Semi-final
two of them. Obviously, this preview of Man City against
the Liverpool. Again, these two giants meat and Chelsea against
Crystal Palace. So two very different. Some semi-finals.
Obviously City against Liverpool, the
go in after every trophy go in the season.
And then for Crystal Palace, I mean, Chelsea's kind of
a luxury for them as well as sit you in Liverpool feel like
the FA Cup as at all. It'd be
great if we can win it, but
maybe no big deal if we don't win this season, but for
Palace, it's, you know, Route to Europe. First trophy,
Patrick Vieira how huge that would be for him and his young
Squad. So some great story lines, swirling
head of these two games at Wembley
and he able to start with the big one city. Liverpool
after that epic Clash at the Etihad.
We see a very similar game. Do you expect it to be a little
bit different because there's some injury issues Pep
Guardiola said that Kyle Walker. Kevin De bruyne. Am
I not be fit for that?
And a little w**** coming into this game, fairly rested,
arrested, Seven Stars. Essentially
against Benfica and midweek. So
you have to say, maybe Liverpool the slight favorite
setting in to this game, but I'm really intrigued to see
the lineups. Right? And I will tell us a lot about how important
these two teams are taking the semi fun.
Yeah. I think when you take all those factors in maybe a slight
Edge to Liverpool for that right there, but I, I'm looking
for a, let down from one of these teams at some point
because they've been on such an incredible high for
a couple months. Now, both of them just matching each other
result, for Adult, they play each other. They draw. They go
to Europe. They both keep advancing and on and on they
just seem to keep looking at each other's. Okay. You've done
that. I'll do this now and they just seem to find a way
and at some point the fixtures
the head-to-head matchups, against one another, in such
a short time. Somebody is going to have a letdown and so
I think probably factoring him a little bit of the lineup and
injury stuff that you mentioned there Joe. It might actually be
Manchester
City in this game. I think if they're going to look at
the three trophies that are on offer to them for this, And
they're probably going to put the FA Cup third.
I think that would be a very fair and easy statement that no
Manchester City fan would argue against. And so if they have to
prioritize at all and I'm not saying to throw the FA Cup
semi-final,
but if they have to prioritize anything and say, well if we
have to rest, somebody to get them back for the lead coming
up next weekend, we'll do it this week. We will do it this
week in the FA Cup semi-final, even though it's against
Liverpool
because it doesn't affect the Champions League. It doesn't
affect the Premier League. It can only help us in those. And
so, It'll be interesting to see what pep does because we had
such an interesting game over the weekend. Tactically, where
Manchester City, almost played a little bit like Liverpool in
that game. It was a little bit more counter. It's a was
a little bit more direct in your clock. By the way, was very
quick to point that out after the game a Pep Guardiola. Mr.
Tiki taka. Mr. Possession. Plan a little long ball, you know,
he got his jokes in and everything and so
it was fascinating from a tactical match up, whatever
the lineups are going to be. I think there will be a couple
changes probably for City going into this game. Then I think
it's going to be okay. What's that tactical change going to
be, you know, that that's necessitated by
the Personnel being changed. And so
it's going to be an incredible
kind of chess match. I think much more so than what we saw
last weekend where it was kind of a track meet. Let's just go
and put all the quality on display impress. Everyone give
everybody what they're looking for.
And then this weekend, I feel like it's gonna be.
Alright, let's not lose this one. Let's find a way to extend
this as long as we can.
Yeah, that's a great point. Because with these, you know,
maybe they're even affecting to play each other in
the Champions League final maybe they just keeping a few cards
and tricks close to their chest and up their sleeves. It's
okay. First game,
you know City again, when more direct Liverpool or a bit
caught out by that second game, maybe people try something
different, maybe clock will try something different and sit
back a bit deeper
and then the
all building up to, but wouldn't that be something?
Yeah. I know. It's just weird
often to each other. Now, they played each other so much and
respect each other so much.
But I mean, you brought up a great point there and in terms
of Man City the treble, they could win the treble and for
Liverpool the quadruple was still on,
you know, they've won The League Cup, they win this there
in the FA Cup Final and the favorites. I think whoever wins
this semi-final be the favorites to win the FA Cup
this season
and then obviously we could come down to the two of them to
win the Champions League. So
Nick how much of an edge will that add to the game? The fact
that, you know, it's very rarely done, isn't it? I mean,
we talked about the great Sir. Alex Ferguson signed
under a Manchester United, the 1999 2000 season. On the triple
city of on the domestic treble. But I think for either
Liverpool City to match or surpass, what Manchester United
did that is a huge
bonus and a huge carrot. Dangling for them to say
we can finally shut man, united fans up after 22 plus years of
talking about the treble.
Do you think that is a factor that or the managers are kind
of, just taking game by game right now and not looking too
far out.
Well, they'll tell you that. So, let's get that out of
the way. They'll tell you that the thing that in their sleep, you
kind of pull. Come and they go, I won't give it a time. The
next one is on the manners. Like that's that's how we get
to
but I honestly think that in the situation that it's going
to add to it and this is the oh, I think I've been thinking,
Liverpool's going to win this game for since the final
whistle
because we knew what happened in the first leg of their
Champions League match and maybe they're just a little bit
more fit there. I've been kind of hoping we would see like Pep
Guardiola Surprises by going in a 4-5-1 with a dedicated Center
forward
and Liverpool. With Trent Alexander Arnold, playing
the piano roll, like, both these guys who have kind of tried to
say that, I wouldn't want better. There
do that. But what I think is eventually going to
hamper these teams and probably a Liverpool, just a little bit
more guys.
Tell me if I'm wrong, please. I would love to you. Just tell me
and give you that confidence, that I'm wrong. What is it
going to be? The issue? Is that
man said he plays nobody for about a month. And I know that
it's not like they beat Liverpool and they have
a four-point edge that two points, that one point. The two
points separating them is dicey,
but man city,
you know, it's nobody else until Real Madrid in
the Champions League Liverpool. It's right after this
Manchester United and a merseyside derby where they
could potentially relegate arrival.
I mean, I just think if anybody's going to overlook it,
somehow it might be Liverpool, but at the same time, her both
these teams used to finding it impossible level of consistency
and intensity.
Well, that's the fit difference in season, right? They really
don't have any injury issues for the most part of me was
saying Walker and kdb my
Might be out there might have slight knocks, but
again, you probably expect him to rotate and even though they
are class players in the broiler is you know, the key
man for Man City. In many regards, they could still find
a way of playing extremely well, without some of their key
players and they proved that throughout the season. So,
yeah, I'm really looking forward to the Tactical battle
who's playing. And again, it's almost like the second and
we're almost expecting them to be in the Champions League
final as well. So two second of a three game series and now
I think it's going to get really really serious Andy on jumping.
Yeah, let me throw you a question. Gel. Well, let's say
one of these teams goes on and wins the travel. And obviously,
everything can't be exactly the same as to when United it
because it was League. It was FA Cup, it was champions
league. And so,
either it'll be a quadruple for Liverpool to include the FA Cup
or it'll be a treble without the FA Cup or it would be,
I guess it would be the exact same trouble for major city.
What am I talking about?
How much more impressive doing that in 2022,
given the quality that is on display. How much more is known
about. Everybody that the Tactical preparation, the
the Linux and the video and data, use and everything. Now
where it's so much more difficult to win a trophy in
2022, than maybe it was back then, when it was kind of who's
got, the most talented players that are going to show up on
the day when Manchester United did it, obviously 22 years ago
now.
I think that you did, if obviously a Liverpool won
the quadruple, then they'd be the best team in the history of
English. Elka.
Obviously just goes for saying that, in terms of the
the trophies they want to seize it. I think
it's difficult with Manchester City because everyone will and
same with Liverpool as well with the resources to say. Oh,
yeah. Well, it's easy. You guys got the best Squad, you can
afford it. I think the difference now is that
there's five or six teens, right? Who
are of a similar level can pay similar plot?
You just apply as for the most part transfer fees.
They were man united, did it not to take anything away from
them whatsoever. But it was them an Arsenal for that period
of five, six, seven, eight years and it was just back and
forth winning trophies. Now, there's more competition from
so many different teams,
even teams mid-table in the Premier League. We've seen
upsets happening
and I think that makes I would argue that if either City or
live poor win the treble,
then that would be a better achievement than when
Manchester United. Did it and I think over the years, maybe
nostalgic the fact that as and happened since as made that
team even greater and it was a great team
in Nationals Beckham
gig skulls Neville Roy Keane Japs damn,
obviously so many great players in that team
and I haven't even mentioned half of them,
but this would be a next level. I think you're right there to
say in this day and age in the modern game.
I'd never thought I'd actually see this happen and one team
dominate.
So yeah, it's It's that is for me really intriguing part of
this. Because in isolation,
probably like you said, the FA Cup is way down the priority
list for both of these things. But when you add in, okay, we
can win a treble or lip gloss goes quadruple. That is just so
much extra motivation for me.
Yeah. You said you've never thought you've seen in your
lifetime. We have two teams trying to do it at the same
time.