Share
The Game Football Podcast
Poch pressure and what next for Mbappe, Werner and Sancho
Gregor Robertson, Martin Samuel and Tony Cascarino join Tom Clarke for the Thurs edition of The Game. Is Mauricio Pochettino under pressure at Chelsea? After a loss to championship side Middlesborough in the first leg of the league cup semi final and indifferent league form, will the owner demand more after spending a billion pounds? Liverpool won again, with two youngster shining in Curtis jones and Conor Bradley. Could Jones make the England squad. After the break, how much does FFP affect January transfers; where will Mbappe end up an will Werner and Sancho be good signings?
Timeline:
2’ Beckenbauer
Chelsea
4’ Poch under pressure. After a loss to Middlesborough, where next?
5’ Lots of quality, not much spirit. Not clinical, they’re an easy team to play against.
7’ look soft, no edge but they’ll probably still beat Middlesborough.
8’ They’d be mad to get rid of Poch. Who is out there that is guaranteed to do better?
11’ You can’t keep sacking managers every six months.
12’ This is a big month for Poch. Both cups, and key league games. How January goes could affect the mood music, rightly or wrongly.
16’ If not Poch then who. Owners must have one eye on that. Review at the end of the season seems likely.
17’ They had a good manager, and they sacked him – Thomas Tuchel.
20’ Owners are erratic and at times irrational.
22’ Are any of the strikers they have bought good enough?
24’ Top eight team at best, don’t look like they’ll go on a run.
Liverpool
27’ Conor Bradly and Curtis Jones shone. Jones now looks a really good midfielder.
30’ Brady has bundles of energy.
31’ Curtis Jones looks like a very live England chance. Gregor not so sure.
Transfers…Mbappe, FFP and Timo Werner
34’ Why aren’t more teams looking at Mbappe? FFP restricts what teams can do.
36’ Gregor wants Mbappe, but not unfettered spending.
37’ Premier league already getting less competitive, if rich teams are allowed to spend unfettered, it will make it worse.
43’ Rules in place are currently inhibiting teams from getting the best players. But some would prefer the premier league slip a little at the benefit of the wider football pyramid.
46’ Werner will get chances at Spurs, and Postecoglou might get the best out of him.
50’ He’s only 27, it could be a redemption story.
51’ His numbers are not that bad, he is involved, he assists and contributes.
52’ Sancho likely to return to Dortmund. What went wrong?
55’ Sancho still not off the wage bill. Could a new manager pull him back to Old Trafford?
57’ He’s already made some brave decisions in his career. Is this another one?
59’ does he have the potential to be truly world class?
61’ lots of players at United are underperforming, is it related to style of play?
More episodes
View all episodes
Can an English club win the Champions League? And Alisson heroics
59:04|Paris Saint Germain were amazing…they just weren’t quite as good as Alisson Becker. Liverpool’s one nil win in the French capital was largely down to the outstanding performance of their goalkeeper – have the panel ever seen better? What did PSG do to test Liverpool more than any other side so far this season? Arsenal are all but through, but would they rather play Real or Atletico Madrid next?Villa could well face Liverpool next, if they do, could Emery work his European magic?Gregor has been to Naples to see ‘the other Scotsman’ Billy Gilmour – he was very impressed.FA Cup reaction and are Man Utd fans turning on Sir Jim Ratcliffe?
01:01:10|Shoot outs, red cards and moments of madness – the FA Cup delivers. At old Trafford cup holders Man Utd were dumped out by Fulham and the fans made their feelings clear - the focus of their ire was Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Is his efficiency drive having an adverse effect on the club? On the pitch Amorim persists with a 3:4:3 formation. Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts will get a three game ban for a horrendous challenge on Crystal Palace striker Jena-Phillippe Mateta…is that enough? Anthony Gordon saw red and will miss the cup final, is that too harsh? And Matheus Cunha snapped against Bournemouth, does incidents like that put off big clubs from signing him?Finally, as Danny Welbeck scored the winner for Brighton, who is the most universally loved player?Best ever individual seasons: Salah, Henry, Terry? Plus, hats off to Arne Slot
01:07:02|The title race is done, so time to recognise the job Arne Slot is doing at Anfield. It is much more than ‘tweaks’ according to Gregor and Martin.With Arsenal dropping more points are they under pressure to get second, and the race for the top four/five is wide open…but who is best placed to capitalise.After the break, as Mo Salah is putting in a phenomenal season, leading both goals and assists charts which player has had the greatest individual season; Cole, Ronaldo, Terry, Kante… ?EFL Extra: Championship snakes and ladders and EFL fatigue
35:11|Join Tom Clarke and Gregor Robertson for all the latest news from the Championship, League One and League Two.Is it time to give Frank Lampard credit? His Coventry side are one point off the play offs and he is winning over the sky blues fans. Meanwhile another former international midfielder Michael Carrick is struggling at Middlesborough, what’s gone wrong at the Riverside? As Tom watches a bore fest at Sincil Bank is now the time in the season when fatigue – mental and physical – starts to kick in? In League Two, AFC Wimbledon have the best defence in the league and are on a twelve game unbeaten run. And a few big teams are struggling. Plus a late surprise appearance from the next generation of footballing/journalistic talent…Liverpool bossed it; have Arsenal blown it?
57:59|Arsenal fluffed their lines at home to West Ham. Liverpool capitalised with their first win at Manchester City in ten years. It puts Liverpool eleven points clear. So, is the title race over?Where are Arsenal going wrong and just how good are this Liverpool team? Elsewhere, with the top and bottom of the table seemingly sorted out, is mid table the place to be – full of ambitious, forward-thinking clubs. Newcastle thumped Forest, for a half at least. Are Forest on the slide, or were Newcastle lucky?And who is the Premier League’s most under rated player...? Gregor knows - he has been to meet him.Do you pity Manchester City? And is Darwin done?
57:49|Manchester City were dumped out of the Champions League by a dominant Real Madrid. At what point do we start to feel sorry for Pep and his team? Now, according to Gregor Robertson, Peter Rutzler and James Gheerbrant. They join Tom Clarke to discuss that, Darwin Núñez's future, Rashford's return and a poetic red card for Atalanta's captain (essential viewing).Spurs win the dysfunction derby & 'never go full press'
57:10|Tottenham back to their best? Or did they just play against an EVEN worse team in Manchester United? Tony Cascarino, Hamzah Khalique-Loonat and Gregor Robertson join Tom Clarke to discuss. Plus, Liverpool look leggy, a new young star striker emerges at Arsenal (28 year-old Mikel Merino) and what does expected even mean?Fitting finale at Goodison and the end for Pep?
56:49|What a fitting finale for Goodison Park’s final Merseyside derby. A thrilling roller coaster of a game, four goals, three red cards, VAR and a last minute equaliser. What a night.Were the decisions correct, does the result affect the title race but most importantly can an atmosphere like that be re created in a new ground?Away from the Merseyside could it be over for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City? Gregor Robertson and Jonathan Northcroft wonder if he will stay to see out the rebuild of his fragile team.Chelsea and Arsenal are both facing a striker crisis; should they have seen it coming and acted in the transfer window?Finally, will Newcastle take the chance to enter the top four at Manchester city this weekend?EFL Extra: Make changes, make 'em at the right time...
39:05|Great escapes, standout signings and a managerial merry go round in this week's EFL Extra. Tom Clarke and Gregor Robertson discuss whether Sunderland have the staying power to make automatic promotion a 4 horse race, they react to a familiar face in the dugout at Carlisle and watch as Walsall keep their title contenders interested.