Upfront - A Women's Football Podcast

On a huge day for Italy and Portugal, Andy and Nicky Bandini confide in Dotun just how worried they are about their respective national favourites!  We look over both nations’ woes and numerous absentees heading into an era-defining week for their coaches. Elsewhere, the José Mourinho Roma roller-coaster reaches another high, while L’Équipe’s salary table brings PSG to a new low. Got a questi...

Despite a lack of cupsets, there was still plenty of FA Cup magic to enjoy this weekend. West Ham made it out of Ipswich with a win, while Coventry put up a great fight against Arsenal. Alas, it was the WSL big guns that take the semi-final spots.  Flo, Rachel and Chloe recap all that and look ahead to the Champions League's return later this week. GOAL's Ameé Ruszkai gives us the lowdown on...

We're back with a new episode of At The Match, the series that takes you right to the heart of football matches across the world. Today, Andy is joined by the Ramble's own Jim Campbell as they revel in a cracking atmosphere under the lights. They talk about Jim's relationship with his beloved Arsenal after moving to the area and how their recent resurgence under Mikel Arteta is grounds for renewed...

After suffering another embarrassing early exit, Dotun, Andy and Lars Sivertsen wonder if Juventus’ struggles should have been expected. Don’t worry though, we still find time to laugh at Andrea Agnelli. Elsewhere, Ajax fell hook, line and sinker for Benfica’s rope-a-dope while PSG’s love affair with Lionel Messi and Neymar might be over sooner than we thought. Got a question for us? Find us on so...

Flo, Rachel and Chloe are off to Hollywood! Sort of. Today we're joined by Angel City FC's Freya Coombe, the coach of Los Angeles' newest team, to discuss her new role and the differences she's noticed since moving to the U.S. from Reading a few years ago. Elsewhere, after an unprecedented week for Chelsea that saw speculation and questions around the future of the women's squad, we look into what...

We're going inside the number nine on this week's episode of On The Continent, as Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski's hat-tricks reminded everyone what they're still about. Dotun, Andy and David Cartlidge also ask if PSG will ever wake up from their Champions League nightmare. We also get a sprinkling of João over in Madrid and a couple of tasty Games of the Week! Got a question for us? Find us...

Flo, Rachel and Chloe recap a seismic League Cup final that saw Man City sweep Chelsea aside in startling fashion. We ask where it all went wrong for the reigning champions and how this might influence the WSL. Elsewhere, Viv Miedema reminds everyone that class is permanent and, seeing as it's International Women's Day, we celebrate women from football and beyond who have helped us on our journey....

Dotun and Andy are joined by Miguel Delaney as clubs, competitions and federations across Europe continue to feel the wider effects of the war in Ukraine.  We wonder how this common cultural touchpoint across the continent will be altered, ask if anyone will ever challenge Bayern Munich and tip the hat to birthday boy Mauricio Pochettino. Got a question for us? Find us on socials @ footballra...

Flo, Rachel and Chloe react to the seismic news that, after six years, a group of U.S. Women's players settled their ongoing lawsuit with U.S. Soccer around equal pay and fair remuneration for future generations.  To help us understand the ramifications and what happens next, we're joined by the Wall Street Journal's Rachel Bachman, who's been at the heart of this story. We also look ahead to...

Dotun, Andy and Lars Sivertsen pick up the pieces from a fascinating Champions League midweek and try to fit them all together. Let's hope it's nothing like Bodø/Glimt’s mosaic, mind… We start in Spain and the battle of The Crashing Realistics, as Unai Emery’s men strained on the leash against a Juventus side already leaning on their new number nine. We also take in a gripping battle between two t...

Rachel joins Flo and Chloe live from Wolverhampton ahead of England's final game at the Arnold Clark Cup on today's Upfront. She gives us the inside scoop on how the tournament's going and England's improvements under Sarina Wiegman.  We also assess the fortunes of a new-look USWNT in the SheBelieves Cup and look ahead to the latest round of FA Cup fixtures, as some minnows make a bid for the...

Dotun, Andy and David Cartlidge revel in the return of the Champions League, as RB Salzburg ran Bayern ragged and Real Madrid fans almost celebrated Kylian Mbappé's winner against their side. We also pick through the rubble after Sporting failed to blow the bloody doors off Porto's grip on the Primeira Liga top spot - chaos ensued! Got a question for us? Find us on socials @ footballramble . ***Pl...

Well, Arsenal vs Chelsea finished 0-0 after we said there'd be goals - but what a game it was! Flo, Rachel and Chloe bring you the latest on the WSL title race as it looks set to go right down to the wire. There's also a title race unfolding in Scotland as Rangers hold off Glasgow City. We track the impressive development of the SWPL and look ahead to the Lionesses' fixtures in the Arnold Clark Cu...

Dotun, Andy and Lars Sivertsen search far and wide for reasons why Borussia Dortmund are struggling - turns out they just need some defenders. We also look ahead to a battle of the Haves and the Have Mores in the Champions League next week and despair at the alarming state of women's football in France after Ada Hegerberg's recent comments. Got a question for us? Find us on socials @ footballrambl...

What happens when your best goalscorer is also your best creator? Ahead of the definitive week in this season's WSL, we try to solve Arsenal's Miedema conundrum! Elsewhere, Everton have parted company with Jean-Luc Vasseur after ten games - is this the start of a trend? We also discuss the merits of expanding both the WSL and Championship as more teams push for success. Got a question for us? Twee...

Dotun, Andy and Nicky Bandini react to a busy transfer window for our continental counterparts, as Inter snap up Robin Goses and Krzysztof Piątek moves once again! We also wonder how Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will fit in at Barcelona and finally get a result from a feisty edition of Le Classique, two months after it started! Got a question for us? Find us on socials @footballramble. ***Please take...

Flo, Rachel and Chloe are back with another Upfront, your weekly guide to the biggest stories from across women's football! Today, we round up the fourth round of the FA Cup as Leicester and Southampton secured upsets while Bridgwater's dream run came to an end. We also react to Australia's shock exit at the Asian Cup and discuss a significant - but not substantial enough - improvement in players'...

Dotun, Andy and Lars Sivertsen assess the reasoned sense - but enraged fallout - behind Dušan Vlahović’s move to the Empire.  We also wonder why so many of the world’s best players have impending contract expirations and head to Belgium to check in with the most unlikely of title challenges from newly promoted Union Saint-Gilloise! Leicester who?! Got a question for us? Find us on socials @fo...

Flo, Rachel and Chloe get amongst those fighting to clamber out of the WSL mid-table mire, as West Ham continued their rise this weekend while compounding Everton's worries. We also touch on some bizarre officiating and wonder what needs to be done to better support WSL and Championship referees, before looking ahead to the return of the FA Cup as Bridgewater United look to continue their giant-ki...

Dotun, Andy and David Cartlidge recap a two-day Sevillan derby where fan trouble ended the first game prematurely, before Betis snuck the behind-closed-doors replay. Ah, Seville, never change. We also revel in some glorious cross-continental capers, as Zinedine Zidane's potential move to PSG might start one almighty chain reaction. We also celebrate the return of Hatem Ben Arfa and wonder why we l...

Both sides of Manchester continued their impressive WSL form this weekend. Flo, Chloe and Rachel are here with the lowdown on those chasing that elusive Champions League spot. We also eye up the FA Championship contenders, as Liverpool and London City Lionesses go about their business in wholly different ways while Chloe's Crystal Palace snap at their heels. We also look ahead to the Asian Cup and...

It's Super Cups galore on today's edition of On The Continent as Dotun, Andy and Nicky Bandini recap a cracking win for Inter over Juventus in last night's Supercoppa - with a 120th-minute winner from Alexis Sánchez, no less!  The Saudi Arabian edition of the Spanish Super Cup also raises a few eyebrows and we pore over Bayern's decision to make Kingsley Coman the highest-paid employee of any...

Upfront is back for 2022! Join Flo Lloyd-Hughes, Rachel O'Sullivan and Chloe Morgan every Tuesday for your definitive guide to the biggest stories in women's football. Today, after a shock defeat to an excellent Birmingham City, we wonder what Arsenal need to stop their lacklustre slide. There's also a look at potential movers in the transfer window and we ask what can be learned from a tumultuous...

If we could dream up our fantasy career, it’d probably be similar to that of today’s Ramble Meets… guest. Andy is joined by former Milan, Monaco, Rangers and England striker, Mark Hateley! From rubbing shoulders with footballing (and actual) royalty under Arsène Wenger at Monaco to winning the hearts of Inter fans at Serie A’s peak, Mark enjoyed an incredible career. He tells Andy about his contin...

Dotun, Andy and Lars Sivertsen settle in for the first On The Continent of 2022 – and there are already so many questions that need answering. Chiefly: how on earth do Barcelona plan to vie for Erling Haaland’s signature all of a sudden? Unsurprisingly, things are not quite as they seem.  Plus, Andy reveals the reasons behind Jorge Jesus’ second stormy departure from Benfica and OTC’s nocturn...