Beyond The Pitch
By Beyond The Pitch
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Podcast Description
Now We’re Talking Football: A fresh perspective on the World’s only Beautiful Game. Beyond The Pitch is a new and creative endeavor that has dedicated itself to the global game from numerous points of view, featuring expert opinion and debate to offer their unique perspectives.
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Mikael Silvestre | Phil and Anto are joined by France international defender Mikael Silvestre who has had a very distinguished career with Rennes, Internazionale, Manchester United, Arsenal and Werder Bremen to talk about his career and what he might do next season and beyond. Mikael has had more than 500 professional appearances as a defender with five Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League in 2008, one FA Cup, the League Cup, two Community Shields and an Intercontinental Cup win over Palmieras in 1999, along with two FIFA Confederation Cup medals for France in 2001 and 2003 in 40 appearances for his country. We examine investment at Manchester United since the days when Mikael was there and the club would break transfer records, the Manchester City threat, prospects for the Ligue 1 even with PSG on its investment trajectory and, of course, prospects for France in the European Championship this summer. We also discuss the Patrice Evra situation at Manchester United, a position that Mikael once manned for Manchester United, and how the pressures of being a captain in the absence of Nemanja Vidic, as well as the prospects of Eden Hazard and where he might actually land this transfer window. Of particular note is the focus for France under Laurent Blanc and how the national team is building towards Brazil 2014 and the Euros in France by 2016, and what Mikael plans to do with an emerging business in the French Caribbean with Rhum St Barth. | 5/24/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Manchester United Show 8 | Phil and Doron are back for episode number eight of the Manchester United show featuring two esteemed guests in Richard Kurt and Andy Green to take a look back at the season on all fronts, including the tactics, finances and maybe even some silver linings now that the season has drawn to a close. We also take a number of your questions sent in via Twitter and the Stretford-End Facebook page addressing some of these issues, among many others, including potential moves in the transfer market, areas of need, the Glazer ownership and how long Sir Alex Ferguson might remain with the club and which Reserve and Academy players might make the jump to the first team squad. Doron gives us the usual great update on the youth sector for Manchester United and we even get into the moves of two young players to new football clubs to wish them well. Richard Kurt is the author of numerous books on Manchester United and his topics range from Eric Cantona to the Ferguson Years to the history of the football club itself. Andy Green is a a fund manager in the City of London with 15 years experience of investment analysis and is also an advisor (on financial matters) to the Manchester United Supporters Trust, a terrific resource for getting under the issues associated with Glazernomics. We also examine the player of the season debate, where things went wrong for Manchester United domestically and in Europe and how prospects fare looking ahead given that the title was settled on goal difference while the club endured key injuries at precisely the wrong time and could never carry momentum from a fast start in the Autumn. Richard provides an historical context looking back as a key toward understanding what the club might do going forward, whilst Andy helps us better understand how the finances might indeed restrict some of the possibilities that the club will have as Manchester City and Chelsea will look to spend again this summer. | 5/22/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Bira Brasil | Anto is joined once again with TV Globo commentator Bira Brasil for another super show that takes a look into some of the major stories, transfer rumors with steam at a key juncture for Brazilian teams in the Copa Libertadores and at the start of another Campeonato Brasileiro that looks to be as unpredictable and competitive as a season ago. We begin with the four clubs in the quarterfinal stage to gauge their potential as the decisive return legs come into view and how each stands poised for the remainder of the most important professional club tournament in South America, a competition which has brought together some of the biggest names in football and many established players including the likes of Neymar, Ganso, Riquelme, Deco and a host of others. We also look at the Vasco-Corinthians battle in particular as it features a rematch of the two top teams in Brazil a season ago as well as the rockstars who are Santos, featuring the likes of two of the hottest young players in the game today, who might just be better than a season ago. We also evaluate the full bracket to consider who the favorites are and whether Universidad de Chile might just be the biggest threat to the Brazilian giants for continental giants. Particular emphasis on the relationship between Neymar and Ganso to determine where they are in their respective careers and how off the field stability has helped them grow as professional footballers, with Ganso perhaps as the bigger threat to move to Europe first. Then we turn to the Brasileiro for all the big storylines there including who are the contenders, who might be on the way into Brazil and out of the country during the next transfer window which will influence who could put themselves into view for a championship. The strongest teams at the moment might just be Corinthians and Santos who have the right combination of either balance or the required superstar requirement to mount a title challenge. On the edge might just be Vasco, Fluminese, Sao Paolo and Internacional who each have reasons to emerge with key players who seem to have the stage to shine. Then we turn to the matter of Kaka and Clarence Seedorf rumored on the way into the league and Ganso who looks to be involved in a player swap for Robinho with none other than Brazilian football legend Ronaldo and his marketing company providing the consultation. We also visit the continued problems for Flamengo who look to be more of a nightclub than a football team, the rumors of another Luiz Felipe Scolari move, the impact of the Summer Olympics on teams with younger players in the Brazilian race and the lasting exile of former Brazil manager Dunga who has yet to receive the call to return to management. Loads here with rich background into all the big developments including a rumor factory that might just be as big as the competition itself. | 5/21/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Inside MLS - US Open Cup | Anto and Nico are back with a special Inside MLS episode that focuses solely on the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with Josh Hakala, the creator and operator of TheCup.us, which is the only website that gives full coverage of the tournament in its 99th edition, from the earliest qualifying games to the championship game itself. We discuss the challenges for domestic cup competitions worldwide where continental tournaments have seemed to have relegated our national cup competitions, and by doing so have begun to eliminate the real David versus Goliath fairy tale runs and a huge link to the history of the sport itself. The same applies to the US Open Cup and we take a look at the vast history and some of the historic teams that range far back into the past century just as Major League Baseball was finding its roots, along with the evolution of the tournament, the current format and some of the changes that have occurred in recent years to make this competition as good as it could be given the lack of major network coverage in the United States. We also examine some of the great and quirky stories including Hristo Stoichkov playing in the tournament and Carlos Valderrama playing at a middle school, how the US Open Cup is the last remaining sports institution in America where amateur sides have a chance to face up against professional clubs as well as capture what is offered on the TheCup.us as the tournament is under way with a newly compressed schedule to address concerns by Major League Soccer clubs who have indicated a great willingness to place more focus on the CONCACAF Champions League. Also captured in this episode is how the smaller teams deal with the operations and logistics to even compete in the early qualifying stages and how the task of keeping the history and statistics on these matches is an often hilarious and daunting opportunity all in itself. This is a cup competition with a deep and rich history including teams like Bethlehem Steel, Maccabi Los Angeles, Fall River Marksmen, Greek American AA, Philadelphia Ukrainians and Stix, Baer and Fuller - a history that loses its resonance if the US Open Cup loses its appeal as one of the oldest soccer tournaments in the Western Hemisphere. | 5/20/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Gareth Roberts | Phil and Anto are joined by Gareth Roberts of Well Red Magazine get together for a very frank chat on the issues facing Liverpool in the wake of a very loud sacking of Kenny Dalglish that deals with the dynamic of Fenway Sports Group through the eyes of how they managed the Red Sox, the evolving supporter perception having cut the Dalglish figure loose and how the transition to this new structure in a very different world of football provides an extremely complex study in transition and success in the modern game. We account for the history of Liverpool itself, how supporters view their managers, how the domestic cups are no longer as important as they once were and how this summer might just be the most important off-season in recent club history. This includes the structure of the football operations itself, how the manager and sporting director combination will be even more vital now that the transfers brought in last season proved to be very unproductive. We also gauge the new manager search and how mixed communications seems to be wearing on the patience on the supporters and why a serious understanding of the culture at Liverpool must be accounted for in order to make this next transition successful, including how the next round of transfers could be a make or break alternative given the financial considerations set into place. We also discuss how the process of the manager search seems to add a further sense of impatience amongst some of the supporters as the rumors do suggest managers of very different styles and seem to lack a consistent thread. Then we close on the matter of moneyball with Fenway Sports Group and how this word continues to confuse perceptions about not only how the Red Sox did their business but also how many of these principles have not yet been fully embraced by evaluating many of the player transfers since the purchase of the football club, and how the successes found by clubs like Newcastle United, Swansea and Everton will surely have an impact on how future sporting directors approach the marketplace in the coming closed season. A very frank chat with a writer who covers Liverpool in detail and has a deep understanding of the club. | 5/19/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Terry Gibson | Phil and Anto are joined by former Tottenham, Manchester United, Coventry and Wimbledon player Terry Gibson to take a look at the Champions League final for some of the key factors leading into this match, areas of concern and what might just be some of the key battles. We evaluate the balance between some exceptional forwards on both teams and an important missing pieces in the combined defences where two world class goalkeepers will have to come up huge to alter this contest. We examine the situation for Roberto Di Matteo to determine if he is deserving of continuing on with Chelsea and how recent failures for both football clubs domestically might just be big issues leading into this contest, including a prediction shared amongst all in attendance that Bayern Munich is the favorite to win the trophy. Then we turn to the matter of the England national team where we examine the selection and uncover a key failure of some young players who could not assert themselves and force their way into the final team sheet and if there is a number of underlying factors beyond injuries where the Premier League is not at this point preparing a new generation to take the mantle from some established hands. The conversation evolves into a rather interesting chat into elite player development in England, how the system needs overhaul and how the right number of coaching hours are not reaching the young players at the right age. This includes a look at a hot topic in England at the moment where the Premier League has announced an Elite Player Performance Plan that looks to reshape wide-scale changes to the academy set up and whether it will create a scenario under which the richest clubs will sift through the talent for nuggets and force smaller clubs down the pyramid to do the cost-benefit analysis of not investing in youth development. Then we turn to the close of the Premier League season and the challenges this summer for Manchester United and how Newcastle United has put to rest the talking point that there is no value in the market as Terry is a former player scout who also believes that value is always there if clubs want to work that extra mile to uncover its talent at the right price. | 5/18/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Oliver Kay | Anto is joined by Times football correspondent Oliver Kay to take a look at the two biggest storylines of the past week which is the situation with Kenny Dalglish and the England national team call-ups by Roy Hodgson in advance of the European Championships less than three weeks away. We start at Anfield where Dalglish has been sacked by Fenway Sports Group to ask several key questions about the worrying signs that were there all along for the Liverpool legend and how the second half results this term did suggest that even an FA Cup Final win would not be enough for the American ownership group, but more importantly how appointing Kenny in the first place did appear to subdue some of the doubts since the takeover yet now may stand to open the same wounds in his absence. There are deep issues to solve at Liverpool and we evaluate the structure more than the names at this point to establish whether FSG will look to rekindle a more continental approach that was abandoned under Dalglish and Damien Comolli or whether a single figure with a subordinate staff will be assembled to reset the table at Anfield. Then we turn to the matter of Roy Hodgson and the England National Team where even more questions have been raised in light of some questionable decisions that may just be more reflective of the time line and a youth crop that has yet to prove itself ready for international duty this season. In clear focus is the tactical and personnel influences, the decision to select John Terry over Rio Ferdinand because of football decisions, the strange and enduring case of Michael Carrick - which has been since revealed by Hodgson to be the player who has indicated a temporary international retirement at least - and how players such as Micah Richards seem to elude the squad as they did under Fabio Capello. We examine how the short fused timeline is impacting this team given the milestone under which Hodgson was appointed to start with and whether England has taken on an almost Chelsea Football Club-like feel where the springtime appointment of a new manager reflects the complexity of the relationship between the players and management under the England setup. | 5/17/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Nicky Summerbee | Phil and Anto are joined by former Manchester City midfielder Nicky Summerbee to reflect on the times and trials of the football club having now reached the Premier League summit after a remarkable stoppage time comeback against Queens Park Rangers. We go through the emotions and the events of the match and how this club may have just reached the a key milestone in its history moving past contender and into new territory with the club having found its validation through a signature gut check moment. We break down the key events and where the turning points were and who might just be some of the key figures responsible for executing the plan along the way. This includes how the Carlos Tevez saga was handled by the club, the emergence of Vincent Kompany as the leader of the squad from the backline and how Roberto Mancini found a way to blend a huge number of high profile players who had to learn how to be teammates as much as establish an identity. We evaluate how this was built with huge resources, but constructed with a lot of planning and strategy and attracting players to a project and how these important events will help Manchester City target even bigger things in the future. We also discuss the role of Roberto Mancini who will be largely vindicated by this victory and legitimized by this achievement and Nicky helps us understand how Brian Kidd and Roberto Mancini were smart to adopt some of the ideas and lessons observed across the street from their biggest rivals as the football club looks for even bigger and better things in the future. | 5/15/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Daniel Geey | Anto is joined once again with solicitor Daniel Geey of Field Fisher Waterhouse of London who serves as an associate in the Competition and EU Regulatory Law Group to take a look at some new financial regulations that are facing The Football League that are loosely based on the break even requirements of UEFA Financial Fair Play, but also has some elements of a North American soft salary cap in its application. This includes how these rules will be applied, the transitionary period where losses will be allowed until these clubs can get across the threshold and what some of the key issues may be while implementing these important steps. We take a look at the rules themselves, the process for implementation and seriously take a look at the League One and League Two standards which will need to operate in concert with The Championship. In order to meet the objectives of Financial Fair Play, Championship clubs have agreed to work towards the introduction of new regulations to be developed and approved by the beginning of the 2012-13 season, League One clubs have agreed to implement the Salary Cost Management Protocol (SCMP) - which limits spending on player wages to a proportion of total turnover - from 2011/12 and League Two clubs, having successfully operated the SCMP at a 60 percent threshold since 2003, will reduce it to 55 percent next season, effectively introducing a single-entity cap system to European football. We examine the dynamics of clubs moving between divisions and how there are still some issues that still need further definition given that the Premier League will rely on the strict UEFA regulatory framework while also providing huge motivation for ambitious clubs who might want to still take extra risks to obtain the windfall of EPL TV money and the parachute payments which would vastly exceed the regulatory penalties. Then we turn to the matter of clubs landing into this regulated environment from the Premier League and what some of the operational and financial obstacles will be in theoretical application. Daniel always breaks down these regulations and the framework in very practical terms and helps break down the complexity with expert ease. | 5/12/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Kay Murray | Phil and Anto are joined by Kay Murray of Real Madrid TV to take a look back at a season of remarkable performances and some amazing records by Real Madrid while achieving 100 points in La Liga. All of the discussion will involve Jose Mourinho in his second year with a football club and how his teams generally do approach that second campaign with a very different quality as the siege mentality takes hold and the unit becomes tighter. We also consider how Cristiano Ronaldo has evolved as a player under Mourinho which has been mostly apparent in the away goal tally and how he has brought his teammates more into the action in tandem with the system. We also evaluate where the Champions League went wrong in terms of the timing of El Clasico sandwiched between two semi-final matches with Bayern Munich and how much focus Mourinho placed on La Liga and finally beating Barcelona in the league was the highest priority. We also examine the start of the campaign which began in preseason in Los Angeles and how it seemed apparent that Mourinho was gambling that his athletes as a unit would ultimately surpass their biggest rivals given that time, energy, focus and power was on their side. We also gauge some of the changes Mourinho has brought to the football club along with the growth of Mezut Ozil and how the defense might take on a slightly different shape in the years ahead with Raphael Varane who seems to be emerging as a true continental centerback to keep an eye on in the coming year. We close on the matter of Iker Casillas who led this team as captain and last line of defence, turning in one of the finest years for a goalkeeper worldwide and measuring his influence as a season with very little room for error forced him to be even more perfect than in years past. This is pure Real Madrid from Kay Murray who has seen the club perform all across Europe and within La Liga in a historic performance including a moment of Real Madrid history for Cristiano Ronaldo. | 5/11/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Inside MLS Volume 7 | Anto and Nico are joined by John Molinaro of Sportsnet in Canada for an important look at the Canadian teams in Major League Soccer including the evolving fortunes for Toronto FC and Montreal Impact who seem to be moving in very different directions. The story begins with the failures that continue to endure for Aron Winter with an in-depth look at the problems for a team managed by MLSE amid a process with few answers on accountability over the six years. The club has already dropped 24 points in May and looks to be in further trouble as Toronto historically does struggle on the road so the question is a matter of where the tipping point is on the manager. Then we turn to Montreal Impact with a first year team and a first year manager in Jesse Marsch who has indicated that the the club was built collectively and how a solid spine has seriously turned their fortunes quick at this early stage. We also consider the arrival of Marco Di Vaio this summer and what it means for Montreal in the shorter term and how he should adapt to familiar faces such as Matteo Ferrari and Bernardo Corradi once he arrives in MLS. We also evaluate in brief strokes what Vancouver has done to its backline in terms of improving on their first season performance before moving to several talking points including a serious checkpoint for Los Angeles Galaxy at Montreal, Chicago and Kansas City, Real Salt Lake and Seattle and the opening of a brand new stadium in Houston at BBVA Compass Stadium while entertaining one of its past stars in Dwayne De Rosario after having survived seven straight road matches having earned a must-needed point a match. | 5/10/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Manchester United Show 7 | Phil and Doron Salomon of Stretford-End.com are back for another episode of the Manchester United show to take a fresh look at the season after Manchester City all but sealed their first Premier League title away at Newcastle with only one last hope with a final match in store. We take another glance at the roster to consider what Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill will address including the midfield and even an additional striker or even some relief at either left or right back given some of the revelations late in the season when the matches were the biggest. We answer a bunch of listener questions including what kind of players United will target in the offseason, whether club finances will continue to disrupt and/or influence transfer strategy as it has in the past several years since the Glazers have sought to replicate the Cristiano Ronaldo example of buying players at a moderate level only to move them on years later based entirely on resale value. Doron also gives another stellar update on the Academy and Reserves prospects including the run out to the season for each sector and who stands to either go out on loan next season as well as maybe be an outsider for time with the first team down the road. We also place a final analysis on the Paul Pogba issue to uncover where the real accountability lies and whether the club and the player and his representative share equal blame based on mismatched expectations. Loads here on Manchester United both on and off the pitch, including what the club will need to deal with in the coming months and years to meet the constant huge expectations for the club. | 5/9/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Daniel Taylor | Anto is joined by Guardian and Observer football correspondent Daniel Taylor to take a look at the Premier League fallout in Manchester where roles did seem to go reverse in the last few weeks as United let matches get away and City were able to close them. Then we move to the matter of Manchester United to revisit the gaffe Wayne Rooney seemed to make roughly a year ago about the ambition at Old Trafford in the face of a players arm race and whether this concern came home to roost in the end. On the other hand, it could also be argued that Sir Alex Ferguson may have pulled off one of his best managerial years yet in facing up to that challenge and we examine the goal difference through the prism of a missing Nemanja Vidic all season who surely came up greatly missing in that stretch of four matches and four points gained that surely handed the title to Manchester City pending one last match against Queens Park Rangers and an old nemesis in Mark Hughes. Then we evaluate the constant high profile striker sagas at City and what may happen this summer with Eden Dzeko, Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli as the club does seem to be forever linked to Robin Van Persie and has clear designs on Napoli hitman Edinson Cavani, at least as admirers from afar. This also includes a look at manager Roberto Mancini who has had to steer this ship all season and how his tactical moves and impressions do seem forever shrouded more on perception than the job he continues to turn in. In the end we close on the matter of Blackburn Rovers being relegated and whether old demons will curse Manchester City in the end or whether this really is the start of a new era on the blue side of Manchester. | 5/8/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Owen Neilson | Anto is joined by Italian football commentator Owen Neilson to have a look at a new champion in Serie A as Juventus took the spoils in the aftermath of a huge crash by AC Milan against Inter in the derby, effectively ending the Rossoneri challenge this season and leaving loads of questions above the head of Max Allegri. We break down the Juventus triumph and where it was won and where Milan fell short both in the league and in the Champions League where Allegri has failed to deliver this season against top opponents. In many ways this was a study in contrast between two managers where one rode the wave of new energy and purpose and ideas, and the other seemed to run out of these very factors including injuries and tactical stagnation. Then we turn to the matter of third place in Italy and whether Udinese has the inside track on Champions League football with a last match to be played in Catania. We also evaluate some of the key managers this season including Guidolin, Conte, Donadoni, Di Carlo, Pioli and Montella who have all turned in great performances. We also look at the issues in the mid table area of the table where the competition has been so very unpredictable due to economic and reasons which may include further point deductions. Then we turn to the matter of Serie B where the race is on for promotion and the competition is just as fierce with Pescara trying to replicate a new age version of Zemanlandia with a group of young players destined for great things in the future. We close on the matter of Sampdoria who has closed the gap and looks as if it could claim a promotion playoff spot and might complete a late surge to return to Serie A after a heartbreaking relegation a year ago. | 5/7/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prime Time Football | Phil and Anto are joined once again by former Wimbledon, Newcastle and England international defender Warren Barton for another episode that begins with Newcastle on the verge of closing on a miracle as they hold the keys to the Premier League title by virtue of visit of Manchester City and a suddenly failing Arsenal squad without Mikel Arteta. We gauge the situation at hand for Roberto Mancini in terms of what will be waiting for them at Sports Direct Park for the home finale and all the history that will be on display and new territory for City players never in this position before. We take yet another look at the magical pieces at work for Newcastle and how the relegation really did serve the club well as a means of cleaning house and establishing a new culture in the club where some very smart transfers and acquisitions could work for Alan Pardew, perhaps a perfect storm of coaching, performance and some tremendous scouting. Then we turn to the matter of the Roy Hodgson appointment for England and come to the conclusion that this was perhaps the correct choice all along given the situation at hand and the level of experience that Hodgson brings in both his club and national team dossier. We examine the variables to evaluate the selection and why Hodgson seems more poised for success given where England finds itself in short order before the European Championship kicks off the summer, in mere weeks. Then we turn to the matter of another alert for Arsenal who seems to struggle without Mikel Arteta, having not won any of the seven matches without him in the lineup, and faced with the prospect of not having him in the lineup for the remainder of the season. Then we turn to a bit of history in Serie A which seems to be on the horizon for Juventus who stand undefeated in both the domestic campaign and also the Coppa Italia and are three matches away from achieving something that has not been duplicated since the early days of football. Juventus stands alone in this regard and we begin to consider where the club is and what threat they will present football in the coming seasons as they are not poised to return to Champions League football. Then we look beyond the FA Cup Final between Liverpool and Chelsea, as the Blues are huge favorites to win, but what the ramifications might be for two managers who seriously will be under increased scrutiny for very different reasons. | 5/4/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Milan Insider | Anto and Matteo return for another Milan Insider episode in the wake of a surprise result from US Lecce that now puts the Rossoneri within a point with just two more matches at stake just in time for the second Derby della Madonnina that takes on even more significance this Sunday. We start with a distinctive homage to Antonio Conte of Juventus who are feeling the pressure at the end and take a look at the return of Antonio Cassano of late, a new energy suddenly returning at the right time with Gennaro Gattuso in the midfield and Kevin Prince Boateng providing more attacking muscle. But really the shortfalls this season for Milan have been largely self-inflicted and we detail where many of the problems developed and where the mistakes were made in advance of the Barcelona fixtures in the Champions League knockout rounds with Thiago Silva rendered unavailable due to a mistake by Max Allegri in the Coppa Italia. We take some listener questions which surround on player moves, potential transfers, changes inside the club, what players have expiring contracts and who might just be released. We also talk some finances and how UEFA Financial Fair Play will have an effect on transfer strategy and have a massive say in how Silvio Berlusconi and the board with approach the most important part of the strategy going forward in the next three years as the measuring checkpoints will be reached. We discuss the Riccardo Montolivo and Bakaye Traoré transfer moves that are highlighted of late, the rumor of a deal reached for Manolo Gabbiadini and how the business of AC Milan does seem to be changing this off-season with evolving roles, strategic direction and even if rumors of a new manager will land on an emerging candidate of late who has been in discussion with the club at a very high level. We also have a serious discussion into how the more mature Milanisti are growing restless with the direction of the club and how some of the established values are now being called into question as manifest by how Allegri and some of the players approach their public roles including how complaints have been escalated in the press. All of these issues and many more are addressed in this episode including how Milan will need to address its creativity problems in midfield, whether Robinho would be moved back to Santos, even if Zlatan is at risk of being transferred this off-season and how the club has circled the wagons and appears ready to commit to Pato and rehabilitation in the end. | 5/2/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Manchester United Show 6 | Phil and Doron Salomon of Stretford-End.com are back for another episode of the Manchester United show to take stock of what happened in the recent Manchester Derby starting with the weakness in the starting teamsheet and right through the match itself including the cautiousness by Sir Alex Ferguson, the failure to defend a simple set piece near halftime and how the match played out in the second half when there was not much of an attacking threat. Much of this centers on some holes in the middle of the park for United and how investment has been lacking in the last three to four years and how injuries and youth might have had a bigger hand on what is really available to Ferguson, perhaps most reflected in the fact that United have only recorded four points in its last four matches which speaks to a weakened squad when comparing it to Manchester City at a key point in the season. We take questions from Facebook and Twitter including what changes might have to be made this summer, whether the club has the resources to raise the bar and address some of the needs the club with have to address. We examine the affect of Glazernomics and what supporters can do to register their disapproval with the financial direction of the club, but ultimately it is an individual decision that supporters will need to consider. Of particular note is the creative influence needed in central midfield and a clear need to find muscle in a deeper role to protect the backline in big matches when more athletically gifted sides clash with United in the future. Doron provides another update on the Reserve and Academy players, where there has been success this season, and what we believe the club will seriously need to prioritize in each area of the pitch, where the highest need exists and needs immediate attention. Lots of great questions this week, keep them coming and the very best get to the air! | 5/1/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Oliver Kay | Phil and Anto are joined by Times football correspondent Oliver Kay in the aftermath of a tactical Manchester Derby with many new questions revealed on Manchester United, starting with the team selection and over to the tactics and simply down to the level of athleticism on display at Etihad stadium. Much of what happened in the match was beyond statistical analysis, but borne from a difference in mindset part driven by economics and also by approach as it was clear that Sir Alex had gone about trying to mix it up in the middle of the park but was ultimately done in by both his approach and the constant vulnerability in the central midfield and how Yaya Toure clearly was the man of the match as it seemed man against boys with aging superstars Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes in tandem with Ji-Sung Park could not match the sheer power of the Ivorian midfielder. We examine the many facets of this match, the growing impact of Yaya Toure on the Premier League and how Sir Alex and the Glazer ownership group will face even more questions in the coming weeks and months should Manchester City win this title because by all indications a lack of investment since the Ronaldo sale came home to roost. Obviously we gauge the starting players and the tactical choices and the ramifications where Manchester City is staring down a massive fixture at Newcastle United in its last home match of the season and then relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers with former manager Mark Hughes perhaps as the deciding fixture. Then we turn to the matter of England announcing its new manager in Roy Hodgson and what this might suggest in the bigger picture, and whether the FA might have painted themselves into a corner having let Fabio Capello walk away and if this selection of Hodgson might just be a more pragmatic and sane choice given the alternatives available at this moment in time. We break down the clear needs for this England team and if revised expectations for this European finals in Poland/Ukraine internally set the stage for Roy Hodgson. But even more importantly, if it is fair for England to target Brazil 2014 in the bigger picture when tournament football requires consistency and a firm implementation with players who no longer spend much time with their national teams. | 4/30/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prime Time Football | Phil and Anto are joined once again by former Wimbledon, Newcastle and England international defender Warren Barton for another episode that begins with the Champions League semi-finals with a surprise final between Chelsea and Bayern Munich waiting at the Allianz in Germany for all the spoils and the huge ramifications of the Pep Guardiola departure from Barcelona after a hugely successful run. We take a look back at both semi-finals, gauge the advantage for the German side and explore whether Chelsea has further exposed a blueprint on how to beat the Spanish giants. We also consider the Guardiola era at Barcelona, his legacy and how this club might just be regarded in football history. Whereas Barcelona won roughly 13 trophies during this golden moment in its history, will they be remembered as fondly years from now having not left a remarkable stretch featuring consecutive European trophies or Final appearances or a long stretch in an otherwise top heavy domestic league. What next for Pep Guardiola in the future and what kind of football operation would best match his talents and what happens next to Barcelona who will have several key questions to address now that teams have found a measure of success in disrupting their offensive playing style with stubborn defensive sides and a core of players who are either at the edge of their careers or just worn down past optimal level given the amount of football they have played for club and country. Then we turn to the matter of the Manchester Derby to get a preview of what we might expect for the biggest match of the season in the Premier League with a title on the line at Etihad Stadium. Predictions and a look at the experience of Sir Alex Ferguson will be on full display in a match with everything on the line. We also take another look at Newcastle United and hand out some plaudits for a midfield that may have jelled even better than its two Senegalese strikers in the names of Cabaye, Ben Arfa and Tiote - perhaps the biggest unintended consequence in the EPL this season. Then we take one more look at the top four to determine if Arsenal will feel the pain from Stoke City should they surrender more points and consider whether Tottenham can make one more surge past Chelsea to grab that fourth and expensive slot over the Blues in the end. Vaishali Bhardwaj also makes her return with world football updates in this episode. | 4/27/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Gabriele Marcotti | Anto and Phil are joined by Italian football commentator and writer Gabriele Marcotti to take a look at some of the key stories involving Serie A and calcio as the Scudetto is coming right into view. This begins with Juventus and AC Milan with 12 points in the balance and the big questions really do surround Milan as problems arise between Max Allegri and owner Silvio Berlusconi and where the title may have been lost by the Rossoneri while Juventus has literally motored along throughout the year. Lots of reasons beyond referee decisions here, but many believe it was a highly unexpected combination of the Juventus midfield, a Gigi Buffon resurrection and perhaps the camel that broke the back in the form of losing Thiago Silva at precisely the wrong time. We gauge whether this Juventus form can translate to the Euros and what may be the strengths of the Azzurri come summer in Poland/Ukraine. Then we turn to the matters Zamparini at US Palermo and Claudio Lotito at Lazio who have been handed FIGC bans for transfer irregularities and what was the underlying reasons for taking action by football authorities as well as the rather loud and early divorce between Christian Panucci and the controversial Palermo owner. We also discuss the potential teams to rise from Serie B next season where two legendary clubs in Verona and Torino look to fulfill and whether Pescara is in the right place to join them after a playoff. We close on the matter of potential problems for Antonio Conte and his handling of a reporting mandate at Siena when matchfixing activities were suspected, and then a rather interesting discussion on where the great central defenders have gone and what might be some underlying reasons for this phenomenon. | 4/27/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Inside MLS Volume 6 | Anto and Nico are joined by Avi Creditor of Sports Illustrated and SoccerByIves.net for an early season checkpoint review of what has gone on in Major League Soccer starting with the recent drama created by Rafa Marquez once more, leading to a three match suspension. We also cover the issues at Toronto FC where the fragility of the situation is at hand with Aron Winter in the crosshairs and whether the Dutchman can survive in the top spot where the wins have been fewer than the backroom concerns. We also take a look at San Jose Earthquakes who have surprisingly reached top spot in the Western Conference to discuss what have been the reasons for their early season success. As a sidebar we gauge the possibility that this early success may be putting huge pressure on Portland Timbers who have not started fast, and given the unbalanced schedule may find themselves in a season-long struggle to claim one of the five playoff spots this year. Also in view here is Houston who continues to show remarkable resilience on an extended away streak waiting for their new stadium to open where it is believed that the team will get that needed bump just in time for the summer stretch. Also in discussion are the three superpowers in the West - Los Angeles Galaxy, Real Salt Lake and Seattle Sounders - who all have some questions to resolve, but do appear to have some good signs edging toward the surface. All of this includes a deeper look into the defensive problems for Los Angeles, exploration of the problems for Toronto FC and if Philadelphia Union may be in a bit more trouble than forecasted given recent results. In conclusion we get into the goal line discussion for Major League Soccer and the retrospective suspensions that have seemed to lack some consistency but at least point to doing the right thing for protecting its players. | 4/25/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Bobby McMahon | Anto is joined by writer and commentator Bobby McMahon of Fox Soccer Report, Soccer Report Extra and Forbes.com to take a look at the many facet of how information and data has changed the face of how the game is covered and the challenge of how this information is presented in media today. Then we turn to the matter of the Champions League semi-finals where Bobby is not so sold on Real Madrid beating Bayern Munich and Anto was never sold on the credentials this time around for Barcelona given the blueprint out there and an increasing level of wastefulness surrounding the defending champions around goal. Of just as much importance is the battle for fourth in the Premier League and what it may mean to a team like Chelsea who will be handcuffed by the constraints of UEFA Financial Fair Play and how commercial realities might just alter the business plan for the Blues. We also discuss the misplaced expectations at Manchester City and how Newcastle United has not only over-performed, but also have reset how clubs will approach the transfer market in England. Loads here on Newcastle, Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal in this battle for fourth. Then we close on a bit of history in terms of how successful national team programs and professional clubs - like we see with the Spanish team and Barcelona - are really exceptions to the rule and how the bubble may have moved past Spain as they look to enter territory never attained in the history of the sport. | 4/23/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Manchester United Show 5 | Phil is joined by Doron Salomon of Stretford-End.com for a fifth episode to take a look at a disappointing result against Everton where the defence squandered an opportunity to seriously close the door on another Premier League title. And having failed to do so, it now adds extra dimension to the Manchester Derby next week away at Manchester City where all eyes will be next week with silverware in the balance. We examine the events of the day, what went right and what went wrong for Manchester United and how the strikers appear to be rounding into form at the right time. Even more in this episode on how Sir Alex might just approach the City match and how United does tend to make things harder for themselves than it has to be at times, to determine if it would be best to absorb attacks and counter or seriously test Manchester City in defense by pressing them from the outset of the match, given that this is uncharted waters for Mancini and this team so late in a season. We also examine the defensive errors and chalk those up to experience and explain how the young defenders will be viewed in the years ahead at United and why Everton might just be one of those examples of a lesson well learned. More in focus here with the Academy and Reserve players of the season, recent results and performances of note and what Manchester United may do about its midfield this summer given some recently linked players for the next transfer window. | 4/23/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prime Time Football | Phil and Anto are joined once again by former Wimbledon, Newcastle and England international defender Warren Barton for another episode that takes a look at all the key stories in football starting with a Chelsea Football Club in the spotlight as they are on the verge of not finishing top four in Europe but may hold some cards to beat a superior Barcelona when all comes to the surface. We also examine the Real Madrid-Bayern Munich return leg to consider whether Jose Mourinho will be less stubborn in his team selection at home with an away goal in the bank. Will Kaka and Gonzalo Higuain feature at the Bernabeu and is the absence of David Villa the continued problem for Barcelona as a level of sloppiness continues to rear its head for the defending Champions League title holder. We also look at the chase for fourth in the Premier League and how the failures in the EPL will finally force Chelsea to make some moves in refreshing the squad and why this transition really did fail for Andre Villas-Boas given how it has been the veterans who have circled the wagons for Roberto Di Matteo. We also examine the run out of Arsenal without Mikel Arteta and how the last three games will be a quite precarious affair. We also gauge whether managers today are being too cautious with young players when they have the skills to compete at the highest levels. Then we close on the matter of the diving and simulation talking point that continues to be a problem in the biggest matches no matter where they are played and whether it is now time to address this situation more formally for fines and suspensions in the future. Loads here on the Champions League, the top four here in the EPL and Vaishali Bhardwaj also makes her return with world football updates in this episode. | 4/22/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Sid Lowe | Phil and Anto are joined by world-recognized Spanish football correspondent Sid Lowe directly post-match from Camp Nou in Barcelona after a massive 2-1 victory by Real Madrid essentially settled the title for Los Blancos on the heels of a tremendous Cristiano Ronaldo game winner. We examine many of the key talking points including the starting lineup by Pep Guardiola, which was something of a surprise, perhaps an approaching weariness amongst the Barcelona team itself and whether the fine margins in this El Clasico were the sum of past experiences for the Real Madrid of Jose Mourinho over the last two years. We get into the symbolism of the evening including what this victory will mean to Cristiano Ronaldo on a big worldwide stage, but also how the absence of David Villa really became an important factor indirectly in the sense that efficiency around goal has played a rapidly increasing problem for Barcelona largely borne from past deals involving Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Samuel Eto`o which have denied Barcelona a needed ruthlessness around goal. We also evaluate the evolution of Mesut Ozil and what it may mean for Kaka who was conspicuously never used either tonight or against Bayern Munich. Other topics reviewed include the Gerard Pique snub and how defensive frailties in key points became a problem this evening and how some decisions by the Spanish federation may signal more trouble ahead for those players who are selected for Euro 2012. | 4/21/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Ray Hudson | Anto is joined by the one and only Ray Hudson of GolTV for a one of a kind look at everything from El Clasico to Copa Libertadores and a pair of important milestones in the world of football. We begin with the emergence of Spain as the dominant force in European football as five of the final eight teams in the Champions League and Europa League continue to battle for some very important silverware, but the stakes get no bigger than Real Madrid and Barcelona at the semi-final stage in Europe wrapped around what looks to be a massive deciding match for La Liga which be this edition of El Clasico in Camp Nou on Saturday. Cast in the spotlight is Jose Mourinho as he is on the verge of winning a league title in four different countries as well as his third European Cup with three different teams. We get underneath many of the key points of the matchups including the tale of the tape for both Barcelona and Real Madrid including how Pep Guardiola has evolved in his approach over time, how Mourinho might have two key personnel decisions to make in advance of his team sheet and whether both managers may have had a bit of divided attention with the Champions League midweek, which both clubs lost in away fixtures. Is there an increasing level of weariness about Barcelona at the wrong time of the season, are we feeling the loss of David Villa at the business end of a season, and if it is largely assumed that the weak link in Barcelona is its defence, clearly the goals allowed run counter-intuitive to this belief. Maybe the tiki-taka midfield is something other than an offensive system. Does Mourinho go with Higuain over Benzema and might there be a move to Kaka for a different wrinkle given the short week to the Bayern Munich return leg. We also look at the third and fourth slots in La Liga for Champions League football next season and if Valencia and Malaga can hold on by the end of the season. Then as a special bonus we take a look at the Copa Libertadores in South America to review one of the best tournaments in the world and a competition every bit as dramatic and entertaining as the Champions League to handicap some of the favorites and consider some of the favorites, including Boca and defending champion Santos with Neymar. In closing we take a look back at New York Cosmos and Lazio legend Giorgio Chinaglia as Ray Hudson remembers him both from his playing days and as a fellow broadcaster to give a fabulous look into a truly larger than life figure and some unforgettable memories. We also pay a bit of a tribute to Freddy Kanoute who looks to have played his last match in La Liga with Sevilla as retirement now looms for the French-born Mali international striker and profile one the most elegant strikers of his generation - the winner of two UEFA Cup titles, two Copa del Rey titles, plus one European Super Cup, since joining from Tottenham in 2005. | 4/19/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Janusz Michallik | Anto is joined by ESPN Commentator and ESPN Press Pass co-host Janusz Michallik for a supershow on a variety of major stories that center on the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A and the semi-final talking points in the Champions League. We start on the matter of goal line decisions and simulation in football today and take a serious economic approach to how huge decisions now are well beyond just issues of sporting justice - clubs, leagues and players are being hit with multi-million euro impacts that have a clear bearing on the bottom line. Then we take a look at how the players themselves with an increasing frequency are undermining the game with all kinds of tactics that put referees unfairly in the spotlight and some of this may come down to managers themselves who encourage how players shape contact into fouls. Next we move to some of the key issues in the Premier League affecting the race for fourth to gauge whether Tottenham, Chelsea or Newcastle grab fourth and a ticket to the millions in TV money. We also talk Chelsea at a crossroads and whether Roman Abramovich might regret not making the manager change even sooner and left himself too little wiggle room. Then we move to the battles in Serie A between Juventus and Milan for first and the key pieces missing for the defending champion Rossoneri and the race for third and the millions in Champions League football awaiting either Roma, Lazio or Udinese and who might win the lottery ticket. We also talk a bit about Borussia Dortmund and how it might just shape what host nation Poland could do this summer in the European Championship and whether the host nations are serious dark horse candidates in Poland and Ukraine given the group stage opponents they have. In the end we move to the Champions League with focus on these semi-final match-ups as two legged ties to determine just how close Jose Mourinho might be to becoming the first manager to win the Champions League with three different teams. We preview the issues ahead for Real Madrid who might just be the favorite given that the final is a one-off on a neutral pitch and Chelsea might just prove to be a very dangerous threat to Barcelona given the squad available to the Blues. This is a massive supershow with one of the classiest commentators out there today. | 4/16/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prime Time Football | Anto is joined once again by former Wimbledon, Newcastle and England international defender Warren Barton for another episode that looks into the big football stories of the day including the dismissal of Damien Comolli from Liverpool Football Club and what it may hold in store for Kenny Dalglish. We cover the key factors which have come to light including some statements by Tom Werner of Fenway Sports Group who have indicated that Comolli was no longer capable of directing the long term strategy for the club and we evaluate the deals that were negotiated during his tenure. This includes the players who either did not work in synergy with one another as well as the cash for value in other deals that have proved to be inflated or have the possibility of becoming good value acquisitions with time. Then we turn to the matter of Newcastle United who continue to shock and surprise with their challenge for a top four slot in the Premier League and Warren gives us his analysis on how similar this team is to the Keegan teams of the late 1990s and we gauge whether top four is really possible given the fixture list ahead. That opens a discussion into teams who need that one special player in the names of Arsenal and Newcastle to take that next step either in the Premier League or Champions League and the name Kaka comes right to the front who might be the kind of player who could keep Robin Van Persie interested in a new deal with the Arsenal. What this also opens is a discussion into Clint Dempsey who has had the breakout season at Fulham and we take a deeper look not only into whether he could make a team with Champions League football. but also in what capacity as Dempsey is the kind of player whose versatility does seem add a level of interpretation in terms of his value. Is Dempsey a forward or an attacking midfield like Frank Lampard or Tim Cahill, a true goalscoring threat who has the required freedom to pick his spots. We also get into the comments of Fulham chairman Mohamed Al-Fayed, who has sent communication to both the FA and the Premier League as well as made some public statements about how decisions have been made by referees and how they seem insulated by the institutions themselves. This gets into a timely discussion about some of the errors made by match officials and the issue of bringing video evidence into live matches starting with goal line technology which has raised its head repeatedly in some of the biggest competitions in football this season. We also profile the real surprise story of Paul Lambert and Norwich City who might just hold the key to who will reach the top four slots in the Premier League when looking at the fixture list. In the last segment we dig deeper into the Roberto Mancini tenure at Manchester City to separate what appears to be a manager in crisis or whether he is simply overwhelmed with the situation at hand given all the off the pitch drama including Carlos Tevez, SuperMario and challenging Sir Alex for a title. Lots here including how the media shapes events in England and how the media examines managers in Italy and how some of this plays out to certain disadvantages. We close on the matter of Roberto Martinez and whether he negotiate yet another Great Escape for Wigan on the heels of a surprise result against Manchester United and if Martinez is simply fulfilling a basic tenet of the job or whether he is simply staging future stops in his career to the detriment of the football club. Warren Barton also pays tribute to Sir Trevor Francis who was taken to hospital with a heart attack on Friday and gives us an insight into the man and extends his well wishes to the English football legend. Anto pays tribute to fallen Italian midfielder, Piermario Morosini, a 25-year-old Atalanta youth system prospect who collapsed during the Pescara-Livorno Serie B match and was later pronounced dead upon his arrival at a local hospital. This death has rocked Italian football at every leve | 4/14/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Tim Caple | Anto is joined by world-recognized commentator Tim Caple who covers international sport for Eurosport, ESPN and Al Jazeera and some of the biggest events in the world in the aftermath of a huge match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich - a match that was terrific drama and had all the elements of a heavyweight prize fight for Bundesliga superiority. We breakdown many of the key battles within the match, forecast just how close a second straight German domestic title is for defending champions Dortmund and consider what might have gone wrong for Bayern Munich as they seek to tend to matters in the Champions League semi-finals against Jose Mourinho, Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid. But for the night it was mostly about what each of German favorites do well and maybe a bit of lethargy for the visiting side who seemed to get overwhelmed by a Dortmund team who created loads of chances and pushed the workrate and forced their will on the Bavarian giants. What may concern Bayern going forward was just how ineffective that Robben, Ribery, Gomez and Muller were on the evening and we evaluate whether the clash with Real Madrid will produce a much different outlook as Bayern has the extra motivation of playing the final at home at the Allianz Arena. Then we turn to the matter of the Dutch league with loads of storylines including a resurgent Ajax under Frank de Boer who has the team flying on all cylinders at the most important part of the season even while club has been left in turmoil since a long-running feud between Johan Cruyff, club directors and fellow board members played itself out in a court battle in February, overturning the appointments of Louis van Gaal and others against his wishes. We also take a look at the situation involving PSV Eindhoven and Phillip Cocu who has indicated that he will not return as first team manager next season having been appointed caretaker since Fred Rutten was sacked. We evaluate the decision by Cocu and the club and get into some of the internal politics involved with a return of Mark Van Bommel, who is considering a return to PSV this summer. We also evaluate the Germans and Dutch teams heading toward the Euros this summer and even weigh which national team coach will be liking his chances heading into Poland and Ukraine. Loads in the episode with one of the most recognized commentators in the business including a look at the Olympics this summer and always but always a reach into boxing references from an announcer who has called some of the biggest world sporting events. | 4/11/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Manchester United Show 4 | Phil is joined by Doron Salomon of Stretford-End.com as well as an appearance from Nik Storey who not only contributes to Stretford End, but also serves as a referee in England, for a fourth edition of the Manchester United show to take a look at some rather interesting referee decisions, another Premier League title edging ever closer to reality and how the club is performing behind the scenes at the Academy and Reserve levels. In focus is a key call during the QPR match and Nik helps break down how Lee Mason would have looked at the key moment involving Ashley Young which led to a red card on skipper Shaun Derry after 13 minutes. We also examine how referees are under constant pressure with players who are prone to working contact, complete simulation or diving in the modern game and gauge whether this kind of thing is an increasing issue for Ashley Young since he moved to Old Trafford last summer. It is clear that this is a problem at all levels of football no matter where the game is played and no matter the nationality of the player himself because of the scope of each game in the top flight. We also consider the impact that Paul Scholes has had since he has returned to Manchester United and his contribution has been well beyond expectations and even the in game statistics as he has closed the gap for a center of the midfield which desperately needed a degree of quality and mentality that had been lacking. Doron also gives us another in depth look at the Academy and Reserve prospects in the Manchester United system and breaks them down with a detailed insight and provides a view of the competitions that the club has undertaken throughout this phase of the season including the Dallas Cup in the United States and the FA Youth Cup. Then we explore the fixture coming up with Wigan, a few bold predictions on personnel decisions and if United might just be champion by the time the next Derby comes around with Manchester City. Just a ton of information in this episode including how referees view decisions, the Scholes effect and what Manchester United needs to do this next summer where several key decisions will be made to enhance what the club will target for silverware in the next few seasons. | 4/9/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prime Time Football | Anto is joined once again by former Wimbledon, Newcastle and England international defender Warren Barton for another episode that takes a look at many of the key talking points from the Quarter Final round in the Champions League, a first glance at the final four in Europe and into a Premier League story that now seems divided into three parts. We start with the controversy that was the return leg of the hotly contested Barcelona-AC Milan match up that had all kinds of controversy involving a key refereeing decision involving Sergio Busquets once again as Alessandro Nesta may have been incorrectly penalized for contact in the box before a corner kick was delivered. We debate the call and consider where things went wrong for Milan in the bigger context over two legs where they managed to not finish their chances yet again in the first leg and were without two key players in Thiago Silva and Mark Van Bommel who are two parts of a strong spine which did prove fatal. Then we turn to the matter of the semi-finals to look at the key issues for Chelsea as they look to avenge a highly controversial 2007-08 knockout including how they might want to attack Barcelona as the Spanish giants did look somewhat vulnerable in the 3-1 aggregate win over AC Milan. We also look at Real Madrid-Bayern Munich where many of the important questions must be answered by the Germans and we take a deeper look at Bayern Munich against Spanish sides over the last decade to illustrate just where the problems in the defensive philosophy might be the biggest challenge for Jupp Heynckes at both the flanks and in the center of the defense given how Real Madrid likes to attack with extreme pace. Then we turn to the breakneck set of fixtures in the Premier League in the next week to get underneath three key points in the table: four teams in the race for the last two European slots, Aston Villa in the crosshairs of a real and serious relegation fight and then to the two Manchester teams at the top of the table where Sir Alex Ferguson looks to have finally broken the will of Roberto Mancini and Manchester City, but even more importantly where United won this title. First up is yet another look at the Newcastle story and how they continue to defy the odds playing way over their heads on the heels of some remarkable transfer business since the sale of Andy Carroll and how their performance and efficiency is seriously embarrassing some established minds in the game given the cost of these players in comparison. We also take a moment to reflect on the fantastic job David Moyes has turned in yet again after a slow start to rebound to the top half of the table. Then we break down the fixture lists for Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal to determine how this will impact the final two slots in Europe and how Aston Villa is at serious risk given their final opponents this season as well. Then we close on the new season of San Diego Flash as Warren gives us a look at his football club and how it looks to defends the NPSL title and some of the success stories the team has created both in terms of winning a league but also developing young players for a future in the game itself. | 4/7/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Bojan Djordjic | Phil and Anto are joined by Bojan Djordjic who has had a very interesting career playing for Manchester United, Rangers and Red Star Belgrade after emigrating to Sweden as a young player from the former Yugoslavia. Born in Belgrade, Serbia he has seen football through the eyes of a player who has tested himself at some very historic football clubs and he joins us to talk about this intriguing career in a candid way not usually revealed in the media. Bojan cuts no corners nor makes no apologies for being the big personality creative player who arrived in Sweden and had to do almost twice as much to prove that he belonged and discusses some of the issues beyond the public eye that go into perceptions about players in general and how the inner workings really are. Check out his first hand account with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and how the very controversial striker can be understood and how he is continually misinterpreted by people who cover the game. We discuss his days at United, how his relationship with Sir Alex landed him another shot with Royal Antwerp in Belgium and how his return to Red Star Belgrade with a Manchester United tag may have been the most challenging part of his career. We examine the role of the number 10 in modern football, how lesser teams could never see that expressive players of his quality were not wingmen but better inside players controlling an attack and how he sees the game from the inside. This is a very revealing interview that deals with Sweden, Serbia, football in the Premiership and explores a one of a kind career that is as colorful as it is revealing. | 4/3/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Gareth Roberts | Phil and Anto are joined by Gareth Roberts of Well Red Magazine and Late Tackle to take a look at the evolving situation at Liverpool Football Club on the heels of further difficulty in the Premier League season. We take stock of where the real progress can be found and whether the American owners will approach their evaluations of the performance this term a lot more clinically - but even more importantly, would it be more destructive to simply make a change for the sake of doing so. We look at the key emerging issue this season at the striker position where it does appear neither Andy Carroll and the combinations of striker options including Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll appear to be much of a matched set in terms of their skills or focus. We also examine what the club should do this closed season in terms of what the club needs to do and whether the focus on acquiring Premier League experienced players defies what has been a better level of success when looking outside of the UK for quality. Then we turn to the matter of the defense with Liverpool where the goals allowed has almost covered the fact that there is a general level of fragility at key moments of matches and whether this has been an area brought even quicker into focus with the absence of Lucas for the better part of the season, or whether younger players should be blooded into the squad now that a top four finish appears to be no longer achievable. We close on the matter of a much publicized moment at the end of the Newcastle match where Steven Gerrard seemed to wave off Kenny Dalglish in order to examine what exactly this episode might actually suggest beyond the general talking points. If you follow Liverpool or just want to know more Gareth Roberts gives you the unfiltered, realistic look at what is happening at Anfield. | 4/2/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Fafa Picault | Phil and Anto are joined by former US U20 player Fafa Picault who has just come back from the Cagliari Calcio system to take on the next step of his professional career with Tampa Bay Rowdies of the NASL. This is the kind of grassroots story that we reach for in the sense that it gives a different perspective on youth players are developed overseas and Fafa provides a number of interesting takes on how things work in European academies and what he take from that experience back to America. We also get a look into what went into his decision to join Tampa Bay and what some of his future goals are now that he has returned. Picault spent the last four seasons of his young professional career playing for Cagliari Calcio in the Primavera, for the team owned by Massimo Cellino and once coached by current AC Milan first team manager Massimiliano Allegri. The Campionato Primavera is the top competition in Italy for the youth teams of Serie A clubs. Picault’s professional experience and overseas training coupled with his unique technical skills and speed made him the most sought after player at the 2012 NASL Combine. If you want to meet a young man in football who you can seriously root for as he makes the next important step in his career, Fafa Picault is the kind of story that you need to hear. | 4/1/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Marcelo | Anto is joined by PSV and Brazil defender Marcelo from the Netherlands to talk about his rise from Santos to Wisla Krakow and now with the legendary Dutch giants to consider the current season, his progress and development and his future. We speak on the change in managers from Fred Rutten to one of the PSV legends in Phillip Cocu and how this transition could be felt immediately in the return leg against Valencia in the Champions League with the gold dust opportunity to capture the first KNVB Cup since the 2004-05 season, which was also last lifted by Cocu that year and would be great icing on a transitional season for PSV. We also look back at his career in Brazil with Santos where he made his name and how making a first step to Poland was an important unforgettable step for Marcelo. We also consider the future for a player of his talent as the 2014 World Cup now begins to round into view with Brazil as a host nation and what Marcelo would like to do in his future. This includes working very hard at his current club in order to get that call-up from Mano and his dream of playing for his country in the months and years ahead. Marcelo gives us his take on who is now the top player for Brazil and whether he would he consider ever going back to Brazil to improve his chances on a call from the CBF. A candid and very interesting chat with a truly emerging young talent, now playing at the club of Ronaldo and Romario with huge ambitions himself. | 3/30/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Ben Shave | Anto is joined by Ben Shave of PortuGOAL.net and In Bed With Maradona to take another interesting look at Portuguese football in the wake of a big disappointment for Benfica against Chelsea to look at what went wrong and gauge their chances on the return leg. Clearly one of the big factors is the continued success of Braga who is on a massive hot streak and serves by proxy to help huge rivals FC Porto as Braga continues to take important points while Benfica is fighting on three fronts. We also look at where Sporting is in their always fascinating story in a remarkable year which could result in a truly special ending in the Europa League where they could find themselves in prime position going forward. We also examine the issues at Porto where the machine continues to click along which opens further analysis on who has replaced Falcao from a year ago and how we should ultimately judge Andre Villas-Boas who failed at Chelsea less than a year from winning everything in Portugal. We take a look at some of the clear shortcomings for AVB at this stage of his career and what might just be his next move given that this may go a long way toward defining who he is as a coaching talent, no matter how intelligent a man he is. We also profile some of the surprises in Maritimo, Guimaraes and Gil Vicente who have all defied expectations and their own challenges which are always extensive and remarkable in a football country like Portugal. | 3/28/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Roberto Gotta | Anto is joined by Roberto Gotta once again from ESPNSoccernet to take a look at the Five Stages of Grief or Internazionale and its managers over the last couple of years. Acceptance, for Moratti, arrives in the highly untested figure of Andrea Stramaccioni who has never managed at the top flight of Italian football, marking his appointment just days after an Inter title in the NextGen series. We deconstruct all the players who have been involved through this latest episode including some of the quotes and actions taken by Moratti himself and the expectations he has for his new manager before making him a permanent first team manager. We take a look at what might make Andrea Stramaccioni a fine manager, what figures such as Arrigo Sacchi, Sandro Mazzola and even Maurizio Zamparini had to say about the entire process. We also look at Stramaccioni as a young player at Bologna to help us try to understand what made him so very appealing to Massimo Moratti as a managerial candidate. Then we turn to the top of the table where the battle seems poised between Ibrahimovic and Buffon who seem most positioned to carry their teams across the finish line and what the key factors might be ahead. How devastating is the Thiago Silva injury and are Milanisti over-reacting given that everything still goes through Zlatan. Then there are suggestions that Antonio Cassano may be nearing a return and what this might mean not only for Milan if he can get back on the pitch, but also the Azzurri this summer. | 3/27/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Manchester United Show 3 | Phil is joined by Doron Salomon of Stretford-End.com for a third episode to take a look at the many talking points in the wake of a rather frustrating match against Fulham Football Club on Monday night. It is now the critical part of the season where grinding out results is now important and with United on top, a 1-0 result does appear to be one of those important events where the psychology of the business end of the season becomes magnified as cracks are beginning to show in the Manchester City mentality. We gauge some of the key players in the Fulham match and take a closer look at one Jonny Evans who was match of the match and examine his future role with the club as he matures into a solid player in big games. Doron then examines the Academy and Reserve prospects as well as those Manchester United players out on loan to give us an update on their progress over the year and who appears to be emerging on each of those fronts. We also take a deeper look at some players who have big questions in front of them which includes Federico Macheda whose loan to QPR has not gone according to plan and may need a move to a place where he is guaranteed some first team football after two years without much at all. In the final segment we do talk a bit about transfer business from what the club needs to what may be truly possible given the factors of the Premier League in particular where United clearly do have enough to compete for any title. The questions will arrive in the form of what happens once Michael Owen and Dimitar Berbatov finally move on and whether the club will actually look to find more options in the center of the midfield both in terms of protection for the backline and a real creative element who could work in tandem with a big figure like Wayne Rooney who clearly finds that dropping deeper into the midfield is one of his strengths. Check out that discussion on how Wayne Rooney could be used in the future as it may suggest, ultimately, what Manchester United does this summer with its transfer business. | 3/27/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Inside MLS - Garth Lagerwey | Anto and Nico are back with another episode of Inside MLS featuring Garth Lagerwey, Vice President and General Manager of Real Salt Lake, now regarded as one of the powerhouse clubs in Major League Soccer. We begin with a look back on some of the positives and challenges that RSL takes from something of a shock loss to Chivas USA over the weekend - how teams in MLS now approach Real Salt Lake with more disciplined counter attacking tactics while bleeding in new emerging talented players such as Luis Gil, Paulo Jr and Sebastian Velazquez. We also discuss the economics facing the smallest market team in MLS and how start-win bonuses in contracts in the league are strong strategies for a player pool and how success has helped define the success of the RSL formula when attracting talent. We also take a look back since Garth and head coach Jason Kreis took control of the team to examine the evolution of the club including an MLS Cup Championship in 2009 and reaching the final game of the CONCACAF Champions League when few thought it possible and what some of those milestones were along the way. We also examine the television schedule for RSL and how the larger markets do tend to get the required attention as the league continues to grow and find a new audience. We also gauge an emerging marketplace for players in MLS which is the Far East and how the J-League could become a key locale for recruiting young, technically accomplished players and get underneath how Real Salt Lake has constructed itself with the concept that team is the star. However, RSL does have one of the truly talented midfielders in Javi Morales and we consider how the club will approach his progress a year removed from a very tough injury that set the team back until his return in the playoffs last season. Considered one of the real wonderful stories in MLS and a league favorite to win it all in 2012, Garth Lagerwey is a former player turned club executive with a tremendous record of success with his very first club. | 3/26/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Bira Brasil | Anto is joined once again from São Paulo with Bira Brasil of TV Globo and FootBrazil for another supershow that takes a look at all the big stories in that part of the world. We start nowhere more important than that new provisional list of potential players who could feature this summer for Brasil in the Summer Olympics to consider a couple of omissions and if the familiar figure of Ronaldinho might just be trading marketability in the short term versus longer term success for the 2014 World Cup given that many of this next generation of younger players will be important to a host nation desperately in need of serious competitive matches. Of particular note is the exclusion of Dede from the defensive selection and we begin to unveil who this player is and his compelling features and how many of the elite teams around the world are after his services. We take a look at the key Brazilian clubs in the Copa Libertadores this season to gauge the strength of the field and whether the disaster a year ago will be avoided given the power of these teams. We also look at the ongoing rumours of Neymar to Barcelona in 2014 and if the economics have created both a for and against argument on any move even though many former players are now publicly pushing him to go in order to improve his game. We also profile the Edmundo tribute match at Vasco, the constant controversy surrounding Adriano leaving Corinthians and if he might just land at Flamengo once again and the fallout from the Ricardo Teixeira resignation from the CBF. We also examine World Cup preparations in the country and how the stadia look to be on target while much of the infrastructure does seem to be lagging at this stage. We close on our love for the Copa Libertadores and why it has become so much more popular for a certain kind of football fan searching for an alternative to the big corporate sides in Europe. And there is a lot more in the episode! | 3/25/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Daniel Taylor | Phil and Anto are joined by English football correspondent Daniel Taylor of The Guardian to have a look at some of the big stories in the Premier League at this important juncture. It starts nowhere bigger than in the City of Manchester where the mind games have already begun now that the comments have received a response from Sir Alex Ferguson. We dig into things more on the Manchester City front now that their lead in the table has been taken over by Manchester United and at the epicenter of all the talking points is whether the addition of Carlos Tevez does serve to turn things upside down for Roberto Mancini as we head toward the business end of the season and how SuperMario Balotelli and Eden Dzeko could react to changing fortunes. We also look at the loss of Vincent Kompany during the Sporting match in the Europa League as another key factor as the defensive continuity seems to have been broken in his absence along with a general level of erosion in the form of Kun Aguero and David Silva as the season has progressed. We also evaluate which team has the edge being ahead in the championship run in and who has the better schedule on paper given the fixtures themselves. Then we turn our attention to increasing levels of cruel behavior in stadiums where rival supporter groups continue to mock one another over their club tragedies and whether the football federations and club themselves can do anything to stop this scourge on the game. We also profile the resurgence of Blackburn Rovers and whether Steve Kean can at last deliver survival after a very difficult year. Of particular note is the analysis on Liverpool Football Club to examine whether Kenny Dalglish will ultimately be judged on his performance in the FA Cup and if he is indeed the best solution to restore fortunes for this legendary club. | 3/24/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prime Time Football | Phil and Anto are joined once again by former Wimbledon, Newcastle and England international defender Warren Barton for another episode that takes a look at many of the key talking points, starting with a disturbing trend that continues for Liverpool Football Club with lesser opponents and now surrendering leads to relegation threatened teams. This obviously starts with a massive loss to Queens Park Rangers, but does not seem to put them in a positive light going forward this season as the club is closer to the relegation slots than championship contenders after one examination of the points earned this season. Will the American owners be as patient with results such as these given the net transfer spend and the reputation of Liverpool as club that is expected to always be in the hunt or near the top of any Premier League table. Then we turn to the changing fortunes of Tottenham where a resurgent Arsenal has made their remarkable turn around largely on the backs of a recent dip in form by Spurs. Will Tottenham in the final analysis regret never finding that key striker who can get the big goals in the business end of the season or was this always in the cards for Spurs? Then we turn to the surprises as Swansea continues to shock so many in the Premier League with a system that should see them do well in year two and may ultimately result in Brendan Rodgers as a fast and rising manager in football given all that he has done with this surprise package of the first order. We also profile the real possibility that Steve Kean at Blackburn seems to be staging something of a great escape from relegation in his first year and which of the teams seem destined to go down by virtue of this success. Then we turn to the Champions League which returns for the last eight midweek and we profile the potential for an all-Spain final in the end. We also preview the key match up between Barcelona and AC Milan to weigh out the key factors ahead and whether Barcelona has two contests at work here - beating Milan and cementing their legacy as one of the best clubs in European history. Vaishali Bhardwaj also makes her return with world football updates in this episode. | 3/23/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Inside MLS - Jay Heaps | Anto and Nico are joined on Inside MLS by a special guest in new head coach of New England Revolution, Jay Heaps, who in his first year in this key role looks to duplicate the success he had as a former player. Jay gives us his insight into the very different world of Major League Soccer since he first arrived on the scene in 1999, the tough times when contraction was a serious reality for the league and how the landscape has changed all across MLS with new stadiums, expansion and an improved level of play as the game has begun to rise in North America. Jay also gives us his thoughts on some of the new faces who will begin to shape the future for the Revolution in the figures of Kelyn Rowe, Benny Feilhaber, Lee Nguyen and midfield stalwart Shalrie Joseph in the months ahead and what this should mean for the team as the reset button has been pushed. We also get into the very unique background that Jay has having been coached by both Steve Nicol and a college basketball legend in Mike Krzyzewski while at Duke University, as well as the challenges of bringing together an organization that clearly needed new energy and a fresh approach. This includes new players Florian Lechner in defense, Saër Sène at striker and some of the new additions that have been assembled. We also discuss the emergence of first year player Kelyn Rowe and how players who enter the league are faced with increasing pressures that were not there in past years given how expectations are higher in MLS. We also take a look at the phenomenon of the stadium within a shadow cast by the New England Patriots and pay homage to some of the key figures who shaped the early years of the league and where the game appears now to be heading. We talk some tactics, but it is clearly more about building a team that seems to be headed in the right direction. | 3/20/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Roberto Gotta | Anto is joined by Roberto Gotta, Serie A correspondent with ESPN Soccernet from Bologna, to take a look at what has been a rather interesting past week in calcio involving any number of clubs. We look at the emerging fortunes for Bologna who have been a great surprise under Stefano Pioli as well as the events at Catania under Vincenzo Montella where both clubs have landed mid table at this juncture, rising well above expectations. We also review the situation at Palermo where Zamparini has appointed yet another manager in Christian Panucci with a detail still to be sorted as he will need to divorce himself from his duties with Sky Sports Italia. Divorce is also the operative word for Pantaleo Corvino at Fiorentina who is largely seen as a convenient fall guy for what has gone on at the club since great days in the Champions League before Cesare Prandelli moved on to lead the Italian national team. We get into both the on the field and off the pitch ugliness at Fiorentina which also involved some problems between fans of the local side and visiting Juventus over the weekend and we try to dissect some of the complex history between these two clubs to determine exactly where the problems began. Roberto gives us some background into the rivalry which has been mostly one-sided over the years in terms of the results, but largely falls on the head of one legendary player who was sold to Turin many years ago. We also examine a rather controversial match between Udinese and Napoli over the weekend to take a look at whether the local side has a legitimate complaint and if Napoli is getting some sense of big club preference in terms of calls from match officials, as some of the Udine locals were suggesting post-match. Then we turn to the matter of Inter where the problems continue to mount and we examine what choices Massimo Moratti has going forward knowing that a top three finish in Serie A is not likely at all and that means dropping out of the Champions League. | 3/19/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Milan Insider | Anto and Matteo are back with another Milan Insider episode to discuss all the major issues facing AC Milan including the recent performances for the club in Serie A and the Champions League as well as taking a look ahead at some of the key fixtures ahead in what will be a very decisive several weeks ahead. At the very core of this is a difficult situation involving the strikers as Antonio Cassano remains out on extended injury leave due to his well-publicized illness and the ongoing saga that is Pato. Joining us for this episode is also Giancarlo Rosselli for a special Curva Sud appearance to give us the view from his recent trip to San Siro and how recent events are playing at the AC Milan Club of New York/New Jersey where many of the same discussions are ongoing. We look at the fixtures ahead, how supporters view the progress for Max Allegri in his second year as the manager and whether Pato should be moved out this summer. Then we take a deeper look at the fiasco against Juventus at San Siro and if the Arsenal return leg was a preventable disaster. In the final portion of this key episode we take a look at some of the transactions that do appear to be on the horizon during the next transfer window and we also consider some key needs for this team as the club looks to become a big player not only in Serie A, but also in Europe where the team truly hopes to achieve. We also get into some of the issues raised by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and how continued episodes with the press and with Max Allegri are giving supporters a bit of concern and what seems to make the Sweden international tick. Then we close on some key players who have made key contributions, future stars who do seem to emerging and the rash of injuries that continue to be a problem for Allegri and a general level of consistency for the club. | 3/18/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Sid Lowe | Phil and Anto are joined by world recognized Spanish football commentator and journalist Sid Lowe to take a look at all the major talking points with respect to La Liga, the Champions League and Spanish National Team. We begin with the magical ride that is Athletic Bilbao and their very unique manager Marcelo Bielsa who has done the remarkable in beating Manchester United handily in two straight matches to progress to the next round of the Europa League. We get into the culture of the club, the key reasons why he has found success and try to establish parameters under which Bielsa will continue to thrive in this remarkable football club. We also focus in on how some clubs like Bilbao rely on their youth academies and how this has largely influenced how youth movements such as Bilbao have worked while giants like Real Madrid cannot afford to untested players at too young an age to be successful. Then we turn to the matter of Barcelona to focus on a rather wide point deficit to Madrid to explain what that exactly entails and try to establish the reasons why Pep Guardiola has effectively ruled out another La Liga title this season. Then it is the Champions League where an all-Spain El Clasico now seems in the cards after the recent draw and try to establish which club has an edge - and what those reasons might just be. Then we turn to the matter of Lionel Messi and try to gauge just how long this level of greatness can be sustained and how years ahead will dictate his dominance not just by motivation or injuries or simple age, but with the status of Xavi and Iniesta who will never be easily replaced or accounted for in the years ahead. We also examine recent reports of more than 700 million euros in unpaid tax debt to the Spanish government by its domestic football clubs and the painful choice of Spanish strikers for the Euros this summer now that David Villa and Fernando Torres appear to be replaced based on injury and form, respectively. | 3/17/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Kick It Out: Danny Lynch | Anto is joined by Danny Lynch who is the Head of Communications for the Kick It Out campaign in the UK, the organization who champions the battle against racism and all forms of discrimination from the grassroots to the highest levels of our sports as both an educational resource and reporting agency. The campaign is supported and funded by the governing bodies of football, including founding body the Professional Footballers Association (PFA), the Premier League and The Football Association. Internationally Kick It Out plays a leading role in the Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) network and has been cited as an example of good practice by the European governing body UEFA, the world governing body FIFA, the Council of Europe, the European Commission, European parliamentarians and the British Council. In this episode we take a look at the many issues facing the game in this arena with particular focus on the Luis Suarez and John Terry incidents, how some of these incidents do appear on the rise and what may be some of the contributing factors. We examine the power of language in our social media and how this organization continues to be both an advocate for tackling exclusion and promoting responsible behavior across a variety of fronts. We take another deeper look at the Rooney Rule in how it brought to bear a new approach to dealing with the issue of people of color having key roles as stakeholders in our sports and how that has served the NFL in its attempt to shape perception and how some of its objectives have been improperly drawn while acknowledging that there would be some challenges in implementing it fully in the Premier League. Then we turn to the matter of homophobia in football and how this is the next big hurdle in the fight for equality as a recent documentary detailing the story of Justin Fashanu has once again entered the public domain - how long will it be before another footballer comes forward to announce his sexual preference and how will that be viewed in a greater public not fully prepared for this important social milestone. For Kick It Out, The Equality Standard encompasses all six areas of diversity - Race, Religion, Age, Gender, Disability and Sexual Orientation. | 3/16/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Mohamed Moallim | Anto is joined by Dutch football contributor Mohamed Moallim who writes for FourFourTwo to take a look at a remarkable Eredivisie season and European campaign after a wild night in the Europa League. Only AZ remains alive at this stage, but each of the teams have big questions as the business end of the season heats up where six teams are all in firing distance for the top two slots in Holland and each club has a rather fascinating story to tell. We start with AZ who by sheer force of will and fortune knocked out Udinese on an away decider after going down to 10 men and then over to PSV Eindhoven where new manager and club legend Phillip Cocu has taken the reigns from Fred Rutten to lead his team down the stretch as both audition and candidate for Dutch honors. But the story at the moment is Gertjan Verbeek at AZ where the storylines are both brilliant and improbable as he leads the Dutch table and is now the flag bearer for the Eredivisie in Europa. Loads here on the coaching carousel at PSV, the ongoing tactical impatience of Steve McClaren at FC Twente and whether AFC Ajax stands to be in the best position given that midweek football for AZ will continue to provide ample distraction as Frank de Boer looks to repeat title fortunes. We also spend some time looking at Ajax in the NextGen series at a pair of new developing stars in Viktor Fischer and Davy Klaassen and what seems to be driving their early success and their prospects in the months and years ahead. This is a debut episode for Mo and it has loads of inside analysis and will get you primed for a remarkable finish to an Eredivisie season filled with wonderful stories and the potential for a most dramatic finish, maybe one of the best title chases in years in any European league. | 3/15/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Manchester United Show 2 | Phil is joined by Doron Salomon of Stretford-End.com for a second episode to take a look at many of the Manchester United storylines both in the front pages and beyond, including a look at an evolving situation with Paul Pogba, a shocking result at the hands of Athletic Bilbao and suddenly some surprising fissures starting to appear at crosstown rival Manchester City where a Carlos Tevez saga takes yet another turn in the wake of a rumoured bust-up between Yaya Toure and Mario Balotelli. Was there a change that came into view with the Tottenham result and will this force Sir Alex to consider priorities differently with the return leg of the Europa League. The guys take a look at all of these factors, some emerging players and how some key players will fare in the coming months and what we may see in the summer as issues with Anderson and Dimitar Berbatov appears to be on the way toward resolution and questions on Darren Fletcher persist. Then there is time to examine the issues in the central midfield and how Ferguson may continue to chop and change here like he has done in the defense now that options exist as players are becoming healthy again. After some discussion into the youth and reserves coming through the United system, Phil and Doron also look at the match coming up against Wolves and do take some time to examine a proposed singing section at Old Trafford which may have some unintended consequences. | 3/14/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prime Time Football | Phil and Anto are joined once again by former Wimbledon, Newcastle and England international defender Warren Barton for another episode to take a look at how some of the big clubs in England continue to struggle in European competitions and if these teams are in a period of transition testing them on the issue of rebuilding on the fly. This is more about strategy and vision and we openly consider whether Athletic Bilbao and Ajax with their youth systems have revealed a serious weakness in the process of transformation for the Premier League. So how can the EPL say it really is the best league in the world? We look into how the continent seems to be doing its business and it leaves very little doubt that clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester United and AC Milan do have the foundation from having more experience with winning trophies while being forced to rebuild on an almost constant basis over a period longer than 10-15 years. We examine some of the revelations from this season in Europe and how some of the bigger powers in the EPL are being asked to do something they have very little experience doing. We close on the matter of the wonder that is Lionel Messi and what he has been able to do thus far at Barcelona and, ultimately, whether he might just be the greatest ever based on what we have seen and where he seems headed so soon in his career given how the game has changed and protects its best players. | 3/12/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Inside MLS Volume 5 | Anto and Nico are joined by one the very best correspondents who cover the full length of Major League Soccer in Ives Galarcep who helps us breakdown what is shaping up to be a very interesting 17th season for MLS. We get into the many key talking points including the unbalanced schedule, how we should look at MLS now that it has duplicated the length of the eternal NASL in its first incarnation and how we should look at the Eastern and Western Conferences in terms of favorites and a vast array of contenders for playoff positions. We also evaluate who reinforced themselves, who has questions to answer in their teams, new stadiums and the overall level of excitement across its nationwide footprint. Are the best days still ahead as world football finds itself surrounded by massive debt levels and a global financial crisis. Beyond Los Angeles Galaxy are Seattle and Real Salt Lake the key players who could dethrone what may the best team ever assembled in Major League Soccer and who else beyond FC Dallas has the juice to get into this picture. In the East, it looks like Houston, Kansas City and an enigmatic New York Red Bulls who look to shape the coveted top three slots with Philadelphia, Toronto, Chicago, DC United and Columbus all scrambling for the other two playoff slots. Has Houston done enough to take the East and will feel good Sporting Kansas City be able to extend its momentum of a year ago. We touch every team and try to answer as many questions as possible. In the post match, Anto and Nico get into the new television reality, their favorites, potential MVPs and top coaches and how the league is shaping up to be rather entertaining with more competitive clubs than every before, expansion and looking into where this league is headed. | 3/9/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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John Duerden | Anto is joined by Asian football correspondent extraordinaire John Duerden from Seoul, South Korea for another massive supershow that reviews every major competition involving the AFC. We start with World Cup qualification to establish how each of the groups progressed and who emerged to gauge the surprises, the failures and the key talking points going forward as Brazil 2014 for Asia enters its final, most important stages. Loads of big name national teams and some big name managers will be affected by this, but one talking point remains and that is a controversial 10-0 result on Matchday 6 involving Bahrain and Indonesia. Featured are surprise packages Oman and Lebanon and some questions for Iran and Japan as final groups are prepared for the final draw. Then we turn to the professional game in Asia where Clive Palmer is causing a stir over his failed Gold Coast United and whether his grievances have merit, and we also look at the A-League itself in terms of where it is headed with essentially nine teams left at the top level of the pyramid. Then we turn to the Far East itself as three of the most passionate leagues kick off in China, Japan and Korea to establish the key background issues and whether the Chinese Super League is primed to make that dent in the region that many expect it will. Japan looks to find more stability this year, a season removed from a natural disaster and a brand new champion in Kashiwa Reysol. Meanwhile in Korea, the move to a promotion and relegation system has tossed a spanner in the works with an almost unthinkable 44 game regular season schedule at stake that will take the K-League into a landmark season that may require more endurance than skill. We also preview the bottom half of the Champions League group stage where the battle for AFC supremacy looks to be the most appetizing in years and then we finish with a pit stop to take a look at Diego Maradona and his progress in Dubai with Al Wasl. | 3/6/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Manchester United Show 1 | Phil is joined by Doron Salomon of Stretford-End.com for the first Manchester United episode to take a deeper look into the youth system and prospects coming through its Academy. At the tip of the discussion points is the issue with Paul Pogba, rumoured to be on his way out this summer with assistance of super-agent Mino Raiola after seeing Ravel Morrison leave earlier this season. We examine the factors leading to their exits to gauge whether the increasing wages now paid to youth players has now reached Manchester United with ramifications on the business model and pay structure and how this may actually test whether the club will have to adapt longer term given that resale value is now a huge factor when buying and acquiring talent. We also look into the matter of how Sir Alex will approach a very entertaining tie with Athletic Bilbao and how this first leg will reveal how serious Fergie views this Europa League tournament and what combinations he may need to stick with as the business end of the season approaches - most specifically on defence. We also take a look at the confusing season that Patrice Evra has had and whether the club will need to pursue another left back this off season and consider the run late this season leading to perhaps the most important Manchester Derby in years as it may just settle the Premier League title where neither club looks much like it is going to surrender too many points before that match. | 3/6/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Oliver Kay | Phil and Anto are joined by Oliver Kay of The Times of London to have a discussion about the sacking of Andre Villas-Boas at Chelsea to try to unpack the variables for the departed Portuguese manager himself, Chelsea Football Club as an organization and ultimately Roman Abramovich who has slowly watched the club unravel over time based on a succession of very bad decisions that now leave him faced with some very hard decisions. We take a look at how the early years under the Russian billionaire were very smart to set the club straight, but somewhere along the line a club without a firm plan directed by agents and advisors served to undermine the longer term objective and what should have been in terms of performing both in the Premier League and the Champions League. We also examine whether Abramovich will continue to have the same level of interest in football given some personal challenges and the specter of UEFA Financial Fair Play. Then we turn to the matter of Liverpool who lost a heart breaker on Saturday at Anfield and if this does indeed signal an end to Champions League ambitions for Liverpool at the hands of Robin Van Persie. Then we close on the matter of what Manchester United were able to do this weekend against Tottenham to determine if this was an ominous sign ahead for Manchester City who have improved but do not seem to have recaptured their early season magic when it all seemed so easy. Clearly this Premier League season should be determined in April at Etihad as neither Manchester club looks to be surrendering many points any time soon. | 3/5/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Uli Hesse | Phil and Anto are joined by German football historian and correspondent Uli Hesse to take a look at some of the major storylines facing the German national team and the Bundesliga where flaws are apparent both in the wake of a recent loss to France and the Bayern Munich where some of the same issues are apparent. Uli helps us break through the hysteria to separate what is fact from fiction and how the greater forces at work in German football will find some comfort in the fact that these uneasy moments do always seem to follow Germany and Bayern Munich. We also examine the arrival of Otto Rehhagel at Hertha Berlin and if this last ditch reach will save them from relegation, and if there is a bigger surprise package in all of football than what Lucien Favre has done at Borussia Mönchengladbach, less than a season removed from a relegation playoff scrap and now on the brink of Champions League football with several of its main players already sold on to bigger clubs or at least rumored to move on. We also gauge the probability of moves for Michael Ballack to Major League Soccer and Lukas Podolski to Arsenal at the end of the season and if these would be good acquisitions for the teams and leagues involved. We close on the matter of the evolving figures in control of the German Federation and the National Team who do appear to be headed on or targeted for moves to some of the biggest clubs in the sport and if this may signal a rather big change for German football in the wake of the European Championships this summer. | 3/4/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Grant Wahl | Anto is joined by Sports Illustrated football correspondent Grant Wahl to take stock of a wild week in Italy having been at San Siro for a wild AC Milan-Juventus match and an historic win for the United States over Italy in Genoa. We get into the nature of Italian football culture itself and how even a figure like Jurgen Klinsmann can still be a lightning rod in a country like Italy where the sport is a national obsession. We examine the Italy-US match itself and some of the key talking points including the emergence of Michael Bradley and Fabian Johnson and how Klinsmann has begun to evolve as the coach of this team and if he finally got the first signature win to put his stamp on the program emotionally for the both the players and the supporters who needed to find some confidence in the direction of the program itself. We climb under the hood of how Michael Bradley has developed at Chievo Verona under Mimmo Di Carlo, the massive decision Clint Dempsey has in front of him this summer and how the long absence of Landon Donovan might have created further questions about the relationship between Klinsmann and Donovan himself. Then we turn to the matter of a new MLS season to gauge whether this is a very important season for the league in the sense that growth is happening with each passing year but television does remain an ongoing blind spot on a national level, as manifest by the ratings. We also look at the power structure in the Western Conference to evaluate if this is having an affect at least on the short term and which clubs might be the movers and shakers outside of the top favorites. We close on the matter of New England Revolution and the challenge before Jay Heaps and how the strength of their midfield might just be the way back for the Revolution this season. | 3/3/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prime Time Football | Phil and Anto are joined once again by former Wimbledon, Newcastle and England international defender Warren Barton for another episode that takes a look at the first England match managed by caretaker manager Stuart Pearce since the resignation of Fabio Capello. We examine what was really at stake here for England against the Netherlands, who are considered among the favorites this summer at the European Championship this summer. Of particular note is the number of starting positions currently up for grabs with the Wayne Rooney suspension, finding a reliable striker partnership which seems to be for the taking for both Danny Wellbeck and Daniel Sturridge at present and exactly which positions look to be settled going forward. We also gauge the emerging defensive partnership between Gary Cahill and Chris Smalling to break down their performances and what they will need to do to improve. Then we turn to the matter of a very heated rivalry as it takes off this Sunday in the form of Newcastle United and Sunderland with perhaps the best squads these two legendary clubs have had in some time. Warren gives us his memories of the rivalry and what it means to the area and his fondest recollection as a former player. Two wonderful football clubs who should give football a tremendous spectacle at Sports Direct Park. Vaishali Bhardwaj also makes her return with two world football updates in this episode. | 3/2/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Phil Schoen | Anto is joined by American football commentator Phil Schoen of Gol TV to take a look at the major talking points of the Brazil Bosnia-Herzegovina and Switzerland-Argentina international friendlies this week. We begin with Brazil where most of the discussion revolves around whether David Luiz showing similar lapses in form with Chelsea will cost him a spot with the national team and if we may be nearing an end for Ronaldinho and his resurgence under Mano Menezes. We also gauge the options in midfield for the Brazilians as new emerging talents seem destined for 2014 and we consider the options at hand for either Ganso or Lucas Moura in some bigger picture with Hernanes in a featured role. But gathering steam is the question whether David Luiz and Thiago Silva can work longer term and if Luisao or Dede might be better long term options given the skill set of the future captain in Silva. We also examine the sense of urgency for Brazil given that they will not have to qualify for the next World Cup and if Mano is indeed the right guy for the job, mostly because there is a bank of discordant voices in Brazil given the style and substance. Then we turn our attention to Switzerland and Argentina to get underneath one of the more interesting sides in the Swiss who have a number of intriguing young figures emerging in Europe and their manager Ottmar Hitzfeld. Then we close on the matter of Argentina and their newest manager Alejandro Sabella as the defense appears to be fixed with a working title at present and if there is indeed longer term help on the horizon. We also examine the latest call-ups including Palacio, Salvio and Erik Lamela as recent debutante for the senior side as well as some of the absences from this squad list including Ezequiel Lavezzi and Javier Pastore. | 2/29/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Owen Neilson | Anto is joined by Italian football commentator Owen Neilson to have a look at the fallout from the AC Milan-Juventus clash over the weekend that had more controversy than six matches strung together, resulting in even more player suspensions, overturned goals, outrage and conflict between clubs and executives .. but may just signal the resumption of an historic rivalry renewed at long last. We examine how the match played out and what we may have learned about Max Allegri and Antonio Conte in their very young managerial careers, how the events seemed shaped based on a history that neither manager could quite grasp or control and in many ways was bigger than their ability to handle at the present time. We also consider just how much Gigi Buffon has been dragged into this controversy and how the executives at both Milan and Juventus failed to keep this contest entirely under control, even though the theater was entirely intriguing on a number of fronts. Then we shift gears to look at the story of Udinese this season, which might be one of the brightest surprise packages again for the second season running given the number of players who were sold and its coach rancesco Guidolin just continues to dial up results no matter the challenge both in Serie A and in the Europa League, and has recently won an award voted by his peers and the top manager in his league. Then we take a trip into the wild world of Serie B this season as four major contenders have emerged for promotion this season including an historic club in Torino, an old champion in Verona, a club never seen in Serie A in Sassuolo and the always enigmatic Zdenek Zeman with Pescara who might be making a triumphant return to the Italian top flight. | 2/28/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prime Time Football | Phil and Anto are joined once again by former Wimbledon, Newcastle and England international defender Warren Barton for another episode that gets into this pitched battle for fourth in the Premier League and who exactly gets more damaged for finishing fifth - Arsenal or Chelsea. Clearly Arsenal have an edge here because the job does appear to be over the head of Andre Villas-Boas and something will have to change there soon enough if the club hopes to change momentum for the final stretch now that there is no other way to inject a new dynamic into the squad. We also look at Arsenal in the event that Wenger cannot pull of this Great Escape and does Newcastle United step into the breach or are they just too short to make that leap? We also look at the Newcastle model in terms of what they have done with the Andy Carroll windfall and if they have indeed discovered a new blueprint on assembling a squad in the future for those clubs in the EPL who do not spend huge transfer fees for players who are considered the finished article. We also gauge the impact of the Sunderland-Newcastle United dynamic on the EPL itself given that these are the best squads that these clubs have had at the same time in recent years. We close on the matter of the dire situation at Blackburn Rovers and Wolverhampton where a caretaker manager has been appointed for the stretch run and what we can expect in those two situations where the clubs are under extreme threat of relegation. We close this episode on EBTs and players and how taxes are paid to players in wake of the HMRC revelations with Rangers FC. | 2/26/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Kieran Canning | Phil and Anto are joined by Scottish freelance reporter Kieran Canning to take a deeper look into the Rangers FC tax case at the behest of HMRC and how the club arrived at this point with the British Government. We get into the factors to gauge the Doomsday scenario and if HMRC could fully enforce the liability which could force Rangers into extinction in its current form or whether a phoenix football club would have to establish itself once all the tax debts are resolved. There are three separate potential minefields facing Craig Whyte including failure to keep up with Pay As You Earn remittance and how the club had fallen behind on overall tax payments and a tangled web of EBTs and an arrangement with Ticketus which has served to undermine any ability to cover what is owed. We also examine how the media has not done proper investigation, failing to live up to a responsible level of scrutiny when stories were there to be reported even before Whyte took over the club. Ally McCoist, current manager of the club, has not been in communication with Whyte adding further speculation about the future of the football club itself. Craig Whyte now admits using money from the sale of future season ticket income to complete the takeover of Rangers in May 2011, so it becomes even more troubling that the club could even rescue itself in the short to medium term given that the ticket base and merchandizing has already been leveraged. In closing, we try to establish what the impacts to Celtic and, ultimately, to the SPL and Scottish football should Rangers be relegated or forced out of business even for a period of re-organization. | 2/25/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Paul Merson | Phil and Anto are joined by Arsenal legend and Sky Sports presented to have a candid conversation regarding the ramifications of the decline for Arsenal Football Club and how Arsene Wenger has not been able to meet the lofty standards he once set early in the last decade. We examine the nature of the squad then, where things went wrong and the prospects going forward should the club fail to reach fourth. We also gauge the impact of not reaching fourth on Wenger himself as Champions League football is clearly something in which he finds personal satisfaction and pride and if being excluded might force him to self-examine his tenure and, even perhaps, stand down knowing that direction of the club appears to be heading more towards a youth model based on recent comments from one of the key executives inside the club. Additionally we also look at the impact on Chelsea should they not reach fourth and how things may actually be a bit more bleak given the relative age on the squad and how Abramovich tends to overspend but may be locked in with no European football to offer. Then we close on the matter of the England National Team and Harry Redknapp both in terms of restoring pride to the squad itself, but also the impact to Tottenham Hotspur who might just find themselves with even more increasing challenges given how influential the manager has been leading them from bottom of the Premier League to survival and now a potential top three finish. | 2/24/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Paolo Bandini | Anto is joined by Paolo Bandini, football correspondent with The Guardian, to take a deeper look into all the unpredictability inside Serie A with respect to the results over the last three weeks - if not the entire season - while a real battle has opened up for third with no leading character looking ready to grab the slot for Champions League next year. At the fulcrum of this unintended consequence is the continued failures at Inter who have suffered three straight losses and look no more certain to find any consistency in the wake of a number of bad decisions and poor choices that are well beyond just the loss Jose Mourinho and a constant revolving door of managers since he left for Real Madrid. We also preview the midweek Champions League fixtures for Napoli and Inter and where their fortunes appear to lie and how this will impact their reach for the third in Serie A, while also factoring in the threat Roma provides in terms of their plan which finally shows signs of taking root. The we turn our attention to the biggest match this weekend in world football between AC Milan and Juventus which may just be six years in the making where two eternal rivals are going head to head for the spoils at the very top of Serie A. We look at the key variables including a resurgent Gigi Buffon, the emergence of Thiago Silva, a revived Andrea Pirlo and whether the decision to reduce the Zlatan Ibrahimovic suspension might just be the biggest factor going into this match. We also examine the two young managers themselves - Allegri and Conte - to gauge whether these are the kind of managers who can truly take these clubs to places that match lofty ambitions beyond Italy and into the world limelight. Then we close on the big picture for Fiorentina where Montolivo looks gone in the summer and imagine what is left for Delio Rossi should Jovetic cash in on his great season for greener pastures elsewhere in Italy or Europe. | 2/20/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prime Time Football | Anto is joined by former England international defender and Fox Soccer Channel analyst Warren Barton to take a look at the big issues involving the Premier League and European football, starting with the issues at Arsenal who have reached a key moment in their season and their future now that another season appears to be on the brink of no silverware. This comes on the heels of a huge loss at San Siro against AC Milan where the return leg now seems meaningless compounded by a massive point in their schedule that will shape whether fourth in the EPL is possible. We take a look at the key factor where the decline began and how the move to the new stadium has delivered a new business perspective upon the club and may ultimately come at the price of Robin Van Persie as he looks around the club to gauge its ambitions. Then we turn to the matter of Chelsea and Andre Villas-Boas who also seem to be on an escalated scale due to the size and scope of his experience in concert with a team of veterans who clearly do not have the confidence in the manager. We also examine the potential that the players have undermined the manager with Roman Abramovich due to their lack of faith in the plan and what could be next for the manager should it get knocked out of Europe. We also examine the situation for Spurs and Harry Redknapp and how calmer heads have prevailed to allow Tottenham the space to secure third and truly make Spurs one of the most desirable jobs in the Premier League. In closing we also evaluate the potential for an all-Manchester Europa League Final and how this might affect the outcome in the Premier League, then we also gauge whether the Champions League is undergoing a change in the guard with AC Milan now leap-frogging Bayern Munich as the dark horse as that tournament proceeds down the stretch, barring injuries. Vaishali Bhardwaj also makes her return with two world football updates in this episode. | 2/18/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Joel Richards | Anto is joined by Argentina football correspondent and producer Joel Richards from Buenos Aires to discuss a number of highly publicized issues surrounding the game in Argentina at the moment. It starts nowhere else but the opening night fallout for Boca Juniors in the Copa Libertadores during a return flight from Venezuela where an eruption between manager and some players came to a head and were ultimately cooled down for at least a bit longer. Then we move to a rather scary story at San Lorenzo where a youth team player was attacked in almost shocking parallel to the situations that seemed to plague River Plate during its fight to stay out of the relegation zone, where local supporter groups have begun to exert their political and economic self interest with dire consequences. We also get into the matter of the political issues over renaming the Argentina competition after a sunken battleship during the Malvinas - or Falkland Islands - conflict nearly 30 years ago with a bit more historical perspective to illustrate just how unusual attempts have been to block this name change. Then we turn our attention to the matter of River Plate and its newest arrivals, particularly in the legendary figure David Trezeguet, who has arrived to help the club regain first division football along with the likes of Fernando Cavenaghi and Chori Dominguez. Then we close on the matter of Carlos Tevez and how it has been viewed with a slightly different prism and the introduction of Erik Lamela into the National Team which completes his meteoric rise from relegation at River Plate to the cusp of football super stardom in the near future with AS Roma and Argentina as an international break is right around the corner. | 2/16/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Ed Aarons | Anto is joined by African football correspondent Ed Aarons of the BBC and KickOff Magazine to take a moment to reflect on what was easily one of the most memorable finals in international football in many years as the magical story of Zambia came to a wonderful conclusion earlier in the week after an epic penalty shoot out in Gabon. As this edition unfolded it soon became a tournament memorable more for the teams than the stars who seem to line most of the big teams in Africa as a tiny Zambia defied all the odds and even the two tournament favorites - Ivory Coast and Ghana - to claim its very first silverware with some very interesting parallels apparent to the 1993 national team that fell tragically in an air disaster that took the lives of the entire team but one man who was left to lead the effort to rebuild it, Kalusha Bwalya. We also look at the reasons why some of these favorites did not succeed in Gabon/Equatorial G****a and who were some of the emerging teams we may have to keep an eye on as the tournament makes a quick return a year from now. Lots of focus on Morocco and Senegal as the two biggest disappointments and we also look ahead to South Africa as teams such as Tunisia and the big three missing this time around - Cameroon, Nigeria and Egypt - look to rebound. We ponder whether the window has closed on Ivory Coast and what is in store for Ghana as a younger crop of players looks to repair what went wrong in the years ahead. | 2/16/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Philippe Auclair | Phil and Anto are joined by French football journalist Philippe Auclair at a point in the season where weather is affecting the schedule of fixtures in a very disappointing way. We check in with the favorites in Ligue 1 at this juncture, but the primary focus of this episode is the economics behind the league and French football in general as information has come to light surrounding the potential for conflict of interest for Michel Platini given his role at UEFA and FIFA, along with his connections to QSI in the PSG sale with his World Cup vote held in the balance. Add to this the recent appointment of his son, Laurent, to QSI and suddenly questions are now being raised about how these moving pieces all fit and whether the UEFA president has entered a tenuous place politically given that European football has entered its first measuring point with respect to Financial Fair Play. Philippe helps us deconstruct most of these moving parts to establish whether this is some form of collusion under way and how these events should be explored. This also opens questions around PSG itself where players are arriving in greater frequency and with greater cost and how commercial realities are being addressed by QSI heading into a cycle where Euro 2016 will help address the stadium situation and improve match day revenue for one of the emerging clubs in world football. We also check in with AS Monaco who has also been bought and how they look to progress and find themselves back in Ligue 1, freed from the restrictions of UEFA FFP as they are in Ligue 2 with 10 new signings. | 2/13/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Philip Delves Broughton | Anto is joined by distinguished writer and contributor Philip Delves Broughton to take a look at his in depth story into the new world for AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi now that he has left political office and what next for his empire and fortune. This is the first of a series of examinations of the biggest figures inside the sport of world football, and it starts nowhere more significant than the biggest winner in the sport over the last 25 years. Owner, visionary and entrepreneur behind one of the biggest and most decorated football clubs in the world. We examine where he is today after his retreat from the office of Prime Minister last November to what he may do in the coming years and if he still has the fire to expand his empire and measure his ambition with the football club he once rescued from bankruptcy in 1986. We discuss the politics, his core ambitions, the failure and the many dichotomies within the man and how his unconventional character traits have both served him in business as well as serve to undermine him in the public eye. We identify where his next moves may exist and how influential he has been in the modern era of football, and this dovetails into the next generation who will eventually control and continue this empire entrenched in sport, media and entertainment. Philip Delves Broughton is a regular contributor to The Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Spectator. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Ahead of the Curve: Two Years at Harvard Business School and The Art of the Sale: Learning from the Masters About the Business of Life, which will be published in April. | 2/11/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Temryss Lane | Phil and Anto are joined by Temryss Lane of Fox Soccer Channel to have a discussion about the recent failure of the WPS and what some of the biggest contributing factors were that went into its demise. We also try to get underneath how a new generation has yet to come to grips with the sport and its trajectory in terms of how sport and athletes are marketed in tandem with a new connected world has put leagues for women abroad in better stead given that club culture and youth development is of a standard where the game is now growing exponentially. Some of this uniquely American as well given that women will go to a professional game for men but do not seem to carry over into sports played by women. Even more importantly, Temryss is also a new ambassador for a key initiative with Nike N7 that will target Native American and First Nation communities in the United States and Canada which includes Sam Bradford of the Rams and Jacoby Ellsbury of the Red Sox in an attempt to empower these communities through activity and competition. Temryss gives us some insight into her community and what some of the challenges are for native cultures in North America and the goals and objectives will be for the groundbreaking initiative. | 2/9/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prime Time Football | Phil and Anto are joined by former England international defender Warren Barton to have a look at the wild day that was regarding the acquittal for Harry Redknapp and the resignation of Fabio Capello from the England national team. We start with the matter of John Terry and how events seem to have shaped the decision by The FA and whether there was much of a choice but to remove Capello and whether some of this was forced by the manager himself who appears to have been undermined by a situation that was beyond control of the FA itself. Is there a silver lining to these events going forward and does Harry Redknapp now emerge as the key candidate even though Tottenham Hotspur is engaged in a massive fight to reclaim its top four slot and continue its ambitions. Obviously the gravity of this situation has taken on a life of its own and within three hours of a major court decision involving Harry Redknapp now appears to be gaining steam almost instantly. We look at what Harry brings to the table and how expectations being where they are might actually work in his favor. Lots here to discuss and we even speculate into the events and potential issues going forward for England, Capello, Redknapp, John Terry and the FA itself now that everything has been pushed into overdrive. | 2/8/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Dominic Kinnear | Anto is joined by Houston Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear who is easily among the very best in the league given his track record for success with two MLS Cup victories and being Eastern Conference champion last season, for a discussion on the constant level of change and transition within the league and some very exciting times for the franchise. Houston is little more than three months away from unveiling the new stadium it has pursued since arriving from San Jose in 2006, which will cement the team within the fabric of the community for years to come. But even more importantly, this is a discussion into the gears of Major League Soccer and how a successful manager sees some of the challenges of a salary cap, the impact of travel and various conditions on a team over a long season, and how CONCACAF Champions League offers great opportunities to young players seeking some international football and how MLS is really its own unique system within the greater landscape of professional football. Dominic also weighs in on the element of change and transition that takes place every season for an MLS season and how the unique structure places even greater emphasis on top coaches who are constantly in a world of developing players to fit both a salary cap and disparate skill level. Lots here in terms of a brand new BBVA Compass Stadium, how the schedule being backended for home fixtures can affect a season and why CONCACAF Champions League adds a dimension to the year to year success for a team with one of the very best coaches in the league. | 2/5/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Gaizka Mendieta | Phil is joined by Valencia and Spanish football legend Gaizka Mendieta for a quick look at the Barcelona-Real Madrid rivalry and its effect on reigning European and World Champion Spain as the we head towards the stretch run in La Liga. Gaizka played 40 times with the Spanish national team, appearing with it in one World Cup and one European Championship, as well as two Champions League Finals with Los Che, voted twice as best midfielder in that competition by UEFA. In this episode we take a look at the Mourinho factor as it cuts across Real Madrid as a football club and how events are now resonating with the supporters now that Barcelona trail by enough points to make it highly likely that La Liga honors will be restored to the Bernabeu. We also look at Barcelona itself to examine whether this might just be the best club team ever to play in La Liga even while failing short in its title challenge and Gaizka draws many parallels to the Dream Team and its natural evolutionary step with Pep Guardiola at the helm. Gaizka also weighs in on whether La Liga will be enough for Jose Mourinho in his second season and if the psychological impact of not beating Barcelona while winning a title might be a cloud that will be forgotten with a bit of time. We close on the matter of the National Team and whether Spain has enough in them left to mount a successful defence of their title in Poland and Ukraine this summer. | 2/4/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Gabriele Marcotti | Phil and Anto are joined by writer and commentator Gabriele Marcotti to take a look at the major movers and shakers in Serie A now that the transfer market has closed and important results toward the Scudetto are flying fast and furious. We start at Lazio where fireworks have begun after losing out on Keisuke Honda and a host of transfer activity moving entirely in the wrong direction. We also look at what has happened at Novara with their coaching change and if the dream may indeed be coming to an end there. Loads on Juventus, Inter and Milan who were all rather interesting in their own ways in terms of player movement but for a variety of reasons to separate economics from title ambitions and whether any kind of knockout blow was found here. In the case of Juventus it was about reinforcements but moving out some players no longer in the plan, perhaps done a window too late. Inter has moved Thiago Motta for two dynamic players in Angelo Palombo and Freddy Guarin and we also examine some of the economics behind Wesley Sneijder as the midfield looks a bit locked up in terms of options under Claudio Ranieri. Then its a look over at Milan to attempt to separate facts from spin in the matter of Pato, Carlos Tevez and some of the longer term ramifications for the club, including the potential for a shift on Mario Balotelli with Manchester City. Then we look at the arrivals this winter and how the confusion on the trequartista position seems to undermine perceptions for Allegri now that results have failed of late. We also examine the fortunes for Udinese, Napoli and Roma to gauge who has some edge here and really try to assess the overall project at Roma where the output seems hesitant and gauge the politics and longer term parameters for Luis Enrique in this first season where expectations are usually at a fever pitch. | 2/3/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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James Dorsey | Anto is joined by Middle East football expert currently at the Rajaratnam School of International Studies and is the author of the Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer to discuss the stadium tragedy at Port Said this evening which resulted in at least 73 killed and up to 1,000 injuries in the hours after bloody confrontations. James provides us some background and insight into the background of the ultra movement in Egypt and how these elements have connection to the uprising in Egypt during the fall of Mubarak in the past year. And we also gauge some of the early impressions from the video broadcast around the world showing an overwhelming surge at the pitch and whether police unwillingness to control the violence may indicate some role in the proceedings either by act or omission, which will probably never be known or proven. We also explore the relationship between these ultra groups, their ideologies, motivations and ongoing resistance during the transition since Mubarak stepped down. We also try to examine what will face these ultra groups in the future and how the video evidence reveals some very chilling observations as the crowd has arrived armed and shows no hesitation or concern for the authorities on the scene, which erupted into savage violence at one end of the stadium later set on fire. James also provides clarity into how the players and national team is viewed by these ultra groups and what this will mean for former US National Team manager Bob Bradley who just took on the project of rebuilding the program. | 2/1/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prime Time Football | Phil and Anto are joined once again by former Wimbledon, Newcastle and England international defender Warren Barton for another episode that takes a look at many of the key talking points as a rather quiet and uneventful transfer window has closed. We start with upstart Liverpool where Kenny has seen his side win two very important Cup ties on route to a potential Carling Cup win and progress through the FA Cup. Did Kenny pull the right lever after a bitter loss to Bolton Wanderers and has the squad begun to turn the corner as lack of transfers might just prove evidence to what he thinks about this team. Elsewhere, Manchester United has closed the gap completely in the league table on cross town rival Manchester City and with Sir Alex breathing down the favorite this season may be it is time to take a deeper look into the fortunes of City, who were touted to be competitive on all fronts and have underperformed. We also look at the failure to move Carlos Tevez as indicator to both the marketplace and how Manchester City has a problem if they are left with a player who does not play a minute of competitive football for nine months once the summer hits. We also gauge events at Arsenal and whether the plan has come off the rails a bit as a number of players who fit their profile have gone unexamined with barely any move to reinforce the squad for a bitter top four challenge. And then we move to some of the movers and shakers in this transfer window in the case of Newcastle, Everton and Queens Park Rangers to get an idea of their ambitions and even some clubs who look destined for relegation and an early sneak peek at who might just come up next season from The Championship with West Ham United and Southampton leading the way. Vaishali Bhardwaj also makes her return with two world football updates in this episode. | 1/31/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Clive Tyldesley | Phil and Anto are joined by English sports commentator Clive Tyldesley of ITV to have a look at some of the major talking points which have emerged after an FA Cup weekend as the Premier League takes a turn back into the teeth of a difficult run. We look at the situation with David de Gea who struggled at Anfield and if the goalkeeper position for Sir Alex has finally become a major liability and whether Kenny Dalglish has begun to turn fortunes around for Liverpool with two cup pursuits still in view and the top four on edge. We also look into the matter of Javier Hernandez and whether Ferguson might have been done a longer term favor by narrowing the fronts on which a weakened squad would be required to fight it out. Clive also offers his thoughts on the enduring charm of the Africa Nations Cup and how these national teams continue to endure in style despite a strong push by European managers to make their football more tactical. Then we return to the matter of Manchester City who has outspent everybody, but teeters on the edge of surrendering the Premier League lead to a United team missing several key reinforcements and top line quality, to their standards. In the end we get into the matter of the Jose Mourinho who is again sparking up rumors of a return to England, so we take a look at his recent accomplishments and try to determine which club would be in prime position to claim his services. | 1/30/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Daniel Geey | Anto is joined by solicitor Daniel Geey of Field Fisher Waterhouse of London who serves as an associate in the Competition and EU Regulatory Law Group to have a deeper look at the Luis Suarez case in terms of process after adding some perspective into the matter. Daniel helps us parse the key factors in terms of timing, politics, standards of proof in different arenas while acknowledging the difficulty in separating all these factors in light of race and racist remarks by players and/or fans with a football stadium. We break down the process that the FA and the Independent Regulatory Commission’s Report (IRCR) conclusions used to come to the matter of charging Suarez and ultimately finding him guilty given the unique characteristics of sporting justice and the standards of proof that this process uses in its evaluation of evidence. We also examine the existing FA procedures for reporting racism charges and whether the chronology in this case allowed Suarez a measure of fairness throughout the entire ordeal from the start. We also visit the colloquial and/or idiom applications of language as an instrument of defence for Luis Suarez and whether this can or should be applied in the evaluation. We also take a look at the balance of probabilities mechanism that established who was seen as more credible during the investigatory process and if there were issues that should have been more aggressively pursued by Liverpool Football Club and representatives acting on behalf of Luis Suarez. Then we also look at the upcoming John Terry case that sits in a different arena with the Crown Prosecution Service and how Burden of Proof is a vastly different mechanism than the standard of proof that the FA used in its process, and if this difference, once exploited by criminal defense attorneys in the case of John Terry, will shade how the FA treats the case once settled in the criminal courts. | 1/26/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prime Time Football | Phil and Anto are joined once again by former Wimbledon, Newcastle and England international defender Warren Barton for another insight episode into a major issue brewing and that is the development of English top level managers who can ascend to the Premier League. One look across the full landscape and there are only three Englishmen currently plying their trade and the numbers do not appear to be increasing anytime soon unless it does happen through promotion from lower league football. Given his past association with the League Managers Association, Warren helps us gauge the many contributing factors including his time working on his coaching badges and what he learned in Holland from continental powers in terms of how they groom and develop management staff and player executives. We also look at other countries like Italy - and Germany and Spain, to an extent - where the job of actually building football clubs has become a massive undertaking and where the executives themselves are traditionally larger than life themselves as the first team manager, while in England there does seem to be an element of competition between executives and managers for the same job. These kinds of situations are reducing with time inside the Premier League, but there does seem to be a continuing trend of fewer and fewer English managers. Lots here to think about and consider, including how players and managers might have to be developed at lower level clubs like is the case in Spain so that the experience becomes a true training ground and resource for the Premier League. | 1/26/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Sid Lowe | Phil and Anto are joined by Spanish football correspondent Sid Lowe to have a discussion into the matter of Jose Mourinho and how Real Madrid seems to be at a point of emotional and mental crisis as the air war surrounding several key players has taken a new, bizarre twist. We look into all the factors leading up to this point, some of the Mourinho myths which have been shattered in all the El Clasico encounters with Barcelona and how he continues to lose the war on each front in this battle. We get into the mechanics of this problem and where some things have gone wrong for Jose Mourinho from the fact that he is in a pitched battle with one of the great sides of this generation in Barcelona. Then we explore the greater history behind Jose Mourinho leading up to his appointment at Real Madrid to examine what worked and what is different in this squad and how unique Real Madrid and the Spanish team really is and how those factors have become even more crucial when analyzing the situation. We talk a bit about the heroic fight he took to Barcelona with Internazionale Milano, the lessons learned from Chelsea and FC Porto and how different this situation really is within the prism of a powerhouse in the same general neighborhood in the shape of Barcelona. We examine the key relationships as they play out in the press and how Cristiano Ronaldo continues to play a key role in terms of how he and Mourinho are both tied at the hip based on their extreme ambition to compete and win. We also gauge the situation for a struggling Villarreal who looks at the end of a cycle for them under the weight of injury, coaching changes and financial concerns, Malaga who fails to impress even now with a cheap fourth place at stake and how Atletico Madrid and Athletic Bilbao stand to gain the most down the stretch. | 1/24/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Nicky Summerbee | Phil and Anto are joined by Manchester City legend Nicky Summerbee to have a discussion into how his club has progressed this season and whether real title credentials are manifest as the very first Premier League title gets closer into view. We talk about the mental games played by other managers week upon week and how these elements have begun to make Manchester City stronger as the fixtures progress throughout the season. At two ends of the stick are manager Roberto Mancini and SuperMario Balotelli who have both arrived to provide equal parts stability and unpredictability, both of which revealed themselves in the Tottenham match. We look at the upcoming schedule with most of the big fixtures at home as a key factor along with return of some key pieces from suspension and Africa Nations Cup once the business end of the season reveals itself. Nicky also believes this is a key season for Manchester City in the sense that once a bit of success arrives, this will be the start of an emerging power who will have been a lot better for having learned some valuable lessons from a challenge at the top, led by Roberto Mancini who never seems to be satisfied. | 1/22/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Micky Gray | Phil and Anto are joined by former Sunderland player and current English football broadcaster Micky Gray to have a look at Sunderland since the club replaced Steve Bruce with Martin O`Neill to gauge the club fortunes as we make the turn in the Premier League season toward the stretch run. Lots to consider including the ongoing struggle to find that goalscorer since Asamoah Gyan and Darren Bent left the club, along with the emergence of some new faces who will have to deliver as some key fixtures are coming into view. Micky helps us evaluate the options for strikers with the club and whether the club might make a move in the transfer window to help the team across the line. We also discuss the fortunes of Newcastle United and whether that influenced the decision to make that change in manager, and how passions in the Northeast always get magnified, especially in a season like this where the top ten is in a constant state of flux. We also go into some other key players in the midfield and emerging players to watch as important factors going forward. Wonderful part of this episode is the chat on Darlington Football Club and how it should force football into a rethink about priorities and how economics are shaping most of the Premier League outside of Manchester City and Chelsea with long established clubs showing an element of austerity after many free-spending years. | 1/22/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Matt Law | Phil and Anto are joined by England football correspondent Matt Law of the Daily Express to have a chat after the Arsenal-Manchester United match where tons of key talking points have emerged. We get into the supporters questioning Arsene Wenger and some of the performances and on-field reactions by the players themselves, including the failures of Andrei Arshavin to discover where exactly did it all go wrong for the Russian since his move to The Emirates. Talk about falling out of the top four has people wondering what next for Arsenal both in financial terms and lost credibility and/or reputation in pursuing new players and keeping hold of the ones who are vital to the cause. Then we move to the matter of another high octane Sunday fixture between Manchester City and Tottenham where none other than SuperMario has touched off a firestorm and another key victory sealed by his penalty kick, much to the outrage of Spurs fans. We also get deeper into what Harry Redknapp might regret should he get locked out of either the top spot or Champions League football as the need for a top level striker has eluded him at White Hart Lane. Questions on Liverpool have surfaced in another defeat to a team they should beat as Bolton puts a blinder into their season long plans and will the Carling Cup be enough for Dalglish after slamming some of his players post match? Then we close on the matter of Aston Villa who has been able to avoid the relegation scrap after dispatching Wolverhampton in a key match. Loads of key talking points and lots of interesting takes by Matt Law. | 1/22/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Graeme Sharp | Phil and Anto are joined by Everton Football Club legend and icon Graeme Sharp to take stock of where the club is in the midst of the season and a winter transfer window. We talk about the struggle to find goals, who might be the answer for David Moyes and a look at the league itself where there might just be an opening for optimism for the Toffies. Graeme also weighs in on the issue of Tim Cahill who has seen a dip in form, the loss of Mikel Arteta and the arrival of Landon Donovan the second time around, even while Moyes continues to glue together a weekly lineup that is amongst the most stingy in the league. We also get into the matter of investment for the club itself and Graeme gives us a very practical view on why a takeover worked at Manchester City and why the stadium is the biggest obstacle for Everton at the moment. Lots on how Everton continues to bring through young players - one of the few Premier League clubs to do that with any regularity - and how David Moyes might just be talking sense about finding Premier League clubs are lower division alternative that simulates what the top flight has in store for them as professionals. In the end we close on the matter of Landon Donovan and how more will be expected him the second time around as the club will be more dependent on his pace to solve a shortcoming in the Everton attack which needs more variety. | 1/20/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Coerver Coaching Special | Anto is joined by two very important people from Coerver Coaching who are not only dedicated to the cause of youth development and technical skills training in the United States, but also have a very unique perspective in the game based on their playing careers. First up in US National Team legend and icon Kristine Lilly who featured a remarkable 352 times for the Women across five World Cup cycles and winning two of them in a storied career that would make her the most successful US player in the history of the program when factoring in her Olympic Gold Medals and collegiate titles at North Carolina. Kristine gives us her insight into the Coerver program, her new initiative for women as well as gives us a look into her wonderful career, the professional league in America and whether she has the itch to pursue a coaching career herself. A wonderful discussion with a player who has experienced it all at the highest levels of the sport and might just own a record that will never be toppled. Then second, Coerver co-founder and Chelsea Football Club legend Charlie Cooke stops by to take even more deeply about Coerver Coaching where we get into the gears of the program and then get into his storied career which delivered him from Scotland to triumphs in the English First Division and then to American with the North American Soccer League starting with the Los Angeles Aztecs, the distant cousin of Major League Soccer today featuring the likes of numerous world legends including George Best and Tommy Smith. Then we turn to the matter of the 1970 FA Cup Final where Charlie explains how the Blues took the spoils in the replay at Old Trafford and how he came face to face very early on with technically skilled continental footballers who opened his eyes to the world we see today in football. Just a wonderful discussion on player development, where the game seems to be headed and the skills that will be required if the United States wants to reach its full potential for the men and women in this evolving world game. | 1/20/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prime Time Football | Phil and Anto are joined once again by former Wimbledon, Newcastle and England international defender Warren Barton to take a look at some of the early economic indicators and how the marketplace is being shaped at this stage of the transfer window and what it might be saying about the entire football landscape. We gauge whether the window is actually working or whether it is causing more damage than it is worth given its first intentions. Then we extend it to the case of business in the game itself to consider the knockdown effects as it seems to have put clubs themselves into desperate situations leading to the closure of some doors, shutting out the fans. We give high marks to Newcastle, Tottenham, Swansea, Everton and even Arsenal in the past who were easily the best at assessing players and value and finding some surprises. Warren chimes in on the effects these closures have on a football club and a local community from his experience while at Wimbledon FC. Are the problems today being driven by austerity, UEFA Financial Fair Play or the global economic crisis ... perhaps a combination of factors. We also look at the individual cases of Manchester City and Tottenham to look at their title credentials in terms of mentality as both teams are unproven champions but have shown a mental resiliency to grind out results and what this may mean for the chase to the finish. Warren relives his experience in a similar situation when the pressure mounted for Kevin Keegan and Newcastle when they were being chased by Sir Alex and Manchester United in a historic title chase and how it can affect the elusive mentality at key junctures if a team does not have the leaders in place. We also examine the case of Liverpool and Arsenal who are in a dogfight with Chelsea for that last Champions League slot to assess what this could mean to their ambitions and business plans going forward. Are there enough youth players to bring up the slack, and if so, why all the loans and signings of past legends on temporary deals? We also examine the case of the transfer window itself to establish who are the clubs who will make the risk and try to either buy a slot or preserve their Premier League survival. Now that Gary Cahill has arrived at Chelsea and Alex seems on his way out, what does this mean for David Luiz in the clear and present? Then we close on the player loans from Major League Soccer to discuss what these moves mean and if they are counterproductive in the greater picture. Vaishali Bhardwaj also makes her return with two world football updates in this episode. | 1/19/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Africa Nations Cup 2012 Preview | Anto is joined by two wonderful African football correspondents and editors who help break down this upcoming Africa Cup of Nations from Equatorial G****a and Gabon starting on January 21st. Overall the big topics are the favorites and the big powers who did not qualify, but each segment takes a different slant to provide a rich exploration of the game in Africa which at this juncture seems in transition after an historic World Cup barely 19 months ago. Ed Aarons of the BBC and KickOff Magazine in the first half halps us break down the groups themselves and take a look at the emerging storylines including whether this is the last great chance for Ivory Coast to finally raise some silverware as three of the big constants in Cameroon, Nigeria and three-time defending champion Egypt failed to qualify. We try to layout the Final 16 to gauge the two entries from each group to see who could be expected to reach the quarterfinals in 2012. Ed has a serious background in Southern African football and we take a deeper look at the failure of South Africa a tournament removed from the center of the football universe, Angola who may have hit their peak and seems to face a big struggle and then to surprise package Botswana who has reached their very first finals tournament in their history. In the second half Ghana football correspondent Gary Al Smith joins us to answer the basic premise about whether football is actually progressing in Africa freed from the expectations placed before it. We gauge the politics, infrastructure and logistics as a part of the evaluation, but take a 360 degree view of those factors in tandem with the on-pitch product which clearly is beginning to show signs of an emerging maturity in how teams approach their own styles of play and become more tactical as an evolutionary step, manifest by the number of teams who put down some very big international powers. Clearly this was not accomplished by mistake. We also look at the gears inside the big powers who stand to gain the most in this edition of the Africa Nations Cup including Ivory Coast, Ghana, Senegal and Morocco who all have signature players who are either considered proven commodities or candidates who have failed to prove their quality as tournament players. We also look at the emergence of Yaya Toure as a football icon for the region and the world and the Ayew brothers with Ghana who have delivered a new winning energy and mentality from the success raised by Ghana in the 2009 U-20 World Cup. Lots of gears and insight as well as emerging players and nations as the biggest Africa Nations Cup yet kicks off this weekend. | 1/18/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Oliver Kay | Phil and Anto are joined by Oliver Kay of The Times to take a deeper look at all the key moments in the Premier League after the action this weekend where a number of weaknesses continue to be revealed. The league is far from settled, but some clear conclusions can be made: how the signing of Paul Scholes by Manchester United seems a sign of desperation, that Dimitar Berbatov appears on his way out of Old Trafford, how Arsenal continues to find itself incapable of winning when Robin Van Persie is not extraordinary each and every match. Questions continue for both Wenger and Arsenal who might just be fielding the worst side since the arrival of Wenger himself - then we turn our attention to the matter of Liverpool where the goal output is at its lowest since the Premier League was formed, but are we to think that better players alone will be enough for Kenny Dalglish and the Anfield faithful in the wake of a terrible episode for Luis Suarez and continued failures for Andy Carroll. We also look at the tenure of Steve Kean at Blackburn to determine if all the problems can be pointed at him or at the football structure itself under the Venky ownership group. We also explore what could happen at Manchester City should Mancini fail to win at Anfield on January 22nd in the Carling Cup and if desperation would begin to set in once there is only one trophy to chase. We also look at the matter of Chelsea where the Fernando Torres saga endures to guage how much longer that he has before Abramovich decides to cash in. We close on the clear surprise story of Newcastle United who continues to respond to all the body blows and its first test without Demba Ba as its key man against Queens Park Rangers to determine what needs to be done to improve the squad as we head toward the business end of the campaign. | 1/15/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Damian Collins | Anto is joined by MP Damian Collins who represents the Folkestone and Hythe constituency in British Parliament and its House of Commons Select Committee for Culture, Media and Sport to have a conversation into the matters of governance of English football and the ongoing saga with respect to Sepp Blatter and FIFA in the wake of two controversial World Cup bids awarded for 2018 and 2022. We look back at the evidence placed before his committee by Lord Triesman nearly a year ago and what we have begun to learn as more information and public statements by Jack Warner have gone on to confirm many of the allegations raised. We also look into the matter of the Football Governance process that has begun to address the business of football and potential for real legislation to meet the modern challenges of a massive industry which is Premier League and top flight football. We discuss some of the dangers to the game if transparency is not pushed upon football clubs, how real substantive change will address the real local threats to surrounding businesses and tax revenues should the situation not be reformed intrinsically and how risk in this new global financial reality could have tragic consequences. Then we return to the matter of FIFA and Sepp Blatter and how there has actually been more talk than action in the past year with respect to reform and responding to allegations involving the potential for real corruption of the sport at its highest levels. We dig back into the allegations raised by Lord Triesman both in terms of direct quote and what MP Collins thinks needs to happen in terms of actual transparency for the FIFA Ethics Committee and who out there could step into the breach as leader of world football once Blatter finally moves on and the organization begins the important work of restoring its public credibility. | 1/11/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Inside MLS Volume 4 | Anto and Nico meet up for a fourth Inside MLS episode as the league begins the player combine and teams gear up for the Super Draft on January 12th with Ives Galarcep of SoccerByIves and FoxSoccer.com. As a great symbol to the growth of the league the draft and the off season has taken on the glare and craziness of other sports leagues in North America, so we take a look through some of the haze first to get underneath the draft favorites, some ideas on how teams will approach this process and what we can expect in some corners of the league as the player selections available have some very interesting trends about them. Ives also gives us his insight into what may happen with player trades and the top prospects as well as take a look at a few lingering questions for Jurgen Klinsmann and his January camp to look for some quality depth in his national team selection. We also evaluate the new coaches in Major League Soccer to see who has the best chance of success and visit some comments made by Preston Zimmerman to get separate what he actually said and if there is indeed something there as the national team is begun a massive transformation under Klinsmann. We look at the striker position where there is some definite sense of need there as well as the emerging questions at the center back position to gauge what talents are in the pool and where they fit in. Then we turn to the matter of the player loans to Europe this off season to see if these are totally in the best interest of the league itself and if we are just one major injury from seeing it come crashing down. Lots here on the draft, emerging players and even some national team as many in the January camp have clear MLS ties as US Soccer looks toward the start of World Cup qualification for 2014 once these next two friendlies and a trip to Genoa are completed in February. Nico is even forced to account for all the former Internazionale players being linked with Major League Soccer! | 1/7/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prime Time Football | Anto is joined once again by former Wimbledon, Newcastle and England international defender Warren Barton to take a look at what we may have learned about many of the chief competitors at the end of the festive period heading toward an FA Cup Third round that will culminate with two Manchester rivals meeting up in the feature match. We first start with the top performers at this break which are Tottenham who have cleared an important hurdle after five straight unbeaten and gauge whether they make the leap in the transfer window to help their cause. Then we look at the emerging the story at Manchester United where the club has lost two Premier League matches inside of a week and problems have now developed between Wayne Rooney and Sir Alex much to the dismay of supporters and the club itself on the pitch. Has a serious crack developed with Manchester United and can Ferguson get things back on track in time for a Sunday clash with Manchester City which puts another trophy on a knife edge. We also look at the exploits of Demba Ba who is carrying Newcastle on his shoulders in advance of his national team duty with Senegal for the Africa Cup of Nations which should take him out of the lineup until mid-February and could bring bigger problems for the club who needs his goals. Then we turn to the matter of Sunderland where Martin O`Neill who is the manager of the month for December and seems to have the Black Cats back in the hunt. We also look at the fortunes for Liverpool and Manchester City in the wake of their encounter and where these clubs appear to be headed in the market as the transfer window opens up. We also examine what Martin Jol is doing at Fulham in the afterglow of its massive result over Arsenal on a moment of magic from Bobby Zamora and how the club continues to rely on seasoned professionals to get things done every year. In the end we take a closer look at Arsenal, Chelsea going forward as well as the recently promoted sides to evaluate their chances for survival in the Premier League and close on the matter of the Manchester Derby in the FA Cup and what it could mean if United loses a third straight match and how City will approach the market once Carlos Tevez departs the club. | 1/6/12 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prime Time Football | Phil and Anto are joined once again by former Wimbledon, Newcastle and England international defender Warren Barton after the first set of matches in the holiday period to take a look at a very changing Premier League race as Manchester United has caught up with their crosstown rivals as the fixtures come fast and furious. We examine why Sir Alex Ferguson continues to find success in this league right about this time of year and consider whether we are starting to see Manchester City hit that bump in their season which many have predicted. Suddenly Mancini has hit a key moment in his campaign to win the Premier League, but his team has not quite yet rebounded from its Champions League disappointment, hitting something of a wall against West Bromwich. We also take a look at the changing fortunes of some of the London based clubs as Arsenal has made the move to loan one of its legends in Thierry Henry as the Africa Cup of Nations looks to sap some of its strikers at the beginning of the New Year. We also dig a bit deeper into the misfortunes for Arsenal both over this last two and a half year spell against the other EPL powers as well as the huge opportunity that was missed at the beginning of the year when the club squandered at least eight points in the campaign. This leads to the clear beneficiary of this decline which has been their North London rivals Tottenham who have continued a remarkable trend of improving each and every transfer window with a number of shrewd signings. In the third segment we take another look at the issues surrounding Liverpool Football Club in the wake of an FA eight match ban for Luis Suarez and what it may mean for the fortunes for the club and Luis Suarez himself, with one big question mark remaining with Andy Carroll as the transfer window approaches. We also look at the issue with respect to how it may affect John Terry and and residual impact it might have in the long season ahead. | 12/30/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Gabriele Marcotti | Anto is joined by world recognized Italian football correspondent and commentator Gabriele Marcotti to have a look at the major talking points involving a remarkable Serie A season at the halfway mark. We take a look at all the surprise packages thus far including Juventus, Udinese and a small provincial team called Atalanta who has defied a six point penalty to find itself in a great position to survive its first season in the top flight since returning from Serie B this past year. The story begins with Antonio Conte who at the worst will be at level points with defending champions AC Milan at the summit in something of a surprise while the miracle that is Udinese continues to defy the odds themselves after losing key players this past summer. We also look at Claudio Ranieri who has probably saved Internazionale from being the story having saved the club from something of a terrible collapse for now. We also chat about the Carlos Tevez saga and what drives Silvio Berlusconi to sign these kinds of star players and why he is so successful in pulling these types of deals off. Then we turn our attention to the disappointing fortunes for ACF Fiorentina since that night against Bayern Munich in the Champions League to gauge what the factors for their retreat actually were in light of a terrible injury to Stefan Jovetic that seemed to shake this club to its core in the wake of Cesare Prandelli departing the team. We also take stock of some emerging Italian success in both the Champions and Europa Leagues this term with five teams going through the group stage and into the knockout rounds. Lots on a Roma resurgence and how Luis Enrique has been able to win over the club and how Franco Baldini views the contract situation with Daniele De Rossi. Also check out the conversation on race with respect to excluding people of color from key decision making positions within the sport. A huge bonus episode with lots to consider and always some of the best insights out there from one of the top thinkers out there today covering football. | 12/20/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Wilfred Bouma | Anto and Phil are joined by PSV Eindhoven and Dutch international defender Wilfred Bouma for a very interesting chat about his career, his time at Aston Villa and the long road back from a terrible injury that kept him out of football for close to two years and almost ended his contract. Back with the football club which delivered him to the top flight of Dutch football in 1994, this is a story about the kind of dedication and perseverance it takes to stay at the top. Wilfred Bouma is the kind of defender who combined quality and toughness early in his career with PSV Eindhoven and by 2005 this led to a move to Aston Villa in the Premier League where he established himself as a first regular under Martin O`Neill. But his time in the EPL ended with an Intertoto Cup third round tie at Villa Park in 2008, shortly after his return from international duty, when he suffered a serious ankle injury that would lead to a long and difficult 18 months before he would ever see a pitch again. That would in turn lead him back to PSV where he has discovered home once again, a second life in football and was even part of a remarkable match that saw his side triumph 10-0 over Feyenoord a little more than a year ago. Wilfred has been capped 35 times by The Netherlands since making his debut in September 2000 and was included in both the Euro 2004 and Euro 2008 squads for Holland. Dutch clubs are performing extremely well this season in European football and Wilfred gives us his take on the success of the EPL and some emerging Dutch sides the past couple of seasons. | 12/18/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prime Time Football | Anto is joined for another edition of Prime Time Football with Warren Barton of Fox Soccer Channel to take a first look at the Champions League draw which seems to be a case of England and Italy on the marquee with two very interesting match ups between Arsenal-AC Milan and Chelsea-Napoli. We get into each of the massive draws to highlight the attacking fireworks in both sets of teams along with some of the key areas that may provide opportunities for either team. This includes the defensive and midfield battles with the better part of a transfer window ahead that could alter the outcome. The strikers and attacking options are very tasty, but the defenders could be what separates these sides in the end. We also provide some early storylines for the other fixtures including the fortunes of the highly favored Spanish sides and the other interesting fixtures highlighting Marseilles-Inter Milan to the degree that these are two clubs who could be very active in the January window due to their struggles domestically in Ligue 1 and Serie A, respectively. We also take a look at some of the key fixtures from the Europa League draw where some of the contests seem even more sexy than those found in the Champions League based on pedigree and tradition of several of the sides. Other contests involving Spanish, English and the Italian sides are also highlighted. To conclude the episode we take a look at a couple of key EPL fixtures that should highlight the title credentials for Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea which are all in frame over the next week. Warren Barton is a former Wimbledon, Newcastle United and England international defender and is also the lead analyst on Fox Soccer Matchday, Goals on Sunday and UEFA Champions League coverage on FOX. | 12/15/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Daniel Taylor | Phil and Anto are joined by Guardian football correspondent Daniel Taylor to take a look at some of the major off the pitch stories involving both Manchester clubs at the moment. The questions continue for the Manchester United midfield as Darren Fletcher has been felled by illness and we get underneath the timelines for Sir Alex in terms of when this problem would have been first known to establish whether the midfield crisis is more than just about injuries, but more about available resources given that a high degree of faith has been placed in some very young players at the moment. We also look into the matter of Rafael and Fabio who continue on a bit of their own difficulty in an attempt to avoid injuries and gauge the level of patience that Ferguson will have in their regard. We also shift to the matter of the Carlos Tevez saga to examine all the statements and mentions of interest by various clubs in an attempt to break down if there is indeed real interest outside of AC Milan whose offer was rejected this past week by Manchester City. Then we turn our attention to the matter of SuperMario Balotelli and his moments of madness both on and off the pitch and how the relationship between he and manager Roberto Mancini is so much more than a traditional player-coach relationship given the number of chances to redeem himself that SuperMario has received. Is he actually settled in Manchester or will he be gone as soon as Mancini eventually leaves? We also look at the matter of the Luis Suarez-Patrice Evra case to understand its unusually long delay to get a ruling. Are we really trending toward new ground here as Liverpool and Suarez contest that the issue is borne from a cultural difference in interpretation. Lastly, we move back to Manchester City to gauge the effect of Africa Cup of Nations and whether the club will go out and freshen up the squad given the importance of Yaya Toure and the loss of Tevez in an era of austerity and Financial Fair Play. | 12/15/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prime Time Football | Phil and Anto are joined once again by former Wimbledon, Newcastle and England international defender Warren Barton in the hours just after a monumental clash at Stamford Bridge that saw Chelsea answer the bell, get off the mat at least temporarily and find enough character to take all three points off a visiting Manchester City. Not only did it inflict a first defeat of the season for the away side, there are now a few small questions about this Manchester City team now that Yaya Toure and several other key players will be off to Africa Cup of Nations as the iron of the schedule heats up around the holidays. Who are the leaders on this Manchester City squad who will lead them through the rough patches of the season while Yaya Toure is away and will the club go out for another key player to see them through it? We also visit two very important matches over the weekend that centered on Stoke City-Tottenham where the referee decisions were curious and over to Sunderland-Blackburn Rovers where the new manager arrival cliche proved true again as Martin O`Neill has taken the reigns and a last gasp win by Sebastian Larsson proves decisive. We also look at the wonderful stories about key strikers - Robin Van Persie on a monumental weekend at Arsenal Football Club and Demba Ba at Newcastle United - who continue to lead their teams with consistent goals. We also take a look at the fortunes for Liverpool and Manchester United to gauge their exploits over the weekend including the ongoing issue with Andy Carroll who by subtraction only leaves Liverpool with one reliable scorer in Luis Suarez and few options to fill the gap. We close on the matter of El Clasico over the weekend at the Santiago Bernabeu where Pep Guardiola has once again proved his dominance over The Special One on the biggest stage. We examine the issues deeper including the Lionel Messi dynamic and how Guardiola has yet again demonstrated his tactical superiority. | 12/13/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Sid Lowe | Anto is joined by Guardian and Sports Illustrated football correspondent Sid Lowe to preview what is now regarded as the biggest club football match in the world - El Clasico - between Real Madrid and Barcelona. This is less a tactical preview than it is about the politics of Spanish football both in terms of the enigmatic and captivating figure of Jose Mourinho as he attempts to unseat Barcelona in his second year in charge of the Spanish giants both domestically and in Europe; then over to a Barcelona side in Pep Guardiola that seems to be in the process of evolving early in this defence of their second European honor in the last three seasons while navigating an emotional minefield with Mourinho in the capitol city. We get into some of the decisions each of the managers have made early in this season in order to evaluate whether this La Liga season will hinge on the very fine margins of this one contest in Madrid as Barcelona have clearly surrendered too many points in a league largely dominated by these two very elite football clubs. We also look at the emerging fortunes of Angel Di Maria and Cesc Fabregas and what they mean to each side. Then we turn our attention to the Champions League failures of Valencia in successive years and how it this failure continues to incorrectly reinforce the existing stereotype that there is only two quality sides in La Liga. We also examine the progress at Malaga to determine if there is indeed progress or if progress is moving according to expectation at present and whether the club will venture back into the winter transfer business to secure that fourth slot for European football. We also take a look at the European Championship draw from the Spanish perspective having drawn Italy once again as nemesis and discuss a potential key player not considered in El Clasico. | 12/9/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Ray Hudson | Anto is joined by GolTV lead in-studio analyst Ray Hudson to preview what is the biggest club match on the planet, El Clasico, between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Ray will be on hand as a commentator and offers us his insights into some of the key factors ahead of the clash. For football fans in North America you already know simple words cannot describe the imaginative and colorful lexicon of Ray Hudson. He cannot be duplicated. And like so few in the business of announcing televised football games no matter its stripes or origins what you instantly realize when you listen to his golden pipes roar through your speakers is that this game you are watching has just been elevated because Ray Hudson is on hand for the action. We also look at the fortunes for Valencia in the coming year as they have fallen out of the Champions League, gauge whether Malaga can close the deal for fourth in Spain to get them to the promised land and the intriguing subplots for each club. Then we pay tribute to Juan Roman Riquelme winning a title in Argentina and then take a moment to reflect on the maestro that was legendary Brazil midfielder Socrates who recently passed away and the artistry that was the midfield with Socrates, Falcao and Zico and whether it could ever be duplicated. Then we close on the issue of Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Barcelona as the Sweden international has released a new book criticizing Pep Guardiola during his tenure with the current European and Spanish champions. Does this tell us more about Zlatan or add fuel to the fire that Guardiola seems to find difficulty in dealing with superstar players not brought through their own academy as new parallels seem to be emerging with David Villa who will be needed to conquer Madrid to win the spoils at the Bernabeu. | 12/7/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prime Time Football | Phil and Anto are joined once again by former Wimbledon, Newcastle and England international defender Warren Barton to discuss many of the biggest issues involving the Premier League over a wild weekend of poor officiating and late goals. Warren is also the lead analyst for Fox Soccer Match Day, Goals on Sunday, and UEFA Champions League coverage in the United States and the talking points are brisk as we open the discussion with the big Fulham win over a Liverpool team that continues to struggle against the smaller, more disciplined sides. We also revisit the issues for Andy Carroll who continues to not provide scoring threat but also seems to impact the partnership that Luis Suarez needs to find space and be his most productive self. We also take a look at the emergence of Manchester City not just as an economic power, but how this financial muscle has a great impact in English football overall as so much money trickles down the pyramid both on and beyond the pitch. We also get another example of how far David Luiz must go to become a proper defender as he was not sent off during a key contest this weekend at Newcastle and how this did impact the outcome of the match well before anything was decided. Other topics are the manager hotseat, a huge comeback win for Mick McCarthy and Wolves, the ongoing demonstration by Tottenham of their quality and whether Chelsea and Arsenal are separating themselves for the fight for that last Champions League slot in England. Lots of talking points with a great bit of insight from Warren. | 12/6/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Prime Time Football | Phil and Anto are joined once again by former Wimbledon, Newcastle and England international defender Warren Barton to discuss many of the biggest issues involving the Champions League after a thrilling and shocking set of games on Matchday 6, resulting in the final 16 clubs to progress to the knockout rounds in February. Warren is also the lead analyst for Fox Soccer Match Day, Goals on Sunday, and UEFA Champions League coverage in the United States and the talking points are start nowhere more significant than in the city of Manchester where both teams crashed out of the competition on the last day of the group stage. Could this lead to the beginning of the end for Sir Alex Ferguson if not given the important resources needed to inject new faces and added quality as he seems sure to not remain if reinforcements do not arrive in the next several months with Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool all spending to regain top honors in the EPL. Then we turn to the matter of Manchester City who appear to have been given a break in the shadow of the issues engulfing their rivals from across town, who would have expected to get through given their spending and quality. But has the Champions League record for Roberto Mancini been given fresh reminder to past difficulties in Europe when he was in charge of Internazionale before the arrival of Jose Mourinho. We also take some time weigh out the second place teams to gauge the potential threats there as well as the fortunes for Arsenal and Chelsea - under fire at times domestically but safe as group winners in the initial phase. We also close on some of the disappointments and examine the fortunes for Ajax who were cruelly displaced after a bizarre result at the hands of Lyon and Dynamo Zagreb in Croatia. | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 100 Episodes |
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