Set Piece Menu Football Podcast

The football: The Premier League season has come to an end, but it can't be officially 'put in the books' until we've delivered our annual hot takes and takeaways. Sit back and let these completely unstructured thoughts wash over you... The food: Rory goes against his wife's specific instructions to not order an ice cream sundae for his son when out for an anniversary meal. It turns out she is not surprised, to the extent she can predict every ingredient within said sundae before it arrives. We also reveal the new SPMPLPL champion, and prepare to shower them with glory and trinkets, all of which will be priceless (to the extent that they have no value attached to them). Emails to setpiecemenu@gmail.com

The football: How does a manager put together a squad for a major international tournament? Is it the 'best 23 players', as the requirement from those who shout the loudest dictates, or is there much more importance in the balance of the squad: the right fit for the right system? And what value should be given to a player's versatility? The food: Rory insists he hasn't succumbed to a lemsip, as he completely milks the symptoms he's progressing through having had his first shot of the Covid vaccine. Email us at setpiecemenu@gmail.com

The football: As a follow up to last week's pod, which turned out to be an inadequate answer to a question posed by a listener, we try to actually answer that question. What factors should players like Harry Kane and Jack Grealish consider when weighing up a potential move away from the club they love, and has brought them to this stage in their career; a stage that may fall short of either what their talent demands, or what those watching on would consider a fulfilment of their potential? The food: Chinch has been given his wife Nicky's special "Porridge with Two Fruits". One of those two leads to a conversation about whether a kiwi fruit should be subjected to the kind of treatment a Manscaped product might offer. Also: a very special Soccer Story. Do not miss it. Emails to setpiecemenu@gmail.com

The football: Erling Haaland, his dad, and his agent, all have a plan. They've been plotting the player's career ever since he started as a teenager at Bryne in Norway. This is a prime example of a player pathway: when an elite prospect that has the luxury of choosing where to play now, and next, predetermines the route their career will take. We ask if it happens elsewhere (and less publicly), and what goes into making those decisions. The food: Rory has bought a pizza stone, so that he can cook pizzas using his garden chiminea. If you think this sounds wildly bourgeois, rest assured that he completely botched the whole process. Emails to setpiecemenu@gmail.com

The football: The European Super League seemed to re-frame the tribalism that's become such a huge part of modern football culture. Instead of fans railing against each other, they joined together to rail against a new, apparently more pressing foe which, ironically, in some cases appeared to be acting in order to meet the demands of their fanbase. And even though supporters' protests were undeniably a significant contributor to the ESL's precipitous collapse, in opposing the future set out by the 'Dirty Dozen' are they actually consigning their club to a status quo that isn't actually that different? The food: In a rare pandemic-era lunchtime recording, three of the group take advantage by eating either during, or just moments before joining the zoom. So enjoy some lip-smacking over a chicken pesto salad with blueberries, a chorizo and cheese roll with carrot batons, and, typically from a Yorkshireman, a simple ham sandwich. Emails to: setpiecemenu@gmail.com

The podcast where four friends - presenter Hugh Ferris, writer Rory Smith, commentator Steven Wyeth & pundit Andy Hinchcliffe - talk football over food. The football: The Super League, blink and you'd have missed it. The ambitions of the owners of the self-proclaimed elite clubs to revolutionise European football wasn't well planned, was terribly executed and a PR disaster for all involved. What will be the consequences, what punishment should they face and what, if anything, will anyone learn? The food: Wherever Chinch goes, so does his plug-in lunchbox. And that's left a stench of fish pie on gantries from Elland Road to Carrow Road and beyond... Get in touch via @setpiecemenu and via setpiecemenu@gmail.com

The football: The European Super League appears to have transitioned from being used in a game of brinkmanship to become a thing of potential reality. Cue the outrage. We have the temerity to think you'd like to hear our views on both the idea, and the fury that followed, so here is a bonus edition to scratch that itch. The food: THERE'S NO TIME TO EAT, DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW ANGRY EVERYONE IS????!!!! Any emails to setpiecemenu@gmail.com

The football: Considering that Kevin de Bruyne appeared not to need one, and Erling Haaland is very obviously using one, we thought we'd talk about agents. Is the bad press they get, particularly in England, warranted? What value (apart from the obvious kind) do they add for a player, and how are modern agents attempting to enhance that value further? The food: Hugh batch-cooked a large cottage pie. Hugh underestimated quite how large the batch would be, and has been eating cottage pie for a whole week. Emails to setpiecemenu@gmail.com

The football: With the recent protests by some players against the conditions faced by migrant workers in Qatar, and the conflict some of us feel when considering some of the elements that have helped our clubs be successful, should we expect the game to match our own moral standards, whatever they may be? The food: There is a worrying theme developing amongst our audience of what we're calling 'food abominations'. After one confessed eating pasta with ketchup, another has compounded that by revealing their guilty pleasure is pasta, ketchup, and hot dogs. Send any you would like to get off your chest to setpiecemenu@gmail.com

The football: After an unnecessarily deep dive into the international footballing history of Jonjo Shelvey, a listener suggested we might put together a Select XI of players who have appeared for England six times or fewer, all of whom are therefore, by definition, sub-Chinch. Spoiler alert: six-cap Shelvey misses out. The food: Chinch reveals his local chip shop includes seared paprika and garlic squid on its menu, which is not at all surprising, on account of that chip shop being in rural Cheshire. All correspondence to setpiecemenu@gmail.com

The football: For so long, the phrase 'international level' has been used to designate the 'highest level', but is that still the case? Why does a player that represents his club in, say, the Champions League, need to then 'prove himself at international level'? Or is there a more modern meaning, about emotional maturity, tactical versatility, or mental strength that applies? The food: We've had a listener tell us about the food that divides his household. He puts ketchup, and only ever ketchup, on pasta. Also, his wife is Italian. Email us at setpiecemenu@gmail.com

The football: A year on from the global lockdown, and the football shutdown, why is there no apparent consensus on how to change the game to guarantee for a better future? The pandemic seemed to prove the sport's stakeholders retain self-interest as their guiding principle, but even now, 12 months later, new ideas based partly on that experience are still being dismissed out of hand. So can football find a way to change, and should those making the accusations of self-interest consider their own motivations too? The food: Divisive foods. For Hugh and Gemma, it's rice pudding. For Rory and Kate, fish pie. Chinch then reveals he takes fish pie leftovers to games, courtesy of his electric lunch box, and to the disgust of his colleagues. Correspondence to setpiecemenu@gmail.com - we want your soccer stories!

The football: With nearly a year of every Premier League football fixture being on television, have we reached a saturation point? Are we still enjoying the entertainment, or is it suffering from over-exposure? The food: A final call for any food poverty charities you'd like us to promote. Please send them, and indeed any correspondence, to setpiecemenu@gmail.com

The football: Following a much-discussed incident from another sport, we try and shine a light on how a post-match interview works from a journalist's point of view. What are the time and editorial constraints? Who is supposed to be the chief beneficiary? How much does deference matter, and is the relationship between the two parties actually much deeper than anything you hear or see? The food: Once again we are indebted to you for telling us about local food banks or charities helping people out at this difficult time. This week a friend of Hugh's has recommended the food bank in nearby Salford (https://www.trusselltrust.org/get-help/find-a-foodbank/salford/) after they contributed both food and time to their ongoing efforts. If you have a cause you'd like to promote, send it to: setpiecemenu@gmail.com That's also the email address for any other correspondence, including your soccer stories!

The football: When a coach is so wedded to a system that has brought them success, should they modify it when unforeseen circumstances dictate? Or is the eschewing of a winning philosophy defeat in itself, even if it's the very reason things aren't working out? The food: We have had another suggestion of where you might be able to send your hard-earned cash, so that others can be sent some much needed food. Thanks to listener Euan Hague for telling us about his food bank in Chicago, about which you can learn more here: https://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/ Send us any suggestions to setpiecemenu@gmail.com, which is also the email address for all correspondence, including any soccer stories you'd like us to tell!