The Rest Is Football

With City sitting 17th in the Table, have they left it too late to make automatic promotion? More problems for Madrid and Mbappe as they take a beating at Anfield & More dubious VAR decisions after Aston Villa were robbed against Juventus

Gary, Alan & Micah review this week’s Champions League Fixtures

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What did Rodri make of Real Madrid’s boycott of the Ballon D’or? What are Pep Guardiola and Diego Simeone really like? Why is Mo Salah the best Premier League player that the Man City man has ever faced?

Rodri answers all the questions and also discusses what the England players were saying when they realised he was not coming out for the second half of the Euros Final in this exclusive episode of The Rest Is Football.

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Did Gary give any Alan any advice when he joined him in the England set up? Mo Salah has recently stated that he’s more out than in when it comes to staying at Liverpool, will he stay or will he go?

Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss who is the cleanest striker of a football in The Premier League 

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Who does Gary think Leicester should get as their next manager? What did we learn from Ruben Amorim’s first game as Man United boss? Have teams finally started to ‘work out’ Man City?

Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss how Liverpool have still got a number of levels to go to despite being 8 points clear at the top of the league.

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Guinness makes its own debut as the Official Beer and Non-Alcoholic Beer of the Premier League.

18+ only, please drink responsibly and do not share with anyone under the legal drinking age.

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After a tough start to life at West Ham, how satisfying was it to be such an integral part of their first European trophy in 58 years? Who are the best players he’s ever played with and against? Who really came out on top when Micah and Michail faced each other on the pitch?

Gary and Micah are joined by West Ham and Jamaica forward Michail Antonio to discuss the highs and lows of his footballing journey and how he’s still the best table-tennis player around.

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If refs wore microphones so we could hear them throughout the game, would that help provide more clarity? Or would it open a can of worms and make things worse? Is Micah right in thinking that for 10% of Alan’s goal he didn’t know where he was aiming?

Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss exactly what sets Rodri apart as the best player in the world at the moment?

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What have England learnt from Lee Carsely’s six games in charge? Who has really stepped up and taken their chance after so many players pulled out of the squad this time round? What are the main priorities for Thomas Tuchel when he takes over?

Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss the decline in the Republic of Ireland side over the decades and the challenges they now face.

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Why is now the right time for Gary to step away from Match of the Day after 25 years? Which England squad players impressed the most in Athens? Will we see Lee Carsley take a managerial role in club football next?

Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss the fallout from the videos circulating online of David Coote that have led to his suspension by the PGMOL.

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Does Ange Postecoglou have what it takes to win Spurs’ first trophy in 24 years this season? Have Virgil Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté surpassed Gabriel and William Saliba as the best Centre Back pairing in the Premier League?

Gary, Micah & Alan also debate who was better in their prime: Mo Salah or Eden Hazard 

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What exactly is going wrong at Man City and how do they fix it? What has Eddie Howe done to find the right balance in this Newcastle team? Is Mo Salah actually underrated?

Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss the key reason why Arsenal are struggling at the moment and how referees are now taking over all parts of the game.

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What a start for Arne Slot as Liverpool sit on top of both the Premier League and the Champions League - League Phase. Ex Coventry man Viktor Gyökeres bags a hat-trick against favourites Manchester City, & Arsenal struggle again away at Inter Milan.

Gary, Alan & Micah also discuss Celtic’s performance of the season beating RB Leipzig, plus what is going on with the holders Real Madrid.

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Why was it wrong of Vinicius Jr and Real Madrid to boycott the Ballon d’Or ceremony? Which players are the best at beating the offside trap and how do they do it? How good do footballers really have to be to make it at the top level?

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Have Liverpool cemented themselves as genuine Title Contenders? How much do Arsenal miss Martin Ødegaard after falling 7 points off the top? How do Manchester City recover with all their injury woes?

Gary, Alan & Micah also discuss the mammoth task Rúben Amorim has at Manchester United.

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Why could you not trust Ruud van Nistelrooy on the pitch? Was turning down Man United the right decision? How did Arsène Wenger make an immediate impact in his Arsenal revolution?

Gary and Alan are joined by Arsenal legend Martin Keown to discuss his hugely successful career and why he initially left Arsenal because of a dispute over £50.

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Buy Martin’s new book ‘On The Edge’ here: https://linktr.ee/martinkeownbook

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Would the guys rather win the Ballon d'Or or a World Cup Golden Boot? What was the best pre-match team talk they were ever given? Does Big Meeks think Liverpool would be a better side without Mo Salah?

Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss a night of crisps and karaoke with Lionel Ritchie as they answer the best of your listener questions.

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Who should be the next Manchester United manager? Was it a mistake keeping ten Hag this summer? Can Man Utd still attract the biggest managerial names?

Gary, Alan and Micah react to the news of Erik ten Hag’s sacking in our first ever live episode recording.

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Have Arsenal and Liverpool shown enough to suggest they’ll keep pace with Man City in the title race? How is Chelsea’s set-up really helping get the best out of Cole Palmer? Why were VAR even getting involved in the penalty incident at the end of the Man Utd game?

Gary, Alan and Micah also reflect on Barcelona’s thumping win in El Clásico and discuss whether this signals a true resurgence for the Catalan club.

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What magic did Haaland summon for his incredible spinning backheel volley? Is Villa’s rotation up front the secret of their success, or is there room to experiment with both Duran and Watkins? Does Lamine Yamal’s recent form hint at a Messi-like future for the youngster?

Gary, Alan and Micah discuss all the key headlines from Matchday 3 of the Champions League as the English clubs make a fantastic start.

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Is Messi still the best player in the world? Are referees being unfair to Arsenal? Who are Micah and Alan's favourite bands?

Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss the likelihood of England winning a major tournament under Thomas Tuchel as they answer the best of your questions.

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Guinness makes its own debut as the Official Beer and Non-Alcoholic Beer of the Premier League.

18+ only, please drink responsibly and do not share with anyone under the legal drinking age.

Search https://www.guinness.com/en-gb/sport/premier-league today.

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Should Curtis Jones be a regular starter for Liverpool? Was it the correct call to allow John Stones’ late winner? How do Southampton pick themselves up mentally after throwing away a two-goal lead at home to one of the fellow promoted teams?

Gary, Alan and Micah also reflect on Arsenal’s first loss of the season and whether they have a disciplinary problem or not.

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Guinness makes its own debut as the Official Beer and Non-Alcoholic Beer of the Premier League.

18+ only, please drink responsibly and do not share with anyone under the legal drinking age.

Search https://www.guinness.com/en-gb/sport/premier-league today

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Eddie Howe always seems like such a lovely bloke, but what is his tougher side really like? How do you build the belief to truly compete with the biggest clubs? Do Newcastle need to win a trophy for this period to be seen as successful?

Gary and Alan are joined by Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff to discuss the dream of playing for your boyhood club and what makes Alexander Isak and Sven Botman world-class players.

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Are Thomas Tuchel and Pep Guardiola more similar than we think? Should we expect to see him drop some of England’s attacking stars? Is winning the World Cup the only way this appointment will be seen as a success?

Gary is joined by German football expert Raphael Honigstein to give us the details on exactly what we can expect from England’s latest managerial appointment.

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Thomas Tuchel has signed a deal with The FA to become the new England manager. The 51-year-old German has signed an 18-month contract, starting on January 1st.

Why have the FA opted for a foreign coach? Can Thomas Tuchel be the one to finally find the right balance in this England side? And does his style of play suit tournament football?

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How do England solve the current problem at left-back? Are we starting to see more defensive frailties creep in to the side as they look to be more progressive? Is that a problem?

Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss where things stand with Lee Carsley after the latest set of fixtures and whether he really wants the job full time.

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Is it impossible to get the best out of Foden, Bellingham, Palmer and Saka when they’re playing in the same team? Did England get the defensive balance wrong or do we want to see them take more risks? What will Ollie Watkins be thinking after not getting a start in this game?

Gary, Alan and Micah also pay tribute to George Baldock, who sadly died at his home in Athens earlier this week.

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If Liverpool could only keep two of Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold, who would you let go? Who would the lads pick in their ultimate 5-a-side teams? How on earth did Alan end up on one of Kamala Harris’ official TikTok videos?

Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss how Messi has perfected the art of the twilight years of your career.

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Are Tottenham their own worst enemy at times? Who will blink first in the title race out of Liverpool, Man City & Arsenal? What are the favourite treats and takeaways for the guys when they spend a full day working on Match of the Day?

Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss Man United’s ongoing problems as Alan outlines their three main areas of weakness.

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Have Villa shown they’re here to stay at Champions League level after beating Bayern Munich? Is Kai Havertz showing he can be the No.9 that fires Arsenal to silverware? Are Real Madrid struggling to fit all their superstars into the team? 

Gary, Alan and Micah review the latest round of Champions League matches and also discuss the implications for VAR after Bruno Fernandes’ red card was overturned by an independent FA panel.

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Which stadium has the most hostile tunnel walk? Which players would like to dish it out in the tunnel before you even got on the pitch? Who would be in your dream 5-a-side team of current players?

Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss the most mentally challenging moments of their careers as they answer the best of your listener questions.

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What is the identity of this Man United team? Is there a problem in the dressing room? Have the owners put Erik ten Hag in an impossible situation?

Gary, Alan and Micah discuss the troubles at Man United after a disappointing loss against Spurs. The trio also review the other key highlights from the weekend as Liverpool go top, Arsenal leave it late and Everton get their first win of the season.

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How have things changed for the England team after the disappointment at Euro 2024? Which new Man City summer signing embraced the ‘work hard, play hard’ lifestyle on a pre-season trip to LA? What really happened when he tweeted that picture of a car after a heavy defeat for Aston Villa?

Premier League winner and new England coach Joleon Lescott joins Gary, Alan and Micah to discus what it was really like being Micah’s team-mate and what the future looks like for the England team under Lee Carsley.

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How do Man City adapt to Rodri’s absence? Will this be Arsenal’s best chance to win the league? Will teams go after Man City a little bit more now?

Gary, Alan and Micah also pick their top three non-footballing sports stars of all time and finally answer the all important question - what are their favourite types of cheese?

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How do Arsenal recover from their last minute agony at the Etihad? Did Man City get lucky after a poor second half performance? Do Arsenal finally have the belief they can win the Premier League?

Gary, Alan and Micah reflect on an action packed clash at the top of the table and also discuss impressive wins for Liverpool and Chelsea as they round up the weekend’s action.

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Where does David Raya’s double save rank on the list of great saves? How far will Aston Villa go in the Champions League this season after an impressive start? Will the new format give Celtic a better chance of being more competitive in the tournament?

Gary and Micah review the return of the Champions League and we get all the gossip from David Beckham’s appearance on CBS.

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Leeds 03/04? West Ham 02/03? Newcastle 08/09? Who were the best side to ever get relegated from the Premier League and what went wrong to have such talented bunch of players and still go down?

Gary, Alan and Micah also debate whether compensation for managers should be a lot higher and discuss the best and worst haircuts in football.

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How much of an impact will Arsenal’s win in the North London Derby have on next week’s clash with Man City? Why are Newcastle picking up points even though they’re not playing at their best? How far can Nottingham Forest go this season?

Gary, Alan and Micah reflect on this biggest headlines from this weekend and also explain how the Match Of The Day running order works and why it’s fairer than you think.

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What did Jose Mourinho do to make sure Cesc joined Chelsea in 2014 instead of Man City or Man Utd? How did bizarre team meetings in Pepe Reina’s room at midnight the night before every game inspire Spain to World Cup victory? Could we see a full-back win the Ballon d’Or this year?

The second part of Gary’s conversation with Cesc Fàbregas sees the pair discuss his time at Chelsea and the many successes of the Spanish national team. Cesc also picks the best goalkeeper, defender, midfielder and striker he’s ever played with.

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What was it that set Arsène Wenger apart from other managers? Was Cesc really aiming for Fergie with that pepperoni pizza in the tunnel at Old Trafford? How did he end up spending hours in a police station after a night out at the 2006 World Cup in Germany?

Gary is joined by the brilliant Cesc Fàbregas to discuss the early days of his career with Barcelona & Arsenal and why he now wishes he’d waited longer to leave the Gunners.

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Who impressed the most in a new-look England side? Is the number ten role Jack Grealish’s best position? Will Nicko Sensoli ever buy a drink in San Marino again after his goal gave his side their first win in 20 years?

Gary, Alan and Micah discuss what differences we saw from England in Lee Carsley’s first game as boss and reflect on the other headlines from the international break so far.

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Why has Arne Slot had such a great start to life at Liverpool when so many others have struggled taking over from successful managers at big clubs? What’s the secret to success at a club like Liverpool?

Gary is joined by England, Liverpool and Watford legend John Barnes to discuss how his upbringing influenced his entire footballing career and who the greatest players he’s ever seen are.

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What do the boys think of the new Champions League system? Who deserves the Ballon d’Or this year? Why could Federico Chiesa be the signing of the transfer window?

Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss how players spread transfer rumours about themselves to help negotiate better new contracts with their current clubs.

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Are Man Utd a group of individuals rather than a team? Should Declan Rice have been sent off against Brighton? Will this be Mo Salah’s final season as a Liverpool player?

Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss how the Everton players pick themselves up after a stunning late turnaround from Bournemouth.

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What deals might we expect to see this Deadline Day? Where will Ivan Toney end up playing this season? Will there be a big move for Marc Guéhi? And what happened when David snuck onto a golf course with the England football team as a kid?

Gary is joined by football correspondent David Ornstein to discuss his route into journalism and how he ended up as a transfers expert. They also reflect on why it has been a fairly quiet transfer window so far and if that could lead to a busy Deadline Day.

You can read David’s work on The Athletic here and follow him on X @David_Ornstein

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Why are we so obsessed with Fantasy Football and just how good is Micah at it? Where does Goodison Park rank on the list of the UK’s best grounds? Who is responsible for all of Gary’s dad jokes on Match of the Day?

Gary, Alan and Micah answer the best of your questions and also pay tribute to Sven-Göran Eriksson, who sadly passed away earlier this week.

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Are Chelsea learning to embrace the chaos? Can anyone stop Erling Haaland from winning the Golden Boot for a third consecutive season? How worrying have Everton’s opening two performances been?

Gary, Alan and Micah reflect on the key points from the weekend and discuss who needs what in the final week of the transfer window.

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What are the secrets of being a brilliant centre forward? Who are the best strikers of all time? Will the traditional ‘Number 9’ come back into fashion?

Gary and Alan, two of England’s greatest ever strikers, discuss the art of scoring lots and lots of goals. They also offer some advice to young players trying to make their way in the game now.

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Where have all the maverick players gone from the game? Are tactical developments killing players’ spontaneity and freedom?

Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss the idea of specific players being given holidays mid-season and we hear how Micah is getting on at Disneyland in the middle of the summer holidays.

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How do Chelsea manage the problem of player unrest with such an inflated squad size? Where did Arne Slot make his mark as Liverpool’s new boss? Have Brighton found another gem in Fabian Hurzeler?

Gary, Alan and Micah reflect on the opening weekend of the 2024/25 Premier League season and discuss who has made an early impression.

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Who will be top four? Who’s heading for the drop? Which teams will surprise and which will disappoint? In this special episode, Gary, Alan, and Micah look ahead to the new Premier League Season. They evaluate every one of the twenty Premier League clubs, predicting where they will finish.

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What goes on the night before away fixtures? Micah takes us through his pre match Chinese meal, and has Fantasy Football changed the way we look at the game? 

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