S15E83 - Romero, Rage & The Final Day

0:00This podcast is part of the Sports Social Podcast Network. It's the fighting

0:09It's the fighting Cock It's the fighting

0:17It's the fighting Cock I can't No Ricky, why did you send me I've been to ask you this earlier You sent me a video Of just a box And it just sounds With the words That is the sound of a thousand flies and I clicked on it and it's like a little box with holes in the top and it's like what why did you send me that what does it mean oh you don't know what that box was I have no idea oh yeah you wouldn't know would you that is a stereotypical box of maggots I went fishing last week and I forgot the maggots were in there I went to go to the shed and I was like what the fucking hell is that noise and this box was literally just vibrating off the shelf so maggots that were life then have now turned into flies in the yeah what have they been eating the maggot like how what thousands of blue bottles all trapped in there what are you gonna do i went into the garden i got um a pole and i lifted the lid on it and then ran inside and there is like hundreds if not thousands of blue bottles in my garden right but for some reason they can't fly i don't know it's probably because they're malnourished because the maggots haven't had enough to eat yeah maybe so there's just loads and loads of blue bottles just walking in my garden and and i haven't seen a blue bottle i i i since i was a kid like i know this normal flight is blue bottles actually blue yeah yeah yeah yeah what what blue bottles are standard i don't know i think so yeah i haven't seen a blue bottle in years mate yeah well i mean these are these are big black buzzing flies well they're blue actually the color of them's fucking incredible yeah it is and they're all bowling around my garden and there's birds all on the roof and they're just looking anytime they see movement they're like right dinner there you go dessert do you know do you know people hate flies i fucking hate them fucking hate them no but you know that the point of them in terms of their role in the ecosystem is really important um yeah i don't hate them for that i just hate them when it's summertime and i'm watching tv and i feel my legs getting tickled and i kick it off within two seconds it's back again they they land on dead animals they lay their the eggs in there sorry if anyone's eating and the maggots form and they eat the meat away.

2:46They've got an important role in this whole system. So you've probably done a good job there, Rick. Yeah. Good. I've put good into the world, finally. Apparently, blue bottles... No, this wouldn't make sense because there's flies. Anyway, we've got to move on. There's tons of Spurs stuff to talk about. We're going to be joined by Alex from Bristol as well. Oh, lovely. Yeah. So if you need to jump off, then feel free at any time, Rick. because you're doing me a favour. Right, lots to... I think we should start with the press conference, right? Okay, I thought you were going to do the transition from Maggots to Romero.

3:29Ooh. Little bastard, little bastard. There's been some information that's come through that it was a medical decision. It was instruction from the medical team to go and continue his rehabilitation in Argentina. Yeah. It just doesn't ring true. It means that there's a decision that's been made. Oh, here he is. Backwards. Hey. At 40 years old. Jesus, that's true. Turn it around the other way, for fuck's sake. Sorry, I've started already. He's just got here. He's doing me a favour. I'm just attacking him. I like the glasses. With his little cartoon pictures of dogs in the background. and he likes things like Sha.

4:17Who's that? Who's that? Huh? Who is that? Fatty Australian man. Yeah. Yeah, all right. So, yeah, we're just talking about Romero, obviously. It's starting from Romero. He's not going to be there on Sunday. He's apparently taken advice from the medical team to go over to Argentina to continue his rehabilitation. So he's ready for the World Cup. the only reason like you could start that on monday that is four days away you could go to i don't know how long he's been in argentina but you can go to argentina on monday when you know we you are the club captain you have been directly responsible for the situation not solely but in part responsible for the situation we find ourselves in and and when we need you need to show leadership fuck off to argentina we know what this is about we know why you're in tears we know why you were in tears when you came off against Sunderland because you thought you wouldn't be able to keep playing the World Cup.

5:12You could not give a shit about Spurs getting relegated like I'm not surprised I'm starting to think that no players give a shit about anything really but it's just such a bad look and you're just I'm at the stage where and I know we're all emotional but this is where I'm at. Sell him. Yeah what I can't understand is okay it's like for medical reasons and to continuous rehabilitation in argentina it's like what what have we not got the facilities here only in argentina like have we not got the staff and the equipment or what like what why go argentina track record we definitely ain't got the track record of helping players back from yeah that's true yeah yeah fair play go to argentina

6:02go on now let me guess you're going to say something to the contrary of what we're saying uh no he should be it i mean there's no yeah there's no there's no uh arguing about that i mean my contrariness i suppose would be does it really matter not really it's just a bad look everyone saying that he's a shit leader and all the rest of it anyway then why would you want him there so you know we are guilty i think sometimes of you know wanting wanting the things that look good and then actually when it's not as bigger or important thinking it's not actually a big deal I'm a massive fan of Romero I feel like he's the first one to get singled out if there's issues and the first one to get praised when he's amazing it just swings both ways but he should be here, there's no, it's daft that he's not here and if he is really going and if the plan is likely for you to go in the summer then he's probably thinking well alright they might hate me for a bit but who gives a fuck oh yeah definitely that he doesn't give a shit at all none of them do like this whole you going of a player is not giving it like it's it's of course they don't we know this i did a i did a podcast with a gentleman called jim erward on the lab published it beginning of this week and he was a he spent time around lots of professional footballers and was the agent of a few of them before moving into sort of talent agency rather than professional football agency and he's been telling me this for years he goes you think that these players any of them feel remotely like you feel about your football club not just Tottenham, every club he says you're out of your mind you're out of your mind every player is either working towards a new contract or working towards a move that's it but this is the same in, you know, for work as well like I've worked with a few companies now where it's been solely owned and there's the person who founded that company and stuff and they treat you well and you want to do well for that company and you work hard, but you're never going to feel about it the same way that they feel about it because it's theirs.

8:05And just like Tottenham is ours, the club isn't theirs when it comes to the players. Like it's a career and in this day and age more than ever with the money available, then it's almost, it would be weird if it wasn't like that for them a little bit. Just to go back to Romero, that I believe the club he supports back in Argentina, I think they're either in a cup final or in the race for the title for the first time in their history. And they've got a game against River Plate on Sunday. And if they win that... Oh, River Plate are we? Oh, River Plate. Yeah. and he's Belgrano. And if, if Belgrano win, it'll be the first title they've ever won.

8:56And that's, have you seen the images of him carrying the bulls towards training? That was with training with Belgrano. Right. I've seen the images of him leaving Belgrano to seek his fortune in Europe. I've seen those images. Right. Okay. Like that boyhood club that he cares a lot about that he must miss. Probably the most important game in all of our lives. Yeah. the club that pays wages and he was made captain of less than 12 months ago yeah oh but little old Belgrano fuck Belgrano fuck their fans fuck that shit old competition they're playing in what is it Copa de la Bleras or something fuck who gives a shit is he done is he done for you or are we calming down I think probably after the World Cup depending on how he I think that Tentons are very high at the moment, obviously.

9:50And I think we could probably be talked off a ledge. But going on how much of the season he missed and previously, and I kind of think that his card is marked in the Premier League with our refs. No matter what he does, he will always be sent off or cautioned. So it's kind of like... If he'd have done the Havertz challenge, he would have been off. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah. what about you Al? would you welcome him back? yeah I would but everything that Rick says is right and my biggest, he genuinely is when he is on it I genuinely think he's the best defender I've ever seen live he's just brilliant and I really love him better than Adderverad?

10:39yes better than Vertonghen? yes better than all of them Gary Mavitt yeah definitely better than Roberts Roberts yeah I mean that's not even a comment Kevin Scott no Paramo keep going keep going no Paramo no Paramo I did like no Paramo no Nouradine Nabet Nabet yeah now he was as you remember he was my guy but no no Romero's better but so you're saying Romero's the best centre-back in our history. He's the best all-round being able to hang and defend challenges he makes being able to progress play he's probably the best passer in the one of the two or three best passers in the club which I know probably doesn't say much.

11:27He's not only world-class power. But also everything that Rick said is right and the biggest issue for me is he is marked now. Like you say there's how many times have we seen the challenges that he got sent off for at United since that day that have gone for bookings and stuff. It is a thing. That's not conspiracy. It's just... Bale had it a little bit, didn't he, towards the end where he couldn't... Unless he had his leg amputated, he couldn't get a foul. So, you know, it's probably the right time that he moves on but I'm just very sad because he's genuinely incredible and it's a shame we weren't able to have that consistency from him.

12:07Well, if your wife cheats on you, are you sad to see her go or are you kicking her ass out the door? Has he cheated on us? Well, he's at least tickled a boob or something. Wow. I would never like to stand on. We definitely have been a strip club. There's no one else in the strip club. It's just him. With a stripper on his cock. Yeah. Just through the jeans, just gyrating. And the stripper was Janice from work. Yeah. I mean, if he turned up, if he played well the next week, or if she did a great big shot for the next week, like to really redeem herself. an A tier big shop. Wagon wheels. He's just gone in there and you see all the shopping splayed out before he has to go in the cupboard and go, that is top tier.

12:56Just quickly, what has to be in the, like a couple of items that have to be in a grade A shopping trip? Wagon wheels are up there. Bombay bad boy pot noodles. I really think. I had one the other day for the first time in my life and it was horrible. Oh, you're such a pussy. It's disgusting. um no baby bell baby bell no no black pepper smoked mackerel oh fucking hell your your suggestions are horrendous what are you saying ricky i bet he says break like something like a breakaway no no no everyone knows breakaways at this point you're like they're literally the last biscuit to go aren't they you're like oh what we got left we're gonna have a bit of tea oh we've got breakaways oh no not the golden ones golden breakaways is that what they were The golden ones were immense.

13:42Really? What about pink wafers? Do you like pink wafers? We've got some of those in the cupboard right now. Ow! No, I thought they went out of business because they're so shit. There's kids here, isn't there? 10-year-olds and 8-year-olds and shit. Vanilla ice cream. Well, that needs to give me vanilla ice cream with pink wafers, which is all right. And sometimes she'd give us cream with pears from a can. Oh, fucking hell. Silly old woman. Yeah, that's wartime dessert. I just want to go through some of these comments to Zerbi. Around Romero, essentially the way he was very careful, but also sort of laying down markers, like he's defending him.

14:24But he also sort of, he said, I understand that there is a player who thinks for himself before the club, I cannot be the same Roberto. What did that mean? if I understand that there is a player who thinks for himself before the club I cannot be the same I don't know the less and he also brought up Ben Davies didn't he he said I don't think he brought Ben Davies up without intent Davies wanted to stay with the club and sort of lead and lend a hand whereas Romero leaving for Argentina rehab is something else. He's going to get a job for life, any Ben Davis. I'm never going to be rid of that prick.

15:11Good chap. He's just a good chap. Yeah, I hope so too. I've got, there's no like... Yeah, but I just, it's just so typical. Like everyone I love leaves and the one player where I'm just like, come on. He's doing it. Yeah, yeah. Honestly, Ben. You know, it was interesting when he said, I'm not stupid. Yeah. When he was talking about it. and he said it twice in fact basically it feels like he's telling everyone that he's sort of acknowledging their suspicions around this but not endorsing the suspicions everything's just on a everything's just so like before Sunday because no one knows what's going to happen and I'm sure Deserby's staying whether we go down or not but I don't think anyone is I'm not a thousand percent sure that that is the case regardless of what people keep saying so it's almost any question that you ask about anything to do with anything to do about the future is you can't really answer it until sunday at you know whatever half six or whatever and i think as well if he did come out and shot from the hip about romero bad professional not a leader he left without you know getting the club's permission or whatever it's just negative energy and shit like that that we do not need we do not need extra pressure heaped on the squad the club extra eyes about talking about you know get sunday done when it gets to monday then do your press conference about how much you hate romero yeah it's like he could have stayed he could have stayed he could have just stayed been there and been on the touchline and watched it with us he could have done that and he's chosen not to yeah which means he's prioritizing getting fit for the world cup which maybe is completely understandable.

16:57But for us, we don't care about the World Cup. We care about our existential crisis that we're going through. Whether our existence in the Premier League is a threat. That's really important. As important. Do you know how many tears there's going to be in that stadium if we go down? Fucking more than you walking off the pitch against fucking Sunderland. Cunt. No, I don't mean that. That's too much. That was too much. Well, I just got away from myself. Sorry. Apologies for that. Are you going to watch it? You do need to hear that. Of course I'm going to watch it. don't tell me you're not gonna watch it i don't know i can't i genuinely can't you've got to be a man can't i just like like the gleads game i had it on on my phone because i was in a hotel and i had it perched up on the desk in the hotel while i stood at the furthest possible corner watching it from there so i couldn't really see it or hear it but i was watching it i know exactly what you're talking about.

17:49I had something similar with Spurs. I was, I think I was, I was on a massive come down and Spurs were playing Arsenal. It was one when we won 2-0, Kane header, Ben Taleb Cross, Kane header, and he went, I love an off London derby. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love an off London derby. I, I had it on a laptop on my bed and bear in mind, I hadn't slept. I was very jittery, right? I'd made a lot of bad decisions in the 24 hours prior to this. I knew that that game was coming and I had it on the laptop and I kept, I think, well, stuff's got to be done. I can't, there's housework needs to be done. I can't not do that.

18:24I've got to do the housework. What kind of man wouldn't do the housework? What are you doing? So I'd listen to it and just walk past it from a distance. And every now and then I'd walk past and look through my bedroom door onto the laptop on the bed. And if it sounded all right, I might linger for a bit and then I'd fuck off again. Yeah, that was terrible. Like a car that goes, where you're sat in a car on the side of the road and the car just drives past. That's what I was doing. Just little... I'm still watching it. I'm still involved. I'm just protecting myself. No, yeah, I'm locked in from minute one to minute 90.

19:02I mean, are you looking forward to it, Rick? Hell no. I've been dreading it all week. I don't want to go to that stadium. I don't want to be there, but I have to. And the worst thing about it is there's going to be no like Wi-Fi reception. Everyone is going to be on their phone trying to get the most up-to-date West Ham result. So there is going to be pockets and smatterings of shit, are they cheering over there? Oh, they've celebrated a ghost goal. Oh, they're cheering. That means they've scored. No, someone's just got a yellow card. Oh, what the fuck is that? Why don't they have the West Ham and Leeds game on the big screen?

19:43No, fuck no. I would have a genuinely I'd have a heart attack that'd be the end of me yeah I mean so is this whole thing about being nine like nine possibilities and only one ends in us going down is that right yeah it's just like it's just the nine possible results and only one of them sends Spurs down which is them winning and us losing anything else which normally make me feel all right but that scenario's happened quite a lot this year you just think obviously most people would be comforted by that but obviously my biggest worry about genus in all serious my biggest worry is it's so much pressure on on that last day like if it let's say the roles were reversed and we needed to win but we also needed a result right um to make that win enough for us to stay up you almost feel like the pressure might be not off but not as intense whereas this is like you've got to do your job now i know you've only done your job three times at home this year but today you have to do your your job and i just that's what worries me is that there's like going to be dear headlights type scenarios yeah deserve he's going you got to do your job and moan he puts his hand up and goes what's my job again which which bit do i do what do I need to do?

21:07Can you repeat it? Yeah, what exactly do I need to do? You need to do something. You need to do fucking something. I remember I was watching against, what was it? Against Chelsea, he got the ball and I was just going, I don't, in my head, I was thinking, I don't expect anything from you, mate. I'm not asking anything. I'm just pleading with you to do something. Yeah. Just once, do something. But not that. Yeah, not that, but you just did.

21:37not that colo i could just imagine him sitting there like big keith in the office like doing his appraiser like okay so what do you feel what's your job again what are the options always the same always the same

21:54we're gonna leave yes no maybe i don't know

22:03on weaknesses you've put running is that right Golo running is it what else is there Solanke and Madison back fit quickly because we're going to do a preview for the game tomorrow at some stage on Patreon but what are you going Solanke straight back in Are you going with Charleston maybe on the right next to, instead of Mwani? Or are you going Mwani through the middle? I don't know. I can't. It doesn't matter. I guess. It doesn't matter, lads. Don't worry about it. It's fine. Anything to get Mwani out of that? I mean, I was, I'll be honest, I was upset Tuesday night with Mwani and with Tel. and I know I've been upset and tell a lot.

22:59That was fine. I just, I don't care. I'm not going to defend him. I don't care. Yeah, let's not. So I would be tempted, depending on how fit Solanke is, yeah, I'd be tempted to start with Solanke and if we can get, you know, just get your noses, a goal, a goal or two goals in front at halftime, I'd rather us go for it first half and then sit rather than sit the whole game and just try and react to whatever's happening. Whatever situation you tell me, it's going to be painful. Can you imagine sitting there the second half and we're 1-0 up? We get that early goal, we're 1-0 up and Everton are just wave after wave after wave of attack and it's like just going out for a corner, throw in, Kinski gets it and it's just like, it's just, you know when you're like, it's going to, that goal is going to come, I can feel it, we have to do, you look at Roberto, Siglin, do some subs, do something, get the momentum back with us.

23:58and it's like it's just happening but and it's like i do you know what i don't know if i'll be able to stand there how does it how does it how does it how does it how does a one one on 85 minutes how does that make you feel oh god it depends it doesn't matter because it all depends on what's happening at west ham but what my point was how about how about a two one west ham and one all no i can't i can't be allowed to happen um you know it's coming i know but but what i'm saying is I would find it easier, I think, if we were just going for it. Yeah. Like, I don't want any of this sitting and all the rest of it.

24:32Like, fucking go for it. If you get done on the break, then we'll panic. But just, I'd be able to deal with it going, right, we're going to, we're being proactive because I kind of like, you're right, Rick. You know, 90 minutes of us just trying to not concede. Alex, do you know what your mum calls my penis? Oh, dear. Slanky. Slanky. that's her nickname for it get Solanki out alright then

25:05she calls me up sometimes I'm missing Solanki

25:13yeah and as we know isn't she she's terminally ill apologies yeah but also yeah she's quite racist so she's put on my pink willy yeah I know but if she found out but it wasn't meant to be pink yeah okay tricky so lanky Rick's little face he loved that let's do some questions some lovely people of reddit are coys on reddit sorry before we go questions sorry sorry yeah the meeting the coach the Tottenham coach the player coach oh of course yeah yeah like I I've just tried to stay off social I can't bear going on there that's happening all full swing and stuff like that yeah I don't know I didn't know if you guys have seen no I've just seen what people have posted I've been off on social media as well I don't know what's happening based on what's been said Spurs song sheets have said posted the other day that Zerbi has requested this okay so if he thinks it's a good idea then it's a good idea right he knows so anything that breaks up this week and possibly what the next 10 days next week or so can is gonna entail just break up with just something any news that is nothing to do with them or like us like i just it's been awful this week it's been it's about as bad as it could be but this is what i was saying in the i said in a group the other day i said take let's say let's say we don't go down right and let's say relegation is off the table for tottenham there was a new rule where tottenham aren't can't get relegate right but you can finish 17th this season can it be any worse like 17th again it's west ham who could potentially send us down i know we've taken the relegation off the table but it's west ham is where this battle is happening with arsenal have won the league they could potentially win the Champions League and it was Chelsea that have put us back in the shit when we were nearly out of it and Villa won the Europa League yeah so what I'm saying is next year if we don't get relegated it can't get worse it can't be any worse than what it is so it's going to be an improvement so we're going to enjoy it a little bit more surely yeah maybe is there anything else I'm missing that could have happened this year other than obviously going down as well Anything else in terms of how we got there that could have been this shit?

27:51I think you missed me putting Solanke in your mum's mouth.

28:00I'm so glad that we're at your house in a couple of weeks. I'm going to do so much stuff. The piss in his ketchup that you put all over his bolonies. Just plonk. That's what it is. Right, yeah, let's do some questions. Bart and Lisa, do you think Tottenham should be bought by Joe Lacob who owns this Golden State Warriors I don't even know half of what that sentence means no I don't know who Joe Lacob is and I don't know what a Golden State Warrior is it's a basketball team Bart and Lisa from the Simpsons characters I know Bart and Lisa from the Simpsons yeah yeah yeah go for it why not what is any worse alright Rodney Peppercorn he says Flav if you had to get rid of one member of your army of big men in order to keep Spurs from being relegated, who would they be and why?

28:53I don't think... Seven Kish never agreed to be a part of the big man army, even though they are... They're physically not what I'd ideally like. But they have time to grow into that. Really what I'm looking for is a good sort of late 30s, early job ass. Did you just say kish yeah kish is really tall he's like kish is like i'd say i saw one of his tiktoks the other day and i swear he said he was six seven or six nine it was fucking mental it was like goliath

29:32he said he said the number that i was like i actually gasped i was like oh my god uh i think kish um i think i think i'd estimate him when i've been around him about six four when Spurs played PSG do you remember when Thomas Frank literally tactically outwitted Luis Enrique for 80 minutes against PSG in the Super Cup Spurs were in the fucking Super Cup oh yeah we could throw that on the list actually being 2-0 up in a Super Cup final this season with 4 minutes to go and then behind me I had Ben Bowman, John Bass I had Kish and Seb and they're all just massive lads but I've got to say in terms of what is the criteria for a big man army, it'd probably be Kish, unfortunately.

30:18But much love to you, Kish, if you are listening to this. Probably doing some fucking TikTok or something. Brohina says, if you're a listener of his pod, you'll know that Big John Bass has backed Kevin Danso to have a heroic moment against Everton to keep us up. Who do you each of the lads think will step up and deliver that key performance to save something from this absolute shite of a season for Spurs. Can you, in your mind, I know we're all worried about the game and it's very stressful and stuff, but can you, like when John said that about Danto, I saw him leaping. Yeah. Sort of, you know, in line with the bat stick and heading it back across into the side, into the corner.

31:04Yeah. That's what I imagined when I said it, and it wasn't unbelievable. Can you give us some positive manifestations for the game, what you've been thinking about, what you can imagine might happen? Apart from like an 89-minute counterattack. No, no, no, no, no. At nil-nil. I can see tell. I can see tell of this kind of, yeah, redemption after the penalty he gave away at Leeds. I think it's, you know, it's played still on his mind. and I think he's going to be edge of the box, open his body up, right foot, top bins. That's what I can... And then everyone just running to the corner flag, everyone jumping on him.

31:50And then, yeah, that's what I can feel. Tail is going to score a banger. Good. Swag random guys. I haven't answered the question. You had a good one. Oh, sorry. Sorry, Alex. Sorry. now. Sorry, sorry. Porro, absolute rocket. Oh, yeah. You know like that goal Aurier scored in the Champions League? It'll be like that. Yeah. Aurier was underrated. Yeah, the little naughty rascal. Yeah, I can see it. Tech has shot laces. Yeah. Yeah. I could definitely see that.

32:36the swag random guy that swag random guy he gave himself that name um if we lose and get relegated on sunday do you think the stadium will be definitely silent in disbelief or do you think it will be absolutely anarchy i want to get asked you this question it's a good question because like what will it be if we stay up will it be a celebration but it's not like wide smiles and jumping up and down and fist fist pumping and slapping each other on the back and tickling each other's balls. It will be, thank fuck for that. Now fucking sort this football club out, I would imagine. Yeah. But we've held, to Spurs fans' credit, we've held fire on attacking the players, on the board.