The Game

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Will Southgate Mix It Up? Mar 24, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Tom Clarke, Jonathan Northcroft and Molly Hudson.

England are preparing for their friendlies during this international break - but how many players are already untouchable in the starting XI? Will Harry Maguire’s place be in doubt given his bad form? (00:30)

One of the first names on the England team sheet is Declan Rice and it’s been reported this week that West Ham would want £150m for any move this summer. At 23, is he worth that figure? (17:54)

The sale of Chelsea continues to rumble on, but are one of the prospective buyers already fighting a losing battle? (26:43)

The first legs of the Women’s Champions League quarter finals have taken place. Arsenal scored a late equaliser to go back to Wolfsburg at 1-1. The Times’ Molly Hudson joins us to discuss the results in more details (37:40)

The Times’ Northern Football Correspondent joins us for the latest on the managerial situation at Manchester United with Erik Ten Hag the first prospective manager to be interviewed (46:02)

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Everton's Worries Continue Mar 21, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Tom Roddy, Alyson Rudd and Tony Cascarino.

Crystal Palace blew Everton away to set up an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea. What’s the secret to their success and how much of an influence has Patrick Vieira been on their development? (00:00)

Everton’s fortunes haven’t exactly turned around since Frank Lampard took over. Does the former Chelsea boss already regret accepting the job given how messy things are off the field? (10:56)

Alyson watched Southampton host Manchester City and ended up getting some grief for her comments in The Sunday Times. Do fans really care about their owners or are they just happy for success? (29:47)

Nottingham Forest gave Liverpool a good run for their money at the City Ground. Should Jürgen Klopp’s side count themselves lucky? (38:30)

Tottenham beat West Ham 3-1 as both sides fortunes have flipped. What can Spurs realistically hope for this season? (51:43)

Following a strange Steven Gerrard interview, we end with our favourite cringe moments when players or managers are grilled by the media (59:34)

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There's One Point In It Mar 17, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Tom Clarke, Ian Hawkey and Martyn Ziegler.

Chelsea joined Liverpool and Manchester City in the quarter finals of the Champions League after victory in Lille. Ian Hawkey reflects on the win fresh from the Eurostar while Hugh continues to be frustrated by Manchester United (00:00)

Juventus are also out of the Champions League. Was it another Unai Emery masterclass or did the Old Lady come up short? (10:45)

We’re still waiting to find out who the next owners of Chelsea will be. The deadline for bids is Friday, so things could start to move quickly in the next few days. The Times’ Chief Sports Reporter Martyn Ziegler joins us with the latest off the pitch at Stamford Bridge (20:16)

Liverpool have closed the gap at the top of the Premier League to a single point. Do they have the momentum to keep their form going or will there be another blip in their title challenge? (35:36)

Rumours suggest Erling Haaland could have settled on Manchester City as his next destination. How likely is this deal and would he actually fit into the existing setup? (46:10)

The FA Cup quarter finals take place over the weekend, so we end with our predictions. Can Nottingham Forest knock out another Premier League side? (54:58)

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Who Will Escape The Drop? Mar 14, 2022

Show notes

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

Elland Road erupted when Leeds scored an added-time winner against Norwich. With Patrick Bamford back - are Leeds about to ‘do a Newcastle’ and accelerate away from the bottom three? (00:00)

Watford got a much-needed win at Southampton over the weekend. Does Roy Hodgson’s team have what it takes to stay up? (08:36)

Alyson is adamant Brentford shouldn’t be included in our relegation-threatened teams list, however Everton are a different matter. Does Frank Lampard have what it takes to turn things around? (13:14)

The Times’ Chief Sports Reporter Matt Lawton has been looking into the ongoing situation at Chelsea and joins us to discuss the sale and longer-term impact on the club (19:46)

On the pitch, Chelsea scored a late winner against Newcastle. Alyson was at Stamford Bridge and was interested by the atmosphere (41:12)

Their opponents - Newcastle - have had lots of questions about their ownership recently - but is it right to keep asking them to Eddie Howe? (45:20)

Cristiano Ronaldo is now the (unofficial) top professional goalscorer with 807 goals. Does this settle the argument that he’s the best player ever? (53:32)

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

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Chelsea Stuck In Limbo Mar 10, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Tom Clarke, Ian Hawkey and Tom Roddy.

Real Madrid showed their European experience as they overcame the challenge of PSG in the Spanish capital - but as much as they were impressive - how badly did PSG blow it this time? (00:00)

Have the events of last night lost Mauricio Pochettino the chance to manage Manchester United? Will he survive the season with PSG? (14:38)

Liverpool suffered a rare defeat at Anfield but still progressed over Inter Milan. Did Alexis Sanchez’s red card save them any embarrassment? (22:35)

The news that Roman Abramovich’s assets have been frozen will have massive knock-on effects on Chelsea. As the story develops, our (newly three-time) award winning journalist Martyn Ziegler joins us with the latest (25:3)

Marcus Rashford could be on the move - but is leaving Old Trafford the best option for him? (38:02)

With some older gentleman still performing at the top level in the Champions League, we discuss our favourite footballing veterans (51:35)

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

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Cascarino Returns! Mar 07, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Tom Clarke, Alyson Rudd and Tony Cascarino.

Arsenal beat Watford 3-2 which didn’t impress manager Mikel Arteta. Is this a good thing for the supporters? Tony gives his thoughts on Bukayo Saka’s future as his contract renewal gets closer (00:00)

Crystal Palace are tenth after taking seven points in their last three matches. How much further can they make their way up the table and what’s the secret to their good form? (18:10)

Christian Eriksen is in the starting lineup and Ivan Toney is finding the back of the net. Are Brentford about to pull away from the relegation battle? (22:50)

Newcastle notched up another win at the weekend - have the improvements been the difference? Brighton were the team they beat - do they need a new striker? (27:38)

Manchester City came out of the Manchester derby with every positive. A win, four goals and 69% of possession. Was anyone actually surprised, though? (38:42)

Chelsea fans have been criticised for singing Roman Abramovich’s name during a minute’s applause for Ukraine. Has it been blown out of all proportion? (50:24)

The first ever Ask Tony - where the former Chelsea and Republic of Ireland strikers gives us his thoughts on a range of topics (53:44)

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

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The End Of The Abramovich Era Mar 03, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Tom Roddy, Jonathan Northcroft and Matt Lawton.

Roman Abramovich is selling Chelsea but how easy will this be and how quickly does he want it done? The Times’ Chief Sports Correspondent Matt Lawton joins us after his detailed look into the situation in The Times (00:00)

How did the Russian change the way English football is run and how will he be viewed once he leaves the sport completely?(18:10)

Manchester United are still on the lookout for a new manager and with reports of a new name on the shortlist, The Times’ North East Correspondent Paul Hirst joins us (35:02)

Bill Edgar looks into the history of scoreline in English football in The Times this week. We share our favourites, with one team in particular featuring in a lot of them! (54:50)

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

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A Tale Of Two Goalkeepers Feb 28, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Tom Clarke, Alyson Rudd and James Restall.

Liverpool have won the first domestic trophy after one of the most exciting goalless draws you’ll ever see at Wembley. Was Thomas Tuchel to blame for their loss after putting too much pressure on Kepa and can Liverpool add to the silverware this season? (00:00)

FIFA have been criticised for the action they’ve taken against Russia so far. The Times’ Chief Sports Reporter, Martyn Ziegler joins us to discuss the likely repercussions and what could happen next (26:44)

Leeds have said an emotional goodbye to the man who got them back into the Premier League, Marcelo Bielsa. Was it the right decision or had he earned the right to leave when he chose to? (43:42)

Handballs are the topic of conversation in the Premier League this weekend. Do we even know what the rules mean these days? Also, Christian Eriksen finally makes Brenford debut - but did Alyson cry? (1:02:37)

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

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It’s So Burnley! Feb 24, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Tom Clarke, Ian Hawkey and Jonathan Northcroft.

Burnley are showing some fight - but can they avoid the drop and who is most likely to replace them in the bottom three? (00:00)

After beating Manchester City at the weekend, how did Spurs end up losing the next game to Burnley? Following Antonio Conte’s comments after the match - what’s next for him and the club? (05:50)

Leeds continue to drop down the table after a 6-0 loss at Liverpool. Do they need to go down to keep Marcelo Bielsa in the dugout? (21:18)

Manchester United were once again dysfunctional. Is Anthony Elanga the one shining light of the Rangnick tenure? (31:00)

Chelsea got the result they wanted against Lille without having to put Romelu Lukaku in the spotlight - does he start the League Cup final? (41:00)

Aleksandar Mitrović has broken the Championship scoring record and it’s not even March - but is he good enough for the Premier League this time? (45:58)

Two Manchester United legends are back in management with Paul Ince at Reading and Mark Hughes at League Two side, Bradford. Is the desire still there for them? (49:36)

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

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Is The Title Race Back On? Feb 21, 2022

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Tom Clarke, Alyson Rudd and Henry Winter.

Tottenham grabbed an unexpected win at Manchester City on Saturday. Does the 3-2 victory mean the title race is back on, or is this just a minor bump in the road for City? (00:00)

Henry Winter joins us after watching Manchester United beat Leeds at Elland Road with thoughts on whether Leeds can avoid being dragged into the bottom three and whether Manchester United are making progress (22:45)

Some of the teams at the bottom of the table got good results this weekend, so how does the relegation battle look to be shaping up? (34:02)

After Liverpool women’s player Meikayla Moore scored a perfect hat trick of own-goals for New Zealand on Sunday, we share our favourite unfortunate accolades in football (53:32)

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