The Sound of Football Sound of Football

There's an adage that at the end of the season the table never lies, but with so much affecting this season's Premier League placings does it still hold true? Is it possible to understand everything that's going on in football? From financial regulations to club and country coefficients, from law changes to competition restructing, from new metrics to constantly evolving tactics, there's always something new to get your head around. Is that a bug of the modern game or a feature? For more information on the podcast and links related to the subjects discussed, check out the Show Notes on our blog. pods.sofpodcast.com/sofpodcast_571.mp3 What's in the Weekend Boxset? It's FA Cup semi-final weekend. Can Mark Robins' Coventry City side get the better of his old club Manchester United? Will Chelsea and City give us another multi-goal thriller? Get our FREE weekly newsletter in your email by signing up to the Weekend Boxset today.

Across Europe the major league titles are already almost won; in Germany, Leverkusen should seal the championship this weekend. The English top flight is the exception with a three way race that could provide the most exciting climax to a Premier League season. It's not all good news for the “Best League in the World”. This week, around the time it was announced that Everton have been deducted a further two points for breaching PSR rules again, it was revealed that clubs are looking at introducing a “luxury tax” to punish over-spending clubs instead of deucting points. Could solving overspending by spending more money be the most Premier League idea ever? For more information on the podcast and links related to the subjects discussed, check out the Show Notes on our blog. pods.sofpodcast.com/sofpodcast_570.mp3 What's in the Weekend Boxset? There are important matches in the Premier League title race while the Woman's FA Cup reaches the semi-final stage with one of Tottenham or Leicester assured of reaching their first major final. Get our FREE weekly newsletter in your email by signing up to the Weekend Boxset today.

The games across the congested Easter weekend can often define what remains of a season. In England the lead changed in both the Premier League and the Championship. In women's football, Arsenal won the the first (and almost certainly their only) silverware of the season, beating Chelsea and denying Emma Hayes the quadruple in her final season at the club. In Germany, the title race is as good as done. Bayern's defeat to Dortmund has opened a 13 point gap between themselves and Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen. For many people, Harry Kane's decision to move to Bayern was motivated by a desire to win something. It's unfortunate for him then that his move has coincided with Bayern looking like they'll miss out on the title for the first time in over a decade. But he's still had a really good season. For more information on the podcast and links related to the subjects discussed, check out the Show Notes on our blog. pods.sofpodcast.com/sofpodcast_569.mp3 What's in the Weekend Boxset? The run-in gives us some great rivalries this weekend. Can Ipswich hold on to top spot in the Championship in the Old Farm derby? Can Rangers go to the top in Scotland in the Old Firm? And that's all before Liverpool head to Old Trafford. Get our FREE weekly newsletter in your email by signing up to the Weekend Boxset today. pods.sofpodcast.com/sofpodcast_569.mp3

The international break often leaves football news outlets scratching around for content. It's a good thing they had Ben White declining to join the England squad and Nike's cross of St George design faux pas to whip up some outrage. Trying not to dwell on such matters, we move on to discuss options for improvements to the qualification process for international tournaments. Starting next week, the qualification phase for the next women's Euros will use the Nations League model. Could that same system breath life into qualifying for men's tournaments too, or is there an even better option out there? For more information on the podcast and links related to the subjects discussed, check out the Show Notes on our blog. pods.sofpodcast.com/sofpodcast_568.mp3 What's in the Weekend Boxset? Club football returns with a huge match in the Premier League as Arsenal try to hold on to top spot against the champions, City. There's also Bayern v Dortmund and the Women's League Cup final. Get our FREE weekly newsletter in your email by signing up to the Weekend Boxset today.

Nottingham Forest have been hit with a four point deduction for breaching the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules. The loss of points has dropped them into the relegation zone but they're still ahead of the two best teams in last season's Championship, Burnley and Sheffield United. With the gap between the top flight and the EFL growing ever larger, how else can the clubs coming up from the Championship compete? Today, the Football Governance Bill got its first reading in Parliament, and with cross-party support it should pass smoothly into law. Will a new regulator for football fulfill its promise of protecting clubs for financial mismanagement? Will that mean more stringent spending restrictions? For more information on the podcast and links related to the subjects discussed, check out the Show Notes on our blog. pods.sofpodcast.com/sofpodcast_567.mp3

Like March hares, right now there a lot of people who are hopping mad. This weekend Jude Bellingham saw red for having a difference of opinion with referee over timekeeping, while in Germany a Darmstadt fan was allowed on the pitch to let the players know how terrible they are. If that wasn't enough, this weekend we also had a former top level Premier League referee, Mark Clattenburg, throw a former colleague under the bus in his new role as an adviser for Nottingham Forest. It must be getting to the exciting stage of the season. For more information on the podcast and links related to the subjects discussed, check out the Show Notes on our blog. pods.sofpodcast.com/sofpodcast_566.mp3 What's in the Weekend Boxset? Will the football gods smile again on Liverpool in their top of the table clash against City? Spurs travel to Villa hoping to close the gap in the hunt for the fourth Champions League spot. Get our FREE weekly newsletter in your email by signing up to the Weekend Boxset today.