The Game

Gab Marcotti and Natalie Sawyer are joined by James Gheerbrant and Oli Kay ahead of a big Premier League weekend and following a footballing week that provided plenty of talking points on and off the pitch.

Tottenham host Manchester United on Sunday. With the Red Devils rampant under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the panel discuss how the Norwegian has built his team around Paul Pogba. And with a further delay on their new stadium, should Spurs be allowed to stay at Wembley for the rest of the season?

A couple of Welshmen are on the move – Nathan Jones has left Luton to become the new Stoke manager. Is he the real deal and are we seeing a trend in clubs steering clear of the tried and tested names?

Plus Aaron Ramsey moves closer to a summer move to Juventus, which the panel deem a gamble for the Old Lady. Are Arsenal counting the cost of their decision to spend big on Mesut Ozil’s new contract a year ago?

Also up for discussion, the Carabao Cup semi-finals. Did VAR get it right at Wembley and was Manchester City’s 9-0 win over Burton an act of disrespect?

Charlie Scott and Paddy von Behr provide their advice ahead of the fantasy football weekend. For free Fantasy Premier League tips from The Sweeper, visit thetimes.co.uk/fantasyfootball 

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Gab Marcotti and Natalie Sawyer are reunited in the studio and are joined by Matt Dickinson and James Gheerbrant after FA Cup 3rd round weekend.

Newport knock out Leicester in the most magical moment of the weekend but why do Premier League clubs, particularly those in mid-table, insist on resting star players when there’s a trophy up for grabs? Should we respect a coach’s right to manage their squad? Should these clubs be more honest with the supporters about what their ambitions actually are and whether league position is more important?

We look ahead to the Carabao Cup semi-finals as Tottenham take on Chelsea. How much longer will Callum Hudson-Odoi be a Blue? And there’s the curious case of Alvaro Morata. Scoring but seemingly unhappy.

Also on the agenda, Chesterfield’s crooked spire. And Roy Hodgson’s aversion to Netflix.

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Natalie Sawyer brings you The Game podcast slightly later than usual – to take in the biggest game of the season so far with Henry Winter, Alyson Rudd and Alan Smith.

Champions Manchester City inflict a first Premier League defeat of the season on league leaders Liverpool at the Etihad, closing the gap at the top to 4 points. Does Jurgen Klopp take encouragement from the level of performance it took from City to beat them?

Pep Guardiola’s men show their guts and intensity, a performance typified by the ‘dog of war’ Bernardo Silva. Will City’s experience prove crucial in this title race?

Speaking of Silva, Marco is struggling across Merseyside right now as Everton have won just 1 of their last 8. Does the Portuguese coach remain a mystery to us in English football?

And Maurizio Sarri has suggested he would like a new striker at Chelsea in January. Meanwhile Christian Pulisic has been signed from Borussia Dortmund, apparently without too much input from the Chelsea manager. Are there cynical reasons behind the signing?

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For the final podcast of 2018, Gab Marcotti and Natalie Sawyer bring you a one-off special, as the great writers at The Times give us their ideas for changing the game of football forever.

What measures and rule changes would we bring in to improve the sport we love? Full-time buzzers? Physios in play? The ball never out of play? Hear from Henry Winter, Alyson Rudd, Oli Kay and many more.

Also on the agenda, VAR, the Super League…and mascots.

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After a Boxing Day full of goals and surprises, Natalie Sawyer is back alongside Alyson Rudd, Alan Smith and Paul Hirst to digest it all.

Manchester City had lost 2 out of 61 Premier League games and have now lost 3 of their last 4 after defeat to Leicester at the King Power Stadium. Are they simply missing the fatherly Fernandinho? And with Liverpool now 7 points clear of the champions, are the Reds only set to improve under Jurgen Klopp?

As for the Foxes, it’s been an incredible Christmas but does Claude Puel’s persona count against him? And does he have the power or is it the players?

Burnley are battered on Boxing Day 5-1 by Everton. Have they lost sense of who they are and how do they turn things around? And is Sean Dyche’s job safe no matter what?

Plus with Tottenham making it 11 goals in 2 games and with this season on course to be the highest scoring season in Premier League history, we ask whether the disparity between the haves and the have-nots is the contributing factor. And outside of Liverpool, is any team actually defending well?

Charlie Scott and Paddy von Behr provide their advice ahead of the fantasy football weekend. For free Fantasy Premier League tips from The Sweeper, visit thetimes.co.uk/fantasyfootball 

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It’s Christmas Eve but Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are hard at work bringing you The Game podcast from The Times with Henry Winter and Gary Jacob.

It’s time to critique an incredible Crystal Palace performance at the Etihad as they beat the champions Manchester City. It’s a result that sends Liverpool 4 points clear at the top of the table but Henry Winter is quick to highlight the humility of Jurgen Klopp’s squad. Including perhaps the most important player in the league, Virgil Van Dijk.

Tottenham thrash Everton 6-2 but how big will the January transfer window be in terms of providing a clue as to Mauricio Pochettino’s future? And how big is the window for the top 4 hopes of Chelsea and Arsenal?

Manchester United put 5 past Cardiff in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first game in charge. Can United be accused of cheating Jose Mourinho or are they just a group of very good players? And has Solskjaer been given the remit to show off some of the lesser seen stars?

Plus we look at Mike Dean’s flamboyant behaviour, Neil Warnock’s hair and Ralph Hasenhüttl in Rocky II.

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In a special episode, Alyson Rudd sits down at Sky Sports with the voice of football - Martin Tyler.

We talk about Martin's days as a non-league striker at Wealdstone, his beginnings in broadcasting and the mechanics and workings of his commentary career. Whether he's stressed in Seville or lauding Rickie Lambert, this is the story of an iconic figure within the game we love as we discuss what makes Tyler tick.

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Gab Marcotti and Natalie Sawyer are joined by Alyson Rudd, Oliver Kay and James Gheerbrant to discuss the biggest football story of the season, that being the sacking of Jose Mourinho as Manchester United manager.

In the eyes of the panel, there’s no conspiracy theory here. Mourinho was given money and support and didn’t deliver the major silverware the club expected. How much damage has been done to his reputation? Where now for one of the game’s most decorated managers? Has the modern manager and modern player left him behind?

Former Fulham defender Brede Hangeland speaks to us about the man who will be caretaker at Old Trafford until the end of the season, his former Norway team-mate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Hangeland tells us he’s never seen one man so influenced by one person as Solskjaer is by Sir Alex Ferguson.

As Tottenham win 2-0 at the Emirates in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, we look at this from the Spurs perspective. Is Mauricio Pochettino to Old Trafford really a no-brainer of a decision? And could Daniel Levy bleed United dry?

Paddy von Behr provides advice ahead of the fantasy football weekend. For free Fantasy Premier League tips from The Sweeper, visit thetimes.co.uk/fantasyfootball 

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Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are in the company of Oliver Kay and Matt Hughes, the morning after Liverpool sweep aside Manchester United at Anfield.

Even if United persist with Jose Mourinho until the end of the season, the panel agree that United need to be putting the groundwork in right now to secure his summer replacement.

As for Liverpool, they remain unbeaten and top of the league. Does Klopp get enough credit for the work he’s done with the squad?

Southampton feel the Hasenhüttl effect to win at St Mary’s for the first time this season and end the Gunners 22-game unbeaten run. Find out why Arsenal’s Bernd Leno is indicative of German goalkeepers.

Plus we have live Champions League draw reaction in the studio as the last 16 match-ups are revealed. Klopp renews an old rivalry, it gets worse for United and Tottenham’s tie is an architect’s dream.

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Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are joined by George Caulkin, Paul Joyce and Bill Edgar ahead of another seismic Saturday and Sunday in the Premier League.

League leaders Liverpool host Manchester United at Anfield, with Jurgen Klopp’s men embracing control over chaos this season. Klopp appears to have cracked it when it comes to the goalkeeper, defence and attack. But will the rotation in midfield be what costs the Reds this season. And as Mourinho renews old rivalries on Merseyside, would Liverpool fans actually want him to leave Old Trafford?

All four English clubs progressed to the last 16 of the Champions League but were we impressed by how they performed? And does their patchy form show what a struggle it is to juggle European football with chasing Manchester City this season?

And as Newcastle head to Huddersfield in a relegation six-pointer on Saturday, George Caulkin talks to us about proposed takeovers, fan boycotts and why January will be so crucial to Rafa Benitez’s future.

Charlie Scott and Paddy von Behr provide their advice ahead of the fantasy football weekend. For free Fantasy Premier League tips from The Sweeper, visit thetimes.co.uk/fantasyfootball 

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