Beckham's Basement Podcast

Takeaways Leverkusen's undefeated run and success in domestic and European competitions make them a strong contender for the team of the year The team's success can be attributed to the mentality instilled by coach Xabi Alonso Going invincible in the Bundesliga would be a historic achievement for Leverkusen Winning the treble and going undefeated in the league is not necessary for them to be consi...

Critty and Nick venture outside the basement and visit Edmund's Oast Brewing Company, home of the Arsenal Supporters Club in Charleston, South Carolina (Charsenal). A quick review of the BVB-Bayern match as well as LFC-Brighton with the main focus on the match of the week: Manchester City vs. Arsenal. Live feedback provided by several supporters onsite with a match day wrap up in what can only be...

Takeaways The United States has dominated Mexico in recent years, but their success should be measured beyond CONCACAF and in major tournaments.   The current generation of American players, while playing for major clubs in Europe, have not yet reached the level of other top national teams.   Advancing in major tournaments and performing well against top teams will be crucial for the United States...

TAKEAWAYS:   Critty and Nick express their frustration with the current state of football and the lack of integrity in the sport.   They discuss the Euro qualifiers and make predictions on which teams will advance to the group stage.   There is a lack of confidence in the German national team and doubts about their performance in the upcoming tournament.   The hosts highlight the importance of the...

Inter Milan's loss via penalties was a disappointment after their strong performance throughout the season. Atletico Madrid's defensive strategies in extra time proved effective in shutting down Inter Milan's attack. The penalty shootout between Arsenal and Porto showcased the unpredictability of penalties. Borussia Dortmund's victory over PSV demonstrated their ability to perform under pressure....

In this conversation, the hosts discuss the Euro draw, highlighting the tough groups and the absence of easy matchups. Finally, they delve into the new format of the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League, which eliminates the group stages and introduces a Swiss format. In this part of the conversation, the hosts discuss the need for a better Champions League format, with more...

SHOW NOTES: AC Milan's past squads were dominant and had world-class players, while the current squad lacks the same level of talent. The quality of Serie A has declined compared to its glory years, but there are still exciting teams and players in the league. Italian clubs have struggled financially, leading to a decline in their performance and competitiveness. Real Madrid is likely to win La Li...

Summary   The conversation covers various topics related to German football, including the media rights deal in the Bundesliga, the impact of the 50+1 rule, the dominance of Bayern Munich. The conversation revolves around the possibility of Xabi Alonso staying at Leverkusen and the risks and rewards associated with that decision. The comparison is made to Klopp's time at Dortmund and the decline t...

Nick and Critty talk at length in this very special episode about the ongoing trend in the United States, that is, the decline of American tackle football in participation, especially among young athletes, and the meteoric rise of (actual) football in the same age demographic. Why is this happening? We discuss at depth the causes, the social-economic changes, but most importantly, the barbaric bru...

On this week's episode: - Inter has one foot in the door to claim the Scudetto - Xabi Alonso has a major Liverpool job interview this weekend vs. Bayern - Arsenal show they are for real as they hand Liverpool their second league loss - AFCON and ASIA Cup reach their climax - Who will replace the great Jurgen Klopp

What a week it was!!!   Jurgen Klopp announces his departure from Anfield after 9 incredible seasons.   Inter and Juventus headline the weekend's fixtures as they prepare to go to war for Italian supremacy and perhaps sealing the Scudetto for the winners.   AFCON and the Asia Cup roll on into the quarter-finals.    FC Schalke has disaster strike as they near their darkest hour in club history. Can...

Werder Bremen, the former German giants deal Bayern a massive blow as the win for the first time at the Allianz Arena since Obama's first term. Leverkusen meanwhile, are all grown up with Xabi Alonso as the proud papa. Four points ahead with a head-to-head looming, is THIS the season Bayern are finally taken down as the kings of the Bundesliga? Can Leverkusen shed the "Never"kusen stigma and final...

Critty and Nick quite simply stop everything and pay tribute to the man himself, the one-of-a-kind manager, Jose Mourinho, who this past week, came to terms with AS Roma to leave the club as their manager. The boys thoroughly review his career, his silverware, his iconic sound bytes and explain why he is on the Mount Rushmore of football managers of the 21st century. Its a trip down history lane a...

Hail to the Victors. Critty and Nick congratulate the Michigan Wolverines on a job well done.  - They create Jim Harbaugh to the Premier League rumors! - Review the FA Cup and Carabao Cup fixtures, as well as Copa Del Rey, Coupe de France, and Copa Italia - Preview AFCON and the Asia Cup - Talk transfers Timo Werner, Tilo Kehrer, and some Erling Haaland to Real Madrid jazz. - Bash Manchester Unite...

Critty and Nick talk all things "transfers".  They start off down memory lane going through some of the most head-scratching, and quite frankly, terrible, signings in recent history. From Pogba at Man United to Kun Aguero at Atletico Madrid, to Fernando Torres at Chelsea (and others at Chelsea too), they talk how much impact these had and where the club and players ended up in the end.  Then its o...

Critty and Nick end the episode with their picks for the Club of the Year, Manager of the Year, Player of the Year, as well as biggest disappointment and biggest surprise of 2023! Before they get to that though, they recap a crazy week of action in the Premier League and Serie A. Manchester United play their best half of football this season, Liverpool are top of the table again, Man City edge bac...

It's Christmas in the basement! Critty and Nick celebrate the year that was in football, give their three biggest football Santa wishes for 2024 and recap all the action in the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and perhaps the most exciting league in the world right now, Serie A! There is bas singing, Bad Santa, FIFA Club World Cup and much much more on the basement Christmas special!   https://...

Manchester United are a one club tabloid-material-producing gem. They simply cannot help themselves. The Basements boys could have simply talked about the complete and total embarrassment against Bournemouth, but no, United could not let well enough be alone. The Red Devils go crashing out of Europe entirely with a massive thud. What happens now and who, if anyone, can save this disaster of a club...

Critty and Nick are battling the season as their voices take a beating. But, the show MUST go on! The boys talk about the club that is making ALL the noise this season in England, Aston Villa! It was high time to give Unai Emery the credit he deserves and recognize the success of The Villans this season. What is going on at Tottenham? After a 1st place start, Spurs find themselves in a massive tai...

Critty and Nick talk Liverpool vs. Man City and Inter and Juve as the Premier League and Serie A races are in a virtual deadlock. The UEFA Champions League also reaches it's climax as the guys talk yet another Man United flop, a surprise Lazio round of 16 entry as well as Dortmund leading the charge atop their group. Their is also a beer break, some bourbon tasting and all the fun surrounding the...

On this Thanksgiving week, Critty and Nick recap the final international break of 2023 and make their predictions as to who will get the final spots for the 2024 European Championship in Germany. They look ahead to the weekend and some of the major matchups (Juve/Inter, City/LFC, Milan/Fiorentina, Napoli/Atalanta). Lastly, they take a deep dive into VAR and why it has had such a profound impact on...

Grab a beer or some bourbon! This is a jam-packed episode from the basement! Nick was live in person for hometown Charleston Battery's USL championship match against Phoenix Rising - he gives us the full recap.  Europe is as competitive as ever up top as Serie A, La Liga, the Bundesliga, the Premier League and Ligue 1 are all in white-hot title races. Leverkusen, Girona, and Nice are looking to cr...

Critty and Nick open the show with a review of the Copa Libertadores final and review the top five prospects from both Boca Juniors and Fluminense as the Brazilians bring the trophy home. Manchester United have yet another meltdown as they capitulate to Copenhagen in the Champions League. Borussia Dortmund bow down to the kings as Bayern destroy their little brothers for a 10-match league unbeaten...

Critty and Nick tackle the week that was in Europe. Recapping the drama surround Manchester United's terrible week, Barca's care-free loss to Real Madrid and Bayern's humiliating loss to minnows FC Saarbruecken in the DFB Pokal. Also covered is the Copa Libertadores final in South America and the serious, sad, and depressing state in which Olympique Lyon find themselves in, despite a hall of fame...

On this special episode of Beckham's Basement, Critty Smith is joined by his old friends and hosts of the SchalkeMerica podcast Richard Kharman and Jack Mangan! They discuss all things surrounding the royal blues of German football. From their triumphant 2nd place finish in 2017/18 to a relegation only a few years later. The mismanagement of funds, poor reinvestment, COVID aftermath and declining...