Who can challenge Man City for 2023-24 Premier League title? | The 2 Robbies Podcast | NBC Sports

who is best poised to challenge Man City this season now again we should start at the very top uh yeah of course last year it was Arsenal that challenged man city right towards the end they fell away of course um to the back end of last season things have changed this summer I gotta say rob you know um I I like I really like Arsenal's window there's so much and by the way you know every team we could get into so much detail about it or what happened but just just quickly on of course their notable signings that we have here Declan rice massive fee they got him which I think by the way which well let me just go through the names first so can't have it is the interesting one from Chelsea these are all big fees by the way huge fee for black and Ice um whereas 135 million dollars I think is up to for for Duncan rice a Premier League record Yuri and Timber 49 million dollars uh and Kai habits 83 million dollars they're the three new signings and just quickly on those Rob before I let you jump in I think the Declan rise 135 million dollars Rob apart from being a brilliant signing in my opinion uh in terms of what he can do I think it is a statement signing I think it is a wow like the kronkeys and this football club are investing at the right time they've gone for the player that many many teams wanted and they outbid they kind of they kind of they've got preferred to Man City wanted him as well Rob so that yeah with the money with the timing with the sort of player he is and some might argue that that's a lot of money for a hold in Midfield player and maybe that guy should do a little bit more but in terms of a signing and a kind of statement of intent from this football club we all know exactly what they want this season which is a premier league title and this signing I just think is is so powerful in regards to that yeah I I couldn't agree more uh definitely nice it is is a diamond signing I know it's a lot of money rob he might be the football club eight to ten years well there was a period last season when it just started to to go away from Arsenal remember the West Ham game Thomas party trying to flick a ball in the field exactly rice got him yeah yeah Declan Knights doesn't do that Rob Declan rice um addresses that issue Declan nice has a as a maturity about him that's really impressive for somebody that young I think declamationize the footballer there's more to come I think he can get forward at times a bit more as innate and make things I think you can see as a LastPass I think he's got the ability I think he can see a goal I think he's good size he can go and get your six or seven goals from midfield if the setup's right um when I look at when I look at Arsenal Rob I looked at the start of last season 2022 Arsenal had a team good enough to challenge to win the title at 20 in 2022 in 2023 at the turn of the year the the depth of Arsenal Squad showed up that they didn't have a squad to challenge because when they had to make some big changes it was not like to like no what they do have now is more competition when you see chosard you know Jesus is not involved in Mama habit habits is playing Martin as Saka Midfield with party oh the god rice yeah and then Katie and then the bat Lads you know bringing in Saliba box huge Timber coming in gives them options Ben White can play in different positions all of a sudden I'm kind of seeing the things that I just my big question in this one Rob with Arsenal is how much have they learned from last year how much have they taken matured and he was into the game we we had a production called learn and we're talking to some of the boys in England and all that and and there was a point that I'd made that Lee Dixon touched on and it's a big season now for michelada he's been back to rob the cronkies have given him kind of mostly what he wants it's a lot of money it's a lot of money it's time to maybe go closer I'm not saying you have to win it but maybe now that that slip that came and that little indecision can you go closer yeah and the thing that I want to find from Mitchell or tattoo Rob and it's kind of I don't mean this in a critical way I mean in a way that he's got to mature and get over you know um sort of grow from what happened last season is I want to see who Michael arteto is now this evening who how does he handle things whether it's disappointments whether it's winning whether it's being taught by eight points or chasing by equals who is he and how does he do Rob because I always get the sense and maybe some of it's because of watching the documentary and with all the answers but I always put there's a sense of there's a part of me that feels like orchetta is always thinking what he should be doing or what he should be saying to get the right result doesn't ever quite feel as natural as pep as clop as Sir Alex is awesome Wenger they they look like they were who they were and that's how they were I wish bill was our chatter he's struggling to find but does it does it matter Rob does it matter by the way and I agree with you it's almost like he's a manufactured like what what do I what what do I think is going to be a best for my behavior normal or natural for him or not but even so is it that important Rob when you talk about it that you know he's got to find them real is it that important yeah yeah it is I think because I think he's got to leave him he's got to take him to it when you're asking pep is it important pep is how he drives that team I think there's a time this will be a point in the season when our chapter will have to have grown from the orchato we saw last year um yeah yeah yeah yeah I'm not I just don't know in in the big picture of things and this Behavior I don't know if I'm you know he's jumping around he got a yellow card again in the community Shield this weekend again I mean it is whether that's normal the way he is always he's kind of he's trying to provide that from the sidelines I don't know um I'll tell you what the Rob let's just go through a few there's a few stories around Arsenal now and a few headlines um that I just want to go through a little bit and by the way just before I do that we did speak to Mikhail arteta Rob didn't we and we should tell people that because we're a great conversation either commercial manager yeah CEO we had a really good marriage together weren't they it was very together great understanding of each other's roles and you know the part that each other played yeah I thought it was excellent at an excellent conversation we had a great conversation and and you know we don't want it it was kind of more of a private kind of fact Gathering and just information for us to get but he did talk about the squad now with the signings they were looking for Quality looking for depth they were looking for leadership and they were looking for desire it's like that that hunger Robin a couple of times as though maybe in in some of the key moments he maybe didn't have a couple of players out there that would just grab a few of them the younger ones maybe and I mean uh to try and get back on track um but anyway but just a few a few a few things I want to chat you about first one being Kai habits High habits from Chelsea going to Arsenal was is the one of these three big signings where I'm like oh um is he what can Mikhail do differently obviously arteta feels that he can play him in a different spot or do some get something that that takes the potential and the the Raw Talent from that is obviously got a guy habits into production of assists and of possession of goals and of creativity I'm not I'm like you know what I wouldn't have done it I'll say that I would not spend that amount of money it was 83 million dollars on a player that I know it's different and ours was different to Chelsea but I would not have done that I would I would have found another Avenue to go down to so what do you feel about what he's done with it and I like it I quite like it I have to say okay I quite like it because I think habits let's say Jesus plays and he's playing as a Mortimer field and cam plays it is is a false nine coming back in in he's an intelligent footballer so he's got that and if Pace comes from the outside with Martinelli and and Saka and he's coming deeper I think that that gives them good options maybe if Jesus isn't scoring all injured his ears now but more than that Rob I think if you put Thai habits in the spots where Granite Jacka was getting to with Arsenal's build up and possession I think Kai habits can take you to another level of creativity of assists of goal scoring I think there's more goals in him and I'm the most critical of him in terms of sometimes he doesn't have the killer about him he doesn't finish with any conviction but I but the player was bought at Chelsea the German international who can get from boxer box who can finish I think make a lotacho believes he can get that out of him and I think he's thinking I can have Granite Jacka plus with with Kai habits because I uh you're not a natural no no he does great things but he's not a natural he hasn't got that technical ability he hasn't got a creative ability that I have at SARS I think he's saying can I have it's in that spot can produce me so much more for my team and be almost another source of eight plus goals okay yeah and and in in the ideal scenario yeah I don't disagree with that that's potentially what he can do I think in Germany it was that was a more that he rolled that he played in and number eight getting forward yeah um I would throw back at you the gunny jacket was was very very useful in defensive side of things a little bit yeah when the ball turned over when they're under pressure to come back into a different system we play alongside Thomas party to make a 4-4-2 well haven't I got right to do that a little bit more well yeah but but if party is not playing if we're if by the way our understanding is from the conversation with with Michaela Teta that the theory is Declan rice holding kind of habits to the left and uh odegard to the right hand side so that that in terms of the old balance of artists and soldiers that's you're getting more creativity but you might lose out a little bit where I'm just chucking out there and they might be yeah Defender into that spot which has happened a lot and that might happen but it's just one thing to know I just think it's interesting and and if he if habits has a good season if he gets over 10 goals 12 goals and he assists five or six plus then like well done that's a great yeah that's a great pickup that nobody saw coming um but I think it's interesting and we'll see it's a good show yeah yeah next one next one I'll throw at you now this isn't confirmed yet so you know maybe we shouldn't spend too much time on it but David Raya Rubio from Brentford 40 million pounds David Ray the goalkeeper is is strongly linked and is I think it's getting quite close that's done isn't it I think that's done is it done I think that's done now right well it's done or not done yeah yeah yeah all right what's all that about like that 40 million is he going to be number two is what is Ramsay I feel about this is the idea the idea is yeah it's competition the idea is that keeping ramsdale on on his toes the idea is ramselves won but we've got a very good two and if he's going to be happy to sit on the bench David are you are you if you're there I don't think he's guaranteed him the number one spot does it has he uh I couldn't cannot believe so he's got to say randell's my number one and you know he's under but if ramdel's form dropped and he there was a little bit kissing and we've all seen that the ramsdale um interview that was you know brilliantly doing and very open and very honest um it shows another side to football or sometimes that we all we all um should take note of but you know with ramsdale form drops a little bit Mikhail our chatter has given himself a safety net that that might not affect the team I don't mind it's an expensive safety I mean Matt Turner was he that bad was he was he that was he that is he that much of a drop off I mean I don't know maybe is he playing out the back is it he's handling is it he's worked with the backfall I don't know but I quite I quite like that because that's that's that puts the manager in a tougher position you know it's a tougher position now because you've got David Wright who's you know established Premier League goalkeeper has been bought for 40 million at some point he's not going to be happy or he's going to want to play but he'll sit there for a while but that also shows a confidence in our tattoo that yeah I can handle that it's okay it's okay I'll I'll deal with them well yeah it's an interesting one to certainly watch and uh we'll see whether it's confirmed or not um and the final one Rob just um I'm just thinking about like the community Shield I also won the community Shield of course at the weekend they beat Arsenal on penalties uh so can't have this brought into the club to players number eight and he plays up front yeah places are number nine I'm like oh yeah yeah Disney so my question to you is why doesn't he play encettia and why didn't he play trust art as a nine or a false nine which I love the bits I think I think the land of trust are yeah yeah it is absolutely knocking on the door to be a starting point yeah it's gone but again charity Community Shield end up winning getting him in the team getting in minutes getting him Rhythm maybe building his confidence a little bit Robert he he's a young man who came for a lot of money came to London was it Chelsea didn't quite work she had load of managers maybe he needs a little bit of love and maybe make out things you know let's game out there let him be a big part of this again I I didn't mind that too much I still think there's um listen at the end of the day he'll be criticized or not on whether those work and whether those signings right and how the balance is and is there enough lags in there when they need to win possession does he change things up maybe party comes in one of them plays you know I don't know but yeah I I'm kind of you're one really hopeful Rob is that they can sustain the challenge for longer yeah and and not and not allow City to to to eventually force their way past and then it was never really in doubt can I put some doubt in Us in this city group yeah I think they can I think they can I mean the Champions League of course is a different they've got those games to contend with now and yeah then that's when the rotation starts to happen but you know as as we we wrap up from Arsenal right now I I'm looking forward to I I think it's a great time to spend a load of money when the team are on the up surge they've had a brilliant season that's when you invest and they've really really invested well we haven't got to European Timber Rob I think looks really really important yeah really good player anywhere across the back line you talk about cover now Arsenal got good defensive covering in all spots now with that signing so I think it's exciting times for Arsenal fans I think they they've improved the squad is better uh and it's young remember we said about we don't know what seating is yet we don't know very young they can they can get even better development let's move on to another team who would like I think or the manager would like to think at least they'll be challenging at some point Manchester United third last Season 75 points under 10 hard got Champions League football won a League Cup so progression um Improvement what does what does this season hold Rob what can they get closer can they become part of the top two can they at some point have a little challenge somewhere you know halfway through this season could they be in and around it and maybe just fall off difficult difficult to to give you a a sperm answer right now um what I would say is I kind of I like the window again I like the window and maybe the theme of this when we go through some of these big clubs Rob is that you know it's difficult to see which one is going to be unexpectedly bad right because it all yeah we had Chelsea last year that was unexpectedly bad Spurs again unexpectedly ended up being bad this year with the managers with the signings I kind of like a lot of it Mason Mount big fan of is surprised he ended up leaving Chelsea but man united have benefited from that is gonna I think it's got the number seven shirt he's gonna play as an attacking Midfield player I took a look at their last game in pre-season where he's Lively and and you've got Midfield rob a Midfield three of casimira and Mason mountain and Bruno Fernandez yeah that that's that's that's very produce the numbers though for me yeah I'm still a little I mean I love him as a player and he's great for England but gotta be producing those yeah but but but if if he can that's a that's a fantastic assuming no drop off for casimiro with his of course he's a little older and stuff but that's a fantastic Midfield Andrea Nana was a big call and another Eric tanhaag big core we've seen he knows he knows people he doesn't he often goes with people he knows or's worked with but but but yeah but my I guess he is not afraid of making big calls Ronaldo was a big core Harry MaGuire that they're taking him out the side playing the shore in there in this place taking the captaincy away now to Bruno Fernandez and changing the goalkeeper almost like a late decision to change maybe on the back of the FA Cup Final I don't know but this is a big change Rob this is a big change this is a huge one this is yeah this one do you like it it's going to take time Rob I'll tell you what it's going to take time and it's slightly it worries me a little bit day one I like it for the long term but I think there could be a bit of teething problems for it right I mean how because the thing his personality I think he is who he is we've you know we've seen him Gabby and he's talked about you know he's having to go Defenders he's going to get on the ball he's going to come out he does his thing good at good in possession but I think that relationship between him and these Defenders might take a moment might take yeah half a season for it to get to know each other just wondering that time you just got to be careful that you know relationships stay strong and the bond stays good and things so and the long term I see it I'm just a little concerned for the short term on it Rob yeah interesting um yeah I I didn't really that's a good point I mean just to settling into the side because I think I think everybody agrees that Manchester United um are going to be different based on the goalkeeper and based on what he does and how good he is on the ball and pinging the ball with his actually with both feet I've seen him in the past but he's really good on the ball and he plays he plays super high he plays like another risk as well it's a risk that I I I'm loving it I don't mind the risk no they score didn't they the goal he just got a lobbed from that yeah that there is the risk that you're talking about that in that high position which is great for keeping the ball I mean if you're an opponent you want to press them and the goalkeeper is always going to be the spare man he's comfortable on it and he can make good passes a little bit like Edison does it's Edison even more so even more so it's almost like a sweeper keeper and that's a phrase that we you know we've thrown around for a while now but I think with banana you're gonna see and maybe some other goalkeepers James traffic I think is another one at Burnley yeah I think this is the next evolution of goalkeeping where these goalkeepers are not only good on the ball they they are coming out they're coming right he changes the way that they play in terms of their build up play um and the other one is Rasmus oil yeah what do you think yeah I like it so you know as soon as he comes in you start doing your research go and have a good look at him Rob I think again like the goalkeeper I think it might be two years before you see the best of him I think 22 years of age nice left four roles people uses his body got good Pace um you know can can join in play off the central position looks like he is you know he can smash a ball with that left foot he's got like a hammer in that yeah a bit Van Percy ask how he can you know he smashes it um but he's gonna listen he hasn't had a lot of football rather look I looked at you he's right because he ain't been playing for it for that long two or three years at any kind of level yeah um but the goals look good you know he he gives him options when you think then you've got rashford martial who's still at the football club Sancho interesting season uh Anthony and gonacho yeah he looks all of a sudden it's an exciting front line that is Young that isn't guaranteeing you the Ronaldo numbers but can grow together into a really really good attack yeah I I'm with him mate I I think you know you can look at this in two different ways you can look at like you just said it are these young players that are growing that are improving that are getting minutes of this giant football club are Old Trafford to handle that pressure there's options in wide areas not only is he the striker they desperately need it anyway because their goals I think they're the lower scores last year in the top six Manchester United so they need the goals and it also throws uh Marcus rashford on the left-hand side for me as well I think he's absolutely yeah at his best brilliant on the left-hand side and this is by the way is if if um Highland it kind of hits the ground running Rob and he ends up yeah I don't know whether he's going to start you know in the first couple of two or three games whether he's more of them yeah is it slower if he gets that starting position he starts to look the par then on the right side you've got you've just got good options with those other Wings yeah and on the back of that Midfield and and the goalkeeper in the back four it's it's it's it's time to get start getting a little bit excited for Manchester United now on the other side of that coin what might worry me if I'm United fan would be well it's still a bit of inconsistency Rob garnetto's so young but looks great Jaden Sancho is inconsistent You could argue that Anthony is looks brilliant sometimes he drifts out of games Marcus rashford even though he had a great leader last year we haven't seen that every single season from him and now you've got this this the striker and Rasmus Highland that um wow I mean looking again back to the videos and stuff and of course on on YouTube now rob you can see on the stuff on this guy and there's one really interesting video Rob that actually my son picked out and it was basically every shot that he he made last year so not just the highlights of a player where you see the best but every shot so then you see the Good Bad and the Ugly and and kind of like when people suggest that he's a little raw you absolutely see it in the Finish yeah sometimes like a left foot he scores some great goals smash it into the off the crossbar and that yeah and some lovely finishes but other times he's one-on-one rub and he's just a little bit rushing with his finish he's not clinical he's not you know he's not like what Harry Kane goes through and you know he's going to score so he's a little bit raw and that's only to be expected what is he 20 20 years of age or something super super he's 20 yeah 20 years of age and apparently I got him to look at my notes here he can um he can do 100 meters in under 11 seconds Rob so yeah very very very quick great left foot and what I was also liked from Simpsons some of the stuff the clips and watching a little bit of him is he's got a little bit about him Rob with his with skill yeah he's got a little faith he's got a little bit yeah yeah yeah so um I mean we've been they've been looking for a striker for a long period of time and maybe Rob and man united in the past they've kind of bought the finished article haven't they well yeah they could afford to couldn't they yeah yeah and all those kind of they've got pens yeah Andy Cole et cetera Etc this is a little different and I think it's going to be interesting and exciting to see how he looks so I think I think Old Trafford the fans want to see him early mate yeah for sure and if if the goals start going then his confidence grows they're gonna love him yeah there's no better place and in some respects well there's no better manager as well I like what channel is doing he's molding his team to to suit his style his personality what he wants he wants young players who you know he's learning there's still more growth there's still more potential he isn't necessarily you know he's got his casimiros um in the middle middle of the park you can dominate the game and hold things together but you know apart from that ahead of there he's got young challenge who can go go and make things happen and I think with them it's going to be it's going to be the consistency of results the thing that happened with the United is one thing that I wrote down with my notes is Rob you know you didn't have had a bad start last season and had to play catch up and there was just a few games where when something goes wrong he he went badly wrong they couldn't have it was like the handbrake couldn't go on there was something about the setup that wasn't quite right and and that's something they gotta they've got to have to learn to adjust collectively you know when things just sort of go a little bit wrong yeah being solid and being able to play against for a little while and then we'll get a football back going again yeah it's interesting Rob just again to finalize on this for me you know I think it's over 400 million pounds Rob over 400 million pounds spent with Eric tanhaag as a manager and if you look at some of the signings he's basically got a new spine now there's a new spine from the goalkeeper that just bought of course from from Lisandro Martinez from casimiro to raza's hoyland you know that that's a brand new spine and I think when you can add in some of the the talent they've got in the wider areas I still really like Luke Shaw Dalo right back you know you know it was okay it's not great to come yeah because maybe it's not going to come but it's starting the shape the team is there's a lot of money now a lot of money now it's a little bit of time I think I think we should expect even better things this upcoming season for Manchester United okay my friend Liverpool another team who I should say my my phrase on Liverpool maybe Liverpool they almost had a gap year last year you know when you you get caught up in your education you go away for you you kind of let yourself I kind of felt Liverpool had a gap year last year you know 50 67 points you you open League football which is Thursday Night Football which is never great if you know when you when you push you for the premier league and they're going to have to deal with that and the travel and obviously depending how seriously they take that but are Liverpool ready for return to a challenge Rob to Champions League finish and and challenging again it is have we seen enough that maybe with Trent going into Midfield and working on a different system and a new Midfield that's really going to be interesting now with yeah they've lost Bobby firmino who've lost Jordan Anderson and they've lost uh three big players experience players a bit like City players who've known at what big moments are it's a very different look in that Midfield you know the front line I think speaks for itself and the the what that can do but that Midfield and maybe the change with Trent is that good enough to get Liverpool back in in amongst it well that's that's it that's the question that's the question front line don't need to talk about it brilliant brilliant options five players that can play all across the front line This production assists and goals and pace and everything there love the front line now the midfielders you said is in almost at the end of a total reconstruction total yeah it's gone they're looking for looking for the holding plan now Romeo lavier of course from Southampton they've had like that yeah maybe two but another go on there that's desperation not desperation but that's a well they need that I mean I think Curtis Jones played in pre-season in that holding role um but I absolutely love Alexis McAllister that that's and sober Sly this the the other will play on the other side of that yeah big fee there I think 76 million dollars from from Leipzig so you know that that's that's a good looking Midfield the absolute key and I watched a recent preseason game they lost it was in time was it 4-3 I still worry about them defensively now if this and this this falls on the manager and the football club Rob because if if we still see this upcoming season a better Midfield and of course plenty of goals not worried about goals if they still lose 4-3 and concede a lot of goals that that has to be addressed now now if they are going to go with the Trent from which I like from from right back into Midfield to play alongside the holding player pushes um McAllister and Zeb was like brilliant yeah brilliant but John matip doesn't look comfortable in if you say it's a three right side yeah on the right side now ibrahima canate I think can do that a lot better yeah you know it always seems to be a little injury or whatever he's not a consistent blooming player alongside new captain Virgil Van Dyke and then uh Andy Robertson that's the key for me Rob that's the key I'm assuming they're going to buy a holding player so and I'm I'm kind of assuming that that Midfield is gonna going to find its way pretty quickly because I like those the two guys at the moment but I still worry I think they're going to be better than last season yeah they find a way if they buy a maybe you have to buy a new right bag or maybe another Defender to um to give options to that right because I still see goals going in against Liverpool down that side of the field and it's been going a long time now it's a young clock for me come on let's let's find because this is almost apart from holding it's almost the final piece let's be strong enough again just going forward you know we're looking really really they can go a lot better this year Robbie I expect them to bounce back yeah and um that's all actually which is sort of surprised me but then I didn't think about that much the union co-op's the longest serving Premier League manager now in the league yeah what's close to pep in it I mean it's very closely but it came before he came before walking just before pep yeah so yeah um but yeah I'm sure they're going to want to bounce back and as you say they're gonna have to deal with that right inside you know Trent really now I think is a bonus and it gives you so much going forward but you've got to secure things uh Virgil Van Dyke new captain Rob that might have a bit of an infection you know boost him again obviously we know the the the terrible injury and it was not quite at his best last season but um yeah big season for Liverpool big season for Jurgen klopp hi there I'm Rebecca Lowe Studio host for NBC's coverage of the Premier League don't forget to hit subscribe to watch more videos all season long for even more Premier League content from original series to live matches head over to Peacock and be sure to tune in for Premier League mornings every weekend on USA Network and on peacock we will see you over there

Channel: NBC Sports

Views: 18,340

Keywords: nbc sports, nbc, premier league, premier league news, premier league highlights, premier league 23-24, premier league 23/24 season predictions, premier league 23-24 predictions, premier league predictions, epl, english premier league, manchester city, man city premier league, man city highlights, man city title race, man city title win, premier league title win, pep guardiola, pep guardiola manchester city, pep guardiola man city, premier league title, epl title

Id: 0EmBFv17qmc

Length: 31min 45sec (1905 seconds)

Published: Wed Aug 09 2023