Episodes

  • Ten Hag safe…for now

    Ten Hag safe…for now
    Sep 30 2024
    Manchester United resisted the temptation to immediately dismiss Erik Ten Hag after Sunday’s humiliation, but he’s heading into an extremely tough week and you wonder how much longer he can survive. Laurie Whitwell is our man on the ground at Old Trafford, he joins us with an update. It was a tough night for Southampton boss Russell Martin. His team were taken apart in a brutal first half away at Bournemouth and you wonder how much patience there is at the club for his methods. This is a brittle football team, they collapsed when the first goal went in and could have conceded more. Alas, we no longer live in an age where ‘winning the second half’ counts for anything. And there’s a lot of Champions League football coming up. Can you remember what happened a fortnight ago and what it all means? Nope, us neither. But we’ve made you a comprehensive briefing. Need something to read? Everyone (including us) has been focusing on Man Utd being really bad, so why not spend some time reading about Tottenham being really good with Ahmed Walid’s tactical breakdown? Need something to listen to? Well, in a similar mood, let us direct you to our Tottenham podcast, View From The Lane with the wonderful Danny Kelly Presenter: Iain Macintosh With: Laurie Whitwell and Julien Laurens Producer: Abi Paterson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    10 mins
  • How much worse can it get for Man Utd?

    How much worse can it get for Man Utd?
    Sep 29 2024
    It’s been another miserable weekend for Manchester United. Yes, they were reduced to ten men in the first half, but you sensed they’d lost the game long before then. They were fortunate that Spurs only scored three. Charlotte Harpur was there for us. Barcelona’s 100% record has gone, they were beaten 4-2 by Osasuna. How? Dermot Corrigan joins us to explain exactly what happened back there. And the big one in Madrid was a fiery affair. It ended 1-1 but that was only half the story… And what happened when the two biggest teams in German football went head to head at the weekend? Seb Stafford-Bloor knows because he went to watch. PLUS: All the important updates from all the divisions I run on my Football Manager saves. So that’s England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France, plus the Netherlands, Portugal, Turkey, Scotland and the United States. We don’t do Belgium because we don’t understand what they do there. Presenter: Iain Macintosh With: Charlotte Harpur, Dermot Corrigan, Seb Stafford-Bloor Producer: Lucy Oliva Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    11 mins
  • Spurs shake off early red for crucial win

    Spurs shake off early red for crucial win
    Sep 26 2024
    You had to feel for Ange Postecoglou. Seven minutes into a must win Europa League opener and Radu Drăgușin gets himself sent off. If he’d lost this, the pressure would really have made itself known. But against all odds and expectations, Spurs prevailed. And in style. Jack Pitt-Brooke was there. Eventually. After a two hour walk in the rain. Meanwhile, flu-ravaged Producer Lucy was watching Serie A crisis club Roma as they battled Athletic Bilbao. They started well, but then Athletic brought out the big guns and salvaged a point. As the only member of staff with a subscription to Premier Sports, I was on Atletico duty ahead of the big derby on Sunday night. And if Diego Simeone’s men play like this, they’ll get their pants pulled down. They beat Celta Vigo, but it was very, very much against the run of play. Need something to read? If you’re NFL-curious, Nate Taylor has written an excellent piece on Travis Kelce, arguing that he’s not washed up, it isn’t Taylor Swift’s fault and people should lighten up. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5792045/2024/09/26/travis-kelce-slow-start-performance-chiefs/ Need something to listen to? Whenever Manchester United slip up, it’s always worth listening to Talk of the Devils where the analysis is considered and objective and a welcome relief from all of the noise. https://podfollow.com/talk-of-the-devils Presenter: Iain Macintosh With: Jack Pitt-Brooke Producer: Lucy Oliva Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    9 mins
  • Manchester United slip up again

    Manchester United slip up again
    Sep 25 2024
    Manchester United dropped two points on their first night in UEFA’s giant new Europa League, they were leading against Twente right up until the moment they weren’t…United have only beaten Fulham, Southampton and Barnsley this season, they just don’t seem to be improving. Liverpool and Arsenal are all right though. The Red breezed past struggling West Ham at Anfield and a team full of teenagers did the business against League One’s Bolton Wanderers at The Emirates. Talking of teenagers, Barcelona’s match day squad is packed with them now because everyone else is injured. They just about got past Getafe and they have seven wins from seven games. Need something to read? The Athletic has a full Spanish news bureau, don’t you know? They’ve put their expertise to good use, speculating on how Real Madrid might operate without Kylian Mbappe. https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5793881/2024/09/25/mbappe-injury-real-madrid-replacements/ Need something to listen to? The Athletic FC podcast is going deep on the Everton takeover. Get stuck in right here. https://podfollow.com/the-athletic-football-show Presenter: Iain Macintosh With: Andy Jones and Carl Anka Producer: Lucy Oliva Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    10 mins
  • Wins for Chelsea, Man City and Real Madrid (just)

    Wins for Chelsea, Man City and Real Madrid (just)
    Sep 24 2024
    After all the criticism over the summer, Chelsea are having a lovely time right now. Sure, Barrow are a League Two side (top of League Two though…) but a 5-0 win will boost the confidence of all concerned. They go through to the next round along with Man City, Aston Villa and Leicester. Real Madrid spent 85 minutes making their critics eat their words and then switched off, allowing Alaves to come from three goals down to pushing hard for the most unlikely of equalisers. Carlo Ancelotti looked distinctly unamused. And finally, Blackpool beat Huddersfield 3-0. We didn’t have room for it in the show, but wanted to pay tribute to Steve Bruce somewhere. That’s three wins from three for the former Newcastle boss. Need something to read? Matt Slater and Paddy Boyland have broken down the Everton takeover news with a very accessible explainer article that gives you the information you need so that you can pass it off as your own in the pub. I do this all the time, it’s perfectly reasonable behaviour. Presenter: Iain Macintosh With: Simon Johnson and Sam Lee Producer: Abi Paterson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    10 mins
  • Is Rodri out for the rest of season?

    Is Rodri out for the rest of season?
    Sep 23 2024
    It is the bleakest of news for Manchester City fans. Rodri, the man who holds their shape together, the man they really miss when he’s out, could be gone for the whole season with a knee injury. Sam Lee is here to tell us just how bad this could be for City. And how good it could be for everyone else… City aren’t the only elite team to have been rocked by injury news. Barcelona’s Marc Ter Stegen is out for the rest of the season too. Pol Ballus is here with more. A deal has been agreed for the sale of Everton, but is this good news or bad news? The new owners aren’t exactly doing very well over at Roma. Matt Slater tells us what he thinks about it all. Need something to read? Gregg Evans and James Pearce have written a really interesting and balanced piece about the lack of atmosphere at Anfield, something I always noticed if I was covering a Saturday 3pm kick off there. I should say I’ve been there for night games and it was always amazing, but it’s a fine piece. Presenter: Iain Macintosh With: Sam Lee, Pol Ballus, Matt Slater Producer: Abi Paterson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    10 mins
  • Arsenal and Man City serve up instant classic

    Arsenal and Man City serve up instant classic
    Sep 22 2024
    You’ll be hearing and reading about City 2-2 Arsenal for some time this week. 20 players were camped in City’s final third for all of the second half, Arsenal were a stones throw from victory - well Stones’ head in the end. We have your full round up from the rest of the Premier League, get your pen out, there’s loads of stats for you to take note. In Europe Milan defeated Inter for the first time in seven matches, James Horncastle has the details. Bayern continue to score a truck load of goals. As do Real Madrid and Barcelona but Ter Stegen’s knee needs checking out Need something to read? Players are heading to Brazil - here’s why https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5779640/2024/09/22/brazil-signings-payet-bolasie-depay-lewis/ And a tribute to Toto Schillaci https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5781645/2024/09/21/toto-schillaci-tribute-italy/ Email me with your thoughts it’s apaterson@theathletic.com Host: Abi Paterson With: James Horncastle, Sam Lee, Adrian Clarke Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    11 mins
  • David Raya, take a bow

    David Raya, take a bow
    Sep 19 2024
    There was once a time when Arsenal fans didn’t like David Raya. Didn’t like that he’d taken the number one jersey. Didn’t think he was one of the top goalkeepers. Well, Thursday night’s double save against Atalanta has surely by now changed everyone’s mind. Amy Lawrence was watching Arsenal come away with a hard earned point in Bergamo. In the night’s other matches, Barcelona conspired to beat themselves, although Monaco helped as well. Leipzig lost in the last minute to Atletico Madrid. Bayer Leverkusen were purring in Rotterdam. But the story of the night goes to Brest, winners in their first ever European game. Elsewhere we hear that all is not well with the Fifa Club World Cup. And we look ahead to what’s set to be a thrilling season in the WSL. Need something to read? Arsenal’s mad methods is seriously odd https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5766723/2024/09/19/arteta-arsenalmethodology-balvers/ As is Adam Crafton’s detail on the FIFA Club World Cup TV crisis https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5779549/2024/09/19/fifa-club-world-cup-broadcast-rights/ Email me with your thoughts it’s apaterson@theathletic.com Host: Abi Paterson With: Amy Lawrence, Seb Stafford Bloor, Megan Feringa Producer: Steve Hankey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    10 mins