Can Liverpool survive Chelsea? It it finally Arsenal's year? Will THAT United fan ever get his haircut? Big Weekend Preview Presented by Prize Picks 10/03/25

0:00You're listening to the Men in Blazers Media Network, Suboptimal Radio.

0:14Are you ready to revel in Premier League football one more time before the numbness of the international break kicks in? But the answer to that is really a credit to the Premier League scriptwriters who have performed at creative levels. And I don't like to be hyperbolic. No one only to Paul Thomas Anderson so far this season. I mean, ask yourself this. Do we know the true identity of any of the title challengers? Do we have any, even a sense of who the relegation chum are? Well, I guess Wolves. But this weekend will reveal so bloody much in terms of truth for Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham, Manchester United.

0:47Oh, Bournemouth and Palace fans, you can't wait for the football. And I, for one, am ready to be hurt again. And all we can do now that Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman have taught us that we can no longer believe in love is watch the football. So let's do this. producer Ben question me up Hey Raj this is Jake calling from Amherst, Mass Arsenal supporter here it's a big weekend for us Liverpool lost two games in a week they got another tough test against Chelsea we're up against West Ham a new Nuno West Ham but a West Ham nonetheless we have a real opportunity my question is why do I feel so full of dread about this weekend let me know Raj talk to you soon bye Jake, hello up in Amherst, Emily Dickinson country.

1:34Before we dive into your Arsenal anxiety, let me say, want to be featured on our show next week? Send us a video. With your biggest question about the games ahead, use the link in the description below. If you don't want your beautiful face on YouTube, call 646-450-9472. It's the only phone number I've committed to memory nowadays and leave us a voicemail. But back to your question, Arsenal. Look, I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV. So why are you nervous? Let's talk about it. Because we are six games into this season. And as I said, none of us know anything. I mean, are Arsenal a true contender with the deepest squad in football, capable of scoring for more points on the field, conceding just one goal in open play?

2:19Are they the emblem of a newly recycled set-piece corner and long-throw culture? Are they set-piece merchants redux? And as you say, Big Jake, you play West Ham this weekend. And West Ham, yes, are a patsy as a Premier League team, as it can be identity-less, soulless, directionless, adrift. But they live to beat Arsenal. They've won at the Emirates the last two times, and their fans honestly got to taunt, defected Declan Rice, which was probably sweeter for them than the three points. Sign for a big club! Sign for a big club! You should sign for a big club! Yes, West Ham have done a number on Arsenal.

2:59Even Graham Potter experienced flickering joy their last season 1-0. And now Nuno is their coach. So they're actually being trained, you know, on the corners and defending. And, you know, the football succumbs Saturday, 10 a.m. Eastern time on Peacock. We'll see just how high their new manager bounce is. So in terms of your actual question, why do you feel dread, man? I mean, it is an amazing question. And why do we feel fear when we're watching just bloody football? It's because, yeah, you're a football supporter and you care. It's a trap because the deep fear of an unknown, it scares us. Scientifically, it utterly scrambles our brains, our very senses.

3:40Take it from me, an Everton fan. There was an experiment when scientists hooked up participants. I always wonder why anyone agrees to participate in these things. But they hooked up participants to electrodes that gave them very slight, slightly painful shocks. And in the study, researchers found that any element of unpredictability at all just added to people's discomfort. Stay with me here. So despite the shock staying the same, if the person was told there's a 50 % chance of you being shocked, the nerves they felt, the anxiety, just the levels of stress they felt in those moments were so much worse than if they were told there's 100 % certainty that you're going to be electrocuted.

4:21So this is where you are, baby. As an Arsenal fan, we are all with you to some degree. And the deep, deep desire you harbour probably makes it all the worse. Second place, second place, second place. You want it so badly. Having said that, bite your arm off for second place. But back to you. It's stressful. Yes, but there's so much to feel positive about your team. It is magical. Look, you've been through and face down a brutal opening gauntlet. Your team have proven themselves to themselves. They've gutted their way through a quite murderous run of games. Seven wins, one loss. Clean sheet after clean sheet.

4:56Multiple goal threats. Cover for every position. You got your starters. You got your finishers. Erdogan, midweek, sparkling freshly again. Saka, oh, looking hungry as a wolf. Eze, just a lethal joy. And that backline, man, that is state-of-the-art shutdown football. Gabriel, that heel warrior. Arteta said this money is almost certainly fit for the game ahead. And I do think, Jake, that is your nerve karma right there. Gabriel is your watcher on the wall. He's your security blanket. I want it! Thanks, Gabriel! I love it! I love it!

5:38Rog Stradama says Arsenal delight. You'll score early and late. one to McCona, one even a big boy goal from open play, and you'll revel 2-0. Does that calm your nerves? You're welcome. Next question. Hey, Raj, this is Dimitri in Minneapolis. Alexander Isek is not close to fully fit. And it made me wonder. We all watched him go through this very public courtship over the summer. It was very clear he wanted to leave and wanted to play at Liverpool. And as I recall, he got a lot of money to do it. And I'm sort of wondering, does he not have a personal trainer? Does he not have access to a gym? How do you end up planning all summer to move to a club, have that type of money, know that you're going to be getting a record transfer fee, and show up not fully fitted?

6:26Is there something that can't be done absent playing? It seems like his cardiovascular fitness could certainly be worked on without another 10 guys on the pitch. And does that give a twinge of worry to Liverpool fans that their new star showed up needing to play himself into shape? Thanks. Appreciate it. Bye-bye. Dimitri, you beauty. Just hearing your city's name makes me ache for a juicy Lucy at Matt's bar. Scor, baby. My lord, your question is a good one. As we head into really the Pearl Clash of the weekend. Liverpool travelling up to Chelsea Saturday, 12.30pm Eastern Time on NBC. You see, it's kind of crazy what's been implied by you, is that not being fit.

7:06On one level, we know this. Talk to them all the time. Footballers are fascinating. They are peak performance athletes. So in the summer, when they are let loose, just say, man, the pizza gets hit hard. But that is not what happened here. It's not about being fit. It's more about being match fit. And beyond that, being Liverpool fit. When a player comes back from injury, a key player, the manager will often schedule a behind-the-scenes friendly, you know, closed doors. You often hear about that. And what they're looking for is, yes, obviously, super fit athlete, but the intensity of Premier League football is so unreally shattering.

7:43It almost can't be simulated. But there's more than that because there's a question whether Isaac is ready with no pre-season training, but also he's not had the chance to really gel at all with his Liverpool teammates. It accentuates all of that. So remember, in Newcastle also, he was the man. He was the focal point. He was the sun. He was the moon. At Liverpool, he joined a front three in which Mo Salah, Mo Salah is playing to his right. A number of options can flank the left. He has to get used to them all. But the style of play itself is so kaleidoscopic. It's so fast-paced. It's so collective.

8:17It needs time. It needs rhythm. It needs all of it. And it's not just him. Remember, it's the whole team against Galatasaray in the Champions League. They all look like they've forgotten how to play football at times. Couldn't string any passes together. Midfield looked like they'd always been introduced to each other in the tunnel. But above all, you've also got opponents changing in terms of their mentality, their tactics. Arna Slott said this very point this morning. I found it fascinating. Teams who completely underestimated Liverpool's... Remember, it was a stealth run to the title last season.

8:49Now, no, they're facing the defending champions and they're just changing everything. Here's Arna this morning. Teams played in a completely different way in the first half of the season against us than they did when we were top of the league. And I can see this going now into the second half of, in this part of this season. And we have to find answers to that. And this season, we haven't done that yet. Biggest challenge is really this. Liverpool are both defending champions, yeah. But they're also a team in complete flux, complete transition. Mo Salah came on our show a couple of weeks ago. I've talked about this a little bit and I asked him how he's gelling with Ekotike.

9:24He's a player who really seeks to understand the minute details of his teammates in that front three. And he said, yeah, I honestly don't know. It's a problem. I'm working on it. And Salah, remember, no one has Trent Alexander-Arnold charging up and down the flank behind him. He's getting used to several positions. That is the current reality, the predicament with your team. There's so much wheels within wheels changes going on. But here's the good news. Your boys are still top of the table despite all this. And despite back-to-back losses, which have framed a new kind of pattern or a new slew of panic-induced existential questions, what is a dip in form and what is really worth worrying about?

10:03How quickly can that gaggle of new talents gel in what is, as I said, both a title defence and a season of complete transition? and what were those five games? It's almost like we're reviewing all of it right now, result by result. Were the first five games mentality monstering? Were those late, late goals, late, late wins? Or were those late wins, those late goals themselves papering over the cracks? We don't know. So the fear you feel as you answer them really is where we are. And to add to it, your one-man army, Alisson, will be out for six weeks. That's devastating. For all who love great goalkeeping, for all who love very handsome human beings, taking the field in the Premier League.

10:42He's got a hamstring knack. So we'll see Georgi Mamasvili, the Georgian goalkeeper, came in from Valencia for 39 million in the summer. He'll make his Premier League debut for Liverpool. But the simple answer to all of this came from Big Verge. He was talking about almost the dent to Liverpool's aura after the loss midweek in the Champions League in the dip in form. And he said this sagely post-game about what the mentality should be. Like I said, I hate losing. And there shouldn't be panic, but there should be definitely an improvement needed. Roger Dahmer says Mo Salah will be quiet until his late 2-1 winner enables Liverpool fans to breathe again rather than roar.

11:22Next question. Hey, Raj, Trent from Seattle. United, they look lost, especially in that game against Brentford. What is actually broken and what change gets Frank, that United hair guy, closest to the barber's chair? I feel for that man. Courage. Big Trent! spent an incredible 36 hours in your beautiful city, Seattle, this week. I loved every single second, culminated in a live show with your really beautiful, uniquely passionate, in their own historic way, Sounders community, a sold-out show. That was one of the most, honestly, invigorating and inspiring of the year. You can find it on YouTube right now.

12:02That show, we relived the League's Cup final win over Lionel Messi, which was so epic, the Inter Miami defanging. but I will say to immerse ourselves in the unique history the deep roots of football in your city was truly truly moving it's lifted me up when I needed it I also love the salmon I ate at Dingfielders which is one of the best things I've eaten this year hello to all the Elliott Bay books but back to the football and Manchester United welcoming Sunderland Saturday 10am Eastern Time on the USA Channel it has come to this the arrival of a newly promoted team at Old Trafford, has United fans quaking?

12:42How did we get here? I mean, Trent, I loved your question because we've all watched the hair guy, Frank Isler, be living proof that, my God, how the mighty have fallen, the mighty in this case being Manchester United. And to show you how seriously we take your questions on this show, Big Weekend Preview, we called up Frank himself so we could answer your question personally. As if by magic, here he is, live from Valencia, Spain, where he lives. It's Frank Islet of At The United Strand. Frank, how are you doing? I'm good, thank you. Very hairy. Do you know how much joy, first of all, you have given to the world following you in your agony manifested, obviously, in your beautiful, beautiful barnet?

13:23But you are bringing joy to the world at a time of true darkness. I'm glad because it's exactly the reason why I started it. So, yeah, that's a positive, at least. It's been incredible to watch. you've almost become the poster boy, almost the face of Manchester United fan passion during this time of club free fall. When you began, honestly, how long did you think it would be before Frank's hair met Frank's barber? I thought it would go on for three or four months. It would be a bit of a laugh and then it would all be over. But yeah, it didn't quite work out like that. Serious question for you.

13:57What's the most profound way your life has changed in the meantime? Well, apart from all of this hair on my head, I think it's the following that has kind of come with it. It's been very nice. You know, it seems like this kind of positive community in the kind of football space has kind of all come together. And yeah, so it's been a nice thing. But yeah, I am also ready to get this hair off as soon as Man United are willing to win five in a row. You know, as you say that, and the burden that you are carrying for your team, I just mentally pictured you like an old man with grey hair still doing interviews.

14:38There's definitely a few greys in there. Has it changed how you watch and actually experience Manchester United games? Because you're now almost an active participant in the result. Yeah, it kind of seems that way. I get a lot of people say that I'm the first person they think of after a loss, especially um so yeah it's uh it's it's a slightly weird but um yeah as as much as people might think so i don't actually have anything to do with the result um saturday old trafford welcomes sunderland newly promoted sunderland who in the days of old would be almost like a baby seal to a great white shark but they are currently in fifth place looking down on united how do you feel about the game?

15:25Tell us how it's going to go. Well, I think the game against Brentford really kind of, you know, I was full of hope and optimism and I felt like that kind of broke me a little bit. I'm kind of recovering day by day since and I'm sure by the weekend I'm going to be optimistic again. I'm obviously always behind my team. So as much as we're in one of the worst situations in my lifetime, at least. I think that, yeah, I'm still hopeful for a win, for sure. So, I'm going to put you on the spot here, Frank. Score prediction. I'll go for 3-1 to Man United. It's happening, Frank. It's happening. Frank, you have seen, right?

16:07I mean, you're a young man, but you have seen Manchester United glory in your lifetime, right? Absolutely. Yeah, lots of it during my childhood. and so in your heart I'm sure you believe you'll see it again but in your head is this blip now so long that there's a possibility that you'll accept this is who you are now we have to come back it has to happen and I think that the five in a row whenever it does come will be the start of that where you know we've finally got some consistent form that fifth game for me will be like a Champions League final in itself anyway I may be you know I might need to make like a trophy out of my hair or something.

16:48Have you considered one of two things here? Frank, what if, and I'm sure you've started to think about this, what if Manchester United, stay with me here, Frank, never win five games in a row? Then I'll have very long hair, won't I? I mean, have you considered this? I have. I feel like I've got to see it through now. You know, there's kind of, it's not even just about me anymore. There's so many people kind of following along that I feel like I'd be letting down, you know, hundreds of thousands or maybe even millions of people at this point. So I've got to see it through. I've got to, you know, stay committed until the end.

17:27You're like that human version of that watermelon that was on Facebook Live in the early days where they just kept adding elastic bands on it to it until it exploded. That's essentially what we're watching with you. That might be how it ends for me. Can you imagine what it will be like? Do you ever think about this? Do you ever dream about this? That day you do get your hair cut again. I have to say, I can't really remember those days that well anymore. But no, I am hoping. Ole, Beckham, those great days, those days of haircuts, they did happen. Do you want that? Or like Samson losing his hair, would there be a certain sadness?

18:08There may be. You know, what can I say? It's growing on me. I'm deadly serious would that be a sad I know you want your team to win but it would be like Samson losing his hair it does kind of feel like it's become quite iconic with me so I suppose there's a slight part of me that would probably miss it but no I'm much more interested in Man United getting those wins and getting back into some kind of consistent form so yeah I will sacrifice the hair I'm already sacrificing having too much hair, but yeah, I'll look like you soon. I was going to say, take it from me. Enjoy being the United Hair guy.

18:49Having no hair, no one wants to listen to a bald dude. God bless Frank Isler. When I saw that video for the first time of me and him side by side, it almost was like looking at the cautionary tale, like one of those male pattern baldness commercials on the television before and after. Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till it's gone? That goes for hair. And it also goes for Manchester United's glory days. Roger D 'Arma says, oh, United, score late, grab a 1-1 draw. Remember people, not losing is winning.

19:30Oh, God bless. One more. Next question. Hey, Rog, it's Greg here from Cincinnati, Ohio. Big fan of FC Cincinnati, the Pat Noonan Project, and also supporter of Crystal Palace. My entire family has supported Cleveland teams my entire life. So we understand pain and we understand what it feels like to lose. But here's my question. What do you do with hope? What do you do if your team might actually be good at football? Courage. Greg, Cincinnati, the town that gave the world skyline chili messy. The palace would mean it. Remember, join us on the Men in Blazers Discord channel during all the Premier League action this weekend.

20:08I'll be in there breaking it down with so many like-minded souls who listen to this show because as we all know, football's better with friends. The link is in the show notes. Come and join us now. I do think Palace are one of the just absolutely cacophonous joys of football this year. Gives me such joy. The FA Cup run, European qualification, surviving Eze leaving and the almost Gehi departure and just keeping on, keeping on. Not veering into arrogance or headlessness, just doing what they've always done under Oliver Glaston. There is no doubt your team have an identity. There is no doubt that the players all understand their roles to the minute detail.

20:52Collective stale and then lightning counter football through Mateta. They understand their roles to the very core. I admire it, the discipline, just a tactical wonder, just a sense of utter, utter collective cohesion. And I loved hearing Oliver Glasner this week, who's such a humble human being, talk about how much he feels the nourishment, how much he feels the love from Palace's fantastic supporters who are living out. I mean, this club founded, when was it? 1861. This club, in the here and now, are living out their greatest days. This was Glasner. I have to ask the people around me. But honestly, especially in Frankfurt, I got a lot of love.

21:32And then my wife was really jealous at the time. And I think she's it now again. But, you know, we know each other for 30 years. She knows she can trust me. I do love Oliver Glasner. Humanly, age 30, was it? He had the brain aneurysm, which almost, I mean, it was almost terminal, ended his playing career. And when you have that, you both become tenacious. And you also get a sense of human perspective talking to him. There is no doubt you are talking to a man who understands football deeply, but understands football's place in the realm and that there are other things that make a full rounded human being.

22:04And he's found his humble swagger at Selhurst Park. And that has been so unbelievably gratifying. I say that with fear of my own to pull this show together. I'll be honest with you because Palace are descending upon our beautiful new stadium, the big dick, to face Everton Sunday, 9am Eastern Time on Pickock in your Palace. in the European football's most informed team as a gun for 19 straight games undefeated. I had to blink, as I said, that to connote astonishment. And the thing I'd fear, sadly not Everton. Even though, yes, we are undefeated in our new home until this weekend. I mean, we lack anything that kind of passes as striking power.

22:47Let's be honest, dive into Everton very quickly. Beto is beautiful, beautiful Beto. We also have our fantastic young prospect, Tien O 'Barry, but neither are good at screwing the goals or finishing off the creative mischief, alchemized by the flickering creatives who now overflow in abundance. Yes, we have no Kieran Dewsby Hall. Those two yellow cards that he got screwed with, one for that quick free kick, one for an incredible tackle that was somehow penalized. They were surreal. He's now suspended. But his absence, I'm quite excited about this, to be candid. I mean, Everton might unleash Grealish and Die and Tyler Dibbling for the first time together.

23:26Our holy shinity, just children's shin pads all over the field. And I love that, the holy shinity, the modern incarnation of the club's legendary holy trinity of the 1970s, Alan Boar, Howard Kendall, Colin Harvey. We can but pray. But if I was a Cleveland Browns supporting Palace fan, I would be worried about, I mean, fundamentally, I'd be worried about squad depth in the midst of a European campaign, which is almost a cruel chalice that you're forced to drink after, you know, doing well in football. You have to play, well, Palace in the Conference League, which is a joy, that journey. But it also is a brutal grinder of dreams and aspirations.

24:03I'd say you'll be fine this weekend. A game is rarely screamed. 1-0 Palace Mateta more loudly. But save every single second of memory making while you can. Up the Palace and mean it. Making one pick after another. This is more or less presented by PrizePix. prize picks and as you all know i'm joined as ever by my friend in picks mr charlie kip fresh off his first ever trip to the great pacific northwest you a seattle guy now kipo on the one hand raj i thought the city was absolutely gorgeous puget sound seeing specific northwest but on the other you know me well enough to appreciate that i'm not going to be rocking a flannel and telling you about vinyl deep cuts anytime soon i'm sorry to say so let's just get right to the picks where this week we're going to keep the northwest theme going and turn to the blue side of Liverpool.

24:46We like Jackie Grealish to hit more on, wait for it, passes attempted. As an Everton player, one of my favorite of all the prize picks categories, passes attempted. You're really tugging on my heartstrings here, Kipo. But from a football point of view, I do think Everton's struggle in the fullback positions means that Grealish has to do it pretty well alone. You watch teams fearlessly double and triple teaming because they don't fear a fullback coming up from the outside. So for us to have a chance against High Flying Palace, we will need him to He'd be absolutely searing. Another pick, man whose name backwards is actually Charlie Pick.

25:21We're going to widen the aperture just a little bit here, Rog. Look to Arsenal hosting. Oh, poor, poor West Ham on Saturday morning. I think this is the kind of game where Arteta's boys are going to go pedal to the metal, boots to asses from the word go, and open up a can on the poor hammers. We're grabbing more than three goals allowed between goalkeepers Alphonse Areola and technically David Raya. I love that you're so sure that Arsenal are going to score the bucket, so he just casually tossed Raya just implicitly at the end. They're like, as if by some miracle, West Ham score a goal. It'll help us too, right, Kiprik?