Do Wrexham keep, loan or sell Ollie Palmer?

From the stoppage time despair at Southampton to stoppage time delight en route to downing Hull City in the Carabao Cup, it’s been quite the week at Wrexham.

There’s lots to discuss between Nathan and Rich, namely: should Wrexham keep Ollie Palmer this season?

0:00 – Introduction
1:00 – Wrexham’s topsy turvy week
10:20 – How did new signings get on at Southampton?
16:58 – Should Wrexham keep Ollie Palmer?
33:33 – Wrexham’s hopes before Deadline Day
43:41 – West Brom fan opposition preview
57:59 – Predictions for West Brom

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Hello, welcome back to Rob Ryan Red, the Rexom podcast brought to you in association with Red 10 people development. Well, what a week it’s been. We sinned against the Saints. We were mowled by the Tigers and yet the Red Dragons roar as strongly as they ever did. On today’s podcast, we’ll look back at what we learned from the first two matches of the new campaign. Does Ollie Palmer still have a future at the club? And of course, we will look ahead to this weekend’s clash with West Brom. All that and more on today’s show. [Music] [Applause] Rob. [Music] [Music] So, N. Well, what a week it has been. We were there at Southampton. We were there for most of the game against uh whole city on Tuesday night. We’ve seen just about every Rexom first team player you’d want to see in action other than those who are injured at this stage of the season. How are you feeling? What’s your mood like after your first taste of Championship football as a Rexom fan? I feel like we’ve maybe underestimated some teams in our predictions and maybe overestimated Rexom. That is my that is my feeling from the first two games. Um I also my my main takeaways from the first two games couldn’t go in hospitality every week cuz we were in hospitality thanks to the guys that invited us to that for Southampton. Um couldn’t do that every week. Definitely couldn’t do hospitality for games where you are the away team. That’s excruciating. Um another takeaway, whole city are a lot better than people think. I think saying they’ll go down is a fairly lazy take. I can understand why their fans were protesting against everyone that had them in the bottom three. I think they absolutely outplayed Rexom for about 89 minutes of that game on Tuesday and still ended up on the losing side. Um, and also I realized that Rexum and I know there’s a lot of talk about getting nine signings and on eight. I think they might need a few more. I think they might need about 11, 12 maybe to really be where they want to get to. Um, I saw an interview today in the Telegraph that Mike Williamson gave and he said he presented three options to Robin Ryan, uh, what it would take to just be in a relegation battle in the Championship, what it would take to be mid-table and what it would take to kind of be in the playoffs, and Robin Ryan said what would it take to be in the top two. Um, and in the end, they settled on just going for a kind of top half competitive budget and whatnot. So, yeah, I learned a lot, but mainly I learned that the transfer market, I don’t think, is closed from Rex’s point of view. Again, this stems back to what we’ve said on previous week’s podcast. What we understand is it’s a two-year project to get out of the championship. So, this season is all about learning who’s up for the challenge, who’s not, getting as many of the the pieces together as you can, then trying to finish the jigsaw next year and and get that team assembled for a title push in what would be 2027. I know we’re looking maybe a bit too far ahead there. I agree with you from it sort of gives snap snappy sort of answer. Like I say, Southampton for me proved that we’ve got a first 11 that is definitely capable competing this at this level and choosing that proved to me that the squad depth just isn’t there like it used to be different seasons. We used to always say Rexom’s secret weapon in League One League 2 National League was we just had better subs than everyone else. Um we do not have that anymore even if ironically our subs made a difference on Tuesday night against Hull. But I think our subs almost kind of cost us against Southampton where they just weren’t up to the speed, weren’t up to the level. Losing Kefir Moore of course um in that match was was a huge blow to us. Which game? I guess let’s talk about Southampton then because that’s the team that we saw the strongest 11. That kind of was the indication of look when everyone’s fully fit, we’ll see that or thereabouts, I think, won’t we? New signs all look pretty promising to me. Yes. Well, firstly, while I remember Southampton, we did go out the night before and I want to give a shout out to someone who doesn’t listen to podcasts ever, but this is more of a test that if Hugh is listening and his friend Wolfie, um, who both live in South Wales, oh, no, Hugh lives in North Wales. Alan is lives in South Wales. Uh, they Allan likes the podcast, nicknamed Wolfie. They used to sell programs in front of Front the Cop, but Hugh’s basically never listened to a podcast. So, this is merely a test, a social experiment to see if this message gets back to him or not. Um, Southampton, yes, new signings. One thing I was going to start with, Rich, why I just hit my microphone there. I’m not angry about this, by the way. But Danny Ward picked ahead of Arthur, who played on Tuesday night. Of the things we learned from the first two games, Danny Ward is Phil Parkinson’s number one this season. That surprised me. Yeah, I know it didn’t surprise everyone, but on the back of what was it 24 25 clean sheets for Arthur, don’t think it was a disastrous preseason and it’s also preseason. I think Arthur’s in a difficult spot now to try and get back in to be honest. I think it’s what you need, isn’t it? It’s this ruthless competition for places that even someone as good as Arthur is not assured of a starting role anymore. It’s going to be really interesting to see how this one develops as the season goes on. From my perspective, that Southampton team was just everyone Parky trust the most. It was just experience, wasn’t it? And people who have been at this level who who have played there. And again, maybe goes back to what we said in previous podcast before the season that it’s an awful lot of players in that squad who have to make the leap to a level they’ve never been at before. So maybe the way of doing it is giving a couple of them that that chance, you know, Bruntton and and Max particularly and then you change the keeper. So they’ve got some really experienced in the middle of them and someone really experienced and confident behind them as well. And you know what, Wardy was great. I thought couldn’t do anything about eye of the goals. I thought he was really good with some aerial balls into the box. His kicking made a conqueror look world class. I’ll have to say that. Um, I I don’t think having this sweeper keeper role suits what Rex and do at the moment, but I thought Danny Ward was was really good. I thought O’Brien looked excellent in midfield. Windas, he’s like a deluxe sort of John Rooney, which sounds like the worst compliment of all time, but he’s just got something about him. I really like the the way he plays. Is that a compliment or I don’t know. I don’t I don’t know if that is I don’t know Josh Winders will hear that and think you know what Rich is is paying me sort of a lot of credit there that I’m sort of there’s definitely a compliment in there. Um I mean the for those who don’t know John Rooney was Rexom in what 2015 16 and it got to the stage of the se 16 maybe got to the stage in the season where we couldn’t play him in games because otherwise it would trigger a one-year contract extension that we didn’t want to give him. He couldn’t start he couldn’t start right so he would like come on in the he’d come on after like half an hour or 35 minutes. It was bizarre. Um I remember when you were his brother as well. I think I remember Martin Martin Riley talking at the time about just very very quickly on that is like so many players had these automatic triggers of new deals that the club basically couldn’t afford at that time like they you know wanted to change the squad and so this weird thing where yeah your main players were sat on the bench and you bring them on after half an hour just to get around this loophole. But um yeah know on on the Danny Ward thing I mean I would fully expect him to come back in for West Brom bags experience. I just think it’s like you say, I understand that it’s a big challenge. Is Arthur in what the last 18 months of his contract or something like that? You know, he he will want another one or or he’ll want to go. So, when we signed Arthur permanently, I think people thought this is the guy we’re going to build with and this is the and that doesn’t mean you have to be wedded to him forever. I understand that things can change circumstances, but definitely when he signed permanently, most people said, you know, we’ve fallen in love with this loan player. this can be the guy that could go up and up and I I don’t know. I think it’s a tough spot where, you know, goalkeeper doesn’t change very very often. You know, I think it’s starting the season when everybody’s fully fit and you’ve gone from the number one to being the the backup is a significant message being sent there. So, let’s see how how he responds. We have got another game in the Carabel Cup. We should say that’s just happened when we record this Preston North End. So Arthur will get at least another run out but after that you never know as a backup goalkeeper Rich you just don’t I was going to say just a name drop here because you know we are journalists there was a there’s a Man United game last season I was waiting to go into the Old Trafford press room and I was stood next to Paul Robinson and Peter Schmeichel and they were having a conversation it was after Newcastle away where Man United dropped Andre Onana and Man United gave some spiel saying it’s just rotation he’s being rested or whatever and the two former Premier League goalkeepers two of the very best in the Premier League were literally having this conversation. I got to be privy to it. And they they both agreed a goalkeeper does not ever get rested, you know, for actual league games. So Danny Ward, that is his spot now until he’s not worthy of playing it. You know what I mean? It’s not you don’t rest him and give Arthur one match to see what he can do. I I very much agree with that. Danny Ward is the number one for now and then maybe you put a conco if for whatever reason that that comes about. Um Katcha. Yeah, but last lastly, I’m not going to drag it out. Lastly, but my point being is that you’ve got that Preston game that’s going to be the end of this month. You know, Preston away, not the glamour draw. And I don’t know about you, Rich, but as the balls were getting fewer and fewer and I think leadeds were still in there, I think Man United was still in there. Maybe Everton at one point, they got Manfield. So, it wasn’t quite the glamour draw. Sorry, Preston fans. It wasn’t quite the glamour draw given we go there already this season. My my point my final point on the goalkeeper is that it was a it was a big message sent there. I I felt um one that definitely came as a surprise to uh Arthur, I’m sure, and people around him. But my point being is that that Preston game, you don’t know if Danny Ward performs fine, you are going to be sat on that bench for a long time, potentially the whole season. And that is difficult when you’ve been the main man for two seasons. So, we’re in a really interesting spot with the goalkeeper. I I think if that if Danny Ward performs well consistently, Arthur’s contract will be very very intriguing what happens there. Of course, you’ve also got K Burton for choice who won’t probably get a sniff this season now, but it’s what what a problem that is to have. As I said before, I was so sorry. I kind of want to go for the new signings because again, I only really I watched the preseason matches on on television, didn’t get a real feel for what sort of players they were, seeing what they do off the ball and stuff like that. Katcha is an interesting one. Of course, we saw him against Southampton. Yeah. What do you make of him so far? I mean, he is the most compelling of the summer signings, isn’t he? Good athlete. I think I think he showed that. Um I don’t think I think well I think it was a credit to him that Southampton targeted the other side more often than not. They targeted Barney, they targeted Max. Um Lewis Brunt and Katcha I thought looked a little bit more solid. There were moments where he lost concentration or gave the ball away and his position. I think he was one where I watched and thought I can see the fundamentals of what you’ve got, but he’ll get he’ll get better and better and I actually am looking forward to seeing him closer up at the race course, you know, St. Mary’s big stadium. were quite high up and I just think I’d quite like especially when wing backs or fullbacks um you can get a really good look at them when you’re close up maybe in in the paddock or more wherever the race course is not a massive ground so you will just be able to see the nuance of the positioning and the athleticism again just a little bit closer so yeah particularly uh Saturday against West Brom that’s really tough game you know he might be up against Tom Fellows that might be the matchup Tom Fellows in England under 21 international good player uh linked with various other teams in the Championships, some in the Premier League, link with South Hampton. Um, if that is the match up, I’d be I’d be really interested because I think that would be a really good one. Tom Fellow’s got the most assists I think in the Championship last season as well. So, he’s we’ll go into a West Brom chat later, but they basically said he’s one of their two one of their two biggest threats this weekend as well. So, that will be interesting to to come along. And obviously we’ll start talk about holes shortly where we talk about completely different players in Southampton as well Nate just as as a game because I think regardless of the journey we’ve been on the context to lose that in that circumstance was very frustrating helped for us that we were in hospitality we must say again thank you to ironically Southampton’s kit sponsors who up for that must say conceding in the in the 96th minute is slightly eased when you can go back inside and have two pints of asah and a cheese board But, you know, if you want to look at the wider picture, what a problem it is now that we’re losing away to Southampton. You can list off all these teams we’ve seen Rexom lose to in comical fashion over the years. Like I said, the one that springs to mind for me is Alfredton at home. We lost in the 94th minute. Chris Westwood, who was our player of the season, we released him. He joined Alfred, scored the winner at the tech end um on his return to the race course. you know, it doesn’t get as bad as that, but to throw not I wouldn’t say to throw it away because it was such a compelling game, wasn’t it? One thing that annoyed me about the analysis of the match is people were so focused on how few shots Rexom had in the game. I think we had two or three shots across the whole match, but we had an O’Brien one-on-one and the Kefir Moore one-on-one at the end of the first half. And they don’t actually produce shots in those opportunities, but they’re both two golden opportunities. That Hardy opportunity right at the death as well. Maybe if he’d been on the pitch a little longer, maybe he already got a goal this season, he might have buried that. But we could have won that two or 3-0, but we could also maybe lost it 3-1, 4-1. I I thought we had five golden opportunities. Um not in no particular order. Kefir Moore when he has to play it across earlier to Windas. It’s a tap in on the stroke of Vali 2 up. Yeah, he just has to flash it across. Windas is unmarked in the area. It’s a tap in. Bazoon would have had nothing to do with that. Just Ke Mo doesn’t have his head up and and the chance evaporates quick. I thought I think is it Quasi at the back for Southampton? Phenomenal defender. They got out of Germany. Um so that was one. I thought Connor Cody when I watched it back his volley from a ball in from Windas is a really good opportunity and if you get that repeatedly in the championship you will score more often than you miss. Lewis Brunt had a free header in the area that I think all right it’s a trickier chance to get over it but again a top quality player at this level will score from that header. Um O’Brien through one-on-one he’s waiting for the contact and fair play to Parky. He even said himself it’s not a penalty. He didn’t have the pace to get away. That is where you know if you do have that pacey lightning quick attacker which I don’t really think we have throughout the team right now that that would have taken him away from the defender and you know credits the defender for making up ground and then that Hardy chance at the end which is a brilliant save you know and that kills the game completely neutralizes it. I I don’t know. Maybe we’ll get on to Hardy and he’s missed a couple of good chances across two games and uh he’s one of them that you just want to see one hit the net because the longer it goes I know he said he went around the dress room and like apologize to every player um and that’s a good gesture. I understand that. It’s not the he’s not the sole reason we didn’t win that game. Um but you know it can eat away at you as a striker. So yeah, I thought we had five really golden opportunities and that’s not including wind that’s hitting the bar and that’s not including the penalty that he did score or the you know the red card that maybe should have been. So we had our chances. I was disappointed of course I was being surrounded by some Southampton fans that had the most idiotic opinions I’ve ever heard about Rexom and how they couldn’t hear the away end. I thought the away end was really loud. Incredible noise from there. Um I yeah and how terrible Rexom were. Well, we were 18 seconds away from getting a point off the side I predicted to win the league. So, yeah. Was I disappointed? Sure. Was I devastated? No. Yeah. Yeah. It’s it’s one of those. And I suppose again maybe the flip side though to be devil’s advocate on that is yes, we didn’t score to make it 2-0, which we should have done, but the goals I mean the free kick you you I I think it’s one of those where in hindsight you can you can blame a player for giving away a free kick in that position, but you still got to then produce what he did. And that was a sensational free kick. The winning goal is quite poor. The diagonal ball long misjudges it. It’s just scrappy. Gets across the goal too easily. Kind of again maybe similar to one of the goals. I think Hull’s third on Tuesday night was another pass across goal. And that’s a common theme we saw maybe at times last season as well. Just some really sloppy goals to concede. But that’s done. I suppose what’s interesting is Parky then makes 11 changes against whole city for the Carabal Cup. But the, you know, the system is still very similar. I know the strike force isn’t quite the same. If you not ke replacement before we get on to other individuals, we have to talk about Ollie Palmer. You just have to talk about him. Tiger King, whatever you want to christen him now. Are you not entertained? Told to leave on loan. Pack your bags. That’s it. You’ve you’ve done your part. Disney FC is done with you. You can go now. You come off the bench. You play like that. You do everything asked of you and then more. Two brilliant goals, an expertly dispatched penalty in the shootout. Brilliant knee slides because Ollie Palmer, that’s what he does. Is that a fitting for farewell or is that a reminder of just how useful he can be in this system? Because we saw how much Rex maybe struggled against Hull before we had a proper target man on someone to put balls into the box. And again, this is what annoys me when people criticize Rexom and Park style. No team in the world likes defending those sort of crosses into the box if they come in and coming like that. And Ollie Palmer, hey, as Josh Window said, maybe he would score 20 season for Man City because he’s in the right place at the right time. And crucially as well, he’s done it so many times before. I just felt he really had that belief. While people and certain fans might have left early, um, if anyone did see me outside the stadium at 3-1, I also saw you. So, uh, hey, bear that in mind. I was there for the penalties. Um, Ollie Palmer, what do you do, Nate? What do you do? Well, firstly, I want to put Ollie Palmer’s situation into context because we saw him at the end very emotional and I don’t blame him. You know, he said it was what did he say? It was a top two moment in his Rexom career. I’m going to get on to a couple that, you know, I think of when I think of Ollle Palmer. This will be known as the Ollie Palmer game. Now, that you know, when we look back and people say, “It’s just a carabel cup first round game.” Look at the context, right? January rolls around. Palmer has been integral. I think he played almost every game bar one in that run to January. Um there I remember games away at Peterbr and others where he just was a battering ramp. He was very effective. Wasn’t scoring goals and we’ve spoken many times before on the podcast about can you have a number nine that doesn’t score goals. We’ve spoken to x-rex and players that don’t believe you can have that kind of player. Um gets to January, Phil Parkinson says, think it’d be best if you leave on loan because I’m bringing in two strikers. really appreciate everything you’ve done, but you know, this is kind of the end of the road really. Um, Palmer says that no, he wants to stay and be around for a potential promotion. You know, he feels like he’s earned that right. That’s absolutely fine. Watches a lot of games as people saw on the documentary from his sofa with his family. So, he wasn’t even at the ground for some of the games. Was not on the bench, was not in the squad, was not, you know, in the stands. He was watching from home down in London. That is very mentally draining and difficult when you’ve had all the highs, that euphoria, that dopamine of being the main man, right? Fast forward to this summer. Um, was kept in the dark for a while, but I think it was maybe implied from January that you weren’t in my plans in January. You celebrated the promotion. You’re definitely not going to be in my plans in the Championship. Rex go make an early move for Ryan Hardy. You know, they’re they’re pushing for others. Sam Smith to come in in January. He’s good. Uh JRod, you know, I I would quickly say that JRod didn’t really replace Ollie Palmer. They’re not like for like JRod was playing the deeper role, right? But you got Smith in there. You’ve got then gone and got Kea Moore. So he’s definitely now, you know, Ollie Palmer’s finished. And there was a meeting last week or before the Southampton game. Yeah, the week leading up to the Southampton game. Ollie Palmer has told you are surplus requirements. Thanks for everything you’ve given us since coming in on that Tuesday night. Was it against Grimby where he scores on his debut? Thanks for everything you’ve given us. But you will, you don’t need to play for this football club again. We don’t need you to play for this football club again. We have what we have. We’re going to make more signings. You’re done. Doesn’t go to Southampton, a place that when the fixtures came out, he was desperate to go to. He said himself like, “I used to go to Southampton as a kid with my dad. I I you know, it’s a dream for me to go back there.” He didn’t go there. He was over at Wimbledon watching Wimbledon play at Plow Lane um back at his old old club. I couldn’t blame him, you know. Why should he just sit at home? Go and watch some football. Get out there. Get your face out there. Um Kefir Moore gets injured. Ankle ligament damage at Southampton. So when it comes to filling out the bench against Hull, he is the last man on the bench, the the fifth, the sixth choice striker, whatever you want to say. and he’s probably going into that thinking, you know, if I get on for 5 minutes at the end like at least I get to run out again at the race course and that might be that then you know am I going to probably play against West Brom? Probably not. She Wednesday probably not and then it’s the end of the window. So to come on for what was it half an hour and a penalty shootout to completely disrupt the the whole City back line which has a lot of experience in it. John Lundstrom, John Eaggan, people like that. Ex Sheffield United and to just take it back to pure park, you know what I mean? It was just like man balling, Barney balling, Bosch and it was just two brilliant headers, a a classic Rexom comeback and for me, yeah, a fitting end. If that is the final ball that he kicks, that’s the send off that if that is to be it. I don’t think Parker changes mind based on one game. I would be surprised. That is the kind of send off you want for players, right? Like you you you want more terms, don’t you? On a on a high I know this wouldn’t be Palmer’s terms in that sense whatsoever. He wants to be a Rexing player for the rest of his career probably. Again, another thing you mentioned that he’s had a squad number taken from him. He’s back to the 35 he when we first signed him, you know, and he might say, well, look, the new number nine has missed two golden opportunities in his first two matches. Palmer’s had two two chances and scored both of his. So, you know, we criticized him last season for not scoring enough goals and now he’s done exactly that. Got what, three goals last season. He’s got two in half an hour this campaign against a better team that any faced last season as well. So, it it’s a difficult one, but like you said, maybe it is just the the farewell it needs to be. Maybe we need to not have that that sentiment. And we we we spoke before that though if Rexom had unlimited maybe not unlimited maybe 30 man squad places a season they would have kept Steven Fletcher Ollie that that was my question to you though Rich because a few people said well Oie can play the Fletcher or he can come on and impact the game with a 25man squad. two-part question to you. Could could you make room in that for a a player that is, you know, really only Kefir Moore, has a similar profile and Ollie Palmer can come on. Can you make room for someone like that? And also, if you can make room, would you just not have kept Steven Fletcher? Yeah, it’s a brilliant question. It just comes down to that the squad of shoes and I was trying to explain to my mom last night who sat beside me in the tech end because she she just didn’t really understand how that all works. cuz like no there’s like Ashefield and James they’re the only two basically freebies we get. Everyone else is has to be registered. So I was like seven I was like point the squad saying seven of those won’t be playing for us next month like they just won’t be here. That has to happen. See Evan of course has gone out on loan already now to Burton. He wasn’t involved and rumors that Dan Scar could be off as well to to League One. So, it’s it’s a really difficult one because what I do find fascinating is if Rexim are going to play the way we think they will and obviously I have set up with Kea Moore. A lot of it stems on Kea Moore’s injury and maybe it’s not as bad as we first feared initially. Um, I still don’t think there’s another player. Oh, but basically what I’m trying to say is keep a target man is so integral to the way we play football. And I think Tuesday night proved that hey, we we’ve still got a hell of a lot going for us when we go like that to put balls into the box and have a target line there. Two things. Kefir Moore, as we’ve seen already, is going to be prone to injury. He’s going to be prone to fatigue. Kefir Moore also as anyone who’s ever watched him in his career, he will get suspended for accumulating yellow cards this season because every time he contests for an area ball, he gets booked essentially. So Kefir Moore will be suspended. You know, he’ll get between 10 15 yellow cards this season. And then you need someone who’s who can then do his role in the squad because you’ve got to change your tactic completely or you’ve got to have another target man. I still think Ollie Palmer is the the most natural replacement for him and I actually think he almost fits the system better if you’ve then got better attackers playing off him. You got Windas there. You’ve got maybe more coming from your wing backs as well. So I don’t think Ollle Palmer will have a reckon future. But maybe I’m getting carried away. I think he should. I I think in a 25man squad you can name five strikers. Personally, that’s what I think you can name. Um, I think you you name first. Can I ask you a quick first before you maybe on to this? Would you rather have Jay Rodriguez or Ollie Palmer in the rectum squad for this coming season? I I would rather have Ollie Palmer, but I I don’t think Phil Parkinson agrees with me. And I think I I Phil Parkinson won’t have deliberated that long I don’t think on telling Palmer in that meeting that you are no longer required. He basically told him that in January. So like you said, if Moore hadn’t got injured on Saturday, Palmer probably isn’t in the squad against Hall. Probably not. Maybe. I Yeah, probably not. It would would be would be my answer. Um but I don’t think Sam Smith can do what Ollie Palmer can do in terms of hold up and physicality. I don’t think Ryan Hardy can do what Ollie Palmer can do. I don’t think Ryan Hardy yet can can do what Ollie Palmer can do. I just think five strikers, Kefir Moore is definitely going to be in that unless we should say caveat. A lot of people been asking what’s the update with Ke Mo? What’s the latest Kefir Moore? As of Wednesday night, 8:08 p.m. when we record this. Uh the club’s plan is to assess Kefir Moore on Thursday or Friday, depending on when the swelling on his ankle comes down. So, I’ve been sent loads of things like slow-mo of the foot and the bend of let’s just wait and see. The club are reserving all caution and judgment and worry until the ankle, you know, once the swelling and inflammation comes down. It might actually be more of an impact injury and the the dam you the ligaments haven’t been ripped apart or whatever. We can only keep our fingers crossed that it’s not as bad. Who knows? If it’s not too bad, say the swelling has come down on Friday, he could be in the squad for say Sheffield Wednesday, right? in a week and a bit time, the 23rd, whatever it is, and suddenly got no dramas and we’re back to where we are. You’re going to name five strikers. Let’s just say Kefir Moore is fit in the next couple of weeks. Kefir Moore definitely. Uh Sam Smith definitely gets registered in the 25. Ryan Hardy definitely gets registered in the 25. Who else are we going to have in there? Do you think Jack Marriott gets registered in the 25? Not Not for me. Does Ollie Palmer get registered in the 25? Does Jay Rodriguez I would think Jay Rodriguez gets registered registered in the 25 shiny Nathan Nathan Broadhead that seems to be very very close now and I would expect to to be done in the coming days. Ipsswitch very koi with me today when I was trying to just assess how where that was and how far over the line it was. I think that is done. He was not involved with Ipsswitch. A conveniently timed illness there. Um I I my conspiracy theory would be um so there you go. There’s five. Marriott came on obviously scored the winning penalty. Far has gone out on loan. Mullen has gone out on loan. I just I I don’t see a five that that includes Ollie Palmer. And and that’s with really trying to jig it around again. And then that brings me on to the question is what happens when we’re playing without Kea Moore with for a game. How do you set up? because yeah, maybe Smith Smith didn’t look match fit to me on Tuesday night, which is understandable. He’s just trying to get the minutes under his belt. Hardy at the moment, it’s two games. I don’t want to judge him off this whatsoever. I still think get a goal or two and his confidence is through the roof and and it works both ways. Ryan Hardy, you can either say he’s missing a lot of chances or you can say he’s getting the positions. He’s getting some great positions to get both of those opportunities as a proper number nine. So yeah, I I feel like maybe that is the chapter close for Ollie Palmer and a Rexom shirt, which I’ve got conflicting opinions on. If we’re going to talk about choos mentioned at the top of the podcast that maybe well definitely Tuesday night didn’t kind of exploited and expose how little squad depth we’ve actually got and that for a lot of players the jump up to championship and regular championship football will will be too much. Shall we I’ll quickly read out the team maybe then that started against uh whole city on Tuesday night and I want you to just just say which ones did you think actually made a positive impact and a case for a starting role. Okay. Afro Conquo. No, don’t I don’t think so. I don’t think so. Owen Oonnell thought he was I thought he was fine but I wouldn’t put him ahead of Max. No. Dan Scar. Nope. Aaron James. He’s a free hit anyway, isn’t he? You’re fine. I don’t need to. He’s young player. Young player gets a bit more afforded a bit more sort of concession. Ryan Longman. No, I would I I think Barney has proven across the the past two games. Maybe easier coming on against Hull in that final moment, but his balling was brilliant. And I thought against defense a little bit suspect, but I I I think Longman hasn’t done a lot in the first two games. Ashfield, good young player, freebie. Yeah, almost scored an absolute stupendous goal as well in the second watching that whiz past the post. Wow. There’s there’s also the argument that, you know, did that prove on Tuesday night that playing every week for a team in League One would be highly beneficial? I don’t know. Elliot Lee, unfortunately not. I I I love Elliot Lee. I just think what who are we comparing him to in that team? Lewis O’Brien or Josh Windas? It’s a no on both counts for me there. James Mlean. He was okay. a great ball in for the for the goal, but again, I don’t think he did enough to sort of assert himself above Kache. No. Gorgeous George. No, I thought he was actually the poorest performer for us. I thought he was unfortunately a bit like a traffic cone at times in that second half. Um, and I actually don’t think were I don’t I don’t think Hall got out of second or third gear really. Um, really wanted it to work for George. George, I don’t see a way that he’s in the 25 man squad at the end. Brian Hardy, I it’s two games like you say. I I I don’t I don’t think he made a compelling case to start now. Sam Smith against looks like he’s still having his own preseason. Yeah. And again, maybe that is the alternative when when Kef is not there for for some games that you get Sam Smith in once he’s got up to speed again. But the first few weeks of the season, it’s going to be difficult to do that. Um, I thought Windas off the bench was class immediately. O’Brien as well sort of raised the levels. I thought those two were kind of the unsung heroes if you want to be really hipster. But, you know, it’s all about Ollie Balmer. We know that. Like I said, Marriott, decent penalty. Um, Barney, brilliant ball into the box. But what I want to then get on to then for you is we said a couple weeks ago, look, nine signings that might be enough for us to to achieve what we want to achieve this season. I think we, like we said, the budget’s there for a sort of mid-table team. We both expect Rexom to be mid-table and it’ll be a contested league at the end. So be a couple of points between sort of probably 14th and eighth. Do you know what I mean? It’ll and we’ll be somewhere between there. But now we’re saying, hey, maybe we need three or four more than what we’ve already got. What positions right now are worrying you the most? Like if if if Park came to you and said, “Hey, Nathan Salt, I know you’re a very successful podcaster. I know you’re a good journalist. I trust you. You know, four years we’ve been all right as a football club, but we’re gonna take this to a new level. We’re going for the salt. Salt is the new director of football. What four positions do you want us to target? What you I was going to say before I change my job, let’s just take a quick break while I figure out what I’m going to tell Parky. [Music] of Ryan Rhett. Right, Rich? After that short little interlude, I’m going to say that. So, look, what I’m going to do here is I’m just going to tell you what they want and what I’ve heard in terms of the transfer front. So, they want another defender. So, I thought Gonuki for me was my man of the match against Southampton. I thought he was our best performer. He made a number of key blocks, thought he led by example. I just liked everything about him. the postmatch interview, his performance, everything. Like not perfect, but it was it was good. Owen Oonnell proved that I think he can be one of the backups in that back line. I think if they had their way the club, I think they would get two more center backs. A backup for Cody, someone who can just anchor it. You know, look at Lundstrom last night, how he just orchestrated. I know they conceded late on, etc., but thought for the most part he did really well. And I think they specifically want a left center back. I know that because they did make a bid for Callum Doyle um at Man City. Now Doyle has been on loan at places like Norwich, Leicester, Sunderland, and maybe another one that I’m forgetting. I think he’s been on four loans. Rexom, I’m led to believe according to sort of sources made a 2 million pound bid for Callum Doyle. Um which from one source said that it got laughed out of the room that bid. How true that is, we’ll see. But the conversation for Callum Doyle starts around8 million pound. So you can see there is a huge discrepancy. But Callum Doyle would go in as you start in left center back with Brunt then as your backup. That might be seen as harsh on Brunt. But you know we’re not in the sentimental game unfortunately right now. Otherwise we’d still have Lee, we’d still have Palm, we’d still have Mullen. Maybe just stick with F and see how it goes for people like that. We’re not in not in that sentimental business unfortunately. Um, I think they would go for Doyle if they could, if they could find the compromise. That might be a bit too expensive. That would be even more than Nathan Broadhead at the at the asking price. So, I think they would like two center backs, a left center back and a central center back. Haven’t had any names for the central center back. I also think they would like two new midfielders, which again raises question marks around Elliot Lee. You know, he’s got to think Wthbone to come back in. Thomasson you spoke about before. I I think I texted you maybe earlier on about um Jordan James is set to leave Ren in in France. See Wales international could see the appeal from Rexom side and from the side of James in terms of Kefir Nathan Broad we expect to come in Danny Ward you know building the Welsh team basically up in North Wales Jordan James and whether they also go for a number six I think they’re looking for somebody to alternate with Matty James. I think Evans showed that that’s not going to be him. Um, and Ashfield, as much as I like him, I don’t think he’s going to start lots of games. I think it’ be mainly maybe off the bench if he sticks around. Couldn’t see him starting. So, I I think they’re looking at Broadhead. This is what they they would the perfect scenario would be two midfielders and two center backs. I think if they get one of each, that’s three more. I think they could probably live with that until until January. Again, it just adds to the dilemma of who you get rid of. And again, for note there, I want to say personally for me, Matty James was maybe my match against Southampton. I thought he was brilliant. I thought was a real tough role he had. And again, James and Dobson might play a lot more than than we maybe initially expected. But where do you where do you make the cuts in this Rexom team? It is very very difficult. And you mentioned it there. People like Rafburn, people like Lewis Brunt might be immediately demoted to to second choice in their positions, but we’ve seen now, haven’t we? We’ve seen the level you need to be at. And wow, it is it is a huge step up for for what Rectum are required to do. Broadhead as well. I mean, we’ve spoken about this numerous times, Nath, and we do expect this now to to go through that. Tuba Aquapom’s gone to Ipsswitch, and that was a key part for for for them. You McKenna didn’t want to sell broadhead anyway, but it was not going to be until they’ve got a replacement lined up. outcomes an improvement on Broadhead again. But where does he fit in? Like we said, I how do you start him? How do you get him into the team? There’s there’s so many bits and pieces. It’s fascinating to to think about. And look, the time is now ticking. We’re just over two weeks to go until deadline day on Monday the 1st of September. Then you’ve got to have your Championship squad registration done. And that’s locked until January. And you can make what, two changes to it, I think, in January or two or three changes. I still can’t call it. I still cannot call it because we’re saying we’re saying should Ollie Palmer stay and when you boil it down like that of course he can’t be in the squad if you’re trying to add three four more like that just answers itself. Sorry spoiler alert for earlier in the podcast. I just still I can’t I think I’m way too sentimental to be involved in any running of a football club because like you said I I can’t I’m find it hard to cut more people. No, I won’t name the person, but a friend of ours sent me a text, Rich, that said, they said, “I know it sounds a bit silly, but it doesn’t feel the same when you don’t know and you don’t feel a connection to the players.” And and I and I I can understand that totally. I heard that a lot in Australia. You know, I I get it. You don’t know these players. You’ve got no sort of like you’ve not been in the trenches with these players, but it takes time. You build it up in, you know, in late November when we’re playing whoever it is. We’re playing in November and and you get a last minute winner and and it’s not Palmer scoring, it’s Ryan Hardy with a last minute brace and suddenly that’s the Ryan Hardy game and the law around him becomes very different. But I do understand, you know, seeing people go, you know, seeing like last night, it was a night where Ollie Palmer has a match-winning contribution, basically, Paul Mullen as a match winning contribution, Moal as a match winning contribution, and that’s for three different teams. Um, so, you know, I can understand totally some people feeling that that it weighs a little bit heavy that you got to move on, but at the same time, like that Telegraph article said, Robin Ryan want to go for the top two. They got taught down from that ledge a little bit, but they clearly want to go for top half. And I think what I’ve seen across two games is those that have got us here unfortunately cannot get us there. And I look at even further, you mentioned Rafurn. I think Rafurn will have a role. I think his energy, but I’ve said it before, Andy Cannon, and I felt for Andy Cannon. I don’t know if anyone saw this on Instagram, but he put a picture up of um his leg and and and how and it and it really does show you what these players push through to get back out there and then we don’t need you anymore. Just signed Lewis O’Brien. We just signed Jordan James, whoever they go and get, right? Mans or whoever it is, Lewis Kumas. I think that’s maybe hinging on what minutes can we guarantee him, but it’s very difficult. And and to go back to one of your earlier points, what would I do? I would I said it before, I I would play Kefir Moore and I would play Broadhead and Windas off more. Still get it out wide, but allow those players. I thought Windas showed you how clever he was on the ball. Those those knockdowns from Moore and he was able to just either play it through and or drop it back to an O’Brien. It could go over the top or really neat and tidy. And if you’ve got players of that quality, you’ve got to maximize them. And I think just shoving them into a system that’s worked so well for us isn’t always the way. I don’t think you even saw very quickly which even saw that we won that game where we ended up getting to penalty shootout with a back four. Aaron James came off another midfielder on and and Park went to about four. Changed the shape. So like like you said, you can see why they’re calling Josh Windas the uh the deluxe John Rooney, can’t you? Um, but yeah, I mean I under I agree with the sentimentality, but you know, we we were used to watching the National League side that got ripped apart every single summer. Gary Mills would come in and release all your best players. Like that’s just it. Brakes used to hand out two-year deals. So sentimentality was lost a long time ago in football and we have to make these ruthless calls like you said if we want to go with the divisions. We we were warned of this a long time ago and it is going to be very fascinating to see what happens. I just want to say as well, Nath, um, before we got into the West Bro Grand Pre preview, thank you very much to the person we were, you might have seen, we were on BBC Wales News last Friday night previewing Rex season. Thank you so much to the man who got in touch with about 30 seconds of it going on air and gave us a very abusive message on Facebook Messenger, which I forgot we had a Facebook sort of page, but he reminded me he reminded me um for our comments on BBC Wales News. So, check that out if you haven’t already. All Rich, all I want if you abuse us, I just want it to be spelled correctly. That’s all I want. I like I’m a stickler for grammar and spelling. So like if you are going to call us every name under the sun, just spell it right. That’s all I want. That’s all I ask. Doesn’t ask for much this boy, does he? Um here we are. Ian, uh I won’t give you a surname, Ian. Um but two pair two pair of idiots. Does that mean four of us? If it’s two pairs to be, hasn’t it? Two pair of idiots. That’s four of us. into. You have just insulted the two owners. Spelled incorrectly. Um, you just called them Americans. We didn’t actually call them Americans. We said the good thing about American ownership. There you go. That’s what I said. Good thing about American ownership, baby. That is like calling English. Mind you, you may be dumbass. Um, sorry Ian, but we’re not as intelligent as you. Um, West Brom this weekend then, Nate. We were at the Southampton game with a Baggies fan, Matthew Smith, who uh was part of the the party that was hosting us. He’s got his own journalistic background as well. He’s been a West Brom fan his whole life. You can tell by the accent that you’re about to hear. And yeah, we spoke to him caught up ahead of Rexom’s first home match back in the second division in 43 years. [Music] So Matt, Rexom versus West Brom this weekend, second game of the Championship season. What is the feeling, the mood around the Baggies? Of course, he had that opening day result as well. What what were the expectations heading into this campaign? It’s tricky to say because you know near enough every season that we’ve been in the championship since the turn of the century you know the expectation is promotional or at least in the promotion race and again aside the last two or three years I suppose it has it has been the case and we’ve always been in and around the mix. Um I think this season’s really different for a number of reasons. Obviously Ryan Mason is now the manager, someone who’s never worked in a full-time managerial position before. U we’ve had a bit of an overhaul with the squad. Um sort of we were bound to FFP and and financial sort of rulings which meant we had to offload a lot of the high earners. A lot of star players really anyone of of value apart from maybe someone like Tom Fellows. It looks like one of our defenders by the way Hegum um star defender will be off. Might not play probably unlikely to play I’d suggest on Saturday. So, um, it’s diff it’s difficult to say what the expectation is and how we’re feeling going into the season. Obviously, there’s positivity after beating Blackburn at the weekend. I’m not sure how convincing it was. By all accounts, we played um some nice stuff. Probably should have scored more than one or two, but at the end of the day, a one- nil win doesn’t really um scream convincing either. So, there’s positivity. My answer would be there’s positivity. Um there’s hope that Ryan Mason is the sort of breath of fresh air that we need. Um but the expectation isn’t that we’re going to storm the league or or sort of maybe even even earn automatic promotion. I think we all hope to be in the in the playoff race, but there’s a lot of unknowns and there’s still I think there’s a lot of gray areas for Albine moving into the weekend. Again, if you look at the championship table, I mean too from Rex point of view, every team has basically played in the top division, haven’t they? I think they they have reckon the only team in Hampshire right now who haven’t ever played in the first division Premier League equivalent. So as a team like the Baggies who have had those glory years in recent memory for a lot of us as well. You know there’d be that generation of fans a West Brom Premier League team. How do you actually temper those expectations now that you are a Championship again? It’s difficult and I’d suggest that’s probably part of why we’ve struggled since we last came down to the to the championship because we’ve all had this mentality of, you know, at all costs we’ve got to be in the in the promotion um mix. And I think it’s probably fair when you initially come down and you’ve got parachute payments and um in the time before our last relegation, we were up within the second season. And I think um we missed out the first year in the playoffs and we appointed Slavin Bilich and he was given sort of a two-year target of get us get us back before the parachute payments run out. Um thankfully we did. Um but it’s not been the case this time around. Obviously there was a lot of problems with the Chinese ownership previously. They were so sort of short-term focused. They were so focused on getting their money back because they paid us like 200 million for for the club when we were in the Premier League which is bonkers to think about now. Um so they were so sort of focused on getting back and sort of uh getting their value getting the value back really that it was just again we need to be shortterm in the Premier League and then think about it um you know when when think about the Premier League when we get there which again when we did it was so short term for because again that we sort of had no we had no plan when we actually got to the Premier League couldn’t invest and we dropped back down. So, it’s been hard as you say to really um get used to a lack of expectation or get used to to where we are and what what the realistic situation is now. I think we looked at signing too many loan players and not developing our own um players. We were taking out loans financially here and there just to get us get us um on a on a on a sort of footing where we can gamble on promotion, that sort of thing. So, it’s been difficult and it’s been difficult from for fans and I’m probably still guilty of it of you know expecting at a certain minimum um certain standard from a from a from an Albian team. I expect us to be in and around the top six if we’re not if we’re not involved in the race and I think it’s a failure and it’s a failure on Ryan Mason’s part. Um it was a failure last season when we we dropped away. Um I’m not saying we’re the best team in the championship. I’m not saying we got the best players we didn’t last year. However, I think given our history, as you say, given that we’ve got good players, we still do um for this level, I think, yeah, we we’ve got to be in and around pushing for the top six. Anything other than it’s a disappointment. And whether that’s right or wrong, I don’t know, but that’s how a lot of fans do feel. Of course, we’re recording this now, two games been played, defeated Blackburn at the weekend, one nil on the opening day. Lost on penalties to Derby in the Carabal Cup. Again, they’re two of the teams similar to West Brom where you can’t really place them in the championship because they could be anywhere from one of the late charge to the playoffs, a team who could get sucked into a relegation battle. What have you learned from West Brom as a squad over these first two match of the season? Were there heavy changes on Tuesday night in particular? Did you see a whole different squad or is there a clear sort of best 11 that Ryan Mason already has? Well, that’s the interesting thing because there weren’t really many changes going into into last night, Tuesday night. Um, I was shocked to see the amount of players who played on Saturday also feature on on on Tuesday. Um I think one issue I mentioned that we’ve had to offload um quite a few players in I think we’ve had a few injury issues too but that’s played a part in certainly reducing our depth and we’ve not got as many options to call upon as perhaps we had last season and in the championship seasons gone by so I was shocked to see the likes of Price Fellows Johnston Hego play last night and they they’re all I’d expect all three or four of them to to start on Saturday if I’m honest unless Majer, they feel Josh Majer’s fit and ready to start then maybe he’ll come in. But um you know Fellows Price Johnson, they’re key players and I was a little shocked by seeing them play um on Tuesday night in the cup, but I suppose Ryan Mason knows best. Maybe he doesn’t feel like we have the depth. Um would I say he knows his strongest team? I think he understands um sort of the basis of it. I think he understands that the likes of of Price and Bellows will be key to um our attacking play. Um Nat Phillips was by all accounts really impressive against Blackburn. So I expect him to be sort of a pillar of the the defense moving forward. Um but there are also a few moving parts in terms of um Hegum. I mentioned looks like he might be off. You know, don’t take this as gospel, but um I do suspect he might he might not feature on Saturday, which then leaves an opening at the back. Would it be Caleb Taylor or would it be um Campbell the American chaper who’s coming? I’m not too sure. Furong D who’s got the I think it’s captain now got the captain’s armband at least um in the absence of well Wallace was on the bench against against Blackburn. So um we’ve got is he back? No, it completely ignored that furong service suspension last night. So we will play. Um but even the midfield to Malumbi and Ma I’m not sure he’s not convinced there’s enough there to sort of really dominate championship games. So there are a few question marks still going about. Um the goalkeeper Griffith’s kept a a good clean sheet. So um I think Ryan Mason knows what he’s trying to do and where the strong sort of pillars and regulars um in the team will be but there are still moving parts a lot of unknowns and hopefully still some new faces to come in. What is the sort of tactical approach of this West Brom side then? Have you changed the way you set up since last season since Ryan Mason’s come in or is it still similar to how you used to play? To be honest, I couldn’t tell you what our style was from the moment Cor really left last season. Um we didn’t really it was sort of you know we you know saw some decent decent play at times but um all in all there was there was not really much to us um after Corbran left last season. Um in terms of what we’ve seen this year, I think um we’ll be the one the one thing that’s caught my eyes is the amount of bodies we are committing um to to attack. I think we we’re looking to get bodies forward, looking to get bodies into the box. Um both goals have come from uh if you look at last night it was a really good ball in by Styles the the left back but um if you look at Hegabo who’s the eventual goal scorer and Price both in the in the in the penalty box receiving the crossing that’s really it’s really promising in terms of getting numbers forward. Um and the goal on Saturday came from a long throw which is always a weapon um with furong so that’s something Rexom should should take notice of. again, we had a lot of bodies in the box. Um, and eventually it fell for Price who could score. Um, so I like that side of things. I like that Mason’s keen to get bodies forward because if you’re not going to have bodies forward, bodies in the box, you’re not going to score, are you? So that’s that’s one side of it. Uh, I think he likes to control play, you know. I think a lot of modern managers these days, whether people like it or not, people might not pet, you know, they they like to really sort of control all phases of the play. It’s when you’ve got the ball um you know, you really dominate, you build pressure and that sort of thing which Corbrand was also um strong on. So I think there may be more similarities between Carlos Corbin and Ryan Mason than fans may realize or may be willing to acknowledge or maybe they might think um both modern coaches. So I think we’ll look to control the play at Rexom. I think we’ll despite the you know the being Rexom’s first championship home game since promotion in what believe 43 years. I’m sure it’ll be a great atmosphere. There’ll be a lot of sort of pressure of crowd pressure on us and I do sort of have worries that we might fold under the pressure in front of the cameras and all that, but I think um we will want to try go to the racecourse ground and and and control possession and try to dominate all phases of play like modern coaches are keen on doing. Before we get your prediction then, who are the players we should watch out for? If the baggies are going to come to North Wales and get a positive result, who’s going to be crucial to that? So, I’m not sure if the if the viewers and listeners will be aware that I was with you and you and Nathan at the weekend and I was telling you about Isaac Price. Um, and again, he got an assist last night, which was I was shocked, you know, I said, why is he playing? I was just concerned that last night in the cup they’ll get injured and we’ll be without him for the for the weekend because he’s really um really making waves since he joined in January from Standardly Asia. It’s a player I didn’t really know a lot about. He came through the Everton ranks and went to Belgium and really made a name for himself over there which you got to admire as a young player going abroad this and that. Um he’s also sort of the talisman for Northern Ireland I think these days as well. Um so sort of instantly Isaac Price is in that sort of attacking midfield role is the guy I’d look out for not only creating chances but also getting getting on the end of them. Um championship fans will be familiar with Tom Fellows. I think he was the top sister last year. He’s such a direct old school winger. will beat his man um on the right, beat him, get a ball into the box, and hopefully we can capitalize on one of them. And they’re definitely the two key players going forward. Um probably again, by all accounts, Nat Phillips was superb at the weekend, so I’d hope that he’ll really sort of become a leader. And um maybe be become something that we’ve lacked um in recent times. And there’s also a new striker I mentioned, Hegabo from Norway, who scored scored last night. And whilst we don’t really know much about him, um by all accounts he worked hard on Saturday and got his first goal last night. So um definitely Price and Price and Fellows are the two the two I’d look out for. Um and in terms of new arrivals, Philillips and Hegabo too given you’ve been cursed and you’re a veteran of the Championship unlike us, what do you think for this weekend then? You’ve already mentioned that maybe away from home, the TV, all the eyes on Rexton to get a home result. Are you pessimistic or do you fancy, you know, you could spoil the party? I’m I’m very pessimistic in terms of we’ll fold in front of the cameras, you know, everyone’s going to be up for it in Rex, rightly so. I suspect Rob and Ryan will be will be in attendance. I don’t know. I think it should be a great occasion. I’m look forward to seeing all all the goings on on Saturday and um you know, rightly so. You know, I’d encourage everyone to to soak it in. Um, I think traditionally, you know, a problem that a lot of Albian fans and myself included have had over the years and especially since we came down from the championship is that we just fold under pressure and we’ve not had real leaders. In my opinion, a leader is not only someone who can speak up and and can um sort of, you know, tell people where to be and what to do. You know, they set the standard. We’ve not had many standard setters um in recent times. Kyle Bartley’s just retired and um I suppose he’s a bit of a diverse figure between Albian fans the same way Jake Livermore was and um whilst I appreciate he might have been a voice on the pitch and and and a voice in the dressing room I think that you know the the core of the dressing room in years gone by which was you know the likes of him and Livermore and players like that didn’t didn’t show up on the big occasions and when the pressure was on you know we almost bottled promotion under Bilich we lost in the playoffs a couple of times Um, so the big the big occasion and all that just hasn’t gone down well with our team in recent times. We all hope it’s going to be different. Is it going to be a new era? Ryan Mason, you know, come comes from a a playing career at Tottenham. Hopefully he can sort of instill bits and pieces into our into our team likes Phillips. Hopefully he’s played on the big stage and can help out. Um, but I I am pessimistic. I’m not really confident. With all that being said, I’m not going to come on a recon podcast and and predict you’re going to win. So I’m going to say 21 to Albian. [Music] Well Nate, as you said earlier of the players to watch, the other one being Isaac Price who’s got a goal and assist now in the first two match of the season. And West Brom, one of those teams that maybe for our generation, they’re Premier League, aren’t they? Yeah, I I remember going to watch West Brom once at the Hawthorns. It was against Cardiff. That was a thrilling like 3-3 draw or something. I vaguely remember and a West Brom player ended up running towards the corner with seconds left, decides to have a shot, gives the ball away. Cardiff go right at the other end of the score and that player gets punched in the dressing room by one of his own teammates. So, when anyone brings up West Bro similar to Seban against Charlton away last season, but nobody nobody punched Sebre Evan thankfully. So, and we should say we’re wishing Sebrean all the best at um B, you know, Burton is becoming something of a a feeder club or a scavenger for Rex some castoffs, unfortunately. So, uh we’re wishing the best of luck there. Uh but yeah, West Brom I they’ve got great Premier League pedigree and I don’t think they’ve been outside the top two tiers this century. I don’t I don’t recall in the 21st century them dropping outside of the top two divisions. It’s it’s again just another tough game and I’d be curious to me if Robin Ryan are in town for the first be a good one to come to right the first home league game. Matthew in that chat then um said he I think he was just saying from a West Brom point of view saying well they the owners will be there won’t they? It’s interesting one is compared it’s going to be really sunny again. I mean it’s been a bloody enjoyable heat wave. Wearing a wearing shorts and a Rexom shirt to a Rexom game is is not a luxury we often have but Saturday does feel like it almost feels like we’ve completed the set. You’ve had your massive away day. You had a cup game, but now it’s race Rexom at the Kaidas for a league match. And that’s a completely different kettle of fish, isn’t it? It’s still really early days. And and I don’t think this is too downbeat, but I think shock I I might have got my prediction wrong. I think I think this is these teams are a lot rich. These teams are a lot better than we maybe or we or we are maybe not quite as good yet as we thought we we might go on to be. Now, like I say, it’s August. By the time we get to May, who knows where we’re at. January is another option, and I know that Rexon will have funds allocated for January if we’re in the mix. Um, and and we know that the race course is going to be a tough place to come, but let’s see if we get outplayed by West Brom like we did against Hull. I know we ended up getting a decent result, but if we get play outplayed again, they will punish us more than than Hull did. You know, they had some good chances. Mc Bernie Gellhard um the drama who actually gave one of the funniest um interviews I’ve ever se you know what I mean it says you know what I mean in it’s about I’ve retweeted it on my own personal maybe I mean it is hilarious you talk about what I love is I was watching a video this week actually on Sky Sports and they were doing a video with Ipsswitch players and it was you had to stand strongly disagree or agree a statement and it was put to them are footballers cleverer than their reputation is and all the players said, “Yeah, we’re way more intelligent. We’re way more articulate than people will have us say.” And bless him. Um I can’t Who was it? Cody, wasn’t it? What was it? Cody drama. Drama. Yeah. Yeah. Drama. Drama. He said he said the he said the phrase in his postmatch interview. He said the phrase, “Do you know what I mean?” 21 times in 47 seconds. Have you got Have you got a clip that we can play or not? Well, here’s one. In four seconds, he manages to say it four times. Right. Here we go. I mean, unbelievable. Yeah. Here we go. I mean, we know what I mean. Rex, you know what I mean? Unbelievable. You know what I mean? We heard them. You know what I mean? You know what I mean? Unbelievable. Anyway, let’s get us back on track. You know what I mean? Um because do do you actually know what I mean though when I say uh about West Brom? I I just think if we get out played again, that’s that’s not I don’t think it’s sustainable because I think we’re going to have to try and be more progressive. Phil Parkinson even said it right in his in his postmatch that he said I basically told the lads that we we can play. We don’t have to just sit in and that was a different team on Tuesday night. understand that with your starters with with O’Brien who I think looks class with Windas with um you know who else are we going to have in there uh Dobson James whoever it is Cody I can’t imagine Josh Windas is looking at Isaac Price on the other side and sort of um you know with worry and and trepidation do you know what I mean I can’t imagine I can’t you know what I mean yeah sorry that guy’s got in my head now I I just can’t imagine that Lewis O’Brien’s going to look across and and see whoever it is in the West Brom midfield or Katcha is going to look at Tom Fellows and and think God I you know if I go past him I’m going to struggle the other way. You’ve got to have belief especially at home with that atmosphere and uh I feel like and I think yeah I feel like we almost type on Tuesday night and approached it like we were the lower league team in the cup game and we were we were we were there weren’t we because that was a league one team at best yeah championship team. I still find it incredibly ironic that Casey Palmer ran the show and was not the best Palmer on the pitch. That is just very he was phenomenal. I thought he was brilliant. Um but it’s it’s it’s just part of what this process is right now. It is just adapting to a new level, better opponents, better players, having less of the ball. Every time an opponent gets the ball, feeling like you could concede a goal. And it’s just a much better product of football, isn’t it? When you think about the National League days and stuff and how quick we’ve gone to championship level now, the actual quality and pace of the match is just on a completely different level. And Nath, I’m going to again just kind of say for me, I understand that we need to be analytical and take into context what happens on the pitch, but I’m just loving it. I’m absolutely loving being at this level. I keep on just looking at the table, looking at the championship sleeve patch on my shirt and being like, we’re we’re in the championship. It looks it looks very nice actually that shirt. It took about two years to get to you, but it it looks very nice now you have it. Um I just thought cuz we’re near we’re near the end, aren’t we, Rich? I just thought we got an email, so you can email us robbergmail.com from Ian Roberts who said, “Hi, being a board teacher waiting for the next match over the long summer. I thought I would pass this along. Probably highly inappropriate. I don’t think it is, but saves me from actual school work. Has your listeners have your listeners got any further suggestions? And basically what he sent, if you’re watching, I’ll put it on the screen, but if you’re listening, he’s basically sent Rich a bingo card um full of various things that people say about Rexom. So, these are the phrases he’s got so far. So, if you’ve got any suggestions, let us know. But he’s put, “You’re only famous because of your owners. Disney FC, they’re ruining the integrity of football. Rexom have no history.” And it will all end in tears. That’s one line. Did you see one today? Carabac Cup draw a Peter Brie fan tweeted, “Why are Rex in the northern section of the draw?” He He was angry that we were in the northern section of the draw. Look at a map, my dear friend. Here we go. Another one says, “They get special treatment from the league.” Hollywood Welsh. Stick that in your documentary. Yeah. Um, they will get bored soon. That’s a That’s a classic. Um, what else we got here? You’ve only supported them since 2021. Another absolute staple. Well, we get that though, don’t we? We do. Yeah, we do. Uh, plastic fans. Um, always on Skype. It’s another classic. Um, buy in the league. Apparently, that’s, you know, Southampton fans were very upset that Parky pointed out they had 50 million pounds worth of substitutes and we had three and a half million. But anyway, one says Rexum is not a real football club. Uh, they’ll be back in the National League soon. All their success is bought, not earned. This is the Americanization of football. Um, this club is just a toy for two actors. Uh, no one watched them before the documentary. And lastly, Rexom fans are just glory hunters. It’s a pretty strong bingo card, but I might have a full house by the end of one match day. Yeah, I feel like he’s really got me there. I mean, bang to right. What I meant to say to that one. The other one is, of course, the fact that you and me don’t sound like we’re from Rexom, which is sure quite often thrown against people on TikTok do not like our accents. I will say people also don’t like the fact some people can’t comprehend that my job is to report on a different football team. I don’t support them. That’s my I’m paid, believe it or not, I’m paid to do that. Um, so that’s that’s all fun and games. But yeah, let us know what would be on your Rex and Bingo card. What are the tie raids that uh rival fans love to throw up our way that you enjoy? Um, M by the Tigers was good though, wasn’t it? That was I, you know, I I I just want to say quickly, I thought the whole fans were great. I thought they made plenty of noise. I thought they were one of the better away fallins we’ve had at the raceourse for a while and from um like from the minute from we had Joey tribute as well like they were they respected that beautifully they travel really well they’re very distinctly Hull fans do you know what I mean you see the club colors I know by Tigers is cringe it’s hilarious that it’s funny but I think a lot of it is tongue and cheek from their point of view um and I I would have loved nothing more rich if I was in that way I would have loved nothing more than at 3-1 up with two minutes to go to have been doing more by the Tigers. I don’t care if it’s cringe. I would have absolutely in the direction of the tech end. I would have loved that. And if it backfires on you, you just have to take the licks there, unfortunately. But it would have been very, very sweet and funny for them had it paid off, I’m sure. Yeah. So, yeah, let us know. West Bers weekend, Nate, you’ve already said you might have changed your prediction for where we finish in the league table. What have you got in store for us on Saturday then? What do you think’s going to happen? Well, in the predictor league that I’ve got, remember you can still sign up to that description in the description below the details. Um, I predicted 3-1 Southampton, it was 2-1 Southampton. So, I sort of expected we’d lose. Very disappointed in the fashion. Uh, I have gone with this time on the predict a 22 draw at home to West Brom. Desmond 22. A Desmond 22 early kickoffs I hate. Like they just don’t feel the same. I’m going for Hey, sunshining. I’m wearing my new Rexom shirt. Rexom free West Brom nail. You’ve heard it here first. Thank you very much for joining us on Rob Brian Red. Olly Palmer hatrick. Thank you very much for joining us on Rob Brian Red, the Rexom podcast brought to you in association with Red 10 people development. As always, thank you to Rex and bass band hypnotic for the music that stings as well. You can get us on all the social media, Rob Ryan Red and Rob [email protected]. Nathan, anything else to say before we drift off into the sunset? No, I gave my shout out to Hugh, who doesn’t hasn’t listened to this podcast? Um, and I also want to give a quick shout out to the My Squin who are offering like 10 hot food items now. I had the Bang Bang Chicken. Phenomenal. 10 out of 10. No, no, I’m coming for that lasagna on Saturday. Go there if you want. That’s incredible. That’s what I’m saying. That’s my final remount. Amazing. Thank you very much. Take care and we will see you again next time. The Rex AFC podcast with Nathan Salt and Rich Fay.