Libero

Pep Guardiola is leaving Manchester City. It’s an exit that brings to an end one of the most unique experiments in football history, and one that is unlikely to be repeated again. Jack Pitt-Brooke, Rory Smith and Tariq Panja discuss Guardiola’s legacy and the very specific set of circumstances that provided the platform for him to produce arguably the most complete winning machines in English football history.

Join SC Libero, the most important of the least important membership clubs, now: liberopodcast.com.

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P1: (08:45)

P2: (30:35)

Produced by: Tom Bassam

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Subscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod

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Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

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Join SC Libero, the most important of the least important membership clubs, now: liberopodcast.com.

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Unai Emery is once again in the Europa League final with a team featuring the letters V-I-L-L-A somewhere in their name, a remarkable achievement and one that also creates a perception that he is not among the top echelon of coaches. The competition with which the Aston Villa manager has become synonymous is also suffering from a degree of reputational damage these days, as its bigger brother hoovers up more of the clubs that used to give the Europa League a unique appeal. James Horncastle, Jonathan Wilson and Miguel Delaney discuss matters of perception and a few other things.

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P1: (13:09)

P2: (28:11)

Produced by: Tom Bassam

Do you have a burning question for the Liberi? Send them in to [email protected]⁠⁠ to get them answered on the podcast.

Anything else, email in via [email protected]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod

Join our Discord @Libero Podcast

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Produced by: Tom Bassam

Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

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ICMP has kindly released an extra few tickets for our live show on 22nd May, so we can squeeze a few more of you in. Plans are coming together and it should be a fun night there will also be copies of the various books of the Liberi on sale and they may even sign them for you. Doors 7pm at The Venue on the ICMP Queens Park Campus in west London. The link for tickets is here 👍

The FA Cup should be English football’s national day. It was English football’s national day, a final punctuation mark on another season, anointing heroes and reducing grown men to tears. Jack Pitt Brooke, Miguel Delaney and Tariq Panja discuss how the FA Cup final lost its way and what ingredients are needed to bring back the magic.

P1: (10:08)

P2: (30:42)

Produced by: Tom Bassam

Email in via [email protected]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod

Join our Discord @Libero Podcast

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Follow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast.com

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Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

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We have a handful of tickets remaining for our live show on 22nd May, there will also be copies of the various books of the Liberi on sale and they may even sign them for you. Doors 7pm at The Venue on the ICMP Queens Park Campus in west London (home of the Long Play Sessions). The link for tickets is here 👍

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Michael Carrick has made Ruben Amorim's tactics board nightmare at Grimsby seem like a Manchester United of a different universe and restored order at Old Trafford, but is that enough?

Rory Smith, John Brewin and Jonathan Wilson as they seek the unknowable answer to the question of how a super club selects the right leader.

P1: (09:59)

P2: (25:22)

Produced by: Tom Bassam

Email in via [email protected]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod

Join our Discord @Libero Podcast

Follow us on X @podcast_libero

Follow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @liberopod

Follow us on TikTok @liberopod

Follow us on Facebook @liberopod

Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

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We are doing our first live show. It's on 22nd May, doors 7pm at The Venue on the ICMP Queens Park Campus in west London (home of the Long Play Sessions). There will also be copies of the various books of the Liberi on sale and they may even sign them for you. The link for tickets is here 👍

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We have spent much of this season wondering, like many others, whether Arsenal were about to bottle it. But after a brilliant week for Mikel Arteta's side, are they now on the brink of a historic achievement?

They're in the box seat for the Premier League title and can move one step closer if they beat West Ham on Sunday and in midweek reached their first Champions League final in 20 years.

On today’s Libero Jack Pitt-Brooke, Miguel Delaney and John Brewin look at their turnaround and ask what caused it. Was it the fire, Declan Rice’s rousing speech, or simply having players back? Or did they, like Manchester City in 2012, have to lose the title in order to win it?

With PSG also reaching the showpiece fixture in Budapest, it looks like being the best final in years, with Europe’s two best teams meeting. Why does that happen so rarely? And what do these two finalists tell us about the modern game?

P1: (04:17)

P2: (30:31)

Produced by: Tom Bassam

Email in via [email protected]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod

Join our Discord @Libero Podcast

Follow us on X @podcast_libero

Follow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @liberopod

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Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

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Join ⁠SC Libero⁠, the most important of the least important membership clubs, now: ⁠liberopodcast.com⁠.

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From Matt Busby to Liam Rosenior, even harking back from the Wilsonian era of the late 19th century, how has the role and the standing of the football manager changed? Certain football clubs may act as if managers and head coaches are no longer their most important employees but certain managers still overshadow their clubs.

Join Rory Smith, John Brewin and Jonathan Wilson for the first of a two-parter, the second episode available only to SC Libero's Einsteins, Special Ones and El Puta Jefe later this week.

P1: (03:56)

P2: (35:40)

As you may have seen, we are doing our first live show. It's on 22nd May, doors 7pm at The Venue on the ICMP Queens Park Campus in west London (home of the Long Play Sessions). There will also be copies of the various books of the Liberi on sale and they may even sign them for you. The link for tickets is here.

Produced by: Tom Bassam

Email in via [email protected]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod

Join our Discord @Libero Podcast

Follow us on X @podcast_libero

Follow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @liberopod

Follow us on TikTok @liberopod

Follow us on Facebook @liberopod

Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join SC Libero, the most important of the least important membership clubs: liberopodcast.com.

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Amid a shifting landscape of Saudi Arabian sports investments, where does football sit in the PIF's list of priorities? Newcastle are at a crossroads in their journey with the House of Saud and the Pro League is no longer handing out cheques for fun. Jack Pitt-Brooke, Rory Smith and Tariq Panja discuss the implications if the retrenchment of the Gulf's wealthiest oil state hits football.

P1: (01:13)

P2: (31:25)

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As you may have seen, we are doing our first live show. It's on 22nd May, doors 7pm at The Venue on the ICMP Queens Park Campus in west London (home of the Long Play Sessions). There will also be copies of the various books of the Liberi on sale and they may even sign them for you. The link for tickets is  here.

—

Produced by: Tom Bassam

Email in via [email protected]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod

Join our Discord @Libero Podcast

Follow us on X @podcast_libero

Follow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @liberopod

Follow us on TikTok @liberopod

Follow us on Facebook @liberopod

Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

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Join SC Libero, the most important of the least important membership clubs: liberopodcast.com.

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Ahead of Atletico Madrid's Champions League semi-final against Arsenal, we take a look at one of European football's main characters, Diego Simeone. Cholo's impact on a club that were by no means destined to be in their lofty position has been profound, as have his unique and evolving tactics. James Horncastle, Jonathan Wilson and Miguel Delaney, chart Simeone's journey in bending Atleti to his will and ask what the future holds for one of the great modern coaches.

P1: (01:31)

P2: (32:53)

Produced by: Tom Bassam

Email in via [email protected]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod

Join our Discord @Libero Podcast

Follow us on X @podcast_libero

Follow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @liberopod

Follow us on TikTok @liberopod

Follow us on Facebook @liberopod

Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

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Join SC Libero, the most important of the least important membership clubs, now: liberopodcast.com.

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Liam Rosenior is no longer the Chelsea manager, to nobody’s surprise and to many people’s relief, perhaps including Rosenior himself. Can any manager succeed at Stamford Bridge? Or has the club’s strategy under the BlueCo ownership made that near-impossible? Tariq Panja and Miguel Delaney, join John Brewin.

P1: (05:58)

P2: (38:13)

Produced by: Tom Bassam

Email in via [email protected]

Subscribe to our YouTube channel @liberopod

Join our Discord @Libero Podcast

Follow us on X @podcast_libero

Follow us on Bluesky @liberopodcast.com

Follow us on Instagram @liberopod

Follow us on TikTok @liberopod

Follow us on Facebook @liberopod

Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

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Join SC Libero, the most important of the least important membership clubs, now: liberopodcast.com.

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Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Arsenal on Sunday was a rare thing: a Premier League game that lived up to its billing, both for the importance of the game and the quality of the football.

On today’s episode Jack Pitt-Brooke, Rory Smith and Jonathan Wilson look back on the afternoon that saw City bring Mikel Arteta’s side into its grasp and ask why the vibes appear to favour Pep Guardiola's team so much more than the objective reality does. For all the fascination with Arsenal’s mental fragility, could their main problems be technical rather than psychological? And over a 38-game season why should this particular game be seen as any other dropped points? Can there ever be a true ‘title decider’ in a full league season. And if not, should the Premier League create one?

P1: (10:53)

P2: (34:40)

Produced by: Tom Bassam

Email in via ⁠[email protected]⁠

Subscribe to our YouTube channel ⁠@liberopod⁠

Join our Discord ⁠@Libero Podcast⁠

Follow us on X ⁠@podcast_libero⁠

Follow us on Bluesky ⁠@liberopodcast.com⁠

Follow us on Instagram ⁠@liberopod⁠

Follow us on TikTok ⁠@liberopod⁠

Follow us on Facebook ⁠@liberopod⁠

Music: Kid Kodi - Blue Dot Sessions

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