Whilst everyone else is tucking into the final chocolates and leftover turkey, Rio, Ste and Joel review Manchester United’s season so far. They analyse the biggest weakness of Amorim’s side and specifically praise the duo of Senne Lammens and Matthijs De Ligt.

When discussing the priorities for the January transfer window, Rio compares Kobbie Mainoo to Gerard Pique as the England midfielder searches for more game time and how Benjamin Sesko plays an integral role for the team which often goes un-noticed and underrated.

Ste and Rio make their predictions for the remainder of the season and there’s a debate around how successful Ruben Amorim has done relative to pre-season predictions and comparisons to the last campaign.

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

After a busy week for Ruben Amorim following Kobbie Mainoo’s brother protesting about the lack of playing time and/or opportunities to move away from the club and a defeat at Aston Villa, Rio is joined by Ste and Joel to dissect those points and the title race.

Rio admits Kobbie is doing himself “a disservice” if he isn’t getting onto the manager asking how he can get into the team and discusses with Ste whether there is a way back for the England midfielder at Old Trafford.

Morgan Rogers had two game defining “world class moments” and after one of the trio admit they don’t see what the fuss is all about, Rio breaks down the goals and analyses who and what should have done better.

There’s some advice for (and a defence of) Leny Yoro, admission that some of the current squad “aren’t good enough” to cope with the defensive demands at Manchester United and a warning for Bukayo Saka who said that Arsenal were “in control” of the title race as they spend Christmas at the top of the table.

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

Rio heads to Carrington for an unmissable sit-down with Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes — his most honest interview yet.

For the first time, Bruno lifts the lid on the truth behind his Manchester United loyalty, revealing two genuine chances he had to leave, why he stayed, and how modern players’ loyalty is judged differently compared to legends like Francesco Totti, Ryan Giggs and Paolo Maldini.

Bruno also breaks down the big tactical shift in his game this season — how playing deeper has changed his decision-making, the challenges for him and Kobbie Mainoo who play in that role what the manager demands from him in the No.8 position, and how Italian football influenced his game.

He gives rare insight into United’s dressing room dynamics, analysing his teammates and explaining the incredible level of detail he computes on the pitch to ensure he delivers the perfect pass depending on which forward he’s feeding.

Bruno also addresses Roy Keane’s criticism and how he really feels about it, the private conversations referees have had with him about body languag and discussions with managers Ruben Amorim and Erik Ten Hag about the level of pressure he puts on himself and how it sometimes negatively affects the team’s structure.

And in classic Rio Meets style, Bruno opens up about the personalities behind the scenes — the biggest jokers in the squad, what really happens when someone steps out of line, and how he handles moments as captain that fans never get to see.

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

Rio is joined by Joel and Ste after a visit to the Manchester United training ground where he teases the potential release of a Rio Meets episode with one of the players.

After spending time with the squad, the manager and the coaching staff, Rio reports on what he saw and how positive the environment was.

Ste challenges Rio after he disagreed with Amorim’s comments about younger players struggling and Rio reveals how players respond to pundits who return to their former club after they’ve criticised performances.

There’s detailed analysis of Gyokeres’s struggles and Rio gives Joel three reasons why the Swedish striker is struggling to adapt since his move from Portugal and there’s special praise reserved for Morgan Rogers who fired Aston Villa into the title race.

Whilst giving Rogers his flowers, Rio and Ste look at how the number 10 selection is shaping up for Thomas Tuchel and pick out the one player who could become the England manager’s “biggest headache”.

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

Rio is back in the studio and joined by Joel Beya and Ste Howson where the trio reflect on Manchester United’s 4-1 victory at Wolves and the latest developments following Mohamed Salah’s outburst about his lack of playing time at Liverpool this season.

After it was reported that manager Ruben Amorim left his players alone at half-time, Rio discusses the different tactics that managers use in order to effectively communicate their message and praises Mason Mount as United’s yard-stick for players performing in the current system.

Rio also suggests Kobbie Mainoo should push for a move away in January in order to not “waste” any more of his career and contrasts the comments made by former United winger Alejandro Garnacho who says it was an easy decision to leave the club because he has the “trust” of his new gaffer, Enzo Maresca.

After admitting that Mohamed Salah should have articulated himself in a better way, Rio launches a defence of the record-breaking winger and suggests that established players like Virgil Van Dijk and Andy Robertson could play a vital role in rehabilitating Salah back into the squad - comparing his conversations with Wayne Rooney who spoke out against the manager when Rio was a senior player at Man Utd.

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

After Manchester United became the first team in 8 months to beat Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, Rio is joined by Ste Howson and Joel Beya to analyse that victory along with Arsenal’s draw at 10-man Chelsea.

There’s detailed analysis on the personnel utilised in the wing-back roles after Ruben Amorim admitted that two of those players are currently playing “far from their best”.

After Bruno Fernandes overtook Paul Scholes on the list of record Premier League assists, Rio admits that nobody could be expected to replace the output of the captain - even when he’s playing in a deeper role.

Rio also compares the challenge for Joshua Zirkzee to the one that former team mate Diego Forlan faced and questioned whether the Dutchman has the self-belief to command a regular starting spot.

Zirkzee may be given more opportunities during AFCON where Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbuemo will miss up to seven league matches during the most congested part of the season - something that worries Ste and Rio. They believe the depth of Amorim’s squad is not sufficient without further reinforcements.

Joel is happy with Arsenal’s point at Stamford Bridge and Rio compares the mentality of the Arsenal players to that of his title-winning squads in terms of playing rivals away from home.

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

After analysing Liverpool’s lat 30 matches, Rio is joined by Ste and Joel to discuss the level of pressure that manager Arne Slot is under.

From when they lost to PSG in March, Liverpool have played 30, won 14, lost 13 and drawn 3. Rio (and Ste) believes that the scrutiny the Dutchman is under is significantly less than the pressure placed on Ruben Amorim when he was enduring a similar run of results.

They also look at 3 key reasons behind Liverpool’s poor performances including Ibrahim Konate’s contract situation, the lack of consistency in selection and Virgil Van Dijk suggesting that the team weren’t good in “battles or the fight”.

After going six points clear at the top of the Premier League following a 4-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur - there’s special praise for Trossard, Saka and , of course, Eze - who Rio believes could cause problems for club captain Martin Odegaard when he returns to fitness.

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

Rio travels to Saudi Arabia for an unmissable Rio Meets with Sadio Mané — a rare, honest and emotional conversation showing a side of the Liverpool legend that fans have never seen before.

Mané opens up about his relationship with Mo Salah, how their competitive edge sometimes boiled over, and the truth behind why he almost joined Manchester United before a call from Jürgen Klopp changed everything.

From his early life in Senegal to sharing a dressing room with Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr, Mané reflects on the mentality, humility and drive that have defined his career.

He also credits the influence of Ralf Rangnick on his evolution into a world-class winger, his thoughts on England’s World Cup chances under Thomas Tuchel, and why he’d do something for Bobby Firmino that he wouldn’t for anyone else.

This is Sadio Mané as you’ve never seen him before — raw, reflective and real

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

After England blitzed their qualification to the World Cup, Rio analyses how Thomas Tuchel is building his squad and momentum ahead of the tournament.

The conundrum around the embarrassment of riches in the number 10 position has been a problem that previous manager Gareth Southgate struggled to solve - so Rio lays out how he would set up the team and reserves special praise for captain Harry Kane.

Referencing his time with England as a player, Rio praises Tuchel’s tactical clarity and admits that the so-called ‘Golden Generation’ would have appreciate how clearly the German is approaching his selection.

Are Portugal better without Cristiano Ronaldo? That’s a question that Joel asks Rio who discusses how Roberto Martinez should deal with any potentially tricky narratives after Ronaldo looks set to miss the first two games of the tournament through suspension.

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

Joel Beya and Stephen Howson join Rio to discuss draws for Manchester United and Arsenal and the big match between Manchester City and Liverpool. Before they discuss the game at the Etihad, Rio receives a voice-note from Usain Bolt who raises a few issues about Manchester United’s defending under Ruben Amorim - particularly during the draw at Tottenham.

After dissecting those comments from Bolt, Rio reveals who he thinks the most important Man Utd players are right now and analyses the way that Matthijs De Ligt plays out from the back after Amorim urged him to show more confidence and play riskier passes.

Jeremy Doku was an integral part of Man City’s demolition of Liverpool and Rio analyses why he’s been able to improve his game this season whilst comparing him to Nani in terms of wingers who show incredible talent but lack consistency in their game.

And after Ste adopts some Mikel Arteta tactics around scoring from set pieces, the trio discuss the Wythenshawe Sunday League veterans team that includes Premier League striker Papiss Cisse, title winner Danny Drinkwater and tease a huge new signing they’re expecting to make.

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