1,041 episodes

The Game is the premier football podcast from The Times, with the finest writers previewing and reviewing all the action throughout the 2023/24 season. Twice a week, Gregor Robertson and Tom Clarke speak to the leading football writers from The Times and The Sunday Times, offering unparalleled analysis of the latest results and commentary on emerging issues. 
On Mondays, Alyson Rudd, Tom Roddy and Tony Cascarino review the weekend's action and on Thursdays Martin Samuel tackles the biggest issues of the week alongside the likes of Jonathan Northcroft and Ian Hawkey.
Subscribe to The Times to enjoy our award-winning sports journalism on your smartphone or tablet. Just search The Times online.

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The Game Football Podcast The Times

    • News
    • 3.7 • 249 Ratings

The Game is the premier football podcast from The Times, with the finest writers previewing and reviewing all the action throughout the 2023/24 season. Twice a week, Gregor Robertson and Tom Clarke speak to the leading football writers from The Times and The Sunday Times, offering unparalleled analysis of the latest results and commentary on emerging issues. 
On Mondays, Alyson Rudd, Tom Roddy and Tony Cascarino review the weekend's action and on Thursdays Martin Samuel tackles the biggest issues of the week alongside the likes of Jonathan Northcroft and Ian Hawkey.
Subscribe to The Times to enjoy our award-winning sports journalism on your smartphone or tablet. Just search The Times online.

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

    Who makes England’s final squad? And the greatest ever club side…?

    Who makes England’s final squad? And the greatest ever club side…?

    Is this Madrid team the greatest ever in club football? After winning their fifteenth European cup could you argue they have three of the best five players in the world. With them also set to sign Kylian Mbappe can any team get close to them?
    Jose Mourinho is back, this time at Turkish side Fenerbahçe…will it be a marriage made in heaven or a tempestuous affair?  
    Gregor Robertson, Tom Allnutt and Tony Cascarino discuss who goes to Germany and who goes home from the initial England squad.

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    • 44 min
    Are all modern managers the same?

    Are all modern managers the same?

    It’s been a long season…but it’s not over just yet.
    Some very big clubs are looking for new managers and some big managers are available. So, who goes where?
    Jonny Northcroft, Gregor Robertson and Martin Samuel join Tom Clarke to take a closer look at potential appointments.
    With Maresca looking likely to leave Leicester, where does that leave the football league champions? Wayne Rooney has been given a chance at Plymouth…is it warranted?
    Ahead of this weekend, Martin Samuel has been to meet Carlo Ancelotti, a great coach and a true gentleman.
    With the Euros only two weeks away a quick look at England’s road to being joint favourites for the tournament.
    Finally, Martin and Jonny are off to Germany. From there they’ll be part of daily episodes of ‘The Game’ where you can get the inside track on the tournament from all the regular panellists. Please follow to make sure you don’t miss an episode.
     
    PS – what is a resting bitch face…?

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    • 1 hr 2 min
    Managers on the move and a Ten Hag triumph

    Managers on the move and a Ten Hag triumph

    On Friday Erik Ten Hag was supposedly out of a job. By Saturday evening the jury was out again. After a gripping FA Cup final, with a performance and result which surprised almost everyone could Ten Hag still be the man for the job?
    A very busy Manchester reporter Paul Hirst joins James Gheerbrant, Gregor Robertson and Tom Clarke to look at what happens next at Old Trafford? There seems to be a four-man shortlist, but none of the candidates convince the panel…
    Gregor was at the richest game in football as Southampton beat Leeds in a tight play off final. Will Russell Martin be in contention for any of the managerial vacancies?
    Finally, who is on Chelsea’s shortlist? McKenna was, now he isn’t; but would any ambitious young manager want to step into the chaotic situations at Manchester United, Chelsea or Bayern Munich?

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    • 51 min
    Managerial merry-go-round and how to beat City…

    Managerial merry-go-round and how to beat City…

    Two minutes in and player of the season Phil Foden puts City one up. Title race over. Great player, great team. Tom Clarke, Alyson Rudd, Tony Cascarino and Gregor Robertson consider why City are so good, how other teams can compete and if Foden and Bellingham can play together for England.
    After a very good season, where do Arsenal go next, a striker, a left back…?
    Gregor is off to watch the championship play off final, often a cagey affair; will Leeds Southampton buck the trend?
    After the break a thorough look at some big impending managerial changes. De Zerbi leaves Brighton, could he end up at Man Utd or will Ten Hag be given more time. Poch appears very unsure of his future at Chelsea and how will Slot compare to Klopp…?
     
    We’re having a break on Thursday. We’ll be back on Monday to review the FA cup final and play off final.

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    • 1 hr 2 min
    Is it ever ok not to support your team?

    Is it ever ok not to support your team?

    When is a fan not a fan? Tom Clarke, Tony Cascarino, Martin Samuel and Gregor Robertson discuss the bizarre atmosphere at the Tottenham stadium on Monday night as some Spurs fans struggled to cheer on their team against Man City.
    After Spurs didn’t do Arsenal a favour, could West Ham in the final game? In a word the universal opinion is… no.
    Premier League clubs meet next week to discuss the future of VAR…Martin has a simple solution; we need better humans. The discussion gets heated, proving the point that it is a very subjective business.
    Finally, Tony belatedly offers his alternative team of the season.

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    • 1 hr
    The best alternative team of the season ever!

    The best alternative team of the season ever!

    Arsenal have taken the title race to the final week of the season. But as Man City find their form on the run in, will it matter…?
    Aside from the title race Manchester United kept the score respectable at Old Trafford, but it was yet another lamentable performance from a club in the doldrums. What now for Casemiero et al?
    Tom Allnutt is confident that most Spurs fans will not want them to beat City, so handing Arsenal the title…Alyson Rudd isn’t so sure.
    Gregor Robertson witnessed the discontent at the City ground as Forest stay up but almost because of three worse teams then because of their own efforts.
    After the break it is ‘Tom Clarke's fun time’ as he makes everyone pick an alternate team of the season with a player from eleven different teams…which one player will make it from City and Arsenal and where will the other nine come from…?

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    • 48 min

Customer Reviews

3.7 out of 5
249 Ratings

249 Ratings

NorCalStickyIcky ,

Allyson is too smart

I think she just tries to say the most ridiculous thing possible and then tries to use words to back it up. I don’t actually think she believes half of what she says. I really think it’s just a sign of intelligence or at the very least boredom that she does it. But I swear that’s what she does.

cjhermanns ,

Stopped my regular listening

I started listening again after the blowhard Hugh Woozencroft moved on. Unfortunately now we have blowhard Martin Samuel. A man who rambles interminably, while simultaneously being inaudible half the time as he growls under his breath for some attempt at dramatic effect. A man who thinks nothing of interrupting others. A man completely at peace jumping in and answering questions directed at other panelists. Robertson is great, as are Clarke and Roddy. Unfortunately, Samuel has made this pod unlistenable. So again I unsubscribe.

Socceratic Method ,

Liverpool love in

This should be changed to a Liverpool podcast because the bias and love in for Liverpool is a bit much at this point.

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