Shows / The Game

The Game

The Times · en · 1416 episodes

The thinking fan's football podcast.

From previews to reviews, winners to losers, who's in and out on the transfer roundabout, tactics, stats and the dreaded VAR - join the best reporters covering the biggest sport on the planet.

Hosted by Tom Clarke and Gregor Robertson, The Game brings you the latest on the Premier League and the EFL, as well as a front-row seat to international tournaments.

We know football isn't life and death. It's much more serious than that.

Hosted on Acast. See…

Episodes

The Game
We pick Neville’s best England team
With three wins from three England have qualified for the knockout stages in style – but who will Phil Neville pick next? Natalie Sawyer is joined by former…
Jun 20, 2019·34m
The Game
LifeTimes with Fran Kirby
At the age of 14, Fran Kirby had to deal with the sudden and devastating death of her mother. The next day she went back to school, carrying on her life as…
Jun 19, 2019·53m
The Game
Neville’s Japan dilemmas and Chile’s star goalkeeper
We are into the final round of group games in France and England have already qualified for the knockout stages. Natalie Sawyer is joined by former England…
Jun 17, 2019·22m
The Game
Should we move the goalposts?
It’s been a memorable few days at the Women’s World Cup in France. Natalie Sawyer digests it in the company of Molly Hudson, Rebecca Myers and Tottenham…
Jun 13, 2019·32m
The Game
The future of women’s football
The biggest World Cup in the history of women’s football is well underway, with the action in France already having a significant impact back in the UK…
Jun 13, 2019·26m
The Game
LifeTimes with Paul Pogba
In this new podcast series, LifeTimes, our leading writers have stepped away from the heat of the action to speak in-depth to some of the most famous athletes…
Jun 11, 2019·58m
The Game
England survive Scotland scare but it’s just the beginning for France
France 2019 is in full swing and Natalie Sawyer is joined by Molly Hudson, Rebecca Myers and former Lioness Claire Rafferty to pore over the opening weekend’s…
Jun 10, 2019·31m
The Game
France 2019 World Cup preview
With the World Cup kicking off on Friday, Natalie Sawyer is joined by former England star Claire Rafferty, as well as Molly Hudson, Rebecca Myers and Matt…
Jun 6, 2019·32m
The Game
In conversation with Caulkin
For those suffering Gab Marcotti withdrawal symptoms, we have a treat for you. And indeed a treat for Gab, as he sits down for a chat with one of his favourite…
Jun 5, 2019·22m
The Game
Did key Kane call cost Pochettino and Spurs?
It’s the last ever Game podcast for one Gabriele Marcotti. And there are plenty lining up to pay tribute to the man who has made this podcast his own. On the…
Jun 3, 2019·42m
The Game
Champions League final preview
Gab Marcotti and Natalie Sawyer bring you a special bumper look ahead to the Champions League final and Europa League final, in the company of Oli Kay, Paul…
May 27, 2019·40m
The Game
Football, Bloody Hell! How United won the Treble
Natalie Sawyer introduces a special one hour documentary from talkSPORT looking back at Manchester United's amazing treble winning season. You'll hear how; -…
May 23, 2019·50m
The Game
Bale and Man City – struggling to be loved
Gab Marcotti and Natalie Sawyer are joined by Matt Dickinson and Alan Smith after a historic weekend in English football. Manchester City equal the biggest FA…
May 20, 2019·42m
The Game
Gracia, Griezmann and Lampard’s young Rams
Less football but no fewer football talking points for Gab Marcotti, Natalie Sawyer, Oli Kay and Bill Edgar to pore over. Manchester City look to complete the…
May 16, 2019·43m
The Game
Phenomenal Liverpool more limited than Manchester City
The most relentless title race in Premier League history is over. Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are joined by Paul Hirst and James Gheerbrant to determine…
May 13, 2019·43m
The Game
A night to remember for Spurs and who will claim top spot on Sunday?
On this episode, Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are lucky to be joined in the studio by Alan Smith, and down the line Henry Winter gives his take on past…
May 9, 2019·46m
The Game
Arsenal’s big rebuild and a plea to see the real Tottenham
A big weekend in the Premier League and a big week to come in the Champions League. Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are joined by Alyson Rudd and Oli Kay to…
May 6, 2019·43m
The Game
Celestial Messi as Rafa awaits the Reds
After an enthralling midweek of Champions League semi-finals, Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are joined by Henry Winter, George Caulkin and Bill Edgar to…
May 2, 2019·39m
The Game
Bielsa back in the good books while Spurs squad enter breaking point
Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are joined by James Gheerbrant and Paul Hirst after a weekend of unique talking points in the world of football. Manchester…
Apr 29, 2019·41m
The Game
Pogba’s PFA puzzler and the underwhelming race for 4th
Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are joined by Oli Kay and Alan Smith after a big midweek in the Premier League. Manchester City played their game in hand at…
Apr 25, 2019·38m
The Game
Will disgraceful United rally for the Manchester derby?
Natalie Sawyer is joined by Alan Smith, Gary Jacob and Paul Hirst after a seismic Easter weekend. Manchester United are embarrassed and humiliated, losing 4-0…
Apr 22, 2019·30m
The Game
Poch reaches new heights as De Gea reaches crossroads
It was a momentous midweek of Champions League football. Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are joined by Paul Hirst and Alan Smith to pore through it all…
Apr 18, 2019·41m
The Game
Is this title race good for the Premier League?
Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are joined by Matt Dickinson and Bill Edgar after another Premier League weekend where the top two were victorious. We look at…
Apr 15, 2019·37m
The Game
Stage set for Hazard as Liverpool face title race demons
Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are joined by Oli Kay and special guest, Belgian football journalist Kristof Terreur. Liverpool host Chelsea and the ghosts of…
Apr 11, 2019·42m
The Game
Will Pep get funky and outfox himself?
Natalie Sawyer is back alongside Gab Marcotti, James Gheerbrant and Alan Smith after an epic semi-final and ahead of some intriguing quarter-finals. As…
Apr 8, 2019·39m
The Game
The substance of Sterling and Warnock on the warpath
Gab Marcotti is joined by Henry Winter, Alyson Rudd and Alan Smith to wade through some big issues and talking points in the world of football. Manchester…
Apr 4, 2019·38m
The Game
Sarri not helping himself as Liverpool & United get lucky
After a Sunday full of drama and controversy, Gab Marcotti is joined by Paul Joyce, James Gheerbrant and Bill Edgar to discuss the major talking points in the…
Apr 1, 2019·38m
The Game
Is Solskjaer the new Dalglish?
Premier League football is back, as are Gab Marcotti, Alyson Rudd, James Gheerbrant and Paul Joyce for The Game podcast. And the big breaking news on Thursday…
Mar 28, 2019·40m
The Game
What’s the story Gab and Rory?
In a special episode, Gab Marcotti welcomes back Rory Smith to The Game podcast, as they pore through some of the biggest issues in football today. While…
Mar 27, 2019·44m
The Game
Declan Rice and the curious case of Callum Hudson-Odoi
Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are joined by Bill Edgar and George Caulkin to discuss the start of the Euro 2020 qualifiers. England face the Czech Republic…
Mar 21, 2019·40m
The Game
Will 48 teams dilute the quality of the World Cup?
Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are joined by Alyson Rudd and Paul Hirst to dissect club football before the last international break of the season. Wolves…
Mar 18, 2019·37m
The Game
Mane among the elite & Dier on Brexit
With 4 English teams making it through to the last 8 of the Champions League, Gab Marcotti, Natalie Sawyer, James Gheerbrant and Oli Kay run the rule over the…
Mar 14, 2019·39m
The Game
How do we protect players from pitch invaders?
It’s been a weekend of incomprehensible refereeing decisions and inexcusable fan behaviour. Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are joined by Matt Dickinson and…
Mar 11, 2019·40m
The Game
Solskjaer’s smile and swagger as Real’s roof caves in
Following a monumental week in Europe, Gab Marcotti and Natalie Sawyer are joined by Henry Winter and Alan Smith to examine the fall-out from a shocking…
Mar 7, 2019·43m
The Game
Expectation and exhaustion weigh down Liverpool & Spurs
After a derbylicious weekend, Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are in the company of Alyson Rudd, Matthew Syed and Paul Joyce with plenty to discuss. Liverpool…
Mar 4, 2019·41m
The Game
Struggling to assess Silva as Liverpool fall back on full-backs
After a full midweek fixture list, Gab Marcotti, Natalie Sawyer and Gary Jacob look ahead to a weekend packed full of derbies. Chelsea sweep aside Spurs…
Feb 28, 2019·41m
The Game
We need to talk about Kepa
After a huge Sunday of football happenings, Gab Marcotti and Natalie Sawyer are joined by Alyson Rudd and Paul Hirst to try and make sense of it all. Where…
Feb 25, 2019·44m
The Game
United desperate for Liverpool to fail
Gab Marcotti and Natalie Sawyer are joined by Oli Kay, Bill Edgar and George Caulkin ahead of a huge weekend of football. Liverpool travel to Old Trafford to…
Feb 21, 2019·40m
The Game
Premier League or Champions League? Will Pep and Klopp prioritise?
Gab Marcotti and Natalie Sawyer look ahead to another week of Champions League action in the company of Alan Smith and James Gheerbrant. With the top two in…
Feb 18, 2019·43m
The Game
Tottenham’s achievements are out of this world
Gab Marcotti, Natalie Sawyer and Bill Edgar discuss two big Champions League nights with a man who was at Old Trafford and Wembley – Henry Winter. Tottenham…
Feb 14, 2019·39m
The Game
Sarri, Sancho and the power of Pogba
Gab Marcotti and Natalie Sawyer are joined by Oli Kay and James Gheerbrant after a seismic Sunday where Man City hit Chelsea for six. After 3 defeats in 4…
Feb 11, 2019·41m
The Game
Is Liverpool’s luck running out?
Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are joined by Henry Winter, Martyn Ziegler and Bill Edgar as the title race takes another twist. 7 days ago Liverpool missed…
Feb 7, 2019·39m
The Game
The interim and the intermediary
Gab Marcotti and Natalie Sawyer are joined by Matt Hughes and Paul Hirst after a good weekend for the Manchester clubs. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sensational…
Feb 4, 2019·38m
The Game
Chelsea lose interest while City lose ground
A full midweek Premier League programme and a transfer deadline – what a feast for Natalie Sawyer, Gab Marcotti, Oli Kay, James Gheerbrant and George Caulkin…
Jan 31, 2019·38m
The Game
Racism rears its head plus Pellegrini’s poor preparation
Gab Marcotti and Natalie Sawyer are joined by Paul Joyce, Alan Smith and former Chelsea winger and award-winning author Paul Canoville after FA Cup 4th round…
Jan 28, 2019·40m
The Game
The perspective of a Premier League owner
Gab Marcotti and Natalie Sawyer host an author special this Thursday on The Game podcast. Joshua Robinson, co-author of The Club: How the English Premier…
Jan 24, 2019·40m
The Game
Sarri raises the stakes as Rashford rediscovers his confidence
Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are joined by Matt Dickinson and Alan Smith after an impactful weekend in the Premier League. Arsenal beat Chelsea emphatically…
Jan 21, 2019·37m
The Game
Bullish Bielsa and the absence of the Arsenal way
Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are joined by Henry Winter and Bill Edgar on a week that has everyone in the world of football talking. Arsenal take on Chelsea…
Jan 17, 2019·38m
The Game
Solskjaer’s startling start. Plus is spying part of sport?
Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are back with Alyson Rudd and Paul Hirst in tow to talk the major issues of the weekend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s perfect start as…
Jan 14, 2019·40m
The Game
Arsenal can’t retain Ramsey as Solskjaer pumps up Pogba
Gab Marcotti and Natalie Sawyer are joined by James Gheerbrant and Oli Kay ahead of a big Premier League weekend and following a footballing week that provided…
Jan 10, 2019·38m
The Game
Respecting the right to rotate in the FA Cup
Gab Marcotti and Natalie Sawyer are reunited in the studio and are joined by Matt Dickinson and James Gheerbrant after FA Cup 3rd round weekend. Newport knock…
Jan 7, 2019·38m
The Game
Klopp still a winner as City fight for their title
Natalie Sawyer brings you The Game podcast slightly later than usual – to take in the biggest game of the season so far with Henry Winter, Alyson Rudd and Alan…
Jan 4, 2019·32m
The Game
The Game changes the game
For the final podcast of 2018, Gab Marcotti and Natalie Sawyer bring you a one-off special, as the great writers at The Times give us their ideas for changing…
Dec 31, 2018·31m
The Game
Liverpool yet to peak as Burnley suffer identity crisis
After a Boxing Day full of goals and surprises, Natalie Sawyer is back alongside Alyson Rudd, Alan Smith and Paul Hirst to digest it all. Manchester City had…
Dec 27, 2018·40m
The Game
Piling praise on Palace plus Tottenham’s troubling transfer window
It’s Christmas Eve but Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are hard at work bringing you The Game podcast from The Times with Henry Winter and Gary Jacob. It’s…
Dec 24, 2018·40m
The Game
The Game meets Martin Tyler
In a special episode, Alyson Rudd sits down at Sky Sports with the voice of football - Martin Tyler. We talk about Martin's days as a non-league striker at…
Dec 22, 2018·53m
The Game
Solskjaer suited to managing Manchester United
Gab Marcotti and Natalie Sawyer are joined by Alyson Rudd, Oliver Kay and James Gheerbrant to discuss the biggest football story of the season, that being the…
Dec 20, 2018·42m
The Game
United need to be working on Mourinho’s replacement now
Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are in the company of Oliver Kay and Matt Hughes, the morning after Liverpool sweep aside Manchester United at Anfield. Even if…
Dec 17, 2018·37m
The Game
Liverpool in control and Rafa in need of relief
Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are joined by George Caulkin, Paul Joyce and Bill Edgar ahead of another seismic Saturday and Sunday in the Premier League…
Dec 13, 2018·39m
The Game
Brave Sterling’s done football a favour
Natalie Sawyer is joined by Alyson Rudd, Henry Winter and Matthew Syed to discuss a weighty issue in the world of football. Raheem Sterling was allegedly the…
Dec 10, 2018·40m