Premier League season preview: Arsenal to Fulham: Football Weekly

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Hello and welcome to the Guardian Football Weekly.

It's our world-famous Premier League preview pods.

Alphabetically, Arsenal to Wolves.

Bournemouth begins with a B, Barry.

The Gunners have a centre forward.

Does that just mean second again?

Aston Villa have been quiet, but Unai Emery is still Unai Emery.

What impact will selling virtually their entire back line have on Bournemouth?

What impact will losing their manager and some vital players have on Brentford?

Brighton have bought lots of people we don't know much about.

No doubt they'd all be brilliant.

Burnley have bought a whole team but lost James Trafford.

Chelsea are the best team in the world and they bought some excellent players.

Palace have had the best season in their history.

Might the demotion, however unfair to the Conference League, actually work out in more silverware?

Everton have a shiny stadium and a shiny Grealish and Fulham are Fulham.

We'll predict where they'll all finish on today's Guardian Football Weekly.

On the panel for part one today, Barry Glendenning.

Hello.

Hi, Max.

Welcome, Johnny Lou.

Hi, how you doing?

And Jordan Jarrett Bryan is here, too.

Hello, mate.

Can I just say, sorry, this is the first time I've done a podcast with you guys in person.

Ever.

Ever.

Wow.

This is exciting.

Will the takes be hotter?

Oh, they're flaming hot.

Oh, they're coming.

Just to say, we're recording this on a Tuesday,

so it'll go out, I think, on Wednesday.

So, you know, if something's happened to Alexander Isak or something else and we don't reference it, it's because it's Tuesday right now.

Shall we begin with Arsenal?

They brought in Martin Zubamendi, Victor Jokarez, Noni Madweke, Christian Moscara, a centre-back from Bill Bau.

Kieran Tini's left, Georginio, Thomas Party, Rahim Sterling, Tommy Asso have gone.

They begin at Old Trafford.

They have Leeds, Liverpool, Forest, and Man City in their opening five games as well.

They finished second last year.

It will, of course, predict the whole table as we go.

Barry did very well last year, didn't he?

He's pressure on you to repeat that.

Yeah, and I found it really difficult this year, perhaps because I know there's a lister out there now collating these predictions, making note of them, and he has decided with firm evidence that I'm the best.

Did you win, though?

Did you?

Were you not the worst of the bunch?

I mean,

you predicted Liverpool to win, which was, you know, and that's the headline.

But also, didn't you predict like Forrest to get relegated to the business?

Yeah, we did.

As a category error, that's arguably worse.

It is worse.

I think my worst error was predicting Manchester United to finish 12th, which drew a sharp intake of breath from Max, and it was completely wrong because they were even worse than that.

It just depends on the metric, because Max actually got three spot on, and you only got two.

Are you the listener who studied it?

I did my research.

Good stuff.

Let's start with Arsenal.

Jordan, you're an Arsenal fan.

I am.

Second for three consecutive seasons.

Yay.

Can they go one better?

They can.

Will they?

It's probably the more interesting question.

I have concerns.

I think the summer feels like a summer of remaining competitive.

I think they've

reloaded, if you like, with some players to ensure that they can go again.

I'm not convinced that they have done enough to make me think that they are the team that come May will lift the Premier League trophy.

They've done some good business.

It's not business that if I'm Liverpool or Manchester City, I'll look at and think, oh, it's business that I look at and think, oh,

do you know what I mean?

So, yeah, so I'm

spoiler alert, they aren't my Premier League champion this season, but I've got them in the top two, i.e., second.

But to come to the players, just briefly before the gentlemen come in,

Gokor, is it Goykarez or Yokores?

Yokarez is what I'm saying.

Yokores.

Okay, I'll wait till I hear him say his name before I butcher it.

I'll go with Jokarez for now.

Good signing.

I'm not sure it's a difference-making signing.

I think he'll score goals without being the difference, i.e., in those games where low blocks, in the small gaps, half chance, turn, bang.

I'm not convinced he's that guy.

Are you convinced?

I mean, because the talk about Arsenal is, do they need a striker?

We're going to have to think of something new to ask this season.

But they have Victor Jokarez, and that is a, you know, it's important that they found somebody to stand there.

Yeah, well, I think he is a game changer.

And I don't know.

I don't know whether he's going to score nine goals or 19 goals or whatever, but I think he's a game changer for the reason that he takes a huge amount of pressure off Saka.

I think

the way you play Arsenal, the way you defend against Arsenal, is you double team Saka, you push him out to the side of the pitch, crowd him out, and if you keep him out of the game, you know that they don't have the central threat to hurt you.

Jokarez is a nuisance.

You can't do that with Jokarez because however you think Portuguese Premier League of form is going to translate to the Premier League, he's a nuisance.

He is very good at sticking out a toe, knocking it in off his tibia.

He will occupy defenders and he'll create space for Saka.

And it wouldn't surprise me if Saka has a Salah-type season.

He's basically been producing a 15-20 goal standard while being double-teamed, while being his team's main threat, and everybody knowing that.

If he gets unleashed, it wouldn't surprise me if he's, you know, if he has a 25-goal season.

Yeah, and I suppose if you are a centre-forward, it's it's quite harder.

It's harder for the defence to push you out to the byline, isn't it?

You know, if you're Jokerz, it's hard to say, listen, we'd like you to go over there.

I mean, how much pressure do you think Barry is on Arteta?

I think there's a lot of pressure on him.

He's got everything he wants.

He's got his number nine.

He's got cover all over the pitch.

He doesn't have any excuses not to win the league for

lack of personnel, for example.

If there are any excuses available, he will obviously grasp them with both hands, as he always does.

But my concern about Arsenal now that they have got these good signings, I think Christian Nurgard is a great signing.

I know he's only going to be a sort of reserve midfielder, but I think he's a great man to have in reserve.

And Madowake, despite the petition launched by those weird Arsenal fans who signed it.

Has it reached 100,000?

Do they have to discuss it in Parliament?

I don't know.

He'll take some of the pressure off Saka.

Saka won't be obliged to be, you know, flog him every single game.

So I don't think Arteta has no excuses, but Arsenal, I think, still probably won't be good enough.

And I think they lack the mental fortitude to win the title.

And I think that's largely Arteta's fault.

They need a calming presence as a leader, and he's not a calming presence.

He's the most animated man

in or around the squad.

And I think their over-reliance on set pieces could be their undoing as well because they focus so much on them.

And every corner is like a

set play in American football.

It just takes all the rhythm out of their play.

And I think they're going to come up short again.

I thought because Wilson's on the second half, we would survive someone saying Arsenal have mental weakness and we wouldn't get yelled at.

But Jordan, you were nodding.

I was because obviously taking my point, my thing is, I don't think the issue is Arsenal's personnel.

We talk a lot about transfers and players.

Arsenal have a very, very good team that can win the league if you look at their personnel.

My concern is it's that thing that you can't really, it's that intangible.

The mentality, I have concerns about whether Arsenal have that thing, they have it that it really takes when it really matters, when the pressure's on.

Can you really go that extra mile?

And

I'm concerned they don't have it.

Just quickly as well, finally for me on Arsenal, I have concerns about Martin Odegaard.

I think it's a big year for him, and I predict that he won't finish the season in the starting 11 in the same way.

I think Madowake, after 15 games, will take that left-wing spot from Martinelli and Trossard.

That's interesting because Madowake doesn't normally play that.

He doesn't, but I think unless they sign a left-wing, which I don't think they will, I can see Madowake taking that spot very quickly.

Okay, then where are we putting Arsenal?

Barry?

Third.

Johnny?

First.

Oh, really?

Yeah.

Zubamendi, we need to talk about Zuba Mendi.

He's an incredible, incredible sign.

If you can't get Rodri and you can't get Vitinha, he's the guy you get.

And Arsenal got him.

Zubamendi, Rice, Odegaard, that is the best midfield in the league.

There is this kind of idea that Arsenal, basically, it was the injuries that did for them last season.

Actually, they lost the league in November.

They lose the league when Saliba gets sent off.

against Bournemouth.

They go on a run of four without a win.

Liverpool go nine, ten points clear, and Arsenal lose their fucking minds.

And

that's what's gonna that's what's gonna do for them if if if it's um if it comes to that if this is this idea that it has to be this season it has to be the season Arteta's got to do it the whole project why is it is there not going to be other seasons if

there are there are there are other seasons after this you're ruining the phone in do they need a trophy

there's other seasons after this but also they're an incredible team and I think Arsenal fans just need to chill out a little bit about this they have an incredible team that

stand for something right?

They play a style of football, they represent

their city in a way that previous Arsenal teams just haven't.

I think I think Arsenal

should just chill out about this stuff a little bit.

I think if they get a really good start and Arteta can, I think, learn from some of the mistakes that he's made in previous seasons, they have one to 11 or 1 to 18, or 1 to, I don't know how many substitutes is there, 1 to 20.

Who knows?

They have a team that can win the league.

Okay, Jordan, where are they?

I have them second as well.

But the more I look at my league table, think, man, I've made some mistakes this year.

All right, Aston Villa then.

Haven't done a lot of business.

They brought in Evan Gussin from Nice for 30 million, a striker.

Yazin Ozkan, a centre-back.

They've brought in Rashford and Asencio, Dezazi as well, who are all on loan, have gone as well.

They begin against Newcastle in the PSR Derby.

Play Brentford Palace, Everton and Sunderland as well.

So quite a nice opening five games.

They've had a quiet summer, Jordan.

But they have them in Ayamri.

So it's interesting.

It feels like a sort of air of calm, quiet summer as opposed to the panic in Newcastle.

No, for sure.

And I think having a summer where you don't bring in lots of transfers is underrated.

We get so excited about it.

We haven't bought anybody.

Sure, Liverpool last year.

Exactly.

Sometimes stability can be better than just bringing in three names for the sake of it.

Everything I'm saying is about to say is predicated by the fact that I think they'll lose Watkins's window.

I think Newcastle will take Watkins by the end of the window.

So that's why I've got them a little bit lower than I think most people probably will.

But I think Minaemory point is valid in that.

I think he's a leveler in that he's a quality manager.

I think when you've got him on your team, you're good for 10 points already because he's that good a manager.

Defense is decent.

Is Martinez still there?

Or is he gone?

I missed that one.

He's still there.

Okay.

Those tears were for nothing.

Yeah,

they've got a very good goalkeeper, decent defense.

I love their midfield.

Kamara, Tillimans, Morgan Rodgers, J.

C.

Ram.

They've got really good midfielders.

And if they they can, I don't know if they can keep Watkins, they've got a guy they know they can get 15 goals minimum.

So I think they'll have a decent season, but I do think they'll lose Watkins, which I think will impact them.

Johnny?

My concern with Villa is that for the last two or three seasons, they've been relying on a core of players.

I get, you know, that's Spine, Martinez, Concer, Tillemans, McGinn, Watkins, who have basically been, I think, I think are been playing at their ceiling.

And these are guys who've been playing out of their skin for two or three seasons.

And if two or three of them have a drop-off, I worry about who's going to step up for them.

You know, who's going to give them the little boost that Rashford and Asentio gave them in the second half last season?

Is Marlin going to step up?

Is Ian Mutson going to have a, you know, have the season that he's always been threatening to?

Gonna be someone like George Hemings, you know, because they've got a very good academy and you know, they talk very highly of some of the young players coming through.

Who is George Hemings?

He's son of Eddie.

No, no, exactly.

He's got a name like a Victorian industrialist, but I think he's 18, 19, midfielder.

They speak very highly of him.

I can't say.

I think they signed him from Forest a couple of seasons ago.

And they're going to have to rely on those fringe players.

But I don't see that core turning out another season like they have done.

And then Emery, fourth season,

a little bit of a drop-off at Sevilla.

They still won the Europa League, obviously.

Emery in the fourth season at Valencia and Sevilla, there was a noticeable, not a huge collapse, but a drop-off.

Right, the famous fourth season drop that I didn't know about until now.

But they are in the Europa League, and Emery wins the Europa League, Barry.

He does, and if he wins it this season, it'll be the fifth time he's won it, I think.

I'm inclined to agree with Johnny that I expect a drop-off from Villa.

They had a good season last season, but it ended badly.

They missed out on placing the Champions League because of their failure to beat a terrible Manchester United

on the last day of the season, or failure to even draw with them.

And they got walloped by Palace in the FA Cup semi-final and

I would imagine that was quite a blow or a couple of hammer blows to come at the end of the season.

I'm concerned by their lack of activity in the window and they very much need to improve away from home.

But

I'm inclined to agree with Johnny and I have them in ninth.

Ninth?

Jordan?

10th.

Johnny?

9th.

I have them sixth.

I should have done more research.

Shouldn't I?

You might be right.

You might be right.

Bournemouth then have brought in Georgi Petrovich, a goalkeeper from Chelsea.

Could Chelsea afford to lose one of their goalkeepers?

Interesting.

Adrian Truffaire as well, a left back from Wren.

They've obviously lost their entire defence, basically, apart from Tavenier at right back, haven't they?

So Dean Huysen's gone to Real Madrid.

Sabani is on his way to PSG.

Kirk has gone to Liverpool.

Kepa's gone as well.

Jaden Anthony left as well.

They begin at Anfield on Friday night.

They play Wolves, Spurs, Brighton and Newcastle as well in their opening five.

Barry, look, they flirted with European PM places for a bit last season, didn't they?

But it is difficult if you lose basically your entire defence and goalkeeper.

It is difficult, but I still fancy them to do well this season.

I think they have one of the best managers in Europe in charge of them.

They're one of those teams like Brighton and Brentford who don't seem to suffer unduly when they lose big-name players because they've got more waiting in the wings to take their place.

They haven't brought in too many yet.

If you look at their likely starting eleven, it's still a good side.

Uh, I do notice Lewis Cook is injured again.

He's he's a mainstay for them.

He played a lot at right back last season.

He's got a knee injury.

I don't know how bad it is.

I hope it's not too bad because he's already had two bad ones.

The record high points, Sally, last season of 56, but

I think they'll be fine.

I just I think their manager is so good.

And then the Rayola, I'm struggling to remember his name there.

He's that good, man.

I just really think

he's the real deal.

I expect him to be absolutely fine.

Johnny?

Yeah, I think the issue is last season is that they had a terrible block with injuries.

So, you know,

yes, they had that perspex box.

They put like the David Blaine box at all their injured players.

And that's you on a good run when they had all those players out there.

Yeah, but obviously, I think they ran out of steam a little bit towards the end of last season.

You know, like I say, like I say, they've lost a whole defence, but I think a certain amount of churn is built into the business model.

New signings seem quite good.

True fair from

God, where's True Fair from?

Ren.

Ren, right.

He's a very attacking left-wing bat.

He's their Kirko's replacement.

They're bringing in, I think, Diakite from

Lil.

Leal.

Yeah, sorry.

Thank you.

You're assistant, Jerry.

Just follow him around.

I just have my nose out there for angle.

But he was basically, Lil lost Lenny Yoro last season and he kind of stepped up.

He's a real leader.

I think he is the Dean Houseon replacement, I guess.

So yeah, I think if they have better luck with injuries, I think no European football is a blessing in disguise for them, to be honest.

And they are

multi-tooled and they have enough goals from enough different sources.

I think

they'll be fine.

Jordan?

I think they'll have a worse season this year than they did last season, but still a good season for Bournemouth, if that makes sense.

I agree with Barry, their manager, Ariel,

is a really, really top manager.

If they have another good season, I'd be surprised if they keep him for another

year.

The point of recording, they've just sold Zabani Yi

for 55 million.

You wouldn't do that unless you have thought about what you're going to do with that money.

And I don't know if it's patronising, but if a team like Bournemouth stays in the Premier League, is that a good season?

I think so.

Is that

they're not a big club?

They're still newbies to the Premier League.

I don't know.

I'm just like, you know, I'm just, they're not a big club.

So if they stay up, that for me, still, I've still got them in the just stay in the Premier League kind of mind frame,

mindset.

I don't know if that's going to piss off a lot of Bournemouth supporters, but I've said that.

There you go.

I have, I have.

There aren't any.

It's been, oh dear.

It's gone more than me.

That will piss them off.

Where are you putting them?

I've got them 12th.

I've got them 14th.

Johnny?

Seventh.

Seventh.

Wow, that's a big gap.

Johnny Molly.

All right, that'll do for part one.

Part two, we'll begin with Brentford.

Hi, Pod fans of America.

Max here.

Barry's here, too.

Hello.

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But there's something new and exciting.

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Remarkable, a brand name and an adjective, man.

Yeah, it's their most portable paper tablet yet.

It holds all your notes, to-dos, and documents, but it's smaller than a paperback and an incredible 0.26 inches thin, so it slips easily into a bag or jacket pocket.

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Coach, the energy out there felt different.

What changed for the team today?

It was the new game day scratchers from the California Lottery.

Play is everything.

Those games sent the team's energy through the roof.

Are you saying it was the off-field play that made the difference on the field?

Hey, a little play makes your day, and today it made the game.

That's all for now.

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Welcome to part two of the Guardian Football Weekly.

We've got a live show on the 11th of September at the Troxy in London.

Johnny, you're coming.

Yeah, am I?

Yeah, we have a panel.

Oh, great.

Yeah, I'll just check.

I'll just check my diary.

Please check your diary.

But hopefully, you know, the fans, the Johnny Lou Fan Club can shift a thousand tickets.

I don't know that many people.

I think they would generally have to know me

to come along.

Okay.

And we have obviously lost all Australians in London by putting Johnny on the panel.

But that's okay.

Jonathan Wilson, Nicky Bandini as well.

Cameos to be announced.

Can you make it to a cameo?

Of course.

Great.

Tickets can be purchased by heading to theguardian.com slash football weekly live.

We're live streaming it as well.

Tickets from the same link.

Link will be in the pod description.

You can find it over our Instagram, Blue Sky, and TikTok.

So, Brentford, then they've brought in Antoni Milambo, an attacking midfielder from Fire Nord, Michael Coyote, a right back from Purantina, Cleevin Kelleher from Liverpool, and Jordan Henderson as well on a free.

They have lost Brian and Bumo, Christian Norgaard, Mark Flecken, Johan Wisser might be off as well.

Thomas Frank, of course, and some of his coaching staff.

They start away at Forest, then they play Villa, Sunderland, Chelsea, Fulham in their opening five games.

They came 10th last year.

It feels, Barry, like a tricky season for Keith Andrews and his wonderful hair.

They may struggle, but I have literally got no idea whether Keith Andrews is any good as a manager or not.

Most people know him as a pundit from Sky Sports.

Is he a Keith or a Keat?

Keith.

Right.

Because some Keiths are Keats, right?

No, I don't think so.

Well, a lot of Irish Keiths are Keats.

This is the key stuff that people are doing to this.

So I've no idea whether he'll be any good or not.

I mean,

is very good at scoring from set pieces, very good at defending set pieces.

He was their set piece coach.

So, you know, he's clearly good at that aspect of the game.

Otherwise, I've no idea.

No one knows.

Apart from Brentford's players, one presumes they'll have a fair idea at this stage.

In terms of who they brought in, Michael Coyote was already there.

He looked really good towards the back end of last season.

Jordan Henderson, he'll probably good to have around the place.

I've heard.

Is he?

Yeah.

Right.

Yeah.

I mean, there was talk he might return to Sunderland.

I'd have been happy enough with that before I became aware that Granite Jacka was on the radar.

But yeah, he'll probably be all right.

I wouldn't be surprised if they really struggle and get relegated.

I'm not relegating them.

Jordan?

The three Bs in the Premier League, there's an element of trust that I have with them: the Brighton, the Bournemouth, and the Brentford.

Yeah, as Barry started by saying, the narrative seems to be, oh,

they're going to go down.

They're in trouble.

They've lost all these goals.

It's a lot of goals.

They've lost their manager.

But I trust them.

I trust that they kind of plan.

Where are Burnley and your B's?

I trust them.

I don't trust them.

I'm trusting them.

They're the rogue B.

But I trust that they have a plan and they would have...

foreseen that they may lose some of these key individuals.

So I don't think they'll have a great season, but I don't think they'll go down.

I don't trust them.

You know,

well, I pick.

People People lump in Brentford with Brighton and Bournemouth.

You know, I think largely through alliteration, as we've discovered.

That's what I did.

Because, you know, obviously because they're small teams, you know, or smaller teams punching up their weight because of the recruitment model.

And, you know, fair enough.

But on the pitch, there's one big distinction, I think, that marks Brentford out.

Bournemouth, as we talked about, they have a lot of goals from different sources.

Brighton, like, they have goals from all over the pitch.

They have very multifaceted threats.

Brentford's playing model, by contrast, has basically been: we will construct a team to get the ball to these guys, and these guys will score.

And obviously, it was in Burma and Whistler last season.

Previously, it was guys like Watkins, it was Ben Rama, it was Ivan Toney.

And I think once you take those guys out, I really struggle to see where Brentford are going to score enough goals to stay up.

There's been a lot of talk about the set pieces, apparently.

You know, the set pieces have been looking pretty funky in preseason.

And the other issue I have with them is their injury records.

I think they have quite a lot of players like Christopher Ayer, Kevin Schader, Pinnock,

who have a history of getting injured, like Igor Thiago, who they may end up relying on for gold.

He hasn't had an injury-free season in his whole career.

I'm getting Norwich 2013-14 vibes often.

You know, like the travelator in gladiators.

We may have to explain this to our younger listeners if we have any, but I think it's

back.

Is it back?

It's in the market class.

So basically, it's this really, really fast downward escalator that you have to run up.

And if you get over the top, you're fine.

But a lot of teams get right to the, like, sorry, a lot of contestants get right to the top, and then they they end up falling right back to the bottom and i think brighton and bournemouth have just about made it over and i think brentford they're not quite there it's no awuga for for them

uh where are you putting them uh i have them 13th 13th i have them 16th jordan 14th johnny

19th 19th relegated

um let's go to brighton then uh they brought in charolampos costoulas a forward from olympiakos uh maxim de coipa a fullback from Bruges, Tom Watson, obviously scored that winner for Sunderland in the playoff final.

And Diego Coppola, a centre-back from Hellas-Verona.

Jal Pedro's gone.

Adingra's gone.

Estepinion's gone.

Evan Ferguson's out on loan.

Carlos Balaba might be off to Manchester United.

They play Fulham, Everton, Man City, Bournemouth, and Spurs in their first five.

They came eighth last year.

But as we've established, Jordan, you trust them.

I trust them.

Away TC, where I've placed them in my table.

That's it, really.

I mean, again, my prediction where they will finish is predicated again on them keeping Balaba.

I think he's a brilliant player.

I think he'd be better suited to stay for another season.

I know United are lurking.

I would stay another season, establish himself.

I think if he does, he could prove to be the hottest prospect in the league come this time

next summer.

I think he's a brilliant player and he's an example of their model working and me trusting what they do.

The manager, he's like...

12 or something, he's very, very young.

For his name, forgive me, what's his name?

Herzola, that's the guy.

It's an interesting year for him because the first year I think he might have just kind of got through on energy and vibes.

Second season, it's like, okay, now let's see what you're really can you can you do it again?

Um, and I think he will.

I think he will.

I think they've got Minter, Matoma, sorry, who I'm surprised nobody has tried to get.

I rate him so highly, one of the one of the smartest and effective, I think, Premier League wingers

out there at the moment.

Um, they do have Minter, they've got some really good players in there that I think are going to really kick on this year and surprise lots of teams.

Yeah, 32 Herzler.

Barry?

Yeah,

I agree with Jordan.

I think

they had a good season last season, despite an injury crisis, despite their inability to beat some of the worst teams in the league.

I think of the three sides that went down last season, they didn't beat any of them at the MX.

An awful lot of cheap, sloppy points last season.

That

if Herzler can tighten things up, won't happen again.

They've got some terrific players.

Goals come from all over the team.

I think in Diego Gomez, they've got a fantastic midfielder.

There's quite a few that Tommy Watson's the only one of their signings that I know much about.

And

they tend to sign good players.

Even their duds who get moved on tend to be pretty good.

And I have high hopes for Brighton this season.

I have ninth hopes for Brighton.

Johnny, what do you have?

I have them 12th.

12th, okay.

Did you read the Fabian Hutzler interview in GQ?

I didn't.

It was a few months ago.

A month ago?

Uh-huh.

He wanted to be a model when he was a teenager.

Okay.

And I want to quote this.

It turns out, he says, that no company really wanted to hire me.

I had to accept that my body and face are not perfect for being a model.

But he had that kind of, you know, he's very clearly a nutter.

He's very clearly a strange, a strange young man.

He's not a bad looking guy.

You could see him as a model.

Right, but nobody wanted him.

Like, who has that?

Who has that ambition without, you know,

It's mad.

Did you read

the Sharon Stone interview in The Guardian interview?

I didn't.

I didn't.

It's sort of the polar opposite.

If anything, she's too beautiful and she's too smart, and that's what's been holding her back.

Doesn't Sharon Stone have an IQ of like 150?

Yes.

Right.

But did she want to be Brighton manager?

No, no, no.

No.

Well, if she did, she didn't tell Simon Hattonston.

Right.

The point being that

he believes that human potential is ultimately limitless.

He genuinely believes in the idea of the perfection of humanity.

He talks about, you know, he wears a sleep mask.

He talks about melatonin production.

And the trouble at Brighton is that you come up against the reality that there is a very clear limit to human potential.

And that is the point where Chelsea's sign of sign of cover is.

And so

I worry slightly what happens at Brighton when that model kind of hits a rough period.

I always feel like...

Don't say that model.

That's not fair on Fabian.

I'm sorry.

Sorry.

That's probably very triggering.

I always feel like at Brighton, they don't.

They're more likely to get booed off after a drab home draw against another mid-table side than they are at...

you know, than, say, Bournemouth or even like Everton.

I think if you're...

You can't say they're more likely to get booed off than Everton.

I think...

Look, it's hard to explain because I still think they'll be fine.

I think they're a great side.

But there is an expectation now of mind-bending brilliance that they may not be able to sustain.

Like, I think, yeah, they obviously have great players.

I think, you know, Minte could be a hundred million pound player, but this time next year, we don't, we don't, like, their ability to develop talent is insane.

But I wonder what their why is.

Like, you know, see, Tony Bloom's just bought Saken Hearts, right?

Like, at what point does he start to

get a little bit does he think now that that Brighton can basically run on autopilot?

It's an interesting question.

I would say Tony Bloom has very high hopes for Brighton of them getting in the Champions League.

And I think this season, the fact that they're not in Europe will stand to them incredibly.

And I think they're going to finish fourth.

Fourth.

I have them ninth.

You have them twelfth.

I thought mine was, well, I've got sixth.

Sixth.

Okay.

This is very interesting.

Well, I mean, the thing is.

They were only eight points behind Chelsea last season.

Chelsea finished fourth.

And Brighton left a lot of points out there, if you know what I mean.

If they can,

I think they could be up there.

Interesting.

Burnley have brought in, I mean, a thousand players.

Someone called Luam Shaouna from Lazio.

Bazier Humphreys, not Barry Humphreys, sadly.

Marcus Edwards, who was there already, Jaden Anthony.

Quite a few of them were there already.

Yeah, yeah.

Kyle Walker, of course, is interesting signing.

Martin DePravka comes in because James Trafford has gone.

They begin at Spurs and they play Sunderland United, Liverpool, and Nottingham Forest.

They came second in the championship last

season.

Richards, everyone appears to have us down as 20th.

Can you make us 19th for some variation, please?

I have them 19th.

They've signed a lot of players, Johnny.

And they've lost James Trafford, which seems key to me.

Obviously, everyone talked about the defence last season, like incredible defensive record, 16 goals conceded in the championship.

But it was off an XG of 38.

It wasn't even the best in the division.

And I don't want to, you know, it's basically

the same,

they're a similar level defence to the company promotion team from two seasons earlier.

And I don't want to, you know, posit that the difference between that is between James Trafford and Murich, you know, who was their keeper two seasons earlier.

But I noticed that Murich isn't actually being snapped up by Manchester City.

So

I don't think the championship is...

as strong a league as it used to be.

I think

the gulf between the championship and the Premier League is huge.

I think a lot of their summer business smacks of panic.

To me, it's

a club that I think doesn't really know how it's going to approach the Premier League because you can't just sit 11 men behind the ball.

You will get picked apart with a championship level side.

So I think there is like they're going down, down, down, down, down.

It's going to sting when they get a draw at Spurs in the opening day, isn't it?

What about you, Baz?

I think they'll struggle as well.

And I was trying to find a case, trying to come up with a way of making a case for them staying up.

And I just can't, by all means prove me wrong Burnley but that even the

the fixture generator has conspired against them because they've got quite a brutal start of the season Sean Dice will be back I reckon Sean Dice will be back by January okay I mean it's highly possible isn't it yeah I mean I don't think Trafford's a huge loss I don't think there's the slightest hope they can be as defensively solid as they were last season goals were hard for them to come by last season they've signed Armando Broge.

I mean, with the best will in the world, he

there's a good player in there somewhere.

Yeah.

Right.

Well, I've yet to see him.

I've thought of that one.

Where are you putting them, Baz?

I have them bottom 20s, Jordan.

Just briefly, I tried to find a reason.

I've been a bit generous, maybe.

I've not got them going down, although I might reconsider that.

All the talk last year was about, as Johnny was saying, oh, defensively, they're solid, they'll be good next year, that will serve them well next season in the Premier League.

I agree.

I think the gap between the Premier League and Championship is so big I don't think you can do what they were doing in the championship and think you can survive.

I've got them

15th nervously, but I can't.

I like how you say you can't do that and survive.

That's what I'm thinking.

I might change that.

But you can't change it.

There's two or three teams I think might be worse, obviously.

Yeah.

That's why I've got them 15th.

No, fair enough.

Chelsea then, a boy in Jal Pedro, Liam DeLap, Jamie Gittens,

amongst others.

They have sold a lot of players as well.

Madway, Jiao Felix.

They begin at Hunter Palace.

They play West Ham Fulham, Brentford, and Man United in their opening games.

They came fourth last year.

Rio Bagel says, I think the rescue ball might just work.

Jordan, the talk around Chelsea is really pissing me off because people are making the same mistake they made last year.

I was on this podcast December when they were, I think, three points off the top.

Oh, Chelsea in the title race.

Charles.

And I said they're not in title race.

They're not contenders.

And as I predicted, fell off.

You don't win a title with a keeper like Sanchez in goal.

You don't win a title or even compete for a title with defenders Levi Colwell and Tossin Ada Robayo in defense.

You just don't do it.

I accept their midfield is excellent and they've upgraded up front, but I'm just not having them as title contenders.

And everybody's got them in like a four-horse race.

They're not for me.

The manager is a good manager, but it's his second year in the Premier League.

He's still learning.

They've got European football again to a higher level.

I'm just not having them in that kind of clutch of teams that can compete for the title.

Just not having it.

Well, I would say to Jordan that they're unlikely to have Levi Caldwell in the hurdle.

I know he's out, yeah.

He's done his ACL, I think.

But I take your point.

My concern for Chelsea is how their exertions over the summer will affect them.

I think it will affect them at some stage, whether it's the start of the season, towards the end of the season.

They haven't really had a proper preseason.

And I appreciate it sounds stupid because they haven't had a proper preseason because they were away playing games.

But how rested are they?

How fit will they be?

How

will they drop off towards the end of the season?

So I kind of expect them to be up there, but not particularly challenging for the title.

I mean, they have got a really exciting midfield and attack now, Johnny.

Yeah, I mean,

the level of the squad is pretty good.

I mean, I don't know if it's...

I don't know if it's better than any of the teams they're going to be challenging for the title.

Is there a plan to improve them?

Like, who is really improving at at Chelsea?

Is there a coaching structure there that is going to get the best out of them?

Or is this basically a club that is...

I don't think Chelsea would have win the title.

I can't remotely see them because they are not a football team.

They are a player trading vehicle.

They are a floating entertainment orb in the ether.

And I think however good the players you assemble are, you're not going to get to the business end of a season and win those 10, 12 games in a row that you need to.

Don't you think you can develop a soul?

You know, like the players, even though they the players who become part of the first team set up and aren't frozen out, etc.,

will just organically become like a football team, even if they are a hyper entertainment team.

I think they can do it on an illusory basis for maybe two or three months.

I don't think they can do it for 38 games.

I think there are too many disparate interests there.

And I don't think they need to win the title.

I don't think the Chelsea entertainment vehicle needs to win the title.

I don't think they need it enough.

And

I actually don't think their signings this summer have been like everyone assumes they've brought in incredible talent.

Is there anyone there who's a potential coal palmer?

Maybe Esteval?

I mean, Pedro is a brilliant player.

He's an upgrade, isn't it?

He's an upgrade on Jackson, but marginally, I think.

DeLap is a very good player, but is he a title-winning, is he a Premier League winning striker?

Is Jow Pedro a Premier League winning striker?

Is Sanchez a Premier League winning goalkeeper?

I don't think so.

Where is your Van Dijk?

Where is your De Bruyne?

Fans will argue that they've just won the club world cup so

they they are winners well they may well win the club world cup again yeah and i've got them just again previewing earlier on i'll cup i've got them winning the fa cup so i think they can win something this year i just don't think they'll be title contenders this year i'll have them fourth barry fifth fourth where are we going next oh we're ending part two and part three will begin with crystal palace

Hi pod fans of America, Max here.

Barry's here too.

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Coach, the energy out there felt different.

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Welcome to part three of the Guardian Football Weekly.

I start with Crystal Palace.

They've signed a left back, Born Asa from Ajax, who hit the bar with that penalty in the shootout in the community shield.

Not that it mattered.

Jeffrey Schlupp has left.

I noticed he was playing for Norwich at the weekend.

You know, they're basically...

Joel Ward has left.

Joel Ward has left.

They're waiting.

They're just waiting for the window to end.

I think they want to sell Mark Gay.

They're hoping SA doesn't go, but apparently Spurs are now interested.

Of course, they are.

Arsenal as well.

They begin at Villa, then they play Sundland, West Ham, Liverpool, and Everton.

They came 12th last year.

Since we last did a pod, they've lost that appeal, demoted to the Conference League from the Europa League,

which I feel like complete bullshit to me,

but it has happened.

Do you think that will have an impact on them, Johnny?

I think it'll give them extra motivation to want to get back into the Europa League and I think that the Conference League is an incredible vehicle for them to do that.

I think

they'll go out there with a, with a, we'll show you AFA, we'll show everyone and I think they're a really good shout to win the conference league.

It'd be quite good to see Steve Parrish shaking Seferin's hand, you know, like getting the conference league and then coming back next year and winning the Europa League.

Like I think it must be so galling for those fans, but it could work out for them and sort of extend another bit of silverware.

Yeah, and

they probably won't have to put out a full strength side for most of the most of the group stages.

There's not a huge amount of competition there.

I mean, Fiorentina are there, obviously, because Fiorentina are there every year, but it's I think it's Mainz and Ryovaticano and and like the Palace should be targeting that to win to win that trophy and get back in the um get back in the Europa League.

Um and and and I think but it has had an impact I think on their summer because they've not been able to plan, they've not been able to budget properly.

Glasnar, I don't think is very happy with the the the lack of business that they've done, but they're like if they can stay injury free free, or like relatively free of injuries, that their 1 to 11 is, I think, good enough to get them off to a decent start.

Yeah.

They have a good side, don't they?

I mean, it's really hard to talk about because we don't know what's going to happen with Eze.

And Gay will probably go.

I think they want to sell him because they want to make some money.

As far as I can tell, most Palace fans would not be happy to see Gay go, but they would accept it without complaint because of the money he would bring in.

The problem with, I think Gay would possibly be better off staying there for the season running up to the World Cup because he's been linked with Liverpool.

Would he get in the Liverpool side ahead of Virgil and Canate?

Don't know.

He might

given Van Dijk's performance on Sunday, but I'm not going to read too much into that.

They have a really good side.

They have a very good manager.

I'd be concerned about their lack of strength in depth.

They do have a play-off to get through before they go into the Conference League group stages.

It will be hideous if they mess that up, but it seems unlikely.

I think they'll be fine.

I have them 11th, Jordan.

I have them 11th as well.

Just to say, I think the gay thing's interesting because I think him staying or leaving, I think, could determine whether they win the conference or not.

I think he's that good a player for them.

I think if he stays, I think they could be one of the favourites to win that.

I think he's a really, really good defender.

One of the best in the league, I would say.

And a big fan of Mateta as well.

So they can keep

Gehi, Eze, and Mateta coming in the window.

I think they can have a palace season in the league, but do something quite special in Europe.

I think if they're safe mid-table in February, March, and they're still in with the Shout of the Conference League, I think they sack off the last couple of months.

So that's why I've got them 15th.

But I think they'll be like they'll be solid mid-table.

11th for me.

Let's go to Everton, who obviously have a new stadium.

They've brought in Tierno Barry, a striker from Villa Real, Carlos Alcaraz, who was there last year, wasn't he?

A left back from Bayern, Adam Azno.

Neil Mopay has left, but they have have brought in, of course, Jack Grealish.

They begin at Leeds, then they play Brighton, Wolves, Villa, and Liverpool.

A lot of enthusiasm, Barry.

A new stadium.

They finished the season brilliantly under David Moyes.

They have a new hero in Jack Grealish.

Is there reason for optimism?

I'm sending them down.

No, you're not.

No, I am.

You're relegating Everton.

How are you relegating Everton?

Because I think they've finished 19th.

Stop it.

Yeah.

Okay.

Well, tell me more.

Well, this seems like the hottest of hot takes.

I'm getting warm off.

I feel so bad for them already, and it's hypothetical, and they won't get relegated, but I

the bottom seven in

my

predicted table, you can more or less have thrown the seven names up in the air and you know, just picked or picked them out of a hat.

So I will say that.

But

I foresee a struggle for Everton.

I am not convinced by David Moyes at all.

He did brilliantly last year.

He did okay.

Okay.

He did okay.

It was a bar a low bar and the vibes.

There was a lot of vibes.

But I think when we

get into sort of entrenched Moyes territory, I'm thinking back to, you know,

his last spell at Everton, his spell at Sunderland, his spell at Reyes Sociedad,

the final season at West Ham.

So much has been made made of this move to Bramley Moordock.

I just think they're going to have a nightmare of a season and possibly get relegated.

I may well be totally wrong.

And to be absolutely clear, it doesn't matter what I think.

And another reason is I really don't want to relegate Sunderland in my predictions.

So there we go.

Because I sort of think when you add Grealish, and if they free him up in the 10, Johnny, and Ilina Nundai is a brilliant player, obviously a lot depends on then you strike a Barry because

that position has been a slightly poisoned challenge.

You know, Calvert Lewin doesn't beto sort of did okay.

But I am surprised to have heard them be 19.

I think they'll be okay.

I mean, if you look at West Ham's home form, the season they moved to the London Stadium,

they have a decent season, but it's their away form.

that that does it for them.

Their home form falls off a cliff.

It's going to feel that the stadium is going to feel really weird for a while, and they're going to try and force things because that's what you do with a new home.

You try and fill it with memories.

It gets in your head a little bit.

The consistent football that you want to play week in, week out because you're just feeling so many feelings.

Grealish is an interesting one because

Everton have again, they've disobeyed the rule that it should be the iron law.

They should put it, they just stick it on the wall in huge letters.

Don't buy players from clubs that are better than you.

Just stop doing it.

They have.

Mauise Keene, Deli Alley, Abion Delph,

stop doing it.

James Garner, stop buying.

They see you coming, right?

I think.

It wobby.

Yeah, it wobby.

I think Everton's recruitment has been so bad for so long because they are still enamoured with the idea of themselves being a big club and

being able to attract big players.

Everton needs to ask themselves why no other club in Europe was prepared to take on Jack Grealish at his age on his wages.

You know, obviously, the financial package is

something to be considered, but why is no one else taking it?

Why is it Everton?

It's always Everton lining up.

Yeah, we'll have him.

We'll have this broken.

Jamez Rodriguez, who again, he was great for like four months, then he got injured and then cost them tens of millions of pounds.

They buy Morgan Schneider in off United States.

They did buy Morgan Schneider.

You mean you're getting it nasty months.

Wow, I'm relegating.

Donny van der Beek.

This is not what smart clubs do, but it is what fallen giants do.

Jonah Barry looks like a decent signing.

He'll probably need half a season maybe to adapt to the Premier League.

And Betto will have to will have to fill in.

I think he'll have to step up pretty big time in his absence.

I think it's going to be a disaster for them as well.

And to the point that Johnny's making there, if you think of the one player on that team who the last couple of years has been injured, but I think has been a success, is the guy this time from Burnley on the left.

Dwight McNil.

Do you know what I mean?

Solid Premier League player,

who they got from a team who they would consider below them.

I think it's going to be a disaster for them.

They haven't got particularly good players, in my opinion.

Njai is a good player, but that's about it.

Jack Greenish, I think, is a car crash.

I would have stayed well clear of that.

That would be fun for a few games.

I think the fun will

stop very, very, very, very soon on that one.

They also, they don't have a right back to speak of.

Jacob Bryan isn't a right back.

He's been playing a right back.

Seamus Coleman is...

You know, he's gone there.

As far as I know, the preseason's been a mess, and David Moyes is already getting his excuses in.

I've seen this before, and it happened at Sunday

when he was there.

I've got them 12th.

The Giddy Heights of 12th.

And I thought I was being a bit harsh, Johnny?

Yeah, I'm not as down on Moyes as Barry is.

I think they'll finish 13th, but I think it'll be...

They'll be in relegation trouble for quite a bit.

19th.

19th.

19th.

Holy moly.

Now, this is from A.B.

Chapman's Boots says, Fulham have signed no one.

I actually thought producer Joel had just forgotten to fill it out.

I was just like, hang on.

Transfers in.

Nothing.

Transfers out.

Nothing.

Signing the reserve goalkeeper.

They go to Brighton, then play Man United, Chelsea, Leeds, and Brentford.

They came 11th last year.

Are we in trouble?

Asks A.B.

Chapman's Boot.

Are we fine?

Do we not know what we're doing?

Are we geniuses?

What is there to say?

I mean, I suppose.

But the thing is...

And I, as far as I can remember, I had nothing to say last season.

I was just like, 11s, yeah, coach, crap, next.

But they are, they were more fun last year.

They were more fun, but they still finished resolutely mid-table, as everyone predicted.

But they were more interesting and they had that sort of expendables vibe.

You mentioned Awobi, you know, they got him and Adama and Rao Jimenez and sort of managed to resurrect these careers.

I'm just desperately trying to be nice to people.

I can see.

I can see.

They've got some good players.

They've got a good keeper in Leno.

They've got some exciting wingers.

They've kept hold of the left back, Robinson.

Rao Jimenez, I've always liked him.

He had a poor period for understandable reasons after his horrific injury.

I think they're a team that will just finish mid-table again.

I think the Fulham fans that I know as beat to, as long as they can get some good football to watch and they can get the odds upset in terms of beating a big head every now and again, they're happy with that.

That for them is a good season.

Mid-table, maybe a little cup run, beat United or an Arsenal every now and again.

Happy days.

That felt, I mean, you're worried about patronising someone earlier in the day.

No, they told me.

That feels like they told me.

So, yeah, I didn't, you know, I was struggling to generate opinions on Fulham.

So, I asked my friend Andy McGrath, who's a Fulham fan, he's a cycling, like brilliant cycling journalist

and a Fulham fan, and he's he's worried.

He's he's he's worried that you know, this is the oldest squad in the Premier League last season.

They haven't refreshed it.

I looked up Anthony Rock, I couldn't believe he's 28, but yeah, they have all of their decent players are either late 20s, early 30s.

There hasn't been enough refreshment in that team.

He reckons my friend Andy, I'm borrowing his opinion and

he basically gave me his opinions in return for a plug for his forthcoming Tade Pagacha book, which is coming out later this year, I think.

So he's a very good journalist.

And thank you for your opinions.

But yeah, also he told us to watch out for Joshua King,

who's not the

Norwegian Joshua King.

Not the Norwegian Joshua King.

He's a teenage midfielder who they rate very highly.

But he reckons they'll get sucked into a relegation battle just because...

And Silver's not, Marcus Silver's not that happy there, and they were really inconsistent last season.

And

it's an issue because Spurs and United aren't going to be as bad.

I wouldn't have thought as they were last season.

I have them 13th.

Their big problem last season is they couldn't hold on to a league.

They give up 28 points.

from winning positions last season, which is diabolical, you'd have to say, but they were still fine.

I have them 12th.

16th.

I have them ninth, but I might revise it.

You can't revise it.

Looked in.

I'm going to hide

it.

I'm thinking it's a terrible idea, but there we go.

Well, look, that's the first half of the alphabet.

A few questions.

Nicholas says: now Daish has gone, even though you think he'll come back.

Who is the hardest Premier League manager?

There aren't any standout candidates.

You know, Pulis Dice, Alladice would run amok in the modern game.

It is difficult for the which manager would do X when Sean Deish isn't in the Premier League.

I think Glasnar.

You think Glasnar?

Glasnar's pretty hard.

Tough elbows.

Yeah, I know.

Moyes?

Ah, Moyes?

He's 60.

He's old.

He's old.

He won't give up.

What are we talking here?

Is it a manager most likely to

know?

I don't know if he's hard.

He's most likely to knock you out.

I'm not sure what the...

Nicholas hasn't given me the parameters of the question.

Moyes isn't hard.

Moyes is not a hard man.

Moyes is a nice man.

But people just think he's a hard man because his teams play uncompromising physical football and he is Scottish.

But he's like Moises.

Moyes is a Moises a pussycat.

Yeah, producer Joel says Scott Parker has a bit about him.

Scott Parker has had a bit about him since he was 16.

Hoi Perloyd Boy Toy says that we know the eight-second rule will apply to David Rayer, but how long will it be for other keepers?

15 seconds, 20, 30?

I did like this bit of conspiracy theory from the Arsenal fans.

Well, we did forget to mention in our

assessment of Arsenal how many points they'd lose because of the refereeing conspiracy against them.

I just hope we don't have to put up with that absolute Boulder Dash.

Well, it is, you know, you just don't have to look at social media.

I think there are normal Arsenal fans out there, like every other club.

I think so.

Yeah.

Jordan and Johnny, because you're not here for the second half of the alphabet.

So I'd like to hear your league tables in full, but have you got any other, you know, strong thoughts on teams from the second half of the alphabet?

I'll jump in first.

I've got, and this is going to surprise so many people and also get me chucked out of lots of WhatsApp groups.

Spurs third.

You've got spurs third yeah i've got them third i've just got and i accept this could go badly wrong because

they sign as a and silvinho

i didn't even i didn't think about that i've just i rate thomas rank really highly um i think they'll make some more signings in this window that will be smart and i think the monkey of not winning the trophy having that off their back i think there's just a pressure that's just not there so much anymore from the fan base i think the football will be better i think that they'll concede less goals it's a bold shout i accept that but I think they're going to have a really good season, and I hate saying that.

Give us your one to seven and your bottom three.

I've got Liverpool to win it, Arsenal, Spurs, City, Chelsea, Brighton, Newcastle, United, Manchester United.

And who are you relegating?

My bottom three are Sunderland, bottom, sorry, Barry, Everton going upwards, and Leeds.

Okay, Johnny, your second half of the alphabet thoughts and your top seven and bottom three?

I have Manchester City sixth.

I think they'll have...

I think the trajectory that we saw last season wasn't wasn't a blip.

I think what we saw towards the second half of last season that was the blip.

I do worry about Guardiola and his ability to create a third new team.

I think it's hard because the characters that you're dealing with because you're you because you're building a team basically 10 years after your first team the characters that you're dealing with are so different.

You have to rebuild the mentality, the champion mentality as well.

I think

they've lost too much experience.

Roderig's injured for the start of the season.

I don't know how long he's, I don't know how long Roderick's going to be out of it.

September, I think this is.

Right.

And I think there's a lot of promise again, but I just, yeah, I don't see them.

I didn't like their trajectory last season.

I saw a lot of downed tools at certain points last season.

I think that's a little bit of a warning sign.

We have the charges coming at some point.

At some point, anyway.

But again,

that helps to create the emotional temperature.

It's Guardiola's last season, probably.

Maybe that gives them a little bit of an extra push.

Maybe the whole thing disintegrates.

I suspect it might just disintegrate okay what's your top seven uh we have our arsenal liverpool newcastle third chelsea fourth tottenham fifth manchester city sixth bournemouth seventh and going down to sunderland brentford and burnley and hang on newcastle

third third because that will surprise a lot of people yeah they have a very good team newcastle and they play very good i what i what i what i what i do the way i do my i i do i always do my premier league predictions on the day after the previous season finishes okay because i think you you just get too swayed by who won the window, by transfer intrigue.

I think, you know, we've probably spent like 50, 60% of the time talking about new signings, right?

Who's coming in and who's left.

When in fact,

what determines how well a team does is how much the existing players have improved in that summer,

how much time you've had to work with them, whether there's been an international tournament, you know.

I think the fundamentals of Newcastle, for all the shenanigans that have gone on in the transfer market, the fundamentals of that team are really, really sound.

And Eddie Howe is a great coach.

I was a doubter, but Eddie Howe is a great coach.

I think they'll be third.

Lovely stuff.

Well, that'll do for part one.

Thank you, Jordan.

Thank you, Mick.

Thank you, Johnny.

Thanks.

I'll see you for the next one, Barry.

Okay.

Which we're recording in about three minutes' time.

Producer Joel writes, this feels like desperation.

But as it is the start of the season, these apparently are our biggest pods of the year.

Did you know that?

Here is an earnest call out for reviews on Apple and Spotify.

Because normally Spotify is just, can we have time codes for when you're talking about Liverpool?

So wherever you get your podcasts, as it's the start of the new season, follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Blue Sky.

We are doing lots of fun stuff on there throughout the season, apparently, Barry.

On Blue Sky.

We're doing fun stuff on TikTok.

There's no fun stuff on Blue Sky.

Literally, nobody's ever done anything fun on Blue Sky.

No, you make a good...

It's, you know, it's wholesome.

It's nice.

But it's boring.

That is true.

Yeah, so leave a review.

It's the least you can do for us.

Exactly.

Well, you can come to the live show.

And come to the live show.

Come to the live show, leave a review if it's five stars.

If it's not, if you just like, don't be just an upset Everton fan specifically about this pod.

Give us one star.

Think of it holistically that this is, you know, been great company to you for a long time.

And you can watch these preview podcasts in colour, it says here.

But it says technicolour.

In colour, guys.

I'm serious.

Colour TV.

If you've ever wondered what the panelists look like, but you probably know that.

Anyway, thank you, chaps.

Probably Weekly is produced by Joel Grove.

Our executive producer is Danielle Stevens.

Back with part two tomorrow.

This is The Guardian.