Martin Samuel, Jonny Northcroft and Gregor Robertson join Tom Clarke on Thursday’s edition of The Game. Manchester City lost for the first time at Newcastle, but did Pep Guardiola give his players an excuse for the loss before the game even started. Plus some confidence boosting wins for some big teams. In the second part of the show a fascinating insight into what it takes to be an elite coach – the methods, dedication and psyche needed to succeed. Jonny Northcroft met Anthony Barry, once a lower league English footballer now coaching Ronaldo.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to become an elite coach and Pep's excuses

The Game is the premier football podcast from The Times, with the finest writers previewing and reviewing all the action throughout the 2023/24 season. Twice a week, Gregor Robertson and Tom Clarke speak to the leading football writers from The Times and The Sunday Times, offering unparalleled analysis&nbsp;of the latest results and commentary on emerging issues.&nbsp;
On Mondays, Alyson Rudd, Tom Roddy and Tony Cascarino review the weekend's action and on Thursdays Martin Samuel tackles the biggest issues of the week alongside the likes of Jonathan Northcroft and Ian Hawkey.
Subscribe to The Times to enjoy our award-winning sports journalism on your smartphone or tablet. Just search The Times online. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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When is a fan not a fan? Tom Clarke, Tony Cascarino, Martin Samuel and Gregor Robertson discuss the bizarre atmosphere at the Tottenham stadium on Monday night as some Spurs fans struggled to cheer on their team against Man City. After Spurs didn’t do Arsenal a favour, could West Ham in the final game? In a word the universal opinion is… no. Premier League clubs meet next week to discuss the future of VAR…Martin has a simple solution; we need better humans. The discussion gets heated, proving the point that it is a very subjective business. Finally, Tony belatedly offers his alternative team of the season. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is it ever ok not to support your team?

Arsenal have taken the title race to the final week of the season. But as Man City find their form on the run in, will it matter…?  Aside from the title race Manchester United kept the score respectable at Old Trafford, but it was yet another lamentable performance from a club in the doldrums. What now for Casemiero et al? Tom Allnutt is confident that most Spurs fans will not want them to beat City, so handing Arsenal the title…Alyson Rudd isn’t so sure. Gregor Robertson witnessed the discontent at the City ground as Forest stay up but almost because of three worse teams then because of their own efforts.
After the break it is ‘Tom Clarke's fun time’ as he makes everyone pick an alternate team of the season with a player from eleven different teams…which one player will make it from City and Arsenal and where will the other nine come from…? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The best alternative team of the season ever!

Madrid do it again. Do they have better players, a better coach? Is it the ground, their history or all of it rolled together? Martin Samuel, Jonathan Northcroft and Gregor Robertson join Tom Clarke to look at just how special Real Madrid are. Mbappe ends his time with PSG with a whimper, where now for the French star?  Domestically Crystal Palace are reborn under Oliver Glazner. Which of their team have a chance of the euros, Olise, Eze, Wharton..? On the receiving end of the Palace trio were a sorry Manchester United. With a cup final on the horizon, is there any hope for Ten Hag and his tenure at Old Trafford? Lastly, a reflection on David Moyes parting of the ways with West Ham Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ancelotti masterless; Ten Hag car crash.

Tony Cascarino and Alyson Rudd took a road trip to see Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp’s penultimate home game in charge. Whatever happened in the car stays in the car. Tom Clarke and Gregor Robertson quiz them on Spurs’ alarming dip in form, and the performance of Harvey Elliot. Tony finally got to ask Klopp a question… In the title race Haaland and Rice are purring, Gregor is very impressed with the all round contribution of Declan Rice on and off the pitch. Tony thinks Haaland leaps like a salmon! Elsewhere Chelsea are starting to look like a real team…will it last? And West Ham have agreed personal terms with Julen Lopetegui… Is relegation now all done and dusted…? And what does it take to survive in the Premier League for promoted teams?  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's the future for Ange-ball and are Chelsea good?

 English players star in Europe, but not the ones you might think. Martin Samuel, Gregor Robertson and Tony Cascarino join Tom Clarke to discuss the fluctuating careers of Eric Dier and Jaden Sancho. Will either make the England squad? And why couldn’t Man Utd get the best out of a gifted player? Hindsight is twenty twenty but Kai Havertz now looks like a bargain at sixty million…Martin thinks he saw it coming.  Ipswich are on the verge of back to back promotions, where does the achievement of Kieran McKenna rank? With plenty of big clubs looking for new managers will he be near the top of their lists? A big manager leaving is Jurgen Klopp, what do the panel feel about his final season? And from a manager whose team amassed 97 points and were runners up, who were some of the greatest teams to finish second…? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How to become an elite coach and Pep's excuses

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