The Transfer Flow Podcast

Theodore Knutson

Transfer and team analysis, plus interviews with some of the best in the football business.

  1. 4 HRS AGO

    Chelsea Can't Stop Stepping On Rakes + Will Arsenal Bottle it AGAIN?

    On today's episode, Patrick and Ted break down the North London Derby — how worried should Arsenal really be, and how bad could it get for Spurs? Then they look at two clubs dealing with the fallout of sacking established coaches: Chelsea can't stop stepping on rakes, and Real Madrid have no idea what they are anymore. Plus Nico O'Reilly is turning into a real player, West Ham are quietly terrifying, and football has entered a post-control era. Enjoy! Tickets for The Transfer Flow Conference (May 22, London) are available now for a 10% discount: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1981005227964/?discount=earlybird10 Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTransferFlow Subscribe to our FREE newsletter: https://www.thetransferflow.com/subscribe Join Variance Betting: https://www.thetransferflow.com/upgrade Follow us on our Socials: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe1WTKOt7byrELQcGRSzu1Q X: https://x.com/TheTransferFlow Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetransferflow.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetransferflow/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@transferflowpodcast Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro 00:38 – North London Derby: Arsenal's form and the bottling narrative 05:26 – Is the media manufacturing an Arsenal crisis? 07:06 – Arsenal's injury problems and what Arteta keeps getting wrong 09:25 – Arteta's rotation problem and the fullback injury curse 11:22 – An edge vs. Arsenal? 13:25 – Chelsea & Real Madrid: life after their control-era coaches 17:06 – Chelsea can't stop stepping on rakes 17:48 – Cole Palmer's injury concern and the coaching matters debate 19:16 – Rosenior’s midfield puzzle: Enzo, Andre Santos and Palmer 24:25 – Man United: are we underrating their rebuild? 27:27 – Why overpaying for players submarines clubs for years 32:01 – Nico O'Reilly and Pep's new NBA-style City 36:25 – Is Bernardo Silva done as a Pep staple? 38:28 – Champions League knockouts: why scorelines are getting crazy 39:32 – Football's post-control world 40:08 – West Ham are quietly terrifying 42:35 – Could Spurs actually get relegated? 44:22 – Outro: TTF Conference, Patreon & Variance Betting

    46 min
  2. 4D AGO

    EVERYONE missed on Victor Osimhen + UCL Playoffs Reactions

    On todays episode, Patrick and Hayden take a look at the Champions League Knockout play-offs. We start in Lisbon, where Benfica kept Real Madrid at arm’s length for long stretches before one moment of elite quality decided it. It was low event, tightly controlled, and it raises the same balance questions that still sit over Madrid. Then it’s Galatasaray pulling Juventus apart. Weston McKennie leads the line for Juve, while Victor Osimhen does what he always does — finding shots from nowhere and turning messy phases into goals. From there, we head to Norway, where Bodø/Glimt beat Inter Milan by doing far more than riding a big moment. The pressing was coordinated, the blindside runs were constant, and Inter never really found control. This was structural, not random. We also look at Paris Saint-Germain overwhelming AS Monaco, creating chances at an absurd rate, and whether Atlético Madrid are actually controlling games or just surviving stretches against Club Brugge. Tickets for The Transfer Flow Conference (May 22, London) are available now for a 10% discount: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1981005227964/?discount=earlybird10 Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTransferFlow Subscribe to our FREE newsletter: https://www.thetransferflow.com/subscribe Join Variance Betting: https://www.thetransferflow.com/upgrade Follow us on our Socials: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe1WTKOt7byrELQcGRSzu1Q X: https://x.com/TheTransferFlow Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetransferflow.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetransferflow/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@transferflowpodcast Timestamps: 00:00 Intro & Episode Overview 01:10 Olympiakos vs Leverkusen 01:55 Newcastle vs Qarabağ 03:15 Newcastle's Tactical Identity & Future Matchups 06:22 Dortmund vs Atalanta 07:51 Kovacs & Dortmund's Resurgence 10:02 Benfica vs Real Madrid + Racism Controversy 12:50 Real Madrid's Attack: Vinicius, Mbappé & Trent 16:16 Juventus vs Galatasaray 17:12 Galatasaray's Resilience & Juventus's Defensive Collapse 19:02 Lloyd Kelly & Juventus's Squad Concerns 20:19 Osimhen was missed by everyone 23:06 Weston McKennie: Contract Year & Competitor Mentality 27:07 Bodø/Glimt vs Inter Milan — Major Upset 29:42 Bodø's Tactical Masterclass Breakdown 31:47 Inter's Decline & Chivu's Challenges 34:33 Monaco vs PSG 35:51 PSG's Form & Atlético vs Club Brugge 37:15 Brugge's Width & Atlético's Second-Half Collapse 40:21 Final Thoughts & Round of 16 Predictions 42:50 Outro & Patreon #championsleague #juventus #realmadrid #josemourinho #vinicius #viniciusjr #osimhen #galatasaray #psg #dembele #atleticomadrid #foryou #ucl #fyp

    44 min
  3. FEB 16

    Only ONE team can stop Arsenal in Champions League + UCL Playoff Preview

    Patrick and Ted kick things off with a bit of managerial madness. Tottenham Hotspur turn to Igor Tudor in the middle of a relegation battle, while Nottingham Forest move on from Dyche. Are Spurs actually a Champions League-level squad? Is this dysfunction structural? And what do the underlying numbers really say about Forest’s performances? From there, it’s all about the Champions League playoffs: • Benfica vs Real Madrid: vibes vs tactics, deep blocks, and whether Madrid are quietly stabilising • Borussia Dortmund vs Atalanta BC: chaos merchants collide • Club Brugge vs Atlético Madrid: Simeone volatility and Brugge upset potential • Galatasaray vs Juventus: Turkey away nights and Juve’s quiet resurgence • Olympiacos vs Bayer Leverkusen: Bundesliga instability meets Greek knockout pedigree • AS Monaco vs Paris Saint-Germain: are PSG ominously clicking again? They also dig into how to think about betting edges in volatile leagues, when not to gamble, and who the real Champions League favourite is right now. Enjoy! Tickets for The Transfer Flow Conference (May 22, London) are available now for a 10% discount: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1981005227964/?discount=earlybird10 Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTransferFlow Subscribe to our FREE newsletter: https://www.thetransferflow.com/subscribe Join Variance Betting: https://www.thetransferflow.com/upgrade Follow us on our Socials: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe1WTKOt7byrELQcGRSzu1Q X: https://x.com/TheTransferFlow Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetransferflow.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetransferflow/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@transferflowpodcast Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:23 - Ben Kingsley, Iron Man 3 and Hugh Laurie 03:00 - Ryan Gosling and a correction 04:23 - Pointing fingers 04:58 - Dyche at Forest 05:54 - Spurs appoint Tudor 06:34 - The rift in the Spurs fandom 07:23 - The Heitenga hire 08:33 - They can’t just ignore the UCL 09:05 - Imagine if they got De Zerbi 10:20 - UCL Playoff preview 10:50 - Benfica vs. Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho 11:48 - Haven’t lost in the league but 7 pts from first 12:34 - Mourinho controlling the narrative 13:10 - Special One TV 14:38 - Real Madrid are very getable right now 15:50 - Tactics vs vibes at Real Madrid 17:25 - Issues in the previous game 18:22 - Atalanta vs Dortmund and self control 19:50 - Likely an entertaining game 21:26 - Atalanta spend little time in the middle third 22:46 - Impact of Lookman’s loss + Hoffenheim 23:34 - Club Brugge vs Atletico Madrid 24:58 - Belgium were good last year 26:30 - Brugge also put up 3 on Barcelona 27:10 - A better use of Lookman? 28:42 - Qarabag vs Newcastle 29:20 - Bodo vs Inter Milan 29:35 - Juventus’ improvement and matchup with Galatasaray 31:29 - How do you approach betting with teams from places like Turkey? 34:55 - How do these teams matchup? 36:20 - Monaco vs PSG 38:12 - PSG getting back in form? 38:59 - Luis Enrique has a job for life 40:05 - An outright favorite for the competition? 41:25 - Variance betting for all of your Champions League needs! more coming soon! #psg #arsenal #championsleague #bayernmunich #realmadrid #barcelona #dortmund #intermilan #josemourinho #ucl #tottenham

    44 min
  4. FEB 11

    Why the Next Spurs Manager Will Fail Too + How Do You Fix an Injury Crisis

    Tottenham have sacked Thomas Frank, but will it actually change anything? In this episode we break down why the next Spurs manager could be walking into the same structural problems. From squad construction and midfield imbalance to the injury spiral and long-term strategy, this feels bigger than one coach. We discuss why Frank’s expected “floor” never materialised, what Spurs are missing behind the scenes, and what kind of profile would realistically make sense next. There’s also a wider conversation about injury crises in the Premier League, how clubs get stuck in doom loops, and whether squad building is the real preventative solution. Finally, we take a look at the La Liga title race. Why Barcelona might have the edge over Real Madrid, how style of play matters against low blocks, and what fixture congestion could mean in the run-in. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:14 - Relegation zone math 02:20 - A long time coming for Frank 03:55 - Who will Spurs get next? 04:34 - Spurs must be run better 06:00 - This is a deeper problem 06:33 - Their relegation risk is low 07:02 - A bleak managerial market? 07:57 - They dug themselves into a big hole + Frank’s floor 09:30 - Bad transfer policy 11:40 - Getting points is all that matters for the moment 13:36 - Longer term, who’s willing to take the job? 14:50 - They need an overachiever 15:56 - Set piece problems + the players haven’t quit 18:04 - 12 days until they play Arsenal 18:53 - Remaining schedule 19:47 - Iraola an option? 21:53 - Would he want it and nothing is guaranteed with him 24:00 - Who’s even available? And Xavi talk 25:15 - People who the Spurs job would be appealing to 26:34 - How do you fix the injury doom spiral? 27:33 - 12 players injured for Spurs 28:14 - UCL games causing problems? 30:20 - Planned substitutions 31:10 - Managing injury and relegation at the same time 31:50 - Squad building problems and fatigue 32:40 - How to prevent the injury crisis 34:05 - This got Maresca sacked from Chelsea 35:40 - Chelsea offer a good blueprint 37:10 - Bad spending and who should get sold 38:40 - La Liga title race 39:49 - Real Madrid still haven’t figured out their lineup 40:50 - Half of the league is battling relegation 41:21 - You must be able to break down low blocks 42:35 - 2 extra UCL games for Real Madrid 43:20 - Barcelona have more weapons

    45 min
  5. FEB 9

    Haaland Gets Man City Back in the Title Race + Who’s Getting Relegated

    On this episode of The Transfer Flow, Patrick and Ted break down a chaotic, high-quality clash at Anfield as Manchester City beat Liverpool in a game that felt like a season’s worth of drama packed into 90 minutes. We dig into what City got right, why Liverpool struggled to solve the press, and how a single moment of brilliance nearly changed the story again. From there, we zoom out to the title race and ask whether City are really back, what Arsenal should be focusing on down the stretch, and why controlling games in the Premier League feels harder than ever right now. Along the way, we talk Erling Haaland’s underrated all-around impact, elite goalkeeping across the league, and why nobody ever looks comfortable anymore. In the second half, we get into Newcastle’s worrying drop-off, Eddie Howe’s growing list of problems, and how squad depth (or the lack of it) is shaping seasons at both ends of the table. We also look at the relegation battle, West Ham’s faint hopes of a late escape, and why Forest fans should still be nervous. We wrap things up with listener questions, including a deep dive into “hot hand” theory in football, sweet spots for shooting, and what analytics can (and can’t) tell us about form, finishing streaks, and player development. Tickets for The Transfer Flow Conference (May 22, London) are available now for a 10% discount: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1981005227964/?discount=earlybird10 Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTransferFlow Subscribe to our FREE newsletter: https://www.thetransferflow.com/subscribe Join Variance Betting: https://www.thetransferflow.com/upgrade Follow us on our Socials: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe1WTKOt7byrELQcGRSzu1Q X: https://x.com/TheTransferFlow Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetransferflow.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetransferflow/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@transferflowpodcast Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:33 - Dominik Szoboszlai’s free kick 02:44 - The drama of Liverpool/Man City 04:04 - City’s first half 04:55 - Liverpool on their back foot 05:32 - The quality of players in this match 07:42 - You can’t go hard for 180 minutes every week 08:18 - Sideism for Liverpool? 08:45 - The impact of Haaland 10:53 - Gakpo and Ekitike for Liverpool 11:30 - Pep’s weirdness + Rayan Cherki 12:57 - Late game red card + Is the TItle Race on? 13:44 - City were much stronger in past seasons 14:02 - Eddie Howe and Newcastle 15:15 - Uncalled penalties 16:00 - Newcastle fan’s frustrations 17:10 - Managers need to do less, not more 18:46 - Howe overseeing transfers? 20:01 - Arsenal’s overpayment for depth to win a title 21:02 - Should Arsenal fans be concerned? 22:00 - The other end of the table + faith in Leeds? 23:20 - West Ham’s improvement 24:00 - Will West Ham save themselves? 25:20 - Paco Jemez + Comparing schedules 26:58 - Brentford are flying 27:47 - The Fulham vs Everton game 28:22 - Samuel Chukwueze 29:52 - The crazy goalkeeping in this game 31:22 - Impressive saves across the league 32:18 - Hot Hand Theory 33:45 - Sequencing 34:59 - Tracking shooting training data 36:06 - Creating better players 36:45 - Sweet Spots exist, Hot Hand isn’t provable for us 37:52 - When the streaky players fall off what do we change? 39:34 - Smaller margins across the league now 40:27 - Juventus are evil 41:24 - Will there be a goalkeeper bubble? 42:04 - TTF Conference tickets and a £25,000 talk? #manchestercity #liverpool #premierleague #arsenal #football #epl #soccer #eplnews #manchestercity #haaland #szoboszlai #salah #wirtz #pepguardiola #newcastle #westham #relegationbattle #foryou #fyp

    46 min
  6. FEB 4

    The Good, The Bad & The Ugly of the January Transfer Window

    We wrap up the January transfer window by running through the good, the bad, and the ugly of deadline month. Which clubs actually improved? Who paid too much for short-term fixes? And which moves might come back to haunt teams in a year or two? We get into Aston Villa’s win-now approach, Fulham’s expensive gambles on upside, West Ham continuing their long tradition of confusing striker business, and why Ligue 1 quietly had one of the smartest windows overall. There’s also a look at Endrick’s loan to Lyon, Atlético taking a swing on Obed Vargas, and what these deals say about how clubs are thinking longer term. Tickets for the Transfer Flow Conference are still available via the link below, and you can also find a link to Patrick’s charity trek fundraiser if you’d like to support a great cause. Tickets for The Transfer Flow Conference (May 22, London) are available now for a 10% discount: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1981005227964/?discount=earlybird10 Patrick's Charity Trek: https://www.justgiving.com/page/patrick-van-straaten-1?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTransferFlow Subscribe to our FREE newsletter: https://www.thetransferflow.com/subscribe Join Variance Betting: https://www.thetransferflow.com/upgrade Follow us on our Socials: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe1WTKOt7byrELQcGRSzu1Q X: https://x.com/TheTransferFlow Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetransferflow.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetransferflow/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@transferflowpodcast Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 02:02 - Aston Villa 04:19 - A lot of money spent 05:52 - How quickly can you integrate January moves? 07:01 - These players will help them secure the Champions League spots 07:47 - Tammy Abraham 08:19 - Fulham have added players that don’t help them now 09:25 - Oscar Bobb is promising, but hasn’t shown much 11:13 - Bobb’s numbers haven’t even been great 14:14 - Fulham need to pay for robustness and playing time 14:44 - Raul Jimenez and Chris Wood 16:05 - What Fulham’s bread and butter should be 17:25 - Quinten Timber moves for very cheap 18:48 - French teams have been very savvy 19:53 - Endrick and the young talent at Lyon 21:55 - Endrick’s personality vs. his role 22:48 - Not going to the Premier League is a good choice 23:35 - French teams selling to Saudi 25:56 - Go to Saudi, get paid, and go back at pre-peak age 26:34 - The bad: West Ham 28:28 - Will they regret spending this money? 29:07 - Got a lot of money for Paqueta 30:06 - Could you have gotten the same player 3 years ago? 30:58 - Playing time as a resource 32:22 - Keeping our eye on Crystal Palace 33:13 - The value of Strand Larsen 34:57 - Worry about the McNeil deal? 35:38 - What will Obed Vargas and Ademola Lookman bring to Atleti 38:00 - The Penguin and what he brings 38:50 - If Vargas can add either playmaking or defending then he will be worth multiples #premierleague #transfernews #transferwindow #astonvilla #westham #atleticomadrid #football #soccer #westham #fulham #endrick #lyon #ligue1 #foryou #fyp

    43 min
  7. FEB 2

    Florian Wirtz and Liverpool are BACK + Chelsea's Defense is Broken

    On today’s episode of The Transfer Flow, Patrick and Ted run through transfer deadline chaos and a genuinely weird Premier League weekend. We start with the biggest rumours flying around late in the window, including Curtis Jones to Inter (and why stats people have always loved him), Ademola Lookman’s move to Atlético, Jean-Philippe Mateta’s failed medical, and the increasingly strange career arc of Jhon Durán. From there, we dig into Spurs’ comeback draw against Manchester City and why Pep’s side still look incapable of controlling games for 90 minutes. We also talk Liverpool’s recent surge, whether Florian Wirtz and Xavi Simons have finally cracked the Premier League learning curve, and why City’s second-half numbers should worry everyone. We wrap up with Chelsea’s worrying trendlines under Liam Rosenior, how much beating Napoli matters for him, and what it would take for Chelsea ownership to make a change. Tickets for The Transfer Flow Conference (May 22, London) are available now for a 10% discount: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1981005227964/?discount=earlybird10 Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTransferFlow Subscribe to our FREE newsletter: https://www.thetransferflow.com/subscribe Join Variance Betting: https://www.thetransferflow.com/upgrade Follow us on our Socials: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe1WTKOt7byrELQcGRSzu1Q X: https://x.com/TheTransferFlow Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetransferflow.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetransferflow/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@transferflowpodcast Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:42 - Accidentally going live and the TTF conference! 02:34 - Jeremy Jacquet to Liverpool or Chelsea? 03:36 - Minutes as a resource 05:30 - Xavi Simons and Florian Wirtz have figured something out 06:10 - Rayan Cherki was BALLING this weekend 06:55 - Curtis Jones to Inter Milan 07:57 - Will Liverpool let Curtis Jones go? 09:02 - Did Jones need more minutes than he got? 10:10 - Connor Gallagher and Jones + alternate realities for Jones 11:37 -Jean-Phillipe Mateta’s failed medical 12:53 - Why more players are failing medicals 14:04 - Learning from past players (Umtiti) 15:36 - Unfortunate for Palace 16:47 - The price for Larsen is not great 17:34 - Ademola Lookman to Atletico Madrid 18:31 - The price isn’t too far off 19:57 - Atleti are confident bringing in older players 20:38 - Simeone’s kids and Zidane/Thuram 21:48 - Jhon Duran leaving Fernebache 23:04 - Red Flags 25:47 - Solanke’s goal and Tottenham vs City 26:42 - 1st vs 2nd half stats 27:41 - City can’t defend with the ball anymore 29:25 - Ekitike making the Isak signing look insane 29:49 - Have Liverpool flipped a switch? 31:02 - Liverpool vs City 32:04 - Man United vs Fulham 33:23 - Ted’s Carrick suggestion from last year 33:55 - Chelsea’s trending is becoming concerning 34:37 - Shifting between tactical styles 36:00 - Carabao Cup potentially enough? 36:55 - How patient will Chelsea’s ownership be with Rosenior? 38:33 - Forcing Patrick to read a children’s book

    40 min
  8. JAN 29

    Champions League CHAOS + Palace sign Mateta replacement

    Patrick and Neel break down the Premier League striker market, starting with Crystal Palace’s move for Jürgen Strand Larsen and what it says about how clubs are valuing centre-forwards right now. We also get into Bournemouth’s big bet on Brazilian teenager Rayan, why his profile fits the current state of the league, and whether these physical, shot-heavy forwards are the future or a temporary trend. Then it’s full chaos in the Champions League. Benfica stun Real Madrid, PSG and Newcastle trade blows, and the final day of the league phase turns the table upside down. We look at who benefited, who got burned, what the new knockout bracket means, and who are the real threats for the UCL title. Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTransferFlow Subscribe to our FREE newsletter: https://www.thetransferflow.com/subscribe Join Variance Betting: https://www.thetransferflow.com/upgrade Follow us on our Socials: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe1WTKOt7byrELQcGRSzu1Q X: https://x.com/TheTransferFlow Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetransferflow.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetransferflow/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@transferflowpodcast Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:16 - Strand Larsen to Crystal Palace 02:32 - The player makes sense, not the price 06:05 - Bournemouth sign Rayan 07:58 - A bit of a risk 09:20 - xG and type of shots 10:46 - Tunnel vision 12:17 - What will they do long term? 14:54 - Coaching situation 16:52 - Champions League drama 17:46 - Benfica stun Real Madrid 18:43 - Did Benfica know they needed a goal? 20:00 - Trubin’s goal 20:57 - PSG and Newcastle draw 21:43 - Extra round is huge for domestic competitions 23:12 - Sporting’s last minute win 24:03 - Newcastle will be kicking themselves 25:53 - The format and fixture difficulty 27:28 - Impact of UCL on league titles 30:40 - The draw friday and potential matchups 31:36 - Real Madrid’s quarterfinal odds 32:50 - The potential for lopsided sides of the draw 34:38 - Teams who will be tough outs 35:37 - Traditional powers aren’t particular good at the moment 36:35 - City’s threat over 2 legs 37:36 - PSG didn’t look dangerous at this time last year 38:33 - EPL teams or Bayern look the favourites #championsleague #realmadrid #barcelona #psg #premierleague #bayernmunich #arsenal #mancity #crystalpalace #epltransfers #epl #transfernews #football #soccer

    41 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Transfer and team analysis, plus interviews with some of the best in the football business.

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