[music] Welcome to the daily new castle. My name is Ian McKai. We are here to talk about the England upcoming games, the middle two games in the nation's league. England play at home on Thursday to Greece and a way to Finland on Sunday. I'm joined by the boys. Kevin, how are you doing, bud? All good, absolutely buzzer. I mean, who isn't excited for international break? We fought eight games in a Premier League season. That should be illegal by the way, but yeah, we have started very well, very encouragingly in the nation's league. So I'm looking forward to consolidating that good start. I'm not really. I'm just hoping the castle can win these games and be appointed England manager so they'd be very how-alone. I'm also joined by Michael. Now, Michael, you're going to be magical, Michael tonight, not miserable, Michael, aren't you? Well, we'll see about that. The England setup doesn't really leave a lot to feel magical about, but we'll try not to be miserable. We'll try. Excellent, excellent. Well, in this first part, I wanted to have a look at the squad that has been picked because I think there's one or two players in there that I'm wondering if they've really earned their place. A question where one or two of them have also been picked up, so I'll be interested in hearing what you think about that. Still got to try and cling on to a Newcastle twist, but I mean, that's Nick Pope's in the squad, but he won't get a minute and Anthony Gordon's in the squad and he should start. Is that enough of a Newcastle twist? I was very interested. I think it was when cons are pulled out that Tina Livermento had been report to the squad, although I was quite surprised that he hadn't been included given that he was picked the last time and never got on. So he hadn't had a chance to do anything to get himself excluded. Anything to add on our Newcastle players? What do you think Tina has been called up again for, Michael? I think it's one of those where it's kind of just, you know, fill in the gap. So he already knows who he wants to play, but if, let's say, trend get an injury, you kind of need another. Well, actually, he's still got Kyle Walker. So I guess if Rigo Lewis or Levi Cole will get an injury, then we can put Tina Livermento in and, you know, we can get into it, playing in the reserves through England and on training, should I say, and then not play for Newcastle. And yeah, you won't miss me. Get positive mate. Get positive. Honestly, he's going to play 180 minutes score. Try and get to assist. Boom. Well, that was Lewis Hall in the previous 121 game, I think. Anyway, at Kev, what do you think Tina have got called up for? Is he just making up the numbers? I'm not sure. I think, of course, he is going to have it long term. I think he's probably looking at like, I mean, Southgate was there for quite a lot of years compared to previous England managers. So I think he's probably, in a way, just getting them used to the training camps for squad. Because I think long term, if cos he is going to be very long term, I think he probably sees Latino as quite an important player. So I don't think it can do too much harm having him around the camp, having him around the squad, getting to know how the England camps work, how we train. So I think it's mainly just for that experience. I don't think you'll get loads of minutes. But I also don't think you'll get none. I think you will get his debut this time round. So for me, I think, yeah, it's to get him around the squad and get him the experience. So in about three or four years time, it'll be the first choice potentially. First choice potentially excellent. Good stuff. Anyway, some of the recalls were quite predictable, I think, and I've got no qualms with them. Jude Bellingham, obviously, he needs to come into the squad. I think, Ollie Watkins and Cole Palmer were picked first, last time, but pulled out through injury. I've also got no difficulty with those guys coming into the squad because they've all walked and started scoring again and now we can't stop. So yeah, they're all in really good form. Then what on earth has Dominic Salenke been called up for? Michael. I think it's a big question is who would replace him, I guess, as a striker. But what I would like to say is Dominic Salenke was in the form of his life for Bournemouth and didn't get a call up. And then as soon as he goes to Tottenham Hotspur, players distinctively average for the start of the season gets called up straight away. So what are you saying to players from the likes of, let's say, Crystal Palace or a Brighton even who, you know, sit there and go right. Okay, I'm not going to need that move to a big club to get into the lineup. Yeah, you probably do, to be honest. But Salenke are like as a player. I think he's got real good potential of doing well at Tottenham. He's 27, so hasn't got the potential to be world-class, but you'll fill the void of how he came for a little bit. And it kind of just looks like England have looked at him and gone. Well, he's trying to do it with him for Tottenham. Yeah, let's just do it for England as well. Copy and paste. Seems a little bit of a laid-back way of picking a national side in a competition, but that's how I would do it. What is Tottenham and exactly doing in that squad? I actually have no idea. I'm going to go back to one of the things Michael said at first. So I kind of like that he's, well, first off, I don't think he said in the message of if you play for a ballman for Palace Econ, because that was the different manager at Southgate. So, Coslee might have picked him when he was a ballman if we don't actually know. So I guess we're not sitting in that message yet, but I hope he is sending that message because we'll just use Anthony Gordon as an example and say, "Look, everybody, come to us. Everybody, come with you, Castle. You'll get caught up for England." I thought, "Well, I hope he is sending that message, but I don't think we can say that yet." In terms of Sir Langley, I have no idea what he's doing in the game in the squad. I mean, two tap-ins in a header or something for Tottenham. One of them was in a Europa. It was a conference league or just Europa League game against some nobody team, which again is just mind-boggling. And on top of that, when you look at Sir Langley's history, he's never scored over that one season at the bottom of last season. He's never scored more than six league goals in a Premier League campaign. So, no more than six Premier League goals apart from once in a Premier League campaign. His best record in the Premier League before last season was six league goals. So, I genuinely haven't. He's only got two for Tottenham now, so I've got absolutely no idea what on earth is going on with Dominik Salenki and my team. What care if Michael's exempt from this because he's quite supportive of Salenki being in the squad? And we are playing two weak-ish teams and we might, by the time of the finish game, if we won the first three, it might be a chance for him to do some experimentation. Who would you have picked as a third-choice striker instead of Salenki? Now, that is an unbelievable question. I think, so at the minute, we've got… So, we've got Watkins, Strikers. Watkins, Kane and Salenki, is that right? Yeah. Yes. You know who I would have given call up instead of Salenki too, and I'm going to get so much stick for this, but I've been seeing this quickly. That's what my question was five minutes ago, so get on with your answer, mate. Sorry, I'll get straight to it. The person I'm going to get stick for is Danny Welbeck. I would have picked Danny Welbeck. He's in great form. He's experienced. I think he deserves that recall. Callum Wilson's injured. Watkins has been suffering with injuries. I know he's in the squad. But, I mean, if you are going to set a precedent as an England manager saying, look, if your informal pick here, regardless of your age, regardless of what you're doing, he's surely one of the most informed England strike is a malignal. He is. He should be looking sharp. And of course, Salenki has already played for England, but I think back in 2018. So, he's been recalled after six years. I think Danny Welbeck would be even longer than that, would you not? I can't remember. Definitely. Got a bit less too old than he had eaten. Potentially, I would put Welbeck in that world copy. We might have been on the bench. But, like I say, for me, if you are going to set a precedent to England, English players saying, look, I don't care about your age. I don't care about, you know, who you're playing for. If you are informed, score and goals in the Premier League or whatever league you're playing, I will pick you. So, I think Welbeck should be in there. I did slightly give myself time to think about with answer because Ian Coates, I've got, but I'm quite happy with my answer. I'm going Welbeck. I'm going Welbeck. Oh, it's a good show. It is a good answer. I've got a couple more players I want to discuss. I think I'm going to save them till part two. I believe you have our first message from the sponsor, Kevin. I do. I do. It's from Zincaster. Do you have a story to tell that the world needs to hear? Have you struggled reaching new audiences who are engaged with your story? It might be time for you to start a podcast. And let me tell you about the platform we use here at Global Sports Podcast Network. Zincaster makes it easy to start a high quality podcast built for growth from day one with 4K video recording from your phone and AI editing that automatically removes ums as your nose in 22 other speech patterns. Zincaster makes it super easy to start a podcast that sounds great. There you go, Michael. Just for you. Ready to tell your story. Check out my link in the show description and learn more about Zincaster about you. That was a fair attempted tone of your tiger. It's not quite at. Couldn't fully commit. I really could. I didn't know if it was the fully committed tone of your tiger. The marvellous maestro. Zincaster commits to you better than Kev commits to Tony the tiger. You missed my wonderful description of you, Michael, which was the marvellous maestro of mimicry that is Michael. Wow. That's better than Captain Misery, isn't it? Although he's got a hat for it. I'm warning it. He's got a hat to be Captain. The Captain will come out sooner or later. We're back to part two. And I've got some personal questions that I'm going to ask. I mean, my own questions. And I'm not going to ask him anything personal. I don't get it off. Obviously saw Karl Walker's been recalled to the squad. Phil Foden has been picked for the squad now. I'm conscious that the city fans didn't want to pick Karl Walker to face Anthony Gordon when they came and played Newcastle. They were all after Rico to come in and Foden got picked for the very first time to start from Manchester City. On Saturday. So my question to you is, is it just a no-brainer that those two come into the squad purely because of who they are? Or we have left Kyle Walker at home and given Tina a proper game. What do you think, Michael? I think with Kyle Walker, I'm going to go along the lines of experience. John Stones in the squad as well, very experienced. But when you look at that, you've got Levi Colbillon, Rico Lewis, Tina Liverman. So if we are bringing those players into experience the camp, then a defender like Kyle Walker could be quite useful in that way. Would I play him? Probably not, although he might suit the system a little better than he does at Man City. Obviously Man City, they have a lot of the ball and I don't think he's the best player on the ball. Even Stones isn't really getting that much time for City at the moment. So it's an interesting one. But on the topic of Foden, you have to play him, don't you? Oh, you don't have to play him, but you've got to include him. And you've got a talent like that. Even at 75% fitness, he's still better than 80% of the players in the league. I know he was a fabulous, fabulous talent. However, we're overloaded. He's a fabulous, fabulous talent. He's a number 10, isn't he? Let's be honest. But then for me, Cole Palmer is a number 10. And on this year's form, this season's form, Cole Palmer starts in that number 10 position. So it's Foden really been picked and called up and sit on the bench and come and do another 15 minutes at the end because it's not doing much for his fitness either. What do you think? Probably help him out a little bit though in my and my thoughts. Sorry to just go on there. Like I think, you know, he hasn't got much game time for City. So a little bit of time for England might actually help me sharpen this a little bit. We might actually be doing a solid, which no one wants to do. I have got a completely different, I think the Walker one, I understand why he's come back in because of his experience and kind of what he's done for England, but he's 34 years old now. So by the time the next tournament comes around, he's going to be 36. Is he really going to be included? I mean, let's be honest. This is going to sound so disrespectful, but England could put out probably the third choice team in in beat Finland, couldn't they? So it's a case for me of why are we playing Walker or Colin Walker up? If he's not going to be part of the next major tournament squad, shooting these two years are better off spent. If Tino is the car to his answer, I'm not saying he should be or he will be, but if Tino is the answer and play a Tino, give him two years to get embedded in, give him that first team experience. Don't play Walker for a year, get the 2025 and then Walker's 35 years old and you bring in a new person who gets about four friendlies before going into a world cup. For me, it's silly. I don't understand a person. And on the Fordon side, look, club level, I think Fordon's great, but I think in terms of international level, he's another Gerard, Lampard, you know, that way, he just doesn't do it for England. I haven't seen him have a ridiculously good game for England at an important moment. And I completely agree with Ian. If you're going off form and you're sending a message, like I said about the Welbeck comment, if you're sending a message to players, Palmer should be starting. Palmer's in great form this season. Play call Palmer, fill Fordon for me. I mean, Gordon's in better form and Gordon hasn't had the best start of the season. Don't get me wrong, but Gordon's in better form and Fordon because he's playing minutes and he's had at least one good game against Man City. Actually, 40 played quite well against Everton anymore, you missed a penalty in a one-on-one. But I haven't seen much from Ford in my season. Adamic is in great form. And I haven't seen him really stampedes off already on the England team yet. Look, I love Phil Ford. I mean, he's mega-talented. I will love him at Newcastle, of course, I would. But I think England's problem previously has been just picking players through reputation, not picking them on form. Gerard was unbelievable, but for England, he never really stampedes off already on the team. Frank Lampard, I loved him. I loved watching Frank Lampard, but for England, never did it. I would say it was only a handful of players for England who haven't done it at international level, as I have for the club. And I would probably go Sol Campbell, actually call David Beckham. I think it's a very short list. I think that's about it. Wayne Rooney, great player, but did he really stampedes off out in England and people say, "Oh, but he's set an all-time top scorer here." I had scored six goals against Panama and a friendly. Let's be honest here, I think we need to start picking players who were going to show up for England and play for England like we're doing for the club. And I think Paul Palmer could be one of them. Palmer got a goal in the Euro's final. He's already made more of an impact for England, and Fordin has. Well, that's why I raised it. That's why I raised it. I still remember back to the Euros in the summer when I thought the England squad was hamstrung by a sort of commitment to include our Galactico's for one of a better word. Yeah, absolutely. And we had one too many Galactico's to play in an 11-man team. So somebody who should have been in, maybe Gordon, maybe SA down the left, didn't get a looking. So yeah, that's why I raised phone. It would have been an opportunity for Karsley to leave him out given a little first team football that he had. So we've looked at the number 10 there. My possible thought on why Walker's been picked is will Karsley play three centre halves and be able to push Trent up as a wing back and somebody as a left wing back and maybe Tino, who we know can play left back would be would be a good choice down there. If he wants kind of Walker as a the covering super quick centre half, I can see I can see that being a reason for him to go in. What would you do Michael? Four three three or three four three? Would you play three for the pack? Considering who we're playing, I think you probably spot on. Utilise Trent in a more attacking role, have Kyle Walker cover and you've also got to remember there's only three centre backs and actual proper centre backs in the team and one of them spent most of his time playing left back, which is Levi Colwell. That leaves Margay and John Stones. So Kyle Walker in the right centre back, I think you're absolutely spot on. I think it'll be Rico Lewis on the left though, but there's no way perhaps going to let Rico Lewis play 180 minutes when Roger's crocked. So it could be a brilliant time for Tina. What about you, Kev? Do you think three at the back is the way forward? Personally, I'd love to see like a five three two or a three five two, depending on attacking defending all that stuff. I don't know. I think if you are going to play Walker as a centre half, again, my point before about he's going to be 36 when my next tournament comes around. He's not going to play there. Why aren't we just planning for the future right now? Why aren't we bringing in, again, I don't know. I know he picked Conza. So I guess if Conza was still in, then you could have had what Conza Stones and Gehee is a three cent a half. I'd be quite excited about that really, but I think five at the back, because I do want to see, I think Trent is a really good player. I don't think he's him in field here, and I also don't think he's a right back. So I think playing and wing back gets the best out one, but I think the way he strikes a ball and what he can do and what he can create, I think you've got to look at a way to try and get the best out of him. But then Trent is also on that teetering kind of position I was talking about with Ford and where he really needs to do with England against a big team, or he needs to do with England in a big tournament or in a big game because, yeah, he played midfield against Mulder, I think it was or somebody who played a Worldian score to goal. But we need these players to really start putting the stamp on the England team. Ford had not been in this squad, would be amazing for him, because it was more of him to get back in. But, yeah, formation-wise, I'd like to see 5-3-2, but I'm really not sure what cars he's going to do, if I'm honest. Well, we're better not lose sight of the facts, of course, that Lee Karlsley does want to win both of these games. First and foremost, he wants to coast through to the later stages of the Nations League, which someone will have to explain to me, because I'm not sure what happens after we play this little group. It's probably a knockout of some sort, isn't it? He wants to win it. Ford runs a stamp, absolutely not see. He wants six wins to get promoted to the next level up, which is still not the top level. He wants to win it because he wants the England job, doesn't he? So that might be why it's relevant for Kyle Walker to come into the squad now, and not necessarily be wondering who's playing in two years' time. Anyway, we'll have a go at drawing line-up then, and then making some predictions for these two games in part three, but first, Michael. I believe you have a word from one of our other sponsors. Yes, I do. This podcast is part of the Global Sports Podcast Network, the only network bringing you exclusive daily news and views on your Premier League team, the Premier League, Women's Football, and Fantasy Football, a unique listen experience that puts fans first, bringing you the very latest breaking news from your team. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and make us your first listen every day. Global Sports Podcast Network, every club, every day. Well done, no impressions there, right? They're very professional, well done. Oh yes, makes change. Part three. So, I guess we should try and pick a team for the home game against Greece. If we win that, I think there'll be a little bit more scope for Kyle's to perhaps experiment with the starting line-up when he goes away to Finland, but I think this is the key game in this sequence for him, a solid home victory over Greece means we've beaten all three of the teams in the group with us, and therefore, we should be coasting to getting whatever the prize is. I think Pickford will start and go. Anybody want to disagree with that? No, definitely start. As much as I'd like to, I can't. And I'm going to go with my, I don't think he's called Kyle Walker up when Trent is in the squad to play Kyle Walker at right back. So, I'm going to go with three center halves, which will be Kyle Walker, Mark Gahe, and Jon Stones. Trent is a right wing back. I'm happy to go with Biko Lewis as the left one, because I know he can play down that left-hand side, which plays everywhere, doesn't he, he's fantastic there. He's incredible. So, yeah, so then I'd have Bellingham and Rice in midfield. I'm going to end up picking one player too many here on a, so that's three four, so I want three up front, which will have to be Gordon Kane and Palmer for me. Make that a bit boys. Left-sucker out. North-sucker? Yeah. That's interesting. They're interchangeable. Maybe it's Sucker and Palmer comes on for the second half. I think I'll get a half each. I don't decide, okay, you're Sucker at all, but what I'm hoping is that they don't try and crowbar, folden, or Palmer in on the left when we've got that Jordan flying down there. That might be my Newcastle bias, but I think his record stands comparison with both of those guys. Yeah, I really hope he doesn't pick it to get. Go on, Mike. Okay, yeah, I was about to say one of the things I really hope doesn't happen is Bikai Osaka goes left wing back, so you mentioned him there and I went, "How could he crowbar remain?" And then I remembered the euros where he fitted in there for a little period. I don't think Cosli would do that. I'd like to think he's got a few more brain cells, but you never know with England managers. To be honest, the only change really that I was thinking was Stones. I think just with him not having that much sort of game time under his belt, you'll go for a more natural left footed centre back and a Levi Colwell, and then I think Stones will probably come in against Finland. By the degree with the rest of the back five, I'd maybe played three in midfield instead of a three up top, but I'd have the same personality of Bellingham, Rice and Palmer, and then it just goes with who do you want coming off Harry Kane, who by the way isn't a guarantee because in Bayern Munich's last game he did come off with an injury. Clearly it's not that bad because they haven't recalled him back, but they might have said look can you give him reduced minutes, particularly because you're playing you know Greece and Finland, but we might see Ollie Watkins instead of Kane, but I think it'll be Kane and I actually am going to go Gordon as well because I think he's more natural coming just off the striker while Saka I think needs to be put in a wide position. And if we're going to play a 5-3-2, Saka just doesn't fit. I don't think getting crowbar him in like we did with Foden in the year us. I think with Ian's 5-2-3 who win is in the forward, I think he will crowbar Saka in and well I don't think he'll crowbar so I think he'll crowbar Palmer in, so I think Saka will go right way and make a Palmer left wing, which I don't want to see by the way of Gordon's much more natural on the left, but I think he'll try and play them all, so I think Palmer might have to play out of position and I guess in a way Ernie stripes to say well look you can't deny me I am that good, but I would actually pick personally, I would pick exactly what Ian's picked. The only player I would like to kind of not see, but it would be a case of can we take Rice out and put in Gomez or just I don't know, I'm not, I like Rice, but I don't think Rice is as good as what everyone says he is and I know that's unpopular, very unpopular but- - Tell us why we can pop that on the socials. Good, like he is good. I honestly think Declan Rice is a good player, but people talk about him being world-class, I just don't see him being world-class, I don't see him being like a Palmer to the air where I just don't think he is, I really don't. I'd like to see, I'd just like to see someone different for a change. Rice gets a ball a lot, especially in the Southgate and it's backwards and sideways and I hate it. I really hate backwards and sideways over and over again when we are the so-called dominant team and I think if you go back and or different manager, but if you go back to the Euros, I think that first game, I was watching it of a second game, I was watching it innately, we were doing a trip with work and we counted Declan Rice's forward passes. Like we all sat back together through a bad board and currently he made six or seven forward passes in that first game. Why are you not playing a forward forward? Just play the ball forward. So I would personally, I'd go with Ian's team, but I'd take Rice out and add somebody else in just to see if it can pass the ball forward, but yeah, I'm going to get so much stick for hitting on Rice, but it is what it is. It would be tough if men who hadn't pulled out injured I think, because one of them would have had to be left out and I don't think they would want to have left me anywhere because he's played so well for England when he's come in. He's really stepped up to... I'd prefer men who... Better than Ian's good man. He is good man. He's over Rice for England, but yeah. He's too serious as well. I hate backwards, I hate backwards. Backwards and sideways when we were a dominant team, it just, it didn't few years. And there was times as well on Euros, he would like drive forward 40 yards of a ball, he is Declan's moment, he's drawn forward, he looks like the Rolls Royce, he put his foot on it, stopped but didn't go back, I was in the half, I'm like, what are you doing? Yeah, I remember that. Oh god, I'm having, I'm having nervous sweats and a flashback there, Kev. I know this by the way, none of us have actually tried to put Foden in at all, which I think just goes back to that first point. Anyway, we've probably challenged the unchallengeable a few times. We'll need to just pick our predictions for these games. England against Greece, tomorrow night, Michael. What do you think? I'm going to go, I'd like to have said a five, but the last two games have just been two-nil and pretty boring, so I'll just three-nil. I'll fucking go with two again, I'll fucking go with two. No, I'm being positive if I'm adding one. I love how episodes of me and Michael was like, like devil and angel on your shoulder, Michael was like, no, it would be positive, but this episode I'll be quite negative, so I can't say that. My prediction, my prediction for Greece will be one-nil England. One-nil, Kev, I'm planning on watching it, for goodness sake. Greece, Greece is a top of Greece. We're boring. So, yeah. And we've got all the season net. He's going to save like 15 shots. I sat through a boring one-nil last week, if you remember. I mean, that was at St. James's Park against Wimbledon. I'm going to go 3-1, because why not? Because it's game. And I always pick 3-1, but it's a game where it could easily be. Michael's 3-nil, but they get something with a silly mistake or a penalty. We've got it. And we'll career back so fast, he'll knock somebody over. Where are we going to do when we get to? We've all predicted victories there, so we're 3 out of 3 when we get to Finland. On Sunday, your prediction for that, Kev, I'll come to you first for the away match at Finland. I'm Finland, we're a worst team in Greece, two-nil England. Michael? Yeah, worst team in two-nil. So, is everything about England? No, to be honest, I actually agree with the score line. I think we'll rest a lot of players, see a lot of rotation. Beat Greece, you've pretty much won the group, which is mental to say. But we've pretty much won the group, so we'll see like Madaweek, Solanki, or Watkins, etc. So, yeah, two-nil, uninspiring in both games probably. But we'll hop for the best. Yes, I think we'll win in Finland as well, and I'll go for 3-1. Why not? I've picked 3-1 about 10 times now, and I haven't had it come in yet, so it's due. There you go. Get the double on, 3-1, England to win 3-1, England to win 3-1 away. That'll pay a fortune. Will. With that fantastic tip to get you all your next summer's holiday money in one go by just betting a finer is a good point for us to live. Thank you very much indeed, Michael. You weren't as miserable as normal. Getting the water that you poured on everybody's ideas was just look warm, not cold, so thank you very much for that. I'll try harder next time. I'm driven by Nilkev. Thanks very much for all your insightful opinion. You were a star. [Laughter] [Music] I'm sorry.
