Summer of Soccer - by Big Soccer Preview

Grab your popcorn, lock away your daughters, and prepare your meat pie tributes: Big Sam Allardyce is back in the Premier League! The moment we've all been waiting for has finally arrived, and we have Leeds United to thank. Adam and Jordan discuss whether the big man can save Leeds from relegation or whether they are already preparing for life in the Championship. And since Big Sam thinks of himself on the same level as Pep and Klopp, we might as well talk about them, too. Despite Liverpool's late show winner against Spurs, Klopp could still be seeing red, while City continue their title charge behind record goal scorer and all around super human Erling Haaland. Chelsea's woes continue, Newcastle keep surging and West Ham are in a spot of bother.

All is not well in the northern London boroughs. Adam and Jordan recap the weekend as Tottenham are reaching new heights of Totten.....hamness after a 6-1 defeat to Newcastle, followed by owner Daniel Levy's club statement admitting that he bears ultimate responsibility. And that's why he sacked his second manager of the season and we're onto number three. Meanwhile, Arsenal are watching their title hopes slip away one result at a time, first in a head scratching 3-3 draw with Southampton, followed by a 4-1 loss to, you guessed it, Man City. Adam marvels at West Ham's sudden turnaround, and they briefly recap a weekend of FA Cup semifinals to set up the first Manchester Derby Final in the competition's storied history.

If you found yourself with that familiar sinking feeling this week, don't worry because you're not alone. After Arsenal's Anfield collapse against Liverpool, that feeling is hitting everyone hard: Man City are gonna bloody win this again, aren't they?

Should that be the case, Adam and Jordan will be here with you, which upon typing out is not as much of a consolation as I had first imagined. This week, they take a look at that showdown on Merseyside, ponder if Dean Smith's appointment at relegation-threatened Leicester City is akin to a visit from the Grim Reaper, marvel at Crystal Palace's 5 goal display against Leeds (you go get'em, Uncle Roy!) and break down the rest of the Premier League from this very fine Easter Weekend. Also, Adam tells us about a new summer thing to look forward to: The Socer Tournament!

Scott Parker, Bruno Lage, Jesse Marsch, Conte's gone, Thomas Tuchel, Hasenhuttl, Lampard and Gerrard;

Graham Potter times 2, Nathan Jones, Rodgers too, Simon Cooper's on the block, HOW DOES MOYES STILL HAVE A JOB!?!? WE DIDN'T START THE FIRE!

This week, Adam and Jordan sink their teeth into West Ham 1, Newcastle 5. They also cover a few other results, including City running rampant against Liverpool and Newcastle's big battle with Manchester United. But -- as the intro suggests -- this week is all about the managerial chaos of the Premier League. And remember, don't cry for Graham Potter. He's a few million pounds richer and all he had to do was lose a few football matches. What a life, eh?

Just when you thought they couldn't possibly do it, Tottenham go full Spursy. Jordan and Adam are here to break down the Spurs meltdown ahead of a huge weekend in the Premier League. The climax to another season is upon us, and there's everything to play for. It's the closest relegation fight in recent memory with no fewer than 9 clubs involved in the scrap. The ultimate race for Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League involves Spurs, Man United, Newcastle, Liverpool, and even Brighton. And finally, Arsenal hold a formidable lead against the one team you could possibly imagine catching them, with the one manager who you'd bet on getting his team back in a title fight, and the one player you'd want in your squad when facing such a formidable task. Ladies and gentlemen: welcome to the spring.

Whelp, Mount Conte finally blew its top and may have taken Spurs' entire season with it. Adam and Jordan discuss Antonio Conte's epic, and surely managerial saga ending, rant following Tottenham's 3-3 draw against bottom of the table Southampton this weekend. How has he not been sacked by now? That's surely on the way, and yet on the flip side, Crystal Palace go full scorched earth and decide to eliminate Patrick Vieira from this Premier League season. What's more, they decide, what the f**k, let's appoint our oldest manager in club history twice over, the man, the myth, the legend, he remembers English football when the UK wasn't part of Europe the first time around, Roy Hodgson. There's FA Cup quarterfinals to recap, including Mitrovic's meltdown at Old Trafford when Fulham took on Man United. And finally, there's the matter of England and USA games to look forward to as we endure our final international break of the season.

We're back! Sorry to miss a week, but Adam and Jordan are here to recap it all in their natural, chaotic and impossible-to-be-scripted manner. This week starts with a look at the suddenly less glamorous fortunes of Manchester United as they absorb THAT result from Anfield and another red card for star man Casemiro. Then it's time to look at the tightening race for Europe and the Arsenal-Puma-Kit tight (IYKYK) race to stave off relegation that involves no fewer than 9 teams at the moment. Adam also offers a rather bleak outlook for his West Ham. They also look ahead to the FA Cup quarterfinal weekend to come, and explain why Violette AC should be everyone's new favorite thing. Sorry not sorry, Austin.

This week, it's a League Cup recap special with Adam, Jordan, and mystery guest! Or probably more like "mystery" guest. Anyways, our "mystery" guest breaks down Manchester United's amazing run under Erik Ten Hag, capped off with the club's first trophy win. Jordan ponders if Newcastle have reached as high as they can in this current phase of the Saudi money influx. Adam revels in West Ham's sudden goal scoring ability (don't use them up all at once, lads!) even after the Hammers fall in the FA Cup to, you guessed it, Manchester f***ing United. Then, it's time to pull back the West London curtain and look into why Chelsea have been struggling so much, and what can realistically be done about it. The guys also take some time to ponder the worst haircuts in Premier League history, recap the FA Cup 5th round, and look ahead to another fantastic weekend of English football.

We at We Ate All the Pies are saddened by the passing of legendary football commentator John Motson. For Brits, he was the voice of BBC Match of the Day; for Americans, he was THE commentator for several editions of the FIFA video game series. But everyone will recognize his classic voice. We will all miss his exclamations and his comforting method of taking an audience through a match. But mostly, we will miss the joy he brought to every game. The best way to carry on now is to find as much joy in the matches and moments of this beautiful game as Motty did every week. RIP, you legend of the gantry.

Caleb is off this week, so Jordan and Adam take some time to rant about their clubs (especially Adam, so get ready for a lot of Hammers rage). They preview the League Cup final between an expectant Newcastle and a red hot Manchester United. A discussion of English clubs' bad week in Europe turns into a session on how to fix Liverpool, and we peer down the table to see who is moving closer to the Premier League Moon Door. Also, MLS is back! Wooo!

Hey. Sorry it's been a while since the last episode. For time's sake, it was basically a combination of an ice apocalypse, being in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, and COVID. But everyone is back this week, and how things have changed! Since we last left you, Man City have now taken top spot in the Premier League. Adam, Caleb, and Jordan pour over the Arsenal-City fallout, and a discussion of City's off-field issues leads us to wonder how English football can financially be saved. Leeds have relieved Jesse Marsch of his managerial duties, and then Southampton tried to pick him up which makes about as much sense as hiring Nathan Jones to run your Premier League club. Finally, we look ahead to another big weekend of Premier League football and finally get back around to Top Shelf Picks!

*Editor's Note: Jordan's audio was a bit wonky this week since his internet decided to crap out at the last minute. So if it sounds weird, the answer is no he was not out on the lash with Alan Shearer last night, though I'm sure that's where he would have liked to have been.