47:40

Yeah, I mean, there are some beekeepers that are good at the seven penalties, I guess. But it's a bit of a crapshoot. You know, it's just a bit of a thing. So yeah, the end though, let's start with the F. You got Benito is now how do you feel about that? I mean, he used to manage the revolt, obviously. So like, what's the what like, I know the consensus and everything is like out whatever, whoever can kind of make us when you're being kind of a miserable prick. If you're saying like, oh, the water was used to measure the ripple. I don't personally care as a Liverpool friend. He already managed Chelsea, like, slightly, you know, speed man's got to work. He already lives in Liverpool. He has a house in Liverpool. So it's probably convenient job offer for him. Like he's not supposed to be beholden to these kind of rivalries. So he did his job. He's got to earn a living. Or like what I'm anxious to know your opinion. Like, where do you think he's gonna go? And what what is the measure of success as an Everton fan right now? What like, what kind of what? How would he be deemed as successful Everton manager,

Joe Malkin: 48:33

or get us into the conference league? Which is really low? Because right now every piece that he made no, no, the conference like, you know that there's a third tournament now. Right? Did you know that? The focus the conference, okay, so they have the Champions League, which is the Titan England's top four. And then I can't you got to win one of the cups. Could they just added this year. So there's now the Champions League, there's the Europa League, and there's the conference league. I'd never heard this, because he just came in this year. It's the conference lead because they've seven sets, you got to come in seven, you got to come on seventh. And they've finished, they have finished ninth through 11th. Basically, since I've started following

Dave Clarke: 49:14

them, you could finish them you can finish for the F.

Joe Malkin: 49:17

And so so going back to why I started following everything this week. You know, as someone who didn't grow up in Europe, as you did, didn't like didn't follow them from birth. In the time that I really started falling, I've always watched the World Cup always falling. It always thought it was fun to I mean, it's the best. It's the best in the world. And it's country. We don't see that in many other sports, especially ones that we play in the United States. And we've just been so good at a lot of those other sports until you know, I mean, I know that the USA Basketball Team picked it up, but part of the reason why I ended up following them was because in that world cup, American goalkeeper Tim Howard was playing for Everton at the time. And I kind of caught on with him. And that was he was the Everton keeper at the time. And it part of it was this was like right as the Fenway group had bought Liverpool so it's like Alright, well reason to root against those guys because I'm never gonna put all Yankees out. So it was more because of Tim Howard. And when I started following him started falling. on everything and since then we've had like nine managers in in single words in there though, some good and some really good ones. I mean Coleman's a great manager but I mean if you come to today and you look at Rafa Benitez and what I like about him is he's been a kind of a journeymen manager. I mean, he's been managing since 1993 when he was with the Real Madrid bee, but he's managed to hit and he has managed in spades management, England, he's managing Italy. As you mentioned, he's managed Chelsea use the interim in 2012 2013. He's managed, he managed Liverpool for six years, back in 2004, to 2010. He's been around, and most notably, recently, with Real Madrid back in 20 1516, where he was only there for 25 games. But he also wanted he won a pretty exciting Champions League Final, Liverpool. Anybody was he knows what That's right. And that's the reason why it's nice to have a guy like that where the other guys have the track record. I can kind of equate this to what the New England Revolution have done here where they were like, Alright, we've had these managers, they haven't done a bad job. But they've, we haven't been able to get better. So let's bring in the best American manager we can and bring in Bruce arena. And that's exactly what I think everyone is trying to do now is bring in Benitez and Billy Okay, well, he's won a Champions League fall, he's managed some of the best teams in the world. You know, he spent three years at Newcastle and when 6231 and 53. So I mean, sub 501%. But with Newcastle that's pretty good to win 60 to 146 games and kick up 30 well draws in that mix as well. So what would be successful for him is to get the team to the conference league. And I think he can do it. And I think with a team that is led by Charlson on top who has been phenomenal since he got to Goodison. You have Jordan Pickford, who was you know, it has his days, but he is the England number one for a reason. And he's still pretty young as well. So hopefully, he's still getting better. So I think that would be the goal for them. Problem is, is you know, like, like you said, when we were talking about the the conference legally, that's something Liverpool's never gonna have to worry about.

Dave Clarke: 52:55

Yeah, I would, I would fucking hope not. I mean, we were down there for a little while. But

Joe Malkin: 52:59

it's a matter of playing those games and being able to attract the players because you are playing in Europe. And I think that's part of the reason why they even came up the term in the first place.

Dave Clarke: 53:09

Yeah, and I think a lot of people want to come in and play for Rafa to like he'd like he said he's had a hell of a resume. I mean, I don't know if journeymen has a negative connotation. I like it. Yeah, he's just been around.

Joe Malkin: 53:20

I think with the teams, he's managed, I don't think it does. Well.

Dave Clarke: 53:23

I don't know. But I get what you meant. And it's like, I think he's got to the CV like the qualifications to attract good players and like, he plays a nice brand of football. Like, I know, he's a good manager. I know you have a good manager. I know. I knew I just thought he was a good manager as well i think that showed but I think that the ownership has to do a better job of keeping them let them build some over the next few years

Joe Malkin: 53:44

you know when we're supposed to just be hunting right like he'll be up and left because usually Hey, look at this. I mean, he's

Dave Clarke: 53:49

he's he's a fucking mercenary as well. Oh, to certain extent. He's a great manager though. But um, but yeah, I mean, I think I think we need to as a community I think he'll do well for you guys, but also, I think he made some shrewd signings in the summer I think that big that big midfield you got is really good for his name's escaping me put on the rundown. Charleston's good you know pickfords got really short arms for his body and he he wrecked a priceless artifact and verge of indictment issue so I'm never say he's good. But he is starting to go he referring to whatever that's worth Well, yeah, they've got some decent players I think seventh places is on the docket. The problem is the top six is so strong now. You know, like if I guess personal really shit though. Like if they get first play. Yeah, first of the play anything like they played in that first match? Where they got hockey by a by a newly promoted team? That's not good. You know what I mean? So date, there might be a spot open there. Let's do though. Pretty good. There'll be in the mix. nobody's really talking about damn it'll be in the mix. Maybe Tottenham get a ton of good against city though. I don't know. It's tough seven, maybe it's possible, but it's it you'd have you'd have to you'd have to elevate them into like a squat. That's maybe one level better than I'm looking at them right now. But I think you can do that from where I'm sitting. I've seen him do it before.

Joe Malkin: 55:09

The biggest problem with with his managing style. I like his style of play, but because of the manager he is he knows what kind of team he has. And he knows about those top four top five top six teams in the Premier League. So a lot of what everything is supporters are going to see in a lot of what we're gonna watch with this team and you'll see it in the dark between these two teams. The Merseyside Derby is that they're gonna sit back and defend not park the bus but they're gonna sit back and defend and the possession numbers are gonna be low, especially against those teams. I mean granted it's not great or not a great barometer here but they only had 49% of the possession this past weekend against Southampton and

Dave Clarke: 56:01

incidentally really shit so I don't know if you can go off any I think there's a chance to get relegated this year. So I don't know how much you want to go off that put a window in and then come back with nonetheless, you know, coming back from me one nil down in the first half. And like you know, the coals are hot underneath Benitez right now too because it's like you better produce with all the baggage you're bringing it I would think is like a lot of the attitude of the Everton fans right now. It's like you smash Liverpool so gonna come in and manage it at every knee better be fucking winning those games if we're gonna accept you, you know, so there probably be quicker to turn on him if the results don't don't match up. So it's good that he was able to start up for winning so I'm pulling for him because he was like my guy when I first started really supporting Liverpool so I am pulling forward to a certain extent but I was fucking hate everything I was doing. I was making the Joker it's like I don't know I'm not from Liverpool so like that rivalry like doesn't really like you know Stoke my flames as much as say like united and then like every day every year always good for like reminding me why I fucking hate them because they do some like that I'm using block so they are they're not on my list of favorite teams obviously for you know it's interesting even damaging precious objects reasons but weirdly pulling for Benitez I'm in kind of a weird spot and you're you're my friends and I'd like to see you happy. You know, so we

Joe Malkin: 57:21

can all be that's the nice thing about it not having like playoffs and they they played 38 games and that said it's like Alright, so two times two shouldn't really be each other's business in the table so

Dave Clarke: 57:30

they just played nine times a year right legacy and we just get hate each other on those days. You know, as I was mad at you inexplicably when Jordan Pickford

Joe Malkin: 57:38

was outstanding I said we're like so I didn't like where the near has ever been supportive of it and all of a sudden I'm like all right, yeah, but I was like that makes sense. I understand why he's upset but you know, you knew you mentioned that the roster real quick for everything and you know what's nice about this roster and Benitez I think will do well with it is because he did sign to Corey did that was assigned to Corey.

Unknown: 58:01

Yeah, he's good in court. He looked good. He looked good. He looked like a unit in the midfield. Well, it's

Joe Malkin: 58:07

right in to with the style and you know, because everything that they can never formulate a style because they always have roughly the same players, but never the same manager. So right.

Dave Clarke: 58:18

Closest TK was probably on your movies before he went off to United right they they kind of had a look about them when they were getting great results but that point

Joe Malkin: 58:26

and he was there for a while but uh, you know, in the rundown that that we put together I mean, you write about shamans calling them like good, good captain. He's an Irish hero as well. Never Say Never that. Sure. And but the age is starting to show but there's some youngsters I mean, pickfords not old yet. Mason hoagie. It's been there forever. Lucas da is is a good a good offensive threat didn't have a great game. No, did he? No, he didn't. But he and that's the thing about football. Right? If the announcers are saying your name too much, it's probably a bad thing in football anyway.

Dave Clarke: 58:58

Yeah, they're either like, three they're like waxing lyrical about how brilliant your or if they're like, because I noticed that what cost is because, like he was involved a lot, and it was just for kind of first game for pool. And like, I think that happens in the modern game to fullbacks a lot. It's like, going to get tested, he's gonna get tested, here comes a wig, or Here comes a wig or like it's coming through that way every single time and especially if it's like a new guy, or they you know, the team thinks nuts, the weaker side, let's go with him. You know that you can get overwhelmed as a fullback in the modern game. And like, especially when you're asked to do like you said, like offensive duties. And it's the same thing in the report. I'm not sure how much of those digney didn't didn't take me digney I don't fucking know. So whatever. That lab

Joe Malkin: 59:37

is going to have to create opportunities because they're going to need to create opportunities from the middle of the back for Charleston, who is a very, very good player in days good. so fortunate to have him. He couldn't ever dummies good. Well, that's fine, as long as he's good and he can play and he's not doing bad things off field. I don't

Dave Clarke: 59:57

actually don't hate him because he's one of those strikers that Virgil Van Dyck has in his pocket every single time you play. It's true, just like every other striker in the world.

Joe Malkin: 1:00:06

Fair, but it's also because retrial isn't as as athletic as he is. He's not great. He's quick. He's quick, and he's athletic, but he's not the most physical like he tries to be. He pretends to me, but he's, he's, he's a he's a score and the thing is, they need to find a way to get him loose and creative. Those architects like you midfields better though, but that's been the Achilles heel again for everyone and to is that the midfield especially the central midfield because I mean they were trying to bring youngsters in and play them in the middle for years and into Tom Davies was one of them. Who's it? I mean, he's a pretty good midfielder, but I don't think he's like a premier league midfielder. But they really tried to him and Mason Holgate came up around the same time on the Academy. And it was like those were the two big names and unfortunately, Davies just kind of never caught on and started to lose. Lose Duncan Ferguson who, oh, yeah, that guy, that guy who just seems to I mean, he'll never be a manager in the EPL but he will always be the caretaker manager forever and when they need they feel the need to

Dave Clarke: 1:01:09

dig in Everton legend in his own right

Joe Malkin: 1:01:11

right and that's fine. But I think a lot of guys have kind of fallen out of graces with him to were tribalism as well those guys when he kind of took over as the caretaker between who was who was in here before.

Dave Clarke: 1:01:23

Zeki went back to go backwards is like Ancelotti, Ferguson and then he had a

Joe Malkin: 1:01:29

was all only way before that wasn't maybe. No, no, no, it was the Spanish guy. I can't remember his name. But nonetheless, he Ferguson kind of lost some of those guys. I mean, he does a great job in the academy. I mean, he really does a good job, Roberto Martinez. You forget Berto Martinez. Who is now the Belgium manager. Yeah, and I was unexplicable no weird. That's a weird one. I honestly it doesn't match up at all. I think if everyone can. I went and went down. One this weekend. I was like, all right, well, normally, you never need a team that goes down one on the first half of rollover, and they didn't and they scored three and they came back and you know, the Korean paternalism did their job and brought it back so three one big dream I think they're gonna have to do the same against Leeds. I think Leeds is back in the Premier League and they have a big following they're one of those clubs Dave that your dad and probably everyone else like all leads like Legion session youth club.

Dave Clarke: 1:02:27

My dad was a lead supporter when he was a kid very good or not Yeah, he loved leads when he was really young before like a guy i don't know what i there's a whole weird train of like Zapruder tape Kennedy Assassination kind of story be heard why he switched over to Liverpool but he famously was a Leeds fan. When the guy before he killed me for not remembering his name now but the guy before Brian cloth managed leads they were really good. I didn't I just remember kind of mean he played him in the fucking movie, but in the dandy data, but you know, they were really good. They were like a serious outfit for years and years and years.

Joe Malkin: 1:03:02

And now they're back and I think that that's great for leads but if everyone wants to continue to be taken seriously, and you know I've i

Dave Clarke: 1:03:12

what i need review done revy done reviews his name, okay. He's the guy who made build leads into this like, big team full of fucking scumbags. Anyway,

Joe Malkin: 1:03:22

when I really started following everything, especially and I had a few friends who were big supporters of Arsenal and Liverpool and they were like, you know, don't get too excited too early in the season. This is a 38 game 38 match season South football where you American football, we win week one. And it's like, it's a huge deal. Who's half as many games in this league used to be true. But at the top of the table, the margins are slim these

Dave Clarke: 1:03:46

days, there's been a couple of seasons we unite with city and Liverpool going back and forth. Were the first team to drop points, we're gonna be the team to lose and that didn't happen for ages and ages and ages. And they were neck and neck and they're, you know, they almost looking like they might take every point available. So like an emergent shrunk at the top of the table like that. I kind of I agree with you. I used to say, Oh, don't look at the table till Christmas. That was like the rule. Right? That was kind of everybody's kind of moving fast rule. Nowadays. I'm like, at every point counts. I'm like an erotic on the table like right away. And I I'm totally overreacting, 30 games in our performances. I mean, I've been broken now by this these really stressful like, if you if the razor thin margins at the top of the league, you know

Joe Malkin: 1:04:29

why? I think partly what it comes down to to is the fact that, you know, it's such a, it's a game within a game, like you can look at the top of the table and say, Okay, well, you obviously you don't want to lose points, because then the cities do, United's can jump ahead and take that three point threshold and that could count the end of the year. Whereas someone who said who middles like Everton, you know, you could lose a couple matches at the beginning of the year. And so it's fine, because we kind of know what team you have. We know where we're going to end up. Right? We're probably going to Europe anyway. So we're probably finished eight through 12. And that's what we'll do. We'll take our money and we'll, you know, go spend it where we need to but yeah, at the top of the table, you're absolutely right, but but they got to get another three points against leads. I think that's I think that's kind of necessary.

Dave Clarke: 1:05:18

We'll see where it leads during that as well because they they're spunky, they can take points off teams. So it'd be good like, I think You agree it's a career A lot of it depends on what your preseason look like. Like I what I like to do a lot of the times I like to go when like Man City lose or like Monday night lose I like to go on their subreddit and watch them like panic. Boy I was just it was disappointing the comb the main city subreddit after they'd lost to Tottenham I've heard Man City fans don't exist here. I mean there's not many of them, period. They're the elusive elusive group, you know, put on read real quick. Vietnam. It's tough. It's tough to fill that stadium sometimes. Anyway, not to be a dick. Well, yeah, I mean, I mean, a lot of the Fed is relatively new. But yeah, like I was disappointed because I thought they were going to be fucking going insane again, but they're really like, yeah, whatever we lost to talk them like it's fine. Could be worse. So they're not panicking yet another panic stations yet. It's from the small sample size I was able to take. Maybe I am overreacting a little bit when but like, if we win every other game, then there's a good chance to win the league.

Joe Malkin: 1:06:23

Yeah, if you go 38 00 you might want

Dave Clarke: 1:06:26

the game state tapani Tez and Everton have to win or the games against the leads is you know of the world the the bottom two bird the bernese of the world. Yeah, exactly. And like, maybe he was actually always really good at making points off big teams, like teams are much better players. And then like the Liverpool teams that he was on, I remember a lot of the time like he had always like, you know, I don't always win the league or like he would always be united in a year you know, or like, whatever. It's a pro eight when he came pretty close to in the league that year actually put. He's good at that. Like he's clearly good at joint killing. So I wonder if he might trained to take that approach. Just like go for it against your top homes and Liverpool's and stuff? I think it shouldn't live in the Merseyside Derby a little bit because I am on record as as low of eight Merseyside Derby Day like I'm not excited, except for when van de gets injured. But I love that day because it's pageantry, and I love pageantry of any kind.

Joe Malkin: 1:07:17

Right? Well, it helps when the teams literally play a half mile away from each other. It does help. Yeah, yeah. And that's a pretty big footballing city, as small as the city of Liverpool is. It is is miles and miles at heart, though. miles and miles of hard. That's right, that coach McGinty? So but real quick before we do two more questions, and the one is you mentioned Arsenal, and the reason why the arsenal loss is so big, is not only did they just had a tough time and why their managers name XLR teta. Yeah, Arteta has had a tough time here. Even in the preseason. He had a tough time. But the reason this was so big is because the team that they lost to Brentford has not been in the nearly 74 years. And the last game they played in the Premier League 74 years ago, they lost to Arsenal to nil.

Dave Clarke: 1:08:13

Yeah, Arsenal are so shit and it's disappointing because I have recently revealed to friends and loved ones and close family members that I actually had a little bit of a crush on Arsenal when I was a teenager. I used to obviously I was a Liverpool supporter but the vaguer Arsenal's with Henri and my VPN, like the Henri and Vieira, like this style of play that they played like built one touch prancing around the box penniston into the back of the net, but it was so sexy like I totally totally did totally caught my eye. I was always looking at them out of the corner of my eye you know and it's a hard thing to admit as a liberal Chris branded on my skin Joe you know, it's It was hard. It was hard like some marriages you know that he go through to time to rocky times like that, especially when you're young dumb. But it is disappointing for that reason to see Arsenal kind of fall from grace. So catastrophic Lee and like I kind of had a hunch that Arteta was a bit of a phony to especially to come in from a place segment city where you sort of being venerated as this tactical genius. But I will always have my suspicions and then he comes into our silence like me, you know, I understand the ownership has its fair set of problems, but he just looked like a team without a direction against against what are they called? Sorry? wenford rainford right. There's a lot of big names in the league this year. Brighton Hove Albion brainfood Burnley Well, yeah, I mean, they just look like a team of no any direction like no, no impetus looked a little bit better than the second half. But I don't know I don't know where they go from here to the problems that they have to solve for so catastrophic, and especially how leaky their defenses like they have. They did some schoolboy defending their times they didn't even look most of the time you have what you have what you call a smashing grab in those situations where we should team our new team or not a great team will be a bigger team because they kind of surprise him with some they played Arsenal off the park for a lot of that game therapy better than your straight up better than not is like very well they ran a stop setting. And like yeah, they faded I think towards like, you know, the newly promoted team. I think the fitness levels like the nutrition track. And stuff like sort of started to catch up with them when Arsenal really have to grit to to really do anything and then they like they pour too many men for age old, get them on the counter attack, that's it seals the game, you know, I mean, that's the trap, everybody falls into these you don't really have a choice you have to go and try and win it because or at least going to draw because it's going to be embarrassing if you lose friends. So, you know, I feel for them in that sense. And my brother and I were talking they remind me a lot. I know him a lot of the Liverpool team from 2012 where it's just full of dead weight and like there's just a lot that needs to be done and what that Liverpool team are sorry 2012 that Liverpool team was like a sturbridge Suarez continual trio signing away from being fucking awesome and almost winning the league. So you know, maybe it's not as bad as we think. But they need to start they need to sign somebody who can actually defend or like teach one of their players to defend because like,

Joe Malkin: 1:11:18

that was bad for me as an area that's a mic line right there for me as an everyman supporter, I'm okay if they just fall from grace is hard because that leaves a spot in the top eight top seven for evidence so it doesn't get easier for Arsenal they have Chelsea next at Home

Dave Clarke: 1:11:40

Depot points by the train. Just listen to another podcast that said that they could have with their fix your record they have to play Chelsea Manson in the next couple of weeks, right?

Joe Malkin: 1:11:47

Yeah, totally Chelsea and then they have to go to West Brom and then go to Man City, and then they have Northridge and Burnley. So, I mean, but they lost a Bradford in Brentford was a newly promoted team.

Dave Clarke: 1:11:59

I mean, maybe it was a fluke. You know, like,

Joe Malkin: 1:12:02

maybe it was a fluke on both ends. Maybe Arteta just hadn't been ready and was pumped up

Dave Clarke: 1:12:06

on I heard I heard a preview a guy who's an arsenal fan went on a podcast that was in two called the Anfield Wrap which is great by the way like if after you're done listen to us go listen to that. And he was a previous prior to the brand protection he was like I think we might lose I think we might end up with zero points by transfer deadline day and that's where I got that little tidbit because their schedule and I was like even the Ursa friends are saying the ones that are all Comcast is her saying that they might not be Brentford so they obviously knew something was fucking up right like Jesus Christ.

Joe Malkin: 1:12:35

I love that about football fans too, is how honest morose? Yeah, and morose like it's like, when, you know, I can sit here and talk about the normal patriots and be like, yeah, they let, you're gonna be they're gonna be 13 four, which I don't believe I think they're their numbers like 11 and 610 and seven, but when I you know, but I'm gonna say Oh, yeah, they could win or whatever. And I'm like, ah, they'll probably finish 10th because that's just what they do. And it's you right? It's very morose, very honest. And to hear that from Arsenal fans is big because Arsenal fans always also seem to go too hard one way or too hard. Yeah,

Dave Clarke: 1:13:11

yeah, like to see it again. It's

Joe Malkin: 1:13:13

just it's always me because it's like there's Yeah, they're the ones that are always like out you know, we it's only the first week we don't want to get all excited and they very emotional, very emotional tears, right? emotional grief. They don't really no cause of Gotha to equate something else to American football is the Lionel Messi contract with PSG in in France. So, Lino Massey, if you've gotten this far, you pay attention to football a little bit, but Leonel Messi leaves Barcelona after 20 years, he literally came through their academy. Um, they couldn't come to an agreement on a contract and nobody was gonna pay the fee to get him from Barcelona. So it just ended up being a stalemate where he said, I'm gonna let the contract run out and you know, go sign elsewhere. And it was kind of a mutually agreed upon thing at the end of the contract that he wasn't gonna come back to Barcelona. Very Tom Brady esque, kind of, they fell out of love with each other. And the player said I'm gonna go somewhere else and James said we'll have to move forward. I don't know if Messi is going to be as this is a really weird sentence come out of my mouth. But I don't know Messi is going to be as missed at Barcelona as a tom brady was in New England. But Matthew goes off insides a two year 41. Two year $82 million contract

Dave Clarke: 1:14:36

so it's tough to compare. I think the bigger issue is the biggest difference I can see between the two situations is that I think that the Patriots are running quite well. I think they're run by a company absolutely both that like to essentially know what they're doing and I think he can point to reasons as to why they let Tom Brady go. Barcelona is not run well, and it's been run very unwell for quite a long time now and they just couldn't afford to pay Leo Messi like half his wages. And that is madness. It's bonkers. I'm sure he had it was a very stupid subset internet saying like he should play for free, which is not that's just so stupid. Like No, he's not gonna play. Nobody's gonna play for break. There's also a rule there's like a law you can garnish 50 more than 50% of your wages in Spain or something like that. So they that was the lowest he could go there's a lot of different rumors about it but you lost the organicity because he couldn't afford him and he was like willing to cut his wages like That's pathetic Barcelona that's a site a bigger problems, let's say a bigger problems that place you know, they bucket to for like 150 million now he's worth like, five. So this is bad investing, you know.

Joe Malkin: 1:15:50

And but that seems to be what some of those super teams dooms those big teams with, they'll spend that money and then invest poorly. It doesn't seem to happen in England as often because I think they're a little more careful. But I think when some of those teams in Italy, Spain, France, well, not France, less so but mostly Italy, in Spain, is when they fall in love with somebody, they go and spend that money. And then they just they don't know what to do with it afterwards. And they're selling they're selling at a fraction of the cost because they even get anything for magenta which is the NFL like that you get a draft pick like they knew in American sports right? Let's

Dave Clarke: 1:16:25

mcsg attack it's gonna be absolutely sick. It's so annoying because like everyone's gonna pick them and FIFA them and it's just gonna be like, every time you have to play them it's

Joe Malkin: 1:16:36

gonna be like a great I can look at and hope in a way that namers issues continue and I don't mean that on a personal level. I just mean that from a team level.

Dave Clarke: 1:16:48

Like I hope he's gonna play so good because he already played so good with Messi like nice he's just gonna commit and make everybody way better it's it's it's just like, I wish I wish there was a way to poke fallacies poke a hole into it, you know, but it's just like it's just so cut and dry. Like he said, they're gonna be so good.

Joe Malkin: 1:17:02

And PSG is like the you know, they're they're the White Album. Yeah, now those fucking nasty flamenco ruma in the Great Wall and he's 21 years old, so he's gonna be around forever

Dave Clarke: 1:17:15

It's gonna be it's gonna be a lot to deal with a I mean more parents and so yeah, I guess I'm happy to know for him because Liverpool bullied him out of a Champions League semi final godless fucking head embarrass them on TV. So he's none of our business either. We punked him already. Best of luck. Best of luck Leah.

Joe Malkin: 1:17:32

paid off into the sunset and into the Parisian songs and hopefully, so that this was our first MTP soccer show little the football kick about the MTP football kickball little red versus blue. We didn't really get into it as much because we're we're only allowed to hate each other twice a year during the Merseyside Derby Derby.

Dave Clarke: 1:17:51

Is it good it was a good Goron Brod show get more specific

Joe Malkin: 1:17:55

next time it's good I enjoyed it. And maybe maybe at some point we can bring the other guys they didn't actually talk sinful they're not

Dave Clarke: 1:18:02

gonna want to do that.

Joe Malkin: 1:18:04

Right Craig might have Craig might have been paying attention a little bit. He's gonna

Dave Clarke: 1:18:07

advice gonna learn a thing or two. Yes, you should start watching the matches Craig.

Joe Malkin: 1:18:11

Craig will do that more when you come over for birthday parties and fires and stuff.

Dave Clarke: 1:18:17

That's what we'll do selves not even listening.

Joe Malkin: 1:18:18

Yeah, no, he was and he gave me a nod. So before DK a sizzle Dave Clark. I am Joe Malkin. Craig D'Alessandro is our EP we thank you for joining us for The MTP football kickabout. We'll talk to you guys next time. Bye.