The Total Football Podcast

Mbappe announces his future, Man City win the title and we hand out the first of our end of season awards…

Part 1

Before we get into the ins and outs of the final day of Premier League action, let’s discuss the giant Kylian Mbappe shaped elephant in the room…

Part 2 (08:36)

Man City came from behind to win 3-2 over Aston Villa, which rendered Liverpool’s 3-1 comeback win a moot point as Pep Guardiola’s side clinched another Premier League crown.

Burnley lost to Newcastle United, which meant that Leeds United’s win over Brentford secured their place in the division for another season.

Finally, let’s look back at our pre-season predictions which we haven’t checked since the day they were made…

Part 3 (39:51)

Listeners may remember that last year we ended the campaign with our inaugural awards ceremony. Well, it’s time for the second edition of Total Football’s end of season awards. The first two categories for today will be Best Manager and Best Surprise…

Part 4 (1:28:26)

There is only one more game left to preview but it’s kind of a big one. Real Madrid and Liverpool meet in Paris, who comes away crowned as the champion of Europe?

Closing

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Liverpool completed the domestic cup double, but can they go on to seal the quadruple? Plus, we take a look at Manchester United’s squad ahead of Erik ten Hag’s first week on the job!

Part 1 (00:43)

The Champions League reforms were confirmed midweek, with a slight change to what was initially proposed but all-in-all we are sticking with the 36-team Swiss model. How we feeling?

Part 2 (10:19)

Liverpool won 6-5 on penalties in the FA Cup final against Chelsea to complete a domestic cup double. Bizarre sense of deja vu throughout the game.

Man City dropped two points in the title race with a 2-2 draw at West Ham, but still hold their destiny in their own hands going into the final game of the season.

Everton suffered a 3-2 defeat to Brentford, with Lampard’s side also going down to 9-men in the game. The Toffees face a big week ahead, with 2 games and two chances to earn their survival against Leeds United or Burnley

Milan took a huge step towards the Serie A title with a 2-0 win over Atalanta. They only need one point from their final game to clinch a first championship since 2011.

Part 3 (28:13)

Erik ten Hag has resigned from his role at Ajax six weeks early to start work as Manchester United manager this week. It’s stating the obvious to suggest he will have a lot to do this summer to begin turning things around at Old Trafford. Let’s give him a helping hand by taking a look at the club and what their priorities should be this summer…

Part 4 (1:04:31)

It’s the final week of the Premier League, so it all comes down to this. The title, top four and the final relegation place are still all to be decided…

Closing

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We make our return and there is plenty of football to be discussed! Let’s get into it, shall we…

Part 1 (00:43)

Jose Mourinho was seen crying following Roma’s qualification for the Europa Conference League. In many ways it was touching, but what would the man of 10-years ago say about such a moment?

Part 2 (05:33)

Man City now lead Liverpool by three points in the title race after the Reds drew 1-1 at Anfield, is that our champions crowned?

Erling Haaland has agreed a move to Man City, according to David Ornstein and now Fabrizio Romano…

West Ham’s European journey came to an end on Thursday as they lost to Frankfurt, who will play Rangers in the final…

Bournemouth and Fulham earned promotion to the Premier League, are we ready for them to return so soon?

Part 3 (37:14)

In the time since we last spoke both legs of the Champions League semi finals took place and boy did a lot happen! We have our finalists, Real Madrid will face Liverpool in Paris later this month in a 2018 rematch. What did we make of their route there and who is the current favourite?

Part 4 (57:55)

There’s a whole lot of Premier League action this week, but the biggest game of all is surely the North London Derby between Tottenham and Arsenal. Who have we got winning this crucial top 4 race clash?

Closing

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It’s Champions League semi finals week! Plus Erik ten Hag to Man United is confirmed, and are Everton going down?

Part 1

NBC showed a particularly ruthless graphic ahead of the Merseyside Derby comparing the net spend of both clubs over the last five years. It wasn’t pretty reading for Everton fans…

Part 2 (04:57)

Liverpool kept pace with Man City with a 2-0 win over Everton on Sunday.

Are Everton going down?

Arsenal had a good week, gaining a strong position in the top 4 race and surely seeing off Man United as a threat with their 3-1 win at the Emirates on Saturday

Bayern won a 10th Bundesliga title in a row this weekend, beating Dortmund 3-1

Part 3 (28:22)

Man United formally announced Erik ten Hag as their new manager on Thursday afternoon. We figured this day would come, but now it’s here. Is the Ajax boss the man that United need, or can any manager fix this broken club?

There’s a lot to discuss this week, with Dyche leaving Burnley, Champions League semi finals coming up and a commentator gaff to make us laugh

Part 1 (00:50)

It’s bad enough that Watford are struggling, even missing gaping chances at crucial moments in their season, but for the commentator to mock their misfortune does seem a bit harsh…

Part 2 (03:50)

Liverpool saw off Man City in the FA Cup semi-final, winning 3-2 despite a spirited comeback

They will face Chelsea in the final, who cruised past Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday.

It was a weird afternoon at Old Trafford, but Man United were the winners of the top 4 race this weekend, with Arsenal and Spurs both losing.

Unbelievably, Sean Dyche has been sacked as Burnley manager after 10 years in charge of the club with the Clarets on the brink of relegation. Many were stunned, but was this the right decision?

West Ham made light work of Lyon in the Europa League but it won’t be Barcelona in the semi-finals…

Part 3 (24:17)

We’ve whittled it all down to four. There’s Manchester City, there’s Real Madrid, there’s Liverpool and there’s… Villarreal? What did we make of the quarter finals, what were the big talking points, and who will be in the final in Paris?

Part 4 (45:35)

Another big week of action ahead of us…

Closing

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It’s the Manchester City vs. Liverpool show this week, but we still have time to turn our attention to the big news stories elsewhere in the Premier League.

Part 1 (00:42)

Cristiano Ronaldo smashed a fan’s phone following Man United’s 1-0 defeat to Everton. But don’t worry, he’s said sorry and he’s even offered the fan a ticket to a United game so all is surely forgiven!

Part 2 (03:45)

United’s top 4 hopes now look all but over, but it does look like Erik ten Hag is who the club wants to appoint next as manager

Arsenal’s top 4 hopes also took a significant beating this week, first losing 3-0 to Palace and then 2-1 at home to mighty Brighton

Meanwhile, Spurs are flying under Conte

Sean Dyche tried some mind games in the aftermath of their 3-2 win over Everton but it now looks like Burnley are going down.

Chelsea’s Champions League chances look quite bad following a 3-1 loss at home to Real Madrid, but what about Benzema’s hat trick?

Part 3 (29:39)

So we’ve had the big match and now the terms of our title race have been set. Manchester City lead Liverpool by one point with just seven games remaining. There’s been a lot of talk about best rivalry this week, but the next few weeks could define the battle between these two clubs. Where do we stand on their chances following Sunday’s 2-2 draw…

Part 4 (48:02)

It’s a big week away from the Premier League for our title protagonists as City and Liverpool face in the FA Cup semi final, but first they meet Atletico Madrid and Benfica on Wednesday night in the Champions League…

Closing

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There’s a whole lot happening in the football world this week, and we are here for you to discuss all the important action!

Part 1 (00:42)

One saving grace of even the worst international breaks is that we are spared two whole weeks of BT sports’ coverage. A blissful period without having to hear from Peter Walton…

Part 2 (02:35)

Chelsea lost 4-1 to Brentford, immediately showing how much of a sham the predictions game is

Man United lost ground in the top four race in a dismal match, really is just a grim time over at Old Trafford these days

Everton lost to West Ham, as Lampard continues to struggle with the character of his team

Derby D’Italia went Inter Milan’s way due to a crazy sequence that led to Hakan scoring a retaken penalty, with it finishing 1-0. Title race there is a close run battle

Louis Van Gaal sadly announced he is suffering from severe prostate cancer, our sympathies go out to our favourite soundbite machine

Part 3 (28:54)

The World Cup draw took place on Friday, but how much excitement is there surrounding a tournament in Qatar, and how can FIFA justify this farce and what is there to say about the future of the World Cup?

Part 4 (51:22)

Huge week of football ahead, with the Champions League returning and some massive clashes in the Premier League. Let’s start midweek…

Closing

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Let's take a look at who we think will qualify for the Champions League next season... 

Part 1 (00:44)

It’s international break this week so there’s really only one place to start… Will Smith, ey?

Part 2 (03:19)

The big news is that Italy have been knocked out of the qualifying process in an incredible 1-0 defeat to North Macedonia. Roberto Mancini set to stay on as Italy manager…

Christian Eriksen scored with his first touch back in the Denmark side, as his amazing comeback story continues

Our old friend Louis Van Gaal has had a storming week, first calling out FIFA for the Qatar World Cup and today he has told us that he advised Erik ten Hag to turn down the Man United gig…

Part 3 (23:04)

The top leagues all return this week and there is still so much left to play for across Europe. This week we’re going to try our hand at some more predictions because we’re just so good at it. We’ve run through the games in the top 4 race in the Premier League to decide who we think will get that Champions League spot…

Part 4 (53:13)

It’s a full slate of Premier League games this weekend, there’s no one massive game but there are plenty that could spin a surprise…

We’ve also got the Derby D’Italia on Sunday between Inter Milan and Juve, Inter need a win here after a poor run of form…

Closing

Contact us: @thetfpod on Twitter or email us at theTFpod@gmail.com

Plenty to discuss this week as the FA Cup and Champions League progress to another round. Plus, we discuss the top 4 race going into the international break…

Part 1 (00:44)

The FA Cup semi final draw was made and it pits Liverpool vs. Man City in a huge clash. But I saw it mentioned that there are no trains to London in either city on the day of the match. Game at Old Trafford, anyone?

Part 2 (03:16)

Man City and Liverpool both progressed to the next stages of the Champions League but avoided each other in an otherwise exciting draw…

Man United won’t be there after they lost 1-0 to Atletico Madrid

Arsenal’s top 4 hopes kept going relatively smoothly despite a 2-0 loss to Liverpool. Their 1-0 win over Villa puts them three points clear of Spurs while having a game in hand.

West Ham went through to the next round of the Europa League with an impressive 2-0 win over Sevilla. They came at the king and they did not miss…

Barcelona also went through, and topped off their week with a massive 4-0 win over Real Madrid in El Clasico

Part 3 (29:03)

This year, we’ve had teams like Crystal Palace, Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough all make deep runs in the FA Cup, knocking out big teams along the way. Yet we’ve still got the Premier League’s top 3 clubs fighting in the competition, we’ve had other fun stories through the rounds. Have rumours of the great tournament’s demise been greatly exaggerated?

Closing

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It was a remarkable week both on and off the pitch this week so there is plenty to discuss on this edition of the podcast. And we predict it will be another seismic week of football ahead…

Part 1 (00:42)

This weekend saw the unusual schedule of the majority of games taking place at Sunday 2pm instead of the traditional Saturday 3pm. Have the Premier League accidentally stumbled into a way around the blackout rule in the future?

Part 2 (05:34)

It was a bad week for Spurs as they lost at Old Trafford while all of their other top 4 rivals won.

Real Madrid were the surprise winners in an otherwise routine week of Champions League action…

Roman Abramovich was listed on the UK sanction list last week, freezing all of his assets including Chelsea Football Club. The club were given special licence to continue operating, but it is now unclear what is next for the Stamford Bridge outfit…

Part 3 (44:18)

They were declared the winners of the transfer window, but PSG have failed to make it to the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Despite signing Donnarumma, Ramos, Hakimi, Wijnaldum and, obviously, Messi the team has gone backwards compared to the previous two seasons.

It now looks apparent that Kylian Mbappe will leave in the summer, Neymar is now 30 and Messi has clearly struggled since moving to Paris. What next for PSG?

Part 4 (55:44)

This week we find out the final members of the Champions League quarter finals, who have we got going through?

Elsewhere, it’s FA Cup action this weekend and there is also a selection of random Premier League games. Big week in the top 4 race as Arsenal and Spurs play catch up on games in hand.

Closing

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There was plenty of footballing action to discuss this week and plenty to look forward to as well. But in between we must reflect on the legacy of Roman Abramovich’s time in charge of Chelsea

Part 1 (00:42)

The moment of the weekend for many people came unexpectedly in the game between Brentford and Norwich City.

Brandon Williams’ face as it turned from anger to joy as he prepared to tussle with a Brentford player before quickly realising it was Christian Eriksen was quite a fun piece of levity

Part 2 (02:15)

In the title race, both Liverpool and Man City made light work of West Ham and Man United, showing the difference in quality between the best and the also-rans.

There’s a whole lot of contention at United, why can’t they just lose a game and everyone move on with their lives?

The defeat puts Arsenal in pole position for top 4. They can’t do it, can they?

Part 3 (22:36)

Roman Abramovich on Wednesday announced his intention to sell Chelsea following a 19-year stint as the owner of the club. What impact has he had on the sport and what does this decision mean for football going forward?

Part 4 (36:50)

We find out the first four entrants to the Champions League quarter finals this week, who have we got?

Man United v Spurs is the big PL game of the weekend, with Arsenal v Leicester City another big game in the top 4 race.

Liverpool are away to Brighton and City away to Palace, will there be a twist in the title race this week?

Closing

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It was a difficult week in the world of football, this week we discuss FIFA’s response to it all and how the sport can do better

Part 1 (00:44)

We’ve had yet another goal extravaganza penalty shootout, with Kepa being the only of 22 players to miss one for yesterday’s League Cup final. Have we ruined penalties?

Part 2 (12:36)

We’ve got good news and bad news. Bad news first, Leeds United have parted ways with Marcelo Biela. Good news, Bielsa watch is back! Jesse Marsch is set to replace him.

Man United threw away their footing in the top four race, but they did get a 1-1 draw in Madrid, so a mixed week for them?

Christian Eriksen made his return to action following his health scare in the Summer with Brentford

Part 3 (35:31)

It’s obviously been a big week in real world news, with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine showcasing the triviality of football. But unfortunately, football has been impacted by this with FIFA being front and centre of it all…

Part 4 (58:38)

There’s midweek FA Cup action this week, which is strange.

This weekend also has a Manchester derby as the big game…

Closing

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There’s plenty to discuss in what was a hectic week of football action, but let’s set aside some time to wonder just how much Sean Dyche enjoys snow worms…

Part 1 (00:42)

At half time of the 3pm Saturday kick offs the only team who’d scored were Burnley. I’m not sure many people, at that moment, would’ve predicted how exciting the rest of the Premier League weekend was about to get…

Part 2 (07:09)

Do we have a title race on our hands? Liverpool overturned a 1-0 scoreline at home to Norwich and were rewarded later when Man City lost 3-2 at home to Spurs

That Spurs win helps their top 4 chase, but wins for Arsenal and Man United didn’t…

PSG beat Real Madrid midweek and then promptly lost 3-1 to Nantes at the weekend…

Part 3 (36:04)

We’ve had four Champions League first leg ties and this week we have four more. Aren’t we glad the premiere club competition is back? What do we expect from this week’s rounds of games?

Part 4 (50:38)

No big standout ties in the Premier League next week, but we do have a Carabao Cup final to look forward to as Liverpool face Chelsea…

Closing

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The Champions League is back at last! This week we discuss the away goals rule, the upcoming games, and we also take some time to look at the top 4 race in the Premier League…

Part 1 (00:42)

The big news story of the week boiled over on Sky Sport on Sunday afternoon when Graeme Souness tore apart Kurt Zouma ahead of West Ham’s clash with Leicester City.

Should Zouma be banned for a year, as Souness suggested, or is this story getting way overblown?

Part 2 (08:41)

The top 4 race continues to take many twists and turns. Arsenal’s 538 odds increased during the weekend… without playing! Do Wolves deserve to now be part of the conversation?

Part 3 (30:34)

There is nothing in club football as good as the Champions League knockout rounds. At least, that’s been the case for the last several years. But, without our glorious away goals, and this set of ties… will that still be the case this year?

Let’s look ahead to this week’s set of fixtures…

Part 4 (53:11)

Another full slate of Premier League games coming our way this weekend + Man United vs. Brighton on Tuesday…

Closing

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It’s a January transfer window analysis extravaganza, as football starts to ramp up in a big way over the next few weeks…

Part 1 (00:42)

Before we get stuck in on our January transfer window hot takes, I have but one phrase for you, Andrew: Ireland Euro 2028…

Part 2 (03:41)

Let’s start by looking at the big English clubs. It was a surprisingly busy month overall, but some of the big clubs being active was especially shocking.

Liverpool’s rebuilding phase continues, while Tottenham just try to get bodies in the door.

Arsenal sold everybody, absolute fire sale at the Emirates, Man United let some players go too.

Chelsea, Man City didn’t get up to much.

Part 3 (30:53)

Then in the rest of England, and wider Europe, business was booming. Let’s start with Barcelona…

Part 4 (58:21)

There’s midweek Premier League action to look forward to this week, as the season ramps up in a big way over the next few weeks…

Closing

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We’ve chucked the news out the window to discuss the 30th anniversary of the Premier League. Instead, this week we’re going to take a trip down memory lane and create three distinct teams that match the first three decades of this era in English football…

Part 1 (00:42)

So, let’s start with 1992-2002. A lot of these titles were won by Manchester United, with Blackburn Rovers taking one in 1994/95, and Arsenal winning 1997/98 and 2001/02.

Part 2 (33:55)

Chelsea emerged in the next 10 years as title contenders, winning their first championship in 2004/05 and retaining in 2005/06. Man United continued to rack up winners’ medals, but it was the noisy neighbours Manchester City who rounded out this decade with the iconic Agueroooooooooo goal to seal their first Premier League win.

Part 3 (1:13:33)

The most recent decade has seen Man City maintain their place at the top, under Manuel Pellegrini and then Pep Guardiola. Chelsea and Liverpool have kept pace on and won three titles between them, too. However, Leicester City’s 2015/16 season is the one we all remember best…

Closing

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This week we wrap up all of the action in the Premier League as we worry about Everton, look at the top 4 race and wonder who will go down this season

Part 1 (00:43)

Late breaking news, Watford have sacked Claudio Ranieiri!... Anyway, let’s talk about real news…

We weren’t the only ones asking are Manchester City boring lately, and Pep Guardiola must have taken it to heart as City gave their “best performance of the season… by far,” according to their manager…

Part 2 (06:22)

Liverpool scraped a weird 3-1 win over Crystal Palace. Did they get a little lucky? They’ve gotten through the AFCON period with 2 wins out of 2 tho…

It wasn’t a great week for the top 4 hopefuls, as Spurs and West Ham both lost and Arsenal drew. United’s win over West Ham has them in fourth now

Everton are on the lookout for a new manager and none of the names popping up are really inspiring any hope, a week on from our dour discussion of their future…

Aston Villa keep winning under Steven Gerrard, but Brighton keep on drawing 1-1…

Part 3 (32:16)

We are at the stage of the season now where I think it’s safe to say we know who our relegation candidates are. Of Burnley, Watford, Newcastle United, Norwich City and Everton, who do we think will go down, and what do these teams say about the standard of this year’s division?

Closing

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Man City all but wrapped up another Premier League title, but nobody seems to care. We discuss why we think that is on this week's episode... 

Part 1 (00:44)

Is there a more aesthetically unpleasing match up in all of the Premier League as Manchester City-Chelsea at the Etihad at 1230 afternoon on BT? It’s simply terrible, and these things are all terribly important!

Part 2 (11:16)

Man City have won the league now, but does anyone really care?

Chelsea won’t be winning the league, and they were awful on Saturday

No North London Derby. Are Arsenal taking the piss or was it worthwhile postponing the game?

Part 3 (53:57)

After only six months, Everton have parted ways with Rafa Benitez. It was an appointment that didn’t inspire confidence from the start and now, off the back of 1 win in 13 games, the Spaniard is gone. Everton are 16th, being linked with the likes of Roberto Martinez, Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard, and seemingly with no direction on what to do next. What would you do next if you were in charge at the club?

Part 4 (1:12:56)

There’s some midweek games this week? Maybe?

Hopefully we get a full weekend this time around at least…

Closing

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This week we take a deep dive into some football business news, as well as look back on some of the chaotic results we saw this weekend. There’s also the January transfer getting weird!

Part 1 (00:43)

The Africa Cup of Nations started on Sunday afternoon. Cameroon, the hosts, won the opening game against Burkina Faso. They came from behind courtesy of two penalties to win 2-1. Are we ready for a month of madness?

Part 2 (07:21)

Arsenal were knocked out of the FA Cup by Nottingham Forest. They’re the only side to knock Arsenal out in the Third Round, which they’ve now done twice!

Ed Woodward has given his end date at Man United for the beginning of February. What an era

Southampton changed ownership this week with Gao Jisheng selling to Sport Republic, worth 80% of the club for £100m. The key figure of the club will now be Rasmus Ankersen

Juventus beat Roma 4-3 in surely the game of the weekend…

Part 3 (51:27)

Newcastle lost at home to Cambridge United this weekend. However, they did also sign Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid for around £12m. Philippe Coutinho also returned to the Premier League by signing for Aston Villa on loan deal for the rest of the season.

Are we set for a busy January or will this be as exciting as it gets?

Part 4 (1:06:55)

It’s a big week for Premier League fixtures, with Man City hosting Chelsea on Saturday afternoon and the North London Derby at White Hart Lane on Sunday!

Closing

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It’s a New Year, but it’s the same old football! This week we discuss the FA Cup, Arsenal, Barcelona and the Premier League title race

Part 1 (00:42)

We managed to make it on through to the other side of 2022! A lot has happened on the pitch since we last spoke, but before all that… How was your New Year’s Andrew?

Part 2 (01:25)

The threeway title race is over before it could even begin. Man City just keep on winning…

Meanwhile, Chelsea and Liverpool played out a very fun and frenetic 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge last night

Off the pitch, Romelu Lukaku has created a bit of a mess at Chelsea…

Barcelona have signed Ferran Torres but seemingly can’t register him? Joan Laporta was defiant that Barcelona are back today, but this isn’t a good look!

Part 3 (36:03)

Arsenal have taken command of the top 4 battle, and, despite losing against Manchester City, they looked quite good up against the best team in the country. Is Mikel Arteta starting to click at Arsenal, has it all been part of the plan, or are they having a false dawn?

Part 4 (56:11)

There’s FA Cup Third Round action this weekend. Not many big games yet, so I’ve picked out West Ham vs. Leeds and Man United vs. Aston Villa.

Closing

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This week we discuss the few Premier League games that did go ahead, plus what to do about the festive fixture period?

Part 1 (00:43)

At a time when squads are being ravaged by the latest covid outbreak, with games called off across the English divisions, it is incredible that somehow Leeds United have no positive cases and yet still can barely pull a starting XI together…

Part 2 (08:14)

Arsenal are in the top 4, are they set to stay there?

Chelsea dropped more points at Wolves, as well as against Everton midweek. Is their title bid over already?

Liverpool drew 2-2 with Spurs on Sunday in one of the games of the season…

Inter Milan terminated their contract with Christian Eriksen, given Serie A rules mean he cannot play for them. He is currently training with his local club in Denmark

Part 3 (38:21)

It has been reported this evening that the Premier League is set to go full guns blazing into the festive fixture list. This is despite numerous games having already been postponed from the wave of Omicron sweeping the United Kingdom. This is an always-evolving story, but given how it’s played out so far, what have the clubs done well and what could they have done differently?

Part 4 (56:37)

We won’t be around with a regular show next week, so this will be our final preview of 2021 and there is a lot to look ahead to… or is there?

Closing

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We've got two Champions League Last 16 draws to discuss this week! Plus there's Barcelona's bad few days, the state of La Liga and what's going on with all these penalties?

Part 1 (00:43)

A Champions League draw going wrong is like watching the DVD logo finally hitting the corner of the screen. We waited and waited over the years and it was just as gloriously messy as we always hoped!

Part 2 (02:50)

Barcelona weren’t in that draw, they were knocked down into the Europa League following a 3-0 loss to Bayern, while Benfica won in Lisbon. Not going well for Xavi so far.

Steven Gerrard returned to Anfield as the opposing manager last weekend. His Aston Villa side lost 1-0 through a Salah penalty. All of the title challengers won through penalties oddly enough…

Covid outbreaks at Spurs, Man United and Aston Villa have all been reported this week. Will we even get a festive Christmas schedule at this point?

Part 3 (32:00)

We did eventually get a Champions League draw today. There are eight nations represented, plenty of fresh and interesting ties but there can only be one winner! What do we make of the Last 16 draw, and who do we think are the frontrunners to take home the ol’ big ears?

Part 4 (47:00)

Midweek Premier League action coming up this week to go with the usual weekend fixtures. Biggest ones include: Man City/Leeds, Arsenal/West Ham, Leeds/Arsenal and Tottenham/Liverpool

Closing

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Change at Everton, Newcastle finally win and are Barcelona in danger of Europa League football in their future?

Part 1 (00:43)

Are you in a tight title battle fighting against two titanic teams? Are you drawing away to a decent mid table side? In desperate need of a goal? Then there’s only one maverick striker for the job! Divock Origi!

Part 2 (09:20)

Chelsea’s 3-2 loss at West Ham has seen their title lead slip

It was Steven Gerrard vs. Brendan Rodgers this weekend and it was Gerrard who came out on top, with a 2-1 win against his former Liverpool manager. Is Rodgers in trouble?

Newcastle won their first game of the season, only took them 15 games!

Part 3 (46:05)

Everton have fired their director of football Marcel Brands. He joined the club in 2018 from PSV. Rafa Benitez’s side are winless in eight league games and are 16th in the league table. Where does the club go from here?

Part 4 (1:03:26)

It’s the final round of the Champions League group stage this midweek and it’s Barcelona who most sit on the edge of peril. They need a win and they face Bayern Munich away from home, yikes!

Closing

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This week there's Sky Sports studio bust ups, fan displeasure across England and a new manager arrives in Manchester!

Part 1 (00:56)

We’ve all seen and heard the chaos in the sky sports studio from Sunday. But let’s spare a thought for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. It’s not easy being stuck in the middle of a big argument, especially while on live tv, but I think he handled it pretty well.

Part 2 (07:48)

It was an odd weekend, where tempers were flared all over the place. Even Brighton fans were all hot and bothered after another 0-0 draw for their side.

Tottenham’s game was postponed, don’t often see the weather take out a Premier League game these days

Borussia Dortmund won’t be in the latter stages of the Champions League. A 3-1 loss to Sporting Lisbon saw them slip down to third. Meanwhile, they’re trying to convince Erling Haaland to sign a new contract…

Messi is tipped to win yet another Ballon D’or, it’s set to be announced probably while we’re recording.

Part 3 (38:12)

It’s been yet another week at the Man United circus, but we might just be coming out on the other end of this extremely drawn out saga of their demise. Ralf Rangnick was announced as their interim manager for the end of the season, with a two-year consultancy role set to follow suit. Is this the way forward United need, or will it all inevitably blow up in their faces once again?

Part 4 (01:07:45)

There’s a full slate of midweek Premier League games this week, which means everyone will have played twice by the time we next speak. Some big games amongst the 20 fixtures…

Closing

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With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer out at Manchester United, we wonder who might come in to replace him. Plus, the return of an old segment to mark our 200th show!

Part 1 (00:42)

We’re all wondering who will take over as Manchester United boss, but we know it probably won’t be Gareth Southgate. The England manager extended his contract with the FA to 2024…

Part 2 (05:52)

Sergio Aguero announced his retirement from football effective immediately due to an underlying heart condition. A sad way for a great career to finish

Pedri joins the long list of Golden Boy winners, last few now have been pretty excellent choices so a lot to live up to there

Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City had possibly their best displays of the season all in a row this weekend. 4-0 against Arsenal, 3-0 against Leicester and 3-0 against Everton

Part 3 (26:28)

We said our goodbyes to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this weekend, but the writing had been on the wall for many weeks now. We’ve dissected where everything has gone wrong for Ole in that time, but where do Manchester United go from here?

Part 4 (51:04)

Man United have a big Champions League clash away to Villareal on Tuesday evening, with three points required to ensure knockout qualification. Barcelona are also in desperate need of three points against Benfica. Man City will be looking to exact revenge on PSG on Wednesday, where both teams will surely progress…

We’re going to close out episode 200 with a throwback to days gone by with a game of Guess the Player!

Closing

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There's teams qualifying for the World Cup, but what will the schedule look like come November 2022?

Part 1 (00:43)

The Premier League announced the dates for when the season will pause for the World Cup next season, and it’s certainly raised some eyebrows!

Part 2 (11:00)

Ireland’s group, Group A, wrapped up on Sunday night. Stephen Kenny will be happy how it finished, a 0-0 draw with Portugal and a 3-0 hammering of Luxembourg. Are we happy with how it’s gone lately?

Portugal also lost 2-1 to Serbia in dramatic fashion, kicking them into the playoffs

Steven Gerrard was announced as the new Aston Villa manager. Dean Smith has moved on swiftly to taking over at Norwich City. The two will meet in December which will be fun.

Part 3 (30:23)

There’s a story in world football we’ve not talked about much, but now seems as good a time as any to ask: should there be a World Cup every two years?

Part 4 (40:46)

The international breaks are behind us now for a while, this weekend the Premier League comes back to kickstart the festival season. Will Man United be in a festive mood when they take on Watford?

Liverpool host Arsenal and Leicester host Chelsea in the actual big games…

Closing

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There’s managerial sackings, good results for Man City and another dissection of Manchester United’s latest humiliation

Part 1 (00:43)

This week John Terry joined Twitter and it’s exactly the kind of car crash one might expect from that sentence. However, given his naïve nature of replying to comments, is this as good a chance as we’ll ever get to tell the captain, leader, legend what we really think?

Part 2 (10:07)

Last week was a good one for Chelsea, but this week it was Man City who gained ground on their rivals. Chelsea drew 1-1 at home to Burnley and Liverpool lost 3-2 to West Ham.

What else is there really left to say about Man United in their current state?

Part 3 (38:02)

Dean Smith and Daniel Farke joined this season’s ever-growing list of sacked managers. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is surely due in the post soon, too. Eddie Howe has come in at Newcastle, Antonio Conte managed his first Premier League game as Spurs boss this week. What does all this managerial merry go round mean?

Closing

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Sacking season has commenced! A good week for Chelsea, but not so much for Spurs and Barcelona

Part 1 (00:42)

Quite a lot happened in this week of football. Let’s start with some on-pitch action before getting to the juicy personal drama. It was a pretty great Saturday for Thomas Tuchel, whose Chelsea side opened up a gap at the top of the Premier League table…

Part 2 (17:16)

Last week we all thought it would be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sacked, but instead his Man United side beat Spurs 3-0 on Saturday and Nuno Espírito Santo has lost his job as a consequence. It now looks like it will be Tottenham who bring in Antonio Conte, not the Red Devils

Part 3 (30:03)

Ronald Koeman was flying back with his Barcelona side, following a 1-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano, this midweek when he was informed that he has been relieved of his duties. That certainly wasn’t the mile high club Koeman thought he’d be joining when he took over the club

Part 4 (41:27)

It’s the last round of club games before the final international break of 2021. We’ve got some Champions League to look forward to as well, as teams start earning qualification for the knockout rounds. Some big games are coming up this week.

We’ve also got a Manchester Derby on Saturday afternoon. Can Ole survive this week?

Closing

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It was Liverpool's day as they won 5-0 at Old Trafford. But what next for Man United, who must surely now move on from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Part 1 (00:42)

Today’s big topic of discussion will come as no surprise to any of you, dear listener, but before we dig in let’s congratulate Jurgen Klopp because it’s not every day a Liverpool manager gets to win 5-0 at Old Trafford

Part 2 (11:07)

So, let’s dig in on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who may have been sacked as Man United manager by the time you are listening to this…

Part 3 (47:45)

Leicester/Arsenal and Spurs/Man United coming up this weekend. Plus a look back on the big weekend across Europe

Closing

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This week we discuss the Salah conundrum, Chelsea's dip in form and whether Solskjaer can survive the next few weeks

Part 1 (00:43)

It was incredible when Mo Salah scored that wonder-goal against Man City before the break, but for him to repeat it again against Watford is truly special. Are we witnessing an all-time great hot streak?

Part 2 (11:09)

Newcastle’s “celebration” on Sunday was a strange day. They took an early lead, then fell apart and then the game was suspended due to a medical emergency.

Chelsea beat Brentford on Saturday evening, but the performance left a lot to be desired

Man United lost to Leicester City, 4-2, another humiliating day for Solskjaer. Rashford returned, and scored, but is apparently unhappy with some pre-match remarks from his under pressure manager…

Part 3  (37:51)

We’ve already seen one manager sacked in the Premier League, but a few others have wandered into dangerous territory — and some have dug their way back out, for now. It’s only been eight games, but are we on the verge of a sacking season?

Part 4 (55:08)

The Champions League group stages make it to halfway this week. Barcelona really need a win, as do both Milan clubs and Man United could use one ahead of their game against Liverpool on Sunday.

It’s actually a very busy week for big games. Juve play Inter, PSG vs. Marseille and El Clasico all happen on Sunday too

Closing

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A lot has changed in just seven days in the world of Newcastle United. We weigh up the consequences of it all on this week's podcast!

Part 1 (00:42)

It was an international break, but there was still a pretty huge story in club football unfolding over the last week. Newcastle United has been sold, Mike Ashley is out and in has come, well… it’s the Saudi state let’s face it

Part 2 (32:51)

We have discussed, at length, the merits and faults of the big four teams in the Premier League this season. But what about the other 16 teams that make up this season? Where does their quality lie, and how strong of a league is this?

Part 3 (1:09:24)

The Premier League returns with a relatively tame set of fixtures. The biggest one is arguably between Leicester City and Man United. I get the impression both sides could do with a win here…

Closing

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This was a great week for failing super-clubs! We discuss that, as well as the classic between Liverpool and Man City all on today’s pod!

Part 1 (00:42)

Let’s cut the chase and just dig right into that great game that ended the weekend. Liverpool 2, Manchester City 2…

Part 2 (18:49)

PSG and Barcelona both had interesting weeks, as did Real Madrid.

North London Derby supremacy for Arsenal leaves Tottenham lost in the wilderness. . . 

Part 1 (00:43)

Deep into the second half of Brentford and Liverpool, with the score 3-3, both managers shared a tender moment. As if everyone else faded away for a moment, they made eye contact and in that moment no two managers have ever shared a greater bond. Andrew, both looked bewildered at what they had seen

Part 2 (10:24)

The big game of Saturday saw Chelsea lose 1-0 at home to the champions Man City. Have Chelsea lost a bit of their aura, or is this a reminder of how good City are?

Meanwhile, Man United lost 1-0 at home to Aston Villa. Bruno skied a last minute penalty, but did United deserve to lose this game?

A nice moment on Sunday as Raul Jimenez scored his first goal since coming back to the Wolves team. It was also the winner in a 1-0 away trip to Southampton.

Mourinho watch: Stormed out of a press conference following Derby Day defeat to Lazio

Part 3 (26:00)

The expectation for Sunday’s North London Derby was for a contest between two evenly matched teams that were both figuring out how to get their way back to the top. But, 30 minutes into the game, it looked like the teams were going in totally opposite directions. How big a game was that for Mikel Arteta? How big was it for Nuno?

Part 4 (45:55)

Round 2 of the Champions League takes place this week, with a couple of big teams really needing a win to avoid a disaster…

Closing

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Previewing Chelsea vs. Man City and what it might mean for the title race this season!

Part 1 (00:44)

You’re a goal down, it’s the 94th minute, you earn a penalty but your best taker is on the bench, but also the opposition keeper has a poor record himself. You’re also now suddenly David Moyes… What do you do?

Part 2 (05:26)

Pep Guardiola had a weird pop at his own supporters on Wednesday and then on Saturday they played out a drab 0-0 draw.

Chelsea comfortably beat Tottenham 3-0 at White Hart Lane, that’s two 3-0 losses in a row now for Spurs.

Messi was subbed off by Pochettino with PSG needing a goal against Lyon

Part 3 (25:13)

Man City are the holders, Chelsea are their contenders to take the crown. This was last year’s Champions League final and public opinion is starting to sway in Thomas Tuchel’s favour. The two sides meet on Saturday afternoon, but who has looked best five games in, and is there anyone else that can really butt in on this title race?

Part 4 (46:22)

Two big league games for us this weekend… so obviously let’s look at the League Cup!

There’s also the North London Derby, which has given us many classics over the years…

Closing

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A deep dive on Ronaldo's second debut, Elliot's horrific injury and the return of the Champions League

Part 1

Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher were taking pot shots on Twitter again today. Is this some sort of aggressive marketing strategy for Monday Night Football?

Part 2

Man United won 4-1 against Newcastle United, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring twice for his second debut.

Harvey Elliot suffered a horrific sounding injury against Leeds United on Sunday. Should we have heeded Jurgen Klopp’s warning?

Part 3

The Champions League returns for another season, but this time there’s some changes. However, the basic group structure of 8x4 remains and that’s what matters most. We’ve seen the draw, we’ve seen these teams domestically for a few weeks now. Who will still be here come late May?

Part 4

Let’s close out the show by highlighting the biggest games of the opening round of this season’s Champions League. We also preview the upcoming London Derby between Tottenham and Chelsea this coming Sunday.

Closing

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The transfer window is finally over so now is as good a time as any to evaluate where the big clubs all stand going into the season

Part 1 

The transfer window is finally closed and may we never ever speak of players moving clubs ever again. Right, Andrew?

Part 2 (12:43)

Let’s shake up the formula a bit this week by starting with a preview of the week’s upcoming Premier League games…

Part 3 (40:21)

Now that we know the full squads for each of the 20 Premier League teams we want to get creative and mash them altogether for our own amusement. Let’s start by building a team of cast-offs…

Part 4 (1:09:09)

Unfortunately, folks, we must close out the show by acknowledging the international break and discussing our dear old Ireland team. It’s been a hell of a week!

Closing

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**Content Warning** This episode features discussion about rape and sexual assault. A time stamp is provided below for anyone who wishes to skip over this discussion.

Part 1 (01:39)

This week there's Arsenal losing to Chelsea, European football returning, transfer deadline day looming and terrible kit designs galore!

Part 1 (00:43)

We have to start the show this week by addressing the elephant in the room. Andrew, what’s up with this line of template Puma third kits?

Part 2 (11:00)

Chelsea steamrolled over Arsenal in almost ominous fashion. Is Lukaku the final piece of the puzzle just like Thomas Tuchel said?

Man United dropped points at Southampton, it finished 1-1 at Saint Mary’s.

The European leagues are all back up and running now, is there anything we should be keeping an eye out for week-to-week?

Part 3 (35:30)

This time next week will be transfer deadline day. Two games into the season, which clubs need to strengthen and which have already got their work sorted? Will we see any shock, last minute deals and, of course, what happens to Harry Kane?

Part 4 (1:05:47)

Couple of big Saturday games for us this week. First, Arsenal take on Man City at 1230, then Liverpool host Chelsea in the evening kick off, easily the biggest game so far of the season.

There’s also the Champions League draw, any particular matchups we’d like to see?

Closing

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The Premier League is back and back in a big way! 34 goals was enough to satiate us, for now, but we demand more, more, more!

Part 1 (1:09)

That was, of course, the Brentford fans celebrating their 2-0 win over Arsenal with a stirring rendition of Hey Jude by the Beatles. This was quite a surreal scene…

Part 2 (32:47)

Overall, 34 goals on the first week back isn’t half bad is it? Time for some flippant hot takes!

Suppose we should start with that first game. We’ve given Brentford their moment, but what of Arsenal?

Harry Kane watched on… somewhere as Man City lost to Spurs. Surely that was a perfect result for the wantaway man

Part 3 (57:10)

In the build up to the Premier League’s return, everyone tipped the same four sides to finish in the Champions League places. We’ve all had one look at them now, Man City lost while Chelsea, Liverpool and Man United all won. Are they the clear four best teams, will we have a tight title race between all of them?

Part 4

Arsenal’s start to the season could get even more grim given they play host to Chelsea next Sunday. Will the underdog role suit them better?

Closing

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The Premier League season is back! Hear our thoughts and predictions on the upcoming campaign! What could possibli go wrong?

Part 1

How does it feel to be back? Are we ready to go again for another long season?

Part 2 (11.45)

Let’s start by looking at our predictions for the upcoming season

Part 3 (1:19:35)

Good opening round of games. Starts with Brentford hosting Arsenal in what will be the Bee’s first home game with a crowd in their new stadium. Leeds United/Man United and Tottenham/Man City the two standout fixtures.

Closing

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Barcelona officially announces Lionel Messi is to leave the club! Hear our thoughts on this emergency pre-season podcast!

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Congratulations Italy, commiserations England! It's our review of the Euro 2020 final, as well as a look-back on the tournament as a whole and the journey that brought us to this point. 

Roll on, 2021/22!

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And Italy, Spain, Denmark and England leaves four. By the time we speak to you next, a European Champion will be crowned and three losers will be licking their wounds.

Part 1

Let’s start with Spain and Italy. It’s probably the more exciting match on paper and it’s on Tuesday night in Wembley. Italy lost the final to Spain in 2012, but knocked them out in the round of 16 in 2016. Who will have the better of this one?

Part 2

England play host to their own semi final on Wednesday, where they face off the big underdogs of the tournament Denmark. Will England play the role of bad guys or can this Danish dream keep going?

Closing

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Friday is the start of the Quarter Finals. The road to get there through the Last 16 was manic, with goals, upsets, red cards and even a penalty shootout for good measure

Hello and welcome to the Total Football podcast. Hosted by Declan Harte and Andrew Conway

Are we finally starting to let yourselves enjoy Euro 2020?

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The group stages are over and done with. The competition is almost over, and yet in many ways Euro 2020 is only just beginning!

Let’s take a look at what the bracket now holds! There are only 16 teams left, but in only 15 games’ time we’ll have our winner. Who looks the favourites? How different are they to our initial predictions? Has this been a good competition so far?

Closing

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Euro 2020 finally kicked off on Friday. Christian Eriksen's horrific health scare overshadowed what has been an exciting start to the tournament 

Intro

Hello and welcome to the Total Football podcast. I am your host Declan Harte and joining me is Andrew Conway

Part 1

Andrew, let’s start by discussing what happened during the Denmark-Finland game…

Part 3

The three British sides have now all played their opening game to mixed results. England won 1-0 against Croatia, let’s start there…

The Dutch won the game of the tournament so far, taking a 3-2 victory over Ukraine.

Italy looked good against Turkey, a bad night for the “dark horse” brigade

Part 4

Next big game up sees France play Germany tomorrow night.

Closing

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The European Championships have finally arrived! Are we really sticking with the name Euro 2020?? 

Part 1

A year later than expected, but finally we can dig into Euro 2020. The big show kicks off with Italy and Turkey on Friday as 24 teams will be whittled down to one by July 11.

Hello and welcome to the Total Football podcast. I am your host Declan Harte and joining me is Andrew Conway

Andrew, what are we calling this thing?

Part 2

So, as mentioned, the first game is Italy against Turkey. Does that feel like a first game?

Overall, what do we want to see happen in this tournament? Any breakout stars we think can have their moment? Any particular side we want to see do well?

Part 3

We’ve discussed what we want to see happen, but what do we think will actually happen? Are our hopes for an underdog winner just naivety and blind optimism in action, will the tournament favourite all crush those who dare stand in their path?

Part 4

To wrap up our European Championship preview, let’s do some rapid fire predictions. Five each, all vibes, no facts…

Closing

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Congratulations to Chelsea, commiserations to Manchester City. It's the Champions League final 2021 review edition of the Total Football Podcast!

Part 1

Chelsea, champions of Europe for a second time, were crowned winners of the Champions League following their 1-0 win over Manchester City on Saturday.

Hello and welcome to the Total Football podcast. I am your host Declan Harte and joining me is Andrew Conway

Andrew, where does this final rank among the recent entries?

Part 2

Tommy Tuchel’s redemption day as he outwits Pep Guardiola for a third time in six weeks. How did he pull it off?

For Pep, what next?

Manchester United lost the Europa League final 11-10 in an absurd penalty shootout on Wednesday night. Unai Emery’s Villareal won their first ever European trophy, and the Spaniard’s fourth Europa League.

Brentford were finally promoted to the Premier League, beating Swansea 2-0 in the playoff final at Wembley. Good addition to the league?

Part 3

The managerial merry-go round kicked into gear last week with Antonio Conte and Zinedine Zidane both leaving their respective roles. Since then, Andrea Pirlo left Juventus and speculation surrounding Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman became rife. Is all this chaos indicative of the summer ahead?

Closing

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Welcome to Day 3 of our inaugural end of season awards for the 2020/21 Premier League season. On today's edition, Declan and Andrew look back on the Most Surprising Change in Form from a player in this campaign as well as the big one: Best Player of the year.

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