The Game

The Times' North East Reporter Martin Hardy joins Hugh Woozencroft and Gregor Robertson to look into the current situation at Newcastle United. At the time of publishing, they sit second bottom of the Premier League table with just one point from four matches. Fans have been unhappy for many years under Mike Ashley - but will the club ever be sold without some reinvestment first?(This conversation was taken from 'Henderson Saves The Day At Anfield', which was originally released on 16/09/21)Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Clarke and Paul Joyce.Liverpool nearly started their European campaign off poorly, but Jordan Henderson saved the day at Anfield. How important is he to Jurgen Klopp’s side? (00:00)Manchester City looked impressive going forward but also let in three goals last night. Have they shifted tactics or was it just a sloppy night for their defenders against RB Leipzig? (11:23)Manchester United were somewhat embarrassed on Cristiano Ronaldo’s European return, losing 2-1 to Young Boys. Was the artificial pitch party to blame and did Ole Gunnar Solskjær get his tactics all wrong? (20:30)Romalu Lukaku scored again at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea got started with a win - how can he look so settled into their side so quickly? (30:15)There were some other incredible matches in this week’s Champions League. Jude Bellingham looked the real deal, Lionel Messi had a quiet European debut for PSG and a former West Ham striker had quite the night (36:57)The Times’ North East Reporter Martin Hardy joins us following his article in The Times about the current situation at Newcastle (42:18)Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson and Alyson Rudd.Cristiano scored twice on his return to Old Trafford. Has he silenced the doubters and does he have special powers at the club? (00:00)Were the club right to welcome Ryan Giggs back for the game - especially given the allegations against Ronaldo? (09:35)Sunday Times Reporter David Walsh joined us to describe the atmosphere at Old Trafford after watching Ronaldo’s return (15:30)It was a mixed weekend for Liverpool. Mo Salah scored his 100th Premier League goal, but the injury to Harvey Elliott overshadowed everything. Gregor gives his opinion on the tackle and red card as a former professional (26:38)Arsenal finally got their much-needed win, but does this mean they’re on an upward trajectory from here on? (47:54)After a weekend of debuts - we pick our favourite and not-so-favourite debuts of the past (55:38)Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Clarke and Alyson Rudd.England ended the international break with seven points from nine, something Gareth Southgate sees as a success - but did the performances match up? The England manager didn’t make any substitutes - was that the right decision? (00:00)Is a World Cup every two years a good idea? UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has reiterated his opposition - but could it be a good thing for the game? (24:22)With fans set to miss watching Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to the Premier League due to the 3pm blackout rule - should it still be in force or have we just been treated to watching every match during the pandemic? (32:57)Ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United - we take a look at some other successful and unsuccessful returns by former players (43:27)Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Matt Lawton and Henry Winter.England have recorded back-to-back wins in World Cup qualifiers. The last game saw Jesse Lingard and Trent Alexander-Arnold return - but what does the future hold for both? (00:00)The Times’ Chief Football Writer, Henry Winter joins us with his thoughts on the England qualifier and whether Gareth Southgate has been grilled enough after the Euro 2020 final loss (16:18)We get the latest from the Wales camp with Gary Jacob, after Gareth Bale proved a few people wrong with a hat trick against Belarus. Scotland also did well, beating Moldova 1-0 (42:30)We unpack the madness after the game between Brazil and Argentina was abandoned after four players allegedly tricked their way into the country by saying they hadn’t been the UK in the past fortnight. This lead to Government officials storming the pitch early in the game (50:18)The new WSL season got underway over the weekend and with increased media coverage this season, The Times’ Molly Hudson joins us to discuss how this could be a pivotal year for the women’s game in the UK (53:00)Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Roddy and Jonathan Northcroft.Premier League clubs spent £1.1bn in the summer transfer window. Is this responsible given the current state or the world, or is this the norm? (00:00)We saw a late flurry of deals on deadline day - but who did the best business? Does Ronaldo make Manchester United challengers? (12:14)England play their first match since *that final we don’t speak about* tonight. Will they suffer a Euros hangover or can they move on to bigger things? What does our panel make of the attacking options in Gareth Southgate’s squad? (40:55)Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the top goalscorer in men’s international football - does this mean he’ll focus on his club career now? (58:10)Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Alyson Rudd, Tom Clarke and Henry Winter.Ronaldo is back! Was CR7 actually ever close to signing for Manchester City? His arrival means some of the younger attackers could miss out - are United taking a backwards step with this signing? (00:00)A fierce debate erupts on the topic of the use of VAR over the weekend after Paul Pogba wasn’t sent off for what looked like a dangerous challenge on Ruben Neves (20:38)The Times’ Chief Football Writer, Henry Winter joins us to give his take on the latest round of Premier League fixtures (28:50)Spurs top the Premier League, Arsenal are bottom. After another loss - is the trust for the process at the Emirates being lost? (42:40)Chelsea managed a draw against Liverpool, despite having 10 men for half of the game. Were these dropped points for Jurgen Klopp’s side? Are they poorly using the one player that could unlock most other sides? (53:50)Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Roddy and Tom Clarke.Harry Kane is staying at Spurs. Will his reputation be tarnished? Will the Tottenham fans forget about this? Will he leave next summer? So many questions! (00:00)Reports today suggest Cristiano Ronaldo has been offered to Manchester City for around £25m. Would he fit into Pep’s side and could he light up Manchester once again? (18:30)We’ve seen some big scoreline in the Carabao Cup second round - should Premier League teams be involved or could it become the EFL Cup instead? (23:45)West Ham have shown that last season wasn’t a fluke and their early performances this season have been just as impressive. Does David Moyes need a deeper squad and what can they achieve this season? (32:15)Liverpool take on Chelsea in the Premier League this weekend - are the visitors to Anfield the favourites? (38:04)Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Alyson Rudd and Henry Winter.Chelsea beat Arsenal in one of the most predicted results of the season so far. Did Romalu Lukaku have the perfect second debut and how does Mikel Arteta win back the fans after a disastrous start to the season? (00:00)Manchester United dropped their first points at the weekend against Southampton. What’s Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s biggest problem area in the squad and despite many outgoings - can Ralf Hasenhuttl do a good job at the Saints this season? (17:21)The Times’ Chief Football Writer Henry Winter joins us to give his take on the weekend’s games - including the view from the fans at Arsenal (26:35)Jurgen Klopp has encouraged us to watch wrestling - but is he actually angry or have the mind-games already begun? (38:43)We round up the rest of the weekend’s games as Danny Ings wows for Villa, Crystal Palace fail to score again and City pummel Norwich (44:40)Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Clarke and Jonathan Northcroft.Harry Kane remains a Tottenham player - he’s even posted a photo from the Spurs training ground. Will the Manchester City move happen and do they need to sell before they can complete the deal? (00:00)Romalu Lukaku is edging closer to his second Chelsea debut. He is the key to Thomas Tuchel’s side challenging this season? (18:00)Arsenal have added Martin Ødegaard and Aaron Ramsdale, but are they the answer to Mikel Arteta’s woes? (24:32)Are clubs struggling to sell their fringe players? Is there anything that can be done to stop talent being wasted on the bench or loaned out abroad? (35:19)You’ve probably seen the new Puma range of kits - they need discussing! (47:42)Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Clarke and Henry Winter.Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Jonathan Northcroft, Tom Roddy and Paul Hirst.The new Premier League season is almost upon us - but which teams will do well and which teams face another rocky road ahead? (00:00)We’ve got several new managers in the league this season. Some are well known but some we know very little about. Which teams have made the smartest appointments? Will Rafa Benitez win over the Everton fans? (22:01)Chelsea have already won one trophy after their UEFA Super Cup victory last night. Tom Roddy joins us from Belfast to reflect on a game which saw Kepa exorcise from demons from penalty shootouts gone by (37:48)Paul Hirst gives us his thoughts on how both red and blue sides of Manchester will be feeling going in to the new season and whether the addition of Harry Kane would make City dead certs for the title (43:48)We predict the big stories of the coming season, with some less-than-impressive headlines we expect to see before May (50:48)Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Roddy and Alyson Rudd.We’re back and there’s a lot we need to catch up on before the Premier League season starts..Harry Kane is having ‘showdown talks’ with Nuno Espirito Santo as he continues his bid to leave the club. Will Kane get his way and has he acted professionally? (00:00)Jack Grealish is the most expensive British player after his £100m move to Manchester City. Do the club actually need him and can he step up to an even higher level? (25:05)Lionel Messi finds himself in an unexpected and emotional situation as he move on from Barcelona. The Times’ Ian Hawkey joins us with more on Barcelona’s financial worries (34:02)Do we fully buy into Messi’s press conference tears, just a year on from him trying to leave the club? Where would we really like to see him playing, instead of PSG? (45:55)Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson and Tom Clarke.The EFL returns this weekend, and with fans! Despite this positive, how will the pandemic continue to affect clubs negatively and are players putting financial security above professional aspirations? (00:00)It wouldn’t be a preview show without our predictions, so we pick which teams should be challenging in all three leagues this season (18:20)Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Alyson Rudd and Tom Clarke.Football didn’t come home and a penalty shootout once again thwarted England. We begin our round up with the positives from the tournament for Gareth Southgate’s young team (00:00)Was Gareth Southgate out-managed by Roberto Mancini? Which areas of the field were key for Italy to grab control after going behind early on? (20:43)While the players did everyone proud, the fans showed themselves in the worst possibly light. The FA have UEFA have released statements on abuse players have since received, fans misbehaved across London and some even stormed Wembley Stadium - how much has this tarnished England’s efforts on the field? (48:50)We round off the tournament with our favourite goals, players, teams and moments (01:13:10)Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Jonathan Northcroft and Matt Lawton.Nerves are at an all time high ahead of the final - even the Scots among us are getting for the final. We discuss the mood in the England camp and how the country is bracing itself for the events of Sunday night (00:00)David Walsh joins us to discuss Gareth Southgate, the person. He’s the only man to have written a book about the England manager, with his input and blessing (30:18)The Times’ European football reporter Ian Hawkey has the latest from the Italian side of the fence. Do they see England as a threat or are they confident of making it 34 in a row? (46:08)It’s time for our final predictions - is football coming home? (56:45)Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Alyson Rudd and Tom Clarke.England are through to their first ever European Championships Final with an extra time win over Denmark. Does the dubious penalty decision and poor spot kick from Harry Kane take any of the shine off the achievement? (00:00)Gareth Southgate brought Jack Grealish on in the second half - then controversially substituted him off during extra time. Was this disrespectful to the player, or great management of the game? (24:48)England will take on Italy who are unbeaten in 33 straight games - what will England take from this match, back to Wembley on Sunday and are these the two best teams of the tournament? (34:00)Tonight’s result:England 2-1 Denmark (AET)Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Matt Lawton and Henry Winter.Italy are into the final after one of the best matches of the tournament against a revitalised Spain. Is Spain’s problem the lack of someone to put the ball in the net? Can Italy be beaten or are they destined for glory? (00:00)Denmark stand in England’s way if they want to join the Italians in the final on Sunday at Wembley. Is this arguably a bigger moment than the same stage at Euro 96? (21:50)What’s different about this England team? Is the change in culture down to Gareth Southgate alone? We make out final predictions ahead of tonight’s semi-final (39:10)Tonight’s result:Italy 1-1 Spain (Italy win 4-2 on penalties)Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Roddy, Paul Hirst and Paul Joyce.The first semi-final is here as a free-flowing Italy take on a slow-off-the-mark Spain at Wembley. We look at how the teams have made it this far and how the managers match up (00:00)Spanish manager Luis Enrique spoke before the game and The Times’ Paul Hirst joins us with the latest - including the important role the team’s psychologist will play throughout the day (13:00)We break down the key areas and players in each area of the pitch ahead of the first semi-final. Will Spain’s attack be able to break down the ageing Italian defence? (17:44)Ahead of England’s semi-final against Denmark tomorrow night - The Times’ Paul Joyce joins us with the latest from Gareth Southgate’s squad (34:22)Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Clarke and James Gheerbrant.England have made the Euro 2020 semi-finals with a simple win over Ukraine. Did Gareth Southgate get his tactics spot on again? Which players shone and were any of the opposition worthy of praise? (00:00)Gareth Southgate’s side will take on Denmark in the semi-finals after their impressive tournament continued with a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in a baking hot Baku. The Times’ European Football writer Ian Hawkey joins us to weigh-up whether they are a threat to England (26:32)All attention turns to that semi-final next Wednesday - the stage in major competitions England struggle with. Can they go one better this time around? Gregor offers his.. diplomatic.. opinion on whether football is indeed, coming home (32:35)Today’s results:Czech Republic 1-2 DenmarkUkraine 0-4 EnglandGet more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Matt Dickinson, Matt Lawton, Jonathan Northcroft in Rome and our special guest, Jose Mourinho.Italy are through to the semi-finals, where they’ll take on Spain. They managed to overcome the top-rated team in the world in Belgium, but with Leonardo Spinazzola seemingly suffering a serious injury - at what cost? (00:00)Spain scraped through on penalties against a spirited Switzerland who’ll count themselves unlucky. Can they go any further and was Remo Freuler right to be sent off for the Swiss?(12:07)Jose Mourinho joins us once again to give his thoughts on England’s chances tonight against Ukraine. Does he expect Harry Kane to find his form now he’s got a Euros goal? (24:05)The rest of the team take a deeper look into tonights fixtures and Matt Lawton argues his case for papers leaking team news ahead of matches (29:52)Today’s results:Switzerland 1-1 Spain (Spain win 3-1 on penalties) Belgium 1-2 ItalyGet more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Roddy and our special guest, Jose Mourinho.We reflect on the knockout stages so far. Can the quarter finals top the goals and shocks of the Round of 16? How will teams deal with missing players and could they be the difference between going through and going home? (00:00)Jose Mourinho is our special guest throughout the tournament and he joins us to give his thoughts on the knockout stages so far and how he thinks the first two quarter finals will go down (24:10)We predict which teams could cause the shock of the knockout stages - could Ukraine down Gareth Southgate’s men? (35:06)Tonight’s matches:Switzerland vs SpainBelgium vs ItalyGet more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Alyson Rudd and Tom Clarke.England have broken the curse of playing Germany in tournaments with a 2-0 win at Wembley. Did Gareth Southgate get his tactics spot on and which players stood out? (00:00)Did Harry Kane find his form again or is there still a long way to go before he’s back to his best - and if so, why? (13:26)While England celebrate, Germany lick their wounds. What went wrong for them in what was Joachim Löw’s final match in charge? (22:24)Today’s results:England 2-0 GermanySweden 1-2 UkraineGet more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Matt Dickinson, Henry Winter and Matt Lawton.France were sensationally knocked out of the tournament last night - but what went wrong for Didier Deschamps’ side and can Switzerland go much further? (00:00)Spain let in one of the most embarrassing own-goals in history but went on to progress after an impressive turnaround. Are they building momentum at exactly the right time? (14:18)England take on Germany tonight and Henry Winter joins us with the latest from the pre-game press conference. Who could be a surprise penalty-taker, should it go the distance? (21:30)With all of the history between the two sides on everyone’s mind - will what happened in 1996 weigh on the players’ minds or are they too young to worry? (34:50)Today’s results:Croatia 3-5 SpainFrance 3-3 Switzerland (4-5 on penalties)Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Roddy and Constantin Eckner.Belgium march on at the expense of Portugal. Did Roberto Martinez’s side deserve to progress and why didn’t Ronaldo get much luck in the game? (00:00)The Netherlands crashed out at the hands of the Czech Republic in what some are calling the shock of the tournament. What went wrong and should Frank de Boer look for a new job? (16:08)The Times’ German football reporter Constantin Eckner joins us to give us the German perspective on the Round of 16 match against England on Tuesday (27:30)Croatia take on Spain and France are up against Switzerland tonight - we preview both matches (35:40)Today’s results:Netherlands 0-2 Czech RepublicBelgium 1-0 PortugalGet more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Alyson Rudd, Ian Hawkey and Tom Clarke.Wales are out after a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Denmark. What went wrong after so much promise and why didn’t Rob Page react to what was happening time and time again on the pitch? (00:00)Gareth Bale’s big secret was promised after the tournament - so what has he got up his sleeve that he’s kept us waiting to hear? (16:32)Denmark didn’t just keep their momentum going, but looked impressive in victory - could Alyson’s pre-tournament prediction of a Danish triumph actually happen? (17:46)Italy are through, but did the second half against Austria show some worrying signs for their chances of tournament victory? (23:08)Who will progress from Sunday’s ties in the Round of 16? Will Cristiano Ronaldo continue his impressive (penalty) scoring record or will Romelu Lukaku have the last laugh? (32:14)Today’s results:Wales 0-4 DenmarkItaly 2-1 AustriaGet more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Alyson Rudd and Tom Clarke.We take a look at the tournament so far as it heads into the knockout stages. Did the ‘Group of Death’ live up to the hype? Which teams have impressed and which have left us feeling deflated? (00:00)The panel select their ‘Best XI of the tournament so far’. Will Alyson pick Olivier Giroud despite him barely playing so far? Wales play the first of the last 16 matches against Denmark in Amsterdam. Will they be able to overcome ‘everyone’s second team’ and will the lack of fans affect them at all? (24:03)We end with predictions for the next round. Gregor was thrilled.. (35:45)Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Jonathan Northcroft, James Gheerbrant and Paul Hirst.The refereeing in the tournament is under the spotlight after a night of big decisions. Has VAR been implemented more efficiently at Euro 2020 than in the Premier League? (00:00)The ‘Group of Death’ threw up an exciting end to the group stage - with Germany sneaking through with a late goal to set up at tie against England at Wembley (12:58)Spain have finally shown they mean business in the tournament with a 5-0 win over Slovakia. Paul Hirst joins us live from Seville to weigh up their chances in the tournament (28:08)There was another thriller in Group E as Sweden scored a late winner against Poland. Could they go far into the tournament and are Poland one of the biggest disappointments of Euro 2020 (32:55)Today’s results:Sweden 3-2 PolandSlovakia 0-5 SpainPortugal 2-2 FranceGermany 2-2 HungaryGet more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Alyson Rudd, James Restall and Jonathan Northcroft.England are through as group winners - but did their performance against the Czech Republic do much to reassure they can challenge for the tournament? Do Jack Grealish and Bukayo Saka start the next game? (00:00)Scotland are out after a 3-1 loss to Croatia at Hampden Park. What can Steve Clarke’s side take away from their first tournament in 23 years and what do they need to improve on to qualify for the World Cup? (18:36)It’s the final day of the group stages. We look ahead to the conclusion of Groups E and F. Is Portugal vs France likely to be the standout game or will we be surprised? (29:34)Today’s results:Croatia 3-1 ScotlandEngland 1-0 Czech RepublicGet more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Matt Lawton, Henry Winter and Michael Grant.Denmark booked their place in the knock-out stages with an impressive 4-1 win over Russia. They’ll take on Wales on Saturday in Amsterdam - but can they topple Rob Page’s side? (00:00)Billy Gilmour has tested positive for Covid-19, ruling him out of their match tonight against Croatia and also forcing Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell into isolation. What really happened at Wembley to cause this precautionary exclusion from the squad? (13:38)Scotland need to beat Croatia to keep their hopes alive - but without Billy Gilmour, can Steve Clarke rouse the troops to put in the performance they need? (18:30)England take on the Czech Republic tonight, looking to win the group with victory. Who will Gareth Southgate bring into the side if Mason Mount can’t play and what other chances should he consider? (23:57)Today’s results:Ukraine 0-1 AustriaNorth Macedonia 0-3 NetherlandsRussia 1-4 DenmarkFinland 0-2 BelgiumGet more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Clarke and Matt Dickinson.Wales are through to the knockout stages of the Euros after a 1-0 loss to Italy in Rome. Did Rob Page’s players show they can go deep into this competition and should Ethan Ampadu have seen red? (00:00)Switzerland got the result they needed against Turkey - but why didn’t Turkey show up to this tournament? Has there ever been a more disappointing ‘dark horse’ before? (13:10)The Times reporter Paul Hirst joins us live from Seville to discuss just what’s wrong with Spain at this tournament. It seems the grass could be against them.. (16:56)Groups B and C play their final games on Monday. Are Denmark most people’s second team after what happened in their opener and can they do enough to qualify? (21:02)Today’s results:Italy 1-0 WalesSwitzerland 3-1 TurkeyGet more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Alyson Rudd, James Gheerbrant and Ian Hawkey.Germany have turned up - but did Portugal make it way too easy for them? Is Kai Havertz finally showing why he’s a £71m player? (00:00)France didn’t show why a lot of people have them as favourites for the tournament as they stumbled to a draw against Hungary. Do they need to give Olivier Giroud a chance up front? What do Spain need to do to turn their fortunes around after a disappointing performance against Poland? (11:28)Wales face Italy in Rome later - but will Rob Page rest players or, given they’ll get a game at Wembley if they win the group - could they go for it? (26:38)Today’s results:Hungary 1-1 FrancePortugal 2-4 GermanySpain 1-1 PolandGet more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Clarke and Tom Roddy.Scotland will go away from Wembley the happier side after holding England to a goalless draw. Who were the standout players for Steve Clarke’s side and did they make the changes Gregor longed for? (00:00)England registered one shot on target and Harry Kane was taken off in the second half. What problems does Gareth Southgate face after this lacklustre performance? (15:54)Is Harry Kane’s club future weighing on his mind? What do England need to do in their next game to get back on track? (24:47)Today’s results:Sweden 1-0 SlovakiaCroatia 1-1 Czech RepublicEngland 0-0 ScotlandGet more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Jonathan Northcroft, Alyson Rudd and Henry Winter.Belgium have secured their place in the knockout stage after an emotional match against Denmark. The entire stadium stopped and applauded on 10 minutes in support of Christian Eriksen. Are the Belgians in with a chance of winning the tournament after that performance? (00:00)England take on Scotland in a match that’s been anticipated for months - but can Scotland actually cause Gareth Southgate’s side some problems? (17:08)Today’s results:Ukraine 2-1 North MacedoniaDenmark 1-2 BelgiumNetherlands 2-0 AustriaGet more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Ian Hawkey and Gary Jacob.Wales have given themselves every chance of qualifying for the knockout stages with an impressive 2-0 win over Turkey. Why were Turkey so lacklustre - especially with their president in the stadium? (00:00)Gary Jacob was with Hugh in Baku and added his thoughts on a Wales performance that saw Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey at their very best (04:54)Italy have won both of their opening games 3-0 and with the latest win over Switzerland, look like they could trouble most sides as the tournament go on (21:42)Denmark play their next game tomorrow but how will the events of their opener affect the squad mentally and do they have any chance in recovering from that trauma to turn things around? (26:25)Today’s results:Finland 0-1 RussiaTurkey 0-2 WalesItaly 3-0 SwitzerlandGet more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Alyson Rudd and Tom Roddy.Two of the favourites entered the tournament, but after an own-goal was all that separated France and Germany - which side looks most likely to go all the way? (00:00)Cristiano Ronaldo broke the record for goals at European Championships on the same day he became the first player to make an appearance at five Euros. Could CR7 inspire Portugal to a repeat of 2016? (17:04)We’ve made it til the last day of the first round of group games and VAR get it’s first mention - with the group divided on how the technology has been used so far (23:29)Wales play a must-win game against Turkey, later. Hugh brings us the latest from a very positive Welsh camp in Baku (28:40)Today’s results:Hungary 0-3 PortugalFrance 1-0 GermanyGet more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Alyson Rudd and Michael Grant.Scotland didn’t get the start they were hoping for after 23 years of waiting - but what positives can be taken from their 2-0 loss to the Czech Republic? Where does this leave Steve Clarke’s side heading into the England game? (00:00)Are Slovakia this tournament’s surprise package after their win over Poland? What are Spain missing after they failed to break down Sweden (18:43)The ‘Group of Death’ gets underway later with Portugal, France and Germany all in with a shout. Is this where the eventual winner comes from and how do they cope with the pressure? (25:57)Today’s results:Scotland 0-2 Czech RepublicPoland 1-2 SlovakiaSpain 0-0 SwedenGet more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Matt Lawton and Henry Winter.England win their opening game of the European Championships for the first time ever as Southgate surprises with his choice at left back. Has Raheem Sterling made himself undroppable? (00:00)Scotland play their first tournament game in 23 years later - can they be the team to surprise many with a run into the knockout stages? (24:30)Today’s results:England 1-0 CroatiaAustria 3-1 North MacedoniaNetherlands 3-2 UkraineGet more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Jonathan Northcroft, Molly Hudson and Ian Hawkey.Football took a backseat as everything was put into perspective by Christian Eriksen’s horrific collapse on the pitch. Thankfully, he’s stable in hospital - but should the game have been restarted later in the day? (00:00)Did Wales show they have what it takes to replicate their impressive run in 2016 - or are they up against it after a lacklustre start against Switzerland? (11:20)England start their Euros campaign against Croatia on Sunday. The evening before kick off, they’ve released a statement and video encouraging fans to get behind the team - but will pre-match booing again be the talking point come full time? (23:00)Today’s results:Wales 1-1 SwitzerlandDenmark 0-1 FinlandBelgium 3-0 RussiaGet more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Clarke, Matt Dickinson and Alyson Rudd.Euro 2020 is finally here and so is the first of our special daily episodes of The Game!We react to the first game of the tournament as Italy show they mean business, Andrea Bocelli takes us back to Italia ’90 and a miniature remote-controlled car gets way more attention than perhaps it should have (00:00)Alyson, Matt and Tom make their pre-tournament predictions and we find out who Tom met in a petrol station while 'scouting' on behalf of England (25:25)Today’s result:Turkey 0 - 3 ItalyGet more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Roddy and Jonathan Northcroft.Harry Maguire remains a huge doubt for England’s opening match of the Euros against Croatia on Sunday, so how will Gareth Southgate line up? Is there any chance we’ll see four wing-backs on the pitch at the same time as rumours suggest? (00:00)Scotland are playing their first tournament for 23 years but do they have what it takes to be the surprise package of Euro 2020? (21:11)Hugh is in Baku where Wales play their opening two matches of the tournament. After their impressive performances at Euro 2016 - will Rob Page’s side surprise people again? (29:08)Jose Mourinho joins The Times to share his unique insight throughout the finals, both on the podcast and in his exclusive column. ‘The Special One’ picks his players to watch at Euro 2020 (39:43)With the first kickoff of the tournament just over a day away, we make our final predictions and there’s a clear favourite.. (44:16)Get more of The Times and The Sunday Times for less than £1 a day. Start your free trial: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Tom Clarke, Matt Dickinson and Henry Winter.England have played their final warm up game ahead of the start of the Euros. What have we learned from those results and was Ben White the right person to replace the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold? (00:00)A minority of fans at both warm up matches booed players taking the knee, despite Gareth Southgate’s request that people respect their right to protest. How will this affect the players at the tournament and why does it keep happening? (18:53)England play Croatia on Sunday at Wembley in their first match of Euro 2020. We discuss potential lineups, players who can make a difference and the hopes the fans have for success (32:40)Get your digital subscription to The Times and get a month free: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Tom Roddy and Jonathan Northcroft.England have named their 26 man squad and played their first of two warm up games - so how are they shaping up ahead of Euro 2020 and will they really need four right backs? (00:00)Wales had a tough night in Nice - playing most of their 3-0 friendly loss to France with 10-men after Neco Williams was dismissed. Despite that, Gary Jacob joins us to discuss the positives for Rob Page’s side (25:56)Scotland were denied a surprise victory in their warm up match against the Netherlands, despite having a number of key players missing. Could they be the surprise package in the tournament? Michael Grant joins us to discuss the positives for Steve Clarke’s side (36:47)Aside from the Euros, it’s already an interesting summer in the world of Premier League managers. Who will Everton and Spurs appoint and will it bring them the success they need after disappointing seasons? (40:59)Get your digital subscription to The Times and get a month free: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Tom Roddy, Matt Dickinson and Matt Lawton.Chelsea won their second Champions League title at the expense of a shell shocked Manchester City. Was N’Golo Kanté the difference? How much of their run should be credited to Frank Lampard or has Thomas Tuchel shown him up with this success? (00:00)Why did Pep Guardiola choose to try something completely new in the final of the most important game he’s managed for City? How will the club bounce back from this disappointment? (14:44)The final England squad will be announced for EURO 2020 tomorrow - are we any closer to working out which right back is likely to start? The two Matt’s give us the inside story on how they themselves, get the inside story from the England camp (28:14)After heartbreak last season, Brentford were finally promoted to the top flight - does this prove the changes to the club’s structure were a success? (52:14)Get your digital subscription to The Times and get a month free: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Tom Clarke, Jonathan Northcroft and Tom Roddy.Manchester United came up short against Villarreal in the Europa League final - are they further away from challenging for trophies than people think? Paul Hirst joins us live from Gdansk (00:00)Will Manchester City go one step further than United and win a European final this week? We look ahead to the Champions League final against Chelsea (23:24)Rumours that Mauricio Pochettino could be coming back to Spurs hit during the podcast - but surely that’s not a good move for the former Tottenham boss.. or is it? (40:21)The EFL playoff finals are coming up this weekend - Tom Clarke attempts to remain calm as we give our predictions for the three season-ending matches (48:46)Get your digital subscription to The Times and get a month free: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Tom Clarke, Matt Dickinson and Alyson Rudd.The Premier League season is over and its one we’ll never forget. We look back on the wider impact of football during the pandemic and what’s changed without fans in stadiums (00:00)Harry Kane might have won the golden boot - but which players secure the prestigious end of season awards from The Game? (13:31)Manchester United are favourites for the Europa League final against Villarreal - but does Ole need this trophy to silence the doubters? (41:46)How well did we predict the season ahead, back in September? We take a look back at the things we got right and also the things that surprised us! (49:12)Get your digital subscription to The Times and get a month free: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Roddy and Jonathan Northcroft.Harry Kane is finally looking for his move - but what are the chances he’ll be allowed to move and where could he realistically end up? Will Kane have to force a move or will his supposed gentleman’s agreement be honoured? (00:00)Roy Hodgson will leave Crystal Palace at the end of the season - how will he be remembered and does he have any more to give the game? Who could replace him at Selhurst Park? (21:53)Steve Clarke has named his Scottish Euros squad - with uncapped Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour included. Can the young team make an impression on their first major tournament since 1998? (34:37)The end of the Premier League season is in sight and the battle for the top four is still fierce. Are Leicester fading and could they miss out on the Champions League? Have Liverpool timed their run to the final day perfectly? (40:32)Get your digital subscription to The Times and get a month free: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Clarke and Alyson Rudd.Leicester got the better of Chelsea in the FA Cup final - did Thomas Tuchel shoot himself in the foot with his tactics? Who woke up with the trophy and how much expectation is on Brendan Rodgers going forward?Allison moved people to tears with his emotional winning goal and post-match interview - is it written in the stars that Liverpool will sneak a top four place? Chelsea’s women were shellshocked by Barcelona in the Women’s Champions League final - Molly Hudson joins us from Gothenburg to discuss what went wrong Why has Wolves’ season been so disappointing and do they run the risk of losing Nuno Espirito Santo to Spurs?Everton have ended the season poorly, after a bright start to the season under Carlo Ancelotti. What’s gone wrong at Goodison and could selling Richarlison solve all their problems?Inspired by Allison’s goal against West Brom, we end with our favourite goals by goalkeepers - Mart Poom’s header against Derby, anyone?Get your digital subscription to The Times and get a month free: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Clarke and Tom Roddy.Chelsea have a big weekend ahead of them with the FA Cup final - but by losing to Arsenal, have they blown the race for the top four in the Premier League wide open? (00:00)Managers have been backing Ole Gunnar Solskjær - but should Manchester United see any punishment for making 10 changes for their loss to Leicester? (19:32)Manchester City are Champions - but how long will the era of City dominance continue? Pol Ballús wrote about Pep Guardiola’s latest triumph exclusively for The Times and joins us to add his thoughts (26:54)As Fulham’s return to the Championship was confirmed - Will Scott Parker be back next season and which of the three sides going down is most likely to make a swift return? (41:23)The EFL playoffs get underway at the weekend - can Tom Clarke’s beloved Lincoln City make the final? Gregor Robertson gives us the ex-pro’s perspective on winning (and losing) at Wembley (46:48)Get your digital subscription to The Times and get a month free: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hugh Woozencroft is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tom Clarke and Alyson Rudd.We saw a preview of the Champions League final and Manchester City and Chelsea met in the Premier League over the weekend - but was it anything like the game we’ll see on May 29th? (00:00)Leeds United had a good weekend with a strong win over a struggling Tottenham. What’s next for Marcelo Bielsa’s side and how have Spurs come to have a 29 year old, inexperienced manager in charge? (12:31)Arsenal’s season is over - but is Mikel Arteta’s time at the club heading the same way? Will he still be in charge at the Emirates at the end of 2021? (36:52)Big Sam hasn’t quite come to the rescue for West Brom. Will they stick with the former England manager in the Championship and can they keep their squad together? (48:49)After Ed Sheeran announced he’s sponsoring Ipswich Town’s shirts next season, we end with our favourite musical collaborations with the game (53:20)Get your digital subscription to The Times and get a month free: thetimes.co.uk/thegame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.