The Rest Is Football

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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? 10 for £100. Stay 10 nights, get £100 back in Hotels.com Cash. UK Customers Only. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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? 10 for £100. Stay 10 nights, get £100 back in Hotels.com Cash. UK Customers Only. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. 10 for £100. Stay 10 nights, get £100 back in Hotels.com Cash. UK Customers Only Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices