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World Cup 2022: Episode 1 - Qatar Fail To Impress Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is in Qatar and is joined by Gregor Robertson and Alyson Rudd in London.

Qatar lost 2-0 to Ecuador in the opening game - but only two thirds of the stadium were there to see the final whistle. Will this be a problem going forward? (00:00)

Gianni Infantino gave one of the most bizarre speeches the day before the World Cup started - did any of it make sense? (21:10)

England and Wales being their campaign today - what will the England team look like and how can Wales get past the USA? (34:07)

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World Cup 2022 Special: Wayne Rooney's World Cups Nov 19, 2022

Show notes

Jonathan Northcroft sits down with England’s all-time record goalscorer, Wayne Rooney. They discuss the three World Cups he played in, what was going on behind the scenes in each England camp and how he looks back on his time with the national team.

2006 - A broken metatarsal, THAT red card against Portugal and a World Cup debut for a 20 year old Rooney in Germany (00:00)

2010 - Fabio Capello lead England and Rooney into the next World Cup in South Africa, but another disappointing showing ended with Rooney ranting at the fans after elimination against Germany (17:30)

2014 - Wayne’s first World Cup goal came in his third finals in Brazil, but a dismal performance from England left them bottom of the group and on the plane home (32:36)

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World Cup 2022 Preview: The Favourites Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Alyson Rudd and Tony Cascarino.

Tony Cascarino shares his favourite stories from representing the Republic of Ireland in two World Cups (00:00)

Which South American teams are in the running to lift the trophy? Are Brazil favourites or could Argentina cause them a problem or two? (07:41)

What about the European teams? Can France become the third nation ever to win back-to-back World Cups? (16:12)

Which players are likely to stand out and create World Cup memories? (33:38)

Several players are possibly playing in their final World Cups - and it’s not just Messi and Ronaldo (38:32)

There’ve been some iconic World Cup goals, but which are our favourites? (51:30)

Tony picks his favourite World Cup moment from his time playing at the finals in 1990 and 1994 (60:02)

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World Cup 2022 Preview: England and Wales Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Alyson Rudd and Matt Dickinson.

The World Cup is days away - but how far can England actually go? (00:00)

What is England’s best XI and is there any chance Harry Maguire starts against Iran? (19:46)

Regardless of how England get on in Qatar - what does the future hold for Gareth Southgate? (24:01)

Wales play in their first World Cup finals for 64 years - but is their ageing squad capable of performing at the highest level? (28:32)

Just days from the start of the tournament, how is everyone feeling about the tournament being held in Qatar? (40:19)

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The Rise of Garnacho Nov 14, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson and Alyson Rudd.

Cristiano Ronaldo has launched a scathing attack on Manchester United with few getting away without comment. Why has he chosen to do this television interview right now and is there any way back? (00:00)

There’s a new kid on the block - but could Alejandro Garnacho replace Ronaldo in the United starting lineup? (24:25)

Ivan Toney showed Gareth Southgate what he’s missing by not picking him for England. Will the England manager live to regret his choice? (32:05)

Bournemouth have been linked with Marcela Bielsa - but would a move for the former Leeds boss be a good idea? (43:13)

Everton’s poor form continues. Just how long does Frank Lampard get to turn things around? (47:16)

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Jones In At Southampton, FSG Out Of Liverpool? Nov 11, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson and Tom Roddy - with Martyn Ziegler.

Liverpool’s owners have suggested they’re open to new investment in the club, sparking talk of a sale of the club. The Times Football Writer Martyn Ziegler joins us to discuss what this means to the club in the short term future (00:00)

England's “big six” clubs have failed to halt a move by the Premier League to start discussions with the FA and EFL over a radical overhaul - Martyn also has the details on what this means for the English game (9:31)

Harry Kane goes into the World Cup fatigued, with his manager at Tottenham - Antonio Conte confirming he had to stop training to deal with it. What does this mean for the Three Lions chances and what are the biggest concerns over player safety (17:48)

West Ham have had a tough time of late - with their penalty shootout loss to Blackburn Rovers in the League Cup the latest failure. Is David Moyes in trouble? (30:00)

Nathan Jones is the new Southampton manager - but will his time there be more like his time at Luton Town or Stoke City? (41:00)

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England World Cup Squad: Initial Reaction Nov 10, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Tom Roddy for a special episode of The Game podcast with their initial thoughts on the 26-man England squad that Gareth Southgate named today.

We'll bring you an extensive two-part World Cup preview next week - and an exclusive conversation with one of England's greatest ever players, ahead of the start of Qatar 2022.

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Nathan Jones by Bananarama Nov 07, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Alyson Rudd and Tony Cascarino.

Liverpool came away from North London with three points from Spurs. What’s going on at Tottenham and why do they fall behind so often? (00:00)

Arsenal returned to the top of the table with a 1-0 win over Chelsea. Can we finally call Arsenal credible title contenders? (17:17)

Unai Emery started well at Aston Villa, beating Manchester United 3-1. Was he ever given a fair chance at Arsenal? (36:56)

Southampton have parted company with Ralph Hasenhüttl with the club in the bottom three - but was it a surprise? (50:20)

Leeds and Bournemouth played in the game of the weekend in the top flight. Has Jesse bought himself more time? (64:18)

The draw for the last 16 of the Champions League took place as we were recording. We react live! (70:24)

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Heartbreak for Chilwell Nov 03, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Allnutt and Ian Hawkey - with Charlotte Duncker.

Tottenham are through to the knockout stages of the Champions League as group winners after their comeback in Marseille - but how far can they go? (00:00)

Liverpool finished second in their group - but they did beat the in-form Napoli. Is Darwin Nunez starting to find his feet? (11:05)

Chelsea won their group too, but their final group game was overshadowed by an injury to Ben Chillwell. Despite that, how far can they go?(19:01)

Manchester City came from behind in their final group game against Sevilla. Charlotte Duncker was there for The Times and joins us to discuss Rico Lewis, who made history in the game (31:50)

Rangers became the worst Champions League side ever -but Celtic weren’t much better. Can the Old Firm realistically ever compete in the Champions League? (36:36)

There’s only one Spanish side through to the Champions League knockout stage. Why are clubs other than Real Madrid struggling at the moment? (42:41)

Burnley came from behind against Rotherham to extend their lead at the top of the Championship. Just how impressive is Vincent Company and the job he’s doing at the club? (48:56)

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What Could Derail Arsenal’s Title Hopes? Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Clarke and Alyson Rudd, with Tom Roddy.

Brighton gave Graham Potter a hostile welcome on his return with Chelsea. Was his in-game management affected by the boos? (00:00)

Leeds got the better of Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp’s side continued to struggle. How do they turn the corner? (19:31)

Unlike Liverpool, Arsenal didn’t fall foul of Nottingham Forest. In fact, they embarrassed them - but what could derail the Gunners’ charge towards an unexpected title fight? (31:32)

Alyson tells us all about her enlightening conversation with Fulham’s Bobby Decordova-Reid and his Labour MP sister, Marsha (40:11)

Hugh has a big statement to make about Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne - but will everyone else agree? (45:06)

Marcus Rashford continues to impress - but can he break into the England World Cup squad? (51:39)

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