S6 Ep15: Why you should care about this international break (or the results, at least)
Nov 14, 2019
Show notesThe international break is often a subject of derision, with some fans already pining for the return of the Premier League – but you should be all ears as Euro 2020 qualification reaches its climax. This week’s Squawka Talker team, consisting of Sam Long, Will Hall and Tom Green, assess the state of play as the home nations attempt to secure a place at next summer's tournament. But how on earth does qualification actually work now that the Nations League – and standard play-offs – are in the mix? And which big names are still at risk of missing out? We're looking at you, Cristiano Ronaldo. TIMINGS 00:00:00 – 00:05:20 | Euro 2020 qualification and expansion explained 'It's confusing to the extent that you need a FIFA degree.' 00:05:20 – 00:12:15 | Too much transparency? 'The media gobbled up Southgate's openness policy.' 00:12:15 – 00:16:45 | Can Wales qualify? 'Red Bull powered Hungary could trouble Wales.' 00:16:45 – 00:24:20 | Netherlands back in the big time? "We've missed Holland at international tournaments." 00:24:20 – 00:26:45 | Other talking points "Five teams still have a chance of a 100% record." 00:27:20 – END | England beef "On mass alone, Harry Kane has to be a contender."
S6 Ep14: Liverpool v Man City: the battle of football's two most image-conscious managers?
Nov 07, 2019
Show notesThe gloves are very much off as Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola – the game's most image-conscious managers – prepare to do battle (and compare outfits) as Anfield hosts Liverpool v Manchester City.
This week’s Squawka Talker team, consisting of host Jake Entwistle, Muhammad Butt, Will Hall and Sam Long, assess a Champions League goal-fest and preview the biggest fixtures in Premier League Gameweek 12.
TIMINGS FOR THIS WEEK'S SQUAWKA TALKER FOOTBALL PODCAST:
00:00:00 - 00:16:58 | Do Chelsea need to become more normal?
"Chelsea's two pressure-valve will replace the experience Lampard is thinking of selling in January"
00:16:58 - 00:25:15 | Have Spurs found their new scapegoat?
"He even looked disinterested when he scored."
00:25:15 - 00:37:10 | Why 'big hitters' Barcelona are in danger
"They don't have any 'automatic plays' like Liverpool and Man City."
00:37:30 - 00:55:15 | Is the Klopp v Pep rivalry about to turn sour?
"The rivalry will be 10 times as exciting if the managers drop the niceties."
00:55:38 - 01:08:46 | Most clinical PL team + Arsenal’s defence = recipe for a mauling
"Emery’s Crystal Palace protocol won’t be enough to save his job’
01:09:19 - END | Just a bit of José Mourinho-inspired fun
"If Tierney found out about Mourinho’s McTominay phone calls, there would be trouble in paradise."
S6 Ep13: 'Liverpool's answer to 'Big Shot Rob' has one hell of a legacy'
Oct 31, 2019
Show notesArsenal scored five goals against Premier League leaders Liverpool, Granit Xhaka was nowhere to be seen and Mesut Ozil produced trademark moments of brilliance – but Unai Emery somehow came away from Anfield with criticism ringing in his ears. 10-goal thrillers can do crazy things, can't they?
This week’s Squawka Talker team, consisting of host Jake Entwistle, Muhammad Butt, Will Hall and Sam Long, have cast their collective eye over an entertaining round of Carabao Cup fourth round fixtures.
00:00:00 - 00:19:39 | Do Liverpool have modern football's ultimate cult hero?
"Origi is a player who lives to defy expectations"
00:19:40 - 00:28:28 | What you doing, Unai?
'Everything that frustrates Arsenal fans about Unai Emery was captured in one moment'
00:29:02 - 00:36:20 | Rashford is to Mitre as Forlan is to Jabulani
'Man Utd don't have the personnel to cover Maguire's one weakness'
00:36:20 - 00:45:21 | Fred + McTominay = Pogba?
'Man Utd's midfield looks better without Paul Pogba in it at the moment... but just the pivots'
00:45:20 – 01:01:25 | Everton vs Spurs - the battle of this season's two most disappointing Premier League teams?
'Pochettino has lost the use of his full-throttle support acts.'
01:01:52 - 01:16:53 | A Squawka Six Halloween special
"Rather than jumpers for goalposts, he brings two heads on spikes."
S6 Ep12: 'Lampard's likeable Chelsea will be title challengers within two years'
Oct 24, 2019
Show notesFrank Lampard is making Chelsea likeable – which is a trait the west Londoners have scarcely possessed during the Roman Abramovich era – and managing to keep his fringe players happy despite the fact they are, well, on the fringes of his team.
This week's Squawka Talker team, consisting of host Jake Entwistle, Muhammad Butt and Sam Long, dissect the key action from Champions League Matchday Three, including the Blues' impressive victory over Ajax. Meanwhile, how do you get over a flat, disappointing performance at Old Trafford? If you're Roberto Firmino then the answer is combine absurd skill with function to pull off a rabona through ball and draw comparisons with Ronaldinho. There is also insight on Tottenham's attempts to get their mojo back, plus analysis on why Aston Villa midfielders Jack Grealish and John McGinn might just cause mighty Manchester City a bit of trouble this weekend. We couldn't wrap things up without a spot of 'Squawka Six' to discuss the 2019 Ballon d'Or (not so) shortlist, including who was criminally overlooked and who had no right to be included.
EPISODE TIMINGS: START - 00:07:00 | Spurs search for their mojo
'The Spurs stadium is a well-oiled, money-making machine.' 00:07:00 - 00:20:30 | Filthy Firmino & Liverpool's strength in midfield depth
'Firmino combines absurd, showy skill with function like Ronaldinho.' 00:20:50 - 00:33:00 | Lampard's likeable Chelsea producing results
'Lampard's likeable Chelsea will be title challengers within two years.' 00:33:00 - 00:39:33 | Mini Champions League round-up
'Haaland looks like a footballing lab experiment.' 00:39:33 - 00:47:46 | The big test for McGinn and Grealish
'Aston Villa are developing of the best midfields outside the big six.' 00:47:46 - 00:56:34 | Gareth Southgate's England No.10
'Unfortunately, the England squad already has everything Maddison offers elsewhere.' 00:57:01 - END | Squawka Six: Men's Ballon d'Or
'Raheem Sterling has become Superman.'
S6 Ep11: 'I don't think there's a ground that makes Klopp's Liverpool more nervous.'
Oct 17, 2019
Show notesManchester United v Liverpool is arguably English football's biggest game, so why won't Jurgen Klopp hurry up and win it? This week's Squawka Talker team, consisting of host Jake Entwistle, Muhammad Butt and Will Hall, explores the Liverpool manager's record at Old Trafford and what's kept him from picking up three points so far. START - 00:13:55 | Why has Old Trafford been so hard to conquer for Jurgen Klopp? 'This is not a happy hunting ground for Liverpool's front three.' 00:13:55 - 00:22:40 | Do Liverpool have any weakness Man Utd can exploit? 'An out-of-form Rashford may actually be a good omen for Man Utd v Liverpool... a third of his Premier League goals have actually come against the Big Six' 00:22:40 - 00:34:04 | Which Man Utd player would have the best chance of cracking Liverpool's XI? 'He's a counter-pressing machine... he'd earn the most Jurgen Klopp hugs of any Man Utd player.' 00:34:20 - 00:45:39 | The fallout from Monday's racist abuse in Bulgaria 0-6 England 'Are points deductions too harsh? For racist abuse, it needs to be that harsh.'
00:45:45 - 00:50:05 | West Ham vs Everton 'Perhaps only Spurs are under more pressure to win this weekend' 00:51:11 - 00:54:55 | Crystal Palace's quest for second place 'The last time Man City lost they then smashed Watford 8-0'
00:54:57 - 00:57:43 | Finally, those Man Utd vs Liverpool predictions 'Liverpool have been exhaustingly good this season' 00:57:43 - 01:01:13 | Now is the time to judge Arsenal 'If Arsenal don't improve with Tierney, Bellerin and Lacazette in the side then Unai Emery will be under serious pressure'
S6 Ep10: 'Premier League's best United? It's not the one from Manchester'
Oct 10, 2019
Show notes
Stand-in host Sam Long was joined by guests Will Hall and Muhammad Butt to discuss which club has fallen into the deepest pit of despair – and who will be able to climb back on the horse this season. 00:01:23 - 00:29:30 | Which 'Big Six' team faces the biggest crisis? 'There's a 'now or never' element to cost of failure for Man City this season' 00:29:30 - 00:35:20 | Everton suffering from 'major European league syndrome'? 'Everton need their Brendan Rodgers' 00:35:20 - 00:44:26 | Germany 2-2 Argentina 'He looks like he has everything to be the new Robben.' 00:44:26 - 00:54:45 | What is Uefa's 'three-step protocol' to dealing with racism in stadia? 00:54:45 - 01:03:35 | Tammy Abraham on course to fulfil a big Lampard narrative 'He's overcome a penalty miss and a curse.' 01:04:00 - ENDS | Squawka Six – Best players of the Premier League season so far 'De Bruyne is Beckham and Scholes in one package.'
S6 Ep9: 'Alisson is the golden middle of the goalkeeper Venn diagram'
Sep 30, 2019
Show notes
Returning to a Monday slot for one week only, Jake Entwistle is joined by Sam Long and Muhammad Butt to discuss some of the most in-form players in Europe ahead of another week of Champions League football. 00:02:35 - 00:12:35 | Is Martin Odegaard the best player in LaLiga so far? 'Sociedad could be for Odegaard what Wolfsburg was for De Bruyne' 00:12:35 - 00:23:48 | How do Spurs stop red-hot Robert? 'Lewandowski must hammer the half-time oranges! 00:24:07 - 00:32:39 | Is Germany's No.2 the best No.1 in the world? 'Ter Stegen has been better than Neuer for years now' 00:37:30 - 00:52:35 | Marvellous Riyad Mahrez... and more 'Man City have the most creative right-hand side in the world' 'Mahrez has the most graceful step-over in Europe' 00:52:35 - END | Liverpool's twin peaks meet Erling Håland 'Matip has the hardest job in the Liverpool defence'
S6 Ep8: 'Emery's NBA chaos could let Man Utd off the hook... unless Auba keeps dunking.'
Sep 26, 2019
Show notes00:03:01 - 00:13:55 | Unai Emery's NBA style 'Marcus Rashford is like the Dothraki' 00:13:55 - 00:21:31 | Who actually is Arsenal captain? 'Arsenal are criticised about their leadership... but their manager can't make a decision' 00:21:31 - 00:29:11 | How to 'fix' Man Utd's midfield 'They need two midfielders... Ivan Rakitic is the man' 00:29:11 - 00:38:45 | Only one man can save Man Utd's attack... ...and his name begins with a 'Z' 00:39:20 - 00:52:30 | A top-of-the-table Madrid derby 'Felix is more of a Diego Simeone-player than we might have given him credit for' 00:52:56 - END | Fifteen years of FIFPRO World 11s get the Squawka Sixes treatment 'Football's Sonic the Hedgehog might be the best full-back of all time'
S6 Ep7: 'Tammy Abraham can equal a unique Luis Suarez feat vs Liverpool'
Sep 19, 2019
Show notes00:02:21 - 00:17:05 | A win for PSG, a win for all team players 'Angel Di Maria is one of the best modern blends of flair and work rate' 00:17:05 - 00:23:54 | The end of Luis Suarez 'There's no reason to be scared of Real Madrid or Barcelona right now' 00:23:25 - 00:31:00 | What we learned from Atletico 2-2 Juventus "Ramsey will be licking his lips at Sarri's pseudo forward role." 00:31:0 - 00:36:15 | Håland heroics, Man City's Mr. Perfect & Kane's penalties
"Erling Braut Håland looks like an actual mountain." 00:36:15 - 00:40:05 | Is Liverpool's Champions League away form a glaring weakness? 'There were some positives... Alexander-Arnold and Fabinho's link-up play looks strong.' 00:40:05 - 00:52:29 | Back-three system key as Lampard chases first win as Chelsea manager vs Liverpool? 'Tammy Abraham can equal a unique Luis Suarez feat vs Liverpool' 00:52:29 - END | A prediction for each of this weekend's 10 Premier League games 'This could be the gameweek that unlocks the Premier League table'
S6 Ep6: 'De Bruyne is on course to break Henry's most impressive Premier League record'
Sep 12, 2019
Show notes
Kevin de Bruyne has assists coming out of his ears – and the Squawka Talker crew discuss whether the Belgian is the best midfielder in the world. Host Jake Entwistle is joined by guests Tom Green and Muhammad Butt on this week's episode to preview the latest round of Premier League fixtures. Two huge heads are set to collide when Harry Maguire and his Leicester heir share the same pitch at Old Trafford but do the Foxes have better individuals than Manchester United? And will Watford's new-old manager Quique Sanchez Flores take to the Vicarage Road dugout like a duck to water for the second time? Or could it all end in tears for the Pozzo family? Further afield, why on earth have Valencia sacked their Copa del Rey-winning manager who will now have under-pressure Premier League managers sweating about their job security? TIMINGS 00:02:32 - 00:09:32 | The battle of huge-headed centre-backs 'It's a shame Man Utd have a defender whose only weakness is injury.' 00:09:32 - 00:15:00 | Listener's question: Is versatility a curse? 'Man Utd's lack of squad depth could lead Marcus Rashford down the Wayne Rooney path' 0:15:00 - 0:25:15 | Man Utd-Leicester Combined XI 'Pereira is as good as any right back in the Premier League.' 00:35:21 - 00:43:09 | KDB's quest to rewrite the record books Q: 'When does Kevin De Bruyne become considered the best midfielder in the world?' A: 'Now.' 00:43:09 - 00:49:47 | Full Premier League predictions "Vardy could expose the Maguire 'weakness' Roy Keane is worried about" 00:50:00-END | Why did Valencia sack Marcelino? "They are becoming the Watford of Spanish Football"
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