The Game Football Podcast The Times

Tony Cascarino and Alyson Rudd took a road trip to see Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp’s penultimate home game in charge. Whatever happened in the car stays in the car. Tom Clarke and Gregor Robertson quiz them on Spurs’ alarming dip in form, and the performance of Harvey Elliot. Tony finally got to ask Klopp a question…
In the title race Haaland and Rice are purring, Gregor is very impressed with the all round contribution of Declan Rice on and off the pitch. Tony thinks Haaland leaps like a salmon!
Elsewhere Chelsea are starting to look like a real team…will it last? And West Ham have agreed personal terms with Julen Lopetegui…
Is relegation now all done and dusted…? And what does it take to survive in the Premier League for promoted teams? 

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 English players star in Europe, but not the ones you might think. Martin Samuel, Gregor Robertson and Tony Cascarino join Tom Clarke to discuss the fluctuating careers of Eric Dier and Jaden Sancho. Will either make the England squad? And why couldn’t Man Utd get the best out of a gifted player?
Hindsight is twenty twenty but Kai Havertz now looks like a bargain at sixty million…Martin thinks he saw it coming. 
Ipswich are on the verge of back to back promotions, where does the achievement of Kieran McKenna rank? With plenty of big clubs looking for new managers will he be near the top of their lists?
A big manager leaving is Jurgen Klopp, what do the panel feel about his final season?
And from a manager whose team amassed 97 points and were runners up, who were some of the greatest teams to finish second…?

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And then there were two… It’s no longer a three-horse race, much to Alyson Rudd’s regret. Alyson joins Tom Allnutt, Gregor Robertson and Tom Clarke to pick over the bones of good wins for City and Arsenal, and touchline altercations for Liverpool and Mo Salah. Could this be the end of the ‘Egyptian King’ at Anfield?
The race for fourth continues to ebb and flow, Villa threw away a two goal lead, but still gained on Spurs. Chelsea and their midfield in particular, confound the panel…again.
Andoni Iraola has taken Bournemouth to their highest ever points total, does he deserve manager of the season?
To finish, its two from three at the bottom. Forest showed form in defeat against City, do Luton have one last push in them? And Burnley, too little to late, or in with a shout…?  

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Martin Samuel and Tom Allnutt join Gregor Robertson to console Tony Cascarino as Liverpool’s title challenge hits the buffers. What can Liverpool’s bad form be put down to, fitness, desire, off field issues? Tony has a hunch… And is Arne Slot the man to right the ship…?
Arsenal have the wind in their sails again can they now go unbeaten for the rest of season…? Chelsea, are a mystery to the entire panel. What will happen to Poch and his erratic team come the summer?
Erik Ten Hag may not be embarrassed but is his tenure coming to an end? Martin can understand his response to the media, Tom isn’t so sure… 

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Gregor Robertson joins Tony Cascarino, Alyson Rudd and Hamzah Khalique-Loonat
to look back on a remarkable FA cup semi final.
Did the last gasp VAR decision deny us an iconic FA cup memory? Gregor and Alyson think yes, ever the realist Hamzah is not so sure. Where does the result leave beleaguered Man Utd fans and their manager? Is an FA cup final enough or was this the final straw for Eric Ten Hag?
The deduction derby at Goodison Park lifted Everton clear of the drop zone, but the real drama came from Nottingham Forest’s ‘X’ account. Has a line been crossed by Forest, casting aspersions on the neutrality of officials?  On the pitch hope for Burnley, but is time up for Luton?
In the title race, good starts to a big week for Arsenal and Liverpool.  
 
 

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Gregor Robertson, Jonny Northcroft and Martin Samuel join Tom Clarke to perform the post-mortem on Man City and Arsenal’s exit from the champions league. Did they just meet better teams or was there any mental fragility or fatigue on show?
Will last nights results have a bearing on the title race, if so, who could benefit?
For Manchester City is the form of Erling Haaland a worry? 21 touches in the whole game and 37 minutes before he completed a pass…
 
Martin has had his head turned by Cole Palmer and it’s given him a bold plan for England.
Finally, a look at the FA cup semi-finals - Chelsea managed to find a negative in a 6-0 win, will they offer any threat to City? For Manchester United is it win or bust for Ten Hag…?  
 

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