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The Game Football Podcast
Hats off to the Hatters but Arteta losses his head
Monday regulars Gregor Robertson and Alyson Rudd join Tom Allnutt and Tom Clarke for The Game.
The team look at good wins for Sheffield Utd and Forest and a point for Luton. But what about the performances, was it luck or are there positives to build on? Erik Ten Hag got a win to take the pressure off, but again, what of the performance.
Disappointing weekends for Villa and Liverpool, but it was the post match reaction of Mikel Arteta that took most of the headlines. Is the pressure telling so soon into the season?
Finally a look at the end of an era as Emma Hayes announces her departure from Chelsea. Where next for the most well known of the WSL managers…?
Timeline:
Sheff Utd
2’ Great win for Sheff Utd. Will it stop the rumours of Chris Wilder waiting in the wings to replace Paul Heckingbottom.
5’ Soft pen, and truth be told Sheff Utd are still not a great team.
7’ how do Sheff Utd play from here on out?
10’ Does this win turn around the narrative of the bottom being the three promoted clubs plus Bournemouth being in a relegation scrap.
14’ Wolves still struggling in front of goal and heavily reliant on Neto. But they played well, just a little unlucky,
Forest
16’ Impressive from Forest, demonstrates togetherness, mental strength and work rate.
17’ Cloud still hanging over Steve Cooper as the owners put pressure on. Forest did a great job of exploiting Villa’s high line.
20’ Forest under Cooper have a really solid structure. Play as a unit, fight for each other. According to opta, not a settled side though.
23’ Gregor still worried for Steve Cooper. Thinks the owners still want change. Not a good environment for cooper, hard to stabilise.
24’ Villa looked flat, never looked threatening. Didn’t take chances.
Man Utd
29’ Alyson thinks Ten Hag is too passive, in press and on touch line. Unimpressive. Fulham the better side. But a win is a win, after the goal and players and fans showed unity.
32’ Why did he start Anthony?
BREAK
Luton
36’ Kenilworth Road finally showed its worth. Luton played brilliantly, organised, waited then went for it.
39’ Luton showed composure. Doughty, Barkley great. Nunez, active but missing sitters.
42’ Stuck to their principles, showed how they want to play.
Liverpool
44’ Nunez, a handful works hard, but lacks composure, missed the key chances.
45’ No sign of complacency. Luis Diaz moving. Well handled by Klopp.
Arsenal
47’ Havertz should have been red, or orange carded.
48’ The best teams take the sting out of these kind of games. Arteta didn’t. Tried to battle it out with Newcastle. Poor choice. Areta’s emotional state didn’t help.
51’ VAR decisions a mess. Pressure on officials, lack of suitable technology and lag from past bad decisions.
54’ no need to do it, sign of weakness from Areta, unnecessary stress. Arsenal missed Odeguaard badly.
58’ Has the goal keeping decision backfired.
Newcastle
1hr Were fantastic. Deserved the win. Played superbly. Better still the reflection on Eddie howe. Playing with a team full of players signed by others but he has improved them all.
Emma Hayes
1;01 End of an era. What next, could she, would she take the USA job? Why not England? Possesses a huge desire to grown and learn. Said many years ago she didn’t want the England job….have the FA missed out?
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Euros Daily #20: Stick in the mixer & get the big man on the end of it, dude!
37:30It's an England free zone today. But that might just mean it's more joyous than ever. Gregor Robertson and Hamzah Khalique-Loonat join Tom Clarke for a round of 16 stocktake. Did we just watch the game of the tournament in Austria v Turkey? Or at the very least, the save of the tournament? And the Netherlands have finally joined the party! Are they now in with a chance? Well, technically, yes. Plus, some honourable mentions now that 16 teams have been sent home.Euros Daily #19: England; “…don't cry, we’re still in it.”
33:39The England inquest continues; if they pick the same team, will they beat Switzerland? The resounding response is no. But is Southgate, a pragmatic manager willing to change the script? Gregor Robertson, Martin Samuel, and Tom Allnutt join Tom Clarke to ask; can England rely on having one or two players capable of the exceptional to drag them through? As Cristiano Ronaldo wore his heart on his sleeve it turns out tournament football is quite tough. A star studded Portugal team struggling to get past Slovenia and France scrapping past Belgium. Gregor casts an admiring eye on the French defence, never mind that they haven’t scored from open play yet…Euros Daily #18: England – The Debrief (put someone on the left!!)
41:40One moment of brilliance saved England from humiliation. Jude Bellingham’s overhead kick helped secure England’s unlikely win, but it doesn’t paper over the chasm in England’s performance; lacklustre, disjointed, blunt, pedestrian. Where does Gareth Southgate go now? Gregor Robertson, Jonathan Northcroft and James Gheerbrant join Tom Clarke to dissect a performance which was so disappointing and left so many questions. Left being the operative word…”Just put someone on the left!!” In the other game, Spain…they look rather good.Euros Daily #17: England, don't do what the Italians did...
46:59England's path to the final looks clearer than ever, what could possibly go wrong? Tom Clarke is joined by Ian Hawkey, Alyson Rudd and Gregor Robertson to discuss exactly what could go wrong... they could do an Italy. Is there anything more infuriating than VAR? Gregor Robertson doesn't think so. But does Germany's under par performance give other teams hope?And will Georgia upset Spain? Probably not, but here's to hoping.Euros Daily #16: 'There is no life without football'
41:35Two days without football felt like a lifetime. But it's back! Martin Samuel, Alyson Rudd and Gregor Robertson join Tom Clarke to preview the last 16: Which game are we most looking forward to? Will there be any shocks on the cards? And how does Alyson decide which decorative flags on her house stay up and which go down?Euros Daily #15: Play the kids and eat kebabs
28:17With the group stage finished its time to step back, take a breath and have a considered look at Euro 2024. Which teams have impressed, which have disappointed? Who are the players who’ve stood out and who are the surprise packages? One man perfectly placed to answer most of those questions is Times writer Paul Hirst. He has seen ten teams, travelled across Germany and watched England with England fans in a fan park. Tom Clarke catches up with Paul to get his tips for who to look out for in the knockout stages, the best players he’s seen so far and is German rail really as bad as it is in the UK? Oh, and England, what does he make of them?Euros Daily #14: Have England got lucky?
41:13Are England the luckiest team in football? They have somehow contrived to avoid France, Germany, Portugal and Spain; only playing them if they reach the final. Or is that to disrespect the teams who have made it through in their half of the draw – Austria, Switzerland and their next opponents – Slovakia? Martin Samuel, Gregor Robertson and Hamzah Khalique-Loonat join Tom Clarke to round up a brilliant night for Turkey and Georgia; and to plot England’s unlikely route to the final. Surely, they will beat Slovakia…surely?Euros Daily #13: Who starts for England in the last 16?
39:52Ok, so a 0-0 draw against a country smaller than Manchester doesn't sound great... but there are positives. Tom Clarke, Gregor Robertson, Jonathan Northcroft and Alyson Rudd are intent on finding them. The big question remains, though: who starts in the next round? Plus, Austria are showing the rest of Europe how to win AND entertain. And Alyson thinks the Netherlands will come good eventually. Perhaps in the last 16 against England.Euros Daily #12: England – hopes and fears
40:36Will it be a convincing win, a team that clicks and all doubt banished…? Or another edgy one one draw followed by a three-day inquest? The speculation is that Gareth Southgate will swap Trent Alexander Arnold for Conor Gallagher. Will that be enough, will it change the dynamic of a team slow to press and lacking a cutting edge?A thrilling conclusion to group B as football once again proved so much can change in a minute. On ninety-eight minutes Italy were likely heading out, Croatia were going through. But by ninety-nine Italy were through, Croatia as good as out. And England, well even if they were to lose tonight, they’re also through as one of the best third placed teams. But surely, they won’t lose… will they?