With so many games and so many competitions happening this week, Musa and Ryan open up the mailbag to answer questions on Jamal Musiala’s decision to play for Germany (05:59), whether the Euros should go ahead and where (08:42), and the long-term effects of such a condensed schedule (11:58). They also chat about La Liga’s wage cap changes (16:44), Barcelona being fun on the pitch (19:32), which professional players are most similar to their own playing styles (34:49) and more! Learn more about y...
Mar 04, 2021•50 min
Ian is joined by Jeanette Kwakye and Ryan Hunn to chat about what has happened since his recent racial abuse case (02:20) and Zlatan and LeBron’s war of words (06:30). This week, flowers go to Jadon Sancho after he become the youngest and fastest player to reach 50 Bundesliga assists (19:27). They also reflect on Arsenal’s impressive win over Leicester (31:40), Gareth Bale returning to form (45:24) and the top four race heating up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adcho...
Mar 03, 2021•56 min
Recorded a bit earlier than usual this week, Musa and Ryan reflect on Chelsea and Manchester United’s 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge (3:12), before touching on Spurs’ win over Burnley, Manchester City winning again, and a few more Premier League talking points. In Germany, there was another managerial change at Schalke, along with a host of the sporting staff, following their hammering by Stuttgart (23:17). There’s also a roundup of the rest of the Bundesliga, plus Barça beating Sevilla (40:12), In...
Mar 01, 2021•53 min
It’s a Champions League episode, in which Musa and Ryan begin with Gladbach’s defeat at the hands of Guardiola’s frankly terrifying Manchester City in Budapest (5:41) before moving on to Real Madrid’s late win against 10-man Atalanta in Bergamo (21:43). They then, as promised, discuss their unease over UEFA’s handling of the knockout stages of European competitions, whether they should be taking place at all, and the mental and physical effects on the players in light of Josip Ilicic’s Marca int...
Feb 25, 2021•1 hr 2 min
This week, Ian is joined by Stadio’s Musa Okwonga and Carl Anka from The Athletic. They begin by praising Jean-Philippe Mateta, discuss what can be learned from the experiences of Anthony Martial and Christian Benteke (01:06), and give out flowers to Romelu Lukaku (06:54). They chat about Manchester United after their win over Newcastle (13:38), West Ham’s progress under David Moyes, Jesse Lingard's impressive performances (28:24), Leicester belonging in the top six (41:24), and finish up with a...
Feb 24, 2021•1 hr 10 min
Musa and Ryan focus on a host of derbies this weekend, starting with Everton’s first win at Anfield in 22 years before heaping praise on Carlo Ancelotti and sympathizing with the problems facing Jürgen Klopp (02:11). There was another big win for Inter in the Derby della Madonnina, with another big performance and goal from Romelu Lukaku (20:14), and Dortmund winning what will most likely be the last Revierderby for a while (32:42). There’s also chat about Monaco upsetting PSG in Paris (38:06), ...
Feb 22, 2021•59 min
Musa and Ryan chat about Wednesday’s games, beginning in Seville, where Dortmund put three past Sevilla to take precious away goals back to the Westfalenstadion (04:35), before moving onto Porto’s win over Juventus (16:48). Next, it’s onto the Premier League games between Everton and Manchester City, as well as Burnley’s draw with Fulham (22:53), Atleti dropping points against Levante (28:28) and Marseille’s first win since André Villas-Boas’s sacking (31:59). Finally, they discuss the news that...
Feb 18, 2021•57 min
With the Champions League knockout stages commencing, Ian is joined by Stadio’s Ryan Hunn to chat about Liverpool’s win in the "away" leg of their tie against RB Leipzig (1:05), before moving on to Barcelona and PSG, dominated by Kylian Mbappé’s hat trick, plus they show some love for Moise Kean (12:41). They then give out flowers to Bukayo Saka, following another wonderful performance at the weekend and look forward to Arsenal hosting Manchester City (30:02), before wrapping up with Wrighty’s w...
Feb 17, 2021•52 min
It was a big weekend in Serie A, so Musa and Ryan begin with Inter’s win over Lazio, sending them top thanks to two goals and an assist from Romelu Lukaku (06:49) and defeats for Juventus and Milan (20:44). Next, it’s to the Premier League, as Manchester City continue their record-breaking winning streak, thanks to a 3-0 victory over Spurs (25:46), and Leicester beat Liverpool (35:35). Then the guys talk about the WSL and Caroline Weir’s wonder goal in the Manchester derby (45:15). There’s also ...
Feb 15, 2021•1 hr 7 min
Musa and Ryan begin with Chelsea’s 3-0 victory over Arsenal in the WSL, prompting questions about the current state of the Gunners under Joe Montemurro (07:14). They then move to the FA Cup, focusing on Everton after its nine-goal thriller against Spurs (21:36) before rounding up the rest of the ties. There were also midweek cup fixtures all around Europe, so they wrap by recapping Sevilla’s win over Barcelona, Atalanta and Juventus making it through to the final, Xavi Simons’s PSG debut, and mo...
Feb 11, 2021•53 min
With European club competitions returning and an international break on the horizon, Ian is joined by Ryan Hunn to look ahead at the potential chaos facing the Premier League fixtures and how it could affect things at the top and bottom of the table (00:56). Then, it’s time for the first-ever mailbag segment, where they answer questions on strikers Wrighty wishes he had played with (26:38), playing a football tournament with David Rocastle when they were kids (29:59), and playing behind closed d...
Feb 10, 2021•58 min
After a pivotal weekend in the Premier League title race, Musa and Ryan look back at Manchester City’s 4-1 win at Anfield (4:07), Everton earning a late point to Manchester United (17:56), and some other key moments. There were shocks galore in the Women’s Super League (24:55) and some controversy in the return of the Frauen Bundesliga (34:36). Plus, some chat from choice matches in the Bundesliga (40:35), La Liga (45:20), Ligue 1, and Serie A (51:57). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit pod...
Feb 08, 2021•1 hr 2 min
Musa and Ryan look back at a crowded midweek fixture list, beginning with Manchester United’s 9-0 win over a brutally understrength Southampton and Arsenal’s defeat to Wolves (9:00). They also chat about another big win for Brighton (21:11) and round up the rest of the Premier League games (31:20), before moving on to the Continental Cup and Emma Hayes's comments about being linked with AFC Wimbledon (38:47). There’s also a wrap-up of the Coppa Italia first legs and the DFB Pokal (42:38, a discu...
Feb 04, 2021•58 min
Ian is joined by Ryan Hunn of 'Stadio' and Carl Anka of 'The Athletic' to chat about the transfer deadline (03:43) and online abuse in the wake of more footballers being racially abused on social media (08:02). They then look at some of the finishing in the draw between Arsenal and Manchester United (26:18) before breaking down Mo Salah’s touch and some of the other great finishes from the weekend (36:43), and then flowers go to Patrick Bamford (48:51). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit po...
Feb 03, 2021•1 hr
The football never stops, so neither must Musa and Ryan, who begin with Leeds’ impressive away victory over Leicester (05:31), before reiterating the conditions footballers are being asked to perform under (09:38). There’s chat about the scoreless Stadio Derby (15:13), the rest of the Premier League (18:36), PSG’s defeat to Lorient (25:54), Lazio’s win over Atalanta (30:20), Real Madrid’s home defeat to Levante, and the rest of La Liga (32:38). There’s a quick Bundesliga summary before moving on...
Feb 01, 2021•57 min
Musa and Ryan feast on the midweek action and begin with a feisty Derby della Madonnina, which saw some extremely personal beef resurface between Romelu Lukaku and Zlatan Ibrahimovic that resulted in an existential red card for the latter (7:15). They wrap up the rest of the midweek Coppa Italia games (15:48) as well as those in the Copa del Rey (18:03). It’s then on to the Premier League, with Sheffield United upsetting Manchester United (23:26), Thomas Tuchel’s first game in charge at Chelsea ...
Jan 28, 2021•1 hr 2 min
Ian is joined by Musa Okwonga for what we’re now calling an "Uncle Special." They begin by chatting about Wrighty’s coat, which was memed after the weekend’s FA Cup coverage (01:03) then move on to discuss Musa’s new book, 'In the End It Was All About Love' (03:12). They reflect on living in Berlin, the parallels in their respective careers, the role of sacrifice, and whether they would have changed anything on their journeys (10:23). They also cover Manchester United's statement win over Liverp...
Jan 27, 2021•54 min
Musa and Ryan reflect on the news that Chelsea is parting ways with Frank Lampard, which broke during recording (1:52), before discussing Manchester United’s win over Liverpool (15:10), Southampton’s win over Arsenal (24:53), and the rest of the FA Cup action. They then head to the Bundesliga (29:26), as Bayern look set for another title, Hertha fired Bruno Labbadia and Michael Preetz, and Gladbach beat Dortmund for the first time in nearly six years. There are roundups of La Liga (44:02), Serie...
Jan 25, 2021•1 hr 9 min
Musa and Ryan let the questions guide them through a busy week of fixtures, but begin with Andrea Pirlo’s Juventus winning the Supercoppa, Leverkusen’s win over Dortmund, and Alcoyano eliminating Real Madrid from the Copa del Rey (05:34). They then answer questions on Manchester United and Paul Pogba (12:52), Kai Havertz and Chelsea’s issues (21:13), who will win the Premier League (26:06), Manchester City’s improvement and their fiercely debated goal against Aston Villa (29:34). There are also ...
Jan 21, 2021•55 min
Ian is joined by Ryan Hunn to chat about the current state of the Premier League (01:02) as well as the pros and cons of there being so much football. There are flowers for John Stones (11:35), talk about the Barclays FA WSL after Chelsea inflicted a first defeat of the season on Casey Stoney’s Manchester United (15:55), and a look back at Mesut Özil’s time at Arsenal (26:28). They wrap up by handing out more flowers, this time to Wayne Rooney (39:39). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit pod...
Jan 20, 2021•52 min
Musa and Ryan begin by looking back at Athletic Club’s victory over Barcelona in the Supercopa de España, thanks to Iñaki Williams’s incredible winner, praise new boss Marcelino, and discuss Lionel Messi’s first red card for Barça (03:06). Then it’s on to a roundup of the Premier League, including statement wins for West Brom (18:31) and Manchester City (21:44), a wonder goal from Tanguy Ndombele, and a statement draw for Manchester United (28:07). It’s then on to the Derby d’Italia, where Inter...
Jan 18, 2021•53 min
Musa and Ryan open the mailbag for the first time this year! Before that, they touch on this week’s Copa Libertadores semifinals, which saw Palmeiras and Santos progress to an all-Brazilian final (04:20), Holstein Kiel’s win on penalties against Bayern in the DFB Pokal (05:49), and Mauricio Pochettino’s first trophy as a manager (12:40). They then answer questions on 'Stadio' behind the scenes (13:44), including what happens when they go for a break, how they watch football, and what sweet goods...
Jan 14, 2021•55 min
Ian is joined by Jeanette Kwakye and Ryan Hunn to discuss the Premier League's FA Cup on full show (01:07) thanks to Spurs’ trip to Marine and upsets by Chorley and Crawley. They also discuss how surroundings and conditions can affect an elite athlete’s performance and mindset (07:29), Emile Smith Rowe’s continuing emergence, and the time Ian wound up his good friend Alan Shearer (13:47). Louie Barry and a young Aston Villa get a shout-out for their showing against Liverpool (19:33), as do Sheff...
Jan 13, 2021•49 min
In this episode, Musa and Ryan focus on the Bundesliga, where there were statement victories aplenty. They start off in Mönchengladbach, where Bayern lost 3-2 to Marco Rose’s side (08:21), before moving on to Dortmund’s impressive performance in Leipzig (16:17), Schalke ending its winless streak thanks to Matthew Hoppe's hat trick (25:07,) and the rest of the Bundesliga action. It’s off to Spain next, which saw a number of games postponed due to a winter storm (34:40), but Sevilla managed to get...
Jan 11, 2021•1 hr
Musa and Ryan begin by briefly reflecting on recent political news before moving onto football. They discuss the concept of managerial development (08:12), the Carabao Cup semifinals (13:07), and Barcelona Femení playing at Camp Nou for the first time in half a century (21:54). There’s chat about Cornella’s win over Atleti, Barcelona having fun against Athletic Club (24:42), Milan v. Juventus (33:07) and more questions on DOOM-like footballers (37:34), why football is continuing, biscuits, and j...
Jan 07, 2021•55 min
Ian is joined by Musa Okwonga to discuss Southampton’s win over Liverpool and there being a genuine Premier League title race (01:15). They then move on to Mauricio Pochettino being named head coach of PSG (13:54) and give flowers to Eberechi Eze following his brilliant goal over the weekend and his impact at Crystal Palace (22:30). They also chat about Arsenal’s improvement over the festive period, with some love for Kieran Tierney and Emile Smith Rowe (35:41) before taking a look at some of th...
Jan 06, 2021•1 hr
Musa and Ryan step into 2021 and look back at very good weekends for Arsenal (04:42), Manchester City (10:56), and Manchester United (20:50), who beat West Brom, Chelsea, and Aston Villa, respectively. They then round up the rest of the Premier League (28:31), plus an Old Firm Derby win for Rangers that extended their lead over rivals Celtic as well as the Superclásico (31:41). Next, it’s off to Europe, with the Bundesliga (37:12), La Liga (45:49), and Serie A (48:46), before playing out on an o...
Jan 04, 2021•1 hr 3 min
Musa and Ryan are back with their final episode of the year: the 2020 Stadios. It’s the second edition of these awards and the first edition on The Ringer, and they will announce the nominees and winners for the Big Mood (04:55), Prop Joe (11:11), Goal of the Year (15:23), Angry Goal of the Year (20:56), Ballon d’Rip (26:38), Best-Dressed Coach (31:01), Team of the Year (37:10), Player of the Year (40:45), Coach of the Year (43:28), and Catfish of the Year (49:32) awards. Normal service resumes ...
Dec 31, 2020•1 hr 11 min
In the final 'Wrighty’s House' of the year, Ian is joined by Jeanette Kwakye, Musa Okwonga and Ryan Hunn (Carl Anka couldn’t be there but was there in spirit) for an unscripted chat over a drink or two. They begin with tales of Christmas, parenting and dinner pressure (01.14), plus the first time Musa and Ryan met Ian (12.15). There’s chat about the science and artistry of being an elite athlete (19.14), sporting intelligence (27.50), and Jeanette tells a story about competing in an Olympic fina...
Dec 30, 2020•59 min
It’s the final What-if of 2020! Musa and Ryan discuss what would happen if all clubs had the same budget (7:20), the Euros had taken place this year (28:27), Gareth Bale had not left for Real Madrid (33:43) and Paul Pogba remained at Manchester United (45:47). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 28, 2020•1 hr 1 min
