Learn English Through Football Podcast

Bundesliga 2009

This week's English for Football expression is no pushovers. The basic meaning is when a team suggests that it will not be beaten easily despite what many people think, i.e. they are weak.

This week languagecaster.com takes a look at Serie A - who are the favourites, the dark horses, the newcomers? We also take a look at all the football news from the past week and look ahead to some of the big games this weekend. Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly predictions battle between Damon and Damian in the Predictions competition For learners of English check out our Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts from previous podcasts

After the excitement of World Cup qualifiers we turn our attention this week to the Champions League group stage which kicks off next week. Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly predictions battle between Damon and Damian in the Predictions competition For learners of English check out our Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts from previous podcasts Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon ___________________________________________

This week is World Cup qualifying week, so we continue our feature which takes a look at some of the great World Cup players through the ages. Second in the series is Argentinian sensation, Maradona

On this week's show we introduce the phrase 'Can't win the title in August but you can lose it' which is used...

[print_link] | Listen to the report here La Liga kicks off this weekend and on this week's main report we ask whether the Spanish League is now better than the Premier League. Explanations of key terms are explained in bold at the end of the transcript below. Listen to this week's show here TRANSCRIPT Spain or England? The much-anticipated Spanish football season, La Liga, kicks off this weekend, and it is one which Ronaldo now claims is the best league in the world - though that may only be because of his recent move there. But maybe Ronaldo has a point; has a shift occurred in the power structure of club football? Now with all due respect to domestic football in South America, or in Germany with the Bundesliga or even in Serie A the top two football leagues in the world are undoubtedly the English Premier League and Spain's La Liga. But which one can truly call itself the best league in the world? TV If you listen to British TV channel Sky Sports, which has the rights to broadcast football in the UK, then the answer is simple - the Premier League is the best in the world. And if we are talking global TV audiences then maybe they are right. The Premier League is broadcast to more than 200 countries and has a global reach of over 600 million homes with an average of about 80 million viewers per game. That's a lot of people. La Liga is way behind those figures but by changing some of their kick-off times this season it is clear they are targeting the lucrative Asian market to go along with their already strong showing in North and South America. Money The last TV deal between Sky and the Premier League in February 2009 was worth A£1.78 billion over three years, a figure that La Liga can only dream about but despite this, Spanish League clubs pay their players as well as their English counterparts and in some instances even better. Indeed, the top 4 highest-paid players in the world are Ibrahimovic, Kaka, Messi and Ronaldo who all ply their trade in Spain. With the Euro strong against Sterling and the highest rate of tax much lower than in the UK, it is no wonder that players are being attracted to Spain. Players And what about those players? Well, in addition to the four superstars mentioned above, La Liga will also be lucky enough to see such quality players as Atletico Madrid's Kun Aguero, Valencia's David Villa, Real Madrid's Iker Casillas and Xavi Alonso, while at Barcelona, Iniesta, Xavi and Thierry Henry would walk into any team in the world. Of course, Barcelona are the current champions of Europe having destroyed England's best, Manchester United, last May when their performance, more a dismantling actually, sent out a clear answer to our original question: which of the two leagues is better? Well, for financial power and current global brand awareness it has to be the Premier League but for possessing more top-quality players my vote goes to La Liga. ________________________________________ Vocabulary Here are explanations of some of the words and phrases from the reading. much-anticipated: Eagerly awaited, people are really looking forward to it is broadcast : Is shown on TV the lucrative Asian market: The market in Asia is very popular; Football is very popular in Asia counterparts The equivalent; those who have a similar stature or position ply their trade: They work; they play in the Spanish League would walk into any team in the world: They are so good they could play for anyone a dismantling: Completely defeated, beaten heavily ______________________________________

La Liga kicks off this weekend and on this week's show we ask whether the Spanish League is now better than the Premier League. Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly predictions battle between Damon and Damian in the Predictions competition Listen only to the main report here - complete with transcript For learners of English check out our Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon _________________________________________

On this week's show we start a feature which takes a look at some of the great World Cup players through the ages. Of course next year is the 2010 World Cup, so we hope you'll enjoy our look at some of the best players to grace any football field. To start we look at Pelé. Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly predictions battle in the Predictions competition Listen only to the main report here - complete with transcript For learners of English check out our Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon __________________________________________________________________________

On this week's main report from languagecaster's podcast we find out from an Arsenal fan what he thinks of his team's chances this season. The transcript from the interview is below while you can listen by clicking here. Listen to this week's show here Transcript [print_link] DF: Now we have got Andy who is an Arsenal season ticket holder. We're going to be looking forward to the 2009-2010 season. Andy, how are you doing? Andy: I am doing very well thank you. DF: Good stuff and what are your hopes for the 2010 season for the Arsenal? Andy: I am hoping that some of the players who've been coming through in the last couple of years start to play or get a regular place in the team and start to make an impression. I think we are really looking for a solid performance where we don't get too many injuries 'cos injuries has been a problem for the team, haven't had the strength in depth to weather the storm of injuries, throughout the season. DF: So, for example, who should we be looking out for in the upcoming season? Andy: I think the players to watch for will be Arshavin annd Walcott, I think they are going to be awesome this year and Fabregas is always great. DF: That's a nice trio of players there for you. How about Arsène Wenger, there are a few rumours going around about a little bit of unrest? Fans still trust in Arsène, don't they? Andy: Yes, I think they do, very much so. When you sit in the stadium, you know, you forever hear 'There's only one Arsène Wenger', you know, and it goes around the stadium on a regular basis. I think people still have faith and there's... I've not heard that much criticism against him and I think that's mainly more in the media... journalists tend to pick up on some poor performances and say, well, it's down to the manager but sometimes it's circumstances as well. DF: So you are pretty hopeful for this year, can you... can you give us a prediction? Andy: I think... unfortunately, I think we are going to be top 4 in the Premiership. As for winning the Premiership or getting some silverware, I don't know, hope for the best but I think going back to what I said before, was... the injury problem and having some consistency in the team, some of the players are... have a tendency to be very inconsistent and perhaps that's their age. DF: And if Arsenal weren't to win the title, which team do you think would be Premier League champions in 2010? Andy: I think it's going to be between Manchester United and Chelsea again, I'm not sure Liverpool can maintain their run they had last year. Listen to the interview here ________________________________________________________________________

The Premier League season kicks off this weekend which means that languagecaster's football podcast is back. On this week's first show of the season we hear from an Arsenal fan on his team's prospects for the year. Read our football news review in the good, the bad and the ugly Check out a new football expression in English for Football Follow the weekly predictions battle in the Predictions competition Listen only to the main report here - complete with transcript For learners of English check out our Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon __________________________________________________________________________

I don't like football: An interview with a non-football fan

[print_link] | Teaching Ideas In this teaching ideas post we have an interview with Arsenal fan Andy who tells us about some of his memories while supporting the Gunners. Vocabulary in bold is explained at the end of the post Download the worksheet here Listen to the interview here Damian: Right, today we have got an Arsenal season ticket holder giving us his views on all things Gunners. Hello, how are you doing? Could you please introduce yourself. Andy: Hi yes, my name is Andy Robertson, I have been an Arsenal fan for life and I started supporting Arsenal when I was very young, mainly because my mother came from north London. Damian: Can you remember your first game? Andy: I can remember my first couple of games, there were a few at Highbury and some of the Champions League games in the late '90s when we played at Wembley against clubs like RC Lens. They weren't great experiences because they were all draws. Damian: So, when you were younger, who were your heroes at Arsenal? Andy: The guys who really stick out for me were, particularly, like Ian Wright in the mid-90s and as we went towards the end of the '90s the sort of 'golden era' for me was the amazing back four of Bould, Winterburn, Seaman ... Parlour on the wing and when we had players like Bergkamp and Viera ... Overmars who came in, it was just an amazing time. Damian: Now, tell us a little about your best and your worst memory. Let's start with the worst memory. Andy: Worst memory was probably Champions League final in Paris, I have to say. (Ed: Lost 1-2 to Barcelona in 2006) Damian: How about the best memory as an Arsenal fan? Andy: Er, couple of good memories was winning the double in the '98 season and probably Robin Van Persie's goal against Charlton. Damian: Thank you very much __________________________________________________________________ Vocabulary Download theworksheet here Listen to the interview here season ticket holder: a fan that holds a ticket for all the home matches for the season Gunners: The nickname of Arsenal north London: Arsenal are from this part of the country (as are rivals Tottenham) Highbury: The name of the previous Arsenal stadium Wembley: The national stadium of England draws: When neither team wins a game, e.g. 1-1; 2-2 stick out: To be easily remembered, to stand out back four: The collective name for the four defenders in a team the double: When a team wins both the domestic league and cup

The final podcast of the 2008-2009 season. Damon and Damian take a look back at the good, the bad and the ugly moments of another great footballing year. The next languagecaster.com season starts in August 2009 and it should be a great one with the World Cup in 2010. Subscribe to our Newsletter in the sidebar to keep up with what's happening. Transcript Damian's Good Well, it was good for German side Wolfsburg who won their first ever Bundesliga title, while in Brazil, it was great for Sao Paolo who in February retained the Brazilian league title but the big news there was that soon afterwards it was announced that former Brazil number 9 Ronaldo would be joining Corinthians after another long injury lay-off and he has proved to be a huge success - we may even see him in his fourth World Cup next year. Great comeback for him but for my best of the season, I am going for one of Ronaldo's former clubs, Barcelona who have just completed an amazing season by winning the 'triplete', the treble of the King's Cup, the League title and the club's third Champions League crown. Not bad for a team that has been described as having a shaky keeper, a weak defence, a midfield that is not physically imposing enough and a forward line that has two players with no hunger for the game or the club, as well as a striker that cannot score goals with his head or against English teams. We wondered in week 13 if this side could emulate the Cruyff Dream Team of the early 1990s. Well, they have more than done so. Barca we salute you. Damian's Bad Well, it was pretty bad for football in the north-east of England as Middlesbrough and more surprisingly, Newcastle were both relegated to the second tier of English football. Newcastle saw three or four (we are not sure) different managers during the season and this win at all costs scenario represents my worst of the season: a real sense of short-termism. In week 27 we featured the managerial merry-go-round which saw West Ham, Tottenham, Sunderland, Portsmouth, Blackburn and Chelsea all lose managers in England, while high-profile managers such as Klinnsmann at Bayern, Schuster at Real Madrid and Claudio Ranieri at Juventus all being given their marching orders. Damian's Ugly Didier Drogba's post-match rant at the Norwegian referee in the Champions League was ugly - though let's be frank, it was also pretty funny. On a more serious note there continues to be lots of fan trouble in Argentina but perhaps the worst of the season for me is the continuation of racism in the game. Despite groups such as Kick it Out in the UK - which we featured in week 12 Inter's striker (and Italian national) Balotelli, Portsmouth's Sol Campbell and Emile Heskey all suffered - among many others - racist chants and aggression. Ignorance is still rife in the game. Ugly indeed. Vocabulary retained: kept, held on to injury lay-off: a long period out of the game with injury a shaky keeper: a weak goalkeeper, a keeper that makes mistakes imposing: strong, dominating, threatening emulate: copy, imitate act in a similar way (often because of respect) short-termism: planning only for a short time in the future, not making long term lans, often panicking (to be given) marching orders: to be sacked, to be fired, to lose your job rant: complain loudly, shout,talk wildly with no control rife: common

On this week's show we look back at the Champions League final, look forward to the FA Cup final and ask some fans what they really thought of their teams' performances this season. In addition we: Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the Predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon Transcript The football season in Europe is almost over and so on this week's main report for languagecaster we have three fans talking about how their teams performed during the season just gone by. First up Damon interviews Liverpool fan, Tim which is followed by an interview with Chelsea supporter Simon and finally Ill be talking about the topsy-turvey season that my team Tottenham have just had. Two points from the first eight games of the season saw Tottenham's worst start to a league campaign in almost a century. This came despite the fact that many had tipped them to do well, but yet again the club imploded and we failed to turn expectation into reality. The acrimonious departure of Dimitar Berbatov to Manchester United and Robbie Keane's shock move to Liverpool meant that we were short of striking options at the start of the season, which meant that a lot of pressure was placed on the new players to perform well. Unfortunately, one of those high-profile signings, David Bentley from Blackburn, proved to be a huge disappointment despite a wonder-goal against Arsenal early in the season. Manager Juande Ramos was sacked in October without recording a win and in his place came Harry Rednapp from Portsmouth to a sceptical but desperate set of fans. Despite some poor away performances around the turn of the year, he generally did well, helping the club to move away from the relegation zone and reaching the Carling Cup final, losing only on penalties to Manchester United. He also strengthened the side by bringing back Jermaine Defoe and Robbie Keane but perhaps his most important signing was Wilson Palacios from Wigan - the type of player that Spurs have been crying out for for years and one who allowed Croatian midfielder, Luka Modric to finally start showing what he can do. Modric only scored once for the club - the winner against Chelsea in our best performance of the season - but his ability, skill, technique and bravery were there for all to see - our player of the season without a doubt. Harry wants to build the team around him next season and there are hopes and rumours that yet again we might be the team to challenge the 'big four' next year. But as Spurs fans know more than most, it's the hope that kills us...

The leagues around Europe are reaching their climaxes and on this week's show languagecaster takes a look at how three of the big leagues were decided. We also... Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the Predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon Transcript Three of the big European league titles were decided last week as Inter Milan won in Italy, Barcelona in Spain and Manchester United in England. All three teams won before the season actually finished, suggesting it was relatively easy, however, they didn't completely get it their own way. Here's a look back at how these three teams became champions of their respective domestic leagues. Barcelona won their 19th Spanish title without even having to kick a ball as their nearest rivals Real Madrid lost for the third time in a row giving the Catalan side an unassailable lead. This was their first La Liga in three years and was thoroughly merited by a team that was universally regarded as the best in Spain from the word go. Actually, that's not quite true as Barca began the season in poor form losing to Numancia in the first game under new manager and former midfield maestro, Pep Guardiola. Little did we know at the time that that would be one of only two small blips to their season that has seen them lose only 4 times. They moved top of the table in week 7 and have stayed there since and that's despite an unbelievable 17 wins from 18 matches from second place Real Madrid, with at one stage a suggestion that they might catch Barcelona. However, the Catalan side inflicted a 6-2 thrashing on Madrid and that was that. Barca have scored more goals than anyone else in Spain - 104 - with Henry, Messi and Eto'o accounting for 71 of those goals. They have also conceded fewer than any other team and have a goal difference of + 71. They have also played with a style that has left many wondering if this team is even better than the Dream Team of Cruyff. It certainly plays in a similar manner and of course, there may still be more to come as Guardiola's team play manchester United in the Champions League final next week which could lead to an unprecedented treble for them. Talking of trebles, Inter Milan had won the previous three Italian titles before this season started and with a new manager in the charismatic Jose Mourinho in charge it seemed there would be little doubt which side would be lifting the Scudetto title at the end of this season. And so it proved to be as the Nerazzurri won their 17th Italian championship with three games remaining. They went top early in the season and like Barcelona they have been there since, thanks in part to their wonderful defensive consistency but also due to the poor performances of their rivals. Juventus, AC Milan and Roma were never in the title race and all three clubs will look to new faces - managerial and playing staff - next season. Inter will also have fresh faces next year but one player who is staying is Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Swedish striker, who yet again is the club's top scorer, this time with 22 goals and with the talented Mario Balotelli alongside him Inter's fans will be hoping for their fifth title next season along with a Champions League victory - their first in forty years. Like Inter Milan, Manchester United also retained their title, in fact, they won the English Premier League for the third year in a row to give them a total of 18 domestic league titles. This number puts them alongside Liverpool as the two most successful teams in English football history. Though they won the league with one game to spare, the title race was a close-run affair as their huge rivals Liverpool led for much of the early part of the season. Too many home draws for them and an amazingly consistent run of clean sheets for United after Christmas, meant that Ferguson's men moved top in January and remained there till the end. Like Inter, much of their success has been built on sound defence rather than all-out-attack but it could also be argued that they have two of the best forwards in the Premier League in Wayne Rooney and 18-goal Cristiano Ronaldo. They are already favourites to win the title again next year such is the strength in depth of the squad but of course, before all that, they have to defend their Champions League title against Barcelona next week.

While the season in Europe is coming to a close, things in South America are just beginning to hot up, so languagecaster takes a look at the biggest cup competition south of the equator. In addition we: Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the Predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon Transcript The most important club competition in South America is of course the Copa Libertadores and this year is a particularly important one as it is the 50th edition of this prestigious tournament. Teams from the 10 South American countries that make up CONMEBOL were joined this year by sides from Mexico making a total of 38 teams at the start of the competition way back in January. Since then, the tournament has lost some big names including Argentina's River Plate and Lanús, as well as last season's winners, LDU Quito from Ecuador. Two other teams to fall by the wayside were Guadalajara and San Luis, both from Mexico, but neither of which were beaten on the pitch. Instead, due to the outbreak of the H1N1 flu virus in that country, both teams withdrew at the start of the knockout stage. This caused quite a lot of uncertainty and a huge fixture-pile up ensued. This meantA that some clubs are already through to the last 8, and others have played one leg of the first knock-out stage. Two teams, Boca Jrs and Uruguay's Defensor, have yet to play their last 16 match. So far, we do know that Brazil already has 3 teams in the quarter-finals with Cruzeiro hoping to make it four if they beat Universidad de Chile this week. Guadalajara's withdrawal allowed São Paulo to get through and Palmeiras made it in dramatic style after beating compatriots, Sport Recife, on penalties. Argentina should have two teams in the last 8 with Boca Jrs favourites to beat Uruguay's Defensor and Estudiantes already 3-0 up from the first leg away from home against minnows from Paraguay Libertad. That leaves Nacional from Uruguay, who benefited from the flu outbreak, to make it and surprise package Caracas from Venezuela: though neither side is expected to make it through to the semis. Nacional play Palmeiras, while fellow Brazilians Grêmio play the Venezuelan side. So who is going win it this year? The Brazilian contingent looks strong, but while Boca are still there the Argentinians always have a chance such is their experience and tradition in the Copa Libertadores. Boca to beat Estudiantes in the semi-final but then to lose out to São Paulo in the final. There, you heard it first on languagecaster.com.

There are only four games left in the Bundesliga and still five teams can win the title. This week's podcast focuses on the final run-in to an action-packed season in Germany and looks at the battles at the top and the bottom of the league. In addition we: Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the Predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon Transcript Hans: Yes, another very interesting season in the Bundesliga is coming to a close. And at the top of the table, no less than five teams are still in the running for the title. Right at the top is Wolfsburg. Most people haven't heard of Wolfsburg but they've been in the press this week, very strangely because their coach Felix Magath, former international player, has decided to quit the club. That's right. Quit the club four days before the end of the season whilst they're at the top - three points clear of second which happens to be the mighty Bayern Munich. Apart from Bayern fans, I would imagine nobody in Germany wants them to win. So behind them are Berlin, Stuttgart and Hamburg and either of these three can still sneak up, they are currently playing very well with tough games to go for all teams. So, who is going to win the Bundesliga, Nicholas? N: I think Berlin is going to win. H: Berlin? What a good choice! Well, I hope Wolfsburg win but I would love Berlin to win as well. Now we are going to look at the bottom of the table and there the same number five, five teams are still in line for the drop. Please remember in the Bundesliga a new system kicked in this year. The bottom two drop automatically but third last goes into a play-off with the third best team from the 2nd Bundesliga. As usual, it's the same old teams down there: Karlsruhe and Borussia Moenchengladbach occupying the bottom two spots but just above them, Bielefeld, Cottbus and Bochum are also in danger of the drop. So, Nicholas, who do you think will get relegated this season? N: I think Cottbus will go down. H: Cottbus? Yes, and they've been down before. Thank you Nicholas. As already mentioned, managers are moving at a strange time in the season. Magath's move to Schalke has taken everyone by surprise but Klinnsmann's move away from Bayern Munich hasn't surprised too many people. in Stuttgart, Markus Babbel has just signed a long-term contract, he's a new young manager and some listeners might remember him from his playing day. So, to wrap up the Bundesliga according to my son N, the team to win will be Hertha Berlin, going down will be Karlsruhe, Borussia Moenchengladbach and joined by Energie Cottbus. And now Nicholas, which is the best team in Germany? N: Freiburg. H: Freiburg. It happens to be my home team - a quick plug - and they are sitting top of the 2nd Bundesliga. See you next season with the big boys. Auf wiedersehen, aus der Bundesliga...

2009 Barcelona vs Real Madrid: This week Barcelona visit their great rivals Real Madrid in La Liga's El Clasico. Madrid are only four points behind the previously unstoppable Barcelona and would love to get closer. On this week's show we look at the rivalry between these two famous clubs.

There are only five games to play in the Premier League and no doubt there will be more twists and turns at this exciting stage of the season and so on this week's show we take a look at the Premier League title race. In addition we: Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the Predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon Transcript With only five games remaining in the English Premier League, tension is high as three clubs are still in with a shout of winning the title. On this week's main report we hear the opinions of a Manchester United fan on the final run in that will decide which team will become the 2009 English champions. Damian: So Brendan, it's been an important week in the Premier League for the clubs at the top of the top of the table, hasna€™t it? Brendan: Thata€™s right Damian all of the a€˜big foura€™ in the Premier League were in action. Chelsea drew with Everton, Manchester United beat Portsmouth but I suppose the standout game was the game between Liverpool and Arsenal, which ended 4-4. Liverpool really needed to win that game because going in to the series of matches they were one point behind Man United and played a game more so it effectively means, with the United result, that they now lead by three points over their nearest rivals and have a game in hand. Damian: Yes, youa€™ve mentioned some of the impact that these results will have on the final destination of the title, for example do you think Chelsea are out of the running? Brendan: Well, Guus Hiddink the manager of Chelsea, the newly appointed manager who also, of course, manages the Russian national team, he has conceded the title. He thinks now that they trail Manchester United by six points and have played a game more a€¦ that that is too much of a mountain to climb. So, he says they will focus on the Champions League and the FA Cup. Damian: OK, how about Liverpool, what do you think about their chances? Brendan: Liverpool are still in the title race. Alex Ferguson himself said that although Manchester United are now in a better position than they were on Monday he has been in the game for too long to, at this stage, say that the title has definitely going to Old Trafford. They are a€¦ there are gonnaa€™ be lots of games to come, there are still five games to go and anything can happen, one defeat for Man United and a victory for Liverpool and the title race will be blown wide open yet again. Damian: So Brendan, who will be holding the Premier League trophy at the end of May? Brendan: Well, as a Man United, obviously, fan I am hoping that we can win the title at the end of May. Ita€™s all about consistency at this stage of the season and trying to eke out results and because we have the experience of players like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, whoa€™ve won the title many times, and also a manager whoa€™s won the title many times Ia€™m hopeful that that experience will get us over the finishing line, although it will be close.

This week, the FA Cup semi finals is our main piece and we look at why all four teams are in it to win it. In addition we: Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the Predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon Transcript This weekend the FA Cup semi-finals dominate the footballing scene in England, but a look at the four contenders seems to suggest that the romance has gone out of this competition. The four teams in the semis are all in the top six in the Premier League: Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton. And in the last 10 years, only one team from outside the 'Big Four' have won the trophy and that was last year when Portsmouth overcame Championship side Cardiff. While we shouldn't belittle the achievement of portsmouth in winning, and Cardiff in reaching, the finals in 2008, it did seem as though the teams contending for the Champions League or the Premier League title didn't care too much about the FA Cup. This year is very different. All four teams have reason to take these semis very seriously indeed. Let's start with Everton. The team from Merseyside have had to overcome some tough draws to get here - beating Liverpool, Aston Villa and Middlesboro in the last three rounds. They are still in the hunt for a Champions League spot, but that seems a bit unrealistic with Arsenal flying at the moment. Winning the FA Cup could be just what they need for all the progress they have made under their manager David Moyes. They face Manchester United and there is no love lost between the two sets of fans either, with the rivalry between the cities of Liverpool and Manchester. Manchester United of course are still chasing the quintuple. They have the Carling Cup and the Club World Cup already in the trophy cabinet and they are top of the league and through to the semi finals of the Champions League. It would be quite extraordinary if they could win all five. Also, they have been a little unconvincing recently and a loss in the semis might have a knock on effect for their push for the Premier League title. Despite the fixture pile up, they are in it to win it and have home advantage against Everton. Chelsea are also through to the Champions League final and are not far off the top of the Premier League, four points. Could they trump United with a treble? They won nothing last year and will be desperate to have something to show their fans at the end of the season. They are away at Arsenal and if they can go all the way they will have a quintuple of their own - five FA Cup wins. Arsenal are in a similar situation to Chelsea - they are in the Champions League semis - but there is less pressure on them as realistically the Premier League title is beyond them. They would go equal top of all time FA Cup winners with Man United if the win the semis and then lift the trophy in May on 11 times. The FA Cup semis and final will definitely be crackers!

This week, the Champions league quarter final first legs were played and languagecaster takes a look at what happened. In addition we: Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the Predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon Transcript Damian: Only a month ago many here in England were tipping Manchester United to win an unprecedented quintuple - five trophies in one season - but in recent weeks the Red Devils have started to wobble. This dip in form continued on Tuesday night as they were held to a 2-2 home draw by Portuguese champions FC Porto. To say that Manchester United did not play well is a little unfair on the team from the north of Portugal as they were well organised, passed the ball better than the home team and were always looking to attack. They deserved their last-minute equaliser from Mariano Gonzalez which left United manager Alex Ferguson admitting that it would be a difficult job to qualify for the semi finals. However, only a fool would write off United and I still think they can win away in Portugal next week. Damon: Right, leta€™s get the views from a German fan on Bayern Municha€™s performance against Barcelona in the Champions League quarter final first leg. This is what Hans had to say. Hans: Dear oh dear, what a terrible performance by Bayern Munich they really are in a slump at the moment and their defeat in Barcelona 4-0 proves that. But ita€™s not like it was a surprise. Last weekend, losing 5-1 away to Wolsburg in the Bundesliga had the writing on the wall. And in Munich, there are a lot of people pointing fingers at coaches, management and so on. So Barcelona full credit, excellent victory. But I dona€™t think things will change in the second leg. It looks like Barcelona have this one wrapped up, and whilst they may lose it doesna€™t matter. The 4 goal victory is enough, and I think that barcelona will go on to win the Champions League. I have to say that because they were pretty impressive last night. Damon: Thanks Hans. Now that game of course featured the Spanish giants Barcelona - now surely favourites to win the whole thing, but another Spanish team was also in action when Villarreal hosted English side Arsenal. This game ended 1-1, and while Arsenal will be happy to take an away goal into the second leg, this tie is by no means over. Arsenal were also struck by injuries to Gallas and Almunia the keeper. Gallasa€™ injury looks set to keep him out for the rest of the season, too. But I think Adebayora€™s fantastic equaliser will be crucial. Villarreal failed to make the most of the 12th man effect - their ground can be an intimidating place to go. I think they will not play with the same confidence and passion in London and will be knocked out by Arsenal. As for the final, I think ita€™ll be Barcelona vs Porto. Damian: Liverpool's Champions League dream lies in tatters after the Reds were beaten 1-3 by Chelsea on Wednesday night. Despite taking an early lead with a classy finish from Torres the home side had no answer to Chelsea's power, passing ability and attacking play. Manager Guus Hiddink has definitely made his mark on the side and when Chelsea play like this you wonder if any team can stop them. Unless there is a dramatic turn around in the second leg matches a semi-final with Barcelona awaits which should turn out to be a cracker.

World Cup Qualifiers Europe

The World Cup Asian qualifiers are nearing their end and on this week's pod languagecaster takes a look at who is in the driving seat for places in South Africa next year. In addition we: Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the Predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Transcript World Cup qualifiers are taking place around the world, and Asia is of course no different. 43 nations started the qualifying race last year but they have been reduced to 10 teams in what is now the fourth round of qualifying. It's no surprise that the five top seeds in Asia, Australia, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Japan and Iran are in that ten. They are joined by teams from the second tier: Bahrain, Qatar, Uzbekistan, North Korea and United Arab Emirates. The ten teams are now in two groups. The top two in each group automatically qualify, while the two third place teams must play each other home and away in October to decide who will play the representative from Oceania, New Zealand, again home and away in November. So who are the front runners at the half way stage? The two Koreas top group B, with Iran comfortably in third. If Iran beat Saudi Arabia at home, their rivals for third spot, they will move into second place as North Korea's visit to their southern cousins will mean either both teams or one team will drop points. It should be an exciting finish to group B. A draw between the Koreas and a win by Saudi Arabia will really put the cat among the pigeons. The UAE already look out of it with only one point from four games. My tips: South Korea and Iran to qualify automatically with North Korea going through to the play off. In group A, it's Australia who are on top of the pile. This is the first time they have taken part in the Asian qualifiers: previously they were part of Oceania. They have three wins and one draw. Their draw came against their biggest threat in the group Japan. Actually, there is quite a rivalry is building up between these two. Australia will be confident of qualifying in top spot as Japan has to play away in Oz before the group is decided. Japan is in second and also look comfortable. They will all but sew up qualification with a win against Bahrain this Saturday in Yokohama. That means the real fight is between Bahrain and Qatar for the third spot. They meet in a crucial game in Bahrain next week. Look for Australia and Japan to qualify with Bahrain sneaking into third and taking on North Korea in the qualifiers. In 2002, the World Cup came to Asia being hosted by South Korea and Japan. South Korea progressed to the semi-finals, a best for an Asian team, and Japan also made it to the second round. Despite that bright spot, don't look for an Asian team to set the competition in 2010 South Africa alight.

Is the Premier League the 'greatest show on Earth' or a boring 'private member's club'? On this week's podcast we ask whether the dominance of the 'Big Four' in England is a good thing for football. In addition we: Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the Predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon Transcript The Premier League likes to see itself as the greatest show in the world, the best players, stadia, fans and of course having the most exciting football. But for many, the idea of a championship in which only 4 out of a total of 20 teams stand any chance of winning is, well, rather boring. This week saw Aston Villa lose in the league and they fell to 5th place meaning that the table now reads: 1. Manchester United 2. Chelsea 3. Liverpool and 4. Arsenal. Welcome to the world of the Premier League's 'Big Four'. Was it always like this? Well, no. When I first started watching football, there was a top 1 and that was Liverpool. The Reds dominated the First Division from the mid-1970s until the end of the 1990s though it has to be said that teams such as Everton, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest all won titles in that period as well, while teams such as Ipswich, Tottenham and West Ham provided strong challenges. Now, since the formation of the Premier League in 1992, Manchester United have won 10 of the 16 titles up for grabs and have never been out of the top three. Arsenal and Chelsea have won 5 of the other titles between them with only Blackburn's win in 1995 'spoiling' the show. Liverpool have not won a title since 1990 however since the turn of the century they have yet to finish lower than 5th. This dominance has lead these teams to be known as the 'Big Four' How has this happened? The obvious answer is that these teams have the best players and managers but to attract them you need money. Lots of money and luckily for the 'Big Four' they have had more than anyone else. Traditionally, Liverpool, Arsenal and especially Manchester United have always been rich clubs that can rely on large fan bases to support them economically, while Chelsea have a rich benefactor who has bank rolled their success. These four teams have qualified for the lucrative Champions League tournament on a regular basis and for the past five seasons no other team, apart from Everton, have done that. This, of course, means that they can earn far more money than any of the other Premier League teams so that they then can attract the best players and coaches and continue with their success. Can any other team break through? Well, the hope this season was that Aston Villa might be able to challenge the top 4 hegemony but it seems that like Tottenham in 2006 and Everton in 2005 they simply don't have the resources to do so. If the Premier League is to truly be as competitive as its marketing team suggests then the question of the 'Big Four' needs to be addressed.

There were some big results in this week's Champions League, but none were bigger than Bayern Munich's thrashing of Sporting. On this week's show we ask our German correspondent about the giant team from the Bundesliga. In addition we: Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the Predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon Transcript

This weekend sees the Spanish city of Madrid come to a halt as 'madrileno derbi' takes place between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid.

The leagues in Europe are getting closer to the finishing line. Everyone wants to win at the start of the season, but now many clubs are just looking to avoid the drop. This week we look at the teams who are nervously hoping they don't drop down a division this summer. In addition we: Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the Predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Automatically receive the podcast each week by clicking on the icon Transcript It's only natural for the spotlight to be turned on the races for the championships at this stage of the season. Barcelona and Manchester United are both seven points clear and the title is within their grasp, Inter look comfortable but not clear while in the Bundesliga things are much more exciting. But as night follows day, Spring comes after winter, where there are winners there are losers. This week we take a look at those teams in danger of dropping from the heights, being relegated to the second tier in England, Spain, Italy and Germany. First England. While things are not so exciting at the top, at the bottom it's turning into a thriller. Six points separate seven teams. While Tottenham are in that group they seem to be heading in the right direction and sit on 28 points just ahead of Newcastle and Portsmouth on goal difference. Two of the newly promoted teams are struggling and it's looking bleak for West Brom who prop up the table on 22 points. They will still believe they can escape though with victories over fellow strugglers Middlesbrough and Tottenham. Indeed Middlesbrough have been looking awful for months. they haven't won since November. Stoke and Blackburn are the other clubs in the frame. Here are my choices to go down: Middlesbrough, West Brom and Stoke. In Spain, there are six teams within six points of Numancia at the bottom, who have 20 points. We've already mentioned Espanyol's victory over Barcelona which has lifted them off the bottom and they now have 21 points. Two of the usual suspects are there after narrowly missing relegation last year, Osasuna and Huelva, and Osasuna are only out of the bottom three above Mallorca on goal difference - both those teams have 24 points. Real Betis, despite being thrashed by Real Madrid last weekend top the group at the bottom with 26 points and I reckon they are too good to go down. My three: Numancia, Mallorca and Osasuna. Turning to Serie A there are five teams withing six points at the bottom. On a lowly 17 are Reggina, whose last win was in November last year. After a terrible start to the season, incredibly the team from Calabria have held AC Milan, Palermo and Roma to draws this this month. Above Reggina, in the relegation spots are Chievo Verona and Lecce on 20 and 22 points respectively. Torino and Bologna hover above them. Any of these teams could be relegated, but I reckon Reggina will pull off another escape whileA Chievo, Lecce and Bologna, in their centenary year, will go down. Finally, the Bundesliga. An incredibly exciting race at the top but what about the bottom of the league? Well it's just as tight at the bottom with six teams being sucked into the relegation battle. At the moment Borussia Monchengladbach are bottom - a far cry from their glory days which started in the late seventies when they featured in the European Cup losing to Liverpool 3-1. Kalsruhe and Bochum are one and two points ahead respectively with Bielefeld, Cottbus and Hannover hovering above the drop zone. What makes the Bundelsiga fascinating this year is that everyone seems capable of beating each other. Recently, for example, Kalsruhe beat leaders Hamburg, but were beaten by Bochum the week before. This one's too close to call.

After almost a three-month break the Champions League is back and languagecaster previews the 8 mouthwatering ties that lie ahead. Will it be another all-English final or will the winner come from Spain, Italy or ... Greece? In addition we: Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the Predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Transcript After the rather dreary and predictable set of first round group matches the Champions League begins in earnest with next week's knockout stage. 16 teams will play two legs to determine the quarter-finalists. Last year's beaten finalists Manchester United and Chelsea are joined by two more clubs from England, as well as four from Spain, three from Italy, two from Portugal and one each from Germany, France and Greece. So, who are the favourites, the dark horses and the outsiders in this year's competition? The holders Manchester United are in fine form and few would bet against them winning the trophy for a second year running - something that has not happened since AC Milan did so in 1990. They will play Inter Milan who will be determined to reach the final for the first time in almost forty years - quite remarkable for a team that looks set to win its fourth straight Scudetto. Inter tend to fall at the the knock-out stages but they do have Jose Mourinho as their coach and he has had some recent success over the Red Devils. Jose's former club Chelsea are going through a bad patch but with Dutch coach Guus Hiddink recently installed their chances have improved. To make the next round they will have to beat Italian side Juventus who are also managed by a former Chelsea coach, Claudio Ranieri. There is a third Serie A - Premier League match up when Arsenal take on Roma and though both teams are not challenging for their respective domestic titles, on their day they can play some great football. Roma, especially, will need no further motivation to win as the final will be held in their own Stadio Olimpico on the 27th May. Many people's favourites to win the trophy are Barcelona who are currently running away with La Liga and playing a glorious brand of attacking football. They play French side Lyon who have declared that they will attack the Catalans in an attempt to get to the next round, which should make for an interesting affair. Nine-time winners Real Madrid play five-time winners Liverpool in a clash of European heavyweights. Both lie in second place in their domestic leagues some way off the leaders so they will be all out to do well in this competition. The other Spanish sides, Villareal and Atletico Madrid are both suffering from a dip in form but should fancy their chances against Greek side Panathinaikos and FC Porto respectively. Those two teams are ranked amongst the outsiders along with Sporting Lisbon who face German team Bayern Munich with Jurgen Klinnsmann's team viewed as a dark horse by many. So, who is going to win? Well, I am going for a Barcelona - Bayern Munich final with Lionel Messi leading the Catalans to their third major European title. But with my track record in predictions, I wouldna€™t bet on it.

Managers being sacked, canned, given the chop, released, fired... languagecaster takes a look at the language we use to describe a managers job in the seven stages of being a manager

After a thrilling end to the Argentinian apertura season in December, football returns to Argentina with the clausura season this weekend and languagecaster looks at some of the players and teams that will feature. We also ... Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the Predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Transcript After a thrilling end to the apertura season in Argentina last year, which ended in a three-way play off between Boca Juniors, San Lorenzo and Tigre, in which Boca triumphed, ita€™s time to restart the rivalries as the clausura season gets underway this weekend. Now, those three teams are from Buenos Aires, the heartland of Argentinian football, and with twelve of the twenty teams in the top division coming from the city at the mouth of the Uruguay River and the Parana River, it is unlikely that a team from outside the region will win the Championship this time round, although Newella€™s Old Boys from Rosario, 300 km northwest of the Buenos Aires, and Estudiantes from La Plata, southeast of the capital, could go close. So leta€™s take a look at some of the news before the season kicks off. Well, River Plate will be hoping that the return of Ariel Ortega, their former star, from Independiente Rivadavia, and Marcelo Gallardo from MLS team DC United, will inspire their team to forget the disaster of last season. They finished in last place after having won the clausura in 2008. To make matters worse, as already mentioned, their bitter cross-town rivals, Boca, lifted the Championship. It remains to be seen how Ortega gets on with coach Simeone after the public disagreements that led to el Burrito being a€˜adviseda€™ to leave River last year While Carlos Ischia remains as coach, Boca will be boosted by the arrival of a new director of football, Carlos Bianchi. Bianchi has coached in Europe with AS Roma and Atletico Madrid, and more successfully in Argentina with Velez Sarsfield, his old team, and Boca. They look like the team to beat especially after beating River Plate 2-0 in a pre-season warm up earlier this week. Estudiantes de la Plata a€“ the rat stabbers - scraped through to the next round of the Copa Libertadores with an unconvincing 1-0 victory over Sporting Cristal of Peru: goal difference saved them, and on this showing they look unlikely to mount a serious challenge in 2009. Tigre and Newella€™s Old Boys clashed in an exciting game this week, with the team from Rosario, Old Boys, beating the outfit from the capital. While Tigre have come close to winning the championship in the last few years, my money is on the old powerhouse from the barrio, San Lorenzo to wrestle the crown from their more, recently, illustrious Buenos Aires rivals, Boca. Could they regain their glory days of the early seventies when their players were courted by teams like Barcelona and their free-flowing style of play captured the imagination of the Argentinian footballing public? Probably not, but they may sneak the Apertura in 2009.

Kaka to Man City? Beckham to AC Milan? The transfer window has been full of rumours and gossip. On this week's show we take a look at some of the main transfer stories that have made the headlines over the past three weeks. We also ... Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the Predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Transcript With only a couple of days to go before the end of this winter's transfer window, the one-month period when teams can buy and sell players, we thought we'd review some of the main stories that have made the headlines over the past three weeks. After next Tuesday, clubs will not be allowed to buy new players or bring in someone on loan until July 1st which many claim is an artificial way of controlling market forces. Other groups who disagree with the transfer system include many Premiership managers who see it as something that unsettles players, disrupts their plans and as generally being unfair. On the other hand, football agents love this time of year as they know that they can earn large amounts of cash through the wheeling and dealing that goes on, while the fans also love the transfer window as it is a time of hope - your club may buy that striker you are looking for or sell the dodgy keeper you have had for too long. In addition, the media fuel the whole process with rumours appearing every day as to which players are moving to which clubs. So, who has gone where? Well, there has not been much activity actually. The top teams in England have bought 2 players between them: young Serbian winger Tosic has gone to Manchester United while Emile Heskey has moved to Aston Villa. This is similar with the big clubs in other European countries with only Real Madrid bringing in new players: Huntelaar from Ajax and Lassana Diarra from Portsmouth for a combined total of A£40 million. Most of the movement of players takes place among teams that are struggling to survive - panic buying if you will - as they gamble on staying in the lucrative top division. So, Tottenham have signed three players, as have Portsmouth and Hull City while West Brom, Newcastle and Bolton have also been busy in the transfer market. But perhaps the two biggest stories so far have involved players not moving from their clubs. David Beckham is currently playing for AC Milan but is on loan from LA Galaxy. Rumours are rife that he may make a permanent move to the Italian giants though the MLS club are flatly denying the possibility. But even Becks has been overshadowed by the proposed move of Brazilian star Kaka from AC Milan to the wealthiest club in the world Manchester City. For a week, this incredible transfer story dominated the UK press until the player turned down the chance of earning a world record salary and the possibility of playing in a relegation battle with City. Kaka is not moving anywhere this time but no doubt frightened club chairmen and managers will ensure that many others will do over the next couple of days.

Languagecaster look at one of the oldest rivalries in English football, the East Midlands derby between Derby Coury and Nottingham Forest. We also... Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the Predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Transcript There are many local rivalries in the footballing world. The Manchester Derby, and the Merseyside derby in England, Inter and AC Milan, The Ruhr Derby between Schalke and Dortmund in Germany, Atletico and Real Madrid are a few of them. When two neighbouring teams play each other it becomes much more than a simple game of football. It means a lot to many people. So here is my question for you: Which two neighbouring teams play for the Brian Clough Trophy? Do you know? The answer is Derby County and Nottingham Forest, both currently in the English Championship. And when they play each other the atmosphere is as competitive and fierce as any rivalry in the world. And the recent changes at both clubs have made this rivalry even more interesting. Leta€™s take a short look back at some of the key moments in their history. Brian Clough was the young manager that took Derby to the top of English football in the early 70a€™s. His success made him a hero to all the fans and his team made the semi-finals of the European Cup in 1973. However, when he left the club there was great surprise, even anger, when he became manager of local rivals Nottingham Forest. There he had even greater success, building a team that went on the win the European Cup two times. So Brian Clough became a hero in Nottingham too. In fact, the road between the two cities is now called a€œBrian Clough Waya€ and the teams play for the Brian Clough Trophy each year. In recent years both clubs have performed rather poorly, managers have come and gone, and the fans have been generally disappointed. But last week a couple of extraordinary events took place for the two clubs. Firstly, Nigel Clough, Briana€™s son, who played for Forest for many years, was confirmed as Derby Countya€™s new manager. Secondly Billy Davies, Derbya€™s former manager was confirmed as Foresta€™s new manager. Thirdly, the two clubs have been drawn to play each other in the FA Cup 3rd round. Having Nigel Clough at Derby has provided much media attention. Can he follow in his fathera€™s footsteps? Can Derby get back to the top of the Premiership? Can the Pride be put back into the club? As a Derby fan, I think we have a bright future. The appointment of Cloughie is a great one. Leta€™s start by beating Forest this weekend in the FA Cup. Go the Rams! Come on Derby! We are Derby... Damian: That was Trevor Francis' winning goal for Nottingham Forest in the 1979 EuropeanA Cup Final and here to talk a little more about Forest, Brian Clough and this week's cup match with arch rivals Derby County is Notts Forest fan Julian. Julian: Yes, well, the rivalry with Derby is an intense thing and central to being aA Forest fan is a hatred of Derby, it's all we tend to sing about, er, and we revel in any kind of misfortune that comes to Derby in any sort of way. At the moment the rivalry is quite ... particularly pertinent because we are very close together in the league and in fact sadly for the last three seasons we've not even been in the same league. Derby for some inexplicable reason have been in the league above us but now we're fighting together and it's very important. The Cup is a welcome distraction from the miserable season that both of us have had and it's ... it will be something that both teams will enjoy. Both the teams have players who played for the other team. Cris Commons is a Forest player and always claimed that he's from Nottingham and always told, certainly told us that he was a Forest fan and then inexplicably went to play for Derby, which is unforgiveable so we will make his life very unpleasant tomorrow night. Brian Clough, you can't talk about Forest or Derby without ... talking about Brian Clough. I think you can talk about Derby without talking about Brian Clough in fact because people tend to forget I think the Clough connection with Derby though what he did at Derby was unbelievable in the short time that he did there. Not as incredible as what he did with Forest with those two European Cup victories 1979, 1980. Clough factor, Nigel Clough, Brian Clough's son, now managing Derby. It's his first real management job, he spent ten years at Burton, at non-league Burton Albion, gone to manage Derby now certainly hasn't won a game since he's been there and I very much hope that that doesn't change tomorrow. Damian: So, a final prediction? J

On this week's show we take a look at one of the greatest players to have played in the Premier League: Ryan Giggs. We also: Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the Predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Transcript We've already mentioned how good a week it has been for Manchester United after their defeat of Chelsea and the man of the match in that game was the oldest player on the pitch, the player with most appearances for his club and the owner of more domestic honours than any other player in British history. Ever. Of course, we are talking about Manchester United and Wales' star Ryan Giggs. Giggs made his debut at 17 for Manchester United in the 1991 season and was part of the team known as 'Fergie's Fledglings' - the group of players that emerged from the youth system at Old Trafford and included Phil and Gary Neville, David Beckham, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes. He established himself as a first team regular on the left wing the following season and since then has hardly ever been sidelined. His pace, close ball control and dribbling skills meant he was feared by defenders but he also worked hard and it was clear that he possessed a good football brain. He scored his first goals for the club in 1992 which, incidentally was the inaugural year of the Premier League, and, remarkably, he has scored in that league every year since then - the only footballer to have done so. The following season he was part of the United team that won the League for the first time in more than 25 years. They retained the title the year after that and incredibly have gone on to win 10 of the last 15 Premier League championships - and yes, Giggs has 10 league winners' medals, more than any other player in English football history. He also has four FA Cup winners' medals - including three domestic doubles. He won 2 League Cups, 2 Champions Leagues, 2 World titles as well as a host of individual awards. He has scored over 100 league goals for the club and has almost 300 assists, which is a league record, as well as playing more than 100 times for United in the Champions League. Indeed, he holds the Manchester United appearance record which he took from Sir Bobby Charlton after last season's Champions League final in Moscow. After last week's matches he had played 782 times for the same club - amazing longevity and loyalty. Oh, he has never been red carded in any of those games for the Reds either. He also has 64 caps and 12 goals for his country and what a pity it was that he never managed to play in a Word Cup or European Championship final, though he has been mentioned on a Simpsons' episode, something that Giggsy claims to be a highlight of his career. But perhaps the standout moment of his career was the amazing goal he scored against Arsenal in the semi-final of the FA Cup in 1999 when Manchester United were down to ten men in extra time. The team were lifted and of course went on to win an unprecedented triple.

On this week's show we take a look at David Beckham and his body art. In addition, we: Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the predictions competition For learners of English check out our Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a massive collection of football vocabulary, cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists

On this week's show Damon and Damian take a look back at the highs and lows from 2008 for their respective clubs: Liverpool and Tottenham. We also: Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Transcript Well, the second half of 2008 has been much better than the first half. Liverpool are top of the league and mounting a serious challenge for the title. It's good to see the Reds in the frame at the beginning of the year. Compare that with losing to Barnsley in the FA Cup, being beaten again by Manchester United - 3-0 at Old Trafford - Ouch!, and never really being in contention for the title. But let's return to the good - Another was their Champions League cup run - After finishing second in their group they accounted for Inter in the last 16, then Arsenal in a thriller at Anfield in the last eight, before finally succumbing narrowly to Chelsea in the semis in another classic European tie. Skill, passion, drama, and of course a Liverpool victoryA mean the Champion's League second leg against Arsenal at Anfield which saw the tie swing one way and then the other, is my highlight of the year. Hypia's powerful header, Torres' vicious strike seemingly winning it and then Theo Walcott set up one of the goals of the year, but that was to be followed by Babel coming on and earning a penalty, that was dispatched by Gerrad. Babel went on to score one of his own. These moments will always be good to watch again. It goes without saying that the goals from Fernando Torres in 2008 were also a highlight, but unfortunately injuries have kept him out of the side for much of this season. Signings this year have been good, bad and ugly. Riera has added some real menace on the left with his pace and ball control and a genuine left foot, while Keane's signing for 20 million has not been so good. But one definite ugly on the signing's front has been Dossena at left back: his lack of pace and defensive weaknesses have really cost Liverpool a few points. While Liverpool have struggled against teams like Stoke, Fulham and Hull, they have picked up seven points from nine against their other big rivals, beating Manchester United at last, ending Chelsea's unbeaten run and drawing away at Arsenal. Another seven from the return fixtures would do me nicely. So, in with a shout of the title, more funds available for January - a left back please - and a great tie against Real Madrid to look forward to. It could be a very good year for Liverpool. As 2008 started there was optimism in the air for Spurs. After a poor start to the season Spaniard Juande Ramos' methods seemed to be paying off with impressive performances against Manchester United in the League and then a 5-1 demolition of north London rivals Arsenal in the semi final of the Carling Cup. This was topped however by the final itself in which Spurs beat hot favourites Chelsea 2-1 and this after going a goal down early on. Ramos' golden touch had worked again and those fans who had questioned his appointment - myself included - began to think that he may indeed be the man to lift Tottenham into the top four, which just goes to show what we know about football. The team only won two of their remaining eleven fixtures in the league, finishing 11th, way off the pace and the two previous 5th positions we'd managed under Martin Jol. A heartbreaking quarter final defeat to Dutch side PSV in the UEFA Cup on penalties summed up this final part of the season. Despite this, many tipped 2008-09 to be a breakthrough one for Spurs but when we sold our club captain Robbie Keane to Liverpool and his strike partner Dimitar Berbatov to Manchester United before the season had begun this was all thrown into doubt. Transfers and Tottenham go hand in hand with almost A£150 million passing through the club in a six week spell in the summer. Indeed, only four players that had beaten Arsenal in that Carling Cup semi final a year ago are still at the club, a ridiculous turnover and one that could be blamed on sporting director Damian Comolli who became a real hate figure before being fired in September, along with manager Ramos. A disastrous start to this season saw us bottom and winless after seven matches. In came Harry Rednapp who seems to have steadied the side somewhat though we currently sit in 15th place in the league - still very much involved in a relegation dog fight. One thing that Rednapp needs to do is improve the inconsistency that is Tottenham. Good results against the top four sides have been offset by poor form against probable relegation candidates. So, for every 4-4 dra

On this week's show we salute the new Apertura champions in Argentina, Boca Juniors, as well as the Club World Cup winners Manchester United. We also: Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, football cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Transcript Boca Juniors are the new Argentinian champions after an extremely tense finale to the Apertura season. San Lorenzo, Tigre and Boca all finished on 39 points at the end of the regular nineteen game tournament, meaning that, as goal difference does not count, there would be a three way play-off for the title, something that has not happened for 40 years. Remarkably, Boca, Tigre and San Lorenzo each won and lost a game against each other in the mini league decider but Boca's goal difference of +1 was just better than Tigre's zero and San Lorenzo's -1. The final game saw Boca play Tigre and when the Tigers scored in the second half it looked as if a major shock was on the cards - Tigre have never won a national title - but Boca held on to win their 23rd national championship and their first since the Clausura of 2006. This season's top scorer was 15-goal Jose Sand from fourth place Lanus who had also been in the title race right up until the final round of matches and thanks to their Clausura performances have qualified for the 2009 Copa Liberatdores. Another team that will play in that tournament is Boca's great rival, River Plate despite finishing bottom of the table. They sacked their coach Diego Simeone, lost their troubled star Ariel Ortega and only won two matches all season, which their captain Galmarini called shameful, which was hard to disagree with. Boca will be favourites to retain their title when the clausura kicks off in early 2009 and if they can prevent their top players from moving to Europe and keep midfield maestro Juan Riquelme fit, they will have a strong chance of winning the continental crown as well next year.

On this week's show we focus on some innovations in football; new ideas to 'improve' the game of football

2008 FIFA Club World Championship: On this week's show we focus on the FIFA Club World Championship taking place in Japan in which Manchester United are the hot favourites.

Winter is closing in and leagues in Europe are approaching the half way stage. On this week's show we talk about cup competitions, fights, super subs, while our main piece features the Ballon D'Or, recently won by Ronaldo of Manchester United. We also: Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, technical terms, cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Transcript Ronaldo is the new European Footballer of the Year after being presented with the Ballon D'Or trophy earlier this week. With 42 goals, a Premier League title and a Champions League winners medal in his pocket it was always going to be Ronaldo. So, on this week's main report we take a look at the award itself, the Ballon D'Or. The Ballon D'Or or Golden Ball award was established by French football magazine France Football in 1956 to showcase the best player on the continent. Now, the first ever winner was English and Blackpool star Stanley Matthews who was then followed by two Spanish greats, Luis Suarez and Alfredo Di Stefano. For a country that has produced a long line of top quality players it is amazing to think that no other Spanish player has won the award since then. Although the title of the award is European Player of the Year it is now open to players from anywhere in the world, so in effect it is a rival to FIFA's World Player of the Year trophy. The process of deciding the top player is a rather complicated one with the magazine first of all choosing 50 players they feel have performed at a high level throughout the year. Then, 96 journalists from all around the world choose five of these players and place them in order; giving five points to the best player, four for second, three for third and so on. Whichever player then has the most points is the Ballon D'Or winner. Three players who have won the coveted award on three different occasions are Michel Platini who won it three years in a row from 1983 to 1985, Johan Cruyff won it three times between 1971 and 1974, with two different clubs, Ajax and Barcelona, while fellow Dutchman Marco Van Basten won it in 1988, '89 and in 1992 when he starred for the Netherlands in their European Championship win. Winners do tend to come from successful international winning teams, thus Matthias Sammer from Germany in 1996, Zidane for France in 1998, Brazil's Ronaldo in 2002 and Italian skipper Cannavaro in 2006. Unfortunately for 2008 European Championship winning captain and Real Madrid title winner Iker Casillas, this trend did not continue this year. The fact that he is a goalkeeper probably did not help his cause either as only one ever keeper has won the award, that's Russian Lev Yashine in 1963. Strikers have always been the preferred choice of voters and the past few years winners have included, Kaka, Ronaldinho, Schevchenko and even Michael Owen in 2001. Therefore, 42 goals in one season was always going to be enough for Ronaldo to walk off with this year's award.

This weeka€™s show focuses on the MLS a€“ Major League Soccer - as it comes to the end of its 2008 season. We look back at some of the winners and the losers and, oh yes, David Beckham! Podcast 16: Worksheet We also: Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, technical terms, cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Transcript Columbus Crew from Ohio are the new Major League Soccer champions after beating New York Red Bulls 3-1 in Los Angeles' Home Depot Stadium last weekend before a full house of 27.000 fans. The Ohio side were always in control and deservedly won their first ever title, particularly as they had the best regular season record as well. Of course, like other major sports in the USA, there are conferences, or divisions (a western and an eastern) as well as a play-off system in place in its football season. The best eight teams then play a knock out competition at the end of the regular season. New York had sneaked into the play-offs but then hit a run a form that saw them beat Western Conference winners Houston and then Real Salt Lake in the semi finals while at the same stage Columbus defeated Chicago Fire 2-1 despite going behind to a goal from former Fulham star Brian McBride. Columbus is a real hotbed of soccer in the States with the national team often playing their home matches there (especially when Mexico come to play!) but though they are regarded as a strong club they still have some way to catch DC United's record of four titles. The League has been running for thirteen years now and is generally in good health. Average crowd size is just over 16.000 with the LA Galaxy the best-supported club in the league with an average of 26.000. Considering that they are one of the worst teams in the league it must be due to something, or someone, else. That would be David Beckham, of course, who continues to draw the fans and the publicity. He had an okay season playing in 26 matches and scoring five times. He also had eight assists. a€˜Becksa€™ is off on loan to Milan for a couple of months while the MLS takes a break and we wonder if he will return in March for the 2009 season. And there will be changes in the MLS next season. Currently there are 14 clubs but that number will increase to 15 when the Seattle Sounders enter the league as the latest expansion club. There will be two or maybe three more new teams in the near future with bids from cities like Ottawa, Vancouver and a rather intriguing one from Miami as they are being backed by Barcelona. There are also talks of a possible one division, two-campaign season similar to many south American leagues sometime in the future. Beckham's team mate at LA Galaxy, Landon Donovan is another one going to Europe, he will be playing at Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, and this season's top scorer - he notched 20 goals in the 30 game season - will be hoping to do better than he did in two previous spells in Germany. The MLS player of the season was Argentinian midfielder Guillermo Schellotto from Columbus Crew which was apt as he not only played at a high level throughout the campaign, he also had assists for all three of the goals in the final last week. It will be interesting to see how he and his team mates at Columbus Crew fare in the CONCACAF Champions League next season.

With Gamba Osaka claiming the Asian Champions League title last week Japanese football is on the rise and so on this week's main report Damon takes a look at the J-League, the domestic league in Japan. We also: Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football rent a car bulgaria And continue the predictions battle in the predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: ** New Feature ** Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, technical terms, cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Transcript Football truly is the world's game. And a look at the success of the J-League is a great way to remember how vibrant the sport is in Asia. Here's the J-League in numbers. 15 - The number of years the league has been running. Although the Japanese Football Association was created in 1921. 18 - The number of clubs in the expanded J-League. In 1993 the league started with ten clubs taking part. So the expansion to 18 would seem to reflect the growing popularity of football in Japan. 5 - This is the number of times Kashima Antlers, from Ibaraki a prefecture to the north of the metropolis of Tokyo, have won the Championship making them the most successful club in the short history of the J-League. Currently they are top of the league again and they may be able to win the title for the second time in a row. A feat they and Tokyo Verdi have achieved. 3 - There are three fixtures left in the season, with only three points seperating the top six teams. Also, three is the number of times that Urawa Reds from Saitama, again just north of Tokyo, have been runners up in the J-League. They are currently second, one point behind Kashima. They dropped to second last year in the last game of the season! 19,081 - The average attendance in 2007 of J-League matches. This is higher than 16 teams in the Championship (the second tier league) in England. Very similar to Reading's 19,138. 21 - Goals scored by Marquinhos of Kashima, the leading goal scorer in J-League. Next is Davi of Sapporo with 14. I think the Golden Boot award is safely with Marquinhos. 22 - The planned number of clubs for J-league. 7- The number of teams that started in 1993 and still remain in the J-League. Kashima, Urawa, Shimizu, Kashiwa, Nagoya and Tokyo Verdi (then Verdy kawasaki), and also JEF Ichihara. 2- The number of tickets I have for this weekend's game between Kawasaki and Osaka. Both clubs can win the title, but realistically, Kawasaki, at the moment fifth on 51 points, are the only ones in the hunt.

On this week's show, our German correspondent, Hans, takes a look at the surprise package in the Bundesliga, Hoffenheim. Worksheet Podcast 14 We also: Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Football rent a car bulgaria And continue the predictions battle in the predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: ** New Feature ** Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, technical terms, cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Transcript Welcome from another report from the Bundesliga, and this season has been quite exciting already. Bayern Munich are not performing as well as usual, Hamburg, Shalke, Bremen struggling a little bit, and at the top of the table Bayer Leverkusen and the unlikely name of Hoffenheim. Who are Hoffenheim? Well, they were promoted this season to the Bundesliga for the first time. They are a tiny team. In fact, their home stadium only holds just over 6,000 fans, so they have to play at a bigger stadium nearby. Hoffenheim are causing a stir because of their exciting, attacking style of play. Their games have been won by large margins, and they frequently score four or five goals in a game. In fact, they have scored more goals than any other team in the Bundesliga this season. Hoffenheim were only in the second Bundesliga for one season too, and they are backed by a lot of money, which they are investing in a much needed new stadium. The Bundesliga has a couple of other points of interest at the moment. Podolski is well known, he plays for Bayern Munich, but he can't seem to get a game, and he may be leaving them in this transfer window to go back to his hometown Koln. Meanwhile Bremen are struggling to find form, and even in the Champions League have not won a game yet. Bayer Leverkusen, as mentioned before, currently sit on top of the table, and their young team are playing exceptionally well. And they are my pick to lift the crown at he end of the season. But, as every neutral would say, we all hope Hoffenheim are the eventual champions.

Dream Team: On this week's show we take a look back at the fantastic Barcelona side of the early 1990s under Johan Cruyff's management, the Dream Team

On this week's show languagecaster reports on Kick It Out and the background to this anti-racism campaign in England. The worksheet can be downloaded here Worksheet 12. Both Damon and Damian are happy to review the footballing week as their teams recorded some good results, and... We also: Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a new football expression in English for Footballrent a car bulgaria And continue the predictions battle in the predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: ** New Feature ** Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, technical terms, cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Transcript Racism in football is thankfully dying out, mainly in part to the Kick It Out campaign that has raised awareness about the issue since it was formed in 1993.

How would you describe Brazilian football? German football? Or Italian football for that matter? On this week's show we ask some fans to describe the playing styles and characteristics of six top footballing nations. For English learners try the worksheet Podcast 11 We also: Review the football news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: ** New Feature ** Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, technical terms, cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Transcript Damon: OK. Germany Tim: Germany... efficient. Damon: Italy. Tim: Italy... tactical, a little bit conniving and lucky. Damon: Argentina: Tim: Creole football, dribbling, and playing the ref. Damon: England Tim: Bottlers, bad penalty takers, WAGs. Damon: Brazil. Tim: Flair, style, overweight strikers. Damon: Holland. Tim: Good tradition, bad present. *** Damon: Germany Ed: Unfortunately successful. Damon: Italy. Ed: Primadonnas Damon: Argentina: Ed: Hard workers. Damon: England Ed: Victory! Damon: Brazil. Ed: Style Damon: Holland. Ed: Underperformers. *** Damon: Germany Hans: Excellent team, always in finals, work hard. team mentality Damon: Italy. Hans: Hot and cold. They're winners and losers and sometimes cheats - like to dive, but technically very strong. Damon: Argentina: Hans: Very strong, very tough mentally and physically - all round solid soccer team. Damon: Brazil. Hans: Often referred to as a sort of a samba, stylish, like to dance, play, dribble, but mentally again hot and cold, sometimes very weak. Damon: England Hans: England always promise more than they deliver. Great players, but as a team seem to lack the mentality to go all the way. Damon: Holland. Hans: Traditionally, beautiful to watch, but seem to collapse at the quarter final stage, so mentally not as strong. *** Damon: OK, Germany John: Complex. Damon: Italy. John: Conniving, cunning, always looking for the opportunity. Capable of the most exhilarating moments and some of the most stupifyingly boring moments all in the one game. Damon: Argentina: John: Almost always entertaining. Damon: Brazil John: I've got nothing for you. Damon: England. John: Perennial under-performers. Disappointingly under-performing. Amazing individual talent that they never seem to be able to put together into a team performance. Damon: Holland. Ed: Holland always seems very organised on the field, but accompanied by all the stories of in-fighting and who's not getting on with whom, but it generally looks good on the field. *** Simon: Tendency to be cynical... efficient and robotic... the beautiful game... under-achievement and disappointment ... total football historically... beautiful on their day but can be dirty.

South Africa is just around the corner and the World Cup qualifiers are in full swing. On this week's show Damian reviews the European groups after watching his beloved Irish team in action last Wednesday We also: Review the news in the Good, the Bad and the Ugly Introduce a football expression in English for Football And continue the predictions battle in the predictions competition For learners of English check out our new Football Language Resources page with: ** New Feature ** Football glossary (a huge collection of football vocabulary, technical terms, cliches and football phrases) Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Transcript The nine European World Cup qualifying groups have started to take shape with most teams now having played four rounds of matches. Europe will have 13 representatives in South Africa made up from the nine group winners and four play-off winners from the best eight second-placed teams, which means that this qualifying section is more competitive than ever. Group 1 sees Denmark and Hungary topping the table on seven points two ahead of Sweden and a rather surprisingly poor Portugal side that only drew 0-0 at home to 10-man Albania on Wednesday. Group two is widely regarded as the weakest of the European section with Greece leading on nine points one ahead of unbeaten Israel. Now, how weak is this group? Well, Luxembourg already have four points. In group three Slovakia have nine points after their win over second place Poland on Wednesday. The surprise here is that the Czech Republic languish in fifth place four points behind their neighbours. Germany are riding high in group 4 after beating Russia and Wales this week. The Russians are four points behind but should pip the inexperienced Welsh side to that second spot. Group five has the current European champions in it and the Spanish continue to do well with an impressive away win at resurgent Belgium - this time thanks to a late David Villa winner - now they have maximum points from three games while Turkey are second one point behind. In group six England already look assured of qualification after their fourth win in a row - and three of those games were away - to lead Croatia and Ukraine by five points. Group seven is lead by Serbia and they are surprisingly five points clear of fancied Romania and France. The Dutch are leading group nine after their third win in three games with Scotland, Norway and Iceland all battling for that second spot. In group eight, which is arguably the toughest in the European section, world champions Italy lead with ten points from 4 matches with the Republic of Ireland in second on seven points from three games. This is a much-improved Ireland side and with Bulgaria only drawing their last two matches, there is a sense of optimism around the country that the team can make it to South Africa. Last night 55.000 fans turned out to witness the 1-0 defeat of Cyprus - a bogey side for the Irish in recent times - and after the game I asked three of the supporters what they thought of the Irish performance. Brendan: Yes, I think it was a case of the ends justifies the means because we were cautious and a bit nervous in the second half but three points is absolutely terrific at this stage of the tournament. It gives us seven after three games and if you compare that with how we did in the European Championship qualifiers we only had one point at the same stage. So... so, very pleased, er, we are still a bit shaky in parts but good performances by Doyle up front, Duff, of course, on the wing and Richard Dunne at the back, they were our best performers. DF: Shane, Trapattoni got it right, yes? Shane: Yes, he did. As Brendan was saying the end justifies the means but it's only sinking in now that I'm becoming more happy with the result. It was very nervy in the second half, I didn't think it had to be, I thought he could have made a few subs but as we ... as Brendan was saying beforehand the three points is all that counts and we got the three points and we're ... after three games seven points we gotta' be happy with that. We're doing better than Bulgaria are at the moment and if we keep that up we can at least finish second, you never know. DF: Patrick, er, who played well for Ireland? Patrick: I think ... I think Kevin Doyle had a great game and Damian Duff played really well, I was a bit worried about McShane all through the game but I think he just about hung in there so... DF: Still in with a chance ... to qualify for South Africa? Brendan: Absolutely, I mean Bulgaria only drew today away to Georgia and we've already beaten Georgia away so that's advantage us. Most people are thinking it's a fight for second place that''s probably fair with Italy winning again tonight. But... you know, Cyprus, Georgia, Bulgaria and ourselves I think why not? Why not Republic of Ireland in second?

The current downturn in the global economy has been well-documented but how will the so-called 'credit crunch' affect English football?

On this week's show we review the life and times of former England star Paul Gascoigne, as well as looking back at all the football news from around the world.

Five games have been played in the premier League and there's lots of talking points. On this week's show three fans of English football give their thoughts on the premier league start. For learners of English check out our Football Language Resources with: Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists ** NEW ** Football language glossary Transcript Damon: OK guys thanks for coming. Ia€™ve got one question to kick off - Has it been an exciting start to the Premier league season? Tim: Oh, I think so. Um, because there isna€™t a clear front runner at the moment, so um... and therea€™ve been quite a lot of goals in a lot of games. And quite a lot of attacking football actually, not so many... the teams that have come up from the lower division theya€™ve been attacking rather than just putting 10 men behind the ball, so I think wea€™ve had quite a lot of open football so far. Paul: The transfer window was very exciting as well. Um, the, of course, United finally getting Berbatov, but of course also Manchester City, the amazing uh goings on at Main Road, uh, Eastlands (a€˜Middlea€™ Eastlands) and buying Robinho of course. So thata€™s all very exciting. And ita€™s been fairly unpredictable, hasna€™t it as you say. Dave: Um, obviously for City ita€™s been a fantastic beginning to the season. Nobody would have believed it a week before it happened. In terms of the teams, Arsenal look very good. They play some great football I think. Chelsea look very very strong, and I think theya€™re going to win it this year. United have been very poor, really. Liverpool have been kind of the same as they always are - boring. Damon: OK. Which team or which player has impressed you so far? Obviously Liverpool havena€™t impressed you Dave. Anybody else? Tim: Well I would just take up Liverpoola€™s case for one thing, that um... We had a small game against United a couple of weeks ago and completely bossed them, so the midfield completely ran over the United midfield and fully deserved the win I thought. To be honest, they hadna€™t actually played that well up until then. And even against Stoke, they should have beaten Stoke at home. And that's the same kind of thing that happened last year. that those teams they should have, you know, killed off really they ended up drawing against. But in terms of teams that have impressed me, Arsenal, like you said, excellent. Some of the goals theya€™ve scored have been outstanding. And um, yes Chelsea look strong as well. Tim: Villa look good as well. They played the other week. Theya€™ve won three games away from home in a week, right. They won away at Stoke, they won away in the UEFA Cup and then they beat... Dave: West Brom. They beat West Brom Tim:.. so that was good for them. Dave: I think in terms of individual players though, Mascherano was very good for Liverpool. I think hea€™s made that spot his own now because that was kind of crowded last year, wasna€™t it. And um, hea€™s come into his own now. I think hea€™s played very well. I have to say something um for City in particular, uh, Steven Ireland. He was bit of a kind of a joke until recently has really benefited a lot from the changes there, so Ia€™d certainly put him down. But I think ita€s been more of good team performances rather than individuals. I think you could ask whose been a disappointment so far - Berbatov! Useless! Damon: OK, next question, really just a quick answer,, a yes or no kind of question. Will a team from outside the big four - Liverpool, Man United Chelsea, Arsenal - get into a Champions League spot? Dave: This year? No. Tim: No. Paul: Ia€™d say not. Damon: OK. And uh whoa€™s going down. You dona€™t have name all three but uh... Dave: Well it has to be Newcastle really. Ita€™s too late to turn it round. Paul: Um, the promoted teams, uh, Hull have started, theya€™re the obvious ones, Hull have started well, havena€™t they. Theya€™ve got some good points. Stoke have been doing OK I think, and then one of thema€™s in the bottom three... on of the promoted teams. Damon: I think it is Stoke, isna€™t it? Tim: Is it not West Bromwich? Paul: West Brom I think might be in the bottom three actually. I think ita€™s West Brom. Dave: Yeah, i have to say, I think West Brom are real candidates to go down. Theya€™re actually quite good. In the game against Villa they played very well, but they dona€™t have the... extra... Paul: Je ne sais quoi Dave: If you like. They dona€™t have the extra a€˜that which I dona€™t knowa€™. Damon: Tim? Tim: Uh, yeah, I would say West Brom as well. And uh I actually think Stoke will go down eventually. I mean I think theya€™ll end up, after Christmas, theya€™ll find points hard to get. I cana€™t see whose going to score enough of their goals. And um I would normally, every year I almost always think Wigan look dangerous to go down. But this year with Zaki I think theya€™re going to be OK. I think they might have a chance to stay. Tim: So do you think Spurs are going to pull it out