Podcasts about Premier League

Before England head on their big stag do in Riga, there was the small matter of Scotland grinding out a glorious win over Belarus. So glorious that it left Steve Clarke incandescently angry.Marcus, Pete, Vish and Jim bring you the most international break Ramble possible, featuring a further update about Katy Perry's dating life for Pete, some questionable Donald Trump impressions from Marcus, and what must surely be the first ever impression of former land mass Pangea.Plus, back in Premier League land, Sean Dyche is getting linked to a club that's close to his heart, his house and Hooters. Crikey, mate.Please fill out Stak's listener survey! It'll help us learn more about the content you love so we can bring you even more - you'll also be entered into a competition to win one of five PlayStation 5's! Click here: https://bit.ly/staksurvey2025Vote for us in the Football Content Awards! Support your favourite podcast by voting for the Football Ramble in the Best Content Creator category: https://footballcontentawards.com/voting/ Sign up to the Football Ramble Patreon for ad-free shows for just $5 per month: https://www.patreon.com/footballramble.Find us on Bluesky, X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and email us here: show@footballramble.com.***Please take the time to rate us on your podcast app. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Check out our new Stretford Paddock Merchandise: https://stretfordpaddock.store/ Mark Critchley of The Athletic joins us to discuss his latest work surrounding this summers latest signings, Man United's ownership developments and Ruben Amorim's position as a manager?! Join Joe Smith, Ronaldo Brown and Mark Critchley for The Paddock Podcast LIVE! Check out Mark's articles! - https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/author/mark-critchley/ Become a member! - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7w8GnTF2Sp3wldDMtCCtVw/join Stretford Paddock has content out EVERY DAY, make sure you're subscribed for your Man United fix! - https://bit.ly/DEVILSsub

Despite the lack of domestic action, Sam Matterface and former Premier League referee Chris Foy are back as they look at a couple of big decisions from across the Champions League and Europa League and ask why there is such a divide in the way the game is refereed on the continent and in England.Plus, Chris answers all your questions in a new feature imaginatively titled, Ask Chris!Get your questions in for the next special. Email: MenInBlack@talksport.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, after a discussion about root vegetables, we take a look at what the Arsenal players have been up to in the Interlull. From Bukayo Saka scoring a goal to Riccardo Calafiori having lots of shots. We also chat about Martin Zubimendi and his interesting interview in the Guardian, before looking ahead to the 'Battle of Moustaches' as we take on Fulham next week, and the schedule in general with Premier League, the Champions League and the EFL Cup to contend with. We also answer listener questions about Gabriel Jesus and his role this season, striker alternatives to Viktor Gyokeres, which Arsenal player we'd like to get on the podcast, and lots more.Get extra bonus content and help support Arseblog by becoming an Arseblog Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arseblog Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want a job in sport? Click here.Welcome to the SportsGrad Podcast, hosted by Reuben Williams, ex-Cricket Australia employee, career coach, public speaker, content creator and Founder of SportsGrad.On this podcast you'll hear how to find your perfect role, grow your network, win job applications, scale your personal brand, create opportunities for yourself, and land your dream job in sport. Plus the many failures and lessons Reuben has learned from landing a dream job before graduating, helping others to land 700+ jobs in sport, and interviewing over 300+ professionals from the NFL, NBA, AFL, ICC, Cricket Australia, Premier League, Olympics, and many more teams, leagues, agencies and startups.To learn more about Reuben, listen to this episode: #309: How I landed a dream job at Cricket Australia before graduating | Reuben WilliamsFollow SportsGrad on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok Follow Reuben on socials: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTokBig thanks to Deakin University for making this episode possible. Check out their Master of Sport Management, ranked #1 in Australia.Thanks for listening, much love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Antoine Semenyo has gone from strength to strength, becoming the talisman for AFC Bournemouth and one of the Premier League's most devastating forwards. This episode breaks down the rapid rise of the Ghanaian international, analyzing his unique playing style—a fierce blend of blistering pace, high pressing, and a powerful 6'1" frame that makes him a nightmare for defenders. We dive into the ludicrous stats that have caught the attention of giants like Liverpool and Chelsea: 6 goals and 3 assists in just 7 league games this season, a 1.29 goal involvement rate per 90 minutes. Discover why his €45 million market value continues to soar, and why his seamless fit in Andoni Iraola's system means a step up to Champions League football is inevitable.Antoine Semenyo, AFC Bournemouth, Premier League, Ghana Football, Transfer Target

On the latest episode of The Captain presented by Verizon Bournemouth & USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams returns with Rog to break down the Cherries blistering Premier League start, what belief looks like inside the dressing room, and skipping the USMNT camp to welcome baby number two. They also get into how the USMNT can build on their win over Japan, Pulisic's incredible form at AC Milan, and the roles Chris Richards and others can play in this national team camp.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The FC Crew react to France's 4-0 victory over Luxembourg in UEFA World Cup Qualifiers and break down the favorites for the 2026 World Cup. Then, a Premier League discussion, asking whether Erling Haaland is the greatest striker in the league's history, and if Wirtz still needs more time to adapt. Also, a break down of CAF World Cup qualification. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Premier League referee Anthony Taylor joins Dan Roan to give rare insight into life as one of football's top officials. He opens up about the pressures of refereeing at the highest level, the impact of social media scrutiny and abuse, and how VAR has changed the game. Taylor also reflects on handling racist incidents, the fallout from the 2023 Europa League final, and why empathy from players, pundits and fans is vital for the sport's future.TIMECODES: 1:49 – Nerves & fear of failure07:16 – Is scrutiny fair?11:32 – 2023 Europa League final fallout15:22 – Adapting to climate at the Club World Cup19:55 – Does he regret decisions?24:56 – Captains only approach27:57 – Do you ever stand by your decision after VAR?

If Manchester United's bad form continues, will Sir Jim Ratcliffe's recent comments save Ruben Amorim his job? Join Jay, Joe, Stephen Howson and Special Guest Jamie Jackson for The Brew LIVE! Become a member! - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7w8GnTF2Sp3wldDMtCCtVw/join Stretford Paddock has content out EVERY DAY, make sure you're subscribed for your Man United fix! - https://bit.ly/DEVILSsub

 Who are the top ten Goalscorers from outside the box in the Premier League? Can Alan finally get his first win of the season?  The guys also discuss whether Micah would be a good contestant on Strictly Come Dancing  Join The Players Lounge: The official fantasy football club of The Rest Is Football. It's time to take on Gary, Alan and Micah for the chance to win monthly prizes and shoutouts on the pod. It's FREE to join and as a member, you'll get access to exclusive tips from Fantasy Football Hub including AI-powered team ratings, transfer tips, and expert team reveals to help you climb the table - plus access to our private Slack community. Sign up today at: therestisfootball.com https://therestisfootball.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=episode_description&utm_content=link_cta For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alexander Ceferin has admitted UEFA “reluctantly” agreed to a game between Barcelona and Villarreal being played in Miami, and another between AC Milan and FC Como taking place in Perth, Australia. Has the game just got closer to being officially gone?! Niall and Marley discuss the ominous news and ask what's next on today's FSD!Make sure you keep up to date with us on social media:NEW: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fsdpod?igsh=MjQ5d29veGdoMmZ4&utm_source=qrTwitter: https://twitter.com/FSDPodTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@footballsocialdailyTelegram Group: https://t.me/FootballSocial Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Phil and Tony return to the Across The Pitch microphones for what will now be an EVERY FRIDAY event to break down the upcoming Accrington Stanley match, and gambling across the world of English football. They start with Tony's in depth analysis of the upcoming match at WHAM Stadium against Newport County, and Phil makes his betting picks for the match. Additionally they discuss other best bets in EFL League 2 action, Premier League betting picks, and more!

Leeds United have started life back in the Premier League with belief, balance - and a few big questions still hanging over the attack. In this episode of Leeds, That!, Rocco chats with Isaac Johnson from Leeds Live about the first seven games, Farke's tactical tweaks, and how Leeds have adapted to the top flight. We get into: ⚽️ Why Farke's “bulk and balance” approach is working

Premier League drama takes center stage in this week's High Kicks podcast. Brian and Chad dive into Manchester United's struggles, Arsenal's striker woes, and a thrilling Liverpool-Chelsea clash. They're not happy about La Liga's Miami game plan or World Cup 2026 ticket prices either.The lads also chat about Haaland's goal-scoring prowess and Aston Villa's resurgence. It's a jam-packed episode with hot takes, banter, and a sprinkle of fantasy football chat.For more content follow @CrushTalksSports | @BrianTalksFootball | @HighKicksSports

This episode celebrates Arsenal's defining anthem, "The Angel," better known by its powerful chorus: "North London Forever." We tell the story of local singer-songwriter Louis Dunford, whose love letter to Islington organically became the Emirates Stadium heartbeat. Discover how this grassroots phenomenon was adopted by the club, and how the united chorus of 60,000 voices transformed the matchday atmosphere, silencing critics who once called the stadium "sterile." We analyze how the song embodies Mikel Arteta's tactical rebuild, acting as a declaration of intent that connects the club's past at Highbury with their ambitious future pursuit of Premier League and Champions League glory. Arsenal FC, North London Forever, Louis Dunford, Emirates Stadium, Football Anthem

Gab Marcotti and Don Hutchison discuss whether the number of games that young players such as Lamine Yamal and Max Dowman are playing as teenagers will have an impact on their long-term careers. The guys also debate the role of PSR in the Premier League, the introduction of Serie A & LALIGA games being played overseas and ask if there's a investor at Manchester United. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The FC crew discuss Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe saying he would give Ruben Amorim 3 years to show what he can produce as manager. Also, Jan Age Fjortoft joins the guys to look back at the ongoing debate about where Erling Haaland belongs on the all-time list of Premier League strikers. Plus, the panel reacts to the Barcelona/Villarreal match being relocated to Miami & World Cup qualifiers being played in Europe & Africa. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Robbie Earle and Robbie Mustoe sit down in an exclusive interview with Brighton Head Coach, Fabian Hurzeler, who shares his perspective of Brighton's fantastic recruitment in recent seasons, his personal ties to Houston, Texas, and why he enjoys playing padel at the Brighton training facilities. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Gab Marcotti and Don Hutchison discuss whether the number of games that young players such as Lamine Yamal and Max Dowman are playing as teenagers will have an impact on their long-term careers. The guys also debate the role of PSR in the Premier League, the introduction of Serie A & LALIGA games being played overseas and ask if there's a investor at Manchester United. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the nervy end to the 1-0 win at Brentford, David Mooney is joined by City fans Andy MacNab and Adam Monk to discuss Manchester City's recent form. The first half was dominant, the second half needed some fighting spirit... but three points is three points, so where does that leave City against their competitors this season? The victory is also Pep Guardiola's 250th in the Premier League, making him the fastest manager to hit that landmark. The Athletic's Duncan Alexander joins us to talk about that achievement. We also hear from the model Lucy Clarkson... She was the second person to play Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider series and appeared at Maine Road when the game's publisher, Eidos, were the club's shirt sponsor. We get her memories of being frozen solid, giving out the man of the match award at the Manchester Derby in November 2000. ========== To get more podcasts or to listen without the ads, join our Patreon. It's just £2 per month for all the extra content and you can get a 7-day free trial first: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast And why not gift a Patreon subscription to a friend or family member? More details: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast/gift

Teddi Ponza og Alberti Ingason í Doc Xtra hjá Dr. Football.

Adam Hurrey is joined on the midweek Adjudication Panel by Charlie Eccleshare and David Walker. On the agenda: early feedback from the Clichés Live tour, the latest clumsy football/politics crossover, a niche selection headache for Thomas Tuchel, former Premier League managers in University Challenge answers and Lampardian transitions from 94-year-old grandfathers. Meanwhile, the panel backpedal, waltz and dart their way through the definitive Movement XI. Sign up for Dreamland, the new members-only Football Clichés experience, to access our exclusive new show and much more: https://dreamland.footballcliches.com The Football Clichés Live tour has begun - get your tickets here: https://tickets.footballcliches.com Visit nordvpn.com/cliches to get four extra months on a two-year plan with NordVPN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is it different this time…? Is the Premier League as open as it appears – Bournemouth, Sunderland, Palace and Everton are in the top ten. Has the power balance changed, or will it revert to type and by Christmas it will be the same old top four and the promoted clubs in the relegation zone? Who has been the signing of the season so far? Kudos, Truffert, Mosquera, Grealish?As England prepare to play Wales who is in pole position to play number ten And Sir Jim Ratcliffe has given an interview to The Times in which he suggests Manchester united are making good progress, Ruben Amorim has three years, and the press have unrealistic expectations. The assembled members of the press – Jonny, Martin, Gregor and Tom discuss Tom Clarke is joined by Jonathan Nrthcroft, Martin Samuel and Gregor Robertson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Don't let the run time scare you! It's the LIVE SHOW!First, though, Rob and Ethan break down Forward Madison's big 3-1 win over Portland and talk through what needs to happen in the next three weeks for Madison to make the playoffs. (Yes, we're talking playoffs again!)And in stoppage time: it's the 10th season since Leicester City won the Premier League. Bill Connelly and Tom Hamilton have a good retrospective here.Then we have the audio from our live crossover episode with Several Questions, the Madison-based comedy podcast hosted and produced by Rob's little brother Nate. Recorded before a live studio audience at the Forward Club!Follow the show @TalkinFlock on Blue Sky and InstagramFollow Rob @RobChappell365 on Blue Sky and InstagramFollow Ethan @Scarfboii on Twitter and @Goodkidmaancity on InstagramFollow Several Questions @SeveralQuestionsPod on Instagram

Cathal is joined once again by OTB's Colm Boohig for this episode of The Kick Off.With the Premier League on pause for the international break, the lads take a trip down memory lane — revisiting some of the most iconic post-match interviews from managers over the years.Later on, Bournemouth fan Harry Bailey drops by to chat about his club's current form — and shares a wild story involving Old Trafford… and a bomb scare.

Invaincue dans le jeu depuis un an et demi, l'Espagne s'avance en grande favorite vers la Coupe du monde. Si Luis de la Fuente, son sélectionneur, est plébiscité pour ses résultats, il suscite quelques critiques à cause de sa gestion des joueurs, Lamine Yamal en tête. « Big five » prend le pouls de la Roja, à l'occasion des matches de qualifications contre la Géorgie et la Bulgarie. Présenté par Marie-Amélie Motte, avec Romain Lafont et Tracy Rodrigo. Réalisé par Léa Leostic.Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Ander Iturralde da la bienvenida a Héctor Kriok, Diego Luaces "Junior" y Óscar Portugal para responder a las más acuciantes preguntas de nuestra querida audiencia indebida...Escucha la versión completa de este episodio PREMIUM de 1:27:50 de duración, apoya a que Alineación Indebida pueda prosperar, accede a todo nuestro contenido premium y a nuestro server de Discord suscribiéndote por tan sólo 5.50$/5.50€ en: https://www.patreon.com/posts/140685453Además... Ahora, al suscribirte en nuestra página de Patreon, puedes escuchar todo nuestro contenido de Alineación Indebida Premium a través del siguiente link de Spotify. Sólo tienes que vincular la cuenta que abras en Patreon y, a partir de ahí, tendrás desbloqueado todo el contenido premium que producimos: https://open.spotify.com/show/6WeulpfbWFjVtLlpovTmPv¡Volvemos el Martes (no el Lunes) con otro episodio Premium!Sigue a Ander: https://x.com/andershoffmanSigue a Héctor: https://x.com/KriokSigue a Junior: https://x.com/diegoluaces_21Sigue a Óscar: https://x.com/OscarP107Sigue al programa en Twitter: https://twitter.com/PodcastIndebidoSigue al programa en Instagram: instagram.com/podcastindebidoContacto: anderpodcast@gmail.com // alineacionindebidapodcast@gmail.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liverpool's last-minute defeat to Chelsea made it three consecutive losses in all competitions — the first time that's ever happened in Arne Slot's managerial career. What's going wrong at Liverpool, and can he turn it around before the season slips away?With Liverpool faltering, Arsenal now sit top of the table — unbeaten in six and having conceded just once from open play. Have Arteta's side quietly become the Premier League's most complete team, and are they now the true title favourites?Meanwhile, Erling Haaland's ridiculous form continues as he fired City to another 1–0 win over Brentford. But with Guardiola's side still looking short of their best, can Haaland carry City to the title on his own?At Old Trafford, Ruben Amorim picked up a 2–0 victory over Sunderland on his 50th game in charge of Man United. But does that result actually change anything for Amorim?Rory, Adam and Buvey break it all down in the latest episode of The Club. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stamford Chidge interviews Adrian Goldberg, author of the brilliant 'Where's The Money Gone?' about the battle for the soul of English football.Adrian's book covers the changes to English football since the formation of the Premier League and how it turned the game into "a casino benefitting the super-rich at the expense of the clubs and communities at its heart." In the book Adrian asks "who or what is the Premier League for? Does it exist to promote the wider wellbeing of football in England? Or is it there to advance the asset value of club owners and burnish the reputation of repressive states and global oligarchs?” and in turn we discuss the existential threat posed to supporters of English clubs owned by dubious owners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're joined by The Athletic's Dan Kilpatrick for a wide-ranging chat on Ange Postecoglou's spell and the hangover at Forest, Thomas Frank's pragmatic start, Xavi Simons' early impact, Richarlison vs Tell, and what ENIC's next move could look like. We also get into the US ownership question, Premier League voting blocs, and how the club's summer hinted at a shift in ambition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fulham's 18-year-old breakout star Josh King sits down for his first One on One with Joe. If you don't already know Josh or haven't heard him interviewed before, prepare to be blown away!We find out about King's upbringing, what it's like coming through a Premier League academy, how nervous he was making his first team debut, who Josh's mates are in the team and why he hopes to - one day - be the best midfielder ever!As well as listening to us, you can watch our interviews from this series across Sky Sports. 

Saudi Arabia has been a hot topic in the footy world the last several years. Big name signings. Premier League team ownership. World Cup 2034 hosting. But what is the football scene in Saudi Arabia actually like? In this episode, Colin sits down with Lee Galvin of Matchstay, who traveled to Jeddah and Riyadh to experience the Saudi Pro League for himself. From the myths and misconceptions to the world-class players, matchday vibes, and the impact of a no-alcohol culture, Lee shares how it compares to Europe—and why more fans might want to see it for themselves. Foot(y)notes: Saudi Arabia's World Cup 2034 promotional website: https://saudi2034.com.sa/ Get a more Saudi perspective on the Saudi Pro League with the recent Netflix series: https://www.netflix.com/title/81783473 …or just watch the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ivIYBD4tfQ Despite no alcohol, Saudi fans can still get rowdy and aggressive—Saudi style! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4K0z23ppOkE More info on the Saudi university program Lee mentioned: https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20151208190817896    04:37 | The inspiration (and price) for a trip to Saudi 07:48 | Saudi geography and Pro League teams 11:01 | Saudi stadiums and matchday atmosphere 16:06 | The alcohol myth busted 19:11 | Getting to the game and navigating around Saudi Arabian cities 25:57 | The hardest thing to deal with as a Westerner 32:35 | Out of grounds options in Saudi Arabia 38:42 | How to get tickets tothe Saudi Pro League 41:50 | Lee's other international footy travels

In this episode of the Big Chill Podcast, Frank and Eddie discuss Eddie's recent experiences at The Rugby Championship and the NFL in London, including a ticketing fiasco that left thousands stranded outside the stadium. Are the Lions the only really good team in the NFL after losses for the Chiefs, Eagles, and Bills? Eddie believes that the Baltimore Ravens might be completely done, but Frank explains why their easy schedule might save them. And can you trust the 49ers, Buccaneers, and Colts to keep their strong starts going? The conversation also touches on MVP discussions, particularly focusing on Daniel Jones and Baker Mayfield, and concludes with a surprising incident involving Mark Sanchez, as well as a reflection on Liverpool's performance in the Premier League.

Warren, Paul, and Rob discuss Everton's last-gasp win against Palace and ask if Garner should be right back for the foreseeable future. There's also a round-up of other Premier League stories - what's going on at Forest and is Haaland the Premier League's best ever striker? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The guys discuss Chelsea's last-minute winner against Liverpool, Arsenal moving to first place in the Premier League, Barcelona getting smoked by Sevilla, first impressions of EA FC 26, Real Madrid's impressive victory over Villareal, the Commanders taking over LA, two Barcelona icons announcing their retirements and more.

Matt and Evan recap the most recent week of Premier League action. They talk the showdown between Liverpool and Chelsea, United's win, Spurs escape over Leeds, and much much more! Anyways, thanks for listening and make sure you check us out on socials @TheCutback_ on Twitter and @The_cutback on Instagram. Enjoy!

Cal and Darcy break down Nuno Espírito Santo's second game in charge of the Hammers, Arsenal 2-0 West Ham in the Premier League. We discuss what we expected from the game and whether it ended up being a case of West Ham playing badl or if Arsenal are just that good. We analyse how Nuno attempted to stop Arsenal's onslaught, what tactical changes he made during the game and how Mikel Arteta responded. We also talk through both of Arsenal goals and the tactical underpinnings and mistakes which lead to them. We also use the international break as an opportunity to evaluate West Ham's performances so far under Nuno, what improvements we've seen since the former Nottingham Forest Head Coach took charge, what we haven't liked as much and ultimately if the switch in manager was the correct call and what the rest of the season looks like for West Ham now Nuno is in charge. Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (01:43) Arsenal 2-0 West Ham review (15:15) The Tactical Breakdown: How Nuno attempted to stop Arsenal (and why Arsenal dominated anyway) (33:10) The Big Picture: Early Nuno evaluations, what does West Ham's season look like now? Please do leave us a review and subscribe to the podcast to catch every episode. Join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/analyticsunited You can follow the pod (and our other work) on Twitter: Main: @AnalyticsUtd_ Jack: @jackelderton Cal: @WHU_Analytics Darcy: @futpysche Charlie: @ATopLad Theme music: "Emotional Chill Electronic Vlog Music | Sunset" by Alex-Productions (https://onsound.eu/) Promoted by: https://www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons / Attribution 3.0 Unported License (CC BY 3.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lars is on the pod! Our Norweigan uncle Lars Sivertsen has Crossed The Continent™ and is back on the Ramble as he joins Marcus and Jim to answer all of your questions.They ask whether the traditional 'mid-table' Premier League clubs can get in on the action and join the big soup that is challenging for Europe this season. Plus, who's the most underrated Premier League player of the decade? And how did Sir Gareth get a mention in that discussion?Please fill out Stak's listener survey! It'll help us learn more about the content you love so we can bring you even more - you'll also be entered into a competition to win one of five PlayStation 5's! Click here: https://bit.ly/staksurvey2025Vote for us in the Football Content Awards! Support your favourite podcast by voting for the Football Ramble in the Best Content Creator category: https://footballcontentawards.com/voting/ Find us on Bluesky, X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, and email us here: show@footballramble.com.Sign up to the Football Ramble Patreon for ad-free shows for just $5 per month: https://www.patreon.com/footballramble.***Please take the time to rate us on your podcast app. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Support the pod and join our beautiful soccer community: https://www.patreon.com/samsarmy PREMIER LEAGUE: What we learned from Chelsea's win over suddenly-luckless Liverpool and what Arne Slot needs to do to get the train back on the tracks. Thomas Frank is just what Doctor Tottenham needed. Never mind Christmas, Ange may not make it to Halloween. Drama-free United?!? HALFTIME: Hot Topic - what we can and should take issue with most about FIFA's World Cup 2026 ticket sales strategy, which (hint) isn't necessarily the astronomically high prices ROUND THE WORLD: MLS Hit-It-N-Quit-It MLS Minute plus thots on Poch's "most serious" USMNT roster yet for this month's friendlies vs Ecuador and Australia STOPPAGE TIME: Ivan Toney's Best Bets and GOAWs

This week we talk about Electronic Arts, 3DO, and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.We also discuss Jared Kushner, leveraged buyouts, and loot boxes.Recommended Book: Bandwidth by Dan CarusoTranscriptElectronic Arts, often shorthanded as EA, was founded in 1982 in California by a former Apple employee named Trip Hawkins, who also went on to found the ill-fated 3DO company, which made video game hardware, and the somewhat more prolific, but also ultimately ill-fated casual game developer Digital Chocolate.EA, though, has been an absolutely astounding success. It's business model was predicated on the premise of selling video games directly to retailers, rather than going through intermediaries. This allowed them to gain more market share than their competitors right off the bat, and it helped them glean higher margins than their competitors from each direct sale, too.EA also established an early reputation for treating its developers really well. They were the first gaming company to feature their developers in advertising and to give them platforms, promoting them as video game artists, basically, and it shared the profits netted from those direct sales with these develops—which in turn meant all the best developers really wanted to work for EA, which led to a beneficial cycle where they created better and better, and more and more financially successful games.In the late-80s, they started deviating from this model somewhat, scooping up a collection of successful independent game development studios and deviating, at times, from the creative lead's vision when releasing their games. They also refocused a fair bit of their resources on franchises, like the immensely successful, as it turned out, Madden NFL series, and they branched out into producing games for the console market, including the still-new Nintendo Entertainment System, in 1990.That same year, EA went public on the NASDAQ, the company got new leadership when Hawkins decided to refocus on his far less successful 3DO hardware startup, and in an interesting twist, the arrival of the Sony Playstation in North America caused EA to drop support for 3DO hardware in the mid-90s so it could refocus on Playstation games, which were a lot more lucrative.By the mid-90s, EA had an astonishingly large and successful software library, including franchises like the aforementioned Madden games and the FIFA soccer games, but also celebrity-tied games like Shaq Fu, and military shooters like Jungle and Urban Strike.By the early-2000s, EA was making exclusive licensing deals with the NFL and ESPN, in order to stave off newfound sports game competitors, and it was the only video game company to consistently make a profit, most others experiencing feast and famine cycles, with periodic wins, but a whole lot of losses they had to cover with the profits from those wins. EA, in contrast, had a reliable stable of profit-sources, and it thus had a whole lot of leverage in terms of attracting and retaining talent, but also getting big names and brands on board, for collaborative projects.What I'd like to talk about today is what happened to EA during and following the 2008 economic crisis, and how and why it recently became an acquisition target for Saudi Arabia.—In 2008, when the global economy was collapsing, EA suffered a bad holiday sales season and fired 1,100 employees and closed 12 of their facilities early the following year. Later in 2009, the company announced the firing of another 1,500 employees, which was about 17% of their total workforce at the time, and in 2010 they acquired a gaming company that focused on mobile games, which were becoming increasingly popular, now that many people had touch-capable smartphones, which brought hot new franchises like Angry Birds under their brand umbrella.On the strength of that acquisition and all those downsizings, in early 2011, EA announced that it hit $3.8 billion in revenue in the financial year for the first time, and in early 2012, it announced it surpassed $1 billion in digital revenue during the previous year, which was a huge figure that early in the digital media landscape. It used some of those profits to scoop up another mobile-first gaming company, adding properties like Plants vs Zombies and Peggle to their library.EA completed another mass-firing in 2013, dismissing 10% of their employees under what they called a reorganization, around the same time they announced an exclusive license with Disney that would allow them to develop Star Wars games.Their stock value boomed in the following years, as a result of those cost-savings measures, and those new relationships, and emboldened by record-high stock valuations, in the mid-20-teens, the company started releasing big-name games, like Star Wars Battlefront 2, with random-content loot boxes and other sorts of microtransactions.This did not go over well with players, who decried these in-game purchasing options as ‘pay to win' mechanics, as players could pay more money to get better characters and equipment, and a lot of the content, even after paying for the expensive games, was still locked behind paywalls, requiring more payments to unlock that content. A bunch of gaming journalists cried foul on this shift as the game careened toward its full release, as did a whole lot of early players, and Disney complained, too, so by the time it hit shelves, the game's loot system was substantially changed, but that whole controversy spooked investors, and led to an 8.5% stock value drop in just a single month, knocking $3.1 billion from the company's valuation. As a result of that controversy, EA also became the face for a larger legal and legislative debate about in-game purchases and how it's kinda sorta like gambling, from that point forward.Soon after, EA experienced a series of bad quarters, including a huge drop of 13.3% to its valuation when a major entry in one of their larger franchises, Battlefield V, was released late, and received very mixed reviews when it was released, which led to a million fewer sold copies than anticipated. The game was also lagging in terms of gameplay behind smaller, nimbler competitors, including then-burgeoning Fortnite.The company saw an overall boost with the surprise success of Apex Legends, and the COVID-19 pandemic boosted sales dramatically for a while, since everyone was staying home, which allowed EA to gobble up a few more competing companies with successful franchises, and they knocked out a few more successful Star Wars games, as well.In early 2021, Saudi Arabia's public investment funds bought 7.4 million shares of EA for about $1.1 billion, which flew under the radar for most gamers, but that'll be important in a moment.Later that year, the company experienced a massive hack, a lot of its data, including the source code for games, stolen and sold on the dark web. EA bought some more competitors, but word on the street in 2022 was the the higher ups at EA were quietly shopping the company around, themselves looking to be acquired by a larger entity, on the scale of Apple or Disney.In early 2023, the company announced more mass-layoffs and launched another internal reorganization. It gutted several of its most popular gaming sub-brands, including BioWare, it cancelled an upcoming Star Wars game, and it announced that it would be shifting away from licensing agreements and refocusing on EA-owned IP.The pattern of layoffs leading to better financial fortunes didn't pay off this time, though. In early 2025, EA divulged that it expected to underperform in the coming year, several of its big-name titles not doing as well as expected; the company cast blame on the market, but players and journalists pointed at the company's gutting of its big-name studios, and the firing of many of its veteran developers to explain the reduced sales.EA had another mass-firing in April of this year, and followed by another in May, which paralleled an announcement that they would no longer be moving forward with a big, planned Black Panther game.In late September of 2025, EA announced that it had reached a deal, worth $55 billion, to go private, no longer selling shares on the stock market, with the financial assistance of a group of investors, which included Affinity Partners, which is led by Jared Kushner, US President Trump's son-in-law, Silver Lake, which is a US-based private equity firm that helps make these sorts of big sales happen, and the aforementioned Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.This deal isn't done yet, it still needs to get regulatory approval and a successful vote by stockholders, but it seems likely to go through, since the US regulatory environment is pretty lax at the moment, and because Kushner is involved, it's unlikely President Trump will take a personal disliking to it.But the big story here seems to be that Saudi Arabia is buying up not just a video game company, but one of the biggest and most successful video gaming companies in the world, which, although it's lost a lot of fan-credibility over the years, still owns some massively influential intellectual property and has just a stunning number of relationships and connections throughout the media world, alongside its huge valuation.If the sale does go through, and we should know for sure by sometime around June 2026, it would be the largest-ever leveraged buyout, which means the purchase was completed by using borrowed money that was borrowed against the asset being purchased; so those investors have taken out debt against EA itself, which is an increasingly common means of buying a large asset on the cheap, but it also typically burdens that asset with a simply astounding amount of debt which must then be recouped, often by selling off undervalued assets.When this happens to a newspaper, for instance, the buyer will often sell off the paper's real estate and fire all their employees, to make money and pay off that debt, and in this case, there's a chance that debt will be paid by throwing up a bunch of new paywalls and really leaning into those in-game transactions that nobody really liked, including politicians, back in the day, but which in this current regulatory environment would probably be allowed, and they would probably make some serious bank off of it initially, before players started getting wise and moving on to other games released by less predatory companies.The really interesting facet of this story, though, is the question of why Saudi Arabia wants a video game company.And to understand that, it's important to understand that, first, the country's Public Investment Fund is meant to help its economy shift away from purely extractive resources, like oil, and it has thus invested in all sorts of things, including luxury beach resorts, minority stakes in financial service companies like Citigroup, stakes in companies like Disney and Boeing and Meta, and increasingly, investments in companies run by allies of President Trump, like the aforementioned Affinity Partners, which was formed by Jared Kushner.So this is an economic play, but also a political play, almost certainly, by the Saudis, to get in good with the people who are in good with the US government.It's also been alleged that this might be an attempt by the Saudis to engage in what's being called game-washing, which is similar to greenwashing, but instead of trying to make a company seem green and sustainable by doing kinda sorta green things, but only as a veneer to cover up the opposite, in this case it means using sports and video games and the like to increase a nation's reputation with humanistic seeming things, despite, well, the truth being much more complicated.Just as when the Fund participated in buying a Premier League football, a soccer team, back in 2021, then, alongside their concomitant establishment of LIV Gold, a golf league meant to compete with the PGA, this investment in EA, and other investments it's made in video game companies like Capcom and Nexon, might be part of a larger effort to diversify the nation's brand, not just its economics. It's human rights record is abysmal, and it's possible they're trying to cover that up, make people forget about it, by creating more connections between Saudi Arabia and more positive things, like sports and games and the like.There are additional concerns about this purchase of EA, too, by the way, because Saudi Arabia's cultural values are very anti-woman, anti-LGBTQ, and anti-liberal, democratic values. So there are fears that we might see less representation and fewer what we might call western values portrayed in the games released by these studios, as a result of this ownership.The folks running EA have said their core values will remain unchanged by the buyout, but it's expected, bare-minimum, that this will lead to another several restructurings and mass-layoffs throughout the company in the coming years, to help recoup all that debt, at the end of which even the people making those promises might be long gone.Show Noteshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Investment_Fundhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/29/business/dealbook/electronic-arts-buyout-jared-kushner.htmlhttps://www.wsj.com/business/deals/ea-private-deal-buyout-video-game-maker-808aefechttps://www.ft.com/content/61cef75e-ceba-43ee-80e3-040756c6154f?accessToken=zwAGQAMTiJKIkc9hzvdezrpD7tOA4wQHVsYVTw.MEUCIHND3WOT4rS4frIMIOoeXHQeil_Ma1yGrwOqUD2m306DAiEAtA_QLvpyObai9zoo_9GZSljJuJyTKxJgFHpQDcCcVsE&sharetype=gift&token=03dd6ca5-c34f-4925-8a3d-a89f4058ee80https://www.wsj.com/business/deals/ea-silver-lake-deal-jared-kushner-c145cd55?st=eZghQHhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_Arts This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

Adam Hurrey is joined on the Adjudication Panel by Charlie Eccleshare and David Walker. On the agenda: whether the Premier League title race can be "blown open" after seven games, some tantalising punditspeak in the stands at Old Trafford, Martin Keown mixes up his sporting terminology, Nick Woltemade's never-before-seen penalty, experimental football chat on the Rest is History, Ange Postecoglou starts a media war he simply won't win and some gloriously pointless stats. Meanwhile, the panel fact-checks Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink's football-themed Strictly chat and decides the point at which a player becomes a "former international". Sign up for Dreamland, the new members-only Football Clichés experience, to access our exclusive new show and much more: https://dreamland.footballcliches.com The Football Clichés Live tour has begun - get your tickets here: https://tickets.footballcliches.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's podcast we discuss why and whether it's right Arsenal are currently the favourites to win the Premier League title this season. We talk Liverpool, what's gone wrong for Arne Slot's side in recent weeks and shut down some of the noise around Viktor Gyökeres. Sign up to support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/thechroniclesofagooner?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink - Should Arsenal be favourites for the Premier League title? - Arsenal title favourites - What's wrong with Liverpool? - Gyokeres criticism addressed #arsenal #afc #premierleague Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rog and Rory break down another weekend of drama-soaked Premier League action, including Liverpool's heartbreak at Stamford Bridge: is it Mo Salah, not Arne Slot, that is to blame? Then, with Arsenal top of the table once again, Rog and Rory explain why a nonchalant win over West Ham may be more important than their thriller over Newcastle. Finally, Estêvão's winner has vaulted him into Chelsea fan lore...just how good is the teenage phenom?KATIE NOLAN joins Becky Sauerbrunn on Teaming Up: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXHaJF1aUjMSubscribe to Vamos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VamosNetworkFollow Vamos on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vamosmib/?hl=enSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we look back at Arsenal's 2-0 win over West Ham on Saturday. We chat about excitement at seeing Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze together in midfield, but that was short lived after the captain picked up an injury. His replacement, Martin Zubimendi had a big impact, and we talk about him, Riccardo Calafiori, Declan Rice scoring against his former club, Bukayo Saka scoring on his 200th Premier League appearance after he took charge when we were awarded a penalty. West Ham offered very little, and we reflect on being top of the table, before we answer listener questions about the atmosphere inside the ground for these kinds of games, Viktor Gyokeres after he made it six games without a goal in a week that looked perfect for him to add to his tally, Odegaard's recent run of injuries, media coverage of our season so far, and lots more.Get extra bonus content and help support Arseblog by becoming an Arseblog Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arseblog Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Lucy Ward and John Brewin as Liverpool come unstuck at Chelsea, Arsenal hit the summit and Manchester United win an unprecedented three games in a row at Old Trafford. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/footballweeklypod

Julien Laurens is joined by former Liverpool midfielder Don Hutchison to discuss what has been going wrong at the club following their 2-1 defeat against Chelsea in the Premier League. The guys also discuss Sevilla's stomping win over Barcelona, dissect Thomas Tuchel's latest England squad & share their thoughts on the new World Cup ball, the Trionda.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's early days, but following on from last weekend, it felt like the balance shifted in the Premier League this match day. Narratives were flipped and results seemed more crucial, heading into the men's international break.Musa and Ryan begin at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea's win over Liverpool highlighted a few issues that Arne Slot has trying to figure out all season (04:26). Arsenal's win at home to West Ham saw them go top (19:37), with the noise from a fortnight ago fully subsiding. Elsewhere (32:31), Everton ended Palace's unbeaten run, Manchester United kept it calm, Bournemouth continue to impress and much more in the Premier League. Finally, there's a quick shout out for La Liga, the Bundesliga, Serie A and more (40:01).Tickets are available for our live show at the Southbank Centre in London on December 4th and are on sale here.For more podcasts each week, ad-free and in full, plus access to the Stadio Social Club and much more, become a Stadio member by going to patreon.com/stadio. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Anfield Wrap's free podcast reacting to Chelsea 2 Liverpool 1 at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League... Neil Atkinson is joined by Ian Ryan, Phil Blundell and Rob Gutmann. Download the Peloton app and check out the six Liverpool FC-themed classes, and connect with Neil, John and other Reds by joining the #TAWPelotonClub tag... Subscribe to The Anfield Wrap for more on Liverpool's 25/26 season… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Robbie Earle and Robbie Mustoe discuss a massive Matchweek 7 in the Premier League01:03 - Slot's slumping Liverpool suffer a third successive defeat as Brazilian wonderkid Estevao scores late for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge20:23 - Arsenal climb to the top of the Premier League table in a comfortable 2-0 victory over West Ham31:27 - Manchester United see off Sunderland 2-0 at Old Trafford, offering Ruben Amorim a small sigh of relief heading into the international break37:42- Other Results: Brentford 0-1 Manchester City, Newcastle 2-0 Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth 3-1 Fulham, Leeds 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur, Everton 2-1 Crystal Palace, Aston Villa 2-1 Burnley, Wolves 1-1 Brighton Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.