Football weekly: Highlights of 2024 and looking ahead to January transfer window

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A weekly football roundup.

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00:00Coming up on this week's football roundup a look at the standout players

00:05across 2024 for many different sporting outfits and another update ahead of the

00:11January window. All this and more to come.

00:17Well Charles, Wrexham of course a team that's were bought by Hollywood by Ryan

00:23Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and it's it's such an interesting story that one

00:28because there were a club that was essentially left to rot in non-league

00:32football and then these two come in with their Hollywood money they have a show

00:37on Disney as well welcome to Wrexham and it's it's a bit of a fairy tale so far I

00:44mean obviously some outsiders perhaps might not see it that way although for

00:47those involved in Wrexham I think it's just been a rollercoaster ride but

00:51certainly a positive one so far in terms of the progression that clubs experienced

00:55under their new owners but the question is how far can they actually take them

00:59because of course you know you look towards the Premier League and you think

01:01well there are essentially some state-owned or nearly state-owned clubs

01:05whether or not what your viewpoint is Wrexham certainly are still on a good

01:09trajectory but how far can they actually go under these two? Yeah I mean I think

01:13at the moment you look at them and you think how how high is this actual

01:17ceiling it's incredible to see where they've gone and how far they've gone in

01:22such a short space of time you have to give credit to these owners you know

01:27they've come in and they've not you know completely changed the culture they've

01:30they've just sort of adjusted things a little bit which which a lot of fans

01:33have loved a lot of fans have taken really really well to you know the likes

01:38of Phil Parkinson and you know Paul Mullen the players who are in the side

01:42and getting them through these tough times and tough divisions it's not a

01:46walk in the park League Two, League One and you know achieving promotion was

01:51unbelievable in League Two to go straight from the National League you know in

01:57dramatic fashion it was as well but to do it like this it is such a strange

02:03situation but but also something that a lot of clubs really want to build a

02:09model around I mean you see in this modern game there's so many American

02:13whether it be people involved in sport people with a lot of funding they're

02:17coming into the game now so yeah obviously that they're doing well in

02:22League One this season so far I mean it's been a massive change for them to

02:26go to go up if they are to go to the championship it would be remarkable for

02:31them it would be that the highest ever they've been in the EFL and you know

02:36it's just going to continue for them I mean you know you look at their squad

02:41and it's not just players who have no experience players these are players

02:45who played in the Premier League like Stephen Fletcher and you know you've got

02:49John Daddy Bob Varson a lot more championship experience and these are

02:53top top players as well so at the moment they are signing in years of years of it

02:58in advance I'd say it's real credit to them and and I think it's going to

03:02continue for years to come so we're looking at Liverpool and obviously you

03:09know as we approach halfway through this this Premier League season and and

03:13there's been no updates on Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk's

03:17futures as well which we mentioned a lot in the summer was going to be you know

03:21quite a standout topic throughout the the season especially when you know the

03:26season continues to go on and there's been no update you know by the club you

03:31know the players have certainly said a few things themselves but in terms of

03:35the fans listening fans watching what what could you sort of give an update on

03:39and what's the stance of the club with when it comes to these star players

03:43because you know if they are to go go ahead and win the league with Liverpool

03:47have an amazing season then you know maybe opinions and positions could

03:52change when when the summer comes and it's time for them to possibly move on

03:57what's the latest you can tell us?

03:58Yes it was interesting after the Southampton win

04:02obviously Mohamed Salah speaking to the press back in the mix zone he doesn't

04:06often give interviews Mohamed Salah he very frequently walks past you know or says

04:12you know some some polite comments you know maybe next week a little joke or

04:18whatever but he took his time out to go and speak to the press and saying

04:22there's been no offer on the table I mean for me that's very direct plans if

04:30I'm honest with you you know he's probably been told by his agent right we

04:35need to start getting some talk going here because quite clearly talks are

04:40stolen I mean there's no doubt that Liverpool have been in talks with

04:44with his agents same with Urge Bandai, Trenton Central, Alexander-Arnold but they

04:48haven't been able to really come to come to the point certainly with Mohamed Salah

04:55it seems that you think he'll sign the contract if they draw one up and maybe

05:00they're too far apart in wages Liverpool worries about his age he's

05:04obviously gonna be 33 in June but he's not stopping at one party waiting for each

05:13other to blink maybe I don't know but Urge Bandai's a little bit different I

05:17think he's a bit more relaxed about him maybe comes out of Moneyball

05:22Alexander-Arnold as well maybe he thinks no I deserve I deserve this obviously

05:27Liverpool moving to Adidas next season and him signing with Adidas maybe that's got

05:32something to do with with negotiations I'd be disappointed if at least two of

05:41them don't stay I must admit I think the one that supporters are rightly

05:46concerned about mainly is Alexander-Arnold because he's just hitting

05:50his peak years and he's a boiled fan who could potentially you know boiled fan

05:56came through the academy and could potentially lead the club but absolutely not

06:02Charlie looking at Aston Villa and obviously January window approaching now

06:07and it's become a thing where you know a lot of clubs spend big in the summer and

06:12get big names in in the summer and tend to not really adjust massively you know

06:17the last few seasons especially in the Premier League the January windows have

06:20been quite quiet how do you sort of assess Villa's you know season so

06:26far up until this point until this festive period and how do you feel

06:30they're you know adjusting January whether you know do they sort of need

06:34any sort of position of improvement you feel and how much can that take them

06:39forward into the new year I think they're definitely areas for Villa to

06:43address and going on quite a winless run throughout the end of October and

06:47throughout November as well there's been a few concerns among supporters but

06:50they've remained competitive Unai Emery isn't it is not overly concerned by it

06:54and by the run of form at all because he knows that his players are keeping to

06:58the structure that he wants keeping to the demands he wants they've been quite

07:01a few injuries especially midfield and in defence as well that's disrupted

07:04Villa's rhythm but once again that they're not losing games by huge margins

07:08they're sticking in there and keep on cracking on they just need to be a bit

07:12more clinical maybe in front of goal not quite having the same cutting edge as we

07:16saw last season such an impressive campaign it's very hard to meet those

07:19demands and meet those levels once again but that's what fans want that's what

07:23Unai Emery wants that's what the players want maybe in January they could

07:27address a few areas it's just they don't want to slip back into the problems with

07:31the Premier League's profit and sustainability regulations we saw that

07:35in the summer just how much stress that caused they managed to sell Douglas

07:38Luiz that got that problem out the way they brought in Onanas they weren't too

07:42weakened but once again if they go and spend too much money without selling too

07:46much then they could run into issues again and ideally they want a new right

07:50back because Matty Cash although he's played pretty consistently he's not

07:54quite of that Champions League level most would argue

07:57Ezra Conza better in the middle they don't want to rely on him going into

08:01right back so maybe another right-sided centre-back or a right back could fill

08:05in nicely and then an attacking midfielder a bit more creativity might

08:09be desired and we've seen the odd switch with John McGinn moving just behind

08:12Watkins Morgan Rodgers heading out wide instead has that worked I'm not too sure

08:17Emi Wendier is he quite hitting the levels Jacob Ramsey constantly injured

08:21so an attacking midfielder would be desired as well but it's all about the

08:24cash and not having too much of it yeah do you feel that maybe Villa squad

08:29depth isn't quite the level it needs to be to be competing in the Champions

08:33League I think in right midfield especially Moussa Diaby leaving great fee

08:37recouping pretty much everything that they spent on him over 50 million pounds

08:41but Jadon Filagin hasn't hit the ground running as much as Villa would have

08:45hoped Leon Bailey hasn't been in the form of his life by any means he doesn't

08:49seem to have the confidence yeah you're right and confidence isn't quite there

08:53which makes you feel like you haven't got that depth then they can certainly

08:56compete it's just about finding the confidence and find the form of these

08:59players again Bristol City and obviously we've mentioned a number of times what

09:07it takes to be a championship winning side a championship promoted side you do

09:11need huge amounts of consistency throughout the season in terms of this

09:17season for Bristol City I mean the inconsistency has been quite incredible

09:21I mean it's obviously all throughout this calendar year as well if you look

09:24further back and then even further back over the last few seasons as well it's

09:28all have been a bit of the same and they are trying to find the solutions to sort

09:34of resolve this because you know they sit mid-table around there and and they

09:38just seem to linger and they do pick up some good results but they also you know

09:42fail to win at home for example and then they go win loss win loss for example

09:46and it's just form that's not going to get you out of the championship it's one

09:50of obviously that the toughest divisions in the world to get promoted from so how

09:55do you sort of see them improving it what are the sort of solutions and key key

10:00moments that they need to change if they are to sort this inconsistent run out

10:04well as I say just looking at their their recent form in just November they

10:09had one two three four five six games in in November and it's just so up and down

10:16and topsy-turvy you start the moment with a great 3-1 win away at Preston

10:20North End and then fair enough okay I'd hope we get beaten by Sheffield United

10:24but then again they are pretty much at the top of the table and then you go

10:27away to Norwich City and you win 2-0 you think you know it's been pretty good so

10:31far I'll be at the one loss then you come at home you lose against Burnley

10:35Burnley yes are up there as well you then go away from home to Watford you

10:39get beaten 1-0 and then you go and win 4-0 at home against Plymouth Argyle

10:44Wayne Rooney Plymouth Argyle so you think okay it's been a all right month

10:48they've had they've had three three wins there albeit three losses as well and

10:55then you come into the start of December and you think okay build on that you've

10:59got Portsmouth at home bottom of the league and they're gonna lose 3-0 it's

11:03it's it must be so infuriating for them at times because they they go from such

11:08a good performance against Plymouth who are a team also down the bottom of the

11:12table to then go and to play Portsmouth who are also down there and it's such a

11:18poor performance and I mean Liam Manning the manager said they were lacking

11:21intensity but it is that to be honest but it's the lack of consistency because

11:26I don't it must be so hard to try and work out why they're going from such a

11:29good performance to such a bad one against two teams who are largely quite

11:33similar and had similar records so far this season so it is baffling for them

11:37and I mean they've all said they have aspirations of the playoffs but not with

11:41that level of inconsistency you've got to be picking up consistent results and

11:47yes they've had some great results but they're surrounded by some really poor

11:51results and that's just in the last month and a half to be honest and that's

11:54what the problem is it and it sort of epitomizes what they are like as a club

11:58at the moment

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