Don’t call it a comeback; much like ourselves, many famous footballing icons have came back when you least expect them. Like an ex sending you a “Happy New Year! :)” message, a return to familiar territory can be a risk and a comfort.

So from Mourinho and Drogba to Ramos and Peter Thompson, we look at our favourite footballing comebacks, and what makes the romance of it all so great.

The England B Team may not be podcasting as much anymore, but we’re very open to collabs, projects and whatever else you have in mind.

Big love x

Check out Joe on the Guiricast Podcast, wherever you get your podcasts!

Check out Gareth on The Inline G Flute Podcast in the same places.

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

We pit our obscure football knowledge against each other thanks to our friends over at The Football Game Co. How many forwards who played for Aston Villa can you name in 7 seconds? Does Adam Lallana count as a striker? And how did we forget Neil Mellor!?

If you fancy a copy of the game, remember to use our code ENGLANDB20 for a tasty wee discount. 

Cheers,

Joe and Gareth x

IG: @EnglandBTeamPod, @garethhoustonflute and @joefutbol96

TikTok: @englandbteampodcast,@joefutbol96 and @garethhoustonflute

Twitter: @EnglandBTeamPod

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

This summer’s European Championships are coming to our adopted country of Germany, so join us as we discuss how football is coming home, the eternal dark horses of Croatia, how the Germans will line up and a few tips for those of you travelling to Köln for the games.

Cheers,

Joe and Gareth x

IG: @EnglandBTeamPod, @garethhoustonflute and @joefutbol96

TikTok: @englandbteampodcast,@joefutbol96 and @garethhoustonflute

Twitter: @EnglandBTeamPod

Chapters:

0:00 - Reflection on Bayer Leverkusen’s last week

6:50 - How Football Comes Home

11:43 - Germany and France

15:07 - Dark Horses 

27:41 - Best Player, Young Player and Top Scorer

35:16 - Advice for Fans Travelling to Köln/Germany

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

Remember way back on August 9th when we predicated what was to come for this Premier League season? Well, here at the England B Team, we don't shy away from responsibility. So join us as we hold our hands up and admit where we might have went a little wrong (and in some cases, even a little right) as we look back at our predictions and another Premier League Season.

Cheers,

Joe and Gareth x

IG: @EnglandBTeamPod, @garethhoustonflute and @joefutbol96

TikTok: @englandbteampodcast,@joefutbol96 and @garethhoustonflute

Twitter: @EnglandBTeamPod

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

The rules are simple; a combined, All-Time XI from Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland. A maximum of 4 players from each nation, and a minimum of 2. 

Some names on this list have picked themselves (Georgie Best, we’re looking at you) however others had us arguing a bit (Robertson at left-back!?)

Give it a go yourselves and let us know what you’d do differently.

Cheers,

Joe and Gareth x

IG: @EnglandBTeamPod, @garethhoustonflute and @joefutbol96

TikTok: @englandbteampodcast,@joefutbol96 and @garethhoustonflute

Twitter: @EnglandBTeamPod

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

From Vollborn to Hradecky, to Kirsten and Havertz; Bayer 04 have never been short of a World-Class player or 2. But can we fit them all into an All-Time Greatest Eleven?

With Gareth taking the more historic route, and Joe opting for the club’s recent success; we’ve built our own individual teams of the finest players Die Werkself has ever had. 

(We might have to come back and update this list come end of May, but for now this is how it stands)

Cheers,

Joe and Gareth x

IG: @EnglandBTeamPod, @garethhoustonflute and @joefutbol96

TikTok: @englandbteampodcast,@joefutbol96 and @garethhoustonflute

Twitter: @EnglandBTeamPod

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

Gareth Southgate is, in almost every measurable sense, England’s most successful manager. On this episode, we’re looking at common criticism of Southgate, and debunk them one by one. 

We look at how Didier Deschamps faced identical issues as France manager yet proved the nay-sayers wrong, and the historic role of the English Media in lambasting their National Managers. 

We’re firmly Team Southgate here on The England B Team Podcast; give us half an hour and you will be too. 

Cheers,

Joe and Gareth x

IG: @EnglandBTeamPod, @garethhoustonflute and @joefutbol96

TikTok: @englandbteampodcast,@joefutbol96 and @garethhoustonflute

Twitter: @EnglandBTeamPod

Chapters: 

0:00 - Welcome back, you lovely lot

2:52 - The English Media and THAT Flag Controversy

6:30 - Providing Context; Previous Managers

13:46 - A likeable England team!?

19:22 - Southgate v Deschamps

24:47 - Alternatives?

31:45 - A Final Passionate Plea to the English

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

The tradition of a team song for the FA Cup Final was a great one; images of uncomfortable players in a recording studio, headphones on, joined by a local pop star are iconic. But where did the tradition actually start, and when did it officially end?

From the 1970s hit “Blue is the Colour” right through to Arsenal’s Hot Stuff and the infamous Anfield Rap; we take a look at the FA Cup Final Song tradition and our personal favourites from it. 

Cheers,

Joe and Gareth x

IG: @EnglandBTeamPod, @garethhoustonflute and @joefutbol96

TikTok: @englandbteampodcast,@joefutbol96 and @garethhoustonflute

Twitter: @EnglandBTeamPod

Chapters: 

0:00 - England B and The BBC

3:52 - What is an FA Cup Final Song?

5:30 - Blue is the Colour and Maggie Thatcher

10:15 - Our Top 5

11:02 - Spurs with Chas and Dave

13:08 - United with Status Quo

14:35 - The ’97 Final 

18:17 - Arsenal’s Hot Stuff

20:58 - The Anfield Rap

29:04 - Sergio Ramos and other Music Careers

35:00 - An Update to The England B Team

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

From Shevchenko at Chelsea, to Nacho Novo at Glentoran; nobody is ever prepared for a football flop. But what causes a player to "flop"? And is the term overused?

This week we take a dive into the factors contributing to a player's underperformance, and what the criteria are to be considered a flop.

Cheers,

Joe and Gareth x

IG: @EnglandBTeamPod, @garethhouston_flute and @joefutbol96

TikTok: @englandbteampodcast,@joefutbol96 and @garethhoustonflute

Twitter: @EnglandBTeamPod

Chapters:

0:00 - What's on the menu today?

3:35 - Factors that cause flopping

7:20 - Biggest Transfers of all time, flops?

13:45 - Empathy on the England B Team

14:50 - Nacho Novo and Djemba-Djemba

19:10 - Freddy Adu

23:04 - Andriy Shevchenko

26:05 - Kerlon (The Seal Dribble)

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

Welcome back to Season 2 of The England B Team Podcast! We’ve got a new set of threads as we gear up to take this podcast to the next level in 2024. 

But to kick the New Year off, we’ve got a topic very close to our wee adopted German hearts; Crazy German Goalkeepers.

From Oliver Kahn getting arrested three times in one day for speeding (in 2 different countries) to Jens Lehmann taking a chainsaw to his neighbours tree, the Germans do an unhinged keeper better than anyone. 

Also a huge thank you to Gareth Gra for our new logo, intro video and anything else you see new in our graphic designs. You can find his website at ggra.me or hit him up on IG @garethgra

Cheers,

Joe and Gareth x

IG: @EnglandBTeamPod, @garethhouston_flute and @joefutbol96

TikTok: @englandbteampodcast,@joefutbol96 and @garethhoustonflute

Twitter: @EnglandBTeamPod

Chapters:

0:00 - New Year, New Threads, New Us

2:30 - Germany and Goalkeepers

3:47 - Why are goalkeepers unhinged?

9:28 - The Psychological Competencies of a keeper

13:28 - German Football Culture doesn’t help

18:20 - Jens Lehmann

23:25 - Oliver Kahn

27:08 - Hans-Jörg Butt

28:08 - Sepp Maier

28:26 - Harald Schumacher

29:29 - Tim Wiese

32:40 - Manuel Neuer

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