Jimbo, Michael Cox, James Horncastle and former Spurs and PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino sit down to pick the bones out of Groups A and B as we count down to Qatar. Can England settle on a style and go all the way? Can Iran put the controversy back home behind them? Bassil Mikdadi tells us more. Are the Netherlands dark horses for the tournament under the guidance of special guy Van Gaal? Will Qatar prove to not actually be rubbish? Are we better off playing now than in June? And we ask Maher M...
Nov 16, 2022•50 min
For the final time in 2022, the Euro crew of Jimbo, James Horncastle, Raphael Honigstein, Julien Laurens and Alvaro Romeo saddle up and ride again across the continent. Napoli look to be unstoppable at the top of Serie A, while Jose Mourinho shocks everyone by severing ties with one of his own Roma players. Union Berlin continue to tumble down the Bundesliga table after getting thrashed by Freiburg. Christian Streich’s side move up to 2nd as they look to chase down Bayern. Marseille win a thrill...
Nov 15, 2022•53 min
For the final time before Christmas, Jimbo reviews the Premier League weekend in the company of Rory Smith, Jay Harris and Tim Spiers. Limping, wounded Brentford produce possibly the best result in their history by winning at the Etihad. Were Man City some way off full tilt ahead of the World Cup? And will the 5 point lead for Arsenal prove crucial ahead of two head-to-heads with City in the second half of the season? When we last spoke to The Athletic’s Rob Tanner, Brendan Rodgers was on the br...
Nov 14, 2022•1 hr 6 min
The Athletic has a brand new documentary series following Ukrainian football club Shakhtar Donetsk. Here is an introduction to the series. In this episode, The Athletic’s Adam Crafton speaks to Taras Stepanenko, the captain of Ukrainian football club Shakhtar Donetsk, as he and his young family take refuge in an underground shelter when war breaks out in Ukraine. Adam also meets with Shakhtar's Croatian head coach, Igor Jovicevic, who was separated from his family when Russia invaded. Meanwhile,...
Nov 13, 2022•44 min
Jimbo welcomes back Charlie Eccleshare, Lynsey Hooper and Duncan Alexander ahead of the last Premier League weekend before the World Cup. Gareth Southgate names his England squad for Qatar with James Maddison, Ben White and Callum Wilson the big picks. The panel are just hoping Kieran Trippier doesn’t get injured this weekend. Wolves v Arsenal and Newcastle v Chelsea are the headline fixtures this weekend. Will we see full intensity from the World Cup-bound players? Will the likes of Haaland and...
Nov 10, 2022•1 hr 8 min
Jimbo and the gang of Raphael Honigstein, James Horncastle, Julien Laurens and Alvaro Romeo review all the big Euro stories. The Champions League draw threw up some mouthwatering last 16 ties. Are Choupo-Moting's Bayern the worst possible opponents for PSG? Hear why Napoli shouldn’t underestimate Eintracht Frankfurt. Gerard Pique plays his last game at the Camp Nou after announcing his immediate retirement. We discuss the on-field and off-field legacy of one of Spain’s best ever defenders. Bayer...
Nov 08, 2022•1 hr 12 min
Jimbo, Daniel Storey, Maram AlBaharna and Jobi McAnuff pore over the drama and the data of another hugely significant Premier League weekend. Elite coach Unai Emery gets off to a winning start at Villa, with a first home league win over Man United for 27 years. And Arsenal show maturity beyond their years as they see off Chelsea at Stamford Bridge to return to the top of the table. Eddie Howe’s Newcastle continue to be underestimated by opponents as Southampton react by sacking Ralph Hasenhuttl....
Nov 07, 2022•1 hr 10 min
Jimbo ushers Michael Cox, Dom Fifield and Duncan Alexander into the Totally pod ahead of a blockbuster Premier League weekend. Arsenal travel to Chelsea with a chance to assert dominance over their London rivals, while a depleted Spurs host an unpredictable Liverpool. Elsewhere, we pay homage to Marco Silva, look ahead to Unai Emery’s first match at Villa and ask if Jesse Marsch would have been better off if Leeds went down. The Champions League group stage wraps up in dramatic style, with Benfi...
Nov 03, 2022•1 hr 4 min
The Euro crew of Jimbo, James Horncastle, Julien Laurens, Alvaro Romeo and Raphael Honigstein convene to assess another dramatic weekend. Napoli make it 13 wins in a row while Inter also turn on the style. But the ultras at San Siro enforce a walk-out among the fans whether they like it or not, a reminder of their power. There’s more 99th minute misery for Atletico in La Liga as we ask just how much of this decline is on Diego Simeone? There’s a 97th minute winner from Union Berlin to stay top o...
Nov 01, 2022•1 hr 8 min
Jimbo welcomes Daniel Storey, Adrian Clarke and Ahmed Shooble into the pod after another momentous weekend in the Premier League. It’s a miserable return to Brighton for Graham Potter with Chelsea. Andy Naylor tells us about an afternoon where De Zerbi made the former Seagulls manager look a bit foolish. Leeds are shock winners at Anfield as they show that they’re playing for Jesse Marsch. Meanwhile Liverpool continue to look awful out of possession. Arsenal blitz a feeble Forest to stay top of ...
Oct 31, 2022•1 hr 11 min
Jimbo’s joined by Raphael Honigstein, Duncan Alexander and Colin Millar after a frantic midweek in the Champions League. Three Spanish sides are knocked out, with Barcelona forced to face the financial repercussions of group stage failure, while the climax to Atletico’s draw with Leverkusen will live long in the memory. The Premier League weekend serves up potentially Jesse Marsch’s last game at Leeds, as they head to Anfield. Graham Potter returns to the Amex with Chelsea. Can the Seagulls snat...
Oct 27, 2022•1 hr 5 min
Jimbo, James Horncastle, Raphael Honigstein, Alvaro Romeo and Julien Laurens are back for another continental feast of football. Champions League matchday 5 approaches with Barcelona and Juventus on the verge of elimination and Salzburg looking to spring an upset against Chelsea. In France, Lille are turning on the style under Paulo Fonseca, as is Lionel Messi, looking like a truly great midfielder. There are some crucial away wins in Italy, for Napoli, Inter and Lazio who keep keeping clean she...
Oct 25, 2022•1 hr 6 min
Jimbo, Natalie Gedra, Tim Spiers and Daniel Storey bring you the calm after the storm of another Premier League weekend. Managerless Wolves are hammered by Leicester, on a day surrounded by Terry Connor vibes, and criticism of Scott Sellars subs. There’s similar unrest at Leeds towards Jesse Marsch and at Spurs towards Antonio Conte. But Newcastle are in the top 4 with Eddie showing he knows Howe to defend. Forest get back on track in spectacular fashion, as do Aston Villa. Dan Bardell tells us ...
Oct 24, 2022•1 hr 6 min
Jimbo, Carl Anka, Duncan Alexander and Matt Davies-Adams discuss a midweek short of goals and a weekend full of drama. Probably. Manchester United put in their most impressive performance, possibly in years, as they ease past Spurs. And while results have been good, why does the football under Antonio Conte have to be so uninspiring? And what do Graham Potter’s Chelsea have in store for United on Saturday? This weekend it’s Nottingham Forest v Liverpool, a fixture that throws up memories of Edwa...
Oct 20, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Jimbo and the continental crew of James Horncastle, Raphael Honigstein, Alvaro Romeo and Julien Laurens cast their eyes over a huge weekend in Europe. Karim Benzema wins the Ballon d’Or and scores in El Clasico as Real Madrid assert their dominance over Barcelona. Questions start to be asked of Xavi as elimination from the Champions League looms for Barca. It’s been a bad seven days for Xabi Alonso at Leverkusen after two thrashings but Union Berlin defeat Dortmund to stay top of the Bundesliga....
Oct 18, 2022•1 hr 3 min
Here’s Jimbo, in the company of Tom Williams, Amitai Winehouse and Sasha Goryunov after a big weekend at both ends of the Premier League table. Man City suffer their first defeat of the season as Liverpool and Mo Salah get their mojo back. Which allows Arsenal to go 4 points clear at the top of the table, with some belated assistance from VAR at Elland Road. Chelsea make it 5 wins in a row and 4 clean sheets in a row as the resurrection of Kepa under Graham Potter continues. We revisit the most ...
Oct 17, 2022•1 hr 8 min
Raphael Honigstein, Rory Smith and Duncan Alexander join Jimbo on a voyage across the Champions League, Premier League and beyond. Barcelona and Inter produce one of the best group stage games of all time while Club Brugge and Juventus continue to wow us all, but in very different ways. Tuesday’s drama is all off the field with suggestions that Kylian Mbappe wants to leave Paris in January. Julien Laurens describes what this might mean for PSG and for France at the World Cup. Liverpool are 7-1 w...
Oct 13, 2022•1 hr 9 min
Jimbo and the continental panel of Raphael Honigstein, James Horncastle, Julien Laurens and Alvaro Romeo shine a light on the big stories in European football this week. Bayern throw away a 2-0 lead in Dortmund, with questions starting to be asked of whether Julian Nagelsmann is the long-term future of the club. But it’s the perfect start for Xabi Alonso at Leverkusen. Bayern’s former striker Robert Lewandowski is a bit starved of service at Barca as they face Inter in a huge Champions League cl...
Oct 11, 2022•1 hr 3 min
Jimbo’s joined by Natalie Gedra, Jay Harris and Daniel Storey after a potentially pivotal Premier League weekend. Arsenal stay top with a thrilling 3-2 win over Liverpool. What does it say about the state of the Reds under Klopp and should they have taken the money for Salah and rebuilt? It was a good weekend for Natalie’s compatriots Martinelli, Antony, Paqueta and Guimaraes. Can Bruno lead Newcastle into the Champions League? Also Cristiano Ronaldo scores his 700th club goal while Phil Foden c...
Oct 10, 2022•1 hr 5 min
A maze of football this week. No better collective than Jimbo, Michael Cox, Jack Lang and Duncan Alexander to help you navigate your way through it. Some impressive performances in the Champions League but none more so than Napoli’s 6-1 win in Amsterdam. Chelsea waltz past Milan but actually don’t play very well. Sevilla lose their manager and their dinner money. Arsenal v Liverpool is the headline fixture on Sunday with the Gunners favourites to torment the Reds down the flanks. And hear why Br...
Oct 06, 2022•1 hr 10 min
It’s Jimbo, Raphael Honigstein, James Horncastle, Alvaro Romeo and Julien Laurens in effect ahead of matchday 3 of the Champions League. Simone Inzaghi’s Inter can’t stop losing. They host a Barcelona side who have just gone top of La Liga. It was another disappointing weekend for Sevilla and Dortmund who also go head to head this week. And then it’s Der Klassiker for Dortmund. We take our hats off to Lorient, Udinese and Athletic Bilbao, flying high in their respective leagues. Plus Higuain’s r...
Oct 04, 2022•1 hr 3 min
Jimbo welcomes Daniel Storey, Tim Spiers and Adrian Clarke back into the pod after a pulsating Premier League weekend. We bear witness to the highest scoring Manchester derby of all time. Is it impossible to stop City at their best? Is Erling Haaland a genius? And did ten Hag score the biggest own goal post-match? But it’s Arsenal who stay top after they see off Spurs at the Emirates. Hear how this young team has been punched in the face but keeps getting back up. Geeky PE teacher Bruno Lage is ...
Oct 03, 2022•1 hr 4 min
The Premier League is back with a bang and here to light the fuse are Jimbo, Duncan Alexander, Dom Fifield and Laurie Whitwell. The North London derby kicks off the weekend. Can Spurs unseat Arsenal from the top of the table, with Son and Richarlison in red-hot form? And in Manchester, will it be another unhappy outing for Erling Haaland against ten Hag, Martinez and Antony? Roberto De Zerbi makes his managerial bow at Brighton with the formidable task of a trip to Anfield, while Graham Potter w...
Sep 29, 2022•58 min
Jimbo, Raphael Hongstein, Julien Laurens and Alvaro Romeo assess the big hitters in Europe with the Nations League qualifiers over and the World Cup on the horizon. England and Germany fight out a 3-3 thriller in a game that exposes both team’s flaws. Are we only just seeing Southgate’s shortcomings when the rest of the continent has been aware for a while? France beat Austria and lose to Denmark, yet with the talent Didier Deschamps has at his disposal, could they become the first nation in 60 ...
Sep 27, 2022•1 hr 5 min
Jimbo is back for another international break pod in the company of Joey D’Urso, Nick Miller and Tom Williams. England are timid and disappointing in defeat to Italy that sees them relegated from the top tier of the Nations League. And to make matters worse, their first World Cup opponents Iran might just be resurgent. Bassil Mikdadi tells us why we shouldn’t underestimate Carlos Queiroz’s side. Wales are relegated too while France just about survive. But is another full-scale meltdown amongst L...
Sep 26, 2022•57 min
It’s international week so Jimbo assembles the pod squad of Carl Anka, Colin Millar and Tom Williams to focus on the fixtures. It’s Italy v England in the Nations League as James Horncastle paints a picture of the Azzurri camp right now. We’ve got our eyes on the England midfield, and the not that tall Toney. The drop to the second tier is a possibility for Wales as well, where the big question is whether it’s Ward or Wayne. And whether Michael Sheen will be in the dressing room. Charlotte Harpu...
Sep 22, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Jimbo and the Euro crew of James Horncastle, Julien Laurens, Alvaro Romeo and Raphael Honigstein reassemble after a dramatic weekend on the continent. Bayern Munich lose at Augsburg and are on their worst run for 20 years. Sadly for Sadio Mane. The Madrid Derby is won by Real but marred by racist chants and gestures towards Vinicius from Atletico fans. We dive into a story that also involves dancing and El Chiringuito. A seismic day in Serie A with Milan, Inter, Roma and Juventus all losing on t...
Sep 20, 2022•1 hr 2 min
Jimbo welcomes Jay Harris, Matt Davies-Adams and Sasha Goryunov to look back on a reduced but rousing Premier League weekend. Brighton appoint Roberto De Zerbi as their new manager. Hear from James Horncastle about why the Italian is one of the most exciting young managers in Europe. Arsenal slay some demons at the Brentford Community Stadium to stay top of the table. With the Bees surprisingly downbeat, is it because Thomas Frank could be on his way to Leicester? The Foxes look like making a ch...
Sep 19, 2022•59 min
After a hectic Champions League midweek and ahead of a more leisurely Premier League weekend, Jimbo welcomes Charlie Eccleshare, Dom Fifield and Duncan Alexander into the pod. Erling Haaland does it again with one of the goals of the season to down Dortmund. But should Man City fans be concerned about their first 80 minutes? Graham Potter’s first game as Chelsea manager results in a very Brighton performance and a disappointing draw with Salzburg. Is it a pointless appointment if Potter isn’t gi...
Sep 15, 2022•1 hr 2 min
Champions League matchday 2 ahoy, with Jimbo joined by James Horncastle, Raphael Honigstein, Julien Laurens and Alvaro Romeo. There’s reunions aplenty with Haaland facing Dortmund and most intriguingly, Lewandowski returning to Bayern Munich. Is he already more loved at Barcelona than he was in Bavaria? And will Julian Nagelsmann be feeling the presence of free agent Thomas Tuchel? Plenty to ponder for Liverpool and for Juventus after their remarkable VAR room brawl and draw with Salernitana. He...
Sep 13, 2022•57 min
