In a special bonus episode of the pod, Aussie stars Massimo Luongo and Cameron Burgess spoke withMark Schwarzer about their rise through the ranks of English football, culminating with promotion to the Premier League with Ipswich Town. The Tractor Boys also address the job former 'Roos boss Ange Postecoglou is doing at Tottenham, the impression many have of Australians at the top level, their Socceroos ambitions and more.

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Listen to Optus Sport's award-winning limited series: Football Belongs, charting the cultural threads of Australian society through the lens of nine football matches:

Acast: https://play.acast.com/s/football-belongs

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2AzBek8ub2oEsWLYHWetg7

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/football-belongs-australias-football-identity-by-optus/id1543067162

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It's finally happened: Manchester United have sacked Erik ten Hag!

The news broke a few hours after the original podcast record, so Schwarzie and Phil jumped on for an emergency reaction to the news at the start of the pod!

They're then joined by Julien Laurens for the rest of the podcast discussing all the weekend's Premier League action:

• Who will be the happier after Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool?
• Bukayo Saka: undervalued?
• Manchester City's long unbeaten run
• 'Ridiculous' VAR decision puts Erik ten Hag in deeper trouble
• How Manchester United are 'rewarding mediocrity' by keeping ten Hag
• A love letter to high flying Chris Wood and Nottingham Forest
• Schwarzie digs himself in a deep hole talking about New Zealand

The guys also discuss the worst debuts in football, following Harry Clarke's disaster for Ipswich Town at the weekend.

Every match of the Premier League is live and exclusive on Optus Sport.

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Schwarzie, Phil and Bridgey are back to preview the weekend's Premier League action with their hot takes:

• Phil thinks Liverpool will 'wipe the floor with Arsenal'...2-1
• Schwarzie reckons Dejan Kulusevski will be in the team of the season!
• Bridgey believes Man City will pile the misery on for Southampton and Russell Martin.

The guys also tell you why you should get up in the middle of the night for Everton v Fulham, whilst Michelle and Ash give their hot takes ahead of the conclusion of the NWSL season.

Every match of the Premier League and NWSL is live and exclusive on Optus Sport.

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

Schwarzie and Phil are joined by a bullish Bridgey this week as he clashes with them on more than one of weekend's VAR decisions. 

The guys discuss:

• How Arne Slot has perfect adapted Klopp's Liverpool
• Kelleher 'is ready' to put pressure on Alisson
• The rise and rise of Virgil van Dijk
• Should the Man City winner have been chalked off?
• Are Man City struggling without Rodri?
• Whether ill discipline will cost Arsenal the title
• Should Saliba have been sent off?
• A return to winning ways for Spurs and Manchester United
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Bridgey also speaks candidly about how injuries effected him throughout his career, admitting how a mental block stopped him from going into challenges. Meanwhile Michelle and Ash reflect on the weekend of WSL action, and whether there is any stopping Chelsea under Sonia Bompastor.

Every game of the Premier League and WSL is live and exclusive on Optus Sport.

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

Mark, Phil and Juls are back with their hot takes ahead of the return of the Premier League this weekend:

• Phil reckons two Premier League managers will be sacked after this weekend!
• Schwarzie believes there will be FIVE goals in Liverpool v Chelsea
• Juls leaves everyone gobsmacked with his opinion that Manchester United will win a game of football

We also hear from Ange Postecoglou after he chatted with Schwarzie at the Spurs training ground this week.

Every game of the Premier League is live and exclusive on Optus Sport.

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

This week, Schwarzie is back in the host's chair with Phil and Juls as they reflect on the international break so far:

• Phil is basking in the glory of predicting a Greece win over Lee Carsley’s 'pathetic' England - which Juls labels: 'a circus'!
• What's next for England? Could Pep Guardiola or Thomas Tuchel be in the mix to replace Carsley?
• Is this Greece’s best team in a generation?
• Schwarzie gives his view on the Socceroos' first game under Tony Popovic
• Is Zumbimendi the second best midfielder in the world?
• Michelle and Ash are back with a WSL update as Chelsea's big win over a faltering Arsenal raises eyebrows about Jonas Eidevall’s future.

The guys also tackle the topic of player welfare—stating overworked footballers might just ‘boycott and strike’ if things don’t change!

Every match of the Premier League and WSL is live and exclusive on Optus Sport.

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

The panel are drawn into national bias during this week's Optus Sport Hot Takes as Phil Kitromilides and Thomas Sorensen back their homelands to cause an upset during the international break. Meanwhile, Julien Laurens doesn't even believe his own opinion as Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo come head-to-head at the weekend.

The guys also discuss the Socceroos' chances under new manager Tony Popovic, whilst Michelle and Amy give us their predictions ahead of a mouthwatering clash at the Emirates in the WSL.

Every Nations League and WSL match is live on Optus Sport.

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Schwarzie has taken the international break a little too literally, as this week Phil is in the host's chair joined by Thomas Sorensen and Julien Laurens. The three of them reflect on the Premier League heading into the international break:

• A post-mortem on Ange's 'worst result' as Spurs manager
• Will Ten Hag manage another Premier League match for Manchester United?
• Liverpool flying high
• Alisson's injury worries
• Which style of play is best in the Premier League?

Following Vítězslav Jaroš making his Liverpool bow at the weekend, Thomas Sorensen reminisces about his surprise international debut. Michelle and Amy also bring us up to date with all the weekend's WSL action.

Every match of the Premier League and WSL is live and exclusive on Optus Sport.

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

'Hot Takes' is back this week with Mark Schwarzer, Phil Kitromilides and Michael Bridges previewing the weekend's Premier League action. We also get some more Hot Takes from Michelle and Ash ahead of matchweek two of the Barclays Women's Super League.

This week: 

• Can Everton make it back-to-back wins in the Premier League!?
• Jadon Sancho hasn't scored a Premier League goal for 18 months. Will that change this weekend?
• Schwarzie proclaims: "Erik ten Hag WILL be sacked!"
• The Barclays Women's Super League is into matchweek three and Ash & Michelle are expecting lots of goals with their Hot Takes!

Optus Sport's Hot Takes will drop ahead of every matchweek during season 2024/25!

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Schwarzie, Phil and Bridgey reflect on another tough day at the office for Manchester United and Erik ten Hag, discussing:

• Where it went wrong for Manchester United against Spurs
• How Ange has been vindicated by this result at Old Trafford
• Bruno Fernandes' red card controversy
• The rise and rise of Micky van de Ven
• Phil literally sings Dejan Kulusevski's praises
• The Premier League title race
• How will Man City cope without Rodri?
• Why Chelsea must replace Robert Sanchez
• 'Cold' Palmer's four goals
• Arsenal looking like title challengers

We also get an update on the second round of the WSL season, whilst Antoine Griezmann's name pops up on the pod once more as he announces his retirement from international football.

Every game of the Premier League and WSL is live and exclusive on Optus Sport.

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