The Optus Football Podcast

Schwarzie and Bridgey are at Old Trafford reflecting on another disappointing night for Manchester United, as Fulham knock them out of the FA Cup on penalties.  The guys also reflect on Danny Welbeck 'aging like a fine wine' as Brighton find a late winner against Newcastle - which leaves Bridgey wondering when the pressure will start to mount on Eddie Howe.  Schwarzie is also still baffl...

Preston North End v Burnley is 'an underrated...HATE-FILLED DERBY!' We cannot wait for the final 16 of the FA Cup to line up in this weekend's fifth round, with the lads Mark Schwarzer, Phil Kitromilides and Julien Laurens discussing: Manchester United taking on Fulham, and how even a possible FA Cup trophy lift won't do anything for United after the season they have had. The gloves are off and th...

Schwarzie, Phil, and Juls are back, and this week they're asking: should we just hand Liverpool the Premier League crown already? Plus, Mo Salah’s record-breaking season shows no signs of slowing down - is he destined for the Ballon d'Or? The guys also discuss whether Manchester City's style of football is becoming outdated in England. So with Arsenal looking like their race is run in terms of the...

'Who'd have thought Everton would turn into the great entertainers?!...' Mark, Bridgey and Phil are back this week with a bumper weekend ahead: Liverpool keep dropping points... are they vulnerable ahead of their biggest clash of the year? Conversely, with a City side smarting from a Champions League loss.... are they on a hiding to nothing? Our guys choose which match is worth losing sleep over:...

Schwarzie and Phil are joined by Bridgey to reflect on Spurs' win over a 'decaying' Manchester United team that are really struggling. Phil also updates us on how Antony is doing in La Liga since leaving Old Trafford...and it's not a good look for his former employers.  Meanwhile Arsenal are dealing with their injury crisis well so far, as Mikel Merino scores twice in his first ever runout at...

'You keep Cole Palmer quiet.. the creativity is gone from that side...' After a dashing weekend of FA Cup football, the big league returns with the Premier League and matchweek 25. Mark Schwarzer and Jay Bothroyd outline three juicy fixtures for this weekend including: City and Newcastle's big clash and the #9 that Jay anoints as the world's best . STACKs of goals as Jay and Mark both predict Ange...

Schwarzie is joined by Jay Bothroyd after watching Ange's Spurs slump to another defeat, this time against Aston Villa in the FA Cup Fourth Round. We also hear from Ange himself after the game chatting to Schwarzie, as well as Morgan Rogers. The guys also reflect on Plymouth's historic victory over Liverpool and come to terms with the fact that no VAR in the FA Cup has made us  miss technolog...

'We played Mourinho's Chelsea... I got as many touches as Erling Haaland!' It's the triumphant return of two massive entities this week on the podcast: 1) The Emirates FA Cup fourth round is back on Optus Sport - every game - and 2) Jay Bothroyd is back to stir the lads up as Mark Schwarzer and Phil Kitromilides try and not take the bait. The lads once again reminisce on the magic of the Cup and t...

In this special edition of the Optus Sport Football Podcast, Schwarzie is at Coventry City ahead of their FA Cup Fourth Round clash against Ipswich Town to chat to Frank Lampard and young Aussie Raphael Borges Rodrigues. Lampard sings Rapha's praises, not only saying he's ready to make an impact in the team, but also how his mentality reminds him of Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney! Rapha on the othe...

Schwarzie and Phil are reunited with Jay Bothroyd as he basks in the glory of Arsenal's momentous victory over Manchester City.  The guys also discuss Arsenal's exuberant youth players, Liverpool not showing any signs of slowing down and why Ruben Amorim continues to struggle at Manchester United. And, in classic Jay style, the pod gets derailed into comparing Erling Haaland to Gerd Muller an...

'BOURNEMOUTH CAN GET THE JOB DONE HERE!...' Another week, another set of stunning fixtures ahead in the Premier League! Phil Kitromilides, Michael Bridges and Julien Laurens are here with stacks to preview: Manchester City and Arsenal renew their modern-day rivalry...but is it as much of a blockbuster as it has been of late? One which is undeniably mouth-watering is Bournemouth v Liverpool - can t...

With Schwarzie on his monthly holiday, Phil is left to host Bridgey and Juls to pick the bones out of a Premier League weekend which saw Ange's problems grow, Bournemouth flying and Robert Sanchez continuing to struggle in goal for Chelsea.  Phil also sets about debunking the Arsenal referee conspiracy theories...until everyone jumps on board with it! Every game of the Premier League and WSL...

'You're 13th in the table...YOU'RE MANCHESTER UNITED!...' There are several mouthwatering fixtures this weekend in the Premier League, and while some have blockbuster status, there are others that have Mark Schwarzer, Phil Kitromilides and Julien Laurens excited to watch for *different* reasons: Manchester City v Chelsea will be massive...but has the title race already reached the end? Would Cole...

It's the morning after the night before which saw Spurs slump to a brutal away defeat to Everton. Schwarzie, Phil and Juls all have their say on where next for Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham Hotspur. Juls in particular lambasts their performance, claiming that Spurs made Dominic Calvert-Lewin look like 'prime Messi'! The guys also dissect another poor performance for Ruben Amorim's Manchester Unit...

Schwarzie and Bridgey look forward to an action-packed midweek fixture list in the Premier League which sees Nottingham Forest host Liverpool in a surprise top-of-the-table clash and a mouthwatering north London derby.  Every game of the Premier League is live and exclusive on Optus Sport. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Schwarzie and Bridgey are outside the Emirates Stadium following an FA Cup cracker where 10-man Manchester United knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup. The guys also react to the rest of the action in the third round, as well as Schwarzie drawing out the balls for the cup draw! Every FA Cup match this season is live and exclusive on Optus Sport. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...

'He needs silverware...and this is a REALLY good chance' There are few greater words for a football fan in January than FA Cup third round . And that's where we find ourselves this week as Mark Schwarzer, Phil Kitromilides and Michael Bridges join forces to run a rule across the biggest, best and ugliest fixtures to take place this weekend, all LIVE on Optus Sport. The trio discuss: Who will come...

The Optus Sport Football Podcast kicks off the new year with Schwarzie, Phil, and Bridgey breaking down a dramatic night at Anfield. Manchester United stunned everyone with what Schwarzie calls their "most impressive performance of the season," but the big question remains—can they sustain this momentum? Liverpool’s attacking flair was on full display, but defensive frailties stole the spotlight,...

Schwarzie, Phil and Juls are full of festive cheer...for the most part, as they countdown their top football moments of 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New to close out 2024: we welcome you to the very first episode of Takes from the Terrace, where we throw the interview textbook out of the window and ask our guests what we really want to hear. In this premiere, legendary England, Manchester City and Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart joins Adamo De Nigris for a candid and sometimes emotional discussion on his career, and details why Australia's Ange Pos...

'Best song in the Premier League...!' Football fans in South London have plenty of reason to chant one man's name at the moment, and Mark Schwarzer, Phil Kitromilides and Julien Laurens sing along as we preview a big weekend of Premier League action, LIVE on Optus Sport: Tottenham host Liverpool in a vital match - but which Spurs side will be there to play? We hear from Yves Bissouma on what they...

Schwarzie, Phil, and Juls unwrap all the weekend's football drama with Gary O’Neil and Russell Martin both losing their jobs at Wolves and Southampton - proving it’s not just Santa handing out the sack this time of year. Elsewhere, Rashford and Garnacho are on Ruben Amorim's naughty list after being dropped from the squad for the Manchester derby. But there’s no Christmas miracle for Pep Guardiola...

Bold call as Amorim tipped to 'pull off a masterstroke' over Manchester City! Football fans are champing at the bit this week with another Manchester Derby awaiting us, LIVE on Optus Sport on Monday morning AEDT. Michael Bridges and Phil Kitromilides join Mark Schwarzer to preview the big clash and dive into: Best memories and moments from the famous rivalry between the red and blue sides of Manch...

Schwarzie and Bridgey have returned from their golfing trip to run the rule over the latest Premier League weekend with Phil: Chelsea are looking unstoppable under Maresca Will struggling Ange be at Spurs by the start of 2025? Manchester United's turmoil continues on and off the pitch How to stop Arsenal at set pieces Is Pep cracking up? Leicester's superb start under Ruud van Nistelrooy Michelle...

Do Arsenal's front men have enough goals in them to win the league?! Midweek football is here on Optus Sport! With Mark Schwarzer galavanting on a Spanish golf course, Phil Kitromilides and Julien Laurens pore over this week's midweek fixtures. Arsenal v Manchester United will be huge - we give our pre-game analysis on what lineups will cause the greatest trouble for the opposition Newcastle sit i...