Football Ramble

Arguably the greatest club side we've ever seen, Pep Guardiola's Barcelona were the team that swept aside all before them, playing an irresistible blend of attacking, possession-based football while doing so. Using tactics and application that are still having an influence around the world in 2017 on the way to winning everything, we pore over the era that brought us Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta...

As yuletide approaches we discuss Bristol City’s EFL Cup win over Man United and Lee Johnson’s sadly redundant and expensive wine, Swansea running around like headless swans, whether a swan could deck an eagle and Arsenal plotting the revenge of the fifth on fourth-placed Liverpool. As if that ain’t enough we put the spotlight onto Alan Pardew and his assistant John Carver, who in turn puts the sp...

In 2015, the wheels finally fell off Sepp Blatter's corrupt FIFA vehicle, an event that was celebrated far and wide by just about every football fan. What followed was a delicious blend of chaos and ridicule. In number four on our countdown, we pick over the fallout as the FBI got involved, Big Sepp ran for president, won, resigned and then attempted to renege on his resignation, all the soundtrac...

No international team has typified the last ten years of football better than Spain and their three trophies in a row between 2008 and 2012. With a group of all-time great players such as Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Xabi Alonso, Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos, La Furia Roja dominated the international landscape for our first five years in the studio. Those teams were a joy to watch and a joy to talk abo...

No manager has quite had the impact on football since 2007, both on and off the field, of Jose Mourinho. Even when not managing in England his shadow has always loomed large, and his time at the helm of two of the Premier League's most successful clubs in the modern era has never been short on drama. In no.6 on our countdown we tell of our experiences covering the man and his actions and try to wo...

Pete’s uncouth army roll into North London and leave with nothing, Man City do their thing against Spurs but there’s a surprising consolation for Mousa Dembele and David Moyes continues the renaissance not a single person doubted was coming. As well as all this Roy the Boy rides back into town, Sunderland save some face and undo the embarrassment of the past year and there is CONTROVERSY with Goin...

Well, this one was always likely to be in there somewhere wasn’t it! 18 months on from that incredible season in which Claudio Ranieri's Leicester City side upset the apple cart in a huge way, we chew over the fall out, reminisce about covering their superb campaign and ruminate on what it all means for football in England in general. The Football Ramble, the original and best football podcast. Br...

Without a doubt the biggest single result to occur during our time broadcasting, Brazil's humbling by Germany on their own patch in the semi-final stage of the first World Cup they'd held for 64 years was a genuine jaw-dropper. In number eight on our festive countdown, Marcus, Luke, Jim and Pete discuss the build up to that momentous occasion in Belo Horizonte, the game itself, the aftermath and e...

After big investment, the other half of Manchester had high hopes and big intentions of dining at football's top table but they knew they needed a league title win under their belts first. In 2012 they finally got their hands on it. From the 6-1 defeat of their local rivals at Old Trafford to the final, dramatic moments against QPR on the final day, The Ramble boys cast their minds back to the ico...

After the depression of yesterday, here's something positive to bounce back with and yes this is Luke writing these synopses. Portsmouth triumphed gloriously in the FA Cup in 2007/08, laying to waste everyone in their path including a pathetic iteration of a Manchester United team on their own patch. Just when we all thought the summer of 2008 would be nothing to shout about given England's capitu...

It’s still kicking off in that tunnel even ages after it actually kicked off in the tunnel as Man City’s continuing excellence makes Jose Mourinho get snippy, Mike Ashley and Amanda Staveley continue to thrash out Newcastle’s future and we see the welcome return of that sweet fifth booking as players look for time off over Christmas. We also try to give Sean Dyche the England job, Big Sam’s big gr...

In at number 11 in our countdown is Steve McClaren and England's ill-fated attempt at qualifying for Euro 2008. New in the job, Steve was tasked with giving England their English identity back after Sven-Goran Eriksson, the first foreigner to hold the position, had ruled the roost for so long. His first assignment proved to be his undoing however as his team failed to impress, culminating in a dis...

The first of our countdown of the biggest moments, themes and events of the last ten years comes in the shape of World Cup 2010. The first tournament of its kind ever to be held in Africa, the world was treated to vuvuzelas, Bafana Bafana, yet another turgid performance from those Three Lions and Spain lifting the trophy. The boys don't let England's showing dampen their spirits though as they ent...

Derbies galore as Man City take their noisy neighbours tag very seriously and wind up Jose Mourinho, only partially by beating his team, Big Sam hits the ground grinning and West Ham do a number on Chelsea. If that isn’t enough - and it’s not as there’s way more discussed than that - there’s the confusing emergence of the puffa waistcoat, some good fortune for Coventry in their City of Culture bid...

This time around we chat about some geologically scintillating stuff from Liverpool ahead of Everton’s visit to Anfield on Sunday, a fixture so important that Sam “My Own Man” Allardyce has turned down a free trip to Cyprus to prepare.  Cut out this line about Jesse sodding Lingard. As the noisy neighbours of Man City prepare to head to Old Trafford we hear of another curmudgeonly neighb...

We’re back once again, not unlike the renegade master, to discuss a frankly superb goalkeeping performance from David De Gea, wobbly yet winny Man City, some immediate big licks from Big Sam and a ruddy WORLD CUP DRAW! It’s about to get real.  On top of all that jazz there are confusing sock related activities, Eric Dier bravely trying to move on and Sunderland get yet another mention that th...

Big Sam Allardyce and Alan Pardew returning to the fold in the same week? What a Ramble bonanza/sign of just how many chances these particular British managers get. Big Sam at least gets a warm welcome to Goodison Park after Wayne Rooney’s midweektacular hat trick against despair’s West Ham, Man City keep up their daunting run and Arsenal turn a corner. Again.  Elsewhere there’s a surprising...

Gary Megson displays some gigantic cojones after steering West Brom to a draw against Spurs at Wembley Hart Lane, a lightning powered footballer emerges onto the scene to lead England’s future and Everton continue their league wide benevolence. On top of all this we finally have at least partial details of Pete’s confusing and intriguing CV, Marcus gets credit for almost correctly predicting the f...

We wait with bated breath for West Brom to announce Alan ‘Party Pards’ Pardew as their new boss so the season can truly begin. How we’ve missed him. How three of us have missed him. It’s not all bad news for Hartlepool’s favourite son though as the Newcastle takeover looms. Surely nothing can go wrong… Elsewhere there are Champions League adventures, including an oddly enjoyable evening for Brenda...

The managerial merry-go-round is either working perfectly or completely broken depending on who you are. Tony Pulis leaves us for the time being, while fed up of enjoying life, Chris Coleman takes the Sunderland job, possibly regretting it already.  As well as all this Paul Pogba returns from injury, seemingly more powerful than ever, there’s a North London Derby and David Moyes gets an enthu...

Even though they were just friendlies England have got us all worked up about the World Cup again as we chat about the draw, groups of death and a long-needed alternative England band. There are also fireworks in Peru, a far-from-perfect hat trick in Australia and a word from El Diego. Not only that, the Premier League is back, with the North London derby, Everton’s hunt for a new manager and a to...

There have been so many international fixtures it’s as if it’s all building up to some kind of World’s Fair of football. There have been 0-0 thrillers, heartbreak for Northern Ireland, the glorious sight of Herve Renard and his lucky shirt and Australia being Australian.  Elsewhere there are expectations of higher standards, Tom Heaton (obviously), behaviour arches and the odd geography lesso...

It’s international week and England’s innovative conceptual interpretation of a squad prepare to batter known melts Germany and Brazil.  There’s also a whole host of football from elsewhere, potential revisionism regarding one David Moyes, urinal encounters, Luke almost meeting a hero and Star Fruit - with extra large fruity pieces.  This show is sponsored by bet365  The Football Ra...

Here at Ramble HQ we get a huge amount of emails and don't always have the time to get through them all on our two regular weekly shows. So, to that end, please welcome The Football Ramble Shredder! In this special ep, we trawl through as many of your email as we can - including missives from a man who believes he can predict what we're going to say before we've said it, a load of puns (obviously)...

West Ham kindly sacked Slaven Bilic before we recorded this time around enabling us to go to town on the Hammers, including Andy Carroll’s fairly robust advice for the fans.  Elsewhere there's time for more handshake drama, the joy of bendy headers courtesy of Mr Morata, and Everton and Watford's game of the season contender which also provided something for Unsy to be happy about. On top of...