The Flag Stays Down

With Matt on vacation and Parker not able to make it, Andy spends the evening with resident Liverpool fan, Joe.  The two talk about a terrible performance by the USMNT, losing 2-0 today in Hamilton against Canada.  Both are all aboard the #BerhalterOut train and have an airing of grievances about the United States head coach.  Andy wants to check in with Joe on how Liverpool's season is going, what priorities the club has, and a transfer round up.  The boys discuss some Super Bowl odds and Joe shares a local sports-talk radio story.

The boys continue the conversation after last week's pod.  Andy continues to ride the #RomOut train and tries to lead the charge.  The boys discuss other possibilities at striker, whether internally via Armando Broja or via external transfers.  Parker discusses Oscar possibly making a return to Europe with a transfer to Barcelona.  So the question then becomes, in a dream world, would you take Eden Hazard or Oscar back at the club if you had to choose one?  Finally, the boys discuss what to do at goalkeeper once Edouard Mendy returns from AFCON.  Kepa Arrizabalaga has played well in his absence, so who do you put between the sticks in February?

This week the boys discuss a tired Chelsea side that dropped points to Brighton in mid-week and then dominated Tottenham.  What was the difference between the two matches?  Hakim Ziyech was a major point of discussion with his goal of the season.  The boys also heap more praise on Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger.

In the aftermath of Episode 20, the boys had a few more drinks and a few more thoughts.  Andy, Matt, and Parker discuss bourbon as a hobby and pick out their favorite whiskeys.  Andy goes on a rant about the North London Derby being cancelled, blaming Arsenal and Premier League.  This gets the other two going on how inconsistent the Premier League and the FA are.  Arsenal becomes the next target for their poor management and foresight.  Andy proposes a swap deal that could help Chelsea and another Premier League rival.  Finally, Matt is given credit where credit is due for his early take on Mateo Kovacic being the best midfielder at Chelsea.

Chelsea are officially out of the title race.  Following a 0-1 loss to Manchester City in the Premier League, the Blues now sit 13 points behind City with 16 matches to play.  Andy, Matt, and Parker discuss Romelu Lukaku's form and actions.  Malang Sarr gets a victorious shout out.  We look ahead to what possible signings we could go after and what will make a successful season Thomas Tuchel. 

The drinks were flowing post-pod this week and boys chatted about everything under the sun.  Bein Sports got a poor review for their (lack of available) AFCON coverage.  They spent some time ripping Arsenal for their all-white kits and went on to discuss some of the best specialty kits around the world.  They debated, what is the worth of the FA Cup?  There was some hate on Spurs and continued discussion on the first leg of the Carabao Cup tie.  Finally, all three guys put together our ideal starting XI with who is available right now. 

The boys are BACK!  For the first time in what seems like an eternity, we did not drop points in between pods.  Following a 2-0 victory against Tottenham and a 5-1 victory over Chesterfield, Andy, Matt and Parker sit down and discuss a wonderful showing this week by Chelsea's academy.  Cobham produced a great debut by Lewis Hall and goals from Hudson-Odoi and Christensen.  The lads also get into whether Lukaku had a good week, and Andy isn't quite ready to forgive the Chelsea striker.  Matt poses the question, what happens to Kepa after this season.  Finally, they wrap up previewing a crucial match against City next weekend.

Our longest Pod After Dark yet!  The boys had a few more drinks after this week's regular pod and ranted for another hour.  Andy introduces the Wheel of Topics which leads to some (interesting) conversations.  They discuss the transfer market, getting in trouble with the Chinese government, Christian Pulisic, 2022 Hot Takes, and Andy's Project Rebuild.

Why can't Chelsea Football Club have a normal week.  The boys had probably 6 hours worth of material to fit into a single episode for you this week.  The big topic, of course, was Romelu Lukaku and his interview with Sky Italia this week.  Let's just say the boys were not happy.  They did get some discussion about the Liverpool match in, as well.

Two wins in a week?  It's a Christmas miracle!  Andy, Matt and Parker are joined by resident Liverpool fan Joe to preview big New Year's matchup between Chelsea and Liverpool.  Before getting to that, the guys talk about the youth revolution that occurred against Brentford with Harvey Vale starring among other U-23 players.  They then transition to the Aston Villa match and discussed Romelu Lukaku's presence.  Chelsea have also run into another injury situation following a COVID-19 scare last week.  All four try to figure out what the best solution is.  Matt goes off on Mason Mount and his "selfishness".  Finally, they get to previewing Liverpool with GFOP Joe.