Sesko vs Gyokeres, Emotional Liverpool opener, and Sunderland’s Return: Big Weekend Preview, presented by PrizePicks 08/15/2025

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

0:14Will Victor Jokeresh barrel through all comers and transform Arsenal into a direct lethal collective? Can Florian Wurtz make the Premier League look easy? Twist Defender's brain cells with his movement, his passing, his joyful heart. Will Pep's new number 10, Ryan Cherky, puff out his chest and ensure Manchester City fans do not miss KDB at all? And can Benjamin Shesh go mind-meld with Mbumo and Cunha to help United fans surge once again? This is the Men in Blazers Big Weekend Preview, presented by PrizePix, a show that takes your best questions and revels in answering them. It's time to explode now, like the volcano that is there and he's ready to go.

0:58And we have everything. And we need to play with that excitement. We want to win every single match. I have no doubt that we're going to continue that way. But with that fire, that is the joy to play with each other and win football matches together. Yep, that is Mikel Arteta answering our question about what the identity of his Joca Rez Arsenal team is going to be like. A volcano! I tell you. And you can find the rest of that quite fantastically energised interview on our YouTube right now. But happy new Premier League season, dear listeners. Today is the best day of the year. Everything's still possible.

1:35The dreams we harbour so deeply are not yet dashed. No matter what team you support, everything is filled with a sense of expectation, hope, possibility. The cup are full as 380 games lie ahead of us, scattered over 283 days each. an unknown voyage of discovery in which everything feels pure and within your grasp. Week by week on the Big Weekend Preview, we'll be here to break down your questions, send in your video messages, text in your voice notes of your best weekly question to this number, 646 450 9472, 646 450 9472. The videos could be featured in next week's show. There's a link in the description which will help you get them to us.

2:22The better we get, the more joyous the show. So let's dive on in.

2:37Oh, God, I can't wait for some Peter Troy. That man's always on mid-season form. First quick message, new season, new way to talk with us and the entire community at Men In Blazers. Join our Discord channel now. We built it as a way that you can chat with us and each other before, during, after games. Remember what Twitter was like back in 2014. Oh, I sound like Tracy Chapman driving in your car. It was a warm, creative, insightful place. We thought it'd never end. It deepened the match day experience. And then the bots and the nut jobs took over. So the Men in Blazers Discord, we hope, is a safe, open, joyous conversation for every single game grounded in camaraderie, meaning, football obsession, passion.

3:21Early kickoffs will be there. Your club scores a late winner, suffers heartbreak, we're still there for you. Either way, celebrating or commiserating in real time, it's free. Football is better with friends. Remember that. To join, find the link in our show notes. Come and be with us. We'll be chatting all bloody season long. OK, question the first. Let's start with Liverpool because, well, the season begins there. this afternoon at Anfield, a wash of emotion. First call of the season. Take it away, Katie, from one of the other greatest footballing cities in the world. Hi, Waj. This is Katie from Portland, Oregon.

3:57Apologies up front. I am a red. This has been such a strange summer for Liverpool fans, like coming down from the high of winning last season and then obviously the loss of Jota and then getting excited about all the new signings and the rebuild. and then that mild reality check last Sunday. So I guess my question is, what does a successful season look like for us this year? Is it repeating the title? Is it winning the Champions League? What can we finish the season and feel good about? Yeah, that's my question. Thank you. Katie, what a question. Probably the definitive question of the season.

4:39Look, success you're asking about for Liverpool really depends how you define it. There's a level, probably the deepest, richest, most meaningful level, which is about human success, which is just this collective, this set of individuals getting through the season emotionally, emotionally intact, emotionally whole. I can't imagine, especially what they're going to go through together this afternoon as Liverpool welcome Bournemouth and an Anfield that will be both in mourning and ready to roar on its defending champions of all of their energy, an emotional juxtaposition of just gigantic human extremes.

5:15I spent time at Liverpool this week, and it's really not clear to anybody how all of this profound public collective mourning, which is beautiful and meaningful, will impact the players as individuals as they're trying to process their private grief at the same time. I want to address this in an interview with Sky this morning. It was a written interview. He said, the first time we arrived for a session, The first time we play a game, the first time after 20 minutes, the fans sing your song. All of these things are difficult. All I can say is I wish everyone at the club strength and love as they navigate this loss, which will exist as almost a parallel narrative to the football for the entire season.

6:21From a footballing POV, though, success is, well, it's to defend the title. Something Liverpool haven't done since 1984, go back to back. And it is so bloody hard. Remember, last time they tried to do it, they came third, 17 points behind Manchester City, the ultimate champions. And they're also trying to do something quite mad, really, which is as champions to bed in so many massive names to a squad that already won the bloody thing last season. They're going to be taking the field with a rebuilt front line. Good Lord, can I just say, Eketike, let's all overreact to the community shield. Man looks electric.

7:00Eketike. He's worked a shooting chance. Oh, that will certainly do for starters.

7:15Hugo Eketike, less than four minutes into his Liverpool debut on the score sheet at Webley.

7:26But more concerningly for Liverpool, they are going to take the field with the need to create and instant chemistry in that back line with Milos Kerkhez and Jeremy Frimplong replacing Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold at fullback. I asked Virgil van Dijk this week, how long does it take to build chemistry? And he was honest. He said, that's an unknown. But he said, we are working very hard. I actually said to him, I was like, don't work so hard, Virgil. Just take it easy, man. But another element of success for Liverpool ultimately revolves around one man and one man only, and that's on a slot.

8:04This is a massive test for him. It sounds crazy. Jen just won the bloody title, but he is under immense pressure. Sometimes managers inherit the DNA of the previous manager and win with it. Arsene Wenger won early at Arsenal, but he still had the echo of his predecessor, George Graham, who gifted him defensive solidity that in a way he was never truly able to resummon. You know, Slott has to show he can evolve away from that Klopp foundation, you know, exert true slot ball and win, having spent really the GDP of a small nation over the summer on pulsating new talent. By the way, I don't think Bournemouth will be the test.

8:50They themselves have lost Kepa, Kerkes, Dean Housen, Chilgay, Zabane, Utara. And Tyler Adams said, you know, God, I just can't wait for the whistle to go in that first tackle when we lost Kerkes, he said with a smile. But a lot of this is going to be on slot. As he asked him last week, this was a fascinating thing. I asked him, how will it feel for the first time when the Kop raises that iconic banner of the iconic giant Liverpool managers past? Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley, Julier. Somehow Everton's Benitez is on there, I think, too. Obviously Jurgen Klopp. And now for the first time on a slot, Ted will be there.

9:32It's worth listening to because it's a question that he's so bloody brilliant at dodging. He did not want to place himself into that pantheon. He didn't even want to discuss it. I keep listening to this clip because I'm actually trying to nudge him towards saying something profound. beautiful about legacy. He's like one year in. He doesn't want to proclaim that. He doesn't want to go there, which I understand. And so he just chooses in the moment to do bald bits with me. Your face was added to Liverpool's managerial Mount Rushmore. How would it feel to see your big, beautiful head amongst those Liverpool greats?

10:09Till now, I was quite happy with this interview. Bald head wasn't the biggest problem, but to use the word big... I said that was respect. Do you have a camera in front of you or a mirror? I didn't know, actually, that our face was on it. If it is, it was already special to win the league in this country, let alone at this club. That is definitely special. To be in the same group as these unbelievable successful managers this club has had is for sure going to be special to see this. God bless the Dutch sense of humour. By the way, my big takeaway, having spent time this week on our football holiday, about Arsenal, Liverpool and City, I've spent time in all of those clubs over the past five days.

10:50And then some time with Chelsea and Spurs before that is that each club has the case to believe. Each has also their profound vulnerabilities, unknowns, questions, even they don't know the answer to. Liverpool, how the glut of new players will bet in. Arsenal, how that new, that new bolt-on of Jocares, who we'll talk about, will change the balance of attack. City, whether the loss of aura of last season was just a blip or a true decline for the squad, probably more importantly for Pep, we'll find out. By the way, find these conversations with all of these protagonists on our YouTube. The calendar schedule is Mikel Arteta on Friday.

11:28Virgil van Dijk will drop on Saturday. God, he smells good. And then the Pep Guardiola interview scheduled to drop Tuesday. Let's take our first video call. Hey Raj, Matt from Syosset here, huge sycophant of the pod. My question for you is, as my gunners go up to Old Trafford this weekend, if United are able to pull off the upset, is that the bigger story or is it Arsenal beginning their title charge with a loss? Thanks. I love that, Matt. Huge sycophant of the pod, which kind of describes the levels of affection I have for Illumina and Di. What a great question. Ahead of the most delicious matchup of this first weekend, Manchester United host Arsenal Sunday, 11.30 a.m.

12:11Eastern Time on NBC. Thank you, Premier League script writers. Thank you. Mikel Arteta's most demanding season begins at Old Trafford. We heard up top, what did he say? He's going to bring the energy of a volcano. I also asked him this. I asked him what data told him that Victor Jokeres, who scored, what was it, 54 goals in 52 games, but in the Portuguese league, you know, a lower league. He's never, ever done it in a big five league. I said, how do you know what data did you look at that confirmed for you that that ecstatic scoring rate can continue at the highest levels? And, well, Mikel told me this.

12:49The best data was my first Zoom call with him. That was the best data. I told him the idea that I had and I wanted to just look at his reaction. Like coming to us and imagine yourself putting that shirt on, walking into a dressing room with expectations around you. How do you handle it? Eyes open like this. That's my dream. So that's the best data because you can have all the data, but this guy has to come in that leg room with that pressure into that league. And for me, that was the most important data. The other data I knew is how this guy is going to behave when he comes on that pitch with that security, with that dominance and with that arrogance almost to say, don't worry, I will do it.

13:25Looking into his eyes on the Zoom. By the way, that's how we all do it. Volcano! It's going to be fascinating how Jokeresh's arrival honestly changes that Arsenal attack. Think about it. the impact of the need to deliver more early passes into space as opposed to the controlled, some would say over-controlled build-up of seasons past. It's going to be the story of this early season, which begins with that quite unforgiving first test. By the way, Arsenal's first six games, we'll talk about that, is a brutal gawton up. I think the player, we're all focusing on Jokeres, I think the player for Arsenal who's going to be utterly key is Martin Zubomendi.

14:05his ability to lie deep, recover possession, and then instantly break the lines with crisp, clean passing, which he makes look simple, but is deeply, deeply, deeply difficult. If he is able to sing, he can create an unpredictability in the point of the Arsenal attack, which is something that they have lacked last season. They need that game changing to sit in in an instant because these are Arsenal's games. United, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City, Newcastle in five of their first six. That is a brutal, brutal start. But my God, Manchester United also have quite a dark opening run.

14:48Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea in their opening five games. So Ruben Amorim is similarly under deep, intense, immense pressure. United have been loyal to a gentleman who came in and disappointed in every way, apart from his willingness to be a radical truth teller. They won seven home games out of 19. This is why this weekend's game is so massive for Manchester United. They have to symbolize change because they've spent heavily. They've brought in battle-ready creators. There's no uncertainty. We know what Brian and Bumo can do. We know what Matthias Cunha can do. Or should I say, we know what they have done.

15:25Can they combine together with the rest of this Manchester United unit It almost solved the constipation, which was damning in front of goal last season. Their big striker purchase of their own, Benjamin Shesko. What a subplot. Well done again, Premier League scriptwriters. He was looked at by Arsenal. 22-year-old, an athletic unit, still raw. You know, you look at Jokeresh and you kind of know what he can do. I'd say you look at Shesko, still in development, and then you think, whoo, where? What is that gentleman's ceiling? But the jewel for the spotlight between the two of them is just like a great first-round draft pick caught about QB1 matchup.

16:08And here's Hammerin. We cannot change everything in four weeks, but we are better. I know that we are training harder. We are training better. So I know that we are more prepared to cope with the demands of the game. We have new players that we need to understand in the real game what they are capable to do in the moment. But I'm really more confident. That is clear. I'm more confident in this moment. But again, we cannot change everything in four weeks. But step by step, we are going to be a better team. But of course, I'm more confident. So to answer your question, Matt, narrative will be hyperbolic either way, whatever the result, but mostly bolted on retrospectively.

16:53And the theme of this game is going to be the theme of the early part of the season, a summer of enormous striker moves. Which striker will bet in first? Will it be Jokeres at Arsenal, Eketike at Liverpool, Shesco at United, or João Pedro at Chelsea, who settles best, most potently, and makes their team so bloody dominant? It's going to be Beto, isn't it? Next question. Raj, this is Eli Kahn from Sacramento. Real League season is just around the corner. want to get your opinion on something. Who is your dark horse to win the league? And why is it Chelsea Football Club? Thanks so much, Raj. Love the show.

17:34Bye. Eli, I don't know if you can call Chelsea a dark horse. They are wearing world champion patches on their jerseys, you know. You know, a young team. Everyone's talked a lot of shit about us all season. But I feel like we're going in the right direction. Never change Cole Palmer. By the way If you don't believe me That they are not dark horses He's no less an expert On winning the title Than on the slot Giving you his read I expected them to win Last season already The amount of quality They have In the start of the season They were into it After 10 games They were Even by December They were still there Squad depth Quality they have Very good manager as well And I think they've showed this By winning The trophies they won Last season Good for us Is that they also had A period last season Where they struggled And that's why They couldn't compete Till the end for the league title.

18:25But now, again, they're strengthening the team again. Very good team, good players, good manager. So a team that's, in my opinion, one of the ones that are really channels for a league title. So it will be very intriguing this weekend to watch Chelsea open up against Crystal Palace, a clinically organised outfit. It's on Sunday, 9am on the USA channel. I think about Chelsea, the one challenge is the strange unknown preparation to the game, the Club World Cup. which they won and then had three weeks off. Everybody on vacation came back late just two preseason games. I asked Maresco himself whether that would impact the season ultimately and he was very honest.

19:07He said ultimately this is the unknown. Nobody knows. Roger, this is the question of the moment. We don't have an answer because it's the first time happened so it's very difficult because you don't know what you expect from the season because it's something new so in terms of tidiness or injury or these kind of things, we see. In fact, to name a dark horse, I actually think it's going to be a season with no dark horses, but I'm going to go Brighton, top four, not title. But as the next answer goes, Premier League is less equipped for dark horse runs than ever, which I think is an agony. It's going to be a heavyweight, heavy arms, battle of the bastards this season.

19:44Let's go there. Hey, Rog, it's Frank from Chenabunk, Maine, Crystal Palace supporter. Let's just suppose I had fallen asleep at the end of May, and I just emerged from my summer's nap and hadn't really known anything that happened in the last few months in the world of soccer. I'm just curious, would you be able to tell me what you think is the best thing that happened in the world of soccer, the worst thing that happened, and maybe something that just seems a little bit ridiculous? You know, just for fun. Courage. Frank, oh, mate, hello to everyone in Maine. I love that state, but wow, were your palace screwed out of Europe?

20:22if I do ache for you. Let's start with the worst thing that happened since May. I think it's the passing of Jota, of which we've talked a lot on pod and preview. So I'll move to the footballing from the human. I think the fact that the biggest teams have fished out the threats, Bournemouth, Palace, almost their heartbeat's ripped out talent-wise. In England, actually a lot of the journos when I was there are calling it the raiding of the middle class, which I kind of love. Brighton have done Brighton things. They've flogged their best talent, but they're also praying they've reinforced like they always do.

20:55We will see Villa and Newcastle, who were aspiring and within touching distance, actually clashed this weekend, kind of caught in a battle to fight against inertia status, showing that they've stalled out. But Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United have rearmed in astonishing, greedy. I mean, just an exhilarating stockpile of talent. You know, it feels like Fabrizio Romano every day It's just his fingers almost bruised typing their acquisitions. Best thing? Oh, man, that football's back. That's the honest truth. And you're back with us celebrating every second. I think the best thing for me is probably that Sonny has arrived in LA.

21:34I think this is a really significant moment for that arrival. Footballingly, fair molest, but culturally for football in America, I think it is going to resound and be enormous. Massive moment. By the way, for me personally, Wrexham and the Championship is up there. Surreal thing. I'll shout out quickly, brace yourself for some pretty surreal refereeing changes this season. There's talk of refs looking for holding on corners about bloody time. Also, if a goalkeeper holds the ball talking about holding for more than eight seconds, get this, they'll be punished with a corner given to the opposition to try and tamp down on time wasting.

22:11That is going to be quite the thing. Also for a joyous thing, I'll go with this one. Sunderland, back in the Premier League, after eight years away in the wilderness. That city, I adore it. So far north, so many hard times. Former mine town, former steel town. It is football mad. By the way, they have sold their complete allotment of 38 ,000 season tickets. Stadium of Light is going to rock once again. Football is so crucial, like Newcastle, which is so bloody close to it. Football is everything in that city. proud, historic, deeply, deeply, wondrously local. They'd fallen as far as the third tier, and they're now back.

22:5511 signings, including Granit Xhaka, $180 million spent, starting with an opening fixture against West Ham. Really, bloody hell, with allegation six-pointers so early in the season. I'd say to watch Sunderland fans, by the way, to watch Leeds fans too, to be honest. Leeds fans denied the chance to welcome their team when they got promoted last time because it was in the middle of fanless pandemic football. watching them savor this moment, each other, savor their memories.

23:40Hey Raj, this is Maya calling from LA. I'm a Spurs fan, but I'm actually calling because of your old friend Jack Grealish. You must be amped, but I do have to ask, and I don't quite know how to say this, but why did he only have Everton to choose from? Anyways, love the show. Hope you answer this. Bye. Possibly my favourite question of the week. Maya, LOLA, the town that Sonny built. Good Lord, Everton fans will have to wait an entire extra day to be disappointed this season. Leeds United versus Everton Monday 3pm Eastern Time on USA. Football gods getting their cruelty in early this season. We have to wait extra time to have our heart broken by Everton Football Club.

24:24But then again, Jack. And to Jack Greenish!

24:31I love this man so much. Just an authentic character of English modern football. Dean Smith also says you're an encyclopedia of football. Where does that come from? A what? An encyclopedia of football. I don't know what that means. But he, at his peak, was capable of some of the most transcendent moments. And in towards Grealish! The early boosted Manchester City so craved. And a goal that will mean a lot to Jack Grealish. So the honest truth is... There's nothing like my American Express platinum card. I love that I can earn hotel credits when I travel. I can also earn resi credits. So you know I'm hitting the restaurants everyone's talking about.