The Game

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Harry's Gentlemen's Agreement May 20, 2021

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Roddy and Jonathan Northcroft.

Harry Kane is finally looking for his move - but what are the chances he’ll be allowed to move and where could he realistically end up? Will Kane have to force a move or will his supposed gentleman’s agreement be honoured? (00:00)

Roy Hodgson will leave Crystal Palace at the end of the season - how will he be remembered and does he have any more to give the game? Who could replace him at Selhurst Park? (21:53)

Steve Clarke has named his Scottish Euros squad - with uncapped Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour included. Can the young team make an impression on their first major tournament since 1998? (34:37)

The end of the Premier League season is in sight and the battle for the top four is still fierce. Are Leicester fading and could they miss out on the Champions League? Have Liverpool timed their run to the final day perfectly? (40:32)

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Are Leicester City The People’s Champions? May 17, 2021

Show notes

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

Leicester got the better of Chelsea in the FA Cup final - did Thomas Tuchel shoot himself in the foot with his tactics? Who woke up with the trophy and how much expectation is on Brendan Rodgers going forward?

Allison moved people to tears with his emotional winning goal and post-match interview - is it written in the stars that Liverpool will sneak a top four place?

Chelsea’s women were shellshocked by Barcelona in the Women’s Champions League final - Molly Hudson joins us from Gothenburg to discuss what went wrong

Why has Wolves’ season been so disappointing and do they run the risk of losing Nuno Espirito Santo to Spurs?

Everton have ended the season poorly, after a bright start to the season under Carlo Ancelotti. What’s gone wrong at Goodison and could selling Richarlison solve all their problems?

Inspired by Allison’s goal against West Brom, we end with our favourite goals by goalkeepers - Mart Poom’s header against Derby, anyone?

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Chelsea Put The Cat Among The Pigeons May 13, 2021

Show notes

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

Chelsea have a big weekend ahead of them with the FA Cup final - but by losing to Arsenal, have they blown the race for the top four in the Premier League wide open? (00:00)

Managers have been backing Ole Gunnar Solskjær - but should Manchester United see any punishment for making 10 changes for their loss to Leicester? (19:32)

Manchester City are Champions - but how long will the era of City dominance continue? Pol Ballús wrote about Pep Guardiola’s latest triumph exclusively for The Times and joins us to add his thoughts (26:54)

As Fulham’s return to the Championship was confirmed - Will Scott Parker be back next season and which of the three sides going down is most likely to make a swift return? (41:23)

The EFL playoffs get underway at the weekend - can Tom Clarke’s beloved Lincoln City make the final? Gregor Robertson gives us the ex-pro’s perspective on winning (and losing) at Wembley (46:48)

Get your digital subscription to The Times and get a month free: thetimes.co.uk/thegame

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When Panenkas Go Wrong May 10, 2021

Show notes

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

We saw a preview of the Champions League final and Manchester City and Chelsea met in the Premier League over the weekend - but was it anything like the game we’ll see on May 29th? (00:00)

Leeds United had a good weekend with a strong win over a struggling Tottenham. What’s next for Marcelo Bielsa’s side and how have Spurs come to have a 29 year old, inexperienced manager in charge? (12:31)

Arsenal’s season is over - but is Mikel Arteta’s time at the club heading the same way? Will he still be in charge at the Emirates at the end of 2021? (36:52)

Big Sam hasn’t quite come to the rescue for West Brom. Will they stick with the former England manager in the Championship and can they keep their squad together? (48:49)

After Ed Sheeran announced he’s sponsoring Ipswich Town’s shirts next season, we end with our favourite musical collaborations with the game (53:20)

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Defence Is King In The Champions League May 06, 2021

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Clarke and Jonathan Northcroft.

We’ve got one all-English European final with Chelsea and Manchester City facing-off in the Champions League - how did Guardiola and Tuchel get their sides there and should the game be moved to England? (00:00)

We’ve seen a huge fallout in Spain, not so much over Real Madrid’s loss to Chelsea - but Eden Hazard’s post-match laughing and joking with his former teammates. Was he out of line at Stamford Bridge? (27:48)

Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday go into a big weekend with both sides sweating over their Championship status for next season. Which side would suffer the most from a trip into League One and what’s next for Wayne Rooney? (33:44)

Home fans will return for the last two Premier League matches of the season. Is it fair on away sides to let 10,000 people or 25% of the stadium’s capacity, suddenly return? (50:19)

Get your digital subscription to The Times and get a month free: thetimes.co.uk/thegame

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The Theatre of Protests May 03, 2021

Show notes

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

The Times’ Paul Hirst joins us to discuss the reasons behind the Manchester United fans protest that saw their Premier League game at home to Liverpool postponed on Sunday. What will happen next at the club and is there any likely response from the Glazers? (00:00)

The discussion continues with the wider impact of owners running clubs as businesses first and do fans’ morals change when it comes to having spending power? (12:30)

After a thrilling Women’s Champions League semi final between Chelsea and Bayern Munich, The Times’ Molly Hudson joins us with lots to say about Emma Hayes’ side (38:02)

Following Peterborough’s unlikely comeback to win promotion against Lincoln, we end with our favourite last-minute heartbreaks - including a calamitous night in Atletico Madrid’s history (48:48)

Get your digital subscription to The Times and get a month free: thetimes.co.uk/thegame

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Will We See An All-English Final? Apr 29, 2021

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Jonathan Northcroft and Ian Hawkey.

There’s a big possibility we could see an all-English Champions League final. Which players stood out in the semi-final first legs and which stars could be showing signs of fading? Did Pep Guardiola overthink the game against PSG and were the French side too reliant on Neymar? (00:00)

After a tough season for Liverpool - will we see any drastic changes at the club? Does Jurgen Klopp still have the owners’ trust? (29:21)

With rumours Marcelo could miss out on Real Madrid’s trip to Stamford Bridge because he’s been called up to monitor a polling station during local elections - we finish with the best reasons players (or teams) have missed a game! (40:55)

Get your digital subscription to The Times and get a month free: thetimes.co.uk/thegame

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Flippin' Ek, Son's Crying Apr 26, 2021

Show notes

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

Manchester City secured their first trophy of the season on Sunday - but did Spurs make it easy for them at Wembley? Does that performance make Ryan Mason’s appointment even more puzzling? Is this the deciding moment in Harry Kane’s future? (00:00)

We saw more protests at club owners over the weekend, largely following the failed Super League plan - but what do fans want from the ideal owner? What do the clubs owners need to do to reconnect with the fans? Will Arsenal have a new owner in the short term after Spotify founder, Daniel Ek threw his name into the takeover mix? (21:15)

English football has announced a 3-day social media blackout to highlight the abuse and discrimination online. What will this achieve and does this kind of response give the trolls a sense of victory? What other methods could be used to eradicate this more effectively? (41:13)

Chelsea and Manchester City have Champions League semi-finals coming up this week - but who has a better chance of making the final? What are the chances of an all-English final and will Olivier Giroud have the last laugh once again? (47:13)

Get your digital subscription to The Times and get a month free: thetimes.co.uk/thegame

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

Football Is For The Fans Apr 22, 2021

Show notes

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Clarke and James Restall.

Did the owners of proposed Super League clubs actually think their plan would work? Has the power shifted as a result of this failed breakaway league? Does Boris Johnson actually care or did he get involved for his own benefit? (00:00)

The Times’ Chief Football Writer Henry Winter joins us to add his thoughts on the last few days in the game. Now The Super League is seemingly dead, does the threat of the big owners looking to line their own pockets go away? Will the six Premier League clubs involved ever have full trust of their fans again? (22:43)

We discuss the latest Champions League reforms - with more teams, a new format and a lot of critics (34:26)

Looking ahead to the League Cup Final on Sunday - did Jose Mourinho at least deserve to lead Spurs out for the final he got them to? Was Ryan Mason the first choice to lead Tottenham until the end of the season? And West Ham host Chelsea at the weekend in a game that could be massive for the race for the final Champions League place - but can the Hammers keep up their good form? (48:14)

Get your digital subscription to The Times and get a month free: thetimes.co.uk/thegame

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

The Super League And The Special One Apr 19, 2021

Show notes

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

As football makes all the headlines with the proposed Super League causing massive controversy, the man who broke the story - The Times’ Chief Sports Writer Martyn Ziegler - joins us to discuss how it came about and what the clubs who’ve signed up are hoping to get from it (00:00)

We look at the wider implications of the proposal and how fans have reacted - with leagues, players and even Governments having their say on whether it’s the future of the sport or yet another greedy move by rich club owners (13:16)

As the show was recorded, we got news that the manager of one of the clubs involved in the Super League - Jose Mourinho had been removed from his position at Tottenham. Was this a result of the proposal or a case of smart timing by Daniel Levy? (38:15)

We end with the good work a potential candidate to replace Jose - Brendan Rodgers - has been doing as Leicester set up a League Cup Final against Chelsea. Also - how will the rest of Manchester City’s season go now they’re not playing for the quadruple? (48:41)

Get your digital subscription to The Times and get a month free: thetimes.co.uk/thegame

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