Football Ramble

With the football schedule briefly on pause, we turn our attentions to the transfer window as Chelsea look to replace their homegrown talents with expensive imported ones. On today's episode, Kate, Pete and Andy are here to discuss Kai Havertz and Thiago Silva’s imminent arrivals as well as Leicester’s James Maddison signing a four-year contract extension in a service station.  We also revel...

Bayern Munich’s relentless march to glory reached its inevitable conclusion last night with their Champions League victory over PSG. Kate, Jim and Andy are here to discuss how impressive Hansi Flick’s turnaround has been and what’s next for Neymar et al. We also celebrate yet another win for Sevilla in the Europa League, kick off this week’s question on The Topics and hand Guus Hiddink some suncre...

Kate, Andy and Luke are here to look ahead to the climax of the European football season on today’s episode of The Preview Show, sponsored by Betway! PSG will try to stop the Bayern Munich steam train on Sunday, while Sevilla’s resident pest (Éver Banega) hopes to get one over his former club Inter. There are other titanic battles for us to discuss too, as Nuri Şahin reunites with an old enem...

Serge Gnabry and Robert Lewandowski ended Lyon’s Champions League dream last night, despite the Ligue Un side having plenty of chances! We rue those misses on today’s episode of the Football Ramble. Next, Kate, Vish and Jim look at developments in the women’s game, as Dutch legend Sarina Wiegman becomes the next England head coach and USWNT’s Rose Lavelle joins Man City. There’s even time for some...

Julian Nagelsmann’s suit belied the usual efficiency of his RB Leipzig side after last night’s semi-final exit. Marcus, Luke and Vish are here with praise for PSG’s outrageous front three and criticism for Nagelsmann’s tactics – among other things… We also expand on some of the plans being put in place to allow fans back into stadiums, look ahead to Bayern vs Lyon and get a Ronald Koeman update fr...

Romelu Lukaku’s done it again! Marcus, Andy and Pete are here to celebrate football’s premium bromance as Antonio Conte’s Inter advance to the Europa League final on the back of another cracking performance from the Belgian. Elsewhere we bid farewell to some European stalwarts moving on to pastures new, as David Silva joins Real Sociedad and Blaise Matuidi links up with former teammate David Beckh...

Both European competitions served up some outrageous matches this weekend, which saw both Manchester sides eliminated and Barcelona reduced to rubble by a brutal Bayern Munich.  Marcus, Pete and Jim are here to get into all of that, as we wonder what happens now for the likes of Lionel Messi and Pep Guardiola. There’s also time for Joe Hart’s seismic return and a brand new edition of The Topi...

We celebrate Newcastle United's illustrious FA Cup history on today's episode of Greatest Games, in association with The Blizzard. Historian and author Dan Jackson joins us to look back at the 1951 FA Cup final, the first of three FA Cups Newcastle won in the 1950s! A Newcastle side featuring legends such as Jackie Milburn and Chilean striker George Robledo beat Joe Smith's Blackpool in front of o...

It was another victory for the Champions League underdogs last night, as RB Leipzig knocked out a stuttering Atlético Madrid. Jules, Luke and Andy wonder whether Diego Simeone’s time at Atleti is coming to an end and what we can expect from them in coming seasons. We also look ahead to a cracking set of Champions League quarter-finals, assess the changes to next season’s schedule and celebrate som...

Sadly, Atalanta's Champions League dream is over. Jules, Pete and Jim mourn the bubble that Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s last-gasp winner burst, before looking ahead to tonight’s edition of the Champions League Lisbon Extravaganza. We also discuss the latest on Mesut Özil's situation at Arsenal (after his interview in The Athletic), and get some dating advice from Paul Dummett. There's even time for...

Well, after 59 games and 383 days, Wolves’ season has finally come to a close. Jules, Vish and Pete settle into the roasting hot studio to celebrate their amazing achievement, which culminated in a Europa League quarter-final three years after being in the Championship.  Elsewhere, we wonder what the future holds for Daniel Sturridge as he looks to return to the Premier League. We also get to...

It wasn’t a vintage Manchester United performance last night against Copenhagen, but they did break through eventually and advanced to the next round. Kate, Jim and Andy are here to look over last night’s Europa League action, notably the incredible goalkeeping from Karl-Johan Johnsson and another cracking Romelu Lukaku performance. We also catch up with the latest cheekiness from Dortmund and Lev...

The Champions League has returned, and Man City are in with a real chance of winning it all! Kate, Luke and Vish are here to marvel at their dominant win over Real Madrid as well as Pep Guardiola’s choice of novelty t-shirt. Elsewhere, Barcelona fended off Napoli with some more Lionel Messi brilliance - which massively underwhelmed Vish. Meanwhile, after their loss to Lyon, Juventus have replaced...

We're joined by the Mail On Sunday's Rob Draper for today's episode of Greatest Games (in association with The Blizzard) and we’re discussing a clash of English managerial greats! When Graham Taylor's Watford took on Terry Venables' QPR in the Second Division in 1982, it represented a pivotal moment in the tactical history of English football. Marcus, Jonathan and Rob sit down to discuss this clas...

Get the anthem ready, because the Champions League is back! Marcus, Andy and Luke are here to look ahead to the return of European action, as Man City take on a rejuvenated Real Madrid and Lyon hope to sneak past Juventus. Elsewhere, we celebrate Wolves advancing to the next round of the Europa League, discuss the new Nicolas Anelka documentary and play out another hugely tense round of Luke’s Gam...

European football is back! Jules, Pete and Andy are here to round up the first few Europa League matches from last night, before looking ahead to how Wolves and Man United might fare in the competition’s latter stages.  Elsewhere, we discuss Arsenal’s decision to make 55 staff members redundant and celebrate Iker Casillas’ amazing career after his retirement this week. There’s also plenty of...

Kate, Jim and Vish are in the studio as Fulham secured the Championship’s final promotion spot with a hard-fought victory over Brentford – all thanks to Scott Parker’s lovely wholesomeness. We also get stuck into some interesting transfer news, as Willian and Alexis Sánchez look destined to move on to Arsenal and Inter Milan respectively. We then reflect on Danny Rose’s comments around the racial...

On today's show, we're looking ahead to one of the biggest games in English football as Brentford take on Fulham for a place in the Premier League. Will Aleksandar Mitrović play? How nervous is Marcus Speller? Listen to find out! We also round up the opening weekend of the Scottish Premiership, as Celtic began their quest for a record tenth consecutive title. There’s even time for a glance at puzz...

Jules, Vish and Jim are here to recount a fantastic FA Cup final that deserved to be played in a packed-out Wembley, as Arsenal overcame Chelsea. Jim’s delighted about Arsenal but cautious about Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s future after his remarkable goal. Meanwhile the Drip King™️ Héctor Bellerín’s been at it again. Elsewhere we round up an underwhelming end to Juventus’ Serie A title parade, hon...

We’re revisiting a modern classic on today’s episode of Greatest Games, in association with The Blizzard. To discuss a game that followed a fantastical narrative, we brought on an equally excellent storyteller – director of ‘Diego Maradona’, Asif Kapadia! Asif chanced upon a ticket for this second-leg tie at Anfield (next to Michael Fassbender, no less), as Liverpool’s season was seemingly peterin...

Luke and Vish join Marcus for today's Preview Show sponsored by Betway, and first on the agenda is the news that the proposed takeover of Newcastle United has fallen through. The boys also run the rule over Fulham's stuttering progression to the playoff final where they'll face Brentford. Is Fulham sympathiser Marcus confident?  Elsewhere, there's more problematic FIFA news, Nathan Ake, and a...

Jules, Jim and Luke are here to talk you through last night's dramatic scenes as Brentford booked their tickets to Wembley in their final game at Griffin Park.  Elsewhere in the pod, there's James Maddison's excellent new contract but questionable choice in t-shirts, talk of fans coming back to games, and a cut price Joel Veltman arrives in Brighton. Search ‘Football Ramble’ on social media t...

As the proposed takeover of Newcastle United rolls on, fans are forced into difficult discussions about the club’s potential ownership and football’s wider issues. Jules, Pete and Vish are in the studio to wrestle with these competing feelings on today’s episode of the Football Ramble. Elsewhere, Adam Lallana returns to the beach as he joins Brighton and Neil Warnock makes Middlesbrough his latest...

Josh Onomah's glorious goal for Fulham helped seal a vital play-off semi-final win over Cardiff last night. Take a bow, Josh! Kate, Andy and Pete are here to talk about that briefly, before wondering which of their mascots would win in a scrap… There’s plenty more to get stuck into: Dejan Lovren is off to smash more trophies at Zenit Saint Petersburg, Man United continue to lowball Borussia Dortmu...

The Premier League season has finally come to an end 352 days after it began, with Aston Villa securing their survival after their draw at West Ham. Join Marcus, Andy and Jim on today’s episode of the Football Ramble as they pore over the final standings and recap a spicy last day! Aston Villa’s draw confirmed Watford and Bournemouth’s relegation – we have a wonder as to what’s next for both sides...