The Game Football Podcast The Times

You thought we were done, didn't you? No chance. Martin Samuel has returned to the office just to say hello (but mostly to get his laptop fixed). Tom Clarke takes the opportunity to get his views on the final and who comes after Southgate, if Southgate leaves. 
And now we're fully over England's loss (we are, promise), Tom Clarke, Tom Allnutt and Gregor Robertson look back over the tournament in full to pick their favourite moments and pick The Game's Euros XI. 
We really are done now, for a couple of weeks at least. Stay tuned for the new season...


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

So near and yet so far…for the second Euros in a row England are runners up. A team and a nation left bereft.
Tom Clarke, Gregor Robertson, Alyson Rudd and Hamzah Khalique-Loonat try to make sense of where it went wrong for England. Was the captain fit, why couldn’t they retain the ball and were they always a safety-first team?  What on earth do England need to get over that final hurdle!?
Spain are the first team to win every game at a Euros, so can England really complain, the best team won didn’t they?
Where now for a team of world stars and a manager loved by his players but perhaps now doubted by many fans. Was getting to the final enough, or did performance and silverware matter? Many questions, but for now, few answers… just disappointment.

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

It's finally here: England v Spain. One more for European glory. All eyes on Berlin. Still, there's plenty of time to debate who should start at left back. Tom Clarke is joined by Martin Samuel, Gregor Robertson and Jonathan Northcroft, who's very excited, or in his words has a 'frisson of interest'. 
If England win, IF, could Southgate stay? If he doesn't, who is there to replace him? How do England stop this high flying Spain side? 
And don't worry, we'll be there for you after the game, no matter what. 

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

If it really is coming home, England will need to beat Spain. Tom Clarke is joined by Ian Hawkey, Tom Allnutt and Gregor Robertson for a Spanish deep dive in the first of two final preview shows. 
How much credit does Spain's manager, Luis de la Fuente, deserve for their success? Why has it seemingly clicked for Spain more than any other team in the tournament? And what are their weaknesses (good news for England fans, there are a few)?
¡Está volviendo a casa!

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

Chief sports writer Owen Slot is England’s lucky charm. He has covered the whole tournament but until the semi-final he hadn’t covered England. He turned up and they put in their best performance and won. He’s booked for the final.
Tom Clarke joins Owen to discuss the atmosphere around the England team, the depth and togetherness of the squad and England manager Gareth Southgate.  
Owen then gives a behind the scenes look at life on the road covering a tournament, from the sheer joy of a football festival in Europe, with thousands of fans and without covid; to the Romanian soul generation and terrible eggs. 

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

They’ve done it, and what a way to do it! Another last minute, last gasp winner, this time from Ollie Watkins. Weston-Super-Mare to the Euros final, yes!
Gregor Robertson, Jonathan Northcroft and James Gheerbrant join Tom Clarke to react to a fantastic win and – say it quietly – a good performance.
Does this vindicate the approach of Gareth Southgate; another final, the first on foreign soil, surely, he gets the credit? Not so fast…Gregor doesn’t want to re write history just yet.
We’ll worry about Spain tomorrow, first, let’s look at how England won and put in a performance to be proud of…dodgy penalty aside.  

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