The Clock End Taproom

This is Part Two of our previous episode. Our England World Cup debrief ran much longer than planned, so we've split it into two episodes. If you missed Episode 12, make sure you go back and give it a listen.

In Episode 13, we're back where we belong—talking Arsenal.

Did Arsenal make a mistake by not pushing harder for Morgan Rogers? Should the club still be looking to strengthen on the left wing? Could Vinícius Júnior ever become a realistic target? And, after an already busy summer, what would actually make this a successful transfer window for Mikel Arteta?

🔴 Did Arsenal miss out on Morgan Rogers?
⚪ Who should Arsenal target at left wing?
⭐ Is Vinícius Júnior the dream signing?
📋 What would a successful transfer window look like?
💰 Which areas of the squad still need strengthening?

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The Clock End Taproom — Three mates. One club. Endless opinions. New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.

In this episode:

England's World Cup campaign is over—but where did it all go wrong?

In Episode 12 of The Clock End Taproom, we take an honest look at England's semi-final exit and ask the difficult questions surrounding Thomas Tuchel's start as England manager.

One member of the panel goes as far as saying:

"Fire Tuchel immediately."

Is that a complete overreaction, or are England's tactical issues, lack of identity and decision-making already major concerns?

We also discuss whether England should always have an English manager, question the decision to leave Bukayo Saka on the bench in the biggest game of the tournament, and round off the World Cup by looking back at the final and the tournament as a whole.

🏴 England's World Cup exit debrief
🔥 Should Thomas Tuchel already be under pressure?
🧠 England's tactical problems and lack of identity
🇬🇧 Should England always have an English manager?
🔴 Why didn't Bukayo Saka feature in the semi-final?
🏆 World Cup Final review
⭐ Our final thoughts on the tournament

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New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. 🍺⚽

In this episode:

Welcome to the very first episode of The History of Modern Arsenal, our brand-new series exploring the defining moments that have shaped Arsenal Football Club over the last two decades.

We begin where modern Arsenal began: the move from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium.

Was the eight-year trophy drought simply the inevitable cost of securing Arsenal's future? Or should one of the greatest managers in football history have achieved far more?

In this episode, we look back at one of the most debated periods in the club's history, discussing:

• Why Arsenal left Highbury
• The financial reality behind the Emirates move
• "Fourth Place is a Trophy" – myth or necessity?
• The exodus of Henry, Fàbregas, Van Persie and other stars
• Eduardo's devastating injury and the 2007/08 title collapse
• The changing atmosphere at the Emirates
• Wenger's youth revolution
• The signings of Mikel Arteta and Per Mertesacker and how they helped shape Arsenal's future
• Whether Arsenal became too accepting of mediocrity during the trophy drought

We also introduce a brand-new recurring feature, Defining Player of the Era, as we each debate which player best represents Arsenal between 2006 and the 2014 FA Cup triumph.

Was it Cesc Fàbregas? Robin van Persie? Aaron Ramsey? Or is Arsène Wenger himself the defining figure of the era?

This is just the beginning of our journey through The History of Modern Arsenal, with future episodes covering the final years of Wenger, life after Wenger, the Arteta rebuild and Arsenal's return to challenging for the biggest honours.

If you enjoy the episode, be sure to follow the podcast so you never miss the next chapter.

England are into the 2026 World Cup semi-finals, and now comes the biggest test of the tournament—Argentina.

In Episode 10 of The Clock End Taproom, we look back at England's victory over Norway, review the other World Cup quarter-finals, and preview a mouth-watering clash with Lionel Messi and Argentina.

One of the biggest debates of the episode? We'd actually rather face Messi than Mbappé—and we explain why.

We also discuss Jude Bellingham's incredible tournament and ask whether he's now one of the favourites for Player of the Tournament, before making our predictions for one of the biggest games England have played in years.

🏴 England vs Norway reaction
🇫🇷🇪🇸🇦🇷 Full World Cup quarter-final round-up
🇦🇷 England vs Argentina preview
🐐 Why we'd rather face Messi than Mbappé
⭐ Jude Bellingham's rise to Player of the Tournament contention
🔮 Our semi-final predictions (3-0, 2-1 or penalties?)
🏆 Who reaches the World Cup Final?

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New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday. 🍺⚽

In this episode:

England are into the World Cup quarter-finals after a dramatic victory over Mexico, and we're breaking down everything from an unforgettable night.

We discuss England's performance, the key moments that decided the game, and what it means ahead of the quarter-finals. We also look ahead to the next challenge and ask whether this England side is starting to look like genuine contenders.

We also round up the latest performances from Arsenal's World Cup stars, including Gabriel, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Ødegaard, and look at who has impressed most since the knockout stages began.

In this episode:

• 🏴 England 3-2 Mexico reaction
• 🇬🇧 Are England genuine World Cup contenders?
• ⚖️ Balogun's suspension overturned
• 🔴 Arsenal players' World Cup roundup
• ⭐ Standout performers from the last few days
• 🔮 Quarter-final predictions

If you're enjoying the podcast, please subscribe, leave a rating and share the show—it really helps us grow and reach more Arsenal and football fans.

Mikel Arteta has transformed Arsenal into Premier League champions—but what makes him one of the best managers in football, and where is there still room for improvement?

In Episode 8 of The Clock End Taproom, Dave is joined by Fize and Nath as we wrap up our squad review series by putting the manager himself under the microscope.

This week we discuss:

🔴 Arteta's biggest strength as a manager
📈 His transfer record – the hits, the misses, and the signings that never happened
🧠 Are Arsenal's defensive success and tactical control down to Arteta or the quality of the players?
⚽ Does his system get the best out of Arsenal's attacking talent?
🔄 Squad rotation, substitutions and whether Arsenal's injury record is self-inflicted
💰 Has the level of investment matched the success on the pitch?
🤔 Does Arteta have too much influence over football decisions at the club?

We also look ahead to what Arsenal need to do to stay at the top and whether Arteta can build a team capable of dominating English football for years to come.

Agree with our verdicts, or completely disagree? We'd love to hear your thoughts.

🍺 The Clock End Taproom

Three mates. One club. Endless opinions.

New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.

Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and across social media @ClockEndTaproom.

The group stage is over, so it's time to hand out some awards.

In Episode 7 of The Clock End Taproom, Dave is joined by Fize and Nath to look back on the opening phase of the World Cup and reveal our biggest winners, losers and surprises so far.

This week we hand out awards for:

⭐ Player of the Group Stage
❌ Biggest Flop
⚽ Goal of the Group Stage
🚀 Surprise Team
😴 Most Underwhelming Team

We also discuss the performances of some of football's biggest stars, including Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, debate the standout teams and players, and look ahead to what promises to be a fascinating knockout stage.

Did we get our picks right, or are we completely off the mark?

Pull up a chair, grab a drink and join the conversation.

🍺 The Clock End Taproom

Three mates. One club. Endless opinions.

Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and social media @ClockEndTaproom for new episodes every Tuesday and Thursday.

Are William Saliba and Gabriel the greatest centre-back partnership Arsenal have ever had?

In Episode 7 of The Clock End Taproom, Dave is joined by Fize and Nath as we turn our attention to Arsenal's defence and goalkeepers in the latest part of our squad review series.

We kick things off with our Question of the Week:

🔴 A draft of our favourite Emirates Era Arsenal players. Not necessarily the best players, but the ones we've enjoyed watching the most.

Then we dive into Arsenal's defence.

This week we discuss:

⚽ William Saliba's injury and what it could mean for Arsenal's start to the season
⚽ Who replaces him if he misses the opening games?
⚽ How many points could Arsenal lose without him?
⚽ Whether Arsenal should enter the transfer market for defensive cover

We also look at:

🔴 Ben White's future
🔴 Whether Arsenal need another right-back
🔴 What profile of defender Arteta should be targeting
🔴 Hincapié vs Calafiori
🔴 Whether one will establish themselves as first choice
🔴 Rotation versus specialist roles depending on the opposition

Plus:

🧤 Kepa as Arsenal's backup goalkeeper
🧤 Whether the backup keeper position is really a concern
🧤 How comfortable Arsenal should be with their goalkeeping options

And finally, we tackle one of the biggest Arsenal debates of all:

🏆 Where do Saliba and Gabriel rank among Arsenal's greatest centre-back partnerships?

Can they surpass:

🔴 Adams & Bould
🔴 Adams & Keown
🔴 Campbell & Touré
🔴 Koscielny & Mertesacker

Pull up a chair, grab a drink and join the conversation.

🍺 The Clock End Taproom

Three mates. One club. Endless opinions.

Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and social media @ClockEndTaproom.

Has the expanded World Cup made the tournament better?

In Episode 6 of The Clock End Taproom, Dave is joined by Fize and Nath to discuss England's strong start to the World Cup, Arsenal's players on international duty, and whether the new-look tournament is delivering more entertainment than ever before.

We kick things off with our Question of the Week:

⚽ What are the best and worst things the Americans have brought to football?

From there we dive into England's campaign so far, including:

🔴 England's win over Croatia
🔴 Looking ahead to Ghana
🔴 Declan Rice playing through injuries
🔴 Bukayo Saka's form
🔴 Gordon vs Rashford
🔴 England's centre-back options
🔴 Our England vs Ghana predictions

We also discuss the biggest tournament-wide talking points:

🌍 Why have there been so many goals?
🌍 Are smaller nations adding to the spectacle?
🌍 Is the expanded 48-team format working?
🌍 Are too many teams already qualified or eliminated?
🌍 Head-to-head vs goal difference
🌍 Has the format improved or damaged the final group games?

Plus, we review the performances of Arsenal's players around the World Cup, including Rice, Saka, Havertz, Gabriel, Saliba, Gyokores and more.

Finally, we reveal the players who have impressed us most since our last episode.

Pull up a chair, grab a drink and join the conversation.

🍺 The Clock End Taproom

Three mates. One club. Endless opinions.

Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube and social media @ClockEndTaproom.

Is Martin Ødegaard's form a temporary dip, or is there something more going on?

In Episode 4 of The Clock End Taproom, Dave is joined by Fize and Nath as we take a deep dive into Arsenal's midfield and discuss some of the biggest questions facing Mikel Arteta ahead of the new season.

We kick things off with our Question of the Week:

⚽ If you could add one player from the Invincibles to this Arsenal squad, who would you choose?

Then it's time for our Arsenal midfield review.

This week we discuss:

🔴 Martin Ødegaard's role, form and future
🔴 Whether Arsenal's transfer activity suggests Arteta is looking for something different in midfield
🔴 Myles Lewis-Skelly's best position and long-term role
🔴 Whether MLS could become a regular starter alongside Declan Rice
🔴 Rice as a 6 versus Rice as an 8
🔴 Martin Zubimendi's first season and whether he's the long-term answer next to Rice
🔴 How Arsenal's midfield should be set up going forward

And, perhaps most importantly, we each pick what we believe should be Arsenal's strongest midfield heading into next season.

Pull up a chair, grab a drink and join the conversation.

🍺 The Clock End Taproom

Three mates. One club. Endless opinions.

Follow us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts, and join the conversation on social media @ClockEndTaproom.