Antonee Robinson Gets Honored, Manchester United Get a Point at Anfield, and Brandon Vázquez Gets His Bag

Speaker 1 You know what? My kids play the FC25 game and they can unpack these like legend cards and whatever. And they'll be like, God, look at this old legend.
I'm like, I played against him.

Speaker 1 Shut up.

Speaker 1 Unfiltered soccer with Landon and Tim, presented by Volkswagen. Volkswagen has long been a supporter of soccer in America and has proudly been a partner of U.S.
soccer for the past five years.

Speaker 2 Yes, LD, we are back. What's up?

Speaker 2 It's been a while. Haven't seen you.

Speaker 1 Good to see you, man. Good to see you.

Speaker 2 Happy New Year.

Speaker 1 Happy New new year how was your how was your new year's eve are you a new year's eve guy i was a little bit sick a little under the weather the family was too so i went to bed i mean i always go to bed at nine on new year's i'm boring we watch uh i didn't even watch the the new york ball drop no listen

Speaker 2 i think i think the holidays end on Christmas. Like they're, they're like, who wants to go out for New Year's Eve?

Speaker 2 I ended up being forced to go out on New Year's Eve. And my plan was, it went to a really nice restaurant.
Plan was to get home before the ball dropped anyway dinner went long. So

Speaker 2 I had a champagne toast at midnight and I was in the Uber at 12.03 because I was like, this is boring and dumb. But anyway, I joke.

Speaker 1 But New Year's scares me too. Like, I don't like to be out, man.
And you're in New York? Yeah. I don't like to be out.
In New York, it would scare me.

Speaker 2 Like, it just, it would scare me.

Speaker 1 I got to say,

Speaker 1 I love my kids. I love my kids.
Hiracos.

Speaker 2 Here it goes. I'm ready for it.

Speaker 1 The only thing I love more than my kids is the Monday morning after a break when they go back to school.

Speaker 2 I'm like, get

Speaker 2 out of here, bro.

Speaker 1 Anybody who has kids and young kids, like, God, dude, they drove me absolutely crazy.

Speaker 2 This is what Unfiltered is all about. It's okay to love your kids and yet at the same time, want them to be out of the house in school.

Speaker 1 Whoever invented school in the beginning, like now you know why, it wasn't like, oh, let's make our kids smart. It's like, get the hell out of my house before I kill you.

Speaker 1 Thank God they're back to school today. Thank God.
Reminder, guys, follow us on social media, unfiltered soccer. Subscribe to the show on YouTube.
Make sure you follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify.

Speaker 1 If you like what we're doing, please leave a comment. What were you going to say? I cut you off.

Speaker 2 No, it's fine. It's totally fine.
It just, it's, you know,

Speaker 2 unfortunately for our children, they have privileged parents that, that.

Speaker 2 They get to drive crazy because my mom, when she was out working two jobs, it was like, bro, there's some soup in the pantry.

Speaker 2 Have at it. I'll see you at five.
See you later. Yeah.
That's true. Anyway.

Speaker 1 All right, Timmy. Well,

Speaker 1 you were working this week in Premier League. Let's start with Liverpool United.

Speaker 1 First half, a little boring, but second half, God, it was so fun. It was just, I love watching that when you're a fan and you're just sitting back watching.
What were your thoughts taking? Yeah.

Speaker 2 Well, it was also, I mean, I think the game was slow to boil.

Speaker 2 Coming into the game, you, me, and everybody else was kind of like, you know, how bad is this going to be, right?

Speaker 2 Liverpool flying high on merit and United just sinking like a stone and can't seem to get things right under Amarim. And then you're also like, this is a Derby.

Speaker 2 It's the biggest Derby in British football, one of the biggest in the world. And it's kind of like, when are they going to show up? They haven't had any leadership.

Speaker 2 They don't have any continuity on the field. You know, the least they can do is head it and kick it.
They didn't do that against Newcastle. So you're just like, whoa, big worry.

Speaker 2 You know, there was some back and forth in the first half, a little bit boring, a little slow to boil, and then just fireworks in the second half.

Speaker 2 And I'll be honest with you, like Liverpool did everything I expected them to do because they're just a well-oiled machine going really well under slot. But United impressed me.

Speaker 2 And maybe the bar is low. It is low for United, but they impressed me in the sense that they rolled their sleeves up.
They give, they gave as good as they got. They had chances to win the game.

Speaker 2 They didn't crumble when the moment seemed to get too big.

Speaker 2 Some good performances. And even Ruben American came out

Speaker 2 in the end and said, like, the bad news for these players is I now know they can do it. Like you and I have been on teams where it's it's like, oh, boy, we just set the standard.

Speaker 2 So, our training standard needs to be higher. Our match standards need to be higher because you know what? Before this game, I wasn't sure you could do it.
Now, I know you can.

Speaker 1 So, so then that begs the question, like, what is the issue, right? Why, why are you getting smacked by Newcastle and then you go away to Anfield and do that?

Speaker 1 And look, I know soccer is a unique sport, right?

Speaker 1 Like, in a league where there's a decent amount of parity, anybody can win and anybody can compete on a day, but you, it just doesn't make sense to me sometimes. Like,

Speaker 1 that should be the minimum standard of course that they compete that way and if you look at their roster tim again they're just not very good in fact that's half they're just not that's right i mean they're just not compared to other teams like

Speaker 2 ultimately ultimately in two years time right i do believe amram's right guy i think he'll get plenty of time in two years time 18 months time um guess what most of these players won't be there they'll be on this team will be unrecognizable um i mean the the the issue at hand and you you mentioned it you hit the nail on the head against Newcastle.

Speaker 2 Look,

Speaker 2 they got the performance against Liverpool. Against Newcastle, ball got played in the box.
They didn't stop to cross and the ball got headed. We talk about like formations.

Speaker 2 Oh, you're a central defender. Check your shoulder, grab a hold of someone's shirt and head the ball.
That's got nothing to do with formations and 4-3-3s. It has nothing to do with that.
So, like,

Speaker 2 you wondered all the time about who was going to step up for the Manchester United team, and they didn't give you any real hope, but on the day, very good. Yeah, they were good.

Speaker 1 All right, let's move on. So there were a couple of controversial VAR decisions, and this is starting, not starting.
Some people just can't stand this stuff.

Speaker 1 And I'm confused, to be honest, Tim, I'm confused. I've been out of the game a while, but just watching.
So the Joel Linton apparent handball that leads to

Speaker 2 the attack for Newcastle that leads to the Anthony Gordon goal.

Speaker 1 Ange was not happy after the game, Tottenham manager. He said he's really angry, angriest I think I've ever been in my career that they were denied the right rewards for a fantastic performance.

Speaker 1 Don't keep asking me about the decisions. If you guys have no opinion about it, that's fine.
I know you just want me to say something, but I'm not going to. And he went on and on and on.

Speaker 1 So he didn't think it was a handball. Your thoughts?

Speaker 2 It's the angriest we've seen Angel Paul Sakoglu.

Speaker 2 I thought, you know,

Speaker 2 we obviously ran the interview on NBC.

Speaker 2 I thought he was out of order when the way he spoke to the journalist. You know, team, his team is playing

Speaker 2 poorly at the minute. They're on a poor run.

Speaker 2 And, you know, my, my, my big thing was, hey, listen, Ange, if you're going to have a pop at the referee, go on and be a big man and have a pop at the referee.

Speaker 2 He wanted to kind of mask his words a little bit. And then

Speaker 2 the interviewer came back at him and he masked his words like, just say it. Say it.
It's no problem.

Speaker 2 But anyway, it wasn't a handball for me.

Speaker 2 But look, by letter of the law, I think, Landon, to give some

Speaker 2 clarity to this, world football is governed by IFAB, right? But each individual league has their own governing body, their own lawmakers. And the PGMOL in the Premier League is the governing law body.

Speaker 2 And the way that the handball rule is written is if the arms in a natural position, and this is what I have been begging for.

Speaker 2 And

Speaker 2 my counterpart, Robbie Musto, says it all the time. You don't run with your arms tied by your side.
You're athletic. You jump.
You sprint.

Speaker 2 your hands are all over the place so you have to be allowed to go into a tackle or make a movement and have your arms be in what is considered a natural position and so and so spurs lose the ball playing out of the back bergvawl sprints to the ball joellington sprints into the ball bergvaul gets there first and toes it because he wants to try and like clear it out of the way and and joellington sees that and breaks down and gets in a gets in a defensive position to get ready to block you know to to go into a challenge and his arms down by his side he's he's long and lanky and gangly.

Speaker 2 His arms down by his side. The ball hits the back of his hand.
It's not a handball. It's not a handball any day of the week.
So

Speaker 2 there was another, and there was another one in the game, too, which is again, close proximity where Jacob Murphy smashes the ball off Livermento's hand, but he knows nothing about it.

Speaker 2 He's in a natural position.

Speaker 2 So I don't think, look, we know, and you've probably done it as a coach.

Speaker 2 There's a lot to complain about. And you mask your own team's performances by

Speaker 2 complaining about the referees, but not for me. It wasn't penniless.

Speaker 1 Yeah, my biggest issue, Tim, is I still don't know. And I've been in the game my whole life.
Right.

Speaker 1 And so there's still too much subjectivity because 100% that has been called a handball in the Premier League at some point this year. Sure.
And probably multiple, multiple times.

Speaker 1 And so that's what, that's what pisses off coaches, players, fans, whatever is when is it and when isn't it? And ultimately, it is subjective.

Speaker 1 And I personally, I hate that about sports and refereeing is there's too much subjectivity. I I watch the NFL,

Speaker 1 you could call holding on every play, offensive holding, of course, and sometimes they do, and sometimes they don't.

Speaker 1 And you're like, whatever, maybe I need to get over it, maybe it's part of the game. But the other, um,

Speaker 1 you know, I'd be curious to hear what the fans think. Obviously, if you're a Spurs fan, you're gonna be on one side of it.
Uh, Jao Pedro and William Saliba, with the they clashed in the box.

Speaker 1 Um, it was a really interesting play, and Jao Pedro gets the ball, gets a slight head on it. They're they then get they come together, Their heads come together.

Speaker 1 Saliba trying to head the ball is a second late and heads him.

Speaker 1 Penalties awarded. Mikel Arteta, again,

Speaker 1 on the wrong side of it, said to the BBC, We're really disappointed with the decision that leads to the goal because I have never seen something like this in my life. He touches the ball as well.

Speaker 1 So, what was your take on that one?

Speaker 2 Well, it's an interesting play because I think what Mikel Arteta is kind of saying,

Speaker 2 which I agree agree with, is

Speaker 2 it's a strange play. Like, I don't know if we're going to see this again for a while, right? Like, it's the way that

Speaker 2 we'll have to find a link to it. But basically, Xiao Pedro is going away from gold, still in the penalty area.
He's getting surrounded by Arsenal players, so he's a clever player, right?

Speaker 2 So as the ball's rolling to him, he flicks it up.

Speaker 2 uh on you know he basically flicks it up off the ground onto his head and does this kind of like little juggling routine where he now wants to turn the corner and he heads it up in the air to go around the defender which which is Saliba.

Speaker 2 And at the same time, Saliba tries to head the ball, but he's a second late and he ends up smashing Jao Pedro in the head.

Speaker 2 Now, the argument is as Jao Pedro flicks it, it barely takes a little nick off of Saliba's head. The argument, which I agree with the referee and VAR, is

Speaker 2 Saliba didn't head the ball. The ball touched him, but

Speaker 2 in the action, Jao Pedro played the ball around Saliba and it just happened to take a nick off of him. He didn't defend it per se.
And the force in which he headed him also gets brought into account.

Speaker 2 So I think it's a penalty. I think if the ball is on the floor, it's the same thing.

Speaker 2 If you nick it around a defender and he gets a piece of it, that doesn't necessarily mean that he's defended the ball if he

Speaker 2 takes out the player.

Speaker 1 There was an interesting play in the Euros last summer with England. And in the game, a ball, I think, bounced across.
I think it was Harry Kane. And he goes to strike it.

Speaker 1 And I forget who it was against, but but they slide or slide or extend their leg to block it.

Speaker 1 So Harry Kane gets the shot away, but as he does, the defender then follows through, doesn't block it, and just smashes Harry Kane.

Speaker 1 And what we're used to as players is that that's just given as a goal kick. Like, you know, sometimes you're on a break and a guy comes sliding in and you shoot it and miss it.

Speaker 1 And he, in the follow-through of his slide, he just wipes you out.

Speaker 1 My point

Speaker 1 in that one, and it went to VAR and there was a penalty he ended up given is you don't have free reign as a defender to just go flying into someone and smash them right so and this was the same thing with saliba like you have to time your challenges right if you're in the box like it's it's hard being a defender i get it it's hard being a goalkeeper but you have to time it right in this one he was a split second late and so you know when i first watched i'm like yeah i don't know if that should be given but also defenders and anybody in the box needs to know you cannot just go smash someone after the play.

Speaker 2 No, for the, and you make a great point. I mean, for the audience, you articulate that well.
I think what you have to bear in mind when you're watching football now is it is exactly that.

Speaker 2 Defenders don't have free reign. So referees are now taking into account the force, the angle of the tackle, right? Because you can get a piece of the ball.

Speaker 2 And before defenders would get up from their slide and point to the ball, I got the ball, right? That's no longer the case. You got to get a lot of the ball.
in order for it to not be a foul.

Speaker 2 Like if you get a piece of the ball and you take all of the player, it's likely a foul. It's just the way it is now.

Speaker 1 Well, I think the reason is too, is they don't want people getting hurt. They don't want attacking players getting hurt and they want attacking play happening, right?

Speaker 1 And that's the same in any sport you want. That's what people are paying to come watch.
So, all right, we're at the midway point of the season-ish.

Speaker 1 Biggest disappointments this far, I think, are pretty clear.

Speaker 1 United City, all of Manchester. It's pretty disappointing for me.
Any other ones for you?

Speaker 2 I mean, Spurs have been disappointing to to me. Yeah, I would say City.
I mean, I just think the,

Speaker 2 I do think they'll, you know, they'll possibly come good, City, because they're just one of the most talented teams in the world.

Speaker 2 But I think what I think the reason it's the biggest surprise is, and you and I talked about this a little bit, so I'm repeating myself. But

Speaker 2 had you told me at the midway point that like City were

Speaker 2 neck and neck at the top of the table, but they were second or third, a couple points off, I'd say, okay,

Speaker 2 I'll take that bet. But like for them to have fallen and

Speaker 2 not performed and

Speaker 2 it's mind-blowing. Like they've fallen so far.
Now, having said that, I do think they're talented enough to make a run back half of the season, but it shocks me. Shocks me.

Speaker 1 Biggest positive surprise for me, Forrest.

Speaker 2 I think that's a pretty obvious one.

Speaker 1 Anyone else?

Speaker 2 Yeah, I agree with you on Forrest.

Speaker 2 Again, would have never taken that bet that they're this high on merit because they're playing well at the midway point.

Speaker 2 Up until about 10 days ago, I would have said Chelsea.

Speaker 2 I would have said, like, wow.

Speaker 2 Wow. Yeah, Mareska, like, what a job you've done.
But

Speaker 2 fair play to him, but still not the biggest. Yeah, I think Forrest for me.

Speaker 1 All right, let's do a, these are real quick. Just answer your gut.
Don't need to explain.

Speaker 2 Okay.

Speaker 1 What is more likely?

Speaker 2 This is going to be interesting.

Speaker 1 What's more likely? City finish top four or our beloved Everton get relegated?

Speaker 2 City finishing top four for me.

Speaker 1 Yeah. You know, Everton only a point ahead of the drop now.

Speaker 2 Yeah, no, I know that. I know that.
I get it. But

Speaker 2 I say that with all honesty. I don't think Everton gets relegated.
And I do think that Manchester City will make a run at some point and be in the conversation.

Speaker 1 Okay. I think I agree with you.
And I think it's more about the other teams falling off than City will make a run, but other teams will. Forrest will struggle at some point, et cetera.

Speaker 2 Okay.

Speaker 1 And Posta Koglu gets the sack or Tottenham win a trophy.

Speaker 2 I think, no, well, I don't think either of those things are happening, but uh, more likely that's not the game. What's more likely? Uh,

Speaker 2 I mean, Tottenham win a trophy, I guess. I mean, our Premier League Insider, David Ornstein at NBC, said emphatically that the board has 100% backed him, and he's in absolutely zero danger.

Speaker 2 Like, I know that sometimes that's a kiss of death, but it didn't sound like that. It's almost always a kiss of death, by the way.
Yeah, but this seemed this

Speaker 2 publicly. This sounded different.
Like,

Speaker 2 it was, yeah, it was, it was, it was through back channels.

Speaker 1 Okay, but at some point, at some point, how long can this go on where they're just a mid-table team with the way they spend?

Speaker 2 Yeah, I mean, I, I, I, it doesn't, it doesn't feel great. They have, you know, they have, they have one way of playing, and it's, and it's plan plan A and do plan A better.
So, um,

Speaker 2 yeah,

Speaker 2 okay.

Speaker 1 Uh, all right, Manchester United get relegated

Speaker 1 or Forrest win the Premier League, which is more more likely.

Speaker 2 These are amazing questions. You go.

Speaker 1 I think it's more likely United get relegated.

Speaker 2 In history or this season?

Speaker 1 No, no, this season. Not in history.

Speaker 1 United are, their roster is just not that good. And if it continues to go south, I mean, they fought the other day.
They really did.

Speaker 1 But if they had lost that game somehow, unluckily, I mean, things can get bad fast.

Speaker 2 You know, you know, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 I think there's no way in the world Manchester United gets relegated, so Forrester gonna have to pull a Lester for me in this one. Uh, yeah, not able to win the league is not happening.

Speaker 2 Well, well, the United get relegated happening and no chance.

Speaker 1 All right, two more to go. Yeah, Liverpool have a actually trio of contract negotiations, I think, going on.
Uh, so what happens first?

Speaker 1 They extend Mo Sala, they extend Virgil Van Dyke, or they extend Trent Alexander Arnold.

Speaker 2 What's more likely?

Speaker 2 Mo Sala, this thing's funny. Mo Sala is

Speaker 2 one of the greatest of the greats.

Speaker 2 Look, Trenton Alexander Arnold's going around Madrid. When? I don't know.
He's going around Madrid.

Speaker 2 Mo Sala.

Speaker 2 He spoke in the media for like the mix zone for the first time in like forever, a couple of weeks ago,

Speaker 2 and talked about his contract. And then yesterday he scores the goal and then he does that celebration.
Then he prays and then he lays down and salutes.

Speaker 2 It was all this weird, like, this is my last kind of hurrah thing.

Speaker 2 And then he said, got interviewed this week and said, what, you know, what's more important in the Champions League or the Premier League? And he said, the Premier League, because,

Speaker 2 you know, like, kind of like, this is the last, this is the last time I'll do it. Like, so he was emphatically saying, it feels like he's negotiating in the media.

Speaker 2 Van Dyke is, is, is tried and tested. He's a brilliant captain.
He's exactly how you want

Speaker 2 your contract negotiations to go because we know nothing about Virgil Van Dyke. Not from Liverpool, not from his side.

Speaker 2 I think the answer is Liverpool extends Virgil Van Dyke's contract.

Speaker 1 I think I agree with you. I'm just, the Mo Sala thing is really disturbing to me.
And

Speaker 1 because

Speaker 1 there are, this is how there are two people.

Speaker 1 It's either, I don't know if it's Mo Sala. I don't know if it's his agent.
I don't know who it is at Liverpool. I don't know if it's Arna Slot.

Speaker 1 There are two people, one on each side. whose ego are getting in the way.

Speaker 1 And on, and, and it may, it could be on one side that's really pissing off the other maybe most saw his agents saying we need a million dollar a million pounds a week or he's not staying and being outlandish or maybe liverpool saying no we'll give him a hundred grand a week and that's it yeah and somebody somewhere is just their ego is getting in the way and it's preventing this from happening yeah and this is crazy like they

Speaker 1 there has to be a coming together point where everyone says, okay, it's not exactly what we want, but it's good enough.

Speaker 2 Like we're both.

Speaker 2 That's a negotiation.

Speaker 2 That's what it is.

Speaker 1 Of course it is, but this should not be happening.

Speaker 1 He's having the best Premier League start to a season ever. Totally.

Speaker 2 Let me throw this wrinkle in just to add on to what you're saying. I think in certain moments, there are outliers, right? And I think this is a situation where

Speaker 2 there's an outlier. And I think ultimately,

Speaker 2 if there's a solution, I think Liverpool budge. Here's why.
Because you have a player. Liverpool, which are like a lot of clubs, but Liverpool do it really well in terms of recruitment.

Speaker 2 There's a certain age where no matter how good you are,

Speaker 2 we don't give you extra contracts. We don't give you extensions.
We don't give you extra years. That's how a lot of clubs do it.

Speaker 2 And they're right because the numbers tell you at a certain age, people tail off, right? Now, you look at Mo Sala. Now, can he, because, because the end happens fast.

Speaker 2 So can he fall off in the next 18 months? Sure. But he's looking at it.
His body's perfect. His lifestyle is perfect.

Speaker 2 He's scoring goals at an unbelievable clip, which is consistent with what he's done before.

Speaker 2 He's looking at it and going, forget, I should get a raise and I should get more money because look how well I'm doing.

Speaker 2 So I agree with him, but I also agree with Liverpool saying, hey, we have a wage structure, we have a way of doing things, and we don't really want to break that and set that precedent where, but they might have to.

Speaker 1 I think there's room for creativity in there somewhere, right? Incentivize it like crazy.

Speaker 2 Of course, of course.

Speaker 1 That needs to happen. All right, let's move on.
MLS, Tim.

Speaker 1 Just coaching carousel going on. Bradley Carnell was appointed at Philly.

Speaker 1 The current teams without a head coach are Toronto FC, New York City FC, and the White Caps, Vancouver White Caps.

Speaker 1 Some recycled coaches in MLS. And I want to hear your thoughts.
And then I got some opinions.

Speaker 2 Oh, I want to hear your thoughts. I know you're hot about this.
I know you're hot hot.

Speaker 1 So Ronnie Dala went to Atlanta United. He was at NYC FC before.
Nico Estavez, this one's bizarre.

Speaker 1 Now at Austin FC after getting fired by FC Dallas in the worst season last year. It was so bizarre.
Greg Berhalto, now at Chicago Fire, was at Columbus before, of course.

Speaker 2 And our old coach bruce arena had the san jose earthquakes he coached red bull galaxy a new england revolution so thoughts on all that in a in a lot of ways i think mls can do better you know i i've i've i've i've seen i've heard i've been a part of um head coaching hiring i know you have as well uh from a front office ownership standpoint in various roles and i i just think

Speaker 2 A lot of the things I hear, LD, in terms of how clubs go about the hiring process, I think they're overcooking it. I think they're overthinking it.

Speaker 2 I know for a fact, and

Speaker 2 in some of my playing days, it's like trying to reinvent the wheel.

Speaker 2 Every GM, every president, every owner wants to unearth the next best gem or they or

Speaker 2 it's the process, the hard process for me is

Speaker 2 so often. And we see this with the name, with the names that we've just read.
It's about how you interview.

Speaker 2 And that to me is a shame. That to me is a shame because it should be about

Speaker 2 how you, as a hiring group, can reference and back-reference people who have worked with this coach, good and bad, have enough wherewithal and intel to

Speaker 2 decipher some of that information, right? Because if you talk to enough players, they're going to go, I hate this guy. Well, okay, well, that doesn't mean he's not good.

Speaker 2 And you have to have enough layers.

Speaker 2 Now, I don't think a lot of ownership groups, um, and executives have enough layers in the game to back channel, and so then it becomes all about the interview process.

Speaker 2 And the person who can be lights out in an interview is the one that gets the job. And I think that that's that's a scary thing, and I think we're seeing that.

Speaker 1 I listen, I've lived this, um,

Speaker 1 I lived it three times, and you know, maybe at some point we'll get into this more, but I, I three times interviewed for roles that I, at the time, really wanted,

Speaker 1 and the end, other people were hired. And I was, I remember coming out of it thinking to myself,

Speaker 1 how the f did they hire that person? I'm thinking, like, that guy's been, you know, failed in MLS or

Speaker 1 never coached before or never this or that. And I had to go look in the mirror and say, you know,

Speaker 1 these people must have just interviewed really well.

Speaker 2 And I must have interviewed really poorly.

Speaker 1 And you just start to realize in all walks of life. I remember a story, a club early in the 2000s was looking for a new GM.

Speaker 1 And I was sitting with the owner and he said to me, you know, this guy presented a 300-page presentation on how he was going to turn our club around.

Speaker 2 Crazy.

Speaker 1 And I was thinking to myself, there's no way this guy's going to be a good GM, dude. I know him.
We talk to anybody in the game. Right.
It's not going to work out. And he was going on and on.

Speaker 1 And I didn't know the guy well enough to say that to him.

Speaker 2 I'm just thinking in my head.

Speaker 1 Next thing you know, they hire him. It's a total disaster for a year or two and they end up firing him.
And I'm just thinking, thinking, why didn't you just call some people and ask around?

Speaker 1 It's not the only thing, but it could be a thing.

Speaker 2 Listen, hang on. Real quick.
There's

Speaker 2 you're

Speaker 2 sadly on looking at my window. It's snowing, which is amazing.
It's like a winter wonderland in New York. You are not an East Coast guy.
So Toronto and NYFC are out.

Speaker 2 Why don't you put your name in the hat for Vancouver White Caps? No, no, no, no, no. Why?

Speaker 2 Why are we not going down that route?

Speaker 1 No, I'm good, dude.

Speaker 2 I think you'd be a great hire. I'm done playing the game.
I'm done playing the game, dude. I'm done playing the game.

Speaker 2 So, so if because I don't want to, Tim, I don't want to do that.

Speaker 1 And I don't want to, I don't want to go into some interview and bullshit and do all that. I just, I would just say, guys, talk to people.
Here's what I'm about. Here's what we're about.

Speaker 1 Go look at our record.

Speaker 2 You bet you're a bad interview.

Speaker 2 I am. I'm a terrible interview.
I just had to figure it out. Okay.
I want to read this.

Speaker 1 I did my research over the weekend.

Speaker 2 Okay. Awesome.
Great.

Speaker 1 All right. So.

Speaker 1 These are the clubs that hire. So, so Ronnie Dayla going to Atlanta.
So I just, I was curious. So I looked up his all-time winning percentage.
50% winning percentage.

Speaker 1 Now, that doesn't seem like a lot. That's a really high number

Speaker 2 as a manager.

Speaker 1 To win half of your games is a really big deal.

Speaker 1 So kudos to Garth Lagerway and Atlanta for hiring someone who was adequate and good. Now you move to Nico Estevez.

Speaker 1 Now he's young and he's less experienced. 39% winning percentage.
That's below average. Not great.
Okay. He didn't have a great roster, great team.
We'll see how he does.

Speaker 2 I'm kind of on the fence on that one.

Speaker 1 Burhalter to Chicago. He has a 43% all-time win percentage,

Speaker 1 which is about average, probably a little, right about average.

Speaker 2 I like Greg. I like the way Greg sets his team

Speaker 2 and how he coaches and all that stuff.

Speaker 1 Bruce Arena,

Speaker 1 you know, people are, oh, why would you hire Bruce to... You know how many times he's won 49% of the games he's coached in his career.

Speaker 2 His career. Yeah.
Everywhere.

Speaker 1 Yeah, everywhere. I mean, he's going to win half the games.
He's proven, right? So this is the one that just, this is so bizarre to me. The Bradney Carnell one, right? So he's at Charlotte.

Speaker 1 He took over NYC for a while, or sorry, New York Red Bull for a while. Goes to Charlotte, and now they hire him at Philly.
Guess what his all-time one percentage is over Jim Curtin, who

Speaker 1 was

Speaker 1 incredibly successful at Philly.

Speaker 2 Yes, correct.

Speaker 1 37%.

Speaker 2 And I'm thinking to myself, Philly, why the hell are you hiring this guy?

Speaker 1 And why are you getting rid of Jim Curtin? And by the way, I don't know Jim well. I have no skin in the game here.

Speaker 2 I'm just saying, this is so dumb to me.

Speaker 1 What do you think? And by the way, so now

Speaker 1 Aaron Stanner and Bradley Carnell are both New York Red Bull guys, the GM and the head coach, taking the Red Bull style to Philly, who's your arch rival.

Speaker 1 If I'm a Philly fan, I'm thinking to myself, why the hell are they bringing Red Bull people? And we don't want the Red Bull way.

Speaker 2 We want the Philly way, right?

Speaker 1 And Jim Curtin was a Philly guy. Just none of this makes sense to me.

Speaker 2 Well, I think you hit the nail on the head. It's going to be,

Speaker 2 I reckon that

Speaker 2 the Philadelphia fans

Speaker 2 who are notoriously

Speaker 2 passionate, I think they'll probably give this experiment some time because they want a winner. And obviously,

Speaker 2 it will probably lead to some exciting football. But to your point, they are Red Bull people.
The GM and the coach are Red Bull people. And if that doesn't start well,

Speaker 2 there'll be a lot of discontent. I think those numbers, as you just mentioned, it might work out, Tim.

Speaker 1 It might work out. I'm just thinking, like, if I'm, can you imagine Manchester United saying, you know what, Ruben Amerim's not working? Let's bring Pep over.
People would be like, no, no, no, no, no.

Speaker 1 We'll take, even if we're going to win forever, we'll take anyone else but that. You know, it just, that was such a bizarre, such a bizarre hire to me.

Speaker 2 Yeah. But what do I know?

Speaker 1 Anyway, let's go to break. When we come back, we got U.S.
LNT on U.S. MNT.

Speaker 1 We got an American striker on the move, big-time American striker. We'll tell you who it is and where he is going next right here on Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim, presented by Volkswagen.

Speaker 2 The Unfiltered Soccer podcast is brought to you by Volkswagen, the presenting partner of U.S. Soccer.

Speaker 1 As the U.S. gets ready to host the world for soccer's biggest moment, Volkswagen is helping people discover new turfs and new ways to play the beautiful game right here in the U.S.

Speaker 2 From deaf and power wheelchair soccer to beach and futsal, VW is actively supporting all the communities and teams within the U.S. soccer ecosystem.
They're working with talent from across the U.S.

Speaker 2 soccer extended national teams and are focused on helping to give these less widely known forms of soccer a platform moving forward.

Speaker 1 As a longtime friend of Volkswagen, I can tell you they're really making a difference, opening up new turfs and new possibilities here in the U.S.

Speaker 2 Thank you to Volkswagen and the Tiguan for being the presenting partner and for bringing nice things to everyone. Find out more about how VW is supporting U.S.
soccer at vw.com.

Speaker 2 There's a certain energy to soccer in Latin America. The footwork, the creativity, the passion from fans.
It's more than a sport. It's a rhythm.
That same spirit shows up in Cafe Bustello.

Speaker 2 Bold, vibrant, smooth. Turn up the Latin flavor Cafe Bustello has been bringing for generations.
You can't miss this iconic staple anywhere.

Speaker 2 From the bodega to your local grocery store, they are everywhere. And now there's even more to love.
They released a whole new line of roasts to match every mood.

Speaker 2 Light roast, medium, dark, and dulce de leche, each one with its own vibe, available in pre-packed bags and cake up pods, delicious hot or iced.

Speaker 2 However, you take your coffee, Café Bustello shows up strong. I like mine black, strong, every afternoon.
Café Bustello is more than coffee. It makes you feel alive.

Speaker 2 Try the new Café Bustello roasts today.

Speaker 1 Whether it's club or country, every field is packed and every match matters.

Speaker 1 And you can get in on all the soccer action with FanDuel because right now, new customers can bet $5 and get 150 in bonus bets if you win. All right, I love, love the Vancouver LAFC matchup.

Speaker 1 I think LAFC definitely score in the game, but Vancouver find a way to win. Miami going up to Cincinnati, what a great matchup.

Speaker 1 Cincinnati is going to be rocking, but I think Miami and Lionel Messi find a way to get through.

Speaker 1 Just pick your match, place a $5 bet, and if you win, you'll unlock $150 in bonus bets to use on goal scorer markets, match result, over-unders, same-game parlays, and so much more.

Speaker 1 Your funds are safe with FanDuel, and you get paid instantly when you win. So if you've got a club or country you ride with or just want to experience betting the beautiful game, This is your moment.

Speaker 1 Just download the FanDuel Sportsbook app and get started. 21 plus and present in select states for Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 plus and present in DC, Kentucky, or Wyoming.

Speaker 1 First online real money wager only.

Speaker 1 $5 first deposit required. Bonus issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets, which expire seven days after receipt.
Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fan duel.com.

Speaker 2 Gambling problem?

Speaker 1 Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit rg-help.com. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/slash chat in Connecticut or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland.
Hope is here.

Speaker 1 Visit gamblinghelplinema.org or call 800-327-5050 for 24-7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8 HOPENY

Speaker 1 or text HopeNY in New York.

Speaker 2 Okay, okay, it is time for US LNT on USMNT. Anthony Robinson of Fulham and U.S.
men's national team takes home the U.S. Soccer Male Player of the Year honors.
Well done.

Speaker 2 Well done.

Speaker 2 Yeah, I had a chance to interview him on behalf of U.S. Soccer and NBC.
We ran the interview. Just a delight, an absolute delight to talk to.

Speaker 2 By the way, he was Fulham's player of the year last season.

Speaker 2 Just so awesome to hear him speak and the joy on his face when he won the award. And, you know, it's

Speaker 2 an interesting one because

Speaker 2 he talked about and mentioned that like now sometimes wears a Captain's arm ban for Fulham, that like so much of the play goes down his side. And it's.

Speaker 2 It's like when you're that good and you become that dominant, the team naturally and also tactically, they want to go down your your side they want to play down your side because they trust you and we you and i have talked about with the us men's national team leadership trust accountability like you know when you can start having multiple players like that um

Speaker 1 pretty awesome and pretty awesome what do you think about it he just you put his name on as i said the other week he's probably the first name on the team sheet right now at fulham you put him there when you're walking i'm getting goosebumps because honestly this is how i used to feel about you when we were walking down the tunnel you look back or you look forward and you see that guy and you're like yep we got it.

Speaker 1 Like no problem. He's dialed in.
Don't have to worry about him. And he has been phenomenal.
I'm so happy for him under the radar for everyone else we talk about under the radar.

Speaker 1 He just does his business, shows up, does his job every day. I'm so happy for him.
Congrats to you, Jedi, Anthony. Congrats.

Speaker 1 Fully, fully deserved and really happy for him.

Speaker 2 Yeah, you know, the cool thing, Landon, is like, It's fun. And I know people always ask, right? But we've been getting asked since the beginning of time.
When's the U.S.

Speaker 2 going to produce another world-class player or a world-class player? And when is the U.S. going to win a World Cup?

Speaker 2 Right when you're out and you're in the airports or you're shopping, people, that's what people talk to you about, right? And we always get that question.

Speaker 2 And it's funny because your natural thought is like, world-class, world-class, world-class. Okay, it's got to be a number 10 or it's got to be a striker, right?

Speaker 2 I think what we're starting to see, and I mentioned this on air, like

Speaker 2 he may be like, I think Christian Pulisik is in that conversation, right?

Speaker 2 We talk about Gi Arena in terms of generational talent.

Speaker 2 But Anthony Robinson can be world-class, is starting to get himself in that conversation. And for people, anybody, I don't think anybody is, but maybe people who are scoffing at that.

Speaker 2 Like, he's doing the business week in, week out for fully. And by the way, rumors about City wanting him, rumors about Liverpool wanting him.

Speaker 2 And by the way, if he goes to Liverpool and plays left back every week for Liverpool, he's a world-class left back. Like, so, so, so he's in that conversation.
And as an American, as a former U.S.

Speaker 2 men's national team player, it's awesome. It's awesome that we can have

Speaker 2 one of our players mentioned in the same breath as world-class players.

Speaker 1 If you took out Andy Robertson at Liverpool and put him in,

Speaker 1 they're at worst

Speaker 1 the exact same team.

Speaker 2 Yeah. At worst.

Speaker 1 And I think they're probably better.

Speaker 2 Yeah, I think he does well. I think he does well.
I think so, too.

Speaker 1 In a big team. You can see him in City, no problem.

Speaker 2 Like, no problem. So I think when you look across the Premier League,

Speaker 2 it's always about players who are at those mid-table clubs. And the question is, can they make the jump? If they make the jump, how will they do it? He's a player for me.

Speaker 2 If Anthony Robinson makes the jump to a big six team,

Speaker 2 I think he flies. I think he soars.

Speaker 2 Trivia question for you based on the U.S. soccer male player of the year.

Speaker 2 Who is the last defender to win this award? And then you get bonus points if you get the year.

Speaker 1 Oh, last defender.

Speaker 1 Has Has a defender ever won it?

Speaker 2 It was a while ago. It was a while ago.

Speaker 1 Wow.

Speaker 1 Do goalkeepers count?

Speaker 2 No, I don't think so.

Speaker 1 This is, I'm probably way off,

Speaker 1 but I'm going to say Alexi in like 96. Way off.

Speaker 2 Okay. He's

Speaker 2 our era

Speaker 2 defender on

Speaker 2 central. Central defender.

Speaker 2 2006 is the hint. Gooch? Yep.
Gooch. Gucci woo.
2006. One player of the year? Wow.
I mean, Gooch, Gooch,

Speaker 2 I love Gooch. My phone's going to go off soon when Gooch here is actually.

Speaker 2 I mean, the surprise on your face is.

Speaker 1 I love Gooch, dude. I've known him since I was 16, but I was not expecting that.

Speaker 2 I don't know when that was. If that was in like the Milan days, I don't know where it was.
It might have been at Standard. He might have been at Standard Liaison.

Speaker 1 Actually, to be fair, he was really good.

Speaker 2 They had a really good run.

Speaker 1 He He must have been great for the national team, and he was scoring a bunch of goals.

Speaker 2 Like every set piece, you were like, Yeah, he's gonna score. Yeah, is that standard liaison?

Speaker 1 Our guy, uh, Christian's back, thank God, from injury. Uh, he scored the penalty, um, which was good.
One, not just scoring the penalty, but he took the penalty.

Speaker 1 He's very happy that he took the penalty. 71st minute, four minutes later, Eunice Musa had a deflected cross that went in.
And Milan now into the Super Copa final. It is today, actually.

Speaker 1 Incidentally, in a few hours here, we'll watch against Inter Milan, the Milan Darby. So it's great to have him back.

Speaker 1 Curious for you, Tim, coaching change you just had. He's had a bunch of coaches, man.

Speaker 1 I saw a stat on it. I didn't write it down, but like in his career, he's had at least 10, I think maybe a dozen or 15 coaches in his career.
And just curious, what do you think now?

Speaker 1 It's hard to know what exactly it means. But is this good, bad? I don't know.
He's playing it at the best he's ever played. So I don't know if it's great.

Speaker 2 Well, I mean, look, the good news is

Speaker 2 I was reading all sorts of wild reports about his injury and like how he was going to be out like months. And I was thinking, this is not good.

Speaker 2 But the fact that he's recovered and playing is fantastic. So obviously scoring, taking a penalty, brilliant from Christian.

Speaker 2 Look, the coaching change, I think it's hard for a player like Christian Pulisic because.

Speaker 2 Coaching changes are one thing. If you're a middle of the road guy and a coach comes in, you're like, I'm going to just work hard and I'll get my name on a team sheet.

Speaker 2 Like he's been, he's been a star or a star in the making most everywhere he's gone, right? Like he's either been the prodigy or up a coming star or actually the star.

Speaker 2 So like when a new coach comes in, there's so much pressure on you to perform and live up to that and have to like impress the coach because your reputation precedes you. So

Speaker 2 and look, he's done that and he's lived up to it. In fact,

Speaker 2 I've even said that at Chelsea with all the coaching changes, he kept getting the shorter end of the stick. I thought his his performances were fantastic.

Speaker 2 And yet, new coach after new coach after new coach. So,

Speaker 2 yeah, it's a difficult one. I mean,

Speaker 2 I'd be curious, you know, his own thoughts. Is it like old hat at this point or is it getting frustrating?

Speaker 1 I was just thinking, like, I hope, I really hope he doesn't, you know, he doesn't take it personally, but like he's playing out of his mind. So it has nothing to do with him.

Speaker 1 Like, he can't play any better. So

Speaker 1 I guess just systematically, what does it look like, Sergei? Joe Con says, how's the new, the coach in now with Paula Fonseca out?

Speaker 1 Training-wise, everything they like, everything changes with everything changes, right?

Speaker 2 And so whatever was happening,

Speaker 1 yeah, whatever was happening before was working well for him.

Speaker 2 Maybe not the team, but for him.

Speaker 1 So, how does that change? Is that good, bad? I guess, you know, time.

Speaker 2 Well, I also think, I also think, you know, as you grow and mature, right? Like, that's

Speaker 2 there's a chance, it's a new challenge.

Speaker 2 Like, hey, you know, because you know, as an older player, when a new manager comes in, the responsibility is like, sit down with the gaffer, figure out, like, what is it you need from me?

Speaker 2 How can I continue to convey your message to the team? And so it might be a new challenge. Wild little stat.

Speaker 2 I'm certain I played against Sergio Constasao when he was at Porto, which tells you how old I am.

Speaker 1 You know what? My kids watch videos and a little aside here. They'll watch like soccer videos in the morning.
And they'll be like,

Speaker 1 they play the FC 24, 25 game.

Speaker 1 And they can unpack these like legend cards and whatever. And they'll be like, God, look at this old legend.
I'm like, I played against him.

Speaker 2 Shut up, dude.

Speaker 1 Like this morning, he was like, Michael Balak. I'm like, yeah, I played against him.

Speaker 2 He's like, you played against him?

Speaker 1 Anyway.

Speaker 2 All right.

Speaker 1 So U.S. men's national team striker Brandon Vasquez finally, after weeks of rumors, on the move, leaving Monterey after just one season and going to Austin FC.

Speaker 2 Big fee. Big fee.
I think 10 million. 10 million, something like that.

Speaker 1 He will now be the highest paid American in MLS. So congrats to him.

Speaker 1 For you, Tim, where does he rank right now on the pecking order? Strikers?

Speaker 2 He had 14 goals in 49 appearances for Monterey.

Speaker 2 Look,

Speaker 2 I think it's

Speaker 2 in terms of the pecking order, it's slightly,

Speaker 2 I was going to say up for grabs. It's not slightly up for grabs.

Speaker 2 But I think he gets himself in the shop window week in, week out in MLS. And again, big price tag, big fee um

Speaker 2 i think there's a ton of there's a ton of pressure and spotlight on which is great i think that's a good thing um it's a hard question to answer because flow we we don't know flow baligan like

Speaker 2 i think he'll get he'll get back fit i think he'll be just as strong but it that rust takes a little bit of time and does it hit the ground running does it does it take him longer to find his form i don't know i i don't know that lost a new coach right

Speaker 1 yeah just a lot of new to

Speaker 2 But it's good. Yeah, I mean, I think it's good.
I think it's good to look for the U.S. men's national team, it's good to have competition for places.

Speaker 2 And the best possible thing is to have a bunch of strikers who are hungry, who are arrogant, who want more time because, you know what, at their clubs, they're scoring. So why not me?

Speaker 2 That would be a good thing if he can do that this season.

Speaker 1 Yeah, this, look, this, this goes back to what we've been talking about. You got to go somewhere where you're going to play.
And he wasn't playing a lot at Monterey.

Speaker 1 There's now 18 months to him, 18 months to the World Cup, which means every time you step on the field, it is an audition. Like you said, you're in the shop window.

Speaker 1 And so he is going to play every week. You don't pay $10 million and make him the highest paid American in the league to not play.

Speaker 1 So whether it was MLS or anywhere, another Mexican league team, anywhere, he needed to go where he was playing. It was the smart thing to do.
Now, if you think.

Speaker 1 Pepe is number one on the list, maybe flow healthy. And then if he's playing well and scoring well, he might be number three, you know, like he might be.

Speaker 1 And so, we'll see, time will tell, but he's coming into his prime. So, I think this is a great move for him and excited to watch him go.

Speaker 2 Absolutely.

Speaker 1 All right, let's take another break when we get back. Mailbag.
We've had a few weeks now of mailbag time for you guys to submit lots and lots of questions. I've seen a lot of them on YouTube as well.

Speaker 1 So, stick around. We'll be right back on Unfiltered Soccer with Landon and Tim, presented by Boltzmann.

Speaker 1 This episode is brought to you by Airbnb.

Speaker 1 All right, Tim, between your work, your daughter, your son, or maybe just your own enjoyment, how much traveling do you think you've done to see soccer this year?

Speaker 2 Honestly, I've lost track at this point.

Speaker 2 You know, just this summer alone, I was all over the place.

Speaker 2 But it is, it's a beautiful thing to see how many soccer fans and how soccer has been embraced no matter where we go.

Speaker 1 Yeah, I mean, I was just in Austin. I'll be traveling to New York.
Everywhere I go, I meet fans. Whether I'm going to see a game myself or just on vacation, I see people everywhere.
I hear stories.

Speaker 1 I hear stories about their pilgrimage to Everton to go watch a game, to go see the new stadium, to go see their favorite team.

Speaker 1 They get immersed in the chants, the songs, that incredible feeling of seeing the game up close and personal.

Speaker 2 Well, I mean, I think that's where the game has changed. These trips have become a big deal for soccer fans.

Speaker 2 And this summer is going to be no different as we'll see the soccer community make their way to 11 host cities here in the U.S. to support their favorite national team.

Speaker 1 That's going to be incredible. I can't wait for it.
And what if those fans could turn their homes into an opportunity while they're away at the game?

Speaker 1 Hosting your home on Airbnb while you travel is an easy way to earn a little bit of extra cash, maybe go towards tickets for your game that you want to go to. We know they're not cheap.

Speaker 1 Or maybe to help your kids pursue their soccer dreams.

Speaker 2 Yeah, your home might be worth more than you think. So find out how much at airbnb.com slash host.

Speaker 2 LD for me the holidays are all about connection to family and to friends. We host a lot.
So we got a lot of people over the house.

Speaker 2 Oftentimes when it starts to get chaotic and the turkey or the ham's getting burnt and the kids are running around playing with their new toys, I go out back by the fire pit and I choose chill.

Speaker 2 I crack open a Coors light.

Speaker 1 Yeah, it's my favorite time of year. It gets cold,

Speaker 1 not quite as cold as New York, but it's cold outside. It gets dark early.
Kids are playing.

Speaker 1 We turn on the jacuzzi, relax in the hot tub with a Coors light, choose chill, relax, have family, friends, good food, good memories. My favorite time of year.

Speaker 2 When you embrace a chill mindset this holiday, it's a good time to choose chill and crack open a Coors Light.

Speaker 1 Choose Chill this holiday season and then reach for a Coors Light. Get Coors Light delivered straight to your door.

Speaker 1 Visit CoorsLight.com/slash USLNT, or you can find it pretty much anywhere that sells beer.

Speaker 2 Celebrate responsibly. Hoors Brewing Company, Golden, Colorado.
There's nothing better than feeling like someone has your back and that things are going to get done even without you having to ask.

Speaker 2 Like your crisp new jersey waiting for you in the locker room or a perfectly set up wall for a free kick.

Speaker 1 Yeah, as we on Unfiltered Soccer get ready for next summer, we know that very little in the beautiful game is guaranteed.

Speaker 1 But as we prepare to bring our unfiltered brand of non-stop soccer coverage, it's good to know ATT has your back with the ATT guarantee.

Speaker 2 Staying connected matters. That's why, in the rare event of a network outage, ATT will proactively credit you for a full day of service.
That's the ATT guarantee.

Speaker 1 Learn more at ATT.com/slash guarantee. ATT, connecting changes everything.

Speaker 2 Credit for fiber downtime lasting 20 minutes or more or a wireless downtime lasting 60 minutes or more caused by a single incident impacting 10 or more towers must be connected to impacted towers at onset of outage.

Speaker 2 Restrictions and exclusions apply. See ATT.com slash guarantee for full details.
Oh yeah, you know what time it is. It's mailbag time.
And that means JR's favorite time of the week.

Speaker 2 Jordan, get on in here please what's up guys howdy happy new year happy new year what are you wearing a milan jersey i'm wearing the 125th anniversary shirt santa brought it for christmas

Speaker 2 are you like are you like a milan fan are you a polissic fan well i'm a fan of really sweet looking shirts it's a dope shirt the crest is wild how was your new year It was good.

Speaker 3 It was nice and quiet. So other than actually not quiet, I don't know, Tim, how you felt about this, but we had the craziest thunder and lightning storm for New Year's Eve.

Speaker 2 It was. It was.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. We had a bad thing.

Speaker 3 At first, I thought it was fireworks, but then I was like, oh no, the sky's falling.

Speaker 2 Was that during the bottom? That's a bottle of champagne.

Speaker 1 During the whole celebration, it was thunder and lightning.

Speaker 2 Like at midnight. It was so

Speaker 1 terrible. That's ominous.

Speaker 2 Imagine sitting in Times Square with no bathrooms, no umbrellas.

Speaker 1 Tim, you could not pay me enough to go. Like, I see when they open the gate, and I'm like,

Speaker 2 are you crazy?

Speaker 2 You couldn't pay me.

Speaker 3 And New York people don't go there.

Speaker 2 No, it's not.

Speaker 2 We think those people are there. People from like San Diego and stuff.

Speaker 2 Jordan, what do you got for us?

Speaker 3 Okay, I got a couple of different questions for you. Let's start with one that references something you were talking about earlier.
So we've got a question from Evan via YouTube.

Speaker 3 He said, Do you guys think Anthony Robinson will sign for a big club in the summer? And do you guys rank him in the top three U.S. left backs of all time?

Speaker 2 Oh, wow.

Speaker 1 Okay, I'm going to, I'll start, Tim.

Speaker 1 I think there's every chance he goes. This is like the classic Premier League type of player, type of club that is going to move to a bigger club, right?

Speaker 1 This, you know, he's, he's not up and coming, but he's in his prime, doing well. Someone wants to get him for three or four years to be a top, top left back.
I think there's every chance he moves.

Speaker 1 Now, should he? I'm torn, right? Because he's the man. He's playing every week.
He's the captain at times. He's leading.
Does he go somewhere where he's battling and fighting it out every week?

Speaker 1 Let's just use Liverpool as an example. Andy Robertson ain't going to lay down the red carpet and say, go ahead, pal.
You know, you can take my spot, no problem.

Speaker 1 So I don't know if he should, but I think he will

Speaker 1 probably end up doing it.

Speaker 1 You?

Speaker 2 Yeah.

Speaker 2 Go, go, go.

Speaker 2 He's earned it. He's a

Speaker 2 young kid

Speaker 2 from Liverpool. He and I played together when he was a youngster at Everton.
He then put in his time, put in his work at

Speaker 2 Wigan

Speaker 2 and I think Bolton, you know, on loan when they were

Speaker 2 in the championship or league one at that time.

Speaker 2 And then he goes to Fulham. Fulham's a brilliant football club.
Right. And so at this point,

Speaker 2 you don't move from Fulham to go sideways. You only move to go up.
And if Liverpool or City or any of those rumors are true, you absolutely go because

Speaker 2 you deserve it. And I think he, look, I think the way way they play, as you mentioned,

Speaker 2 the way City play in terms of how he plays, you know, because he's playing that inverted fullback now, if you watch with

Speaker 2 Fulham, you know, Wobi will pull wide and he'll go underneath. And so he understands that role, which is how the big teams are playing.

Speaker 2 I think he moves.

Speaker 2 I would be shocked if he doesn't move.

Speaker 1 You know where he should go? Is United.

Speaker 2 I mean, like as a wing back, he'd be absolutely perfect.

Speaker 1 Is he in the top three of all time?

Speaker 1 I'm trying to think of.

Speaker 2 Give me some of the. know.
I think he's at the top. I think he's at the top.
Give me some of the best.

Speaker 1 Well, Flavian Johnson, when he was at his best, was really good.

Speaker 2 Really good, but very short-lived. Very short-lived.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 Vanny was there a long time.

Speaker 1 Was very good. Yeah.

Speaker 1 Frankie Zadek played left back.

Speaker 2 Frank Bees. Bees was the best left back.
When Bees played left back, yeah. The problem with Bees is he was like a, he was at one point like a world-class winger.
You know, he's like, I know.

Speaker 2 You know, you guys came up together and then he transitioned to be a brilliant left back. Yeah.

Speaker 2 But if you look at Anthony Robinson, he's

Speaker 2 a left back. He's a left-wing back.
I mean, that's who he is, and he is prototypical of what you want.

Speaker 2 I would put him as the best left back. I know it's so hard because

Speaker 2 he's young-ish, but nah, I would put him up at the top. You like that answer, Jordan? Does that Evan? I thought that was great.
Thanks, Evan. That's a great question.

Speaker 3 How about a question from Paul via email? When a team is in a bad run of form, how do you know when it's the fault of the players, the manager, or the ownership?

Speaker 2 Oh, that's such a great question.

Speaker 2 When a team, yeah, a team is in a bad run of form.

Speaker 1 Well, you need, you need his,

Speaker 1 I say historical, but you need many years of context to know it's the ownership, right? So the Jets are a prime example in the NFL.

Speaker 1 Right now,

Speaker 1 United. are a decent example of it, Manchester United.

Speaker 1 But they're starting, it seems like they're starting to get it right, but it starts with the owner. It always starts with the owner because they make the biggest hires.
They do.

Speaker 1 The Cowboys right now, Jerry Jones, is you have to say he's the issue because he has too much control and he's micromanaging everything. So

Speaker 1 if there's multiple years, in my opinion, that's the owner.

Speaker 1 Within the run of a season,

Speaker 1 My biggest red flag for when it's a manager is when you go through long stretches of being bad. Because very good managers, after two or three losses, everybody's in the room, sit down.

Speaker 1 We're sorting this out now. We're not leaving until we get it sorted.
And when it's a bad manager, it'll go four losses, five without winning, seven without winning, eight losses, ten without winning.

Speaker 1 And that's when you know it's really bad. And that's also when you know there's bad leadership on the team.

Speaker 1 And so generally, it's a mix because a good good leader will go to the coach also and say, this ain't working. We got to figure this out now.

Speaker 2 Yeah.

Speaker 2 So often it's on the coach.

Speaker 2 Unfortunately, you know,

Speaker 2 a good manager, a good manager can galvanize a team. And it looks not a perfect science.
It's such a difficult question because I think everybody's at fault.

Speaker 2 I think ownership, I think coach, I think players

Speaker 2 ultimately managers get fired, right? Like managers get fired more than players get turned over, more than owners sell a club.

Speaker 2 And managers get fired when, you know, they talk about the term losing the dressing room. And that's a real thing.

Speaker 2 It's kind of a blanket statement, but it's a real thing. Losing the dressing room is basically, basically, you get a bunch of,

Speaker 2 you get a bunch of human beings who sit in meeting rooms and locker rooms and buses and hotels, and they hear the same voice. And that voice no longer excites them.
It no longer jolts them.

Speaker 2 It no longer scares them. Forget excitement.
And they don't respect it. No, we don't respect it.
Fear and respect is what I played for for my manager.

Speaker 2 Most of my managers I feared and the other ones I feared and respected. And that's why.
And then all of a sudden, you can see it.

Speaker 2 I'm going to guess, Landon, you've been on teams. I've been on teams where I could see it.
And I'm just like,

Speaker 2 rock bottom has a trap door because I'm looking at these guys and they're soulless. Manager speaks and walks out and I'm looking around.

Speaker 2 I'm going, and as a senior leader, you try and do your best and you hope, you hope that that's not, you're not one of them, but oh, oh, it's ugly. And so it's the manager, unfortunately.
Yeah.

Speaker 3 Speaking of managers, here is a question from Leonard via email. David Moyes has been out of a job since leaving West Ham last May.
If he were to come work in the U.S.,

Speaker 3 where would be the best place for him?

Speaker 2 Moisey.

Speaker 1 Good question.

Speaker 2 It's a good question. It goes back to, well, I would say Houston, but we've got a great coach in Ben Olson, so he's not going anywhere.

Speaker 2 I think David Moyes at some point will end up in MLS. The problem is, David Moyes is a brilliant football manager, right?

Speaker 2 Going back to the conversation LD and I just had at the beginning of this episode, there will be so many GMs and presidents and owners in the MLS when his name comes up. They'll go,

Speaker 2 he doesn't play an expansive brand of football. We want to go younger.
Listen, if you want to hire somebody to win you football matches, hire David Moyes. Moyes.

Speaker 2 Honestly,

Speaker 2 he'd be a good fit, but he also, like Bruce Arena, like Greg Borholter, he's going to need power.

Speaker 2 He's going to need power because there's a likelihood that when he enters your football club, he is the most brilliant, intelligent soccer mind in the entire football club.

Speaker 2 So you're going to have to give him.

Speaker 1 Oh, there's no question he is.

Speaker 2 You're going to have to give him more power as a GM, player selection, recruitment. So, yeah.

Speaker 1 I think the important thing for him is is a club and more important, a city and a culture that fits who he is, right? He is a blue-collar working man, like going to L.A.

Speaker 1 or New York isn't going to work for Moyes. Going to Philly works.
Going to Salt Lake works. Going somewhere tough and rugged.
And that's what works for him. So he, because the town would.

Speaker 1 be galvanized by that because that's who he is as a human being.

Speaker 3 Okay, one last question for you. This one is from Ben via email.
And Ben is thinking about the fact that he thinks Everton missed a big opportunity by never properly marketing the club to the U.S.

Speaker 3 market. And so he wants to know if you guys think TFG will revisit this market with any real strategy now that they have bought the club, or has the opportunity been missed?

Speaker 2 Good question. Great question, Ben.
Love it. I'll let you tackle it.
I got my own thoughts on that.

Speaker 1 I struggle with clubs marketing to America and how they do it effectively. And I'll tell you what I mean.
So I've been a part of a few different ownership groups in Europe. I was also part of

Speaker 1 Everton, right? And so how do you, without just saying we want to expand ourselves into the U.S. market, how do you actually put that into effect?

Speaker 1 It's hard. I don't know that there are that many,

Speaker 1 like I'm not sure winning one season does it. I don't know that there's that many Leicester City fans now in America, Tim.

Speaker 1 You go to the fan fest and you see it's still Liverpool, United, Arsenal, Spurs.

Speaker 1 I don't know how you do it effectively without spending tens and tens of millions of dollars marketing and just pushing it that hard.

Speaker 1 And in the end, I don't know if it's worth it then to a club to do that. So you have to, I guess it's all part of the calculation, but I guess the best way is just years of success on the field.

Speaker 1 Not one year, years and years and years and seeing them in Champions League or Europa League at the top of the Premier League every week.

Speaker 1 I guess that's that's the that's the only answer, it seems like.

Speaker 2 Yeah, I mean, I mean, to kind of kind of piggyback off that, it's do the dollars make sense and um love the American soccer fan. Um, I do.
I'm one of them. I see them every week.

Speaker 2 We speak to them every week. Um,

Speaker 2 you know, so many of our listeners are the U.S. soccer fans.
It if you look at Everton's a good example, I think with the TFG group, I think there's a possibility of that.

Speaker 2 You know, I think they're, you know, they're certainly, I believe they're Texas-based and

Speaker 2 I would imagine those conversations are being had. The way to do it would be

Speaker 2 most likely having a plan to every single preseason you're in America. Right.
But

Speaker 2 look, the fact of the matter is these teams get boatloads of money to go to Australia and to Asia and to different parts of Africa.

Speaker 2 Like they do, right? So,

Speaker 2 you know, if someone, if someone drops a load of money on Everton's plate and says, hey, we want to fly to Australia and play three games, and the other option is to go to America, but it's for like half the money, you know, in PSR, profit and sustainability era that we're in, these things matter,

Speaker 2 but the fans matter. And so

Speaker 2 do you identify one or two U.S. men's national team players that you think can play for Everton? And that brings more eyeballs?

Speaker 2 possibly. But as you said, Landon, so much of that is strategic and manufactured.

Speaker 2 But to your point, ultimately, they're an American-based group and they might have American ideas and they want to sell the club as much in England and Europe and globally as they do in America.

Speaker 2 So that's a possibility. I certainly hope that that's the case.
Awesome. Thanks, guys.
That's it, Jay. You're leaving us.
You're leaving us today. That's all you got.

Speaker 1 Thank you.

Speaker 1 All right, Timmy. Anything but soccer.

Speaker 2 I'm excited for this one. I'm excited because me too.

Speaker 2 I'm going to take hell for this. I'm certain.
But that's what the comments are for.

Speaker 1 All right. College football playoff.

Speaker 1 Don't even have anything too specific.

Speaker 1 Let's just talk about it writ large. It was, you know, we were watching it last week.
We were watching it the week before.

Speaker 2 Thoughts? I can be specific.

Speaker 2 Well, we can talk about the format.

Speaker 1 We can talk about the games. We can talk about it.

Speaker 1 I watched so much of it over the last two weeks, consumed a lot. So go ahead.

Speaker 2 Okay.

Speaker 2 Here's the headline.

Speaker 2 I'm going to get slaughtered for it, but

Speaker 2 I think,

Speaker 2 and I'm roping you in because I don't think you love it, but I don't think you hate my take. My take is college football playoffs.
I have college football playoff fatigue.

Speaker 2 I said it. I said it.

Speaker 2 Hear me out. Hear me out.
There's so many games. There's so now it's the first year.
So maybe, maybe

Speaker 2 I'll know where to find the games. I know they've all been on my TV and all that, and I've watched a bunch of them.
There's so many games

Speaker 2 that the gloss has kind of come off for me. And I just look at bowls in general, right? And

Speaker 2 I watch these bowl games.

Speaker 2 Go away from the playoff for a second. There's nobody anything outside.
Nobody. Anything outside of the bowl playoff series.
There's nobody at the games. I watched a bowl game the other day.

Speaker 2 There was nobody there. This is the culmination of your career as a player, of your season.

Speaker 2 There was, I might get this wrong, there was a player from Louisville who didn't get paid his NIO money that he was promised in September and he didn't go to the bowl game as like a protest.

Speaker 2 It's, it's become a farce. And look, it's become, it's become professional football

Speaker 2 too, basically.

Speaker 2 And, you know, I also, I'm a traditionalist. When I look at like the Sugar Bowl, the Rose Bowl, the Festival, Cotton Bowl, Orange Bowl, they don't mean anything anymore.

Speaker 2 Like I watched, who was it that won the Rose Bowl?

Speaker 2 Was it,

Speaker 2 I can't remember.

Speaker 1 It was Ohio State, Oregon, right?

Speaker 2 Yeah. Yeah, Ohio State, yeah.
So Ohio State wins the Rose Bowl, and it's like, they didn't really win the Rose Bowl. They just won a quarterfinal.

Speaker 2 And I'm like, winning the Rose Bowl. There's some people who literally spend their whole life saying, I won the Rose Bowl.
And

Speaker 2 it's going to get lost.

Speaker 2 Yeah. I mean, look, I love college football, and I probably will get reinvigorated at some point, you know, watching the semifinals or finals, but it just seems like there's a lot of games.

Speaker 2 I think I prefer four teams, but that's just me.

Speaker 1 But you're comparing it to what you're used to. So it's not that many games, it's a few extra games.
Now, if you say the bull season as a whole, like, yeah, okay.

Speaker 1 It's good for me because my son wants to sit on the couch and watch it. So I don't have to do anything and just like, say, hey, babe, he wants to watch.

Speaker 2 You're passing the game when they go back to school.

Speaker 1 He's watching Texas State against Texas,

Speaker 1 North Texas. Yes.

Speaker 2 What the hell are we doing?

Speaker 1 So I get that. The bowl games have nobody there.
It's so sad. The other thing to your point, Tim, with NIL now, a lot of these guys are, if they're going pro, they just don't play.

Speaker 1 Like, they just don't play the game.

Speaker 2 They don't want to play the game. I know.
Now,

Speaker 1 a few other things.

Speaker 1 When we were watching the Rose Bowl, my boys were like, oh, look at that. They get roses.
And I said, yeah, do you know why? And they said, it's the Rose Bowl.

Speaker 1 And then my boy goes, Ha ha, what do they get when they win the Sugar Bowl?

Speaker 2 I was like, oh, good man.

Speaker 1 They just love sugar.

Speaker 1 So I think

Speaker 1 here's the problem with the format. Here's the problem.
It is a big deal for, I'm going to say amateur athletes, even though they're getting paid now.

Speaker 1 It is a big deal for amateur athletes to know how to stay ready to play for three weeks.

Speaker 1 Every team that played the week prior in the first round beat the team that had been off for three weeks and they slaughtered them in most circumstances. So that is a big, big advantage.

Speaker 1 And for pros, we would struggle with that if we had a week off or two weeks off.

Speaker 1 But for amateurs, they have no clue. So they have to figure out how to fix that.
I'm confident, Tim, after next week, when you watch the semis in the final, you're going to be reinvigorated.

Speaker 2 You're going to be college football again. Look, I'm just a traditionalist, but, but I have the foresight enough to know that college athletics is no longer college athletics.

Speaker 2 No, I know it's professional. It is in every way.

Speaker 2 The money's too big. They're never going back to four teams.

Speaker 2 This is only going to get bigger and better. And I'm okay with it.
Like, you know, I've jumped ship. I used to hate the fact that athletes were getting paid.

Speaker 2 That's for another, that's for another college athletes.

Speaker 2 But this, the train has left the station and it ain't coming back. So I'll get reinvigorated.
We'll talk more about it. But I have a little bit of fatigue at the moment.

Speaker 1 All right. Here's one thing I want.
All the schools. Stop promising NIL deals without a contract.
If you want those players there for the ball games or whatever, you put it in their contract, right?

Speaker 1 These are professionals now. They're professional contracts.
I don't want to hear about, I'm suing him because he promised me a million dollars. Well, guess what, dude?

Speaker 1 If he promised you a million dollars, get it in a contract, get an agent, stop complaining.

Speaker 2 All right.

Speaker 1 Great to be back, Timmy. Happy New Year.
Happy 2025. Going to be an amazing year, bud.
Appreciate all of you here today. Leave us comments as always.

Speaker 1 Remember to subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you get your pods. Follow all our social media for bonus content at Unfiltered Soccer.

Speaker 2 Yeah, thank you, everybody. Always a pleasure to spend our hour or so with you.
Thank you to our presenting sponsor, BW. Have a great week.
You know exactly where to find us.

Speaker 2 We will see you next Tuesday on another edition of Unfiltered Soccer.

Speaker 3 This is an Etsy holiday ad, but you won't hear any sleigh bells or classic carols. Instead, you'll hear something original.
The sound of an Etsy holiday, which sounds like this.

Speaker 3 Now that's special. Want to hear it again? Get original and affordable gifts from small shops on Etsy.
For gifts that say, I get you, shop Etsy. Tap the banner to shop now.