Upfront - A Women's Football Podcast

Clo and Rach are back in the studio after a frustrating weekend of Champions League football for both Arsenal and Chelsea. Can either of them turn it around in the second legs? Clo reckons it’s close to impossible for Chelsea, but Rach has cooked up a strategy that might just work. Let’s just say the word “Tetris” springs to mind… Elsewhere, all this European drama has distracted us from a spicy WSL weekend, which saw Tottenham come so close to picking up their first league win since January. Why are they having such a weird season after showing such promise last year? And is Robert Vilahamn really in trouble? Clo and Rach get stuck into just that.Follow us on X, Instagram, Bluesky and YouTube! Email us show@upfrontpod.com.For ad-free episodes and much more from across our football shows, head over to the Football Ramble Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.**Please take the time to rate us on your podcast app. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

Rach is here with a very special episode all the way from Canada, jetting over there for the launch of the brand-new Northern Super League! Ahead of the historic opening match between Calgary Wild and Vancouver Rise last night, she found time to sit down with Calgary’s head coach and former Leicester City manager, Lydia Bedford. Lydia opens up about the challenges of relocating to a new country - during such a difficult time in her personal life - and shares the powerful way she managed to gel her squad in just a matter of weeks. And more importantly, Lydia reveals how she and her dog Baxter have been adapting to life in Canada! It involves some tabogganing... After that, we hear from Canadian sports journalist and friend of the pod Har Johal who joins Rach to react to this first-ever NSL match and explain what this brand-new league really means for Canada Soccer. Come and join us!Follow us on X, Instagram, Bluesky and YouTube! Email us show@upfrontpod.com.For ad-free episodes and much more from across our football shows, head over to the Football Ramble Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.**Please take the time to rate us on your podcast app. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

First things first, if you haven’t seen that Phallon Tullis-Joyce save… where have you been this weekend?! Don’t worry though, Clo and Rach are here to fill you in... Manchester United are heading back to Wembley to defend their FA Cup crown - cue Clo’s celebrations - but can they get past Chelsea? Rach reckons this could be Chelsea’s best-ever chance at winning the quadruple. We also discuss Marc Skinner’s contract extension at United and why Man City are crying out for a summer rebuild. Should Nick Cushing stay on permanently? Clo and Rach aren’t on the same page about this one... Plus, Canada’s first-ever women’s professional soccer league kicks off tomorrow (about time!) and Rach is flying out for the opener… because why wouldn’t she be?! We dive into all the details of this brand new division! Come and join us.Follow us on X, Instagram, Bluesky and YouTube! Email us show@upfrontpod.com.For ad-free episodes and much more from across our football shows, head over to the Football Ramble Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.**Please take the time to rate us on your podcast app. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

Michelle Agyemang… WOW. Just wow. She had a night she will never forget, but England suffered a disappointing 3-2 defeat in Belgium. Rach can hear the alarm bells ringing already - but don’t panic, her and Chloe are very much on hand to bring the calm that’s needed in this special post-match reaction pod! Plus, it’s safe to say Sazzy Wiegs has a selection headache to contend with ahead of Euro 2025, so we thought we’d help her out. We’ve picked our starting XI for that tough opener against France. Who’s in? And who’s out? Come and find out! Follow us on X, Instagram, Bluesky and YouTube! Email us show@upfrontpod.com.For ad-free episodes and much more from across our football shows, head over to the Football Ramble Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.**Please take the time to rate us on your podcast app. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

The Lionesses put in a five star performance against Belgium on Friday… this obviously means they’re going to win the Euros now, right?! Rach reveals the player that impressed her the most while Clo tries to work out - once and for all - who’s starting in goal at the Euros. We also turn our attention to Ireland - who put four past Greece - and then to Wales, who Clo reckons are like the Crystal Palace of the WSL. Plus, are Scotland out of their depth in League A? And how can Northern Ireland be more consistent? Oh, and then we address the biggest news of all… the 2035 World Cup looks like it’s coming to the UK!! But wait a second, Manchester United’s new stadium could be part of the tournament? Er, what? Manchester United?Follow us on X, Instagram, Bluesky and YouTube! Email us show@upfrontpod.com.For ad-free episodes and much more from across our football shows, head over to the Football Ramble Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.**Please take the time to rate us on your podcast app. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

For over a decade, Adrian Jacob has helped shape Chelsea into one of the most successful and dominant teams in the game. Today, he sits down with Rach to take us inside that journey - from what it was like working with Emma Hayes to some of the club’s biggest moments. He also gives his take on accusations that Chelsea have ‘spent’ their way to success and explains why it’s up to other clubs to catch up. But Adrian’s next project is just as ambitious: World Sevens Football - the new, women’s seven-a-side tournament launching next month. He breaks down what his role as Head of Football actually involves, explains why this competition could be a game changer, and addresses concerns about its potential impact on player loading, calendar congestion and whether it could widen financial gaps in the game.Follow us on X, Instagram, Bluesky and YouTube! Email us show@upfrontpod.com.For ad-free episodes and much more from across our football shows, head over to the Football Ramble Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.**Please take the time to rate us on your podcast app. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

It’s April Fool’s Day! Which means Clo obviously had to play a (not so) little joke on Rach… Once Rach has finally recovered, we dive into Aston Villa’s massive comeback against Liverpool. Does this win mean Villa are safe from relegation? And is a fifth-place finish for Liverpool this season still achievable? Elsewhere, West Ham nicking a point against Chelsea - at Kingsmeadow - wasn’t on our bingo cards, but we are HERE for it! Clo and Rach give West Ham’s Shekiera Martinez her very well-earned flowers. Plus, we size up the Lionesses’ game against Belgium this Friday!Follow us on X, Instagram, Bluesky and YouTube! Email us show@upfrontpod.com.For ad-free episodes and much more from across our football shows, head over to the Football Ramble Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.**Please take the time to rate us on your podcast app. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

Well, episode three of the Man City and Chelsea quadrilogy did not disappoint! Chloe praises Kerolin and Khiara Keating’s performances and Rach tells us why Chelsea deserved to win this time round. Then, we look ahead to the fourth and final showdown this Thursday in the Champions League! Elsewhere, Leicester pulled off a potentially season-saving performance against Brighton and Rach explains just how bad the pitch was for the Real Madrid vs Arsenal game last week — she definitely needed her cagoule for that one... Plus, we weigh in on the new World Sevens Football taking place in less than two months. Will it just make the rich clubs even richer?Follow us on X, Instagram, Bluesky and YouTube! Email us show@upfrontpod.com.For ad-free episodes and much more from across our football shows, head over to the Football Ramble Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.**Please take the time to rate us on your podcast app. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

This weekend, Nottingham Forest and Stoke City go head-to-head in a huge National League Cup final clash! So who better to give us the down-low on it than a true England and Arsenal Legend, Anita Asante? Anita reflects on her Arsenal days — where she in fact won this trophy twice — explains why greater visibility for National League teams is so important and shares her thoughts on the controversial proposals to freeze relegation from the WSL. Plus, she reveals the biggest lesson she learned playing under Emma Hayes and discusses her experience stepping into coaching! Come and join us!Follow us on X, Instagram, Bluesky and YouTube! Email us show@upfrontpod.com.For ad-free episodes and much more from across our football shows, head over to the Football Ramble Patreon and subscribe: patreon.com/footballramble.**Please take the time to rate us on your podcast app. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**