About this episode
Myles Lewis-Skelly takes over Europe, Saka sets sights on Madrid, and Arsenal hit 143k subs! šļø Featuring: @iJohnnyCochrane & @LeGrove The international break is usually the graveyard shift for football chatā¦ but not this week. Weāve got unexpected debuts, tactical fireworks, and a new England darling to fawn over. Pete and Johnny crack into a surprisingly juicy pod with a mix of hot takes, serious chat, and a massive shout to the AOP community. šļø We kick things off celebrating a massive milestone ā our silver YouTube trophy finally arrived (after three weeks marinating in the back of Peteās car). Weāve officially passed 100k subscribers ā actually 143k, if weāre bragging ā and Johnny demands we make a big fuss. So we did. š„ Then itās onto the Hottest of Takes : Johnny puts all his faith in one man to take us to glory against Real Madrid: Bukayo Saka . Pete counters with some emotional vindication after Myles Lewis-Skelly makes his England debut, bags a goal, and leaves rival fanbases in a puddle of tears. Heās not just good. Heās the guy . š§ We go deep on the tactical side too. Tuchel vs. Southgate. MLS as an inverted left-back / double six hybrid. Is Arteta cooking something special or getting a little too cautious? Are we really practicing transition football mid-season for a Madrid showdown? š Then we dive into the cultural conversation. Johnny lays out why MLS's rise matters beyond football. Confidence. Swagger. Representation. The tired old tropes from media dinosaurs need to be put in the bin. We're not letting our next superstar be defined by clickbait narratives. š¶ We touch on Ethan Nwaneri ās usage ā or lack thereof ā and whether Arteta should lean into the youth revolution more. Plus a warning: letās not Wilshere these kids. Manage the minutes. Build them slowly. š© Thereās also some bad news: Calafiori picks up another knock with Italy. Pete rants about the signing, the injuries, and whether Ā£40m on another centre-back was ever a good idea when heās not even playing in his best position. āļø And finally, we tie it all together with a few spicy debates: Can defence really win you titles in 2025? Have we learned how to manage egos and character in the modern game? And why is it that Arsenal fans always seem to be the first to get lectured when our boys show a little sauce? šAll this and loads more in a surprisingly banging international break edition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices