Historical Analysis

Arsenal make up almost half of the all-time top 10 Premier League title bottlejobs as the 2025/26 vintage look to stake their claim.

Adam Elder, the author of "New Kids in the World Cup," joins Belz to talk about the pivotal 1990 World Cup qualifying campaign and the team that went to Italia '90. We mourn the end of the Concacaf qualifying gauntlet, discuss John Harkes' photographic memory, cover the press corps' antagonism to soccer in the 1980s, the genesis of the music video on the beach, and much h more.

Try The Athletic for FREE for 30 days: https://theathletic.com/tifofootball 📗 Tifo's new book, "How to Watch Football" is now available internationally: https://linktr.ee/tifobook The World Cup in Mexico 1970 was Brazil's World Cup, the World Cup of Pele, of beautiful football. The first televised, with new technology, inspired by NASA, promised modernity and a vision of the future. But the reality is set against the backdrop of military rule, oppressive governments and a misplaced romanticism. This is the story of Mexico 70. This is the sixteenth in a series, written by Jonathan Wilson, exploring the entire history of football. Illustrated by Philippe Fenner. Join the Tifo Discord Server - https://discord.gg/6nMGtSyyNM Follow Tifo Football by The Athletic: Facebook: http://facebook.com/TifoFootball Instagram: http://instagram.com/TifoFootball_ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tifofootball_ X: https://x.com/TifoFootball_ Listen to the Tifo Football podcast: The Athletic UK: http://bit.ly/TifoPodChannel Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/TifoFootPod Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/06QIGhqK31Qw1UvfHzRIDA YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWYJXDKS21OHj085qILmy-O2-yZqFIcuM&si=1tSREkvPh3Gps5NR Watch more Tifo: Tifo Football Podcast: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWYJXDKS21OHj085qILmy-O2-yZqFIcuM&si=1tSREkvPh3Gps5NR Tifo Sports by The Athletic: https://www.youtube.com/@TifoSports About Tifo Football by The Athletic: Tifo loves football. We create In-depth tactical, historical and geopolitical breakdowns of the beautiful game. We know there’s an appetite for thoughtful, intelligent content. For stuff that makes the complicated simple. We provide analysis on the Premier League, Champions League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, World Cup and more. Our podcasts interview some of the game’s leading figures. And our editorial covers football with depth and insight. Founded in 2017 and became a part of The Athletic in 2020. For business inquiries, reach out to [email protected]. Additional footage sourced from freestockfootagearchive.com Music provided by APM Music #Football #Soccer #History

Join our beautiful soccer community/discord and support the pod: https://www.patreon.com/samsarmy PREMIER LEAGUE: Pressure beginning to mount on Arsenal and Arteta. Tottenham and (especially) Nottingham Forest smash the panic button, bringing in temporary stopgap managers. PR101 tips for how Manchester United haircut guy SHOULD handle the situation moving forward. Weekend preview f/t biggest wild card game in recent North London Daerby history. HALFTIME: What If a legendary team from the 1950s or 60s played in the Premier League today - how would they do? ROUND THE WORLD: what to watch for from MLS in 2026 - on and off the field. STOPPAGE TIME: Ivan Toney's Best Bets and GOAWs

While most fans were focused on the 1974 World Cup, George Best was playing in South Africa. This piece was written by Luke Alfred for issue 14 Banned from international competition and unable to watch the 1974 World Cup on television, South African club owners devised a cunning plan. In a bid to boost home […] The post Best in Show appeared first on The Blizzard.

Welcome to It Was What It Was, the football history podcast. This week co-hosts Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper delve into George Orwell's infamous essay on sport, specifically focusing on Dinamo Moscow's 1945 tour of Britain. They explore Orwell's controversial viewpoint that serious sport is akin to 'war minus the shooting,' and delve into the historical and political context of this post-WWII football tour. The discussion covers the tactical innovations introduced by the Soviet team, the media and public's reaction, and the broader implications for international sport and politics. This episode provides an in-depth look at how football can both unite and divide, reflecting on Orwell's critique and its relevance to today's sports culture. 00:00 Introduction: The Dark Side of Sports 01:05 George Orwell's Influence on Sports 01:49 The Political Context of the 1945 Moscow Tour 02:47 The Goodwill Tour: Ideals vs. Reality 05:00 The Soviet Union's Football Strategy 08:23 The Arrival of Dinamo Moscow 21:45 The First Match: Dinamo Moscow vs Chelsea 30:53 The Political Showdown: Arsenal vs Dinamo Moscow 32:31 The Final Game in Scotland 35:56 Soviet Propaganda and the Legacy of the Tour 40:36 Tactical Innovations and English Football's Response 47:36 George Orwell's Critique of Sport 53:18 Football's Role in Nationalism and International Relations 01:00:51 Concluding Thoughts on Orwell and Football Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the summer of 1984 Terry Venables was the third-choice for the Barcelona job and had to fight the President to choose how to spend some of that Maradona transfer money but went on to win the club's first La Liga title in 11 years at a canter. That title was only a means to an end, however. Now that they had qualified for the European Cup, the quest was now on to reach their Holy Grail. Mike joins Martyn to discuss the two seasons as a whole as a manager that few fancied and a signing that fans had barely heard of would get so close to immortality and set in place a new culture that helped those who would follow. If you want weekly exclusive bonus shows, want your episodes without ads and a couple of days earlier or just want to support the podcast, then head over to patreon.com/NessunDormaPodcast where you can subscribe for only $3.99 a month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For this week's Totally Extra, Jimbo is joined by Duncan Alexander, Charlie Eccleshare and Stuart James to look back at Derby County's infamous Premier League campaign in 2007/08. Wrong place, wrong time for Billy Davies and Paul Jewell whose otherwise decent managerial careers were put under the spotlight with the history-making 11 point season. January business gone wrong, a -69 goal difference and only one win all season, but are they the worst Premier League side ever? Stuart has stories from Swindon's 93-94 season as the panel look at some of the other contenders for this unwanted moniker, including Sheffield Utd in 23-24. Plus, some of football's other unwanted records, including the longest goal drought and the player who had the longest run without a win. Produced by Jesse Howard and Charlie Jones. RUNNING ORDER: • PART 1a: Stuart James's 'debut' away at Venezia (00.40) • PART 1b: Duncan’s quiz question (04.05) • PART 1c: This week in football aka The Totally Almanac (04.55) • PART 2: Derby County's infamous 07/08 season (09.30) • PART 3: Other contenders for the worst PL team ever (27.10) • PART 4: Some of football's other unwanted records (37.30) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of It Was What It Was, co-hosts Jonathan Wilson and Rob Draper continue their deep dive into Brian Clough's transformative tenure at Nottingham Forest. This second part of a four-part special, captures the thrilling journey as Forest ventures into the European Cup, starting from their incredible 5-1 victory over AEK Athens and leading up to their historic final against Malmö. Expect to hear detailed anecdotes and insights revealing Clough's unique management style, key matches and significant strategic decisions, including the controversial but ultimately successful signing of Trevor Francis for a British record fee. Join us to explore how a team from the second division ascended to the pinnacle of European football. 00:28 Introduction to Nottingham Forest's European Journey 01:26 Forest's Rise to European Dominance 01:46 The Quest for the European Cup 03:36 Strategic Moves and Key Decisions 10:02 Facing Liverpool in the European Cup 12:42 The Tactical Genius of Clough and Taylor 26:17 The Aftermath and Moving Forward 26:38 Unbeaten Streak and Chairman Change 27:35 European Cup Drama: Forest vs. AEK Athens 28:19 Clough's Management Style and Larry Lloyd Incident 30:55 Training Anecdotes and Managerial Hypocrisy 37:39 Trevor Francis Joins Forest 40:51 League Cup Final and European Cup Quarter-Finals 42:25 Semi-Final Showdown Against Cologne 48:37 European Cup Final Against Malmö 55:27 Forest Crowned European Champions Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sir Kenny Dalglish, Chris Sutton and Alan Shearer are among the guests as Kelly Cates looks back on Blackburn's famous title win in 1995. Midfielder Mark Atkins explains how the club was rejuvenated by owner Jack Walker's investment, while Rob Coar, then club chairman, gives the view from the boardroom. And is it fair to say the club bought the title? Football finance expert Kieran Maguire goes through the figures. TIMECODES 10:00 Mark Atkins on Blackburn's redevelopment; 15:20 Alan Shearer on his famous partnership with Chris Sutton; 29:00 Sir Kenny Dalglish's reflections as manager; 50:00 Robert Coar's view from the boardroom 01:05:00 Kieran Maguire on Blackburn's finances that season.

Adam Hurrey is joined on the midweek Adjudication Panel by Charlie Eccleshare and David Walker. On the agenda: the near-universal enjoyment of Liverpool vs PSG, second-tier German woodwork noises, some fascinating BBC archive content involving some disgruntled 1970s Match of the Day viewers, the most common object used to explain the offside law and much more. Meanwhile, the panel confidently predict some future England one-cap wonders, based on some historical criteria. Listen to, watch and follow The England Pod Apple/Spotify - https://podfollow.com/the-england-pod YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@England_Pod Twitter - https://x.com/England_Pod Insta - https://www.instagram.com/england_pod TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@england.pod Adam's book, Extra Time Beckons, Penalties Loom: How to Use (and Abuse) The Language of Football, is OUT NOW: https://geni.us/ExtraTimeBeckons Visit nordvpn.com/cliches to get four extra months on a two-year plan with NordVPN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this special episode from our archive: how Nazi bullying and controversial victories overshadowed Italy’s gold medal at the Berlin Games Because of industrial action taking place by members of the National Union of Journalists at the Guardian and Observer this week, we are re-running an episode from our archive.. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/footballweeklypod. Watch us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FootballWeeklyPodcast

Yes, you read it right. Somehow Chris has managed to convince us to watch and then talk about the WWF event 'Summerslam 92' (and the spectacle of wrestling in general) and it's safe to say we don't always share his enthusiasm. On top of that we've got some more great 90's football correspondence including an update on the Hereford Bull, and a Quantum leap style discussion about what would happen when one result from history has changed and the impact it would then have had on Big Sam Allardyce... "THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!!!!" Thanks, Chris, Josh and Michael Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're honored to be joined by journalist and documentarian, Mark Wright, to hear about "The Bison Project", his latest podcast discussing the 1971 Howard University soccer team that was unjustly stripped of its national championship! It's a packed Cooligans episode after we were off for MLK Day! Mark Wright joins the show to tell us about Sports Explains the World's "The Bison Project" and share his biggest takeaways from his reporting. Mark and the guys analyze how racial dynamics in 1970s America may have impacted the NCAA's decision to strip Howard of its title and examine what can be done to right this wrong today. Christian and Alexis also break down some other stories from the world of footy, including the potential collapse of the Saudi Pro League, Luis Suarez joining Inter Miami, Ashley Sanchez being traded during the NWSL draft, and Jose Mourinho being sacked by Roma. You can find "The Bison Project" in the Sports Explains the World podcast feed, available now on all platforms: https://www.thebisonproject.com Exclusive content: https://www.patreon.com/SoccerCooligans This is where we put everything we shouldn't say 😉 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Even the greatest teams suffer. Mention 1991/92 to Bayern Munich fans and they'll shudder about a year of minnow defeats and mediocrity The post Remembering the disaster of 1991/92, Bayern Munich’s worst season in modern history appeared first on These Football Times.

We shine a light on some underappreciated contributors to European football on today’s episode of Greatest Games, in association with The Blizzard, alongside BBC and Okko Sport contributor Sasha Goryunov! Sasha joins us to discuss the standout game he remembers from a childhood growing up in the Soviet Union, as Spartak Moscow ensured they won the 1989 Soviet League with victory over Dynamo Kiev. Dynamo were managed by the revolutionary tactical thinker Valeriy Lobanovskyi, who was among the early adopters of computers for statistical analysis and a pioneer of pressing football. He lined up against the 35 year-old Oleg Romantsev, the coach who brought an air of calm to the Spartak dressing room. What unfolded was a chaotic game rounded off by a Valeri Shmarov free-kick worthy of winning any title. For more stories from the annals of football history, visit www.theblizzard.co.uk to explore their archives that contain over 700 articles of stories just like this one! ***Please take the time to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your pods. It means a great deal to the show and will make it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!*** The Football Ramble, the original and best football podcast. Brand new podcasts every single weekday throughout the Premier League season and every day throughout the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe is away on holiday and Josh Schneider-Weiler from Tifo's This Football Life fills in and talks to David Bulchover about his book, The Greatest Comeback, which chronicles the career and life of legendary manager Béla Guttmann. As a manager, Guttmann won titles in Hungary, Brazil, and Portugal. He is most famous for winning back-to-back European Cups with Benfica in 1961 & 1962. He was a coaching pioneer and was ahead of his time in many ways (fitness, psychology etc.). He shares many similarities with Jose Mourinho and other modern-day managers and his imprints are littered throughout the game. Listen to Bolchover discuss Guttman's remarkable transition from surviving the Holocaust to lifting Europe's most prestigious trophy. The Book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Greatest-Comeback-SHORTLISTED-WILLIAM-SPORTS/dp/1785901397 YouTube: http://youtube.com/tifofootball Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lee is joined by Mike Gibbons and Luton's own Carrie Dunn to talk about the Hatters' great 1987-88 season, plus a look back at England's last international trophy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nessundorma.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices