Man United, Aston Villa, Spurs... are the WARNING signs there already?

22:27But for now, it's really tough as well. So we're talking about this Newcastle-Lifepool game, I'll be honest. For my generation, a couple of things. I love it when Prozel than me tell stories and talk about things they were involved in. And I'm lucky enough to be friends with Shaq and his a lot. So he talks about his Keegan stories, talks about his time at Newcastle, his time in the Premier League. And it takes me back to that game in 95-96 that I think is that 4-3 is one of the most significant games in Premier League history, almost like as a reference point for people who are around to see it.

22:58And I think about that 4-3. I think about, is that the one where Keegan slumped over the advertising boards? Yeah, yeah. You know what I mean? All that stuff's Colin Wells scored at the end. But when you, the sad thing about this game, for as entertaining as it is, if you happen to be a Newcastle fan that's on this podcast, apart from the Carabao Cup win, there's not a ton of successes there in the last, say, 10 years. But it's still, as a neutral, it's so entertaining. Yeah, but there's moments. You pick your moments, don't you? So what are your favourite moments, Gabby? What are your favourite moments?

23:26If you take away the Carabao Cup one.

23:27Gabby Agbonlahor:Carabao Cup one, Carabao Cup two, Carabao Cup three. There you go. Who's got the bigger job now? Would you say Newcastle or Liverpool? Who's got a longer way to go to hit their potential?

23:41I don't think we know what Newcastle's potential is. I think we know that Liverpool think their potential is league winning, right? undoubtedly they have to win the league that's the bar they set themselves or Champions League there's more expectation on Liverpool yeah so I'd say that they and obviously for Iola we said last week didn't we I think I picked him out as one that was going to be taking a time finding you know what this team is about there's maybe some tweaks to to kind of happen in that squad you think Nadam midfield yeah potentially yeah I think if we are to say that the bar the ceiling for Liverpool is at some point winning a Premier League title.

24:20I think when you look at the lay of the land in the league right now, based on what we saw yesterday and sort of sight-signers that they potentially are looking at, things that they need, I think they'll have a good season, but how many good seasons can you have before they probably decide that they need to do something different? So yeah, I think it ends up being, I thought the 2-2 was probably a fair result to be honest, and thankfully, now that Salah's gone, they've got another penalty taker because wowee, what a penalty that was from Sabah's life. Yeah, but also, I mean, I'm just thinking of the number nines that we work with who would want to grab that ball, you know, Alexander Isak in front of the fans who booed him.

24:53I know he's not their penalty taker, but you think like back in your day, Nadim... Oh, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I technically still played in the 2020s, Gabby Logan. So let's not do that. Okay, okay. Let's not do that. Maybe 10, 15 years ago, you would expect the player who has been a very expensive acquisition, who's been brought in to score goals for your team would be wanting to take that penalty in front of the fans. I just don't know. It said a lot about the dynamic in that score.

25:25Gabby Agbonlahor:I think, having been there yesterday, I would be of the opinion never in a million years take that penalty. That would have been... But imagine if he had, and imagine if he'd scored, what that would have done for him. But maybe my psychology is imagine if he'd taken it and imagine if he'd missed. Which maybe says more about me, really. I thought it was definitely the right decision. It was the only call that was going to happen. I think we could see that that was not going to be... There was a point, wasn't there? Because it took a while for that penalty to actually be taken. We're kind of going, where's this going here?

26:02Cody Gakpo's got hold of it. Oh, no, hang on a second. It's gone to Dom. And I also was hoping, because obviously I'm wearing a Newcastle hat on this, that Hornacek might have had a moment. And he obviously went the right way because that's the only way that...

26:14Gabby Agbonlahor:It was unstoppable though, wasn't it? Yeah, it was. That's the only place he takes those penalties, but they are unstoppable. Yeah, Chappos, what you're saying is essentially you're soft and that's fine, but a couple of things. Firstly, the camera angle when they were taking a penalty on TV was excellent. We're talking like video game, like look at it. Can you score? Which way is it going to go? We had my family lined up. It's going this way, it's going that way. But also I was, in terms of number nine, just being savages and like Halzer and all that, I was involved when Adebayor scored against Arsenal at the Etihad and it's the quickest 100 metres I've seen since the Diamond League meeting a couple of years ago so yeah, it would have been a very, very strong Premier League moment if he did it, but thankfully for him he can just leave Newcastle in a bit of peace Let's turn our attention to Villa you could say last season they would have had title hopes maybe in December now they've just been smashed 4-0 on the opening weekend They had a man sent off.

27:11Gabby Agbonlahor:Not all of their, but several of their best players have left. How has it come to this for Villa? What does it say about the Premier League? So they've had 10 so far, because Oli Watkins and Martinez haven't actually gone yet. They've had 10 first team squad players leave so far. And they obviously did have to sell. Financially, they were in a position where they had to get rid of a few players. Now, the theory that kind of was being mooted yesterday amongst the guys was that sometimes, I don't know if you've experienced this, Natham, in a dressing room. It's almost like when a few players go, a few other players look around and go, OK, I think this is over.

27:50This moment's over. It's time to get out of here because this is not an environment I want to be in anymore. And it leads to this kind of almost domino effect of players moving. And I'm sure they've all got various reasons for wanting to move on. But do you recognise that as something that can happen in a dressing room? I think it can happen, but most dressing rooms where that's happening tends not to be when a side has, say, for example, just won a trophy and is involved in the Champions League in the next season, because these are all things as players which you aspire to do. You know, you are lifting silverware.

28:21That's so rare for players to even have the opportunity to play for and to be in the Champions League. Think of all the years we've been involved in media and someone says, oh, I'm going to this place to play Champions League football. I want to play Champions League football. Okay, so here are both. Oh, you don't want to stay. Okay, fine. That is strange. And again, it's the nature of the players. You've got Morgan Rodgers. You've got the likes of Uri Tielemans, who at times would be their captain. Esri Konza, England international. Lucadine, French international. And now Ollie Watkins, who, yeah, seems like he's trying to force his way out to a different football club.

28:53And it just, it looks so sad in some ways because the team felt unrecognizable to one that basically swept a side away in the Europa League final. A side who last season won, was it 13 games in a row or something like that? They're on that incredible run. The feeling, the vibes were so, so high. And then now, you know, similar to what we saw with Newcastle, all the key players are being sold. You know, when it was Gimoresh, it was Tonali, it was Gordon, it was this, that and the other. Like, how can a club go through a reset at the point where you thought there's scope for them to push on again?

29:25And like yesterday, credit to Brighton because they battered them. They did. Absolutely battered them. And, you know, we were talking about players to watch. Hinchelwood, even though he's been around for a few years now, it's very easy to get. He's 21 years of age. And at the time, people, when he first started, he's playing fullback, playing fullback. But he was basically playing as a number 10 yesterday, and he was excellent. So, yeah, from a Villa perspective, if I was a fan of them, I wouldn't be thinking now's the time to reset after, like, essentially, you know, achieving something so great.

29:56But there must be big financial reasons for it, because otherwise it just does not make sense.

30:00Gabby Agbonlahor:I mean, Brighton, a bit like Brentford, looked so ready for the start of the season. They really, I mean, Villa did their best to help them along the way, but they did look ready. If you're Ollie Watkins and you're not trying to force a move, you kind of need to come out and say that, don't you? Because Una Emery is, I mean, Una Emery's interviews yesterday are basically, he doesn't want to be here. He mentioned commitment for the players that played And then said any other questions need to be directed to Oli Watkins So the impression that Una Emery has given Is that Watkins doesn't want to be there Yeah, this is the sort of land of football politics And it is very, very interesting Because for the way that Villa played yesterday Almost trying to go with Buendia is like a false nine You know, it's something that didn't work But it's something Emery almost wanted to enforce the point about We don't have our nine, we don't have our nine we don't have our nine and when you have a team that's struggling that much and you can almost pin it on to somebody in particular like Watkins is the bad guy now you know his legacy is such a villa for some they'll always remember like the good moments but the way you leave can really dictate whether you'll be welcome back in the future and his side yesterday very much needed somebody of that sort of status and caliber to help them yes they might have still lost anyway but it could have looked different but when your effort and your sort of appetite towards playing for a football club becomes questioned by somebody like Emery who is such a big figure at Aston Villa now.

31:31You know, he's a legendary figure at Aston Villa now, especially in these Premier League years. You can come out and say what you want to say but nobody's prepared to listen to you anymore because yesterday you weren't there. I don't, what is it? Money always? Or is it a change of environment? Because like you say, when you've won a trophy and you've got Champions League football and by the way, one of the great nights that season in the Champions League when they were in it last time was the visit of PSG and the victory over there on the second leg. You know, They've had some great moments for the Champions League and did well.

31:57What is it? Why would you want to break up that happy home? Although, do you think we sort of lump them all together?

32:05Gabby Agbonlahor:And then when you actually look at them... They're for different reasons. They're all different reasons, aren't they? I suppose they didn't fit... If they had to sell one player for these financial reasons that people keep talking about, and Chelsea are offering them nearly£120 million for Morgan Rodgers, then that's that. then Manchester United find out well not find out but it comes to light there's this release clause for Uri Tillemans so that's slightly different because Villa can't do anything Villa can't do anything about that if you then get offered 8.5 million, 9 million for Luca Dini who is what 32, 33, something like that and wants to go back to Paris Saint-Germain then okay fair enough then the champions come in for Esri concert and I would imagine as Newcastle fan with Bruno Guimari if the champions come in it's quite hard to see is it just a perfect storm do you think?

33:03Gabby Agbonlahor:I think there may be an element of that and then presumably they've all gone and Emi Martinez has been linked with a move for about two years and then you're left with Ollie Watkins which goes back to your domino point thinking where the hell's everybody going? But yeah, I mean, you know, going to Saudi doesn't have anything like the kind of conversation or connotation it did a few years ago, does it? You know, a lot of big names have gone out there and then come back. You know, they've gone out for a season or two, had their big payday. Yeah, yeah. Because let's be honest, they are not going to further their footballing skills, are they?

33:36They're not going to become better footballers or to win, you know, the silverware that they've grown up watching on the telly. So it is a financial consideration. And at 30 years old, can you blame it? He's not going to be England's number nine, is he? He's not going to replace Harry Kane in the next couple of years. So can you blame him?

33:54Gabby Agbonlahor:So I do think that it could be a perfect storm. And actually, the players they brought in, I know Jaume Gomez had an absolute shocker yesterday. Yeah, but the other players they brought in, you know, Manzambi, a lot of people, Newcastle wanted him after the World Cup, and they've brought in Suzuki, the goalkeeper as well, Rogeri at full back. They've got Gunn. I mean, Gunn actually could be anything on loan and one Bissaka is. But they've not done badly with what they've recruited and you would expect some... I don't know. They did have a slow start to last season, didn't they? Yeah, they had a terrible start, didn't they?

34:28Yeah, I think it was eight games. Didn't score or something for a full game. So, you know, the season is not written off. I just wonder Unai Emery will feel he's in a very different position to the beginning of last season, though, won't he? Yeah. I think Emery was talking after the game about needing the fans to be patient the same way they were at the start. And I think that is completely fair because this type of change is very significant. And some of the players that have left, you know, especially if you look at like Morgan Rodgers, like he's made his name as such at Villa because when he was at Borough, he was doing well.

34:55And he went over to Villa for a relatively low fee, I believe. But now, you know, he's going for a hundred million and so on. And he could argue the same for like Konza. I think he was at Brentford before he went to Villa and he's been brilliant for them. But I think one thing that in some ways goes against Villa, relatively speaking for these players, because the players could all say no. They could have said no. But the thing is they're choosing to leave. And Aston Villa, relatively speaking, in terms of their spending for as much as they may put money out in transfer fees, relative to some of the bigger sides, I think their pay is a little bit lower.

35:25So whenever somebody comes in for these players, it's never similar to like for like, I think at times it's like career changing type money to go and experience similar things, but maybe with just a little bit more sort of like edge to it. And that in some ways is why all the stuff that they've done under Emery has been hugely impressive in particular because they haven't been able to have the financial might that say some of the other teams like City's, United's and others have. Because when you talk, say, was it Chepers? You'll probably know this because maybe you know a United fan somewhere.

35:57But a few years ago, David De Gea and Sancho, they're on like£200 ,000,£300 ,000 a week or something, aren't they? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I don't think when you talk about a side like Aston Villa, I don't think any player has ever come close to even£200 ,000 a week. And obviously these numbers we're talking about are crazy. But when you could potentially go somewhere else and not necessarily double your money. And this isn't to just go to Saudi either. This is to go to Arsenal. This is to go to this place, to go to Chelsea. You know, they have to really, really consider it. Because the teams they're going to, they've got at least the same ambition.

36:27But are paying you, I guess, considerably more. So you have to consider it, don't you?

36:38OK, should we talk about the players who caught your eye this weekend? Players that we might not have discussed at length. New players, young players, players who've just kind of got their first taste of Premier League football. Nadem. Well, I want to script a little bit because I did like Sangare. And he's like 24, you know, he's in league and team of the season. But I thought he was excellent for Brentford. and I think something to give huge credit to again is the recruitment from Brentford. The fact they're having in this day and age a record transfer fee of things like 42 million pounds, which, you know, people are finding that just in between their chairs at home these days for the Premier League somehow.

37:19But he did it. He was excellent and he was so good, like relatively speaking for some of these debuts at the end of the game, the players are pushing him, go to the fans, go to the fans. You deserve this moment. I think that's a dream sort of debut. But my one, as I say, was a player who has been in for a few years and it is Hinshelwood at Brighton. Somebody who's come through the academy, somebody who, you know, has got quite a lot of experience and it's very easy to forget that, like, he's 21 years of age. So he's still got a lot of football to go. And as Brighton are getting towards a time where, like, Lewis Dunk is, you know, considerably the oldest player in the team now, you know, here comes this next guy that could potentially, you know, have the same sort of legacy as Lewis Dunk.

37:55So I think I'm going for Hinshelwood, who was a star in Brighton's win over Aston Villa.

37:59Gabby Agbonlahor:Are you going to pick Whistle? Yeah. Who would have thought? No way. He had five starts last season. He didn't play anything like the number of minutes he played yesterday. He didn't, for some reason, just never looked fit, really, last season. And I think there was a kind of triptych of transfers last year that perhaps as Newcastle fans we thought we'd have a triptych. What's a triptych? Three things, yeah. Educational. Do you know who I first used that word about ten years ago? Stephen Fry, so it's got to be all right. so obviously we had Alanga and Voltemada and Wissler and Alanga took a while didn't he to get going but I think Alanga and Wissler yesterday with their speed as we've already discussed you're rolling your eyes there no no no not at all I'm with you 100 % I thought you were going to tell me that Alanga had the greatest season of all time last year I think it feels like we might have got the players on the pitch yesterday that we thought we'd bought last year and that's nothing to do you know you can't say that's anything Eddie Howard did wrong particularly it was just that that ESAC transfer affected so many yeah it had a rhythm effect it did absolutely yeah so yeah so I think we'll see yesterday and as you you know saw because it was on Sky just his humility and you know it's such a lovely thing to see somebody because sometimes when players get player of the match awards they look like they're going to leave it in the dressing room it's like yeah whatever I've got one of these before but he was so happy to have it and that made me feel so warm towards him as well and yeah he He just, yeah, it was a lovely moment.

39:30Gabby Agbonlahor:I'll say Nciso at Ipswich was fantastic and was everywhere. And given Gary O 'Neill knows him from their time at Strasbourg together, I think that's a really interesting combination going forward. I actually thought, and I know he got substituted after about 65, 70 minutes yesterday, but I actually thought Jacque was very good for Liverpool yesterday in how he carried the ball out of defence. And if you look at what Iraola expected of, say, Sanessi at Bournemouth last season and his stats when progressing the ball and bringing it. Is Nademi making notes on this? No, no. Because you mentioned Nciso.

40:06I was just making sure I like the point that you were making because I remember him from before when he was at Brighton.

40:12Gabby Agbonlahor:Yeah. Yeah. And also within Nciso, this is part of the whole Paraguay, just like cleaning their name up a little bit after they woke up in the summer because we're talking positives about Paraguayan players again after what we saw was... Individually, they're different to a character. Maybe that's what I'm saying. Yeah, it's just double checking, yeah. But I think how we roll the users, Jacquet, as well, could be quite interesting. He looks like a real athlete on the ball as well, doesn't he? How tall is he? Tall. Yeah. Is he taller than you, isn't he? Yeah, the other player who looked... I mean, you're not Peter Crouch, but...

40:48Gabby Agbonlahor:No, I'm six foot two. I think. A Raoho as well looked like a big guy as well. They've got some big players which I thought was noticeable yesterday compared to Newcastle. They've got some big players and some tiny fullbacks. You know what I mean? Who might need a little bit of work. Just one on Boaddy and City signing him because that's expected to go through for sort of£85 million for an 18 year old. is Anderson and Bouadi the future? Well, it will be. You won't fly straight into match day starting 11 every week, will he? Well, I mean, are you sure about that? I did not expect to see Mark Gahey playing the field yesterday.

41:36So, listen, right now everything's on the table and that's in some ways... An impressive young man, isn't he? Yeah, very much so. I think when you sort of read about him, his intelligence, his upbringing, the way he thinks about the game, when he thinks about football, the fact he's like a proper maths nerd as well. That's my type of person there. But I think he appears to be very, very humble as well. And I think that's going to be key because I think for young people, the ones that believe in themselves is that a little bit too much. Sometimes they fly a little bit too close to the sun. But from all the stuff you hear about him, hear about his upbringing and so on, he's somebody who'd be ready for a challenge and boy or boy is going to be a challenge to be one of the most expensive players in the history of a league, which you've never set foot in before, especially as a teenager.

42:18but I think he's, as we saw in the summer, especially in that first game, where for most of us who don't watch him during the league season, he showed enough character and personality to see that there's definitely going to be a player there in the future. And if he is around the right people, if he's coached the right way, I'm sure he'll express himself. And maybe Anderson and Boadi could be the midfield for the next five, 10 years, which I would adore if that worked out.

42:40Gabby Agbonlahor:He once delivered a speech which won him an eloquence competition for young French footballers. and the speech was, is the result more important than the method? Oh, I'd like to hear his speech. It's quite deep, isn't it? Yeah, I'm sure. He's no botchist. I know what Tique meant. It sounds French. Obviously, he could have played for France. He chose Morocco, didn't he? Which was slightly controversial, actually, because as we discussed during the World Cup, I think there were 96 French-born players at the World Cup playing for various teams. But he was one who had his real football upbringing, obviously, in France.

43:16So it was quite a big loss to the French national side.

43:20Gabby Agbonlahor:It could be, couldn't it? As Gabby says, a midfield for the next decade, Bouadi and Elliot Anderson, roughly. But it might not be a midfield for 26, 27. Yeah, it might not be, but I think it's one of the things where time will tell because I think experience is hugely important in the Premier League, in my opinion, but not experienced through, say, being like 30 years old, for example. We're looking at some players who are 22, 23, have played like 200 games already. All those moments and minutes really do matter. And I think from City's perspective, instead of us seeing them very much being like a force for the now, they're now looking at short, medium and long term.

44:01So they will be competitive. I think they will probably make it into the Champions League this year. But you get the feeling that the best is yet to come. And it's just a case of how long it will take for that best to arrive. And will someone like Maresco still be in charge when that moment comes? I was going to ask you a question, Nader, at Match League, because his approach yesterday, and obviously Gay was a bit left field and caught everybody on the hop. But do you think it was about pragmatism and going, right, OK, we got hammered last week. We're going to just, you know, let's just get the win.

44:30Let's get over the line somehow. Cherky, on you go, son. Do a bit of magic for us. Let's get this, you know, let's get this victory. And we can, I can build this team into the identity I want in a slightly more kind of slower measured way. Yeah, I think you'd want it to be slower and measured, but there's certain things that you won't be able to do without getting some level of pushback. And one of them is like starting Mark Gahey midfield, even though he did a good job or whatever. Like the fans aren't going to be looking at it thinking, oh yeah, this makes sense in the same way John Stones did like three years ago.

44:58It's going to be different when it's a new face doing it. When you're seeing Phil Foden playing out wide, when you know his best position is the number 10. And, you know, even someone like Ashirky, he will not be a super sub. He will not be a super sub because before you know it, like Marisco said himself he likes to wear his emotions out there so people will see like a different side of Shirky if he's not going to be trusted to you know to be in that side but I think it was just very very important yesterday that they won it was so important because when I thought about this season and the relative like dystopia that it could be for some teams one thing I didn't have in my bingo card was City losing at home to a team that they've beaten nine times in a row at home but there it was one no with 15 minutes to go and I was like oh is it sports agents tomorrow oh no I could be in trouble there could be in big big trouble I'm glad we have that slight hold 100 % it's going to be a long season it is but it's got off to a fly thank you so much Mark thanks Nadam and thank you for joining us if you've got a question or if you want to have yours today remember we always do get back to our emails Chappers usually spends Tuesdays replying at thesportsagentsatglobal.com or messages on social media at thesportsagents and we'd love you to subscribe follow and leave a review and we'll be back on Thursday.