The Rest Is Football

Where does Cristiano rank among the greatest footballers of all time? What was his biggest, single strength as a player? Has he tarnished his legacy in any way with how drawn out and messy his international retirement has been?

Gary and Micah reflect on a stunning international career for Cristiano Ronaldo. Micah reveals what it was actually like to play against him, and why he’d often beaten you before you even stepped on the pitch.
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Arsenal move five points clear at the top of the Premier League as Manchester City suffer their third consecutive defeat. With City struggling and the shadow of the 115 charges still looming over them, is there anyone capable of stopping the Gunners from lifting the trophy at the end of the season?

Could Brighton be Arsenal’s closest challengers? The Seagulls comfortably brushed Brentford aside at the Amex, recording yet another clean sheet. Can they maintain this form and genuinely mount a title challenge?

Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss the bonkers action at Old Trafford, where Manchester United produced their second remarkable comeback of the week to snatch a point against Aston Villa. United still find themselves in the relegation places, but could this be a turning point in the season for Michael Carrick?

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Manchester United produce a miraculous second-half comeback, scoring three goals to beat Roma at Old Trafford. Have Michael Carrick’s players finally stepped up when it matters most to save his job? 

Meanwhile, the emergence of Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni has given Iraola a selection headache when it comes to picking his strongest starting XI. With Florian Wirtz and several other Liverpool stars arriving for huge transfer fees, can he really afford to leave his big-money signings out?

Plus, Gary, Alan and Micah are full of praise for the brilliant Jude Bellingham, whose outstanding performances on the pitch have helped transform him into a global superstar.
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In this special episode, we recently asked for your questions on Reddit and had Alan answer some of the best ones.

Alan spoke about covering fitness in retirement, the Kane goal record, penalty mind games, Newcastle/Sunderland, Palace rumours, management, PGMOL, and the all-important wig and chicken nuggets questions.

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Arsenal deliver a defensive masterclass to beat Liverpool at Anfield for the first time in 14 years, in yet another 1-0 victory. Where does this Arsenal defence rank among the greats of the Premier League era?

After a promising first half, it all goes wrong again for Michael Carrick and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge. United fans are calling for Lisandro Martinez never to play for the club again after his red card. Do they have a point, or is it a massive overreaction?

Gary, Alan and Micah also predict a Champions League spot for Brighton, but could they go one better and challenge for the title?

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Do Arsenal need to bring in reinforcements up top in January? With both firing, should Man City start Foden or Cherki in the No 10 role? Is Rio Ngumoha now a must in Liverpool’s starting XI?

Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss whether Max Dowman has been harshly treated after his red card and celebrate the brilliant Harry Kane after he won the Ballon d'Or.
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Harry Kane becomes the fifth Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or and the first since Michael Owen in 2001. After scoring 73 goals for Bayern Munich and winning the domestic double, Kane beat Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal to claim the prestigious award. But can he go back-to-back? Will Mbappé ever get his hands on the trophy, and how many Ballon d’Ors could Yamal win over the course of his career?

Gary and Julien Laurens also look back at El Clásico, where Real Madrid overcame Barcelona at the Camp Nou. Plus, Julien reveals how the rest of Europe views the situation at Manchester United and discusses who could be the club’s next manager.
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Manchester United plunge deeper into crisis as Bournemouth humiliate them 3-0 at Old Trafford. Gary, Micah and Alan dissect a miserable afternoon for Michael Carrick's side, who now sit 16th in the table and are winless in eight. They debate whether United are in a genuine relegation battle, why Bruno Fernandes was left on the bench, and whether Carrick is running out of time to save his job.

Gary, Alan and Micah turn their attention to Aston Villa, where Nicolas Jackson’s double ended Manchester City’s 100% start to the season. Are cracks finally starting to show in City’s defence? And at Stamford Bridge, Spurs pull off a rare win against 10-man Chelsea, as a debutant keeper’s howler and a Cole Palmer red card give Xabi Alonso a night to forget.
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It’s been a disastrous week for Manchester United as they suffer a heavy defeat to Cesc Fàbregas’s impressive Como side. To add fuel to the fire, Bruno Fernandes appears to have fallen out with Michael Carrick following his explosive post-match comments. Can it get any worse for United?

Harry Kane delivered another stellar performance as Bayern Munich drew with Arsenal. He impressed with his passing range and creativity, as well as converting a well-taken penalty. Is the Ballon d’Or heading back to Munich with him?

Gary, Alan & Micah also pick their Champions League winners. Are PSG the frontrunners once again after another brilliant victory over Barcelona, who many consider to be among the favourites?
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The Independent Football Regulator has released its State of the Game report and the findings are eye-opening as the perilous financial situation much of the pyramid faces is laid bare. Gary Lineker and Alastair Campbell speak to the chair of the IFR David Kogan and find out what powers he has to improve the landscape in English football.

We also look at what it would take for him to intervene and force an owner to sell a club, and how he could possibly get involved in the Manchester City case once the appeal is heard.
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Brighton are brilliant again, but are the Seagulls genuine title-race outsiders or is a Champions League push the more realistic target? Arsenal struggle to break through in the first half yet again before another substitute rides to the rescue. Is the bench becoming their most important weapon, or a warning sign?

Gary, Micah and Alan also turn their attention to Manchester City’s new-look midfield and their continued unbeaten run despite a cloud looming over them. Liverpool get back to winning ways despite still looking like they can be got at. And with Newcastle’s defensive struggles showing no sign of easing, how deep do their problems run?

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Luis Enrique and PSG keep up their impressive record against English clubs as they beat Manchester City in one of the games of the season so far, are they favourites to get that third consecutive Champions League title?

Michael Carrick comes under increasing pressure as his side fall to an in-form Atlético Madrid. There were signs of improvement, but with a trip to bitter rivals Leeds coming up this weekend, is it already a must-win game for Carrick?

Plus, Gary, Alan and Micah wax lyrical about Lamine Yamal. Could his sensational start to the season put him on course to win the Ballon d’Or?
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Following the worst start to a Premier League season in their history, is Michael Carrick the right man to turn Manchester United around? Do United still belong among football’s elite, or has the club lost its status as one of the game’s true giants? And are the Glazers solely to blame for the decline of one of British sport’s greatest dynasties?

Gary is joined by Laurie Whitwell, The Athletic’s Manchester United correspondent and co-host of the Talk of the Devils podcast, to dissect the problems plaguing Old Trafford. From ownership, management and recruitment they explore why Manchester United have struggled to recapture their former glory since Ferguson’s departure, and what it will take to restore the club to the top of English and European football.
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Manchester City thump Liverpool at Anfield after a controversial red card to maintain their perfect start to the Premier League season. But with the 115 charges hanging over the club and the case still unresolved, is City's dominance becoming a bad look for the Premier League? What does it mean for the competition when City sit top of the pile while the legal battle continues?

Gary, Micah and Alan also turn their attention to two clubs in crisis, Manchester United and Spurs. With results and performances falling short, how much longer can Michael Carrick and Roberto De Zerbi afford to struggle before the pressure really starts to mount?

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Fulham and England Under-21 midfielder Josh King joins TRIF for an illuminating conversation on what it was like to be called up by Thomas Tuchel for the World Cup training camp, how he's adjusting to life as one of Fulham's talismen under Alvaro Arbeloa and his ambitions to follow in the footsteps of Elliott Anderson, Rio Ngumoha, and Alex Scott by breaking into the senior squad

There's also reflection from Gary, Alan and Micah on their Under-21 days including a remarkable claim from Big Meeks...
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England rounded off a hugely positive international break with a 3-0 win over Czechia. Thomas Tuchel’s side scored 15 goals across the three matches, but beyond the scorelines, it was the style of play that really caught the eye.

When was the last time England played with this much energy, intensity and positivity? And can Tuchel take this team to the next level by finally getting them competing with and beating the biggest nations?

Gary, Alan, Micah and TRIF’s England reporter Rob Jones also discuss the Cristiano Ronaldo saga and ask whether it’s finally time for the Portuguese legend to hang up his boots.
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Will Alex Scott’s impressive first start give Tuchel some selection dilemmas? Is Jude Bellingham England’s best midfielder of this century? How has Anthony Gordon established himself as one of the Three Lions key players?

Gary, Alan and Micah discuss the biggest highlights of England’s emphatic win in Croatia and why it’s so important for them to qualify for the Nations League quarter-finals to keep testing themselves against the best.

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In this Q&A episode, Gary, Alan and special guest Miguel Delaney - Chief Football Writer for The Independent answer your questions on the biggest story in Premier League history.

Are the public right to condemn City before the appeal has even played out or should we be more cautious, given what happened with the old UEFA case against City?

What punishment will City actually get? A fine? A points deduction spread across multiple seasons? Expulsion? And if they do get expelled, what happens to the relegation places? Do two go down, or is it still three?

Could City’s owners face retrospective fit and proper person test and could they be forced to sell?
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The Premier League has published its findings in the long-running case involving Manchester City’s 115 charges, detailing allegations that the club used “sham contracts” and “disguised funding schemes” involving commercial partners to artificially inflate revenues and reduce costs.

Manchester City have consistently denied any wrongdoing and maintain that the charges are unfounded. The club has until 2 October to appeal the verdict.

Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards discuss the latest revelations, what the verdict actually says, the significance of the findings around Manchester City’s commercial arrangements, and what could happen next.
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Why was England’s performance against Spain much more encouraging than how things ended at the World Cup? Who was ‘star of the show’ for England yet again? What’s next for Cole Palmer and his England future?

Gary, Alan and Micah are joined by Rob Jones to dissect England’s defeat against Spain. The group also discuss how the recent news around Man City’s charges will be affecting their current players.
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Is a positive result against Spain the perfect way for England to move on from the disappointment of their World Cup semi-final defeat to Argentina?

Is Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad an admission that things went wrong in the summer?

Gary, Alan & Micah pick their England starting XI to face Spain on Saturday.
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Will Gianni Infantino still be FIFA President after the next elections in March? How much damage has this actually done to him? Do FIFA need the extra money?

Gary is joined by Martyn Ziegler, the man who broke the news about Infantino’s plans to sell stakes in the World Cup, to discuss how he found out about the story and whether there is too much power in the hands of one man.
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Have Brighton shown they’re ready to mix it with the Premier League big guns? Are we seeing more carefree attacking football this season? How do Chelsea fix their defensive problems?

Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss the ongoing troubles at Tottenham Hotspur and the relief Coventry will be feeling after getting off the mark this season.
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Manchester United's tricky start to the season continued on Wednesday night after they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Brighton as Michael Carrick admitted his side have a "number of problems"

Gary, Alan and Micah give us their take on where it's going wrong for United as well as discussion of the developing situation around 15-year-old academy starlet JJ Gabriel who has let it be known that he wants to leave Old Trafford. How has such a young player found himself at the centre of the story and should we ask questions of those advising him?

Plus there's another wonderkid in the headlines as Arsenal's Max Dowman scored two against Ipswich, and Liverpool got themselves a much needed win against Spurs thanks to an absolute beauty of a strike from Dominik Szoboszlai
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Gary is joined by Julien Laurens for a European football special. They begin in France, where PSG have made a poor start to their Ligue 1 campaign. Will they recover and run away with the title, or have they left the door open for the chasing pack?

In Spain, Barcelona have made a perfect start to the season. But with José Mourinho’s Real Madrid side hunting them down, Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham are already firing, can the Catalans stay ahead?

In Germany, Harry Kane is among the goals again, but can Borussia Dortmund mount a serious Bundesliga challenge?

Finally, Gary and Julien give their predictions on who will win the Champions League.
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How did the officials get it so wrong with Erling Haaland’s winning goal? Should Phil Foden have been sent off? Where do we go with VAR from here?

Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss the other big talking points from the weekend, including Arsenal’s resilient performance against Sunderland and how Hull continue to impress after exposing Chelsea’s weaknesses.
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The English clubs are off to a flier, with all five picking up three points in the Champions League group phase.

Erling Haaland grabbed another brace to take his Champions League tally to 59 goals in 59 games, but who is the best pure goalscorer: Haaland, Harry Kane or Kylian Mbappé?

With new signing Bradley Barcola in the mix, what is Liverpool’s best front three when everyone is fit? And Arsenal have started the season where they left off, but with Martin Ødegaard in electric form, can they become as dangerous going forward as they are defensively?

Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss the other favourites Barcelona and PSG. Can any of the English clubs challenge them this season? The boys make their Champions League predictions.
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We hear so much about SCR, PSR and all sorts of financial rules and regulations but what does it all mean and which clubs voted for it in the first place? Host of the Price of Football podcast Kieran Maguire joins Gary and Alan to break it all down and give us his take on whether the rules are unfair on those outside the established "big six"

Plus there's Kieran's view on when we'll finally hear a verdict in the Manchester City case and he has some advice for Micah with regards to investing in a non-league club.
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Arsenal make it three wins from three and are looking every bit like champions as they ease past Chelsea at the Emirates. Manchester City join them on nine points, but Enzo Maresca’s side have been far less convincing, and next weekend’s Manchester derby could tell us plenty about where both sides really stand.

Gary, Alan & Micah also discuss Alexander Isak’s much-needed brace, while Hull City are emerging as arguably the story of the season so far.. the only Premier League side yet to concede.
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