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The Game Football Podcast
"We’re Manchester United and we’re coming to get you." Really…?
A quick look at the mid-week fixtures and a bold claim, Arsenal have the best defence, and defences win leagues… City won again and Klopp likened his teams win against Luton to their famous win against Barcelona.
James Gheerbrandt went to see Tuchel lose out to Xabi Alonso against Leverkusen. A week later he ‘agreed’ to leave Munich, where next and what are the knock-on effects in the managerial merry go round?
Tom, Martin, James and Gregor discuss the bold new vision presented by Sir Jim Ratcliffe at Manchester United, is three years optimistic and why no backing for Ten Hag…?
Timeline:
2’ Arsenal sucker punched by Porto
3’ Different feel to European games, lots of fouls, grappling.
5’ Good for the champions league to have such a different feel. Made it tough for Arsenal.
8’ arsenal looking at not getting to quarters again, do they need to change mindset.
11’ Arsenal have the bets defence in the league, and titles are won by defences…
13’ Klopp has created, built character at Liverpool, that will get you a long way.
Tuchel leaves Munich
20’ Will Tuchel leaving mean Alonso goes to Munich?
21’ Tuchel was out manoeuvred by Alonso, he won the tactical battle.
22’ Weird move by Munich, not good for dressing room.
24’ If Liverpool want him, they need to get in now and tell him, before Munich do.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe
33’ He wants Man Utd ‘turned around’ in three years. Three years isn’t very long…can he do it?
35’ He has a helping hand with Klopp leaving, and city facing FFP investigations
37’ he was bullish, might regret that. Came close to slagging the glazers off.
38’ No mention or backing for Ten Hag
42’ slates being cleared. They’ve had good managers, it’s the system they work in that needs fixing.
45’ We’re Manchester United and we’re coming to get you.
49’ extraordinary that it has taken 11 years for this to happen for Man Utd to have a modern set up.
51’ everything is about money. Why is it surprising that Newcastle want money for Dan Ashworth…
54’ On the pitch looks better, but still a long way to go. Gregor still thinks they are miles off.
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Euros Daily #33: Is Eddie Howe the answer?
53:29You thought we were done, didn't you? No chance. Martin Samuel has returned to the office just to say hello (but mostly to get his laptop fixed). Tom Clarke takes the opportunity to get his views on the final and who comes after Southgate, if Southgate leaves. And now we're fully over England's loss (we are, promise), Tom Clarke, Tom Allnutt and Gregor Robertson look back over the tournament in full to pick their favourite moments and pick The Game's Euros XI. We really are done now, for a couple of weeks at least. Stay tuned for the new season...Euros Daily #32: Heartbreak for England - immediate reaction
42:13So near and yet so far…for the second Euros in a row England are runners up. A team and a nation left bereft.Tom Clarke, Gregor Robertson, Alyson Rudd and Hamzah Khalique-Loonat try to make sense of where it went wrong for England. Was the captain fit, why couldn’t they retain the ball and were they always a safety-first team? What on earth do England need to get over that final hurdle!? Spain are the first team to win every game at a Euros, so can England really complain, the best team won didn’t they? Where now for a team of world stars and a manager loved by his players but perhaps now doubted by many fans. Was getting to the final enough, or did performance and silverware matter? Many questions, but for now, few answers… just disappointment.Euros Daily #31: 'I really, really want England to win'
47:52It's finally here: England v Spain. One more for European glory. All eyes on Berlin. Still, there's plenty of time to debate who should start at left back. Tom Clarke is joined by Martin Samuel, Gregor Robertson and Jonathan Northcroft, who's very excited, or in his words has a 'frisson of interest'. If England win, IF, could Southgate stay? If he doesn't, who is there to replace him? How do England stop this high flying Spain side? And don't worry, we'll be there for you after the game, no matter what.Euros Daily #30: What's the Spanish for 'it's coming home?'
53:13If it really is coming home, England will need to beat Spain. Tom Clarke is joined by Ian Hawkey, Tom Allnutt and Gregor Robertson for a Spanish deep dive in the first of two final preview shows. How much credit does Spain's manager, Luis de la Fuente, deserve for their success? Why has it seemingly clicked for Spain more than any other team in the tournament? And what are their weaknesses (good news for England fans, there are a few)?¡Está volviendo a casa!Euros Daily #29: Joy, defiance and terrible eggs
28:52Chief sports writer Owen Slot is England’s lucky charm. He has covered the whole tournament but until the semi-final he hadn’t covered England. He turned up and they put in their best performance and won. He’s booked for the final.Tom Clarke joins Owen to discuss the atmosphere around the England team, the depth and togetherness of the squad and England manager Gareth Southgate. Owen then gives a behind the scenes look at life on the road covering a tournament, from the sheer joy of a football festival in Europe, with thousands of fans and without covid; to the Romanian soul generation and terrible eggs.Euros Daily #28: England are in the final!
39:28They’ve done it, and what a way to do it! Another last minute, last gasp winner, this time from Ollie Watkins. Weston-Super-Mare to the Euros final, yes!Gregor Robertson, Jonathan Northcroft and James Gheerbrant join Tom Clarke to react to a fantastic win and – say it quietly – a good performance.Does this vindicate the approach of Gareth Southgate; another final, the first on foreign soil, surely, he gets the credit? Not so fast…Gregor doesn’t want to re write history just yet.We’ll worry about Spain tomorrow, first, let’s look at how England won and put in a performance to be proud of…dodgy penalty aside.Euros Daily #27: Bring on the penalties...
48:40One semi down, one to go. Tom Clarke is joined by Martin Samuel, Gregor Robertson and Hamzah Khalique-Loonat to marvel at a very impressive Spanish 16 year old(!). Whoever Spain face in the final, surely they've got to be favourites? And are we actually looking forward to a penalty shootout tonight? No, not really. But it could be England's best route to another Euros final.Euros Daily #26: France or Spain, who would England prefer?
39:18It is semi-final day, dare we even consider who England would prefer to play out of France and Spain? Let’s indulge ourselves; Tom Allnutt and Gregor Robertson look at the strengths and weaknesses of both teams. IF England were to beat the Netherlands, how would they fair against the irresistible force of the Spanish team, or the immovable object that are the French?Paul Joyce joins Tom Clarke and offers a glimpse inside England press conferences and the mindset that Gareth Southgate is projecting, to the press at least. As the Times reporter who covers Merseyside, he also looks at the Dutch’s main weapons – Virgil Van Dyke and Cody Gakpo.Euros Daily #25: England; flamboyant or ’filthy’?
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