Wes & Walker: Will Palaszczuk Interview

Will joined Wes & Walker today as he recapped what went wrong for Charlotte FC against NYCFC, and Will also weighed in on the Panthers upcoming game against the Patriots.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
West and Walker Sports Radio ninety two to seven wfn Z,
Big thanks to Smoke filling in in place of really
Wes Bryant being the co host and flounder slash Roppie.
He's a renaissance man, and we appreciate Smoke around here,
also a renaissance man. It's Willie p joining us on
the phone line. We appreciate him joining us on ninety
two to seven FM, the voice of Charlotte f C,

(00:28):
which you can hear his voice for every Charlotte e FC
broadcast right here on WFNZ.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Will We appreciate the time man. How are you doing?

Speaker 3 (00:34):
Broadcaster host and apparently also amateur rapper as well?

Speaker 2 (00:38):
Oh my god, did you hear our breakdown of your
wrap the other day? I did? I did?

Speaker 3 (00:42):
You guys were probably the kindest of the of WOW shows.
I would say that's saying a lot, to be honest
with you, because you.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
Were very n The other one was very unkind. Was
it Mac? Was it the morning show that just destroyed you?

Speaker 3 (00:54):
For that? They were Yeah, they were a little uh
the rhythm obviously the problem was you're on a delay,
so I didn't have the time, you know, able to
hear it in motion, so it might have sounded all
right in my head, but it was coming back a
little delayed, so that was a part of it. And
also when Smoke started it, I didn't realize the hook

(01:16):
was going to start right away. So the fact that
he started the hook right away, it was like, Okay,
I needed a little bit. I needed to kill some
time to have the hook come back around. So that's
why you heard all that that build up there.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
Smoke.

Speaker 1 (01:26):
I'm going to ask you to do something on the
fly here, and if you can't, that's totally fine because
it's a big ask. But I would ask that you
isolate Willy P's ad libs and then once you have it,
you play it at the end of every Willie answer
and right before my question and then we move on.
But that Willip ad lib is amazing. I don't know
if you can do it, but I would love for
you to try, and if you can, we can move on.

(01:48):
It's Willie P joining us on Western Walker Sports Rady
ninety two seven WFNZ. Unfortunate loss, but at least you
aren't used to it over there at Bank of America Stadium,
Willie the winning streak does come to an end after
you lost to nothing to nil. I believe they say
in your sport to New York, what happened in that loss?

Speaker 3 (02:06):
Well, unfortunately, Charlotte went up against a team that was
playing about as hot as they were. They'd won six
of the previous eight before they beat Charlotte and then
subsequently lost on Wednesday to inter MESSI. So it is
a situation where you know a lot of things when
you look at this and you see what happened, an
early penalty kind of changed complexion of the game. The

(02:27):
pitch size is something that Dean Smith spoke about, as
did all the players. They play on a pitch seventeen
miles n seventeen yards narrow where I should say, and
about twenty two yards shorter than Charlotte's pitch, And a
lot of what Charlotte does is they play the ball along.
They play a lot of direct and also I try
to get people wide, and that pitch very much constrains
what Charlotte of c does well. So they had to

(02:50):
kind of play a little bit differently. Although Dean Smith
told me yesterday he probably we really didn't see the
whole game plan from them, because after New York scored
that penalty. They basically bunkered and Charlott has struggled against
that scenario when teams play on the ball and just
dare Charlotte to press them in a low block. So
it is a kind of an opportunity for a bit

(03:10):
of a reset for the final three games of the season.
You got two winnable games followed by game against a
team that's top of the table in Philadelphia in the
final weekend, and opportunity to improve your positioning and get
the top four by the end of the campaign.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
Did you get it?

Speaker 1 (03:27):
Okay, let's go ahead and play it every single time.
He's done with an answer. Let's try to play that
as much as we can. Okay, I'm gonna try to
keep a straight face. It's Willie Master, p PIMC. Palachi
joining us on West and Walker Sports raty ninety two
seven WFNZ. Will you mentioned the last three games. How
critical of a stretch is it for Charlotte FC, especially

(03:48):
after this loss.

Speaker 2 (03:49):
Well, the problem is Walker.

Speaker 3 (03:51):
The loss, while it obviously in the grand scheme of things,
didn't mean a whole lot from Charlotte's perspective because they
had won so much recently it's especially punitive given how
tight the table is. Five points separate place three through
place eight, and of course eighth place is the last
of the play in spots, So Charlotte is still not

(04:11):
confirmed to be playing in a first round series. Based
on how tight the table is, they don't control their
own destiny for fourth. But if they win all three
and the results from a probability standpoint, that will happen
elsewhere go according to Hoyle, as we say, then Charlotte
should end up in the fourth position or no worse
than the fourth position. But it is kind of a

(04:32):
weird deal right now as to where they sit. They
need to win these two games in front of them,
principally get a result from Philadelphia, I think is probably
the biggest thing you'd want to see. Seven of the
last nine points I think puts them in a good position.
Doesn't guarantee top four, but at least I feel like
you're feeling all right. If you win all three of
them out right, you put yourself in the best position
going forward. But obviously other teams that play other games,

(04:53):
and like you said, with it being as tight as
it is right now, anybody can literally end up anywhere
they could finish again as hot third and its lowest eight.
That's a pretty crazy thing to think about, even with
a nine game win streak during the season.

Speaker 2 (05:06):
I love you.

Speaker 1 (05:07):
Willie Pawk is back Pologic, joining us on Weston Walker
Sports Radio ninety two to seven WFNZ. There's an injury
we got to discuss here too, Willie pep Biel knee injury.
How concerned are you about his status going into this
game and beyond.

Speaker 3 (05:21):
Mildly concerned just based on the fact that you know
he was in training on Wednesday.

Speaker 2 (05:27):
We did not see him yesterday.

Speaker 3 (05:29):
He was in the gym yesterday, and I know from
what he did today he did some work as well.
So it is a situation where I think they're kind
of monitoring it. I don't think they need him to
beat Montreal or DC, but I think the biggest concern
is you want to get him on the field at
some point before the playoffs, or at least ramping up
to the playoffs, because he's going to need to be
a big piece for you. I know that Charlotte was

(05:51):
able to win nine games largely without Pep in the lineup,
but at the same point in time, their creativity goes
up to a great, greater level when he's in the
LA for Charlotte. I know that defensively they've been very,
very solid with the midfield they've had of Westwood, Giohnny
and Bronco. But having that my Ork Andmeistro in there,
as we say, it, hits different.

Speaker 1 (06:11):
Not sure what to think here, Willie praying for PEPs
Patella palaccik joining us on West and Walker sports Rady
ninety two seven wfn Z. Willie, let's get your take
on the next game. Panthers Day got a thirty nothing shutout.
That's what shutouts, I guess usually are. Thirty nothing victory
over the Atlanta Falcons. Feeling great going into this matchup
against New England. How are you feeling about Carolina's chances

(06:33):
of reaching five hundred.

Speaker 3 (06:35):
I'd feel better if the defensive line was more fortified. Walker,
just based on the fact that you know, it looks
like dj Wantam and Pat Jones are both out. Per
the injury report we just got from Panthers' practice, Cuba questionable, Tteroll,
McMillan is questionable. Turk Wharton also questionable, which I think
is at least an encouraging sign. I think maybe next
week is maybe the more realistic sense from him, but

(06:58):
again I wouldn't be shocked he plays on some because
of just how down the Panthers d line is, or
at least the edge rushing. A lot more of DJ
Johnson on Sunday, and also more of Nick Gorton and
Prince y E Mommy Ellen again who Mammy Yellen has
been more of a specialty piece. We'll see whether or
not we actually see him also on rundowns as well.
But outside of those concerns, New England doesn't scare me.

(07:19):
I know that they get Christian Gonzales back at the
corner position, so that matchup with Tedro McMillan should be
very intriguing. But I think Bryce has opportunities to pick
off a lot of these very what I would call
average to below average New England corners and their wide
receivers don't scare me. Yes, they've got a very talented
tight end in Hunter Henry and Panthers have not been
able to cover the tight end at all this season.

(07:40):
But at the same point in time, I look at
this as a game that the Panthers should very much
be in, and I think the Panthers should win this game,
because if you want to make Hay during this part
of the schedule, this is a game you have to have.

Speaker 2 (07:49):
This could be very very easy, or it could be
very very bad.

Speaker 1 (07:53):
Willie talking about Princely's impact and the Panthers Patriots Partito
Palaci joining us on Western Walker Sports Radio ninety two
s WFNZ.

Speaker 2 (08:01):
Willie, great stuff. I think we have a new bit.
I love it. Thanks for hopping on with us once again.
Anything to help the bit. Yeah, please do keep rapping, buddy,
don't let anybody bring you down. Willie pe keep pounding
and keep wrapping. Oh yeah, that's absolutely true. Willy p
Voice of Charlotte FC. You can catch him on WFNZ
for any broadcast.

Speaker 1 (08:21):
In fact, the next one is coming up tomorrow with
that game starting at seven thirty right here on Sports
Radio ninety two seven WFNZ.

Speaker 2 (08:29):
All right, two more hours to go, Campus Kauna coming
up next. Sports Trading ninety two seven FM.