Nathan Judah and special guest Tim Spiers bring you the latest episode of the Wolves poddy.
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00:00:00 [MUSIC]
00:00:19 Well, hello everybody, welcome to episode 326. That's three, it's two, it's six, it's the UNS.
00:00:27 [MUSIC]
00:00:34 Podcast, I'm your host, Nathan Judah.
00:00:38 Liebkein is away and the boys, oh, they will play.
00:00:44 I've gone cap in hand to the management.
00:00:48 An incredible result means that we need to get a guest on par.
00:00:53 The man in front of me is currently sat on a mound of athletic cash, wads of 50s.
00:01:00 He's walked through both the East and the West wing in his London pad to get to his microphone.
00:01:06 I've had to book him in between his 9am massage and his 11.30am first cigar of the day.
00:01:14 He's the man who coined the word filth.
00:01:17 He's the former Express and Style Wolves correspondent, former Wolves correspondent for the Athletic,
00:01:22 and currently London-based reporter for the Athletic.
00:01:25 Please give a warm welcome to the return of the man, the myth, the legend.
00:01:31 It is Mr. Tim Smith.
00:01:40 All right.
00:01:43 Who are you again?
00:01:46 Took me 11 minutes to write that.
00:01:49 That's very good for you.
00:01:50 Very good.
00:01:51 Thank you for having me.
00:01:52 All right, mate.
00:01:53 All right, mate.
00:01:54 Good to have you back.
00:01:55 Keno is currently probably buried in an avalanche somewhere in the French Alps.
00:02:01 So I thought it was only right and fitting to get someone in that's going to frustrate
00:02:06 him and annoy him.
00:02:07 And people who have been inundated with responses.
00:02:10 We've got over 120 questions.
00:02:13 Not only can you listen to this audio podcast, you can also watch myself and Tim on Shots
00:02:18 TV and also Freeview channel 276.
00:02:23 What's occurring, Timothy?
00:02:24 What's occurring?
00:02:25 Things have really changed since I left.
00:02:26 Yeah, you've got, we're being filmed.
00:02:28 You've got a producer.
00:02:29 That's very new.
00:02:30 You've got a running order.
00:02:32 You actually texted me yesterday with some kind of like content.
00:02:36 I mean, it was between 12 and 15 words.
00:02:39 Let's be honest.
00:02:40 Yeah, there's 12 and 15 more than when I was last doing it, mate.
00:02:43 That's true.
00:02:44 That's true.
00:02:45 That's true.
00:02:46 Oh dear.
00:02:47 Hey, mate.
00:02:48 I'm so sorry.
00:02:49 Um, what you've been up to look, you know, the fans that they miss you.
00:02:52 I think that's fair to say.
00:02:54 No, no, they miss you.
00:02:57 You were very much loved when you were here.
00:02:59 Even when we went over to them lot, you were still loved.
00:03:02 Um, then it's not West Brom, mate.
00:03:04 It's only athletic.
00:03:05 What are you?
00:03:06 Um, but yeah, but you left me, you left me.
00:03:10 And that hurt.
00:03:11 That hurt.
00:03:12 Yeah.
00:03:13 Best season I ever made.
00:03:14 No, it was, it was, uh, no, no.
00:03:16 Yeah.
00:03:17 I, I miss you, man.
00:03:18 I miss you.
00:03:19 I miss you.
00:03:20 It's, it's, it feels, it feels good to be back.
00:03:21 It feels very comfortable.
00:03:22 What, um, so what, what have you been doing like for people who don't know people have,
00:03:26 you know, the face of the planet, what, what's Tim Spears up to these days?
00:03:29 What's his, what's his daily routine?
00:03:31 You know, you wake up, what'd you do first?
00:03:33 Oh no, but you know what, what job wise, what you're up to these days.
00:03:36 Cause people are a little bit confused at your spurs or your London base.
00:03:39 You still got a bit of wolves.
00:03:41 You're at West Brom last week.
00:03:42 What's going on?
00:03:44 So what am I doing?
00:03:46 So yeah, I left you in 2019.
00:03:49 Jilted five years, man.
00:03:51 Can you believe it?
00:03:52 That's insane.
00:03:53 Is that five years ago?
00:03:54 Well, later this year it will be.
00:03:55 Yeah.
00:03:56 It's 2019 and I left mental.
00:03:57 I can remember the day you told me you were leaving.
00:04:01 You took me into the archives at the old express and star that again is no more now we've moved
00:04:06 out of the queen street.
00:04:07 Yeah.
00:04:08 That's very sad.
00:04:09 Yeah.
00:04:10 It's a very dark room where you noises can't escape.
00:04:12 I thought I'm, I'm, I'm in a bit of trouble here.
00:04:14 How am I going to break the news to him?
00:04:16 And it's very, it's very emotional moment.
00:04:18 Do you remember?
00:04:19 I was, I was stunned.
00:04:20 I mean, a dark room that noises can't escape.
00:04:22 I'm sure it's been used for many, many of other things for throughout the years, but,
00:04:25 but yes, that was a, it was, it was, it was totes emosh as the, as the cool kids say,
00:04:30 um, when you did tell me Chris fallen, but also happy.
00:04:33 Well, well, yeah, you, you were one of the few people that actually knew what the athletic
00:04:37 was if you remember, um, because you'd already sort of followed it from its, um, uh, subscription.
00:04:43 Yeah, exactly.
00:04:44 Yeah.
00:04:45 So, uh, yeah.
00:04:46 What, uh, well, you know, subscription web websites, my, they're, they're all the, they're
00:04:49 all the race these days.
00:04:50 Um, what am I up to?
00:04:51 So yeah, I moved, uh, I moved, uh, works for the athletic, uh, covering wolves still for
00:05:01 like another three years after I left the expression style.
00:05:04 And then about 18 months ago, uh, was offered the chance to move down to London by the athletic.
00:05:10 Um, there are two spurs reporters at the athletic.
00:05:14 They both managed to impregnate their partners within quick succession.
00:05:18 And they're both at sort of like six month paternity leaves.
00:05:21 Um, but consecutive six month paternity, it's not bad gig.
00:05:24 Is it?
00:05:25 It's all right.
00:05:26 And I'm trying, I'm trying to sort of sort some out myself somehow.
00:05:29 The rest of London women beware.
00:05:31 Yeah.
00:05:32 Um, so yeah, I did sort of six months in Conte's last season and then, uh, six months at the
00:05:37 start of this season covering spurs also did England for a few months.
00:05:40 Uh, what am I doing now?
00:05:42 I'm doing so basically I'm now working on like euros content building up to the summer
00:05:46 so that people won't see for quite a few months, to be honest, but, um, obviously tournaments
00:05:50 are sort of massive for us.
00:05:52 Um, I do a lot of podcasts, mate.
00:05:54 Um, guesting on a few hosting a couple, um, do a thing called the football gods podcast,
00:06:01 which sort of wolves are involved in.
00:06:03 Uh, we had kind of Cody on last week.
00:06:06 That was great.
00:06:07 Um, we've got your mate, your mate bully.
00:06:12 Uh, we had Sean Derry, who's very good.
00:06:15 And then other people, other non non wolves, people like sort of David Seaman, Nader Manuwa
00:06:19 and you basically, you, you become a football garden.
00:06:22 You, uh, you, uh, you know what, nevermind.
00:06:27 Just, just people can just look it up.
00:06:30 Christ.
00:06:31 Um, but yeah, I've got to say you've made hosting podcasts look very difficult for quite
00:06:35 a few years now.
00:06:36 It's not that hard to be honest.
00:06:37 I just keep on going till it, till they put me out of my misery, mate.
00:06:42 You know what I mean?
00:06:43 So it's all good.
00:06:44 Do you know what I'm going to be nice now?
00:06:45 Like since, since I left, since I left you, you know, uh, worked with some like incredible
00:06:49 broadcasters, obviously Jackie Oakley, who people will know.
00:06:52 Um, I work with Kate Mason now on the football God podcast.
00:06:55 She's absolutely fantastic.
00:06:56 Work with people like Mark Chapman, James Richardson, but I tell you what, like in
00:07:01 terms of, you know, something's coming, but it's not, it's not coming like in terms of
00:07:05 natural presented ability, you are as good as all of them.
00:07:08 Like you make it look so easy.
00:07:15 It's a really difficult thing to do that.
00:07:17 I hope, I hope the peeps as you incessantly call them, uh, appreciate how good you are.
00:07:23 Cause uh, yeah.
00:07:24 Well, I appreciate, I appreciate you.
00:07:27 And also, uh, just text keynote to say you never coming back on this podcast.
00:07:33 So he doesn't listen anyway, so it's all good.
00:07:35 So what's Tim, Mr. Tim Spears, what gives you more pride?
00:07:39 Is it becoming the go-to journalist for the club that you've loved and supported all your
00:07:46 life or being remembered mainly for unsuccessfully urinating in your own car?
00:07:55 I mean, I'll dine out on that story.
00:07:58 It's an incredible pick for anyone who hasn't listened to it for, I mean, I'll get it up
00:08:02 on a link at some point.
00:08:04 And this is for our kind of old school retro peeps.
00:08:07 Um, probably about 150 episodes ago.
00:08:10 And I think it's about episode 150.
00:08:11 What we are now three to six.
00:08:14 It is worth listening to because it was one of those moments that were just completely
00:08:18 impromptu.
00:08:19 I think we just got smashed by Man City three nil or something like that.
00:08:22 It was one of those moments that I was asking random questions as we still do with this,
00:08:27 this podcast where we talk rubbish for the first 10 minutes.
00:08:30 And, uh, the story was just hysterical, hysterical.
00:08:33 Yeah.
00:08:34 I'm not even going to attempt to repeat it.
00:08:35 No, no, no, no, no.
00:08:36 It was very, it was very impromptu and that was what made it sort of so funny really.
00:08:40 But, um, uh, yeah, we did like a greatest hits episode once.
00:08:43 So it's pulled up on that.
00:08:44 Uh, Chris, greatest hits.
00:08:45 Honestly, how do people listen to this stuff?
00:08:48 And also are we doing two hours today?
00:08:49 Like that's your usual, honestly, like I try and listen to your podcast, but I've got a
00:08:54 busy London lifestyle down here, mate.
00:08:56 It's two hours out your day.
00:08:57 It's far too long.
00:08:58 I just listened to it on the tube, mate, get the air pods on or whatever.
00:09:00 It's only one a week, lad.
00:09:01 I mean, Christ, there's some of the, some of the, some of the rot that comes on a daily
00:09:05 podcast these days.
00:09:07 Uh, so, um, before we get onto, uh, some, some Wolverhampton Wanderers chat, well, this
00:09:11 is Wolverhampton Wanderers chat, I guess.
00:09:13 For your, your time covering Wolverhampton Wanderers, I've asked you to compile your
00:09:17 three best moments while you were Wolves correspondent.
00:09:21 Have you had a thought of what they may be?
00:09:23 It could be a game, it could be a moment, it could be a, you know, um, a day, whatever,
00:09:28 the floor is yours.
00:09:29 I was going to ask you that if you meant sort of matches or moments or whatever, whatever,
00:09:32 whatever, whatever.
00:09:33 Okay.
00:09:34 Yeah, I have, I have, yeah, there's some, there's some nice memories coming up here.
00:09:37 You're going to enjoy this section.
00:09:39 Um, the, so, um, match wise, I might shock you here, but it's probably, uh, Liverpool
00:09:46 away in the FA cup.
00:09:48 Oh, it was one of my real favorite moments.
00:09:52 Because that was like before Nuno, before we never sort of got used to it or took it
00:09:58 for granted, but this was like the first big win that I think either of us had sort of
00:10:02 covered.
00:10:03 Under Kenny Jackett, was it, um, Vyman second?
00:10:07 You obviously remember it well, it was Paul Lambert in charge.
00:10:11 No, it was Vyman and Helder Kosta, who was like in the form of his life around that time,
00:10:18 basically carrying the team.
00:10:20 Klopp had taken over like a year or two earlier maybe.
00:10:23 Was it Steers with the first?
00:10:27 Was it Helder?
00:10:28 Stearman within like a minute or two, like very early.
00:10:31 And then yeah, Kosta set up Vyman for the second, like some crazy run.
00:10:35 And yeah, Lambert was in charge and Liverpool hadn't done much at that time under Klopp.
00:10:40 So it was, although he selected a weakened team, it was a big deal.
00:10:43 My first trip to Anfield as a reporter.
00:10:47 It was massive, but do you remember there were like, uh, what, like eight, because it's
00:10:52 a cup game, there's like 8,000 Wolfs fans behind that goal in like the Anfield road
00:10:56 end.
00:10:57 And then, uh, the, the Bodd clap was quite big at the time.
00:11:00 Uh, Bodd Varsson, and I've still got the video on my phone.
00:11:03 In fact, I looked, I looked at it the other week actually, for some reason, and yeah,
00:11:06 8,000 people doing the Bodd clap.
00:11:08 Like, great day, mate.
00:11:10 Great day.
00:11:11 And I think, I think if memory serves me correct, and I might be completely wrong, we had to
00:11:16 stop in a lay-by on the way back because Costa signed a new deal then, or they signed Costa?
00:11:20 Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:11:21 Good.
00:11:22 Yeah.
00:11:23 So that was again, so from a journalistic point of view, that was a great day because
00:11:25 it was, I managed to break the exclusive that they were signing in permanently.
00:11:29 And yeah, it was, it was that night.
00:11:31 And I remember we pulled up in a lay-by and we were, we were predicting how many likes
00:11:35 and retweets it was going to get within like a minute or something of me putting the tweet
00:11:39 out.
00:11:40 Um, yeah, good, uh, good days, my friend.
00:11:43 We have, we have had, we have had a few of those, haven't we?
00:11:45 I can remember like on deadline day, uh, back in when we were back in the offices and it
00:11:49 was crazy.
00:11:50 Um, you went out for a little bit of a break outside down a little passageway and the police
00:11:55 come and stop by and we both think, what have we done here?
00:11:59 We are the Wanderers in all gold and black.
00:12:02 You better retreat 'cause we're on the attack.
00:12:03 The strength of the wolf is the strength of the pack.
00:12:04 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:05 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:06 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:07 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:08 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:09 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:10 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:11 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:12 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:13 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:14 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:15 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:16 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:17 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:18 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:19 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:20 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:21 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:22 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:23 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:24 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:25 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:26 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:27 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:28 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:29 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:30 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:31 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:32 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:33 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:34 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:35 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:36 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:37 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:38 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:39 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:40 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:41 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:42 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:43 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:44 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:45 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:46 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:47 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:48 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:49 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:50 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:51 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:52 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:53 We're Wolverhampton's best pack.
00:12:55 Probably, do you know, like the first live podcast that we did was, I don't know how
00:13:03 many people listening will know or remember it or have been there maybe, but it was like
00:13:07 2019, I think.
00:13:09 Yeah, 2019.
00:13:11 Yeah.
00:13:12 At Molineux.
00:13:13 At Molineux.
00:13:14 Episode 100.
00:13:15 We were very nervous in terms of would tickets get sold?
00:13:20 Would people turn up?
00:13:21 Would people like it?
00:13:22 How would the show go?
00:13:23 Because, you know, you go from just turning up and chatting for an hour in front of a
00:13:27 microphone to doing like a full on show for like two, three hours.
00:13:31 I mean, I don't, I mean, you've done it before being on Nickelodeon and being a famous children's
00:13:36 TV presenter and stuff like that, working for, what was it, Bora Bora World?
00:13:40 Bora Live?
00:13:41 Oh no, stop it.
00:13:43 Stop it.
00:13:44 But little old me here, I've never done anything like that before.
00:13:48 So like, and you know how nervous I was, like I'm not, I'm not generally a nervous character,
00:13:54 but when it comes to big stuff, I get really nervous.
00:13:56 I sort of get the shakes a little bit.
00:13:59 So, so to, to balance that out, I decided, I decided, and you didn't stop me, but I decided
00:14:07 what the best idea would be, would be to drink a whole bottle of wine before the show started.
00:14:11 Literally a whole bottle.
00:14:13 Yeah, a whole bottle.
00:14:14 Cause I was like, cause we had handheld microphones on the night and I was like, I can't be shaken.
00:14:19 It's going to look really silly.
00:14:20 So yeah, a whole bottle of wine.
00:14:23 Then somebody got the Jager bombs out before we started that we'd sort of did a bit of
00:14:26 cheers and the Jagers.
00:14:28 So I was quite steaming to be honest, by the time the show started.
00:14:32 Second half.
00:14:33 So the nerves kind of balanced it out a little bit and you know, sort of adrenaline and focused
00:14:38 and whatever.
00:14:39 And the show went really well to be fair, but we were also drinking on stage.
00:14:42 I don't know why, because that was sort of our thing.
00:14:45 We were like, yeah, that was the thing.
00:14:46 Yeah.
00:14:47 I mean, look at the month, the video montage that I put together yesterday.
00:14:49 Um, I didn't realize I watched it back pretty much 15 out of the 16 pictures used were,
00:14:54 were us with, with an alcoholic drink in a different place in the world.
00:14:59 Yeah.
00:15:00 So basically, um, by the end of the show, I'd had now had two bottles of wine, a few
00:15:06 Jagers, not much food.
00:15:08 And, um, I was slurring my words by the end of it.
00:15:11 I'm not, I'm not proud.
00:15:12 I sort of am, but I'm not proud.
00:15:14 And I remember you, you were saying stuff that I was just repeating because I wasn't,
00:15:19 I wasn't really listening.
00:15:20 It was literally Simon says people laughed in the audience.
00:15:23 I think that was sort of part of the stick of the podcast.
00:15:26 Um, but it's a good story.
00:15:28 I tell it on all the unsuccessful dates that I go on.
00:15:31 Um, so yeah, but that, no, but that was, that was a huge achievement.
00:15:35 I think for me and you to take, to take the podcast live and obviously you've done a few
00:15:38 more since now.
00:15:39 Um, but yeah, it's a beautiful thing.
00:15:41 It was a beautiful thing.
00:15:43 Um, very special.
00:15:44 And like I say, yeah, we still, we're still going with that.
00:15:46 Hoping to do one potentially, uh, in the next few months would be, would be good.
00:15:50 It, um, have we got, do you want one more, do you want one more moment or do you want,
00:15:55 uh, one, one great night out before we get into some nitty gritty Wolverhampton
00:15:59 Wanderers stuff?
00:16:01 Um, a night out.
00:16:03 I did write a few of these down.
00:16:05 There were quite a few.
00:16:06 Um, uh, yeah, you want to get on with it.
00:16:09 Right.
00:16:10 Um, so, uh, there was one in Shanghai, which was great.
00:16:12 Oh, uh, like London on acid, basically that place.
00:16:16 Yeah.
00:16:17 Um, obviously all the tours we did preseason.
00:16:20 Um, we do three.
00:16:22 We're in Shanghai.
00:16:23 We did Switzerland, we did Austria and we'd obviously the Euro trips.
00:16:27 I did, uh, I did my first one was France, but you didn't turn up because wolves weren't
00:16:31 really on your radar at that point because they weren't doing very well.
00:16:33 And then, uh, and then we went to Ireland.
00:16:36 Yeah.
00:16:37 You did a few days in Ireland before you left.
00:16:39 And then, uh, just before they got taken over.
00:16:43 That's it.
00:16:44 Yeah.
00:16:45 The day that, the day that person bought the club.
00:16:46 Uh, yeah, I was, I was still in Cork and you John Holder thing.
00:16:50 Yeah.
00:16:51 Mad times.
00:16:52 And then, yeah, we did Austria, Switzerland and Shanghai.
00:16:56 Um, but no, uh, uh, there were two nights out.
00:17:00 I run through it very quickly.
00:17:01 One would be for Turing.
00:17:02 There's a, there's a video of you, which I still have not released and I still hold it
00:17:06 to this day for good reason in case, in case I need it as some kind of leverage.
00:17:11 Um, but, and it's not, it's not as bad as people think.
00:17:15 Like I could easily show it to Alana, like no problems.
00:17:18 It's not, it's not on that front.
00:17:20 I know you've got reputation, but there's nothing on that front is, is, is clean cut.
00:17:25 It's just embarrassing for you.
00:17:26 I don't know.
00:17:27 Anyway, that was a great night in Turing after an amazing win.
00:17:30 But the, the one would be the promotion pie when, um, we ended up somehow ended up in
00:17:35 the same bar as the players.
00:17:37 Oh yes.
00:17:38 Arcadia.
00:17:39 Arcadia.
00:17:40 The Arcadian area of, of Birmingham.
00:17:42 I can't remember what the name of the bar was and all the, almost all the players were in
00:17:46 there.
00:17:47 So I remember Danny Bart, Courtney Hawes been sort of very prominent.
00:17:50 Ben Icafobi, Ryan Bennett, who came over to me to have a pop at me about my player ratings.
00:17:56 And, uh, uh, and, and the one who was enjoying himself most of all, if you remember was Jack
00:18:01 Greelish.
00:18:02 Jack Greelish was there.
00:18:03 Yeah.
00:18:04 Yeah.
00:18:05 It was still, still a villa at the time and sort of a crash the party as it were.
00:18:06 And, uh, and then of course at five in the morning or everyone's, you made us do a bloody
00:18:10 video, which you tweeted.
00:18:11 Oh yeah.
00:18:12 It's not great for me that.
00:18:13 No, I think we deleted it after a while.
00:18:15 But, um, but yeah, that was a great night.
00:18:17 I think we let one of the wolves media lot see it and they were like, uh, no, you need
00:18:22 to delete that.
00:18:23 And I'm like, yeah, that's probably best.
00:18:24 We delete that.
00:18:25 So I don't delete many, much stuff, but I think that was probably a good idea.
00:18:28 Yeah.
00:18:29 I can remember that.
00:18:30 Yeah.
00:18:31 I think we were downstairs having a couple of Jaegers and Danny, Danny Barr got us back
00:18:32 into the players area and we, it was, it was a very nice reception that mixed to a couple
00:18:37 of other people.
00:18:38 I think Morgan Gibbs White was staring me down a little bit saying, what are these two douchebags
00:18:41 doing up here?
00:18:42 It was definitely a bit of that.
00:18:43 Yeah.
00:18:44 But it wasn't like, you don't want to see two journalists, but most people, most people
00:18:47 were great.
00:18:48 It was almost like I'd taken Brittany out for a day.
00:18:49 I'm not talking about you.
00:18:50 I'm talking about, you know, anyway, but it wasn't like a big, it was just a rope that
00:18:54 someone unclipped, as it was like an amazing VIP sort of area, you know, but it was good.
00:19:00 It's no little mix, but it was, it was, it was pretty good.
00:19:02 It was pretty good.
00:19:03 Right.
00:19:04 Okay.
00:19:05 Let's move on.
00:19:06 First of all, last time I saw you actually Wolverhampton Wanderers game, very, I know
00:19:11 it's a couple of weeks ago.
00:19:12 Yeah.
00:19:13 But we, we, we can talk about it.
00:19:14 Black Country Derby.
00:19:15 I know you were very nervous, the nervous going into the game.
00:19:18 And I guess it's a bit different from you now, obviously covering them and supporting
00:19:22 them is maybe a little bit different now to, to being separate and you can maybe become
00:19:26 more, a little bit more of that fan you get.
00:19:28 Are you starting to get that, that fan spirit back?
00:19:30 Cause it's not the job anymore.
00:19:32 And I guess you couldn't really enjoy it until they won the game.
00:19:36 And even then, after the second half was a little bit cray cray.
00:19:39 Yeah.
00:19:40 The fandom thing is quite weird really.
00:19:41 Cause I was, I was a proper diehard, like pre pre work pre to that.
00:19:44 Home away everything a lot.
00:19:46 Season ticket for like 20 years and like between like five and 10 away games a year.
00:19:50 But it was everything to me.
00:19:52 Like all my spare time would be like, you know, looking stuff up on Twitter or the
00:19:56 internet or like watching old videos or whatever.
00:19:58 I was a proper like wolves obsessive.
00:20:00 So the other side of those sort of seven years, it's very different now.
00:20:05 Like, and I think, you know, you probably have the same, like once you've worked
00:20:09 either for a club or reported on a club, like I'm sure you, you were a pre
00:20:14 and post working for them.
00:20:16 You know, you, you're not as giddy a fan as you were because you've seen
00:20:20 all the bad stuff and you know, you've, you've met a few like, do we swear
00:20:25 on this or not?
00:20:26 Yeah.
00:20:26 You can swear on it.
00:20:27 It's fine.
00:20:28 We've got a producer now.
00:20:29 It's going to be my mask.
00:20:30 Mask got a busy day ahead, but it's fine.
00:20:32 I'll just say idiots then.
00:20:33 Mask got a busy day with, with, yeah.
00:20:35 You've met a few, met a few idiots, you know, you know, where the bodies
00:20:38 are buried, you know, the bad stuff.
00:20:40 And you know, you know, like all the abuse I used to get from fans.
00:20:43 Like, so like that sort of takes the shine off being a fan a little bit,
00:20:47 but obviously I'm still a massive fan.
00:20:49 However, my hatred of West Brom is like not dimmed in the slightest.
00:20:53 Um, it's quite irrational really.
00:20:55 And I think because we haven't played them in so long, um, yeah, I was nervous.
00:21:00 I didn't enjoy it at all.
00:21:02 I remember within 20 seconds they went on the attack and, uh, the whole
00:21:06 crowd wrote for it and it looked like it was going to be one of those days.
00:21:08 And I just sank back, sank back into my chair.
00:21:11 I was like, here we go again.
00:21:14 Never since, never since we went to the Hawthorns, like.
00:21:17 Yeah.
00:21:17 That first half an hour was pretty brutal.
00:21:19 It was, yeah.
00:21:20 It was a horrible game to watch, especially from the press box.
00:21:22 Cause you couldn't sort of let out any of that nervous energy by singing or
00:21:25 jumping up and down or whatever.
00:21:26 So I was just sat next to you, unfortunately.
00:21:28 And, um, uh, yeah, I, I, I didn't, didn't enjoy it.
00:21:32 Didn't enjoy it.
00:21:33 We'll just gradually control the game.
00:21:34 It was just a horrible game.
00:21:35 Just get out and win it.
00:21:36 And then all the trouble that happened as well.
00:21:37 It was just like, yeah.
00:21:38 Yeah.
00:21:39 Um, well mental really, the trouble, because obviously very distressing and
00:21:43 very upsetting and very serious going on and, you know, West Brom have
00:21:48 released a statement since, and there's been arrests that have been made and
00:21:51 season tickets have been taken off fans, et cetera.
00:21:53 But overall, I thought our fans were awesome.
00:21:56 Um, in the, in the correct end, I thought they were superb.
00:21:59 It was amazing.
00:22:00 You took a great picture with the flares going off and proper
00:22:02 kind of like Derby atmosphere.
00:22:04 Um, but bizarre contrast in this, when this microcosm of, of, of
00:22:11 everything kicking off, you also had, and very serious and very worrying
00:22:15 and riot police, et cetera.
00:22:16 These two comedy moments on the pitch of this Wurzel gummage type character,
00:22:21 having a chat with Gary O'Neill, wandering around, going to what just,
00:22:26 just let onto the pitch, just walk slowly onto the pitch and it goes
00:22:30 towards the Wolves fan.
00:22:31 It was like just a comedic moment.
00:22:33 And like from nowhere, I'm like, what the hell's going on?
00:22:35 Then you have this Karen coming on the pitch, trying to play football and
00:22:39 getting, getting, you know, absolutely hammered.
00:22:41 Like she'd be around since 6am.
00:22:43 Just a bizarre situation that was going on.
00:22:45 It was bizarre.
00:22:47 There were another couple after that.
00:22:48 And then there was the guy whose sort of head was covered in blood.
00:22:50 It was very surreal.
00:22:52 And I remember turning to you at that point and saying, look, this is
00:22:54 out of control here because they can't even, they can't even
00:22:56 stop pitch invaders.
00:22:57 Um, because obviously you thought definitely there was a
00:23:00 good chance that game could have got called off.
00:23:02 I thought, well, it didn't, it didn't really come across on the TV.
00:23:06 I don't think, cause they sort of cut away from the images, but the,
00:23:08 the opposite corner to where the trouble was, there were other fans
00:23:11 trying to get on the pitch en masse.
00:23:13 So there were, there were police stopping fans at one
00:23:15 corner and another corner.
00:23:17 So I was like, in terms of resources, this is, this is a massive problem.
00:23:20 They can't guarantee the safety of the players here.
00:23:22 Um, but I think obviously after sort of 20 minutes, half an hour,
00:23:25 the mood had died down.
00:23:27 Um, what's not, what's not really been said, which I think is what
00:23:29 really been said, which I think is worth saying is I thought the police
00:23:31 did an incredible job that day in terms, in terms of stopping the
00:23:34 trouble, um, stopping people getting on the pitch and also afterwards.
00:23:38 Cause I was dispatched, uh, to go out and find trouble, not cause
00:23:44 find trouble after the game, just to see our fans getting out safely.
00:23:49 And I went, I went down to the trains, to the, to the train station
00:23:52 and the Metro station where all the fans were going to converge
00:23:54 as they get home.
00:23:55 And the police did an amazing job of keeping everybody
00:23:57 completely separate.
00:23:58 [Music]
00:24:20 I was dispatched, uh, to go out and find trouble, not cause
00:24:25 find trouble after the game, just to see our fans getting out safely.
00:24:30 And I went, I went down to the trains, to the, to the train station
00:24:33 and the Metro station where all the fans were going to converge
00:24:35 as they get home.
00:24:36 And the police did an amazing job of keeping everybody
00:24:38 completely separate.
00:24:39 As far as I know, there was not a single bit of trouble before
00:24:41 or after the game.
00:24:42 So the, the only, the only trouble that was caused was sort of
00:24:45 unavoidable really, because it was where the fans were actually
00:24:48 meeting because fans got tickets in, in the home end, which the
00:24:51 police obviously can't really do anything about.
00:24:53 So I thought they did a great job.
00:24:56 Despite it being 1145 AM kickoff, um, you could feel it in the air.
00:25:02 I don't know, I don't know what they'll do next time.
00:25:04 You know, if Albion come up for next season, um, cause you can't
00:25:07 7am kick off.
00:25:09 Yeah, but what, what they did, I don't know.
00:25:11 I can't remember who was, who was telling this, one of the fans,
00:25:13 like some of the pubs in Wolverhampton just sort of opened at 5am,
00:25:16 you know, probably super early.
00:25:17 Absolutely.
00:25:18 Probably not very legally.
00:25:19 So I don't know what you do really.
00:25:22 Um, they already canceled all annual leave for all the police.
00:25:25 So they had as many police there as they could.
00:25:27 So they get the, get the Met in, get Greater Manchester police,
00:25:29 get the FBI in like, you know, but it, it, no, no, it is, it is
00:25:33 concerning how much it kicked off and the derby has just become a
00:25:36 bit unnecessarily nasty really.
00:25:38 So yeah.
00:25:39 Yeah.
00:25:40 It's um, but look, I mean, correct me if I'm wrong.
00:25:43 And some people would say, no, I don't care.
00:25:44 I don't want to see them ever again, but Black Country Derby,
00:25:46 I'd rather have a Black Country Derby twice a season than not.
00:25:49 I mean, you know, it's special, special atmosphere and it's not,
00:25:53 you know, you play with the law or whatever, but it's not the same.
00:25:55 Is it?
00:25:56 No, it is.
00:25:57 It is the game for sure.
00:25:59 But yeah, it's, it's just, it's gone a bit too far now.
00:26:02 Liquidator and all the trouble.
00:26:04 I think that was, there's so much pent up.
00:26:06 I mean, look, first, first game, firstly, game fans over there,
00:26:08 first, first game over there with fans for such a long time.
00:26:11 So I think maybe that might be a little,
00:26:13 they've got that out of the system now that maybe it might be a little
00:26:15 bit easier come, come the next meeting.
00:26:17 Right. Okay.
00:26:18 Very quickly.
00:26:19 I know we need to move on because I'm conscious of the fact that this is
00:26:21 going to run on.
00:26:22 So first of all, FA Cup, they got a chance this year,
00:26:26 Brian at home, not a bad, not a bad shout.
00:26:28 There's quite a few championship sides that are going to be in the,
00:26:31 in the quarterfinals and all of a sudden you're one game away from Wembley.
00:26:33 And, you know,
00:26:34 I don't want to talk about the last FA Cup semi-final, Tim, but you know,
00:26:38 but potentially a chance to banish some ghosts, right.
00:26:40 And in the Euro, in the Euro still.
00:26:42 So there's still chances there.
00:26:44 They've got to come up here.
00:26:45 They had played a bit of a weak inside against Sheffield United.
00:26:47 I mean, there's, there's,
00:26:48 there's chances the way that this team are playing, isn't there?
00:26:51 Yeah. It's not the best draw.
00:26:53 It's not the worst draw.
00:26:54 I mean, you look how much they struggled to get past Brentford at home,
00:26:57 which you would have said was a, was a better draw than Brighton at home.
00:27:00 So there's definitely an air of caution there.
00:27:03 But I think the positive thing for Wolves is Brighton still got a lot of
00:27:06 injury worries.
00:27:07 And also, as you mentioned, you know,
00:27:09 this is their third priority because Europa League coming back up fairly
00:27:13 soon and the FA Cup, as you, again, as you say,
00:27:16 they've made a lot of changes away at Sheffield United.
00:27:18 So you'd imagine they'd do the same again.
00:27:20 And I hope and expect that Gary O'Neill will go as strong as possible.
00:27:23 And yeah, of course, mate, they've got a good chance.
00:27:25 You know, these guys have beat Man City this season,
00:27:28 so they can beat anyone in the country.
00:27:30 And they do have a bit of a cup team,
00:27:33 cup team feel about them, sort of like Nuno's, Nuno's side did,
00:27:37 because they're so explosive because they can hit any team on the
00:27:41 counter and they can score against anyone.
00:27:43 On their day, they can beat anyone.
00:27:45 So yeah, as long as they get a couple of good draws,
00:27:49 who knows, mate, might see it at Wembley for the semis, right?
00:27:52 - Would it be T Spears and Judo and Shea Judo,
00:27:55 little apartment, a couple of, a little night out,
00:27:57 a couple of beverages on the evening?
00:28:01 - Or Shea Spears, you know, we both live in London now, mate.
00:28:04 - It's true.
00:28:06 - If you can lower yourself to a terraced house.
00:28:09 No, you can't, no, because of the look on your face.
00:28:11 - I struggle, mate.
00:28:12 - I'll come to yours. Yeah, it's fine. Yeah.
00:28:16 - So that was great.
00:28:19 And then we get to Sunday, 2pm kickoff,
00:28:22 Chelsea against Wolverhampton Wanderers after the disappointment of Thursday night.
00:28:25 And, you know, I think that everybody thought that if they got 3-3,
00:28:29 it would have been a bit of a robbery.
00:28:31 However, they got there in the injury time and then to lose it like that,
00:28:34 devastating, to pick themselves up and then go 1-0 down at
00:28:38 Stamford Bridge and to score four unanswered goals was quite staggering.
00:28:43 I know you went to the game, Tim, but obviously you will see the highlights.
00:28:46 Isn't that as good a on-the-road performance in the league as we've seen
00:28:50 from Wolves in the last decade?
00:28:52 - Crikey.
00:28:56 Difficult for me to judge.
00:28:57 - I mean, it's up there, isn't it? Up there.
00:28:58 - Yeah, difficult for me to judge having not been there.
00:29:00 And you've got to say Chelsea are extremely fallible.
00:29:06 I don't know. You put me on the spot there.
00:29:07 Man City away when they beat Guardiola's lot.
00:29:10 - After Bixit Tass.
00:29:11 - After Bixit Tass. Those four days were astonishing.
00:29:16 But yeah, Christ, in terms of, yeah, it's right up there, mate, for sure.
00:29:19 I felt like it was 11 individuals versus a team.
00:29:24 You know, Moises Caicedo being the epitome of that when he plays this
00:29:27 brilliant pass for the opening goal and then two minutes later gets done.
00:29:32 That sums him up, sums Chelsea up.
00:29:34 - And got hauled off.
00:29:35 - And got hauled off. And Wolves, just with their commitment as a team,
00:29:40 they're pressing, the way they defend, the way they counter-attack,
00:29:43 their movement, it's all as a team.
00:29:46 You know, even when they haven't got the ball, you can see that they're thinking
00:29:49 how are we going to score from this position.
00:29:51 They're much more attack-minded than any Wolves team I've seen,
00:29:55 probably since sort of Nuno in the Premier League, I think.
00:29:58 Sorry, Nuno in the Championship, because it's the same system now as Nuno.
00:30:04 But there's so much more freedom in attack.
00:30:06 You know, when you see where Ait Nouri pops up to score that second goal,
00:30:09 you would never have got Johnny doing that, for example, sort of back in the day.
00:30:13 So I know it's easy to compare the two because it's the same formation,
00:30:16 but it's very different tactically and certainly the freedom in attack.
00:30:20 And the goal-scoring form is remarkable, mate.
00:30:22 I mean, in their last six, they've scored 16.
00:30:25 No team in the Premier League has scored more than that in their last six.
00:30:29 And only Man City have registered more points.
00:30:31 I think Wolves are sort of third in the table.
00:30:34 And that's without the top scorer in Huang, who's on the way back from the Asian Cup.
00:30:38 That's it. So others have stepped up.
00:30:40 Obviously, Kunya being the most obvious one.
00:30:43 If you look at him and Neto and Huang in terms of their improvements from last season,
00:30:47 it's remarkable, really, in terms of goals and assists.
00:30:51 So, yeah, the whole team are flying.
00:30:53 They're great to watch. They're quite fun.
00:30:56 Young?
00:30:58 Yes, very young.
00:31:01 And the number of goals they've scored in the past week alone,
00:31:04 three against United, four against Chelsea, two against West Brom,
00:31:07 they're exciting to watch. And I'm excited to see where they go next.
00:31:10 Well, look, they've gone to the top half of the table for the first time this season.
00:31:13 32 points, which probably is going to be safe anyway.
00:31:17 Maybe even one more win, but that's going to be obviously not an issue there now.
00:31:21 But you look at the table and you think, OK,
00:31:23 they're four points away from seventh West Ham, which is going to be a Europa Conference spot.
00:31:28 Probably. I don't think eighth goes down to the European places.
00:31:30 You might correct me if I'm wrong. But, you know, West Ham, Brighton, Newcastle ahead of them.
00:31:35 Man United, but I think Man United are probably finishing the top six.
00:31:39 You know, you've got one of Newcastle, Brighton, West Ham.
00:31:42 Newcastle are in and out, aren't they, form-wise?
00:31:44 You know, they're just drawn with Lewin 4-4.
00:31:45 They could go to Villar and win, but then they can have a shocker of a result.
00:31:48 Brighton, as we've said, still in Europe.
00:31:51 West Ham still in Europe as well, that Thursday, Sunday.
00:31:54 Chelsea, of course, should come good at some point.
00:31:56 But at the same time, we keep on saying that and they're struggling.
00:31:59 Obviously, they've leapfrogged over Chelsea.
00:32:02 I mean, if you'd said to anyone, especially Gary O'Neill or Fosun at the start of the season,
00:32:06 "We'll sort of finish comfortably mid-table," they would have, Matt Hobbs, they'd have bitten your hand off.
00:32:10 But now they're there, Tim, now they're there and they're comfortable and they can play with freedom,
00:32:15 which I think is massive. You look at Mateus Kunja, had to have six months just getting used to it.
00:32:20 And when you join a bottom of the table team, playing under a certain way, you haven't got that freedom,
00:32:25 especially when he's been asked to play in a number nine.
00:32:27 Now he's getting played in a 10. He's moving around the nine. He's in his best position.
00:32:31 The pressure's off. I think you're seeing him blossom.
00:32:34 You're seeing Pedro Neto, who we'll talk about him in a minute, is going to have a,
00:32:38 if he has a fantastic end to the season, I mean, what the figure could be is going to be crazy that Wolves ask for him.
00:32:44 But could this team do the impossible and go on and try and, I'm not saying get into Europe definitely,
00:32:51 but at least make a little bit of a run so there's a sweat there come four or five games towards the end of the season?
00:32:58 I wouldn't rule it out. I think if you look at the teams above them, you mentioned United.
00:33:03 Yeah, I watched them the other day. They were pretty convincing against West Ham.
00:33:06 Obviously they beat Wolves the other day as well. They haven't got Europe, which I think is it.
00:33:12 I think it's going to be an important thing in the second half of the season, but that's for the teams that aren't in it.
00:33:16 So you look at West Ham and Brighton, it's going to be a distraction. Newcastle's injury issues are just incessant.
00:33:22 You know, they got Harvey Barnes back the other day and then they lost Isak and Gordon.
00:33:28 And their defence is just a shambles this season. The thing with Wolves is, I mean, they don't,
00:33:33 they tend to be the win or lose. They've got the ability to score a lot of goals
00:33:38 and they seem to have a lot of confidence at the moment. And I think they can go on a bit of a run, to be honest.
00:33:45 And you're sort of looking at seventh, eighth as a realistic finishing position, which yeah, it's sort of,
00:33:53 I certainly wouldn't have said that in, in sort of September, October, let alone the start of the season.
00:33:57 I mean, if you remember after, what was it, Luton in the league and Ipswich in the Carabao Cup.
00:34:04 And I was sort of hopping on a few podcasts to listen to at that time and checking what the vibe was on Twitter.
00:34:12 And it was pretty anti Gary O'Neill.
00:34:14 - Pretty toxic.
00:34:15 - Pretty toxic. And he had this sort of PE teacher moniker and all that went with it.
00:34:19 And then, you know, a win over Man City and an appearance on Monday Night Football
00:34:22 and just changed everyone's perceptions really.
00:34:27 I do think that if they weren't to lose a couple, those sort of two, three in a row, those things would come back.
00:34:33 I'd be interested to see how much patience there is for him because he hasn't got the career that Lopetegui
00:34:38 and sort of Nuno had. But I think he's done an incredible job.
00:34:42 The move to the back five has been really smart and he's made them difficult and horrible to play against
00:34:48 with lots for the opposition to be worried about, you know, with Kunya and Neto,
00:34:51 Samedo and Ait Nouri, there's so much pace there.
00:34:54 I think there's quality lacking in certain areas, which is why they'll come up short some weeks.
00:34:59 They might lose this weekend, but equally they can beat anyone.
00:35:03 And his greatest achievement is making Wolves a goal scoring team without a striker.
00:35:07 You know, they scored 31 last season. They're already on 37 with 15 games to go.
00:35:12 And as I mentioned earlier, Kunya and Neto's numbers through the roof.
00:35:16 They've ditched two strikers this January and still scoring more goals than ever.
00:35:20 Remarkable, really.
00:35:22 There are definitely issues for me sort of long-term in terms of finances and ambition
00:35:28 and where they're going. But the job that he's doing right now,
00:35:32 you almost slightly worry that if he's going to do such a good job and have a good run in the cup
00:35:38 and get them into seventh place in Europe, people will be looking at him because young English managers
00:35:42 that are successful are extremely rare.
00:35:45 So they'll need to make sure he's pretty solid with what the plan is and what the ambitions are
00:35:50 with this club sort of going forward long-term because he's carving out a serious reputation for himself right now.
00:35:55 I agree with that at the same time.
00:36:21 But Wolves needed Gary O'Neill.
00:36:24 But let's be straight. Gary O'Neill needed Wolves as well.
00:36:27 I think he's very appreciative of that.
00:36:29 I think he's very appreciative of that.
00:36:31 I think he's very appreciative of that.
00:36:33 I think he's very appreciative of that.
00:36:35 I think he's very appreciative of that.
00:36:37 I think he's very appreciative of that.
00:36:39 I think he's very appreciative of that.
00:36:41 I think he's very appreciative of that.
00:36:43 I think he's very appreciative of that.
00:36:45 I think he's very appreciative of that.
00:36:47 But let's be straight. Gary O'Neill needed Wolves as well.
00:36:50 I think he's very appreciative of getting this chance.
00:36:53 He's gone from a Bournemouth side who, you know, up there with the manager of the season to keep them up
00:36:58 and then sapped from absolutely nowhere.
00:37:00 But working with, let's be honest, inferior individuals overall, apart from maybe Dominic Solanke,
00:37:05 but from a squad point of view, you're inheriting a team, yes, they've got issues,
00:37:09 but with a lot of world-class talent in there.
00:37:12 And they've allowed him to progress and to blossom as a manager and showcase what he can do.
00:37:18 And he should get credit, but at the same time, you know, I think he's very thankful to Wolves for doing that.
00:37:23 Now, of course, football's a fickle industry and you get your head turns
00:37:27 and you get a Graham Potter situation where Chelsea come in, it's hard to turn it down.
00:37:31 But at the same time, I think that there is a realisation from Gary O'Neill
00:37:36 that he wants to be involved in this in the long term.
00:37:41 And look, he hasn't really had a window yet. He hasn't had a window to buy his players at all.
00:37:45 He knew what he was getting into at the start of the summer.
00:37:47 He knew, a bit frustrated that he didn't get one in January,
00:37:50 but at the same time, he's grateful of the opportunity.
00:37:53 And in the next summer and winter window, you might see Gary O'Neill get the plays in he wants.
00:37:58 And all of a sudden it's a completely different ball game.
00:38:00 I don't think you get that at a club if you're going to go, let's say, in inverted commas,
00:38:05 above Wolves to the next level. You're getting dictated.
00:38:08 And I think he quite likes to work with Matt Hobbs, Jeff Shee, the training ground,
00:38:13 and almost have a bit more of a British UK feel than maybe they have done in the past.
00:38:19 Yeah, I completely agree. And he will be very grateful.
00:38:23 I mean, he was on the beach, wasn't he, when he got the call for an interview,
00:38:27 not expecting a job to get one with a club the size of Wolves would have been beyond his wildest dreams,
00:38:33 I think, to go from Bournemouth, sacked at Bournemouth, to Wolves was a huge thing for him.
00:38:40 And he's delivered, you know, and then some. I guess my point is that the better he does,
00:38:45 you know what it's like with English managers who are successful and are so rare.
00:38:50 Potter and Howe are the only two of the last couple of years.
00:38:53 And they're sort of the only ones that have been mentioned for the England job recently,
00:38:56 which kind of just shows you, you know, if Gary O'Neill were to do something incredible
00:39:01 and win an FA Cup this season, or even just guide Wolf to seventh, then, yeah, as much as...
00:39:07 and I'm not saying this would happen this summer, but you know what I mean.
00:39:10 Everybody will be... clubs will be looking at him, bigger clubs will be looking at him.
00:39:15 And rightly so, really. Obviously, that comes with success.
00:39:18 And the summer's huge now, because like you say, this isn't his squad.
00:39:23 There will be players that leave this summer for financial reasons
00:39:25 or wanting to further their own personal ambitions.
00:39:29 So how do him and Matt Hobbs spend that money?
00:39:32 And how much money do they have to spend?
00:39:34 And are Wolves a proper club now?
00:39:36 You know, this is the thing that fascinates me most of all, having covered a team
00:39:40 or a club with George Mendes sort of loosely at the helm in terms of recruitment
00:39:46 and in terms of managerial appointments for so many years.
00:39:49 It looks like they've sort of taken the Mendes armbands off now.
00:39:54 Obviously, with someone like Gary O'Neill and also with Matt Hobbs, you know,
00:39:58 in such senior positions, it certainly looks that way.
00:40:00 And the recruitment suggests that that's the case as well, really.
00:40:03 And Mendes, I'm sure, is still involved in some capacity for advisory reasons
00:40:07 or maybe to help out with certain players or whatever.
00:40:09 But it seems like in the whole, the power has shifted now.
00:40:13 And that's fascinating, because Wolves haven't been a proper club,
00:40:17 a normal proper club for a long time.
00:40:19 So does that help or hinder them?
00:40:21 I think it helps them in some regards.
00:40:23 It hinders them in terms of attracting players to the club that Mendes will be able to bring in.
00:40:30 You know, people like Neves and Jota and Jimenez,
00:40:33 who would never have signed for Wolves normally.
00:40:35 Mendes was able to do that.
00:40:36 He was also able to get decent fees for players when he was moving them on,
00:40:40 you know, part of the Mendes network, as it were.
00:40:43 If that's gone, then it's a huge challenge for Hobbs and his team and for Gary O'Neill
00:40:49 to progress and evolve this club in the summer.
00:40:52 But, you know, I'm not saying that's a bad thing or a good thing.
00:40:55 It's just very interesting and a huge challenge ahead for sure.
00:40:58 Yeah, exciting challenge though.
00:41:00 And like I say, we're all thoroughly enjoying it.
00:41:03 And speaking to the fans, I don't think anyone, fans are very much, quite fickle in their opinion.
00:41:09 But a lot of people have just said, "I hold my hands up, I got it wrong."
00:41:13 You know, to actually say that, whether it's on camera or audio or chatting to them there,
00:41:17 social media, not many fans do that, do they?
00:41:19 They say they're wrong at times.
00:41:20 You know, if they've made a comment or whatever, then they'll just bury it under.
00:41:22 But a lot of people go out in the woodwork saying, "Look, I am a convert. I am a complete..."
00:41:25 And that's rare in itself.
00:41:27 So, yeah, Fair Play doing a great job.
00:41:29 I know you listen to the podcast weekly and religiously, Tim, like you just said earlier on,
00:41:33 and you listen to the full one hour and 20 minutes since you've left.
00:41:37 So I had a little bit of a bet or a statement at the start of the season,
00:41:41 which we changed slightly, saying that if Wolves did get into European football,
00:41:45 then I would host a barbecue for the Wolves' party listeners.
00:41:48 We're short to about 12,000 to 13,000 now, which is lovely.
00:41:52 Obviously, it'll be ticketed events.
00:41:54 And also I did include with that last week, if Wolves won the FA Cup, I would also host said barbecue.
00:42:01 The most important thing is, and people want to know,
00:42:03 and out of the 103 questions that have come in for you, 88 of them are this,
00:42:08 "Would you attend said barbecue?"
00:42:10 - Yeah, I haven't had a provisional invite yet.
00:42:13 - I know, we haven't got there yet.
00:42:15 Have you set a date?
00:42:18 - I haven't set a date, but it would be something that would be very much
00:42:25 slap bang in the middle of summer holidays, so not a lot of people could make it.
00:42:28 A bit like when we had that Costa coffee for the Fantasy Premier League,
00:42:32 and we made it probably midweek at about 10am, Costa, Wolverhampton.
00:42:37 There was still about 30 people who turned up, and thankfully we got it covered that day.
00:42:41 I was quite worried when we finished about 150th and 200th in that league.
00:42:45 But yeah, I mean, look, it'll be a great day, and maybe a slightly tipsy day for some of us.
00:42:53 - I'll be there for sure. Can you get a car for me to bring me up?
00:43:00 - Blacked out windows, can you imagine?
00:43:02 Come in with gold chains, like Homer laughing with the king at the end with all the jewels of his crown.
00:43:07 Brilliant. Superb.
00:43:09 - Yeah, sorry, go on.
00:43:11 - Let's move on. So you mentioned him, and he is an absolute pleasure to watch at this moment in time.
00:43:18 I thought he had his best game since his return from injury at Chelsea.
00:43:22 He was a menace, and even though he ended up with one assist, I think, on the day,
00:43:26 he pretty much was the catalyst for three of the goals and could have scored to himself in Pedro Neto.
00:43:31 Of course, yourself, based around London, you will know the big clubs,
00:43:35 and the big clubs will be after him, I'm sure. This summer, linked with Arsenal,
00:43:39 obviously, he'd done this against Chelsea, but I think there'll be a whole array of top four,
00:43:44 top five clubs that we'll be looking for, especially a special talent who's still young,
00:43:48 who's still progressing, who's still getting better, but also someone who realistically
00:43:52 is going to be available for transfer in the summer, I think.
00:43:56 What does that performance do? Does it do too much to his value?
00:44:02 Or, because it's on a world stage, like, no offence, but if Pedro Neto does that against Brentford on Saturday,
00:44:07 then maybe it doesn't get talked about as much as when it's been beamed all around the world against Chelsea.
00:44:13 Can one individual performance, if he continues to do that, put on £10, £15 million
00:44:19 onto a potential transfer fee? And what do you think his fee would be that Wolves would accept
00:44:26 going into the summer, if he continues and finishes the season like he's playing at this moment in time?
00:44:31 All good questions. Yeah, I feel like he's been on everyone's radar for quite a few years, to be honest.
00:44:38 And a performance against Chelsea and Man United won't change people's minds.
00:44:42 People know how good he is. The only concern from their point of view will be his injury record,
00:44:48 because it was a long period out. It was a real long period. He did his kneecap, didn't he?
00:44:55 And then, which was like 10 months, I think. And then was ankle issues when he came back?
00:44:59 I guess 10, yeah. Issues with rehab and last season, you know, sort of feeling his way back in.
00:45:04 No goals, no assists last season at all. So that was sort of, it's been sort of two, three years really
00:45:11 since he had that golden spell in the pandemic season, when he was by far and away in 2021,
00:45:17 when he was by far and away Wolves' best player in an awful attacking team. He was by far,
00:45:24 he was carrying them, basically. Yeah, he was. So I think he was really on everyone's radar from that point.
00:45:28 And if you remember, he would have gone to the Euros that summer, but that's when he did his kneecap.
00:45:34 He was in the Portugal squad. He was absolutely flying. And I feel pretty strongly he would have gone
00:45:40 that summer or the next summer if he hadn't got his injury. So it's only a matter of time, basically,
00:45:45 in my opinion. It feels like to me, I mean, I've noticed a change in his attitude.
00:45:52 And this is from afar and it's visual, but it's there. You can see it's very obvious, very touchy.
00:45:58 And he moans a lot more than he used to. And you know, he was, he was, when I was sort of reporting on Wolves,
00:46:04 he was very happy go lucky.
00:46:05 I remember you doing an interview with him, didn't you?
00:46:08 Oh mate, he was so good. He was amazing. He was, he was such good value.
00:46:13 He was, he's still had quite like a, this was just before his injury, just for his kneecap
00:46:18 and sort of had that real sort of childlike charm. Still live with his parents, I think at the time.
00:46:25 And yeah, I don't know. I'm not sure. I'm not sure what's changed with him, but it just seems to be,
00:46:29 he seems to be a little bit more touchy. It reminds me of when Gibbs White was sort of on his way out.
00:46:34 And I do, this is only sort of minor things, but it just, it's just what you pick up.
00:46:39 Obviously his performances are incredible. He loves Wolverhampton Wanderers.
00:46:42 He loves playing for them. He loves the supporters and he's grateful for what the club has given him,
00:46:47 but it does feel like it's come into that position, certainly with Wolves in their financial position,
00:46:52 that they're going to have to sell someone this summer if they want to generate funds into the squad
00:46:57 to get the players that Gary O'Neill wants. And the most obvious candidate is Pedro Neto.
00:47:01 In terms of his valuation, I mean, you're looking at at least north of 60 million for me.
00:47:05 Yeah.
00:47:06 In terms of how good he is, but clubs will be put off by his injury record and they'll want assurances
00:47:11 that he's completely fit and injury free now and they're not going to suffer any reoccurrences
00:47:14 of the injuries that he's had in the past few years.
00:47:17 Yeah.
00:47:20 What do you think, Nathan?
00:47:21 I mean, I know, I agree. I mean, I said 55 to 60 last week.
00:47:26 And I guess you shouldn't change my opinion too much after that Chelsea game,
00:47:29 but I'm starting to think that like, when you look at, I know it's completely different positions,
00:47:34 but you look at, you know, Casado and Fernandes costing 220 odd million between them.
00:47:41 And then, you know, not in the same position, of course, like I said, but, you know,
00:47:44 Lamina and João Gomes who are eight, 10 million pounds each, it's just insane value for money.
00:47:48 And like you say, individuals versus team, you put it perfectly.
00:47:51 I just wonder if teams and clubs are still going to spend that kind of money,
00:47:55 whether you're going to be looking towards maybe a seven in front of that.
00:47:59 I just wonder if teams and clubs are still going to spend that kind of money,
00:48:03 whether you're going to be looking towards maybe a seven in front of that.
00:48:06 I mean, I know, I said, I'm not a fan of the number seven,
00:48:09 but I'm not a fan of the number eight.
00:48:11 I mean, I know, I said, I'm not a fan of the number eight.
00:48:13 I mean, I know, I said, I'm not a fan of the number eight.
00:48:15 I mean, I know, I said, I'm not a fan of the number eight.
00:48:17 I mean, I know, I said, I'm not a fan of the number eight.
00:48:19 I mean, I know, I said, I'm not a fan of the number eight.
00:48:21 I mean, I know, I said, I'm not a fan of the number eight.
00:48:23 I mean, I know, I said, I'm not a fan of the number eight.
00:48:25 I mean, I know, I said, I'm not a fan of the number eight.
00:48:28 I think everybody understands that.
00:48:29 It's almost like the Ruben Neves situation.
00:48:31 But you've got someone who's younger, who's got longer in his contract,
00:48:35 who you're going to get absolutely top dollar for.
00:48:37 I mean, they got top dollar for Neves, but through different means.
00:48:40 I think you might see, if he finishes like he's playing at this moment,
00:48:43 and Wolves do get into Europe or, you know, he's got a chance to play
00:48:46 in the European League, he's got a chance to play in the European League,
00:48:49 he's got a chance to play in the European League,
00:48:51 he's got a chance to play in the European League,
00:48:53 and Wolves do get into Europe or, you know, he scores another five goals
00:48:56 and five assists or more between now and the end of the season.
00:48:59 I think you could see a seven with his name.
00:49:02 - Maybe, yeah, potentially.
00:49:04 What is it, 10 assists in 14?
00:49:06 I mean, if he replicates that over the rest of the season,
00:49:08 he'll be sort of heading towards 20 assists,
00:49:11 which would be like almost Premier League record type levels.
00:49:15 - And that's been out for nearly 12 weeks.
00:49:18 - And that's the kind of thing that really pushes up a value.
00:49:20 If he's doing incredible things by Premier League standards,
00:49:23 then that will really start to push up the value.
00:49:26 I guess the one thing you might say is that obviously the market
00:49:28 has been so dour this January for a lot of reasons.
00:49:33 It remains to be seen how much that picks up in the summer.
00:49:36 I think we're all expecting Saudi Arabia to go again, as it were,
00:49:40 and spend an awful lot of money, which should sort of, you know,
00:49:44 re-boost the market, and I think there are potentially new FFP rules
00:49:47 coming in this summer, which has sort of been discussed and decided quite soon.
00:49:50 So that's a factor as well in terms of, you know,
00:49:53 a club's going to reign in the spending of the past few years.
00:49:56 Probably not, let's be honest. I'm sure they'll find a way.
00:49:59 And yeah, I think 60, 70 million for sure.
00:50:01 It'll be a sad day when he goes because...
00:50:04 But he's potentially enormous, mate.
00:50:05 I remember thinking when Jota left that Neto had a higher ceiling
00:50:09 than Jota at that time.
00:50:11 And obviously look at what Jota's done. It's absolutely phenomenal.
00:50:13 But I think Neto has still got a higher ceiling.
00:50:16 And without the injuries, he'd be there already.
00:50:18 Right. Okay. Tim Spears, we've got some questions from you.
00:50:21 All 100, if we spend five minutes on each question,
00:50:24 we'll be here till four in the afternoon.
00:50:25 So I'm going to have to pick a few.
00:50:27 We'll rattle through.
00:50:28 Right. Okay. Let me have a look.
00:50:30 I haven't really screened these, to be fair.
00:50:31 First of all, Gareth Finchett says,
00:50:33 "Does Huang He-Chan walk back into the starting lineup? Who is out?"
00:50:38 Because obviously Huang He-Chan, away with the Asian Cup.
00:50:40 He got knocked out by Jordan on Tuesday, probably back the next day.
00:50:45 She can certainly pack a punch.
00:50:48 [Laughter]
00:50:49 [Mimics gun]
00:50:51 [Laughter]
00:50:52 Got knocked out by Jordan.
00:50:55 [Sighs]
00:50:57 Who is out for old Huang?
00:51:01 I don't know. I was actually reporting on South Korea v. Jordan yesterday.
00:51:07 One of the highlights of my career.
00:51:08 You were cranky.
00:51:09 [Laughter]
00:51:10 Actually, no, no, no.
00:51:12 It was an incredible game, actually. Asian Cup semifinals.
00:51:15 South Korea didn't have a shot on target.
00:51:17 And Huang was sort of hauled off after 60, 70 minutes.
00:51:22 Him and Son were terrible to go. The whole team were.
00:51:25 And so he's back.
00:51:27 But after an intense few weeks,
00:51:31 and he sort of came back from injury at the start of the tournament, didn't he?
00:51:34 Worked his way into the team.
00:51:36 And obviously a big, you know, well, from a Spurs point of view,
00:51:39 they're not expecting Son to walk straight back into their team.
00:51:42 Sure.
00:51:43 Will Huang walk back into his team?
00:51:45 I would say no.
00:51:47 Considering what happened last weekend,
00:51:49 considering the goal-scoring form the team are in,
00:51:51 and considering the mental and physical exertions that Huang has had in the past few weeks,
00:51:56 I would be surprised.
00:51:58 I'd be surprised. He's got to be on the bench, right? Surely.
00:52:02 Yeah. Yeah, I think so.
00:52:03 I think on the bench, to be fair, probably the same for Son until, I mean, Son's captain.
00:52:07 So they'll probably be back in the following week,
00:52:09 but I would say bench is a good option.
00:52:11 And then 15, 20 minutes if they need it.
00:52:14 MTRN says, "Want to know if Tim could please come back?
00:52:18 And additionally, should the Liquidator be played at all home matches?"
00:52:22 Yeah, I've naturally always wanted the Liquidator to come back.
00:52:26 You know, I remember when it got ditched in like the early 2000s on police advice,
00:52:31 I was gutted.
00:52:32 Like it was my anthem growing up.
00:52:36 But I don't know, having been to the game last weekend,
00:52:39 it sort of feels like, well, they can't do it and they won't do it.
00:52:42 It would be terrible from a sort of a PR point of view.
00:52:46 You know, the game was stopped for half an hour.
00:52:48 There were six arrests.
00:52:49 People had to go to hospital.
00:52:51 And to bring back a song that explicitly states how much they hate West Brom,
00:52:55 it'd be amazing if they brought it back, which is such a shame.
00:52:58 They shouldn't have banned it in the first place.
00:53:00 It would have sort of naturally...
00:53:01 Was that under Sir Jackman, was it? Sir Jack banned it?
00:53:03 It was the police who... Westman has banned it,
00:53:06 saying that it sort of incited hatred and there was lots of violence around that time.
00:53:09 So why did Albion get to use it then, if that was the case?
00:53:12 Surely it's the same for both teams?
00:53:14 Yeah, it's a good point.
00:53:15 It's a bit murky as to who people were trying to shift the blame on others
00:53:20 around that time.
00:53:21 Jez Moxley was chief exec.
00:53:23 It's a good question to sort of get to the bottom of.
00:53:25 You know, all these years later, people might speak a bit truth about it.
00:53:28 Some might say an athletic feature is somewhere down the line.
00:53:32 Yeah, it is frustrating because obviously you hear it at other grounds.
00:53:35 You hear it at Chelsea, you hear it at Albion.
00:53:37 So why not at Wolves?
00:53:38 But it's not really very foe-son.
00:53:41 What's that song they play at full time?
00:53:43 Do they still play that?
00:53:44 Something in the World?
00:53:45 (Hums)
00:53:47 I don't know, a playload of WWE songs now.
00:53:49 I mean, they definitely had a bit of a revamp, I think,
00:53:53 because it was getting really bad, some of the music.
00:53:55 I think it's a lot better now, but I don't know.
00:53:57 I'm outside the ground by then, waiting to speak to the peeps.
00:53:59 I've got no idea what they play afterwards.
00:54:01 Yeah.
00:54:02 So, no, I don't think so.
00:54:03 But to answer his other question, no, I'm not coming back.
00:54:07 Sorry.
00:54:08 But I do miss it.
00:54:09 I do miss it a lot.
00:54:10 Do you miss some of it?
00:54:11 You miss a little bit of it, don't you?
00:54:12 I knew I'd miss it.
00:54:13 I knew I'd miss it the day I moved on.
00:54:16 I'm going to sound like a footballer here, but, you know,
00:54:18 it was for my career, you know, to sort of broaden my horizons,
00:54:21 move down to London, do some new things.
00:54:23 But, you know, I always knew that I'd miss it.
00:54:25 It was the job of my dreams, Nathan.
00:54:28 How long were you Wolves correspondent for?
00:54:30 Seven years.
00:54:31 Crikey.
00:54:32 I always said I'd do it for five, and then I did it for seven.
00:54:35 Did it for seven.
00:54:37 Good times, good times, my friend.
00:54:39 Great times.
00:54:40 OJ Bailey, "Will Gary Neill get a war chest in the summer,
00:54:43 assuming certain players get sold on for a higher value?"
00:54:46 We've talked about Neto, but you've got to think they want to get,
00:54:48 obviously, Johnny's off the books now.
00:54:50 You think that Sasha Kalaidzic, Fabio Silva are probably coming
00:54:52 to the end of their Wolves careers, if they can get money for them.
00:54:55 You've still got Daniel Padence, Gonzalo Guedes,
00:54:59 to name but a few.
00:55:03 I assume they're not going to spend all this money straight away,
00:55:05 but you think they're going to have a decent whack, aren't they,
00:55:07 especially if Neto does go?
00:55:10 I would have thought so, but, you know, what concerns me more
00:55:14 than sort of anything long-term is how the goalposts have been changed
00:55:17 in the past short.
00:55:18 Two transfer windows now?
00:55:20 You know, Gary Neill mentioned in January how the picture had changed
00:55:22 from one week to the next.
00:55:24 So, in terms of how much, yeah, they'll sell players
00:55:27 and they'll have the Premier League bonanza every summer as usual,
00:55:30 but how much of that they get to spend, it's difficult to call, really.
00:55:34 If the head coach is saying the goalposts are changing
00:55:36 one week to the next, then it's pretty hard for us to predict.
00:55:40 So, it does concern me.
00:55:42 Things are great right now, but, you know, things like the stadium
00:55:46 put perennially on hold and looking like there's going to be
00:55:49 nothing done there.
00:55:50 Things like grasshoppers just finishing.
00:55:53 Things like, you know, I applaud them for trying new things
00:55:56 with the eSports and the fashion labels, but, you know,
00:55:58 you don't hear much about that anymore.
00:56:00 What do Fosun want?
00:56:02 How much money are they going to invest?
00:56:04 What's their ambition?
00:56:05 What's their plan?
00:56:06 Are they looking to make Wolves a top-six club and team?
00:56:10 I don't see it anymore.
00:56:12 It's a concern for me, and that all factors into how much money
00:56:16 they'll have to spend.
00:56:18 So, I don't know, mate.
00:56:19 Things like that do worry me.
00:56:23 Simon Law says, "When Wolves beat Spurs at Molineux earlier this season,
00:56:26 did Tim leap up and celebrate, or did he try and look cool
00:56:29 and preserve his image with his new friends?"
00:56:31 [Laughter]
00:56:34 That's a good question.
00:56:36 I was watching at home, actually.
00:56:38 Yeah, I was big into that.
00:56:40 I did really enjoy that.
00:56:42 I'm no, you know, there's things to like about Spurs,
00:56:45 but I'm no Spurs fan, of course.
00:56:47 No.
00:56:48 It's just a job.
00:56:49 I love that.
00:56:51 I got attached to them a little bit.
00:56:53 Amazing stadium and some lovely people.
00:56:55 Oh, and the buffet.
00:56:56 You're getting there every other week.
00:56:58 That's insane.
00:56:59 It's incredible.
00:57:01 The best food in the Premier League.
00:57:03 The training ground's better than a lot of stadiums I've been to,
00:57:05 to be honest.
00:57:06 Really?
00:57:07 Very good.
00:57:08 Yeah, amazing.
00:57:09 One of the best in the country, for sure.
00:57:11 "Who finishes high next season, Wolves, or Tim's new favourite, Spurs?"
00:57:15 [Laughter]
00:57:18 Oh, Spurs.
00:57:19 Spurs are going places.
00:57:21 Pasterkoglu's a bit special.
00:57:24 They've got some really good young players.
00:57:26 I think they'll be top four for the next two, three years if he stays.
00:57:31 I do think so, yeah.
00:57:32 They're on to a winner there.
00:57:33 He's great.
00:57:35 Stu says, "Do they check bags for fish when you walk through the doors
00:57:38 of the Athletic HQ?"
00:57:39 A little retro comment.
00:57:41 Very retro.
00:57:42 What was that, pre-season in Austria or Switzerland?
00:57:46 I'm going to say it was Switzerland, and it was, yes,
00:57:51 I left my tweet deck open at the time, of which you were in the tweet.
00:57:55 Yeah, that was it.
00:57:56 I didn't realise for quite a long time, very much at the start of the trip,
00:57:59 something about my looks or my vanity.
00:58:01 I tweeted from your account that you were bemoaning the end
00:58:06 of your modelling career.
00:58:07 That's true.
00:58:08 You were like, "I'm 40.
00:58:10 I'm over the hill now.
00:58:11 Will my modelling career ever pick up?"
00:58:14 And tweeted it.
00:58:16 And people replied thinking that you were being serious,
00:58:18 which was a lot about you, to be honest.
00:58:21 It does.
00:58:22 So in retaliation, I chose violence.
00:58:25 And when we were packing to fly back to England,
00:58:31 I opened up a pack of smoked salmon and took it out of the foil wrap
00:58:38 and put it all over your clothes.
00:58:41 It's my jeans, predominantly.
00:58:43 Because I managed to say, "I'll take your case to the car."
00:58:46 And you're like, "Oh, that's really nice of you."
00:58:47 Yeah, I really should have twigged at that point because you're not normally
00:58:51 that kind, especially when it comes to manual labour,
00:58:53 like stuff that you normally just get people to do for you.
00:58:56 Exactly, no one paid them to do it.
00:58:58 Yeah, so you were getting me to volunteer to take my cases to the car.
00:59:02 You then took pictures of yourself doing the deed.
00:59:04 I did.
00:59:05 And then I think you tweeted them when we left each other
00:59:08 at the airport back in England.
00:59:10 I tweeted.
00:59:11 No, I tweeted.
00:59:12 I thought you had gone.
00:59:13 I tweeted as soon as you put the suitcase on the belt and it went off.
00:59:17 And I tweeted, so there was no coming back from that.
00:59:20 Your phone, you hadn't seen it until we got back to England
00:59:23 and you were on the train.
00:59:24 That's right.
00:59:25 And then I'm sure when you opened up with the heat and the salmon, et cetera.
00:59:29 And I didn't even realise at the time that you can't really take fish back
00:59:32 with you as well, so you could have got arrested.
00:59:34 So just thank your lucky stars that you just got a little bit of a whiff
00:59:37 when you opened up.
00:59:38 Yeah, it was.
00:59:40 I can still remember the smell now.
00:59:41 It was horrific.
00:59:42 I literally just, it was only in my jeans, I picked my jeans up
00:59:45 and just threw them straight in the bin and that was it.
00:59:47 (Laughs)
00:59:49 Oh dear, superb.
00:59:51 Vicky Lawton, glad, so glad.
00:59:53 And some lovely comments as well, Tim, I'm sure you can read through them,
00:59:56 I'm sure when you get a chance, but.
00:59:58 (Music)
01:00:02 (Music)
01:00:05 And I didn't even realise at the time that you can't really take fish back
01:00:23 with you as well, so you could have got arrested.
01:00:25 So just thank your lucky stars that you just got a little bit of a whiff
01:00:28 when you opened up.
01:00:29 Yeah, it was.
01:00:31 I can still remember the smell now.
01:00:32 It was horrific.
01:00:33 I literally just, it was only in my jeans, I picked my jeans up
01:00:36 and just threw them straight in the bin and that was it.
01:00:38 (Laughs)
01:00:41 Oh dear, superb.
01:00:42 Vicky Lawton, glad, so glad.
01:00:45 And some lovely comments as well, Tim, I'm sure you can read through them,
01:00:47 I'm sure when you get a chance, but.
01:00:49 So glad you boys are back together.
01:00:51 How would you rate this Wolves team compared to the prime Nuno days?
01:00:54 Yeah, I read all the comments, actually.
01:00:56 There's some really nice ones.
01:00:57 So thank you very much.
01:01:00 It means a lot.
01:01:02 And good question.
01:01:04 It was very different, really.
01:01:06 I don't know.
01:01:07 I'm very nostalgic for that era, I've got to say.
01:01:11 I'm not sure anything will ever beat it in my mind, to be honest.
01:01:15 I don't know how you feel.
01:01:17 No, I agree.
01:01:18 There was a special connection there, wasn't there?
01:01:20 I mean, look, still could come, you don't know, at the same time.
01:01:23 I think that there's the makings of something special,
01:01:25 but I think it's different special than the Garonian.
01:01:27 Like you say, I do agree with you that four or five defeats,
01:01:31 and then all of a sudden this could change very quickly.
01:01:33 There was a movement with Nuno.
01:01:36 It was a movement, wasn't it?
01:01:37 Yeah, it was a cult.
01:01:38 Which was pretty special, yeah.
01:01:40 The cult of Nuno, it was remarkable.
01:01:42 And all the songs they had about him.
01:01:44 Yeah, it's never quite the same second time around.
01:01:47 You know, when you fall in love the second time,
01:01:49 it's never quite as good as the first one.
01:01:52 No, no.
01:01:54 I could have said something there, but I won't.
01:01:57 I'll refrain.
01:01:58 Well, you know, your wife might be listening,
01:02:00 so you've got to be careful.
01:02:03 I was thinking more towards Liam, to be honest, but it's fine.
01:02:06 Right, yeah.
01:02:09 Nice.
01:02:11 Yeah, nothing will beat those days,
01:02:12 but I am so impressed with what's happening
01:02:14 and really enjoying watching it from afar,
01:02:17 particularly Neto and Kunja.
01:02:18 They're great to watch.
01:02:20 Important question from Andy Kozari.
01:02:23 What's your favourite cheese?
01:02:26 I really like M&S.
01:02:29 Do this, like, bossamic.
01:02:31 M&S, you've changed.
01:02:33 M&S, crikey.
01:02:35 It's astonishing.
01:02:36 London prices, unbelievable.
01:02:38 No Aldi, no Lidl anymore.
01:02:40 Do you know what?
01:02:41 Yeah, London prices, my God.
01:02:44 You know I like my wine, but you get to any bar or pub around here
01:02:48 and you're paying like £10 for a glass of wine.
01:02:51 It's insanity.
01:02:52 And, like, it's £10 for a bottle back home, like, maximum, really.
01:02:56 Favourite cheese?
01:02:57 Do this bossamic onion cheddar.
01:03:01 Really crunchy and tangy.
01:03:03 And juicy.
01:03:05 Yeah.
01:03:06 Lovely.
01:03:07 Yeah, that's my... [LAUGHS]
01:03:10 ...favourite cheese, yeah.
01:03:12 Oh, we've got one from an old favourite, Duffman.
01:03:14 Thomas Duffy.
01:03:15 Duffman!
01:03:16 Duffman!
01:03:18 He says, "Would Tim..."
01:03:20 I don't know if you saw this as well, is,
01:03:22 "In the summer, I was going to Viva Las Vegas
01:03:25 "and I said to Liam that I would sort out a hotel room for him
01:03:28 "if he decided to come.
01:03:29 "He turned it down in the end after much debate
01:03:32 "because he's been waiting for his house,
01:03:34 "which he's been waiting to move in for for the last two and a half years
01:03:37 "and it's still in the closet of his sister's,
01:03:40 "in his back bedroom at this moment in time,
01:03:42 "so he's still not there.
01:03:43 "Could have gone and basically bottled the trip.
01:03:46 "So would Tim have turned down a trip to Las Vegas like Liam did?"
01:03:48 He says, "Duffman."
01:03:50 Christ, no.
01:03:51 I've never been.
01:03:53 It's an ambition of mine to go.
01:03:54 I'd like to go with you and do it properly
01:03:56 because you're an expert in many things that you've told me about.
01:04:02 The underworld.
01:04:04 And, yeah, I think when Wolves were mooted to go to America in 2020,
01:04:08 do you remember?
01:04:09 I do remember, yeah.
01:04:10 Before the pandemic hit.
01:04:12 And I'm sure we'd have probably gone that summer.
01:04:14 We'd have taken a few days off to go, even if they weren't anywhere near.
01:04:17 So, yeah, no.
01:04:18 It's an ambition of mine to go specifically with you at some point.
01:04:23 Amazing.
01:04:24 I'm going to have the last one here very quick.
01:04:29 Last one.
01:04:30 "Graham J, is Tim missing the Wolves?"
01:04:33 Yeah, I do miss it.
01:04:34 I do miss it.
01:04:35 It was lovely to be at West Brom.
01:04:37 God, I've never said that before.
01:04:38 It was lovely to be at West Brom and see everybody again a couple of weeks ago,
01:04:44 to see, obviously, yourself and Liam and journalists who people know,
01:04:50 like John Percy or Tim Nash was there, Matt Mayer, Graham Bryce,
01:04:55 all the old folks there, the Wolves media team.
01:04:57 And Dave Edwards was there.
01:04:59 Andy Thompson was there.
01:05:01 I didn't see Mikey Burrows, but I'm sure he was there.
01:05:04 And I also miss him.
01:05:05 And, yeah, of course, of course I do miss it.
01:05:10 It was the best of times, Nathan.
01:05:13 The very best of times.
01:05:14 I'd love to do it all again, but nothing will ever beat that.
01:05:18 You know, we got so lucky.
01:05:20 Obviously, you're still doing it, but with the run that we went on, right,
01:05:24 Wolves' best period for decades.
01:05:27 Yeah.
01:05:28 And to go from middle of the championship, awful guff,
01:05:31 to seventh in the Premier League twice and Europa League quarterfinals,
01:05:35 the journey that we went on, the Europa League run, it was amazing.
01:05:40 And I loved it and I gave it everything.
01:05:43 You know what I was like?
01:05:44 I was like 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
01:05:46 Non-stop.
01:05:48 It was amazing.
01:05:49 Yeah, I'd love to do it all again.
01:05:52 Good days.
01:05:53 But like you say, once never beats that first time.
01:05:57 And I genuinely think out of those top two leagues,
01:06:00 from a journey point of view,
01:06:02 there wasn't one other club that had a better journey than Wolves.
01:06:05 It was if you had to handpick a club to cover from, like you say,
01:06:08 where they were on the guff that was playing,
01:06:10 they were watching every single week, to the takeover,
01:06:13 to back-to-back sevens promotion, you know, winning the championship,
01:06:17 everything around it, the European tours, the pre-seasons.
01:06:22 I don't think there was one club, if you had to handpick,
01:06:25 that was a better journey than doing Wolves at that time.
01:06:28 Wolves were one of the stories of European football for those few years,
01:06:32 not just English football.
01:06:33 You know, that's how big they were.
01:06:36 And it's remarkable how sort of things conspire.
01:06:39 And, you know, the pandemic really, really ended it, to be honest.
01:06:44 Because once football started again, obviously there were no fans.
01:06:48 Once fans came back, you know, Nuno had gone,
01:06:51 and some of the players had gone.
01:06:53 I remember writing about it at the time,
01:06:55 how that moment, Spurs away, 3-2, Jimenez.
01:07:00 It wasn't quite the last game.
01:07:01 I think they had a 0-0 against Brighton the week later,
01:07:03 which was, you know, not quite as memorable.
01:07:05 But it's sort of frozen in time, really,
01:07:07 that moment and how it felt with Nuno, with the fans.
01:07:10 They were going for Champions League at that time.
01:07:11 - Yeah, that's true. Yeah.
01:07:12 - And they were in the European, Europa League knockout stages.
01:07:16 So for the pandemic to hit, and then when everyone came back,
01:07:18 Nuno had gone, Jimenez had fractured his skull, you know, during that time.
01:07:22 So when things started up again, it had all gone, really.
01:07:26 - Yeah. Yeah.
01:07:27 - So, yeah, it was an incredible moment.
01:07:29 Obviously, yeah, the European run being the highlight, really.
01:07:32 In fact, I'm going to quiz you now.
01:07:34 We're overrunning already.
01:07:35 Can you tell me the away days in order from that European run?
01:07:42 I was writing them down this morning, and I was like, and it's tough.
01:07:45 I was like, I'm going to ask him, can he remember?
01:07:49 - Okay. Goodness me, that's hard.
01:07:52 - Good quiz, though.
01:07:53 - Good quiz.
01:07:54 - So we start with the qualifiers.
01:07:55 - Corinthians away.
01:07:57 [Laughter]
01:08:01 - We're going to Brazil away.
01:08:03 - Oh, not Corinthians.
01:08:05 And the team in the Northern Ireland, Belfast, didn't begin with the Crusaders.
01:08:09 [Laughter]
01:08:11 - It's not a great start.
01:08:12 - It's not a great start, but I've got the C.
01:08:14 Oh, God.
01:08:17 Oh, then there was that place we went to.
01:08:19 - Crusaders.
01:08:20 Where was that for the benefit of the listeners?
01:08:22 - Belfast, Northern Ireland.
01:08:24 I went on a Lord of the Rings/Game of Thrones tour.
01:08:27 - Yeah.
01:08:28 And then with six days notice, where did we go next?
01:08:32 - Ah.
01:08:34 Wasn't it via Istanbul?
01:08:36 Wasn't it in the middle of nowhere?
01:08:38 - We went via Istanbul.
01:08:39 No, we went via Georgia, I think, to get there.
01:08:41 - Georgia, but on the way back it was Istanbul.
01:08:43 - On the way back it was Istanbul.
01:08:45 - It was kind of a...
01:08:46 - We did a podcast at Istanbul Airport.
01:08:48 - Give me two names.
01:08:50 Give me the second name of it.
01:08:52 Was it Punic?
01:08:54 - FC Punic.
01:08:55 He's done it.
01:08:56 Which is in what city?
01:08:57 - Oh, no idea, mate.
01:08:58 - And what country?
01:08:59 - No idea.
01:09:00 Serbia?
01:09:01 - Serbia.
01:09:02 - Do you not remember, really?
01:09:04 - I'm...
01:09:05 No.
01:09:06 - Armenia.
01:09:07 - Armenia.
01:09:08 Armenia.
01:09:09 Of course, massive in Armenia.
01:09:11 - Yerevan.
01:09:12 - Oh.
01:09:13 Yeah, that was a good...
01:09:14 Oh, yeah, because we had that hotel.
01:09:16 I could go on forever and ever.
01:09:17 Remember when we had that hotel we stayed at?
01:09:19 - Yeah, I do remember the hotel.
01:09:21 I just remember living like a king, like I've never done before.
01:09:24 Because you get like a 20-minute taxi, but like two quid.
01:09:27 - Yes.
01:09:28 - And the food was like...
01:09:29 This is amazing.
01:09:30 I should probably move here.
01:09:32 And yet only 47 or 48 Wolves fans made the trip.
01:09:35 Because you had six days' notice.
01:09:37 Because they only qualified a week before.
01:09:39 And the draw was made that night or something.
01:09:41 And then it was unbelievably expensive to get out there.
01:09:44 Amazing Expressensthal paid for us, actually.
01:09:46 It was very, very expensive.
01:09:48 - That was top draw from them, to be fair.
01:09:50 - Yeah.
01:09:51 But yeah, amazing to be there.
01:09:52 I remember they played System of a Down when the teams came out.
01:09:56 Like heavy metal.
01:09:57 Because they're like of Armenian origin, which is quite the sound.
01:10:02 Anyway, don't look it up on Google.
01:10:03 I can see you tapping away on your computer.
01:10:05 - No, no, no, I'm not.
01:10:06 I'm getting to Kellyn Chauffeurman, to be honest.
01:10:08 - Okay, sorry.
01:10:09 So keep going.
01:10:10 Come on, come on.
01:10:11 Where do we go next?
01:10:12 Third qualifier.
01:10:13 - Third qualifier.
01:10:15 Oh.
01:10:17 Turin, was it?
01:10:18 - Turin.
01:10:19 - Turino?
01:10:20 - Yep, Turino.
01:10:21 - Good trip, that, as well, by the way.
01:10:23 - Fantastic trip.
01:10:24 Yeah.
01:10:25 So, yeah, and then into the group stages?
01:10:27 - Oh.
01:10:29 Olympiacos?
01:10:31 - No, absolutely not.
01:10:32 No, you're good.
01:10:33 No, that was last '16.
01:10:36 - Oh, okay.
01:10:37 Bugger.
01:10:38 No, go on.
01:10:40 Sevilla?
01:10:41 - Mate, honestly, you're joking?
01:10:45 - I'm thinking, I'm thinking.
01:10:46 One second.
01:10:48 - Sevilla.
01:10:49 - Germany, Germany, Germany.
01:10:51 - No, played Sevilla in Germany.
01:10:53 - We went to Germany, went to Germany.
01:10:54 Definitely went to Germany.
01:10:55 - That's quarterfinals, mate.
01:10:56 You're going far, far too ahead here.
01:10:58 - Okay, okay.
01:10:59 - Ready?
01:11:00 - No, go on.
01:11:01 - Blimey.
01:11:02 I'm just shocked.
01:11:03 - Well, I can't remember in chronological order.
01:11:06 - You can't remember anything here, by the sound of it.
01:11:08 We're going to Brazil.
01:11:13 So, yeah, in the group stages was Besiktas.
01:11:16 - Oh, Besiktas, of course.
01:11:18 Oh, that's because you weren't with me.
01:11:19 That's because you weren't with me.
01:11:21 That Rosie was there with me that day.
01:11:22 - Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:11:23 - You moved on by then.
01:11:24 - I moved to the athletic, but I was still there with you.
01:11:26 - Sluijs was there.
01:11:27 - And then Sloban Bratislava, which was where Wolves fans went.
01:11:31 Well, it was supposed to be an empty stadium, if you remember.
01:11:33 And then they gave tickets to kids for free.
01:11:36 - I do remember that, yes.
01:11:37 - It was supposed to be an empty stadium for,
01:11:39 I can't remember what it was now.
01:11:40 I'm not going to defame them.
01:11:41 And then they gave tickets for free,
01:11:45 and they had the biggest attendance of the season.
01:11:47 - Joe Edwards was there for that one.
01:11:48 And then where it poured down, poured down.
01:11:50 - Braga.
01:11:51 - Braga.
01:11:52 - Braga.
01:12:21 - Which was one of the, that was a fun trip.
01:12:23 - Yeah, fun trip, terrible game,
01:12:24 because they already won four in the first leg.
01:12:26 Then Olympiacos in an empty stadium as COVID was just starting.
01:12:29 - Yeah.
01:12:30 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:12:31 - Yeah.
01:12:32 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:12:33 - Yeah.
01:12:34 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:12:35 - Yeah.
01:12:36 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:12:37 - Yeah.
01:12:38 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:12:39 - Yeah.
01:12:40 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:12:41 - Yeah.
01:12:42 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:12:43 - Yeah.
01:12:44 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:12:45 - Yeah.
01:12:46 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:12:47 - Yeah.
01:12:48 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:12:49 - Yeah.
01:12:50 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:12:51 - Yeah.
01:12:52 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:12:53 - Yeah.
01:12:54 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:12:55 - Yeah.
01:12:56 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:12:57 - Yeah.
01:12:58 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:12:59 - Yeah.
01:13:00 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:01 - Yeah.
01:13:02 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:03 - Yeah.
01:13:04 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:05 - Yeah.
01:13:06 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:07 - Yeah.
01:13:08 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:09 - Yeah.
01:13:10 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:11 - Yeah.
01:13:12 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:13 - Yeah.
01:13:14 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:15 - Yeah.
01:13:16 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:17 - Yeah.
01:13:18 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:19 - Yeah.
01:13:20 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:21 - Yeah.
01:13:22 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:23 - Yeah.
01:13:24 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:25 - Yeah.
01:13:26 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:27 - Yeah.
01:13:28 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:29 - Yeah.
01:13:30 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:31 - Yeah.
01:13:32 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:33 - Yeah.
01:13:34 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:35 - Yeah.
01:13:36 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:37 - Yeah.
01:13:38 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:39 - Yeah.
01:13:40 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:41 - Yeah.
01:13:42 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:43 - Yeah.
01:13:44 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:45 - Yeah.
01:13:46 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:47 - Yeah.
01:13:48 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:49 - Yeah.
01:13:50 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:51 - Yeah.
01:13:52 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:53 - Yeah.
01:13:54 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:55 - Yeah.
01:13:56 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:57 - Yeah.
01:13:58 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:13:59 - Yeah.
01:14:00 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:01 - Yeah.
01:14:02 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:03 - Yeah.
01:14:04 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:05 - Yeah.
01:14:06 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:07 - Yeah.
01:14:08 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:09 - Yeah.
01:14:10 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:11 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:12 - Yeah.
01:14:13 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:14 - Yeah.
01:14:15 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:16 - Yeah.
01:14:17 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:18 - Yeah.
01:14:19 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:20 - Yeah.
01:14:21 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:22 - Yeah.
01:14:23 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:24 - Yeah.
01:14:25 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:26 - Yeah.
01:14:27 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:28 - Yeah.
01:14:29 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:30 - Yeah.
01:14:31 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:32 - Yeah.
01:14:33 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:34 - Yeah.
01:14:35 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:36 - Yeah.
01:14:37 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:38 - Yeah.
01:14:39 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:40 - Yeah.
01:14:41 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:42 - Yeah.
01:14:43 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:44 - Yeah.
01:14:45 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:46 - Yeah.
01:14:47 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:48 - Yeah.
01:14:49 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:50 - Yeah.
01:14:51 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:52 - Yeah.
01:14:53 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:54 - Yeah.
01:14:55 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:56 - Yeah.
01:14:57 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:14:58 - Yeah.
01:14:59 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:00 - Yeah.
01:15:01 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:02 - Yeah.
01:15:03 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:04 - Yeah.
01:15:05 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:06 - Yeah.
01:15:07 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:08 - Yeah.
01:15:09 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:10 - Yeah.
01:15:11 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:12 - Yeah.
01:15:13 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:14 - Yeah.
01:15:15 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:16 - Yeah.
01:15:17 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:18 - Yeah.
01:15:19 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:20 - Yeah.
01:15:21 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:22 - Yeah.
01:15:23 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:24 - Yeah.
01:15:25 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:26 - Yeah.
01:15:27 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:28 - Yeah.
01:15:29 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:30 - Yeah.
01:15:31 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:32 - Yeah.
01:15:33 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:34 - Yeah.
01:15:35 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:36 - Yeah.
01:15:37 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:38 - Yeah.
01:15:39 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:40 - Yeah.
01:15:41 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:42 - Yeah.
01:15:43 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:44 - Yeah.
01:15:45 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:46 - Yeah.
01:15:47 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:48 - Yeah.
01:15:49 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:50 - Yeah.
01:15:51 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:52 - Yeah.
01:15:53 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:54 - Yeah.
01:15:55 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:56 - Yeah.
01:15:57 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:15:58 - Yeah.
01:15:59 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:00 - Yeah.
01:16:01 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:02 - Yeah.
01:16:03 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:04 - Yeah.
01:16:05 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:06 - Yeah.
01:16:07 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:08 - Yeah.
01:16:09 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:10 - Yeah.
01:16:11 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:12 - Yeah.
01:16:13 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:14 - Yeah.
01:16:15 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:16 - Yeah.
01:16:17 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:18 - Yeah.
01:16:19 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:20 - Yeah.
01:16:21 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:22 - Yeah.
01:16:23 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:24 - Yeah.
01:16:25 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:26 - Yeah.
01:16:27 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:28 - Yeah.
01:16:29 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:30 - Yeah.
01:16:31 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:32 - Yeah.
01:16:33 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:34 - Yeah.
01:16:35 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:36 - Yeah.
01:16:37 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:38 - Yeah.
01:16:39 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:40 - Yeah.
01:16:41 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:42 - Yeah.
01:16:43 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:44 - Yeah.
01:16:45 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:46 - Yeah.
01:16:47 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:48 - Yeah.
01:16:49 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:50 - Yeah.
01:16:51 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:52 - Yeah.
01:16:53 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:54 - Yeah.
01:16:55 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:56 - Yeah.
01:16:57 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:16:58 - Yeah.
01:16:59 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:00 - Yeah.
01:17:01 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:02 - Yeah.
01:17:03 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:04 - Yeah.
01:17:05 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:06 - Yeah.
01:17:07 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:08 - Yeah.
01:17:09 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:10 - Yeah.
01:17:11 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:12 - Yeah.
01:17:13 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:14 - Yeah.
01:17:15 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:16 - Yeah.
01:17:17 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:18 - Yeah.
01:17:19 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:20 - Yeah.
01:17:21 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:22 - Yeah.
01:17:23 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:24 - Yeah.
01:17:25 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:26 - Yeah.
01:17:27 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:28 - Yeah.
01:17:29 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:30 - Yeah.
01:17:31 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:32 - Yeah.
01:17:33 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:34 - Yeah.
01:17:35 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:36 - Yeah.
01:17:37 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:38 - Yeah.
01:17:39 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:40 - Yeah.
01:17:41 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:42 - Yeah.
01:17:43 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:44 - Yeah.
01:17:45 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:46 - Yeah.
01:17:47 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:48 - Yeah.
01:17:49 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:50 - Yeah.
01:17:51 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:52 - Yeah.
01:17:53 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:54 - Yeah.
01:17:55 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:56 - Yeah.
01:17:57 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:17:58 - Yeah.
01:17:59 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:00 - Yeah.
01:18:01 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:02 - Yeah.
01:18:03 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:04 - Yeah.
01:18:05 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:06 - Yeah.
01:18:07 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:08 - Yeah.
01:18:09 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:10 - Yeah.
01:18:11 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:12 - Yeah.
01:18:13 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:14 - Yeah.
01:18:15 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:16 - Yeah.
01:18:17 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:18 - Yeah.
01:18:19 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:20 - Yeah.
01:18:21 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:22 - Yeah.
01:18:23 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:24 - Yeah.
01:18:25 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:26 - Yeah.
01:18:27 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:28 - Yeah.
01:18:29 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:30 - Yeah.
01:18:31 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:32 - Yeah.
01:18:33 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:34 - Yeah.
01:18:35 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:36 - Yeah.
01:18:37 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:38 - Yeah.
01:18:39 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:40 - Yeah.
01:18:41 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:42 - Yeah.
01:18:43 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:44 - Yeah.
01:18:45 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:46 - Yeah.
01:18:47 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:48 - Yeah.
01:18:49 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:50 - Yeah.
01:18:51 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:52 - Yeah.
01:18:53 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:54 - Yeah.
01:18:55 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:56 - Yeah.
01:18:57 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:18:58 - Yeah.
01:18:59 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:19:00 - Yeah.
01:19:01 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:19:02 - Yeah.
01:19:03 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:19:04 - Yeah.
01:19:05 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:19:06 - Yeah.
01:19:07 - And then it was a fun trip.
01:19:08 - Oh, there's a good Nuno print there by Luis Cobbold.
01:19:12 It's a bit retro maybe.
01:19:13 You want to go around?
01:19:14 - A bit retro, yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:19:15 - There's a Pedence poster for five pounds.
01:19:17 - Oh, sale, I was going to say.
01:19:18 Sale, sale, sale.
01:19:20 Johnny in there.
01:19:21 Johnny got one.
01:19:22 Smashing up a table tennis table.
01:19:25 In anger.
01:19:26 (laughing)
01:19:27 A little waterwork, Luis Cobbold.
01:19:30 - Oh, what an image that'd be.
01:19:31 - Amazing.
01:19:32 - Is he gone now, is he?
01:19:33 Johnny's gone, isn't he?
01:19:34 - He's gone, mate, he's gone.
01:19:35 He's gone, gone to Greece.
01:19:36 I'm still paying some of his wages, topping them up,
01:19:37 but he's gone.
01:19:38 Only Doc left, second time round from the old Europa League.
01:19:46 Exit.
01:19:49 I mean, take your time.
01:19:50 I mean, I tell you what's going on.
01:19:52 - Oh, wow, okay.
01:19:53 So there's some amazing retro shirts here.
01:19:55 It's 40 quid too much?
01:19:57 - No, no, no, you can spend 80 if you want.
01:19:59 - Really?
01:20:00 - Yeah.
01:20:01 - Amazing, this budget.
01:20:02 - I know.
01:20:03 - You got any jobs going?
01:20:06 - Yeah, you can have mine.
01:20:08 - How about the 1980 League Cup Final jacket?
01:20:12 - Oh my God, that sounds sexy.
01:20:14 - It's really good.
01:20:15 It's really, really good.
01:20:16 It's quite nice.
01:20:17 - Okay, how much is it?
01:20:18 How much is it?
01:20:19 So I've got to ask.
01:20:20 - 55 pounds.
01:20:21 Oh, but they only do small or medium.
01:20:23 - Oh, that's okay.
01:20:24 That's fine, that's fine.
01:20:25 - We know our public.
01:20:27 - Okay.
01:20:29 - Either that or the 1998 away shirt, the white and teal one.
01:20:33 - Well, let's give them the option.
01:20:34 I'll give them the option.
01:20:35 - Yeah, okay.
01:20:36 - Okay, so we've got the option of the 1980, what is it?
01:20:39 - League Cup Final jacket.
01:20:41 - League Cup Final.
01:20:42 - Only small or medium on the website.
01:20:44 - Or?
01:20:45 - Or the 1998 Wolves away top.
01:20:50 - Wolves away top, 1998, all right, okay.
01:20:53 - Yeah, classic.
01:20:54 - And I'll throw in the air fryer as well.
01:20:56 So one of those, either of those and a 25 pound air fryer,
01:20:59 not 20 pounds.
01:21:00 I'll go first with the prediction and then I will leave the floor
01:21:02 to our beloved Mr. Tim Spears.
01:21:04 I'm going to say that Wolves carry on with this excellent form
01:21:07 that they are in.
01:21:08 They score goals.
01:21:09 I'm going to say it's Wolverhampton Wanderers, two,
01:21:11 Brentford, one.
01:21:14 - That's good.
01:21:15 I think that's pretty good, yeah.
01:21:17 Do you do goal scorers as well or just numbers?
01:21:19 - No, we just do scores.
01:21:20 You don't have to go goal scorers now, it's just score.
01:21:22 It's crazy.
01:21:24 - I mean, yeah, they're in a rich vein of goal scoring form.
01:21:28 Yeah, I would say two nil.
01:21:30 - Two nil, okay.
01:21:31 Wolves, two.
01:21:32 Tim Spears, Wolves, two.
01:21:34 Brentford, nil.
01:21:35 Well, we are one hour and 25 minutes in approximately,
01:21:38 and I've got to say it's been a pleasure.
01:21:41 It's like we have been recording for the last five years.
01:21:45 It's very comfortable.
01:21:47 - Yeah, it has been a long show, yeah.
01:21:48 (laughing)
01:21:52 No, mate, it's been amazing.
01:21:54 It's been a pleasure.
01:21:55 I can't believe it's been so long.
01:21:56 I remember coming back for, what was it, the 200th episode?
01:21:59 - You did charity one, didn't you, during COVID?
01:22:01 - Yeah, during COVID, of course.
01:22:02 - Yeah, yeah.
01:22:03 - Me, you, and Joe.
01:22:04 But other than that, you haven't asked me on.
01:22:06 So it's been a long time.
01:22:10 - I'm too lazy.
01:22:11 - You're right, it does just feel like old times.
01:22:14 I did a thing recently where I went back and listened
01:22:16 to some of our old podcasts, which is so sad.
01:22:18 But I was just walking around London, around some park somewhere,
01:22:22 and skimming through some of the highlights.
01:22:24 Good days.
01:22:25 They still sound, still a good listen, you know,
01:22:27 even though it's like--
01:22:28 - Still a good listen.
01:22:29 Not episode one, but we moved on from that.
01:22:30 - Yeah, yeah.
01:22:31 The football's out of date, but the chat is not.
01:22:33 The chat is hot.
01:22:35 And yes, it's lovely to be back on, mate.
01:22:38 Thank you so much for having me.
01:22:40 - It's a pleasure, mate.
01:22:41 I'm sure I'll see you very, very soon,
01:22:43 and potentially at a barbecue in the summer.
01:22:46 So you never, ever know.
01:22:47 Mr. Tim Spears, I know you'll get plenty of comments and likes
01:22:50 and some very nice people who will listen to this.
01:22:53 But appreciate it, mate.
01:22:54 Appreciate you having me on.
01:22:55 And also, just store a bit of that cash for me as well,
01:22:58 those 50s that are everywhere.
01:23:00 It's just, it's embarrassing.
01:23:01 It's embarrassing.
01:23:02 It's absolutely stunning.
01:23:03 Take care, mate, from me, from Mr. Tim Spears.
01:23:07 Fingers crossed.
01:23:08 Three points on Saturday.
01:23:09 And both of us, take care.
01:23:12 Bye-bye!
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