DON'T LET BURNLEY OFF SCOTT FREE | The Square Ball

Hinzugefügt: 2026-05-01

[00:00:01]The Square Ball podcast.

[00:00:06]Hi, welcome to the show. This is in your podcast app. If you would like to listen, you can watch on YouTube. Get it ad free with CSP plus a show that's brought to you with Le Vice Listers. 10% discount on their full range of legal services. Michael, >> that's absolutely correct. Yes. Well, well read. They do worlds probate conveyancing among other services.

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[00:00:43]Dan, Michael, Rob weekly roundup. Uh we're going to pick hero and villain in the second half of the show. First, we will talk about a villain from Burnley's point of view. Brand new breaking news this uh Thursday morning. Scott Scott Scott Scotty Scott Scott Parker will not be in the dugout for the Friday night game which is a strange time to make a change isn't it? Um on the eve of a match.

[00:01:04]>> Yeah. You wonder if they maybe just sorting out >> compensation and stuff because it was still he was under contract on the end of the season, wasn't he? I think so.

[00:01:11]>> It feels like they're just doing all they can to appease their fans who I think have wanted this to happen for about six months, haven't they? But >> it feels like too late in the day to have a material impact, doesn't it?

[00:01:21]>> They're too far gone. They've had Parker for what best part of two years or longer is it? I can't even remember.

[00:01:27]>> Yeah, just it was just last year and this year wasn't.

[00:01:29]>> Yeah, I mean even when they were getting promoted they didn't seem to be enjoying themselves that much with the style of football. Although you know getting 100 points is very nice as we know but >> it's hard to imagine they're now going to turn into this swashbuckling team.

[00:01:39]Albeit that would actually help leads I think if they're not so der and defensive on Friday night.

[00:01:44]>> That's what I've talked myself into believing.

[00:01:46]>> Yeah. also their the guy who's taking charge, Michael Jackson of all people.

[00:01:50]Um he was there into him when they sat Dich when they went down that season when we were battling relegation with them. Um albeit he did win three of their first four games when he was in charge of one Premier League manager of the month. So that's slightly worrying I guess.

[00:02:04]>> Oh, what's he still doing there? You >> I feel like they've had so much churn since then. there should be um >> he seems to just be a career assistant manager that hangs around and is an interim every now and again.

[00:02:16]>> Well, the immediate question is is this going to be a help or a hindrance. Um I don't think it makes a huge amount of difference, does it? You're still playing the same set of players and I know obviously there is Chelsea there.

[00:02:25]The elephant in the room is Chelsea, but they got a billion pound squad um and a manager from LinkedIn.

[00:02:32]>> Yeah, it's it's a completely different scenario. I don't think it's necessarily that Burnley players have not been playing for Parker. I just think it's not worked. Whereas with Chelsea, it was very very clear that you know they they they've been tossing it off basically for a few weeks while rein's getting it way out the door.

[00:02:48]>> Yeah, >> with Renior it just felt like if just someone else does this or if you're not here it will be better. Whereas with Burnley, like you say, I don't think it's going to make too much of a material impact. Apologies if you can hear any banging or drilling or stuff.

[00:03:00]We're assured this work will be done before we started recording. But we must crack on. We have other things to do. Um just addressing Farer's press conference uh ahead of this, he was saying uh that he's giving maximum respect to Burnley, which he always does. He's always very gentlemanly in these things, isn't he?

[00:03:16]Burnley have played out of the park before. I have respect for what Scott Parker is doing. Evidently, the Burnley Bordon fans don't though.

[00:03:22]>> No, I think he did do a good job last year. You can't really argue against it given he got 100 points, but from listening to the Burnley fans for propaganda purposes, they've basically been at least three months kind of going, "What's what's the point of any of this?" Like, we we might as well try something different because this is just going to be the same thing over and over and over again. And I think they'd all some of them had probably almost reached the point of thinking, well, we must just be going to keep him >> to go again next year. Which when you've reached this point in the season does make you wonder why you don't just keep him because he can probably do it again next season.

[00:03:57]>> Parker has a tendency to talk himself out of jobs though, doesn't he?

[00:04:00]>> I think he he gets to the point also where he's like, I can't really be bothered. Do you want to just pay me to not do this? Which I can, you know, fair enough mate. If you're able to do that, good on you.

[00:04:08]>> Yeah. It's never felt like a particularly happy marriage, has it? Him being there. He's, you know, he's London and I say it's it's a bit more controlled, measured football, I think, if that's the right word. Defensive might be another. It's just never meshed very well with the Burnley fan base, I don't think. Has it? I mean, I suppose they had Vincent company, didn't they?

[00:04:26]And they they did embrace that for a time which was a more exciting anti-dich thing. But then I think Parker is kind of the worst of Dich in terms of the being a bit dar and defensive but while also being a a bloodan wearer which I think I think maybe doesn't quite if he'd shaved his head and was worn a tracksuit they might have got on board with him a little bit more but he never felt like it was going to quite work for him.

[00:04:49]>> That would have looked horrible.

[00:04:50]>> Yeah I can't imagine with a shave head.

[00:04:52]>> No he's not a man for a shaved head is he? Um yeah I suppose the issue from a leader's point of view here is reaction after cup semi-final farer again addressed that in the presser um that as of Monday out of the system dealt with done um we want to keep going we have 12 more points points to fight for in this game to win one or three points we know will ease the pressure >> I mean I I feel like it doesn't have to be a big hangover from that Chelsea game.

[00:05:17]>> No I I weirdly feel like how I felt last week and that this time last week I was like can we just play tomorrow? I want to get to Wembley. I want to get to London. And basically since I've got back from London, I think I put it on the daily email for TSB Plus members on Monday. I was like, can we just play Burnley tomorrow? I just want to get to Ellen Road. I want there to be a bit of buzz and energy in the ground to start with. Bit of a collective cuddle and then we can just collectively, you know, shellac Burnley, which I feel like we owe them.

[00:05:41]>> Yeah, definitely. And I suppose it does remove that Scott Parker has a hoodoo over >> uh Farer narrative, doesn't it? Anyway, just go out there and beat him now. I mean that's the easy option.

[00:05:53]>> Yeah, I think we should do that.

[00:05:54]>> Obviously standing on away as Thomas Braml.

[00:05:57]>> Yeah. So he's the [ __ ] ref who he sent off Gabby Goodmanson sent Palace earlier this season.

[00:06:02]>> He didn't mean to in his defense by accident >> and incorrectly as the PG MOL apology letter would uh have you believe.

[00:06:09]>> Yeah. So he did that great. He's he's a the worst referee of the season by a distance. He's the >> the Palace performance got him the lowest rating from TSP plus. And he also is fourth for his performance in the home game against Spurs. And then he's even um 17th for he refed the victory over Palace at home and 17th is quite high for a victory because generally speaking if you win you don't you you kind of do all right on the ratings. Um so he's he's quite spectacularly [ __ ] >> An absolute thumping victory that Palace one as well. So yeah that is really impressive.

[00:06:41]>> Yeah. So to to that to be the 17th worst performance of the season from a ref is is actually pretty impressive. The Spurs one is mad because we've had so many bad refereeing performances this season. It feels like I can't really remember what he did wrong in that Spurs one. I think there was just a general sense of letting Spurs players be in his ear the whole time.

[00:06:58]>> Yeah, probably pandering to that Premier League [ __ ] of them falling over.

[00:07:02]All the stuff we saw from Chelsea at Wembley on uh on Sunday. I would imagine that's what my biases tell me anyway.

[00:07:08]>> Yes, indeed. Um hopefully Burnley won't do that though.

[00:07:11]>> No, >> because they're they're official Champo now, aren't they?

[00:07:14]>> That's true.

[00:07:15]>> Now they're down. Um, I mean, Jaden Anthony, will he be playing? That'll be a sort of a thing.

[00:07:23]>> Sort of. I've not I mean, I think he I think he probably quite liked his time at Leads for the most part. We I I quite liked him.

[00:07:31]>> I mean, I've had some tenuous beef with ex Leads players, but even I can't be bothered with that.

[00:07:35]>> He's very low down on the list.

[00:07:36]>> He seems like a nice guy. I mean, what can you say? From a lead's perspective, Goodmanson's obviously out for the next two games as far as addressed in the press conference out for at least Burnley and Spurs. And then they said that we'll see after that. Obviously, there are not that many games left anyway. So maybe you get him towards the end of the season, the very end of the season. Um I mean if he's if he's back and we're safe, I'd hope we don't play him really.

[00:07:55]>> Why would you just let him have let him have the time off and go to the World Cup?

[00:07:59]>> Um for a doubt, be all a doubt. It was car fa for hip flexor for for be. You always get a couple of these with um with farer and I've I've stopped reading too much into it. So it'll be a surprise if either of them don't make it on on Friday. I think he just likes to do that just to toy with the opposition.

[00:08:16]>> The general pattern is if people are going to be out, he says they're going to be out.

[00:08:19]>> Yeah.

[00:08:19]>> If he says people are a maybe they at least make the bench, don't they?

[00:08:23]>> The be all one is slightly interesting given he's been subbed off at Halime in the last two games. You know, we assumed that was just kind of tactical. But if he has been carrying a knock for a little while, who knows? Be a knock for is it a calf injury? Was he just knackered? Who can tell?

[00:08:36]>> I did see um a start I think it was on Blue Sky someone um someone flagged it with us which was um how he's top of sprints per 90 minutes even though so it does which kind of explain why he's >> soaked his energy explosively almost.

[00:08:52]>> Yeah, exactly. So he's, you know, >> which is what you do >> as exactly as a as a sprinter myself natural physique for it. Um yeah, so I I think that's that's maybe an acceptable reason for him being knackered.

[00:09:05]>> Um elsewhere in team news, obviously we know Ko's out for the season, the old boniscus. Um Anton Stack was expected back originally in May. Uh it will be made by the time this game is played.

[00:09:13]However, it does feel like he's come back ahead of schedule, doesn't it, with that 45 minutes at Wembley and it'd be nice to see him um reintroduced to the action in some capacity. Would you um would you go with the same team uh as at as at Wembley or would you shake it up?

[00:09:29]You know, injuries aside, >> I would go with the team that finished the game basically. Minus Goodmanson.

[00:09:36]>> Ball at the back. You see, I'd be temp we we spoke about this a bit with Simon Grayson yesterday, which is coming out tomorrow. So, there's a slight slight overlap here.

[00:09:45]>> We recorded that before Park has left Burnley. Thankfully, we didn't touch too much on that really.

[00:09:50]>> No. Um, but I don't know. I'd be tempted to try and go a bit more attacking in this one.

[00:09:55]>> So, who was in midfield by then? Long staff was on, was he?

[00:09:58]>> Yeah. Yeah. Probably not long staff, but I'd go with I'd get Stag Tanaka and Aadu into midfield would be is what I'd be tempted to go with.

[00:10:05]>> Um, you just want to see us come out and do what we did against Wolves. I think right out of the blocks, right out of the gate, get the game one in the first 20 minutes hopefully or at least get that goal.

[00:10:12]>> Yeah. Yeah, exactly. Because I think who knows how the Chelsea game pans out as well if we score that early chance as well. Um, I mean, as we've covered, Burnley or Chelsea are, they don't have essentially any players who anyone's going to be desperate to sign next season, I don't think. Whereas, you know, however [ __ ] Chelsea are, all their players are linked with better moves, aren't they? When they when they're on the brink of not qualifying for Europe. So, >> and they all think they deserve it as well, which is the interesting thing, having, you know, not qualified for the Champions League. All their players seem to think that's where they belong. Well, >> thankfully, they've not signed eight-year contracts to tie them down, reduce all their power. Um question is where does this one go? All the numbers hugely leaning in our favor. We've partnered up with Score AI which is a data app run by Jamie who's a leads fan.

[00:10:56]Um loads more than just basic numbers though. It takes all optters data, the stuff that I tend to lean on on as an emotional crutch as you know and put it into my spreadsheets. Goes deep with it and it will like predict the outcome of matches, goal scorers, number of goals scored and all that sort of stuff. And it'll even make predictions. I didn't know this um so it was pointed out to me this week. It'll even make predictions based on what's happening in real time with the in-game data.

[00:11:16]>> I don't want I don't want that. I want to rely on my own uh worst fears to make in-game predictions.

[00:11:21]>> You can get it from your app store. He actually correctly forecasted a 1-0il Chelsea victory in the cup semi-final.

[00:11:26]So well done computer forecasted something else.

[00:11:28]>> Yes. Um in this one he's saying we're undeniably huge favorites. They've got us as having a 70.6% chance, 18.9% chance for the draw and Burnley at 10 and a half%. Um which is that about where you are mentally on it?

[00:11:44]>> Yeah, I guess so. M just start well, calm everyone down, we can have a nice evening.

[00:11:49]>> Um and uh 87% chance of one goal, 61% chance of two goals, it reckons. Um it's basically leaning towards a two-0 victory is the most obvious um result it reckons will be >> that'll be lovely >> in our um in our favor.

[00:12:03]>> Goal after 10 minutes, goal after 50 minutes, nothing else happens.

[00:12:08]Absolutely delightful stuff.

[00:12:10]>> Known about taking the foot off the gas.

[00:12:12]>> Yeah. He fancies us to get goals. He doesn't fancy them to get goals basically. So yeah, 2-0 is looking fairly likely. It could be more. You want to see more, don't you? Because 4-0 would take us up above um Palace. And I think that would even from a mental point of view >> as a reaction to what happened against Chelsea. Suddenly, if you're going up two places in the table and you've got three points, you really feel safe now.

[00:12:30]>> I don't feel the need to be that greedy.

[00:12:32]I've got to be honest.

[00:12:33]>> No, just get a win and then don't even really have to care much about what happens for the rest of the weekend.

[00:12:38]>> Yeah, we can just we can just look at that as like the uh the sort of meme of the guy at the window with sickos written on it. We can that can be us watching the rest of the fix just pan out just just enjoying whatever whatever dramas happen to people.

[00:12:50]>> Yeah, you can um you can find Score AI in your app store. Just click through in the uh episode description box as well.

[00:12:55]There's a link in there. It's free to use, but if you want to go that bit deeper, play around with the premium AI features as well. Then use the code TSB to get a twoe trial for free. Uh it's risk free. You can cancel anytime. So have a look in your app store for that for score AI. Um elsewhere this weekend, we've got West Ham playing uh on Saturday. They're at Brenford. Spurs play on Sunday at Villa and then Forest is the Monday night game against those Chelsea bastards.

[00:13:20]>> Um I mean it's a week where you imagine we should widen the gap on someone >> based on those fixtures.

[00:13:27]>> Spurs Villa are hard to work out though, aren't they?

[00:13:30]>> One week I'm reading that they're absolutely terrible. The next week I'm reading in the Champions League or something. Where actually are they in the league?

[00:13:36]>> About third, fourth or something like that.

[00:13:38]>> That's fine, isn't it?

[00:13:39]>> Oh, Villa I think they're fifth actually now. But that's I I don't I've I've only put the bottom half of the table on the on the sheet that we've got here.

[00:13:45]>> They are fifth.

[00:13:45]>> We're not concerning ourselves with those pigs up there.

[00:13:47]>> Level on points with fourth, three off third.

[00:13:49]>> Yeah, it looks like they should be locked in for Champions League. That said, you know, there's prize money for every place, isn't they're going to want to cement it and all that and all that.

[00:13:56]>> Phil Spurs is actually Sunday night, isn't it?

[00:13:58]>> Oh, is it Sunday night?

[00:13:59]>> Yeah. I don't know why it's a seven it's a 7:00 kickoff.

[00:14:04]>> That'll be because of the Thursday European game for Villa. is to kick it >> as late as possible to give them more prep time. Um that that because that is another factor, isn't it? You got Villa against Forest in the European semi-finals across the next uh >> couple of weeks. That's in fact that's happening tonight as we um as we record.

[00:14:20]How do you feel about all this? It's a big it's a big opportunity, isn't it?

[00:14:22]Because we should by rights beating Burnley here, finishing the season off.

[00:14:27]The other three teams are all away.

[00:14:29]Somebody's dropping points.

[00:14:31]>> Yeah, we just need we just need to win this and then it's I think we can be confident it's done.

[00:14:36]>> Just win. Please just win. We're trying to arrange issue eight of the season and I really want it to be done by then otherwise it's going to be incredibly awkward. Um >> yeah, there is and we've got a live show as well which is which is pencled in ahead of the West Ham game and if >> if it goes to that game >> Oh, it's going to be horrendous.

[00:14:52]>> Uh it's going to be quite >> it's going to be quite edgy, isn't it?

[00:14:56]>> Although I think we're hoping it can be a nice celebration of the season and stuff that live show.

[00:15:01]>> Yeah. Although it could make one core tension of the show quite exciting, couldn't it?

[00:15:04]>> I mean, are we staying up or are we going down? Let's just not let's just not worry about that.

[00:15:07]>> God, that scenario actually that's horrendous.

[00:15:10]>> Final day.

[00:15:11]>> Yeah, >> if it's gone to the final day, it means we're in for a bad weekend this weekend.

[00:15:14]So, let's not even think about it.

[00:15:15]>> That is true.

[00:15:16]>> Get it done before then. It's fine.

[00:15:17]>> Do you know that no team has ever been relegated from the Premier League with 43 points?

[00:15:21]>> I do know that.

[00:15:22]>> Yeah. So, let's make sure we're not the first, >> shall we?

[00:15:25]>> So, we need to get 44 points.

[00:15:27]>> We just need just need to keep just win all our games and then and then we might um we might just relax. Um but yeah, live show um the squareball.net/ net/live if you want to get the tickets there. I think um we've released a load of standing tickets as well. The seating tickets have now sold out for that. Um it's Friday the 22nd of May at Project House. Um just on the edge of town towards Armley is that one where we've played it before. Great venue. Um and we'll have a good laugh. We'll bring you the best of the um the show from across the week. All of us going to be there.

[00:15:52]Be all five of us on stage chatting absolute bollocks and having a laugh. Um right then. Uh anything else to chat about? Maggie mentioned there Rob. Um, issue 7 is currently out now. It's got a It's lovely, isn't it? Pascal Stra in a a Wembley hot tub there.

[00:16:09]>> It's not It wasn't >> That seemed challenging for that header.

[00:16:12]>> I was going to say it's it's fair to say that's not it's not new for this week.

[00:16:15]We probably would have gone with that cover. Um, >> there's not too much Wembley stuff in there, though. There's a little bit of Wembley excitement, so you can try and enjoy that still a little bit. But, uh, no, we've got Luke Brennan chatted to David Weatherall. That's a really good interview chat about the ' 90s, chatting about some interesting thoughts on Leed's current defense. Got a bit of fiction in there from John how an extract from his novel days of trile which you can get on the square ball shop. Um Chris wrote that mad story which we chatted about on the podcast last week which yeah definitely go read that.

[00:16:44]>> The match fixing guy >> absolutely crazy pimp a match fixer. Um just a wild wild story.

[00:16:50]>> That's just Chris.

[00:16:51]>> I I like the bit the Simon from the Kaiser chief Simon Rick's bit of a pilgrimage to see Belsera at Wembley as well for the um the England Uruguay game. Yeah, there's a fair bit of Baxi in there because of his return to these shores. Um, and Richard Finn actually sort of going along without contrasting with that, but he's chatting about written about the phrase leads days in South Korea and some of the perils of misplaced nostalgia, which I think fits quite nicely. Um, commiserations to the women's team who fell short of the the playoff place and the title in the division one north. Um, it's a it's another go against scenario next season.

[00:17:24]What was it? They fell four points short in the end of the table. Um, so yeah, it's just good luck next year again, isn't it? Just try and get out of that blessed division because it's only got 12 teams in it, so it's ridiculously hard to escape.

[00:17:37]>> Just buy our way out of it. If we can't buy our way to Premier League success, then at least do it for them.

[00:17:42]>> Listen, can we compete with the the financial might of Cheeel Town Stingers.

[00:17:45]>> Well, there you go.

[00:17:46]>> That's the that's the difficulty, isn't it? You know, you're dealing with some some big hitters. Norton and Stockton Ancients, people like that.

[00:17:52]>> Teams you definitely definitely recognize as being football teams. Um, speaking of spending, have you seen some of the gossip this week as well? Um, not plenty still plenty of noise about Tanaka going in the summer, which I wouldn't be entirely surprised, which I'll be I'd be sad about cuz I like out Tanaka, >> but he was bought cheap and you can sell him expensive, can't you?

[00:18:10]>> I'd like to I'd like to keep him. Give him another season, see how he does.

[00:18:13]He's shown enough in the recent weeks that he's got something to offer.

[00:18:16]>> Just sign some more good players to help these ones as well. That be that go a long way.

[00:18:20]>> And the big sexy pirate as well that's on the mad cover. Um his contract is down to one year which we we speak about with um with Simon Grace, don't we on the show that's out on uh on Friday. Um there's a potential there cuz he was basically brought in for like a million quid or something wasn't he from >> Yeah. Ajax Academy was it we going from >> So yeah. Um so and again we were we were linked to um Jordan James. I mean >> we can't have that.

[00:18:45]>> No, we can't have Jordan James and James just >> No, it's ridiculous.

[00:18:47]>> It's far too confusing. We we're becoming like Bournemouth all Daniel James David James for net just >> yeah it's all too much all too much. Um and also I don't want the League One chump. I mean I mean he might be fine to be honest but you know I don't want to help Leicester out.

[00:19:05]>> Jordan James is not is he not the guy Stad Rene?

[00:19:08]>> Oh god sorry I'm confusing. Who's the guy Leicester have got? I think is that not the same guy and he has he left? We should probably look this up shouldn't we?

[00:19:14]>> Yeah it's probably important isn't it?

[00:19:15]>> Jordan James. Who's Who's on loan from where to where?

[00:19:18]>> He's on loan from Leicester.

[00:19:19]>> Oh, that's it. Okay.

[00:19:21]>> Um, see. Yeah. Oh, no. He's on at Leicester.

[00:19:25]>> I'm sure he's played for Leicester.

[00:19:26]>> He's on at Leicester >> cuz I've heard it being talked about.

[00:19:29]>> He used to be at Birmingham. Sorry. I thought it was at Leicester originally.

[00:19:31]>> I've heard him being talked about in between the uh the wanking >> because of course. Yeah, because they sold um James.

[00:19:38]>> Yeah, stupid.

[00:19:40]>> Ridiculous idea. We also seem to be linked with with Votnik just because he's scored goals in the Championship and he's a Swansea player and I think we've done that before.

[00:19:49]>> Oh yeah, works out.

[00:19:50]>> So let's just let's just not let's just go get someone better.

[00:19:54]>> Don't know who, but just get some just sign someone's better.

[00:19:57]>> Well, yeah, someone someone better.

[00:19:59]That's who I want.

[00:20:00]>> Someone I've not heard of who's going to cost an absolute fortune.

[00:20:03]>> Yeah, reassuringly expensive. That's what I want in a striker.

[00:20:06]>> Final question for this half then. Um, as we wrap it up, just returning to the the weekend's fixtures. Do you want it all sort of done this weekend now? Are you Are you ready to just sort of clock off for the summer?

[00:20:13]>> 100%.

[00:20:14]>> Yeah, definitely.

[00:20:15]>> Yeah.

[00:20:15]>> Yeah. Get it.

[00:20:16]>> Does like the Does the Wembley game feel like the book end for you? Almost.

[00:20:19]>> We can't quite achieve mathematical certainty this year this weekend, can we? But >> realistically, we we I think everyone will accept it's done, won't they?

[00:20:27]>> I think smashing Burnley would feel like more of a book end to sort of almost cement your safety.

[00:20:32]>> You we just get Wembley out of our system. That's the nice thing actually about the fact it's not a playoff final.

[00:20:37]we do actually have a few more games to kind of flush it out.

[00:20:40]>> Um, and there's a chance with Burnley as well because we came up with them and we were neck andneck on points to almost benchmark your own progress over the course of the season. See how far we've come compared to them.

[00:20:50]>> Yeah, it it's been it's been a good season which I know we heard from that Burnley fan on um propaganda is basically saying it's just been the most pointless year for them. Like it's just a complete waste of time and it doesn't feel like that for us does it? So, let's let's finish try and finish it in a well, if not in style, at least with winning some games and not being under pressure for the last few. Part two of the show now where we feed a load of information into the Square Ball Supercomputer, which really is just a device for saying us three. Uh, we will we could just make some computer noises if you want, Michael.

[00:21:21]>> I I'll leave you to it.

[00:21:22]>> All right, fine. There we go.

[00:21:24]>> That's what they're doing. It >> um right here, I'll be on to argue with you shortly.

[00:21:28]>> Uh, ratings from the Chelsea semi-final.

[00:21:31]uh not particularly high. Uh they bottom out around 4.87 with Stra for the starting 11. Um you got in this order Stra B all Tanaka Calvin Lewin with five um James Justin 5.03 Aronson a bit higher Gmanson Bogle Darlow Okaf and the only one to cross the threshold of six was Ethan Ampedu possibly just for intruding on um on their uh touchline chat. Um the subs feds probably slightly better. Well, at least Anton Stack did anyway. He was actually chosen as uh as man of the match by the TSP plus members. 6.74 out of 10. The rest of them sort of hovering around in the fives. Um Farer himself got 5.44 middling. And Jared Gilllet, the [ __ ] ref 2.62 out of 10, which I think feels too high. I thought that was a little bit on the high side.

[00:22:18]>> Quite generous by our standards.

[00:22:20]>> Given he he I suppose the thing is he was he's bound by the rules, isn't he?

[00:22:24]Unfortunately. So he rather than telling him to [ __ ] off when the keeper's laying down. Well, you say that >> you have to kind of >> just segue. I was going to segue straight into the likes and dislikes that were sent to us as well. Tom the Palm said the ref not allowing any form of physical contest to break out.

[00:22:39]>> Um, which I think is my my greatest annoyance with Gillette. He fell for it throughout the whole game.

[00:22:43]>> I've not watched it back and probably will never be honest. There were a few tackles in there where people were Caseda was rolling around absolutely like he like he was dead on a couple of occasions then popped straight back up >> when when no one's pandering to it like a naughty toddler.

[00:22:58]>> Yeah. No, no, he got the free kicks. All right, >> but you know, like when he he's clearly waiting for the free kick and hoping for a book in, but then >> with the way he goes down, you think, "Oh, he's he's surely injured here because he looks to be in a lot of pain." And then obviously never never actually the case.

[00:23:12]>> Um, Dallas's paddle is one of the comments that I picked out. Uh, and Dallas's paddle liked to sack as reflected in the ratings there. And the child next to me who was copying what people were saying and got told off by his dad for shouting cheating character, >> which I think is great. Oh, you learning it in these environments.

[00:23:28]>> Yeah.

[00:23:29]>> Jake from Florida likes the fact that he's uh having back surgery so he doesn't have to listen to the Chelsea fans in his office anymore. I don't know if that's a a voluntary procedure he's got in him for if he's just like just take something out, put something in. I don't know.

[00:23:40]>> That was a week after a week of his own [ __ ] talking with him as well. The coward's choice. I enjoy that.

[00:23:46]>> Yeah. On the dislikes front, um Keyn didn't like the M1 northbound journey.

[00:23:49]Nope. Not fun. The M1 southbound journey was felt like it went a lot quicker and was a lot more fun >> on Sunday morning. and just seeing leads fans everywhere. M1 northbound journey ended up in a like a traffic jam due to an accident. So obviously, you know, best wishes to everybody who was involved in that. However, it didn't help um unsour the mood traveling north.

[00:24:08]Um and ended up getting home at about it was about 12:30, 12:40, so just after midnight. Um but still better than being in London.

[00:24:16]>> Me and Rob were just exchanging cuz we both stayed over. We were exchanging our sad postgame stories which both basically involve going for a single pint and going to bed more or less cuz we were just sad and I had a banging headache and I was just like I just I don't want to do anything else. Whereas if we' have won I'd have I'd have rallied myself. I'd have been like a [ __ ] it. Who's got who's got some strong stuff here? Let's um let's go again.

[00:24:36]>> Problem is you really realize the next day just how far away London is. You think oh god got to get back now.

[00:24:41]>> Yeah. Our American listeners will be going what?

[00:24:44]>> Under 200 miles.

[00:24:45]>> Exactly. That feels like the ends of the earth to us though over here, doesn't it?

[00:24:48]>> People do for like a home game, don't they? In America.

[00:24:51]>> Yeah. Um Sam, I think here uh accurately reflecting uh the feelings on both sides of the coin. Disliked actually thinking it would be different this time. An out of sorts Chelsea team and leads in form and we still can't even get a goal.

[00:25:04]Let's just abandon Wembley and turn it into a Spoons and a Gregs. I'm all for that. Um >> it's got that kind of a character around the ground, hasn't it? Really feels like you're just in a big retail park or something. Yeah, it's mad there isn't actually some just built into it, isn't there?

[00:25:18]>> And you've given him an idea now. Sam, however, did like the friends we made along the way.

[00:25:23]>> How lovely.

[00:25:24]>> I am Brian says, "I've always disliked cheating, posh, whining children. You can decide if that's a comment about the Chelsea fans, players, coaches, or all three. Is there even a debate about villain of the week, evil, thy name is Mcfarlan?" Yeah, Dan James platform shoes. He's similar. Billion pound babies nominating Chelsea. Uh, the only good thing about today was these absolute shower of [ __ ] reminding me that at least I support a squad. I don't need to hate, which let's face it, it hasn't always been true.

[00:25:48]>> Yeah, very true. Um, okay. Are we happy with that? The likes and dislikes have been fed into us, as it were, the supercomput. Should we pick a Chem Bates filling of the week?

[00:25:57]>> I mean, there was We've watched a full game with Karella and Gyacho on the pitch. Well, not a full game for Gacho and we've not even mentioned him.

[00:26:05]>> He is laughably terrible.

[00:26:07]>> He was really [ __ ] wasn't he?

[00:26:08]>> Like, I know everyone hates him and laughs at him anyway, but seeing him in the flesh, I was like, you really don't do anything, dude.

[00:26:13]>> You're just a [ __ ] Justin Bieber. It's >> the way he sets off with the ball.

[00:26:16]>> That's the song. Did you do you remember you remember that song from somewhere?

[00:26:18]>> Yeah.

[00:26:18]>> Doing the little he does that little jinky run and then just runs into people and you're like, "Oh, all right. Yeah, just keep keep doing that if you want."

[00:26:24]>> And he did the classic went down pretending to be injured. Then as soon as Chelsea got the ball back and went on the attack, he was up and sprinting into position like a little [ __ ] But Cookerella I really hate as well.

[00:26:34]>> Yeah, they paid 40 million pounds for Ganacher. Just checking. There was a Rory Jennings clip dude doing the rounds the other week about how much he hates Gacha. was like I I genuinely genuinely hate him. I think it was actually sincere from Jennings for once cuz you could kind of see in his eyes he was like you know you get to that point with players he just like I just wish he [ __ ] off and I think he's there which is good cuz he's under about as you say about uh 20 32 is his contract with Chelsea >> years when he's alone at like Bettis next year or something. Good.

[00:27:07]>> Yeah. I hope it bankrupts them.

[00:27:09]>> Yes, me too. I hope it bankrupts them.

[00:27:11]Um, some villain on display from the League United ticket office. Um, we spoke to a whole load. By the way, if we bumped into you um, under the stand at Wembley or in the pub or anything like that and you said hi to us, hello to you. Thank you so much for being so kind. We bumped into Joseph Hunter and he was telling us the story. Remember meeting Joseph? And he was saying that his dad had died unfortunately in the um in the run-up to to the semi-final. He'd got a ticket for him. It happened just days before. He didn't know whether to go or not. Um, and instead of uh doing what anybody might do with the spare ticket and just, you know, beep them through on it, he tried to do the right thing uh and put it into somebody else's name, phone the Legion United ticket office, charged him a tenner.

[00:27:48]>> [ __ ] sake.

[00:27:49]>> I mean, come on.

[00:27:50]>> Jesus Christ.

[00:27:51]>> Did they let him transfer it though?

[00:27:53]Actually, they did in the end. Okay. I thought you were going to say they just they just pulled the plug. I think I'd missed this story when you were when we were there. And I I think they tried to like he said he looked in his wallet and they'd initially cancelled the cancel the ticket or something like that but then he saw a phone and said look come on >> you know just just could have just beeped somebody through on it and you know being dishonest about it but he tried to do the right thing and then >> never be honest I had to pay for it.

[00:28:15]>> Just just download the ticket onto another phone.

[00:28:17]>> Yeah the email it's fine.

[00:28:18]>> Yeah it's fine.

[00:28:19]>> Um and Joseph as well. Yeah. Our sympathies as well um about your dad.

[00:28:22]Really sorry to hear that. Um but it was it was lovely to meet you. Sorry about the day and all that. Yeah.

[00:28:26]>> Um other um villain candidates.

[00:28:30]>> I mean, can we throw uh Braml in there ahead of time or for next week?

[00:28:34]>> Probably just Yeah.

[00:28:36]>> Um just the entity of Chelsea, everything it stands for.

[00:28:39]>> We >> uh Yeah, you can't give it to that though. It's like give it to a bolard or something.

[00:28:48]>> It's just a It's just a thing in it.

[00:28:50]>> Just an inanimate object.

[00:28:51]>> It's not even It's not even hateable in a proper way cuz it's just like fine.

[00:28:55]Isn't it?

[00:28:56]>> Chelsea's fans, Chelsea's players, Chelsea's manager, Chelsea's owners.

[00:29:00]>> Well, tell you one thing I dislike.

[00:29:01]>> Well, Mcfaren is both a Chelsea fan and their and their manager.

[00:29:04]>> Oh, really?

[00:29:05]>> So, we could throw him in there, >> right? In terms of like there was so much like fakery on display, like Robert Sanchez obviously is a a prime candidate for it, but McFaran's responsible for this. Even the stupid halftime show when they put the the young attractive um DJ lass on.

[00:29:20]>> Oh, yeah. That was tragic, was it?

[00:29:22]>> Bopping around behind a pair of decks.

[00:29:24]>> Yeah. Pretending that you're mixing something that's clearly already been mixed, you know, hands in the air. [ __ ] it. It's an FA Cup semi-final. It doesn't need to be a disc attack.

[00:29:33]>> No, I forgot about that completely.

[00:29:35]>> Even Even the bit before the game when they sort of did a, oh, here's the Chelsea bit, then we'll play the Chelsea song, then we'll do the leads bit, and we'll play the lead. It's like just let the two fans sing. It doesn't need orchestrating.

[00:29:46]>> There was a bit of that.

[00:29:47]>> We're going to fit F on the pitches on the pitch.

[00:29:50]>> I mean, >> are we trying to move past that?

[00:29:52]>> Not for not for me. Thank you.

[00:29:54]>> Let us watch people.

[00:29:55]>> I'm quite soft playing on the pitch.

[00:29:58]>> I'll just go to the other tier for that bit.

[00:30:00]>> Yeah, exactly.

[00:30:02]>> I think McFarland should have it personally cuz you know he's meant to be a he's meant to be like is his opportunity to kind of make a name for himself and he served up that [ __ ] >> and his explanation of the ruckus as it was called. It's like I don't know what that's all about. I was just trying to use the break to uh speak to my team.

[00:30:20]It's like that is what it was all about.

[00:30:22]That was And also when you look at pictures of him on Google images, he looks like um a man who would be appealing for the loss of uh for the return of a family member who when he knows where they are.

[00:30:34]>> Is that right?

[00:30:34]>> Look at his face.

[00:30:36]>> Right.

[00:30:36]>> You you just you just tell me that's not the look.

[00:30:39]>> Oh yeah, you're right.

[00:30:40]>> Shiftly behind a desk.

[00:30:42]>> Yeah, you're right. There's one in particular. Yeah. That uh >> it's that first one, I think, because he looks a bit upset on it.

[00:30:48]>> Yeah.

[00:30:48]>> Please just come home. Wink >> wherever you are >> under the dean bed.

[00:30:54]>> Uh just yeah just just let us know if you're okay.

[00:30:57]>> Perfectly safe. Um because it's just a ruse and he's an innocent man.

[00:31:01]>> Of course he is. Yeah. Innocent of crimes against football and nothing more.

[00:31:04]>> Yeah. Um Okay. Okay.

[00:31:06]>> And liking John Terry. He's guilty of that too.

[00:31:08]>> Yeah. He feels like he Yeah. He is the very obvious candidate. You've got no right to be that green and that cynical.

[00:31:14]>> Yeah.

[00:31:15]>> You should be restoring hope to the game.

[00:31:17]>> Exactly. If Marcelo Belsa can do it and he's in his what is he set in his 70s now?

[00:31:23]>> Uh yeah yeah he can make us feel nice about the beautiful game then you Mcfarlan boy >> book your ideas up sport.

[00:31:31]>> Okay.

[00:31:31]>> Although you never know if he carries on like this he might get an 8-year contract as well as manager. So that is true.

[00:31:36]>> True enough. Um so is he the the Ken Bates villain of the week? Somebody who darkened our door in the last seven days. He's the obvious one, isn't he?

[00:31:41]>> Yeah. He's he's got to take that award.

[00:31:43]Um Katana Bar hero of the week. This is sponsored by the tuktalkcl club.com.

[00:31:47]Bruce messaged me. I think Bruce came over for the semi-final. He wasn't happy. Um just the other day just saying they got four places left uh for tuk tuk tours of Northern Thailand for uh June.

[00:31:56]So it'll be next month almost. Oh, >> okay.

[00:31:59]>> Yeah. Um when Bruce sent the message in originally, he said perfect for celebrating our FA Cup journey. I don't dare be more optimistic than that. And he was right. You can celebrate the journey, >> can you? Still, >> it's all about the journey, not the destination. Well, the destination is Wembley, isn't it? Which is a bit of a shame.

[00:32:16]>> Yeah. Uh a big >> go Thailand instead.

[00:32:18]>> Wembley. A big old white elephant.

[00:32:19]>> If you Yeah. Very good.

[00:32:21]>> Yeah.

[00:32:22]>> Yeah. Very good.

[00:32:23]>> But in Northern Thailand, if you go on a tuk tuk tour, you can see >> actual >> an actual elephant. And not only that, you can get 15% off at the tuktoclub.com using tsb 15.

[00:32:32]>> And if you put a few hundred quid aside for the FA Cup, >> that's free now. That money's that money's spare. As much as money is ever spare.

[00:32:40]>> All that all that free money.

[00:32:41]>> I basically got to spend it now. Right.

[00:32:44]your candidates for Gatana Baro of the week.

[00:32:47]>> Uh God, Ampedu, I did enjoy him going to the touch line. I've wanted us for ages to just make a fast of it whenever opposition teams do that now.

[00:32:56]>> Yeah. And and I think Farer spoke well about it as well in saying like >> he basically said after the game, didn't he? If we'd if we'd won, I'd talk about this more, but as we've lost, I don't really feel like I can.

[00:33:08]>> It was like that is a very skilled way of talking.

[00:33:10]>> It's probably the right way of saying it, isn't it? cuz you can't you can't go on and on about it.

[00:33:14]>> It's very clever.

[00:33:15]>> Yeah.

[00:33:15]>> Yeah. Like Yeah, they were [ __ ] Everybody knows they were [ __ ] >> I don't have to point it out. I could have spoke about him. Yeah. Brilliant.

[00:33:22]Well done. Well done. Well done.

[00:33:23]>> So, I thought I handled that well.

[00:33:24]>> Um, Ampedu, >> he stacked it well off the bench as well. Showed us maybe what we've been missing.

[00:33:31]>> He sure wasn't actually that close like the top corner, was it? Quite close to it really hard.

[00:33:35]>> He did hit it hard.

[00:33:36]>> Leads fans for turning up.

[00:33:38]>> The M1 southbound. Aren't we going to nominate that for the atmosphere pregame?

[00:33:43]>> Better atmosphere than Wembley >> again. But if I'm not allowed to have Wembley Stadium as a as a villain, I don't think we can nominate a a sort of trunk road as a as a hero either.

[00:33:53]>> Um, >> it's got to be Leadeds fans. I think >> it's a bit self- congratulatory.

[00:33:58]>> Excluding us. Everybody that we met, everybody that we saw except us.

[00:34:02]>> I really enjoyed the whole experience that the weekend was because of all the fans.

[00:34:06]>> Yeah, it was the best bit. leads fans excluding the square ball. We saying that all right fine we soued it anything.

[00:34:14]>> And when we got into Wembley bumped into the lads who we were sat opposite on the train back from the playoff final defeat two years ago and one of one of the lads like sort of marched up to me and went he went do you remember me? I like I know you I do know you I do know your face but I can't remember from where.

[00:34:29]And he said it was train home uh after Southampton. I was like, "Yes, we're the lads from Wakefield." And one of his mates, he had been refused entry a little bit before. He had to go away and sort himself out and then essentially be carried in. Yeah. The two lads we were talking to.

[00:34:44]>> Yeah.

[00:34:45]>> Yeah. Um well, one of them had been refused entry about 10 minutes before.

[00:34:49]>> Oh, I do remember that. See, I was quite pissed at this point as well, forgetting all these conversations. Obviously, after the game, I went for my solitary point. Um there was a bloke who was so pissed he fell backwards off a chair in this pub and then they were trying to get him to leave but his mates were having to point out that he can't leave because his legs didn't work and they trying to it was like full weekend at Bernie stuff trying to get him trying to get him going again. Do >> you remember I missed the Dominick Calbert Leuen header >> cuz I went downstairs to the toilet popped downstairs to the toilet. As I came back out um obviously you're walking out of the toilets and you can see back towards the entrances and the turn styles and the and the gates to get out. There was a bloke who was just sort of sat down in a letter L shape um by the end by the exit who was having a little a little a little sleep just to >> just to catch up on his rest.

[00:35:30]>> Best way to do it.

[00:35:31]>> A big day out at Wembley can do things to you.

[00:35:33]>> Yeah. But having spent all that money like the price of the tickets and all that and he just had a little sleep by the exit.

[00:35:37]>> He'd have had a fantastic day up to then though. So he did it right.

[00:35:40]>> In 1996 there was a bloke who didn't get off the coach because he was he was too leathered. He just it was he stayed on the managed to stay on the bus for the entire 90 minutes which was a good choice.

[00:35:50]All that way and all that experience.

[00:35:51]>> All that way just pissed asleep in a coach. Stupid really.

[00:35:56]>> Funny. So are we giving it are we happy to give it to leads? I think we can be self- congratulatory in the moment of defeat because we turned up in numbers and uh that was the high that was the highlight of the weekend for me.

[00:36:07]>> Yeah. You as well just chatting to people who've come from miles around as Like I spoke to a couple in reception who've flown in from Japan for that game and it was like >> the [ __ ] expense that people have gone to and I think they'd had to buy premium tickets as well cuz obviously they've didn't get one in the sort of season ticket allocation and stuff as well. So they probably spent Christ knows a grand and a half or something on it on the trip to watch uh leads lose.

[00:36:31]So yeah, I suppose the little it makes the trip down the M1 not too bad that.

[00:36:35]>> Yeah, not at all. We we do like to have a winge when it goes bad, don't we? So we've got that out of our system. Let's get back to it on Friday. Let's just beat him.

[00:36:42]>> That's the thing is >> just beat him and stay up and then it's been a good season and we can say we did all right.

[00:36:46]>> We did all right. We will wrap it up there. Look out for the chat with with Simon Grayson on the West stand which we recorded yesterday. Uh that is out uh tomorrow on Friday just ahead of the game. And we'll be back with the match ball after the game. Uh look out for that in your feed late on Friday or early on Saturday morning. And we will speak to you soon. Take it easy. See you in a bit. The Square Ball podcast.