The Game

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**The Game**

The thinking fan’s football podcast, providing previews and reviews of all the action – every Monday and Thursday.

Listen to the best of The Times and The Sunday Times journalists as they cover the biggest sport on the planet; from winners to losers, who’s in and out on the transfer roundabout, tactical developments, data analysis and the dreaded VAR.

Hosted by Tom Clarke and Gregor Robertson alongside special guest appearances, the team bring you the latest on the Premier League and the EFL, as well as a front-row seat to international tournaments including the Champions League, European Championships and World Cups.

We know football isn’t life and death. It’s much more serious than that.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Latest Episodes:

World Cup 2022: Episode 11 - The Socceroos Are Going Through! Dec 01, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson and Tom Allnutt to review all the World Cup action from Day 11 of the 2022 World Cup whilst Matt Dickinson discusses England's Group Stage Campaign!

Tom Allnut on the incredible moment Tunisia beat France but still didn't manage to qualify for the last 16 and how despite being disappointed in not moving forward, they would be proud of their achievement (02:19)

Tom Allnut on Australia being a joy to watch in the group stage and how they have a real team spirit under Graham Arnold (07:40)

The panel discuss what on earth went wrong for Denmark in this tournament? Gregor feels they have been a shadow of the team they were at the Euros (11:50)

Hugh believes the penalty awarded to Argentina was one of the worst VAR decisions he has seen. The panel discuss how VAR could make such a decision which left Gregor astonished. (14:13)

Matt Dickinson joins Hugh to discuss England's group stage campaign and what to expect from Senegal on Sunday evening (28.26)

Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

World Cup 2022: Episode 10 - England Progress But Wales Eliminated In 'Battle Of Britain' Nov 30, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is in Qatar and Tom Allnutt, Alyson Rudd and Gregor Robertson are all in London to review England's 3-0 win over Wales and the other action from Day 10 of the 2022 World Cup.

Tom Roddy joins us to give his on-the-whistle report from Qatar, as England ease to a 3-0 win over Wales, who have been eliminated from the World Cup as a result. (00:00)

The panel discuss whether England's performance was good, or Wales were particularly bad. They also discuss the performance of Marcus Rashford, and look ahead to what changes could be made for the Round of 16 tie with Senegal. (02:07)

Can the USA cause the Netherlands problems in their Round of 16 tie after beating Iran to qualify for the next round of the tournament? (26:14)

Paul Hirst joins us live from Qatar to look back at Senegal's win over Ecuador and how tough a test they'd be for England on Sunday. (29:25)

Did Rob Page make a mistake by persisting with an unfit and out of form Gareth Bale? What message does it send to the younger players in the Wales squad that he'll play no matter what happens? (34:43)

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World Cup 2022: Episode 9 - Goals Galore As The Group Stages Heat Up! Nov 29, 2022

Show notes

Tom Clarke, Alyson Rudd and Gregor Robertson are all in London to review the day's World Cup action, with goals galore on Day 9 in Qatar.

Was Cameroon 3-3 Serbia the game of the tournament? And was Vincent Aboubakar's chip the goal of the World Cup so far? They look back at a six-goal thriller to start off the day's football. (00:00)

South Korea and Ghana put on a show, with the latter winning a 3-2 thriller! How good is the Ghana goalscorer Kudus, and what does this result mean for the final match in this group? (10:07)

Does Cristiano Ronaldo help or hinder Portugal? Tom Clarke believes that his presence may be holding back some of the younger players, but Alyson believes he still has a role to play for his national side. And are Uruguay too afraid to drop Luis Suarez? Why do they keep persisting with an aging side? (18:42)

Did Brazil miss Neymar, or do the side look better without him? They review their 1-0 win over Switzerland (27:05)

Jack the England fan and George the Wales fan join us live from Qatar to look ahead to the game, discuss their teams' performances so far, and talk about what it's been like being in the country during this World Cup (31:26)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

World Cup 2022: Episode 8 - Morocco shock Belgium and Messi on the Move Nov 28, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson and James Gheerbrant to review the day's World Cup action whilst Matt Lawton joins from Qatar to discuss his exclusive in the Times on Lionel Messi looking likely to move to Inter Miami.

James Gheerbrant on both Germany and Spain lacking a real quality number nine which could hold both team's back in the World Cup (5.30)

Why did Japan make 5 changes for the Costa Rica game? Has this cost them a place in the last 16? (13.14)

With Belgium's defeat to Morocco leaving them on the cusp of a group stage exit, the guys discuss what's gone wrong and will they even make it out of the group? (21.19)

Hugh discusses Canada's performance vs Croatia and believes their performance was naive and the occasion got to them (26.35)

Matt Lawton discusses his exclusive story of Lionel Messi edging closer to a move to the MLS with Inter Miami and why he would be interested in going there (32.56)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

World Cup 2022- Episode 7- More Messi Magic & France Look the Business Nov 27, 2022

Show notes

Martin Hardy joins us live from Qatar after attending Argentina vs Mexico to explain what it was like seeing Messi produce more World Cup Magic (02:35)

What are Argentina lacking and why aren't they reaching the high expectations people had for them so far? (04:19)

Poland beat Saudi Arabia 2-0 as Robert Lewandowski breaks his World Cup goal duck with Martin Handy in attendance for the game (10.20)

France beat Denmark 2-1 and Kylian Mbappe continues to impress in the tournament. Jonathan Northcroft joins us live from Qatar and believes he has the wow factor when watching Mbappe live (16.10)

How will Group D end? They discuss whether Australia can make it out of the group and Jonathan gives his thoughts on England and Wales' showings so far (21.15)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

World Cup 2022: Episode 6 - England Held By USA & Wales Suffer Sickening Defeat Nov 26, 2022

Show notes

Tom Clarke, Alyson Rudd, Gregor Robertson and Molly Hudson are all in London to review the day's World Cup action.

Tom Roddy joins us live from Qatar to explain what it was like being in the stadium as England were held to a goalless draw against the USA, and discusses what questions he'll pose to Gareth Southgate. (00:16)

Where did it go wrong for England? How could a team that brushed aside Iran look so lacklustre and lethargic just days later? How did they assess Gareth Southgate's in-game management and substitutions? (01:28)

Wales' hopes of reaching the Round of 16 are all but over following a 2-0 defeat against Iran - Hugh Woozencroft joins us live from Qatar and believes Rob Page's management was 'inept' while he also calls for both Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey to be dropped for Tuesday's game with England (28:40)

How will Group A end? They discuss a tournament to remember for Ecaudor's Enner Valencia and also ask why the Netherlands are so inconsistent in their opening 2 group games. (47:45)

Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

World Cup 2022: Episode 5 - It’s All About Ronaldo Nov 25, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft and Paul Hirst are in Qatar - with Gregor Robertson and Tom Allnutt in London.

Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to score in five World Cups as Portugal (just about) beat Ghana. How far can they go? (00:00)

Uruguay vs South Korea was goalless and it was no surprise when you saw how off the pace Luis Suárez was - should they lean more on youth? (16:15)

Group G got underway and Brazil got off to a good start with victory over Serbia. Did they live up to our expectations and what caught our eye? (21:43)

England and Wales are back in action today. Have the Three Lions got enough to cruise past the USA and should Rob Page take a risk on Joe Allen? (30:52)

Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

World Cup 2022: Episode 4 - Germany Grab All The Headlines Nov 24, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft, Tony Cascarino and Matt Dickinson are in Qatar - with Tom Clarke and Alyson Rudd in London.

Japan shocked Germany with a 2-1 win. Some clever substitutes played a huge part - but did anyone see it coming? (00:00)

Germany’s players staged a silent protest during their team photo - will we see continued protests throughout the finals? (14:09)

Spain put seven goals past Costa Rica - but did their opponents make them look better than they actually are? (24:31)

Canada came up short against Belgium, but the Belgians hardly impressed. Is their team over the hill? (33:44)

Matt Dickinson has been trying to do something a lot of fans in Qatar have been dreaming of - but did he make it to four World Cup games in a day? (43:11)

Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

World Cup 2022: Episode 3 - Saudi Arabia Shock Argentina Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is in Qatar - with Tom Clarke and Gregor Robertson in London.

Saudi Arabia provided one of the most shocking moments in World Cup history as they beat Argentina 2-1 in their opening game. Was it a tactical masterclass from Hervé Renard? (00:00)

Robert Lewandowski is still looking for his first World Cup goal after having a penalty saved against Mexico - but was it actually the right decision? (15:02)

France came from behind to beat Australia 4-1 and Olivier Giroud achieved a huge personal milestone in the game - but are they the real deal? (23:18)

Christian Eriksen had an emotional day as he played in a major tournament for the first time since the events of Euro 2020. There were also some pretty big political statements surrounding the match (31:40)

Hugh was at Wales’ game against the USA and as he was missing from last night’s podcast, he gave us his thoughts on what Wales need to do to make it through (38:30)

Away from the World Cup - two huge stories at Manchester United as the club part ways with Cristiano Ronaldo and the owners could be open to selling up (42:56)

Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

World Cup 2022: Episode 2 - Bukayo & Gareth Nov 22, 2022

Show notes

Tom Clarke is joined in London by Gregor Robertson and Alyson Rudd - with Tom Roddy and Jonathan Northcroft in Qatar.

England proved that going into a World Cup in poor form doesn’t matter with a 6-2 win over Iran. What did we learn and did Gareth Southgate get everything right? (00:00)

At the last moment, the ‘One Love’ captain’s armbands were scrapped. What does this say about the nations involved standing up for human rights? (22:45)

What’s it actually like in Qatar at the moment? With Tom and Jonathan joining us from Doha, they’re pretty well placed to give us their experience so far! (27:35)

Wales managed to snatch a draw against the USA. A poor first half led to an impressive second - but have they shown enough to give us faith they’ll make it through? (32:50)

The Netherlands also got their tournament started against Ecuador - but something wasn’t right (45:17)

Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson and Tom Allnutt to review all the World Cup action from Day 11 of the 2022 World Cup whilst Matt Dickinson discusses England's Group Stage Campaign!

Tom Allnut on the incredible moment Tunisia beat France but still didn't manage to qualify for the last 16 and how despite being disappointed in not moving forward, they would be proud of their achievement (02:19)

Tom Allnut on Australia being a joy to watch in the group stage and how they have a real team spirit under Graham Arnold (07:40)

The panel discuss what on earth went wrong for Denmark in this tournament? Gregor feels they have been a shadow of the team they were at the Euros (11:50)

Hugh believes the penalty awarded to Argentina was one of the worst VAR decisions he has seen. The panel discuss how VAR could make such a decision which left Gregor astonished. (14:13)

Matt Dickinson joins Hugh to discuss England's group stage campaign and what to expect from Senegal on Sunday evening (28.26)

Hugh Woozencroft is in Qatar and Tom Allnutt, Alyson Rudd and Gregor Robertson are all in London to review England's 3-0 win over Wales and the other action from Day 10 of the 2022 World Cup.

Tom Roddy joins us to give his on-the-whistle report from Qatar, as England ease to a 3-0 win over Wales, who have been eliminated from the World Cup as a result. (00:00)

The panel discuss whether England's performance was good, or Wales were particularly bad. They also discuss the performance of Marcus Rashford, and look ahead to what changes could be made for the Round of 16 tie with Senegal. (02:07)

Can the USA cause the Netherlands problems in their Round of 16 tie after beating Iran to qualify for the next round of the tournament? (26:14)

Paul Hirst joins us live from Qatar to look back at Senegal's win over Ecuador and how tough a test they'd be for England on Sunday. (29:25)

Did Rob Page make a mistake by persisting with an unfit and out of form Gareth Bale? What message does it send to the younger players in the Wales squad that he'll play no matter what happens? (34:43)

Tom Clarke, Alyson Rudd and Gregor Robertson are all in London to review the day's World Cup action, with goals galore on Day 9 in Qatar.

Was Cameroon 3-3 Serbia the game of the tournament? And was Vincent Aboubakar's chip the goal of the World Cup so far? They look back at a six-goal thriller to start off the day's football. (00:00)

South Korea and Ghana put on a show, with the latter winning a 3-2 thriller! How good is the Ghana goalscorer Kudus, and what does this result mean for the final match in this group? (10:07)

Did Brazil miss Neymar, or do the side look better without him? They review their 1-0 win over Switzerland (27:05)

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson and James Gheerbrant to review the day's World Cup action whilst Matt Lawton joins from Qatar to discuss his exclusive in the Times on Lionel Messi looking likely to move to Inter Miami.

James Gheerbrant on both Germany and Spain lacking a real quality number nine which could hold both team's back in the World Cup (5.30)

Why did Japan make 5 changes for the Costa Rica game? Has this cost them a place in the last 16? (13.14)

With Belgium's defeat to Morocco leaving them on the cusp of a group stage exit, the guys discuss what's gone wrong and will they even make it out of the group? (21.19)

Hugh discusses Canada's performance vs Croatia and believes their performance was naive and the occasion got to them (26.35)

Matt Lawton discusses his exclusive story of Lionel Messi edging closer to a move to the MLS with Inter Miami and why he would be interested in going there (32.56)

Martin Hardy joins us live from Qatar after attending Argentina vs Mexico to explain what it was like seeing Messi produce more World Cup Magic (02:35)

What are Argentina lacking and why aren't they reaching the high expectations people had for them so far? (04:19)

France beat Denmark 2-1 and Kylian Mbappe continues to impress in the tournament. Jonathan Northcroft joins us live from Qatar and believes he has the wow factor when watching Mbappe live (16.10)

How will Group D end? They discuss whether Australia can make it out of the group and Jonathan gives his thoughts on England and Wales' showings so far (21.15)

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