Two of the biggest Premier League stories in September came away from the pitch, and specifically in the boardrooms of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. First was the sacking of Daniel Levy, Tottenham’s seemingly all-powerful chairman, after 24 years running Spurs in his own unique way. Then, one week later, came the removal of Tim Lewis, Arsenal’s executive vice-chair, who had run Arsenal for the last few years.

On today’s Libero, Jack Pitt-Brooke, Miguel Delaney and Tariq Panja look at these moves and explain why exactly Levy and Tim Lewis were fired. Was it because of performance? Or was it because a new generation of owners want to operate their clubs differently?

These two stories have been compared to ‘Succession’, and both point to the tension between the ultra-wealthy owners of these generational assets and the executive class who run them. So is this the central tension that defines modern clubs? And are we - as Miguel suggests - now in ‘the age of the owner’?

P1: (09:48)

P2: (36:34)

Produced by: Tom Bassam

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The Sam Wallace column mentioned in the podcast can be found here, you will need to get past The Telegraph paywall.

Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

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Ruud Gullit has been booked. iShowSpeed is getting his tuxedo ready. Kaka will be around, probably. That’s right: it’s Ballon d’Or time, and on today’s Libero, John Brewin, Miguel Delaney and Rory Smith — Libero’s balls of gold — discuss the shifting meaning of the trophy, whether the obsession with it is an exclusively modern phenomenon, and the tension of individual awards in a team sport.

P1: (10:41)

P2: (38:18)

Produced by: Tom Bassam

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Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

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The Champions League is back. Or more specifically, the league phase, which starts with matchday one spread over the course of this week.

On today’s episode, Jack Pitt-Brooke, James Horncastle and Jonathan Wilson all look forward to this season’s competition and ask whether anyone will be able to challenge Luis Enrique’s Paris Saint-Germain for the crown. James explains why this might be the year that Antonio Conte makes an impression with his new-look Napoli side.

This will be the second year of the Champions League’s new format, where 144 games are played between September and January to trim 36 teams down to 24. What are the lessons of the new system? Does it mean there is less riding on each game? And does the tournament as a whole have the same weight and prestige in the era of the Club World Cup?

P1: (01:58)

P2: (34:08)

Produced by: Tom Bassam

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Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

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Sunday sees the first Meeting of Manchester United and Manchester City of the season at the Etihad. On today’s Libero, Jack Pitt-Brooke, Miguel Delaney and John Brewin look at the fixture and ask whether it is still one of the biggest in the Premier League calendar.

The dynamic between the two clubs has been flipped in the last 15 years, with City now the dominant team of this era and United lurching from crisis. The fixture has lost its edge since its golden period between 2009 and 2013, when City were the rising force trying to topple Sir Alex Ferguson’s United.

And while the local rivalry is a huge part of Premier League marketing, the question is whether a game like this can become a global product while still retaining its local appeal. Does it still matter in the same way?

P1: (02:43)

P2: (33:57)

Produced by: Tom Bassam

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Libero returns with its smuggest and most chin-strokey lineup ever, as the first-time combination of Rory Smith, Jonathan Wilson and James Horncastle talk about the evolution of tactics. Have we seen football's final great innovation? What does the renewed focus on set-piece mastery say about modern coaching? Does intuition trump all? Can they answer any of these questions without talking about Pep Guardiola?

P1: (1:30)

P2: (37:36)

Produced by: Tom Bassam

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He’s the greatest manager in Arsenal’s modern history and the Emirates a monument to his reinvention of the club. Arsene Wenger is one of the most influential figures of the Premier League era but also in French football from his time at Monaco, and is still involved in the game he loves as an employee of Fifa. 

But could he have won more in France and England? He never got to write his own epitaph with one more major triumph. Meanwhile, his Fifa role and closeness to certain forces within the game have gone against previously strong-held principles.

Miguel Delany and Tariq Panja join John Brewin consider the enigma and legacy of Le Professeur.

P1: (00:55)

P2: (29:44)

Produced by: Tom Bassam

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What's that you say? Every Libero squad member on one podcast? That's right, in order of appearance, Rory Smith, Jonathan Wilson, John Brewin, Miguel Delaney, Jack Pitt-Brooke, Tariq Panja and James Horncastle are here to talk about the most financially lubricated summer in football history - the Premier League's great (and late) spending splurge.

We hear about what it's like to try and cover the flurry of transfer dealings on the last day of the window before discussing the driving forces behind the ever-increasing volume of moves, as well as how the power of the English pound reverberates across European football.

Part one: (1:29)

Part two: (12:27)

Part three: (32:03)

Produced by: Tom Bassam

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Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United tenure reached a new low on Wednesday night as they were knocked out of the League Cup by Grimsby Town. Critics say he is too wedded to his 3-4-3 system, but has his ideological approach bought him more time than a more pragmatic manager would get?

On today’s Libero, Rory Smith, Jack Pitt-Brooke and Jonathan Wilson discuss Amorim’s struggles and the importance of having a philosophy in the modern game.

English football has traditionally rejected abstract ideas but that looks to have changed over the last 10 years since Pep Guardiola’s arrival. Is it now possible to get a big job without a clear set of ideas? Or are we starting to see a turn back towards pragmatism through managers like Thomas Frank?

Produced by: Tom Bassam

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The European club season is now underway, with the Champions League draw to follow on Thursday. James Horncastle and Miguel Delaney join John Brewin to discuss some of the key questions from the continent. The rest of Europe is taking some surprising decisions to keep up with the Premier League’s riches. Each of the so-called top-five leagues have taken different approaches. Can they work? Or are the major clubs now in control? Plus, some more logs are thrown on the PSR fire. 

Produced by: Tom Bassam

DISCLAIMER: Producer Tom experienced significant technical issues while editing this episode and as a result the audio quality is not up to the usual standard. We apologise profusely and will ensure a return to normal service for episode 048.

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The biggest story of this summer’s transfer window is Alexander Isak. The Newcastle United striker is so desperate for a move that he has not been training with Newcastle United, and on Tuesday night he finally went public about his desire to leave.

On today’s Libero, Jonathan Wilson, Rory Smith and Jack Pitt-Brooke try to get to the bottom of the story of the summer. How outraged should we be by Isak’s conduct? Is he ‘on strike’, insulting the fans, or is he just playing one of the few cards available to him?

This summer has shown how clubs treat players, whether Manchester United with their bomb squad, or Nottingham Forest denying Morgan Gibbs-White a move to Tottenham. So in that context does it make sense for a player to try to force his way out? And how can players claw back any power in the marketplace? Is the only route for them to stop signing long-term contracts when they are at the moment of maximum leverage?

P1: (00:36)

P2: (38:08)

Produced by: Tom Bassam

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Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

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