Project Big Picture was turned this week in the English Football Leagues.
Contributors
Matthew Evans – @mattremedy
Santiago Leon – @sleon
What is ‘Project Big Picture’?
Project Big Picture aims to both radically overhaul the power structure of the Premier League and help financially safeguard teams in the divisions below.
Led by Manchester United and Liverpool and backed by English Football League (EFL) chairman Rick Parry, the plans propose the following changes:
- The Premier League to be reduced from 20 to 18 clubs.
- The EFL Cup and the Community Shield to be scrapped.
- 16th placed Premier League club to join a play-off with Championship teams in third, fourth, and fifth.
- Nine Premier League clubs (Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Man United, Man City, Southampton, Tottenham, West Ham) to be given special power over rule changes, broadcasting rights, and even club takeovers.
- Creation of a $450 million rescue fund for EFL clubs.
- 25% of Premier League annual revenue (instead of just 4%) to go to EFL clubs, and scrapping of parachute payments (money given to clubs when they are relegated).
- Price caps on tickets to away games.
- A redesigned loan system, an extended pre-season, and a later league start date.
- Funding will be provided to set up a new and independent women’s league.
Predictions
Everton vs Liverpool
Matt: Liverpool
Chelsea vs Southampton
Matt: Chelsea
Manchester City vs Arsenal
Matt: draw
Newcastle vs Manchester United
Matt: ManUtd
——
Sheffield United vs Fulham
Matt: Sheffield
Crystal Palace vs Brighton
Matt: Brighton
Tottenham Hotspur vs West Ham United
Matt: TOT
Leicester vs Aston Villa
Matt: DRAW
West Brom vs Burnley
Matt: Burnley
Leeds vs Wolves
Matt: Leeds
Poll Question
Question of the Day: What is your favorite character from the TV sitcom, “I Love Lucy”? #NationalILoveLucyDay
Lucille Ricardo: 66.7%, Ethel Mertz: 16.7%, Fred Mertz: 16.7%, Ricky Ricardo- 0%
Matt: N/A
Transcript
Santiago Leon
The sports cast, October 16 2020. If you haven’t yet, please subscribe to all our channels Periscope, iTunes and YouTube. And if you and if you’re an iTunes, please leave a rating and a review it will help us out tremendously. We’re also on da be online radio. Come visit us on the sports cast website to listen or you can listen to it at the sports cast app for iPhone iOS. And of course visit us on the sports cast dotnet for the latest greatest news, a lot going on in college football, NFL, and this morning the Colts have a few infections so they’re gonna close down the facilities. We’ll see if the schedule changes. But today’s episode is a soccer cast episode which we do it a couple times a month. I wish we could do it more but we’ll definitely be expanding in the soccer expansion because soccer is growing in America slowly but surely. But a country that invented soccer England Of course, that’s debatable. Some say the Chinese did it. And we got someone from England I met with our guest is Matt Evans. I met Matt Evans through his brother, Andrew Evans, one of my good friends here in America. Andrew Evans was born in the states I believe Matthew was. Anyways he’ll share a little bit about himself. Matthew, welcome to the sports cast all the way from North England.
Matthew Evans
Okay, Santiago, thanks. Thanks for inviting me. It’s a pleasure.
Santiago Leon
So Matthew, tell us a little bit a little bit about your bio and and your involvement with football or soccer that we call it here in America.
Matthew Evans
Well, I I wasn’t actually born in America, but all my siblings were I’m the youngest of four. So my mom and dad have me just just after they re emigrated out of America and back to the UK. And so I’m four is 47. Now and with football, I wasn’t a particularly good player. Just about managed to scrape into the school 11 played as a rather slow right winger. I could cross the ball but I couldn’t run very fast. And so yeah, football wise, I’ve always been very interested. I’ve been a Burnley fan. All my life. went with my family is the youngest of three boys as well. My sister used to go so four of us would go and my mum and my mom, dad go there also season ticket holder. So it’s it’s one of those things in England that gets passed down through the generations. And that’s that’s kind of how it came to pass. And there certainly been pretty much our local side as well. And yeah, so I worked as a football journalist actually when I was younger, I started off in local newspapers, and I work for the Burnley Express and then later on in my life I worked in Sheffield for the Sheffield star and the Sheffield telegraph at which time I covered Chesterfield FC for three years now, they quite recently went into the nonleague actually Chesterfield about a bit of a since I when I was covering them, there were at least in Ligue one but they’ve kind of fallen down the down the football pyramid a little bit which we’ll be talking about a bit soon the the football pyramid which is the structure that support that is the the football business in the UK. And but yeah, so And now my football is really still I’m a season ticket at Burnley and I very much enjoy watching my 10 year old play for his team, which are the clutter a wolf so a shout out to the clutter our walls. Yellow team sorry, now green team got to get that right. And yeah, that’s that’s kind of that’s kind of it. But I’m also involved with events. I put on music events and festivals. And I’ve been working in a venue for the last 11 years called the grounding clitoral, which is we host all sorts of things there music, community events, talks. We have sport without a few sporting people to come and talk mainly cricket people. That’s a sport that, I guess doesn’t get too much coverage in America, but it should. But yeah, that’s me.
Santiago Leon
As you mentioned, I’m a huge fan of Burnley. Burnley is in the Premier League, the tip of the end usually finished up in mid table maybe a little bit lower than that depends on the year. Um, what is your favorite American sport? And Which team do you follow
Unknown Speaker
this for you today some
Santiago Leon
Broncos,
Unknown Speaker
Denver Broncos hats.
Matthew Evans
Yeah, kind of. I did actually.
I guess I started my NFL enjoyment started way back as swore You’d have to correct me on which Super Bowl it was but I know that it was the Chicago
Bears
with with William the fridge refrigerator, William Perry back in the 80s and Steve McMahon, Jim McMahon sorry Steve McMahon was a footballer for Liverpool. And they were my team when I first started watching their beat the Patriots 4610. In the final and the Super Bowl, I remember that and, and then I started getting more interested around that time. And there was this kind of team that I think are proud, kind of like the idea of Denver being in the mountains, and I like the colors. And I like john Elway was kind of probably played in a way that was, I guess, like people who have been introduced to the NFL now probably think of the way Patrick mahomes plays and I think there’s similarities in the way the Elway led his Denver team and, and even think back to a specific game I watched which was his what they called the drive. I think it was a 97 yard drive against the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland in a wild card game. And it was kind of I was gripped by that almost one passage of play in there ever since I’ve sort of the Denver took on my affections really. And they’re sort of followed them ever since really then which has been a very bit like Burnley a very up and down, up and down career. But that’s how it isn’t the NFL, isn’t it? As you know, teams that go through a bad bad spell tend to kind of do the draft system there’s a they have a chance to recover unless you’re the Cleveland Browns guess. But
Santiago Leon
yeah, of course the Broncos have a new quarterback Drew lock and they got a good tight end. No offense. And they got I believe they got one good rugs as the receiver for Denver. So that definitely is a team to speculate for the future. Maybe in a two or three years, we’ll see them as a playoff contender. Of course, they got to go past Kansas City Chiefs Patrick mahomes. Which right now they’re loaded. They just signed a live on Bell last night. So that does not help the cause of the Broncos, at least for this year. Um, let’s get into soccer. A big news announcement was project big picture. I’ve been listening and reading what’s it all about? I know that the whole thing with the Premier League is I think they want not three, but four teams relegated instead of three. And of course, they want to move the TV rights a little bit more for like the TV rights money and to the Lord leads to go hey, can help them out, especially during this pandemic. Matthew, tell us a little bit like with that plan. And why did it get turned down?
Matthew Evans
as well, from from my understanding, it was only a proposal at this stage. And a lot of Well, there’s a lot of politics that we’ll try and kind of skirt around. But just in the makeup of the premier Premier League. Oh, dear. My phone’s going off. Just Excuse me. And yeah, so the I mean, it’s basically manchester united and Liverpool. And of course, both of those are have American owners. And I think you know it, they’ve got an eye on the strategic development of football and it’s probably financed financially, kind of dictated a bit really and I think there’s a lot of Well, there’s been, I mean, the way that within the Football League, there’s a bit of a power struggle within the Premier League, there’s a power struggle and the fear for a lot of clubs in the Premier League apart from the very top what we call the elite six is that, you know, they’re trying to it’s a bit of a power grab. I mean, I do believe that this, this was dreamt up before the pandemic kind of hit. So it’s not necessarily as as coarse as it looks, but but right now a lot of people feel that they’re trying to kind of, you know, change the course of things at a time that clubs are very vulnerable now in the NFL, the English Football League, or the other three leagues outside of the Premier League. Yes, it’s I mean, things are desperate, you know financially, those clubs rely on their matchday income, and matchday income has been taken away because people can’t go to games at the minute. So there’s been long disgust with the government, the Premier League will when when project restart happened and the Premier League started playing football again, I believe that there was a an agreement with the government that the Premier League would filter some of their profits into the Football League. It was survival package really of about 200 million pounds, and I’m not quite sure where that is currently stated. But I think project big picture will ensure a bit more financial health. For the lower divisions. They’re going to be talking about 25% of their net TV revenues will be shared by the NFL. And again, what I can’t tell you is is what percentage they get currently. I mean, I believe this There’s going to be a significant improvement for teams in the lower leagues. And there’s a whole raft of proposals that will change the financial modeling around football. And, and I guess in a nutshell, it sounds like the clubs that are going to be sort of maybe affected or penalized with this will be the lower Premier League clubs, and the top clubs will will will will basically have a different voting system so that they will be able to basically govern, they’ll have more rights, because they’re the bigger clubs, and therefore they want a bigger, a bigger piece of the cake. And I mean, one thing that you could say at the minute about the Premier League is that the the money, the TV monitor broadcasting money is all equitable in terms of its in terms of how it’s split up all 20 teams, they don’t get exactly the same, but they get a good they get a bit, you know, a good solid amount each and then some of its based on performance. And so that, you know, the team who wins the league are always going to get the most the most money out of the deal. But there’s it’s quite equitable. And that’s why you get results like Aston Villa seven Liverpool to, you know, and that’s why you won’t get a result like that in the Spanish League, where Real Madrid are playing against lygon. You know, that’s just not going to happen. So, it What do you want? Do you want that competition element that the Premier League has has always been able to maybe? How big I mean, you might be able to answer this, I don’t see how it goes an observer from another country. How big a deal is that competitive element? Why does that does that make the Premier League more coveted from a neutral perspective than say the Spanish league? You know?
Santiago Leon
Well, the gentlemanly Yeah, the Premier League, I mean from I mean, almost majority of Americans if they had to choose one European Soccer League, the watch is the Premier League because way competitive compared to La Liga where it’s just only two three teams that are good, but the Premier League, it used to be top four, but now I’ve been seeing increasing from zero from like, one to six. So sometimes the eighth, like like the top eight teams are pretty competitive. Like they, I mean, they could win it, for example, like Everton, Everton has a chance to winner this year.
Matthew Evans
Well, it’s,
it feels funny. Football doesn’t feel quite on an even keel this year, that’s for sure. And I think not having crowds. I mean, I’d kind of make the argument that maybe Liverpool wouldn’t have lost that game seven to have there been a crowd in there because it just it feels different. The tone of it’s different. And I but you know, whatever happens, this could be a year that inadvertent or Dara suggested a lead, you know, it’s it. Maybe not Wednesday, but certainly does really well. I mean, we had this situation in 2016, with Lester winning the league. And again, that just came out of nowhere. They were 5000. To one to do that. I mean, we’d we’d actually Burnley have been promoted with Leicester or two seasons before. So we knew we knew we knew there were a good side, but we certainly wouldn’t have expected them to win the league. And so yeah, it’s, you know, that’s that’s one big issue. But I think I think another another issue with this is really about the the overall where football is heading. I mean, I don’t know, I’m not a proponent for like an expanded Champions League. I think that sounds to me, I think it’s more important that the domestic league is strong, and the Champions League remains what it can have. I think it’s already too big to be honest, that, you know, I don’t see the advantage of seeing more teams that can’t compete that Champions League level, or what that what, I don’t know what what does that do Champions League, for me should be the elite clubs to go on up there. That kind of TV tournament, you know, and I don’t see what benefit expanding that league does for for football, generally, I just don’t really see that. And football for me should always have the community at its at its base. And, you know, for that reason, I think probably, you know, if anything, the Premier League has already taken it a little bit into that too far into the territory, there’s too much money involved and players are getting paid too much money. And, and, and football, the elite clubs just want to think that there’s always more there’s always more ahead and that’s not going to bring anything into a more sustainable economic model for me. And but you know, I’m not a financial expert. So, you know, the economists might might say something else.
Santiago Leon
I do agree with you. I think expanding the Champions League is not a good idea. I believe what I been watching the Premier League for the past 10 years, solid 10 years, and I love the community aspect, where they stick to their teams. I mean, I mean, your, your town team can be in Ligue three, but those fans stick with what you know, with that club. And the closest thing that I saw here and like the US, you know, very similar to the football system, there is college football, where these small colleges like to leave They’re not going to win the national championship, but they stick with them is a community aspect. And that’s something that I love about England. And, and what I like about Premier League as well as they keep, like they, they, they stick with their guts, they stick what they will believe in. Um, there’s also some argument, I’m not sure if this was part of the plan. But I was hearing that, you know, in the future, sometimes these clubs like Manchester United or Liverpool can control their own TV rights, meaning that they’ll sell it to the fans. Hey, if you want all the Manchester United games will charge you 100 bucks a year. Have you heard about that argument?
Matthew Evans
Yeah, yeah, that’s, uh, I mean, I think that’s quite a persuasive argument for the big clubs. Because, I mean, I think that’s what happens in Spain already with a Barcelona and around Madrid. And I can get it I get the, you know, from an elite clubs perspective, they will sell Liverpool rights to people watching in Kuala lumper. And people in Kuala lumper, don’t want to watch Burnley necessarily, or, or even, you know, one of the smaller teams, you know, and Norwich or whoever it is, you know, so I think, yeah, there is an argument there. And, but but that you’ve, you’ve still got to temper that against the balance of Do you want a competition? Or, you know, do you want to just kind of the two top clubs to take things away in their direction. And, and potentially, you could be in a situation where if if you lose the strength, in depth, you end up with with something particularly elite that that ends up only really being the preserve of those, those kind of top clubs. And personally, I don’t think that’s a route you should go down. And they should perhaps respect the competition a little bit more. You know, and I think they’re trying to counterbalance this argument by saying, Yeah, but we’re going to give money to the pyramid, we’re going to give more money to the Football League. So we’re going to preserve that community to feel that you just explained. And I actually think there’s going to be teams, it’s almost like the teams in the middle are going to be the ones that miss out because there’ll be teams, like the lower reaches the Premier League now who have got used to having, you know, 90 million pounds coming into the club every year through TV rights, or whatever that figure is, and all of a sudden, that figure is in jeopardy of being much more reduced. So those clubs are gonna have to cut the cloth very, very quickly, very sharply. So we have we have this thing in England at the minute I don’t know if you’re aware is that it’s what we call parachute payments. So teams that get relegated and get a basically a payoff from the Premier League for the next four years are competing. And that sort of softens the fall. So it what it means is when you get to the Premier League, you can afford to pay bigger wages, because you’ve got this extra funding, but then when you come down, you can’t be expected just to be able to sell all those players immediately. So you have a bit of a softer landing, and you get more money coming into your club still from the Premier League. But you can imagine the other championship clubs who’ve been it were big clubs who got you know, 30,000 people watching them like Nottingham Forest or Darby County, you know, they Why should Burnley we get relegated be so much more better resourced than they should. And so and when when Burnley before Burnley got into the Premier League, I used to think that the concept of parachute payments was grossly unfair. And now I’m probably kind of thinking, I hope we keep them you know, because it’s it’ll give us a chance to bounce back if we were relegated but it’s, you know, all of these, all of these things need. The good thing about projects, whether they call it big picture, what I will say about it is that it started a debate that needs to happen. I think football is not sustainable. And it and I think the pandemic is really kind of, you know, exposed some of the Gulf I mean, you’ve got clubs like Arsenal, we’ve been sacking, you know, second staff, but then they pay a balmy and 300 pounds 300 grand a week. And you’ve got clubs like Burnley, you’ve been very good about keeping all their stuff on and in and not releasing, you know, core staff. And then you know, we were in a situation where we couldn’t buy anyone in the transfer window because we know that our our income is going to be greatly reduced this season. And we don’t have a benefactor. We don’t have a Roman Abramovich or, or Dubai or Abu Dhabi or whoever it is who helmsman city, you know, so, we’ve had to cut our cloth cloth accordingly and they’re trying to sell the club as well, at the moment of Burnley, so it’s Yeah, it’s a bit of a mess.
Santiago To be honest, it’s
it, you know, and I think globally, you know, the global pandemic needs to be part of the the the narrative here in terms of what happens next. But I don’t think you know, I think there’s elements of project big picture that are valid, certainly more money going to the pyramid is one but I think concentrating the power of you decision making in just a few elite clubs is a dangerous way to go. Because they might decide in two years time that they’re not getting enough money. If they you know, we lose the Chinese broadcasting deal or something, they might want to claw some of this money back that they’ve pledged to the, to the football pyramid, and they’ll be no one to stop them to do that.
Santiago Leon
Something that definitely look at for all the American listeners, England and rest of Europe have a pyramid system where and the First Division, which is the Premier League, if you’re in the bottom three, if you finish in the bottom three, you get relegated to the Second Division and the top three of the Second Division move on to the Premier League. So there’s no playoff system, there’s no knockout to win that championship. It’s all about the table all about the standings. So it’s all regular season, and which I personally like Matt, I think it’s a great system. There’s been a big debate here for the MLS. To add it a Major League Soccer, and but there’s a lot like the whole debate is like the American ownership doesn’t like that. Because Hey, I mean, I paid this amount of money to get into this league. And I don’t want to get demoted to the Second Division. So we’ll see what happens. Do you think like the American system should switch to the promotion relegation? What are your thoughts?
Matthew Evans
I think it depends. I mean, the thing with the system in our countries that it’s kind of dates back to sort of 1880s, you know, so and there’s always been an element of promotion relegation. I mean, I’ve just just Well, just to kind of amend what you just said, there there is there is a playoff, the thrill of the playoff system has been adopted a little bit in our country that the top to go straight up from the championship into the Premier League, but the next four playoff for that third promotion space. And so that’s kind of and that’s been a really good that was a really good development when it was introduced like 20 years ago, because it means that if you’re a mid table team, but you’re still you know, you still in with a shout out with six or seven games left So it certainly it kind of it sort of Ilan gauge the season for those teams who are hopeful, as well as I mean, it used to just be the top three went up, and that was it. And that did make it a little bit cut and dried and maybe ended the season a little bit early for too many clubs. I think that was one of the reasons they amended it. So we’ve got balance here. And I think people like myself who are quite traditional about football, and it’s meant a lot to us, because it’s been part of our lifestyle for so long time. We You know, we’ve sometimes a little bit low to changes. And I think it’s no surprise that the Manchester United and Liverpool axis is you know, both American own clubs, and the both got American, you know, with with respect. I mean, I think American sport does a lot of things really, really well. I mean, I think salary caps are a great thing. I think, I think the draft system in the NFL ensures competition. And I think, you know, that’s, you know, there’s some really clever thinking around that. And I know that the community thing, as you’ve explained, is, is kind of something that Americans hold dear in their sports administration. And I think that’s some of that stuff we can learn a lot from. But I also think this this idea of a franchise is an alien concept to English football fans, you know, we’re, we’re, you know, the idea of Burnley being bought by some mill well, that scene is happening at once basically Wimbledon, who won the FA Cup in 1988. And there they were bought by Milton Keynes, and they are now the Milton Keynes dons. And you know that that was a big moment. I mean, at the time, that was Wimbledon didn’t have a home there were a nomadic club in a way so it was going on there were quite a new club. They weren’t like a historic club so much. So I guess that was just about kind of like was was credible. But I think, yeah, it’s just not something that happens over here. I think we’ve always found that weird in NFL that you can be. I mean, I always think with Denver, just on looking and Chicago that I had a bit of a soft spot for you. You kind of like, you know, you feel you want to know more about the city. And it’s about I mean, Green Bay. I mean, God forbid if they were taken over by, by unknown, you know, a different town when it’s been such a staple of their kind of heritage, really, I mean, it’s so this idea of moving things around that doesn’t sit well with us. Yeah,
Santiago Leon
good point about it, just cultural and England’s been around since the 1800s. So of course you guys are used to it. And that’s awesome that you guys are kind of open to the playoff system. And I know that the FA Cup is the best knockout competition for any league in Europe is the oldest and the most prestigious that they say wait to actually follow it. I mean, which is interesting because not many Americans watch the FA Cup they watch the Premier League, oh, ratings are high but when it comes to the FA Cup, not so much. Of course it’s a little bit of a challenge to watch here because you got to get ESPN plus Which is $5 which is not bad but it’s a very good competition and I watched like the final every year is fantastic but yeah a quite interesting the pros and cons but we’ll see what happens um, America I would say is only like you know only a couple of decades in with their league so we’ll see how it goes let’s look at the Premier League first place Everton then Aston Villa. Then you got Burnley down at 18 London
Hester city’s at third Arsenal’s at fourth Liverpool’s at fifth obviously we only you know three games and but how do you see the table right now? And and what do you think? Could Burnley turn things around?
Matthew Evans
Yeah we can turn things around because this isn’t this is not it’s not new territory for us. But we are let’s say we’re in a difficult spot I think personally I think I think the COVID thing is wipe the floor with us really because we are a delicate we have a delicate balance to our finances at the best of times and I think it’s been we have a chairman and aboard who were trying to sell a club at the minute so they they’ve been very unwilling to spend any money in the latest transfer window probably trying to keep the kind of stock of the club quite high. And we have in an investment team apparently from America al k who’ve been Alan pace who I think was involved with the Salt Lake Salt Lake football team franchise. But anyway, I don’t know whether any of that’s going to happen and I but it has left a difficult situation for our manager Shawn dash because he’s a yeah not not really known from day to day whether he’s got transfer budget so that’s I mean the good thing about it is that we’ve managed to keep our players our there’s a lot of interest in James tarkowski our center half who’s played for England and West Ham really wanted in Leicester we’re keen but we’ve managed to hold on to him thing is with Burnley Santiago is they’ve we have our first 11 Now we’ll stay up No problem, but then we we don’t have any depth to our squad. So you know we’ve got to centre Hobbs tarkowski and me who as a pairing I think are probably you’d be talking probably fifth or sixth maybe even higher. I mean last season they were fantastic. And we have a goalkeeper Nick Pope who’s the sort of England understudy and so we have and we have a you know we have a we have a very robust spine to our team but that’s kind of where it ends we our full backs up where we have good fullback left fullback Charlie Taylor but right back we’ve got Phil bards leaves 35 and knocking on a bit and then we’ve not got enough kind of like flair so but we do have four strikers who you know we’ve got Ward Banda Rodriguez Rodriguez is a particularly important player at the minute because he’s he’s from Burnley and he is the kind of guy who’s capable of just scoring a goal out and nothing. You need those over the season. You need to generate points through that kind of play. So we’ve got a huge game on Monday night we’re playing a West Brom and you’ll see West Brom are sort of 1617 as well. So they’ve only got one point this season against Chelsea though, and and but they’ve spent a lot of money West Brom have, they’ve just bought a new striker called Kyle and grant who they’ve bought from Huddersfield I think just yesterday. And so this is a big game. For us. This is the kind of game in previous seasons that I think we’ve managed to get something from, you know, to get our season up and running. So we were looking for three points on Monday, a draw will be okay, but we know we’ve got Tottenham and Chelsea after that. So it could be very conceivable that we’ve played six last six and that’s a difficult position to come back from
Santiago Leon
is a must win for Burnley. There was news this morning that which I actually received McNeil. He’s signed a new contract a long term contract with Burnley house nificant. Is that for you guys?
Matthew Evans
Well, if that’s true, that’s something I didn’t know. So if that’s true, that’s that is good news and a surprising news in a way. Because I know there’s been a lot of interest in him. By saying, I mean, you kind of hear rumored interest. I don’t know if anyone’s actually put money in for him. Last season. He was fantastic. He had a really, really strong season developed from a little bit of a kind of peripheral player to many played every game, not every minute, but he started every game for us last year. And so you know, for a guy who’s 19 that’s pretty remarkable. And so yeah, I’m kind of hoping that he maybe does have a long term future for us. That’s a very good sign. And but I also wonder whether any improved contracts will partly be tactical so that we get more money for him when we do go to sell him but that’s maybe a little bit A depressing way to look at it. Let’s hope that he plays for Burnley for a good few years. Yeah,
Santiago Leon
Matthew definitely spells out the reality of the pandemic and the Premier League and also the lower leagues and also the smaller clubs, it definitely puts a huge, huge dent for the club’s so. So it’s definitely a reality check for me as well. So definitely which I which I hear from Andrew from your brother a lot. So it’s definitely a confirmation from Matthew Evans. So far, it’s only three weeks and Matthew, but who do you think will win the Premier League?
Matthew Evans
Well, yeah, like I said earlier, it’s sort of feels strange this year. And it feels like there could be something afoot, but I still think Liverpool have to be. If I had to say somebody I would probably say Liverpool just because they have only strengthened from last year and they finish so far ahead of everyone last year. And I think Man City have already shown a bit vulnerability, they still, you know, Badiola for all these tactical acumen can’t buy a defender and if you don’t have a defense, you won’t win the Premier League. So I would I mean, I, you know, I may I may be wrong, maybe this Diaz chapter that they picked up from Porter, was it or been FECA 65 million and big money. You know, they spent so much money on his defense. Sometimes I don’t think he gives these players enough of a chance. And I think club knows his first team. If anyone with a passing interest in the Premier League can name Liverpool’s 11, from week to week. And there might be one or two tweaks with Guardiola who’s going to play in his defense from week to week I’ve no idea to be honest. I mean, since company kind of retired they’ve just not they’ve not they’ve not sorted that department out in the team. And I mean, I love the fact that he thinks just scoring more than the opposition is the only kind of the only thing he needs to worry about but actually you know the they’ve shown some naivete, I think to be honest, in terms of how they’ve gone about last couple years, you say Liverpool who finishes in the top four and I’d say it’s still probably gonna be Liverpool City and I’m going to go for the top four which Chelsea I say that begrudgingly? I don’t care for Chelsea and probably Arsenal I think Arsenal have a chance and I think octet is doing a good job. I think the board well, and I don’t think the other two big club editor might have a chance I love that. I mean, they’ve been the team for me so far in terms I mean, I think Hamish Rodriguez it’s it’s a genuine I mean I don’t mind watching again behind closed doors with watching him I I saw him for 10 minutes of the first game against Tottenham and I immediately put him in my fantasy team because I just thought this guy he’s taken all the corners he’s taken all the free kicks and he’s left for is just something of wonder and I’ve always thought is a good player but I mean, what a sign in for them. I mean, he’s just dictated every game that they’ve played so far. And then they’ve also got Alan the guy from Naples from Napoli who’s brilliant defensive midfielder and then do koray who’s been a box to box midfielder for for Watford for the last few years. I mean, that is it that is so midfield to just go out and die. And so uncovered Lewin Of course, who started to really find the back of the net so Edison could be not so much a surprise package, but they could do well. They probably aren’t good enough at the back either. So and the Tottenham’s a weird one because I think Marino’s kind of like they’ve had these incredible six ball you know these performances at Man United and the other game at Southampton where they scored five and six, but then sometimes in home games they kind of look like they haven’t got enough creativity somehow. I think on the break when they’ve got Solomon Kane in the love Gareth Bale soon they’re going to take some stuff in I think, but the top four I would go Liverpool City
Chelsea then Arsenal
Santiago Leon
Yeah, I also had Man City Chelsea Liverpool Arsenal had Man City winning but their defense has been exposed. Who are your bottom three relegation, who will get relegated by the end of the year?
Matthew Evans
Well, at the start the season, I said Fulham palace and Aston Villa, but I don’t think Aston Villa will I mean, velo was so close to going down last season, and they didn’t seem to I think they probably learned from from what they’ve done and the bought better and they’ve already got I think once you beat Liverpool seven to it pretty much means you’re not going down, you know, so I kind of think if I hate to say it, but I think Burnley would be in the bottom three on paper and but hopefully we can get out of it. Not if we do get out of it that will leave Fullam it’s I mean, it’s hard to look past the teams that came up apart from the legal stuff. But West Brom, Fulham and a another tough one
for the sake of argument Westham?
Santiago Leon
Yeah, I think I had Westham predicted at the start of the season, Fulham and West Brom. So I’m definitely in par with that. But you just never know. Hopefully. I mean, Burnley Sean, a coach. The Burnley manager will definitely find a way to stay up. I think he’s learned his lesson in the past. A potential England coach, I say, but we’ll see what happens. So maybe a Manchester United coach.
Matthew Evans
He’s a great manager. Yeah. He probably deserves a team, a club that that will probably be a bit more ambitious in the in the transfer market and there. Yeah, he’s every chance of keeping this up. But I do feel I mean, he a couple of seasons ago, we saw it with Stoke and West Brom. They were they’d become established Premier League clubs, one of which was managed by Tony Poulos West Brom. And they’d been he previously managed Stoke, and they were seen as a team while Poulos was manager, they would always stay up. That’s what people thought. And I think we find ourselves in a similar position now where we basically undermine the manager by not not really backing in as much as we might have done, I think, but we you know, Burnley also, you could argue that we’ve been very fiscally responsible and we’re not playing we’re not we’re not getting dragged into playing that game that involves spending money that we don’t have.
Santiago Leon
And that’s sure if you’re a fan like your brother of Man United, I’m not sure if you’re loyal to them. But do you think so Shar will, will stick around so Christmas or you think Pusha T no might come in eventually.
Matthew Evans
And I don’t have much interest in
your rights to say, I think I’m more interested in me. I don’t really I the leading clubs. I don’t really have much feeling for any of them these days. I used to like Arsenal probably more than any of this, but I think they’ve sold the soul as well. So I kind of I think Man United I like socks. Yeah. I like the fact that he’s he has them Bubbling Under rather than achieving much. And so for me, he’s doing a great job. He talks and I like the Yeah, just, you know, kind of made me laugh a bit. But um, but uh, yeah, I mean, you know, big club, and, you know, round a you get a lot of people you know, you got a lot united fans, obviously, you followed them through the glory years and from their armchairs and yeah, I mean, we won their tuner last year. And that was that was we got a lot of we derived a lot pleasure from that. But yeah, you know, at solksjaer Yeah, they’ll probably get rid of him. Yeah, I would imagine if he doesn’t book things up pretty soon. I think they will probably get rid of him. And I don’t know what what were they doing in the transfer window with the you know, the glazes and in their pursuit of Jaden sanchow I mean, I just didn’t understand that spent all summer talking about hundred and 20 million for players. I don’t know he’s he is he kind of elite player? I don’t know. I am seeing him.
Santiago Leon
It depends who you ask. Right, man? Yeah. Anyways, um, this is a great Premier League talk. I love this. This is something that they get to me really, really excited because you know, you’re in, you’re in the belly of the beast. So what I think is the best league in the world. And you seen it’s interesting because I’ve been seeing more the Hispanic population in the US watching the Premier League because because they’re seeing more players transfer in my family are from Columbia, so they’re all Everton fans now. So it’s quite interesting seeing you know, hey, watching Everton vs. Southampton. Wow, what a game. So we’ll see what Ancelotti does. I’m really optimistic with Everton I don’t think there’s a bias in there but I think there’s some you know, optimism there of course they’re they’re in the top of the table but in the Premier League things can change in an instant goals change games, like they say, in talks for it. Plays ready for predictions. Anything else before we head into Premier League predictions for this weekend?
Matthew there,
Matthew Evans
so yeah, you asked me for the predictions this weekend. I
Santiago Leon
Oh, no, no, I mean, I mean, um, anything else before we head into predictions?
Matthew Evans
Oh into predictions and no, I concur with your eye. I’d like Everton day one club that still Yeah, I have a bit of a sort of sentimental value in them. I’ve always always quite liked them and they’ve always been you know obviously Liverpool’s Paula pauriol relation as well so I do tend to root for the underdog probably a bit more. That used to be Man City as well one time but uh, you can’t really call them an underdog anymore. Maybe I should start rooting for Man United it
Santiago Leon
like your brother. Yeah, yeah, anyways, yeah, listen to predictions. Merseyside Derby Everton vs Liverpool who will win that match
Unknown Speaker
and
Matthew Evans
I probably think Liverpool I think a lot of people are predicted to win that game but I think Liverpool after their seven to V will be absolutely would certainly be scolded by that I would have thought so I’m going to go for a narrow Liverpool win probably by two to one to one I think
Santiago Leon
Chelsea Handler Hampton
Matthew Evans
and
I will go for a Chelsea win on that one as well. I think it’ll sell them to know give them a decent game. But I think they’ve got the they’ve got the kind of firepower at the minute I’m the Chelsea and you fill out the
the German striker hasn’t scored yet.
Santiago Leon
Will t bo Warner Warner
Matthew Evans
yeah well yeah he’ll score tomorrow
Santiago Leon
when a three one man city vs Arsenal wow what a Saturday
Matthew Evans
that’s an interesting game yeah, cuz
Yeah, you certainly sit down I think Kevin O’Brien got injured in the with the Belgium I don’t know if he’s gonna play tomorrow. And I might go for a draw that I think also Mike might pull out a two two draw.
Santiago Leon
That’s the thing with soccer in England draws are accepted Newcastle versus men united. And
Matthew Evans
I think you know it they’re also scolded by their season staff and and even though Old Trafford is well all the grounds are empty they seem to do better away from home I don’t know if you’ve noticed that they seem to do that. So I’m going to go for potentially a goal or two. Harry Maguire is having an awful time at the back for United so I’m going to go for three to money united when probably involve at least one penalty for ammonia as well. They get a lot of penalties.
Santiago Leon
It’s a must win for Man United, Sheffield United versus full America full on was known to be the American club. There is one American player playing there, Tim ream. But Matthew, who do you have between Sheffield versus Fulham?
Matthew Evans
following Clint Dempsey’s footsteps correct?
And Claudio Reyna Greiner as well I don’t write Tim Raimi always seems to be a little bit he always seems to make a he has a defensive gap in him every week. I’m gonna go for Sheffield United there, they haven’t won yet. And Chris Wylde is a very good manager and fallen our little bit out of the depth. So I’m going to go for two nil Sheffield United with
Santiago Leon
Crystal Palace vs Brighton
Matthew Evans
policy bright and that’s a Darby
palace and Brighton are about 30 miles apart I think but they are Croydon West palace play is kind of Yeah, pretty close to Brighton they don’t like each other. I like Brighton this season. I think they haven’t had the one win at Newcastle and they lost the other three but they’ve had some tough games they’ve already played money united and was it Chelsea as well so they’ve had a tough start. And I’m going to go for
I think Brian might was it is it a palace it’s at palace correct? really matter because there’s no finals? There’s no
Santiago Leon
neutral ground, isn’t it? Yeah, Brighton. Brighton when not too long. Is this a good year for the awake clubs? Tottenham Hotspur versus West Ham United another Darby.
Matthew Evans
softwall even though I said Western will go down. I probably don’t really think I think Burnley will probably put and Westham I do know right as well. That’d be more users on Coronavirus the manager it will be back on the sidelines tomorrow so that’s actually probably a disadvantage for them seem to do better with that with a narrow Tottenham which might even just be like a marina one nil win maybe even a cane penalty.
Santiago Leon
Have you seen that special documentary on it’s all or nothing? With Tottenham?
Matthew Evans
No, I watched the Leeds one which I thought was excellent viewing but I haven’t watched the Spurs. Well now
Santiago Leon
it’s really good because Marina really gets along with the owner Andy levy. really well. Right. Okay. So it’s a good relation. So because I’m thinking a marina is going to stay in Tottenham for a while. That’s just my prediction longer than the usual three years. Anyway. Okay, um, Leicester City vs. Aston Villa. That’s a good matchup.
Matthew Evans
That is a good matchup. Yeah, I don’t think right now. They’re two teams who were both pretty fluent. And so I would again, look towards the the old to to draw there, I think, was that I’ll be bombs
Santiago Leon
Was that a was that Aston Villa over Liverpool? Was that a fluke? Or do you think that’s a real deal result? Well the biggest
Matthew Evans
Well, I think you’re gonna say it’s a bit of a real deal because it should have been more wow it should have been more Aston Villa should have scored 10 goals they hit the woodwork like three times. And Liverpool we just it was it was a little bit like some wanted possibly spiked the Liverpool team before the collapse of play. They were just like all at sea. I’ve never seen him like that not under Klopp so it was a one off but I don’t think it was a fluke I think Villa Villa have again they’ve invested better than they did last year. I think Ross Barkley and grealish as a as a midfield to is good and and they’ve they’ve just Yeah, they’re just solidified and they know a lot of front Watkins who I hadn’t watched enough in the championship, but it’s seems like you know, now he’s got a hattrick behind him. He’s going to be you know, confident. I would imagine so that’ll be that will be a good game I think game of the weekend for me that one. A
Santiago Leon
your Burnley versus West Brom Monday Night Football.
Matthew Evans
Well, we have to win really. And and I’m going to go for cool. My spam score in many so I’ll go for a nil wall. And it might be an own goal. Yeah.
Santiago Leon
Let’s hope not. Leads versus wolves.
Matthew Evans
And I got the leads. Wolves wolves are capable of being really really good. But they can throw throw one in sometimes like they did. And at West Ham when the last for now. And I think their players are so global. They will have all been everywhere in this international break. So I’m going to go for for leads and be else’s pressing game being a bit too much football. So I’m going to go for two to two nil. What do you think about Marcel Bayelsa at Leeds? I think he looks like he’s a fantastic character and a brilliant manager. Yeah, it was really good watching that documentary. Actually, it was quite insightful. And it was a little bit you know it we probably there’s probably a lot I didn’t show you that it could have done but it was I think they’re the they’ve got an interest in access there of the the director of football Victor otter, who has very well connected and
they the guy they are they have a British guy as well
called Barkley who’s like kind of the what would he call him the sort of CEO sort of figure and then they’ve got a crazy like passionate Chairman, Andrea rat siani. And basically as a team, those four look like they’re really good management team. They all seem to get on very well. And and it obviously got the knowledge and they’ve bought well, but he’s a crazy guy who’s apparently speaks quite good English, although he always speaks through an interpreter.
Santiago Leon
Yes. I think he could do it. I know he can. It just you just guys said, Hey, Marino doesn’t speak perfect English, but he does fine. You know. Question of the day, Matthew. Have you ever watched the the TV show? I Love Lucy? No, I haven’t. Okay, well, that was the question of the day. And I was going to ask you who was your favorite character Lucy fo Fred or Ricky Ricardo. So, I guess you wouldn’t have an answer for that. But I will ask you which American food you wish existed in England? It could be a restaurant, it could be a food item that’s not easy to find.
Matthew Evans
A
good question. And I’m kind of thinking of probably like more Mexican restaurants and I know some Mexican food but you know what, uh, yeah. in Austin, Texas. I ate some fantastic. What? Maybe breakfast as well. You big breakfast with you? You pancake stacks. Make them at home? What? We don’t eat them out very often.
Santiago Leon
You guys have Taco Bell?
Matthew Evans
No, maybe, but not not near not where I live?
Santiago Leon
Yeah, probably near probably near London. Um, I know that a lot of Americans when they play in England, they can’t find a good steak and they can’t find applesauce.
Matthew Evans
Apple ties?
Santiago Leon
No, I’m apple sauce. It’s like a put in. Yes.
Matthew Evans
Okay. An excellent thing there. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Now, that’s probably two things that we don’t do a go steaks. Yeah. It’s, I mean, I’ve been to Argentina before and once you’ve been there and had steak, you kind of you forever sort of looking for a decent steak after that. You know,
Santiago Leon
your brother has issues and issues with Argentina. In soccer, typically. Yeah, it’s England’s rival of course.
Matthew Evans
Yeah. We’ve we’ve we’ve come on. against them a couple of times, but we you know, yeah, Diego Maradona’s hand of God is always a Yeah, something that people get upset about. But they’re the documentary actually on marathoner is fantastic. I don’t if you if you watch that
Santiago Leon
it’s really really which one,
Matthew Evans
the one that he spent it was mainly filmed in Well, a lot of it was his journey in Naples. And everything that happened to him over there really was it was pretty much
kind of managed by the mafia. Really,
really, I mean, it’s very, very interesting. And you do definitely come away with a lot more empathy for him and the kinds of things that a finger like that has to go through in life. But yeah, that’s he was a bit of a cheat, but he was he was a genius at the same time.
Santiago Leon
Yeah, yeah, he definitely was one of the greatest legends. I’ve seen the ESPN one but that was like, I’m like very short. It was 30 minutes. And it took place in 1986. One of the best World Cups in soccer history, for Argentinians, maybe maybe not for the rest of the world. Matthew, what is what is the best way to reach you online? What is your Twitter handle?
Matthew Evans
Not remedy. And that is I have a radio show every Monday night which is music. And that goes out on the internet. an internet radio station rebel FM and so that’s kind of what that’s my online presence basically.
Santiago Leon
Yeah, we at the sports cast thought a star did a online radio station so I’m so I’m still getting into it. I love it. I think radio has a good up tempo, I guess you can say. Versus podcasting, podcasting? I think it’s more dry a little bit, but I think radio has a little bit more life. So what is your favorite music? Is it the Beatles or what’s what’s what’s your type?
Matthew Evans
Well, I’m very much into kind of promote in I guess, under represented music really. And I always had a quite an eclectic taste. Right across the board. I do a jazz jam actually on the radio, but also I do. My Monday night show is really all about unearthing hidden gems really and playing a lot of alternative stuff. But also like that feeds in it’s not all you know, it does feed into some popular stuff, but it’s basically like rock and it’s it’s folk and it’s a psychedelic psychedelia and all that kind of stuff. You know, really, really interesting stuff.
Santiago Leon
Yeah, I listened to a lot of UK music. The larious Martin Smith, those are one of my top like one of my top bands, a lot of great music from England. And hopefully, some more stuff happens. I know like the greatest band of all time The Beatles came from Liverpool. So anyways, you can reach us at the sports cast one on Twitter or at the sports cast dotnet. We’ll definitely be keeping guys up to date later on. We have another show today. With engravings. He is a he is a Baltimore Ravens fan and we’ll be previewing week six of the NFL and a lot of changes going on. It’s last minute. So far the Premier League hasn’t had too many cases. But hopefully that stays stills for the next couple of weeks or months.
Matthew Evans
So Santiago, I’ve got to go and pick up my kids so
Santiago Leon
I gotta go. I appreciate thanks for coming to the sportscast.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
Santiago Leon is the Founder and CEO of the Sports Cast. He covers NFL, NBA, and world soccer. He’s also founder of sleon productions, which he specializes in technology and serves clients with solutions to make their business grow.
