Left Field

Are Manchester United actually good now? After smashing six past Leeds United at Old Trafford, Ole's boys are threatening to mount a title challenge. Can they sustain their latest purple patch or are they destined to trip up again? As for Marcelo Bielsa's team, the neutrals seem to be in love but is the fawning a tad patronising?

Liverpool's 7-0 win over Crystal Palace suggests Jurgen Klopp, the world’s greatest coach, isn’t going to surrender his title without a fight. But what ambitions do Roy Hodgson's side harbour? Any? Any at all?

Elsewhere in football, we check in on Arsenal and Spurs before casting an eye over the continent where Lionel Messi is miserable, Ligue 1's TV deal has collapsed, a foetus scored for Dortmund and Celtic have won yet another treble.

After the break, Wogan wobbles in his love for Lewis Hamilton despite the king of F1 adding a second SPOTY title.

In golf, Tiger Woods' son Charlie looks like a chip off the old block after impressing at the PNC Championship. Should we be excited?

We also check on on the All-Ireland Football Final where Dublin beat Mayo and question why the New York Jets bothered to record a very costly win.

Merry Christmas and enjoy the show!

Every week on Left Field, Wogan and Allen dissect the latest in Football and Not Football. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss out, because that would be a real shame, wouldn't it?

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And your co-hosts...

Allen: twitter.com/AAllenSport
Wogan: twitter.com/CathalWogan

West Brom are the first club to press the panic button this season. Already sucked into a relegation battle, they've sacked lovable Slaven Bilic and turned to Sam Allardyce to save them. He's done it many times before, but is Big Sam the right man for the job?

Chelsea were going great guns this time last week, then they lost a couple of games and might not be all that after all. They aren't the only ones wobbling.  Spurs have dropped four points in two games, most recently at the death to Liverpool. We discuss whether either side really has the gumption to challenge Klopp's reigning champs.

Arsenal are still rubbish. That gets a mention. As does the sad news of Gerard Houllier's passing.  

We also discuss Jean-Marc Bosman's legacy. It's 25 years since his landmark court case changed football forever and sent his own life into a tailspin.

We open part two with a chat about Ireland's massive weekend of sport and debate which is better; hurling or Gaelic football. In the process, Wogan fires serious shots at Dublin's fans.

Is darts really a sport if 10,000 drunk, middle-age blokes in fancy dress aren't there to see it? Covid has robbed us of one of the year's great spectacles and it burns.

Anthony Joshua beat Kubrat Pulev in nine rounds on Saturday night. A fight with Fury is reportedly next. Is it really that hard to organise a dust-up? 

Finally, and there's no good way to say this, we talk about shitting yourself. 

Literally.

Enjoy the show.

Every week on Left Field, Wogan and Allen dissect the latest in Football and Not Football. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss out, because that would be a real shame, wouldn't it?

Subscribe: il.ink/leftfield_pod
Twitter: twitter.com/leftfield_pod
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And your co-hosts...

Allen: twitter.com/AAllenSport
Wogan: twitter.com/CathalWogan

After a nine-month wait, football fans finally returned to stadiums across England at the weekend.

For the majority, it was an emotional opportunity to enjoy familiar surroundings with friends and family. For others, a chance to remind the world that football's fight against racism still has mountains to climb.

The boos aimed at players taking a knee before kick-off not only brought shame on Millwall and Colchester but the game as a whole.

On the pitch, it was a fantastic week for free-scoring Olivier Giroud and a terrible week for Mikel Arteta, who is racking them up. We also talk Paul Pogba after his agent Mino Raiola claimed the World Cup winner wants out of Manchester United.

After the break, we reflect on England's dramatic win in rugby's Autumn Nations Cup and the landmark legal action being brought against the game's governing bodies by former players claiming the sport failed to protect them from the risk of concussion.

In cricket, Covid-19 wrecked the ODI series between England and South Africa. With a vaccine being rolled out in the UK, we can only hope such situations are soon to be a thing of the past.

Finally, we end the show chatting through the inclusion of 'Breaking' in the Olympics. Is it really a sport?

Enjoy the show!

Every week on Left Field, Wogan and Allen dissect the latest in Football and Not Football. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss out, because that would be a real shame, wouldn't it?

Subscribe: il.ink/leftfield_pod
Twitter: twitter.com/leftfield_pod
Instagram: instagram.com/leftfield_pod/
Facebook: facebook.com/leftfieldpod/

And your co-hosts...

Allen: twitter.com/AAllenSport
Wogan: twitter.com/CathalWogan

Is Edinson Cavani proof that you can have a completely haphazard approach to the transfer market and still come up trumps? The Uruguayan scored a cracking brace at the weekend to seal a terrific Manchester United comeback at Southampton. Naturally, we have to ask, is he the new Ibra?

On Sunday night, a sickening clash of heads between David Luiz and Raul Jimenez left the Mexican requiring hospital treatment. Somehow the Arsenal defender played on until half times, a decision that has sparked much debate about football's treatment of head injuries and the need for concussion substitutes.

We also cover Manchester City's big win, Jurgen Klopp's stroppy interview with BT Sport - it's safe to say the German is fed up with 12.30 kick-offs - and Newcastle's Covid-19 outbreak.

Finally, in part one, we reflect on the life and times of Diego Maradona who died at the age of 60 last week. A once-in-a-lifetime footballer who has been mourned the world over.

After the break, we discuss what rugby league needs to do to win over more punters. After a thrilling but low-scoring Grand Final, perhaps they should pump-up the points tally?

In boxing, Mike Tyson's long-awaited comeback was pretty drab so instead, we focus on Daniel Dubois' decision to 'quit' against Joe Joyce. The 23-year-old failed to make the count in round 10 of his fight with Joe Joyce and was later told he'd broken his eye socket and suffered nerve damage. For some reason, he's been hammered by his peers.

We end the show learning more about the female soccer player who made college football history and hail the build of the Formula 1 car that somehow kept Romain Grosjean alive despite a horrific crash and ensuing fireball.

Enjoy the show!

Every week on Left Field, Wogan and Allen dissect the latest in Football and Not Football. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss out, because that would be a real shame, wouldn't it?

Subscribe: il.ink/leftfield_pod
Twitter: twitter.com/leftfield_pod
Instagram: instagram.com/leftfield_pod/
Facebook: facebook.com/leftfieldpod/

And your co-hosts...

Allen: twitter.com/AAllenSport
Wogan: twitter.com/CathalWogan

Have Manchester City blown the title already? Are Spurs serious contenders? Can anybody really compete with Liverpool who continue to make light work of the absence of key stars? A quarter of the way through the season and we're already wondering if the title race is over.

Arsene Wenger was this week's guest on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. The Frenchman picked his eight favourite songs, including one that was so sad that he can only have selected it after watching Arsenal drop yet more points. From Elton John to John Lennon, we discuss his choices.

After Nicolas Pepe was sent off for a sort-of headbutt and Preston defender Darnell Fisher was caught touching an opponent's meat and two veg, we wonder how it's possible for players to forget the 50 cameras that follow their every move.

We end part one with a quick round-up of the action on the continent. In France Cesc Fabregas inspired an amazing Monaco comeback against PSG, in Spain, Real Sociedad top the table in Spain and a 16-year-old made his debut for Dortmund.

After the break, we head to London's O2 arena where Daniil Medvedev drew a line under the tennis season with victory at the ATP Masters tournament. The Russian opted not to celebrate leading us to half-heartedly list other low-key athletes. They wouldn't want it any other way.

At the Vatican - yep, the Vatican - Pope Francis hosted NBA 'stars' to talk social justice. The big question is why they didn't send anyone we've heard of. Finally, the NFL's New York Jets are losing so much that they might be tempted to keep doing so all the way to a number one draft pick. It's not something we support but if they're going to go down that route they might as well come up with a decent excuse. We proffer a few suggestions.

Enjoy the show!

Every week on Left Field, Wogan and Allen dissect the latest in Football and Not Football. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss out, because that would be a real shame, wouldn't it?

Subscribe: il.ink/leftfield_pod
Twitter: twitter.com/leftfield_pod
Instagram: instagram.com/leftfield_pod/
Facebook: facebook.com/leftfieldpod/

And your co-hosts...

Allen: twitter.com/AAllenSport
Wogan: twitter.com/CathalWogan

So it turns out that making footballers travel the globe to play international football during a pandemic causes problems. Who could have foreseen that? Covid-19 cases are on the rise and knackered players are getting injured. All in all, it's not been a good week for Premier League managers waiting at home to find out who from their squads is still standing.

On the pitch, Scotland secured qualification for next summer's Euros via a penalty shootout. We reflect on their big night in Serbia and the ensuing celebrations. Elsewhere, Northern Ireland lost their playoff and Ireland kept up a miserable run with defeats to England and Wales. The joy was short-lived for Gareth Southgate whose side then lost to Belgium despite having Jack 'Messiah' Grealish in the team.

We end part one chatting Wayne Rooney's coaching credentials - he's temporarily taken over from Phillip Cocu at Derby - and we check in on Wrexham now that their takeover by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynold's and Rob McElhenney has been approved.

After the break, we head to Augusta to discuss Dustin Johnson's success, the weird trophy he was awarded and Tiger Woods' one-hole meltdown. We stay Stateside for a quick preview of the NBA draft, then have a chuckle at Amazon's customer service team as they fluff their lines trying to show some rugby. Finally, how much Lewis Hamilton success is too much and should we care whether he gets a knighthood or not? 

Enjoy the show.

Every week on Left Field, Wogan and Allen dissect the latest in Football and Not Football. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss out, because that would be a real shame, wouldn't it?

Subscribe: il.ink/leftfield_pod
Twitter: twitter.com/leftfield_pod
Instagram: instagram.com/leftfield_pod/
Facebook: facebook.com/leftfieldpod/

And your co-hosts...

Allen: twitter.com/AAllenSport
Wogan: twitter.com/CathalWogan

There have never been so many penalties in football, so perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that players are finding new and ingenious ways to miss them. But we are. From Kevin de Bruyne to Zlatan Ibrahimovic via Ademola Lookman, missed spot kicks were all the rage last weekend. We talk tactics from 12-yards out.

Having beaten Manchester United, Arsenal were supposed to consolidate their big boy credentials against Aston Villa. They did the exact opposite as Dean Smith's Jack Grealish-inspired Villains put them to the sword at the Emirates. What went wrong for the Gunners?

Elsewhere in football, we discuss the premature end of pay-per-view matches, Wrexham's proposed Hollywood investors, Ranger's resurgence in Scotland and AFC Wimbledon's return to Plough Lane.

After the break, we look ahead to this weekend's US Masters and, more specifically, the menu options being offered to the players on the eve of the tournament. We also hazard a guess at who might win in Augusta.

In the week that Joe Biden became US President-Elect, we ask whether we could throw a baseball better than a 78-year-old. It's touch and go...but more likely than either of us climbing 3,000 feet up Yosemite without a harness.

Enjoy the show. It's Episode 69, after all.

Every week on Left Field, Wogan and Allen dissect the latest in Football and Not Football. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss out, because that would be a real shame, wouldn't it?

Subscribe: il.ink/leftfield_pod
Twitter: twitter.com/leftfield_pod
Instagram: instagram.com/leftfield_pod/
Facebook: facebook.com/leftfieldpod/

And your co-hosts...

Allen: twitter.com/AAllenSport
Wogan: twitter.com/CathalWogan

Not many points separate a lot of teams; yep, the Premier League is more unpredictable than ever, as evidenced by a crazy away win percentage stat. After seven games, which clubs are defrauding the public and which deserve their league place? We decide.

A couple of contentious penalties got pundits frothing at the mouth this weekend. Will VAR end diving? Does anybody care about simulation? And why is Harry Kane a terrible person and Mo Salah just about passable?

The mighty Arsenal finally won an away game against a 'Big Six' rival to end another mini-Manchester United renaissance. Is Solskjaer the king of doing just enough to keep his job? Why should Arsenal fans be optimistic about Mikel Arteta? And who is that energetic Egyptian?

We round up part one with a quick chat about Ryan Giggs' off-pitch antics and hail Mick McCarthy's move to Cyprus.

After the break, we ask whether England made anyone smile with their Six Nations victory, chuckle at an NFL fight and outline our plans for a perfect lockdown triathlon. Enjoy the show!

Every week on Left Field, Wogan and Allen dissect the latest in Football and Not Football. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss out, because that would be a real shame, wouldn't it?

Subscribe: il.ink/leftfield_pod
Twitter: twitter.com/leftfield_pod
Instagram: instagram.com/leftfield_pod/
Facebook: facebook.com/leftfieldpod/

And your co-hosts...

Allen: twitter.com/AAllenSport
Wogan: twitter.com/CathalWogan

Do English managers get a fair crack of the whip? Are they held to different standards? Frank Lampard, who 100% earned the right to manage a top four club after a single season in charge of Derby County, doesn't think so. To be fair to the Chelsea manager, it is a bit odd that so few natives have had a chance to coach the Premier League's big dogs.

Now that Patrick Bamford has proved his doubters wrong with a top-flight hat-trick he obviously deserves to be put on a pedestal with all the other strikers who've impressed following promotion. But who are those strikers? From Andy Cole to Marcus Stewart, we run through a few listener suggestions.

Elsewhere in football, we cast an eye over the FA's proposed rules for buying foreign players post-Brexit, weigh up Marcus Rashford's saintliness and have a chuckle at Lionel Messi's victory over the Barcelona board.

After the break, we stutter our way through another Lewis Hamilton segment, remind ourselves what is going on with the Six Nations, laugh at a mid-game Covid-19 diagnosis in the World Series (congrats to the LA Dodgers btw) and discuss sandwich innovations.

Every week on Left Field, Wogan and Allen dissect the latest in Football and Not Football. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss out, because that would be a real shame, wouldn't it?

Subscribe: il.ink/leftfield_pod
Twitter: twitter.com/leftfield_pod
Instagram: instagram.com/leftfield_pod/
Facebook: facebook.com/leftfieldpod/

And your co-hosts...

Allen: twitter.com/AAllenSport
Wogan: twitter.com/CathalWogan

Project Big Picture is dead. Long live Project European Premier League!

Yep, after last week's rage-inducing but ultimately doomed power-grab by the Premier League's 'Big Six', this week we're treated to a new idea. An even crazier one, formulated with a helping hand from FIFA and backed by some of Europe's biggest clubs. Will this one last longer than a week? We'd be surprised.

On the pitch, Spurs reminded everyone (bar Spurs fans) why football is such a fascinating spectacle. There they were cruising 3-0 against West Ham when they sent on new/old boy Gareth Bale for a valedictory waltz. Cue one of the craziest finales to a Premier League game. More of this type of thing, please.

Liverpool's run of bad luck looks to be making the title race interesting. Shorn of keeper Alisson they conceded seven at Aston Villa, now with Virgil van Dijk facing a lengthy lay-off following Jordan Pickford's awful challenge, the bookies don't have them as quite so hot favourites to retain the title. Have things just got interesting?

Elsewhere in football, we pay homage to Viv Miedema's low-key brilliance at Arsenal, tick off Pep Guardiola for defending Sergio Aguero's passive-aggressive behaviour towards female assistant referee Sian Massey-Ellis and predict the winners of this year's Champions League and Europa League.

After the break, we both agree we want the LA Dodgers to win the World Series, Allen ruins Wogan's favourite comedy skit, there's a discussion about the best sporting celebrations, some rugby and a weird swimming segment that we promise we'll never repeat.

Enjoy the show!

Every week on Left Field, Wogan and Allen dissect the latest in Football and Not Football. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss out, because that would be a real shame, wouldn't it?

Subscribe: il.ink/leftfield_pod
Twitter: twitter.com/leftfield_pod
Instagram: instagram.com/leftfield_pod/
Facebook: facebook.com/leftfieldpod/

And your co-hosts...

Allen: twitter.com/AAllenSport
Wogan: twitter.com/CathalWogan