793 episodes

The Athletic's flagship football podcast, hosted by Ayo Akinwolere and featuring the likes of David Ornstein, Adam Crafton and Matt Slater will take you inside the biggest stories from the world of football, told by the best journalists in the business. Cutting through the noise to tell you what’s really happening and why it matters.

The Athletic FC Podcast The Athletic

    • Sports
    • 4.4 • 257 Ratings

The Athletic's flagship football podcast, hosted by Ayo Akinwolere and featuring the likes of David Ornstein, Adam Crafton and Matt Slater will take you inside the biggest stories from the world of football, told by the best journalists in the business. Cutting through the noise to tell you what’s really happening and why it matters.

    Can the FA Cup save Ten Hag?

    Can the FA Cup save Ten Hag?

    Following Manchester United's dramatic FA Cup Sixth Round win over Liverpool at Old Trafford The Athletic's David Ornstein and Mark Critchley join Ayo Akinwolere to discuss the significance of the result for Erik ten Hag.
    The Manchester United manager has been under increased scrutiny since the minority investment from Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who has taken over sporting control at Old Trafford.
    So, would possible success in the FA Cup be enough to convince the hierarchy Ten Hag is worth persisting with come the summer, or could United be set to beginning their next managerial hunt for a worthy successor to Sir Alex Ferguson?
    Produced by Guy Clarke
    Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead
    Related articles:
    Manchester United are chaotic but beat Liverpool at their own game - The Athletic
    The story of Amad Diallo – and the man accused of trafficking him to Europe - The Athletic
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    • 40 min
    Weekend Preview: Can Man Utd end Liverpool’s 'quadruple' hopes? 

    Weekend Preview: Can Man Utd end Liverpool’s 'quadruple' hopes? 

    It’s matchday 29 in the Premier League & the FA Cup quarter-finals this weekend. 

    The big meeting of the weekend sees Manchester United take on Liverpool at Old Trafford in the FA Cup, while Man City host Newcastle.

    There’s also Premier League action to discuss & reaction to the latest England squad announcement.

    Host: Adam Leventhal
    Guests: Tim Spiers, Jon Mackenzie, Jacob Whitehead
    Producer: Mike Stavrou
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    • 40 min
    Should Man United knock down Old Trafford?

    Should Man United knock down Old Trafford?

    Manchester United face Liverpool on Sunday at their iconic home Old Trafford, but the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ isn’t what it once was.
    Last week the club announced plans for a “world-class” stadium, so why is it so important to have a state of the art arena and how will a shiny modern new stadium improve results on the pitch?
    Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Matt Slater and Andy Mitten, part of The Athletic's dedicated Man United podcast Talk Of The Devils, to discuss what options are opened to Manchester United when it comes to a stadium renovation or even rebuild.
    Produced by Guy Clarke
    Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead
    Related articles:
    Why Manchester United might need more debt to rebuild Old Trafford - The Athletic
    If Manchester United want an elite stadium, Old Trafford must be knocked down - The Athletic
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    • 43 min
    Can Barcelona's youngsters save the club?

    Can Barcelona's youngsters save the club?

    On Tuesday night, Barcelona made it through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
    There was a time when that would have been very much routine.
    But after all the off-pitch issues, could this actually be a turning point?
    Or is it just a false dawn for a club gripped by crippling financial losses? 
    The Athletic’s Adam Leventhal is joined by Tomas Hill Lopez-Menchero and Barcelona writer Pol Ballus.

    Produced by Mike Stavrou
    Executive producer: Adey Moorhead
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    • 38 min
    How does Chelsea's multi-club model work?

    How does Chelsea's multi-club model work?

    Chelsea saw off Newcastle in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge, a win that eased pressure on Mauricio Pochettino…
    But the bigger picture is they remain 11th in the table which has led sections of the fanbase harking back to the days of Roman Abramovich.
    So what are the issues the owners need to address to turn things round? 
    And will strategies like Chelsea’s multi-club model ever convince a sceptical fanbase? 
    Producer: Jay Beale
    Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead
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    • 43 min
    Why do Liverpool want Michael Edwards back?

    Why do Liverpool want Michael Edwards back?

    Only one point separates the top three in the Premier League following Liverpool and Man City drawing 1-1 at Anfield on Sunday, while Arsenal beat Brentford 2-1 on Saturday night to move to the top of the table.
    Meanwhile, off the pitch for Liverpool the Reds are moving closer to bringing back former sporting director Michael Edwards to work within owners Fenway Sports Group's ownership structure with Bournemouth's departing technical director Richard Hughes looking set to take the sporting director role at Anfield.
    Join Ayo Akinwolere as well as The Athletic's Oli Kay and Simon Hughes as they analyse the draw with Man City on Sunday as well as discuss the latest within Liverpool's off-pitch infrastructure ahead of what could be a crucial summer with manager Jurgen Klopp leaving at the end of the season.
    Produced by Guy Clarke
    Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead
    Related articles:
    Liverpool vs Manchester City: This is what a Premier League classic looks like - The Athletic
    Michael Edwards close to FSG role with Richard Hughes as Liverpool sporting director - The Athletic
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    • 39 min

Customer Reviews

4.4 out of 5
257 Ratings

257 Ratings

Obedfan ,

Bring Dan Bardell back!

I refrain from giving this show a five-star rating only because of the weekend preview which is unlistenable. Awful. I haven’t finished a single episode. I loved the odds on last season show (even though I’m not a betting man) and especially the weekend quizzes which I always paused the pod to try and answer. I literally looked forward to Fridays. Bring Dan Bardell and the crew back, please.

Ayo’s hosting has been consistently excellent. He brings in the right guests and maintains a positive atmosphere, although at times he could delve deeper into challenging questions.

While most journalists associated with the show are impartial, there are a couple of exceptions. George Caulkin’s comparison of Newcastle’s history to Manchester United’s and Simon Hughes’ assertion that Liverpool winning the Premier League would rank among the greatest achievements ever has to be one of the worst takes for me. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions though.

CityLawyer1977 ,

Still solid, but was better last year

Ayo is a decent replacement for Mark Chapman on the daily show, but please bring back Dan Bardell for the weekend preview. I really looked forward to the weekend preview when Dan hosted it, but it’s pretty much unlistenable now. Way too much crap banter.

therojay ,

Ayo is fantastic!

I love Ayo’s energy and enthusiasm - he’s been a great upgrade for the podcast

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