Beyond The Pitch

Now fully engaged in the last phase of domestic competition in the biggest European leagues, futures and fortunes are now in the balance as the rush to the important Champions League slots and relegation battles have entered the action phase where the defenders and strikers get put under the glare of a microscope looking for signs of strength. In segment one, joining Anto is Graham Ruthven on the heels of an important Premier League weekend that has seemed to reverse directions for both Manchester United and Manchester City as the fallout has sparked all kinds of conclusions and assumptions in the wake of a physical derby that has undone many of the predictions made in preseason. We also discuss the relegation battle, who clearly has a leg up and who appears to be heading for the drop, and we even evaluate the field for exactly who is the Premier League manager of the year as Crystal Palace continues to impress, Southampton defy the odds and Big Sam faces yet another end of season battle with the West Ham fans. In part two comes an interesting look at Japanese football as major changes have been made since Javier Aguirre was relieved of his duties, however there are still major cultural issues facing his replacement in Vahid Halilhodzic who will have to address how the national team moves forward if the Samurai Blue are to take the next evolution from regional to world power. There are loads of contradictions in Japan football and J.League commentator Cesare Polenghi gives us the inside view. In part three, we are then joined by David Raish of Football Collective for yet another top-four and relegation discussion involving the Bundesliga which suddenly seems altered even before Jurgen Klopp announced his intentions to leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the 2014-15 season. We discuss whether two giants in German football could find themselves in the second division next season, whether FC St Pauli crashes yet to another level below, and gauge how the top four this season will be under siege for their talented players once the transfer market opens this summer. Also examined is how Pep Guardiola will continue to get measured as Bayern Munich failed miserably in Portugal and what exactly is his remit to the Bavarian giants, even while managing a squad filled with injuries to key players at the wrong end of the season.

A major thinning out process began this past weekend in many of the top leagues in Europe, as contenders and Champions League spots are up for grabs among some of the elite clubs, while an interesting tale began to get spun as Sweden international striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic began to stoke some heavy rumors about where his next destination might actually be. In segment one, football commentator Janusz Michallik helps us weigh in on the fallout from Arsenal-Liverpool and what it might signify for both clubs. We examine both what went wrong at Anfield this season and what now seems to be going so very right for the Gunners as we near the final rounds of the campaign with top four at stake. We also take a look at the situation at Manchester City who squandered more points at Crystal Palace and appear to be heading for a bit of a much needed tune up or clear out this summer with all of the same financial pressures to consider. Then we consider the PSG threat to the Champions League, what has gone so wrong for both Napoli and Inter this season as their objectives seem to have fallen beyond repair, and then we check in on the season opener for the New York Cosmos who got three very important points in a shortened season that lasts only ten rounds. Then in segment two, Aftonbladet correspondent Kristopher Karlsson joins from the land of Zlatanmania to give us the view of what Ibrahimovic might have up his sleeve in the future given that he has applied for a US Visa, which of course many believe suggests a future in MLS. Not so fast, or not so quick to conclusions there, but we also take a look at Swedish football as league play just resumed in 2015, and it gives us a chance to discuss what is also happening with Henrik Larsson, Lars Lagerbeck and even Sven Goran Eriksson who is having a renaissance in China. In our final segment, Michel Munger and Lee Hurley check in with Anto by means of Football Collective to have a deeper look at both Bayern Munich and Arsenal as both clubs now have major questions and objectives to address over these weeks and months ahead.

With many national teams at the halfway point of qualification for EURO2016 a number of important developments have signaled a sense of change with an expanded format and some hopeful countries now in control of their destiny while some of the giants are suddenly facing a combination of early failed attempts and perhaps overdue self-examination of their credentials. Joining us to explore these matters is commentator and pundit Paul Sarahs on the evolving fortunes of some surprising performances as Matchday Five came to a close for many of the nations aiming for France and how some giants in world football are suddenly feeling the pressure of failed projects or the limits of expiring resources. We explore a number of the emerging favorites to go through, a couple of the troubling signs and look for some trends in regards to how some smaller nations have been able to restart and produce with a more wide open landscape. In segment two, Italy comes into focus as a tumultuous two weeks came to a close in the aftermath of an Italy-England friendly and David Amoyal of GianlucaDiMarzio.com helps us unpack the many storylines that spilled into the sports pages and turned up the emotions at nearly every juncture - the use of Oriundi in the national team, the end of days for the criminal aspect of Calciopoli in Italian courts and a constant full court blast of innuendo surrounding Antonio Conte, Claudio Marchisio and Juventus, with a heaping does of Carlo Tavecchio and the FIGC thrown in for extra measure. In our final segment, Football Collective contributor Oliver Martin joins from overseas to discuss the matter of Liverpool as a key fixture with Arsenal awaits at the weekend with all kinds of downstream ramifications with respect to top-four, what is sure to be a very important off-season and the speculation surrounding the transfer market and a brand new contract for Raheem Sterling.

As club football takes its final international break before the business end of the season begins in earnest, four more contributors join Anto for another super show to take a look at the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal round and two clubs that face the prospect of multiple titles in 2014-15 in Barcelona and PSG. Starting off this massive episode is Daniel Taylor of The Guardian who helps us examine the fallout from the Liverpool-Manchester United as well as a title race that seems to be set on default as Chelsea continues to wobble while Manchester City continues to struggle with consistency. We also take a look at the arrival of Harry Kane on the England national team, discuss the new proposals put forth by Greg Dyke in terms of quotas and stricter guidelines around homegrown players and the ongoing issues surrounding Raheem Sterling at Anfield as contracts and mental fatigue seem to be taking their toll. Then we move to the matter of European football as international broadcaster Tim Caple helps us take a deeper look at the key factors going into the quarterfinal round, focusing on the clubs with an edge, but also weighing the potential for upsets as FC Porto remains the only undefeated side in the tournament and whether or not Monaco can replicate its Arsenal performance against Juventus with all of its defenders back in service and Paul Pogba ruled out. In our superclub segment Eric Coffin-Gould weighs in on Barcelona at a crucial stage of its season after beating Real Madrid in El Clasico and Ross Mackiewicz give us the view from inside PSG as key questions about Zlatan Ibrahimovic and club manager Laurent Blanc are addressed.

In a period where there were more managerial changes, emerging favorites across two continents and huge weekend rivalries with huge ramifications in store, we have brought together four very different views in this supershow including the view of Sunderland Football Club, a growing Chinese dominance in the AFC Champions League and always a look at two of the mostly heated clashes in world football. Starting us off is former Sunderland, Celtic and Blackburn favorite Micky Gray to walk us through the stormy tenure of Gus Poyet at the Stadium of Light, what went wrong and whether Dick Advocaat is the right kind of manager to perform relegation miracle work in yet another season where Ellis Short seems to have resorted to desperation. Then it is off to the Asia where the transition from the AFC Asian Cup to new domestic seasons and Champions League football has unearthed yet more evidence that the Chinese threat is real and appears to be shifting power from both the Japanese and Korean leagues as the money and allure has become overwhelming in the CSL. Also in focus is the real impact to the J-League and K-League, whether Australia success in the Asian Cup can translate to the A-League and whether Guangzhou Evergrande has shifted its attention to the even more lucrative world of transfer business as new arrivals are no longer veteran players seeking large, final paydays. Also featured is a new segment with our friends at Football Collective as Nicholas Rigg and Sam Peoples help us dissect the biggest questions facing Real Madrid and Manchester United as two of the most important fixtures in club football kick off this weekend at the Camp Nou and Anfield with league races and Champions League football in the balance.

In a week where domestic fixtures, cup competitions and European football all came back into view, perhaps the biggest stories in the sport center on what has emerged at two of the largest clubs in the world as Manchester United continues to run into failure in key matches and Real Madrid barely escapes disaster at the Bernabeu against Schalke. First up, Phil Brown and Anto join up once again to take a look at what has continued to evade any sense of real progress at Manchester United beyond hanging on to a top four challenge while never truly projecting an air of certainty that year one has set the stage for bold moves forward. In the FA Cup against Arsenal, the Red Devils were beaten by a side more comfortable in possession, much smarter on the ball while one of its former strikers Danny Welbeck seized upon a recurring problem at Old Trafford as key mistakes continue to haunt them at a key part of the season. We also take a look at the controversy and diving incidents that culminated with the Angel Di Maria red card and what the fallout begins to tell us about where the club is two years past the Sir Alex Ferguson retirement and an important transition that continues to stall and not claim an identity going forward. We also take a look at the issues surrounding Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid as a team sheet with so many big names in football continue to slide at precisely the wrong time with El Clasico waiting in the path ahead and how some of the questionable summer decisions in concert with the long absence of Luka Modric seemed to have unearthed deepening fissures and cracks less than a season removed from claiming La Decima. We explore what this could mean for the futures of Gareth Bale and Carlo Ancelotti himself. In the second segment, Paddy Higgs of Football Collective joins Anto to talk more about its emergence in this first year of extensive coverage, what the future looks like for the site and how BTP and Football Collective will now team together to deliver even more targeted coverage of the biggest clubs and the most important stories in the sport. Stay tuned in the weeks and months ahead as key writers and voices will emerge across media channels to bring our listeners even more top notch content.

In this weekly edition, Anto is joined by international football commentator and correspondent Gab Marcotti to take a deeper dive look into the many economic, sporting and political challenges that are facing UEFA in terms of its marquee competitions under new light, highlighting some structural ideas and possible reforms as European football looks toward the 2016-2019 cycle. After a long and thorough examination of the seeding processes and competitive challenges, everything is on the table as we consider the Market Pool issues with TV money, whether UEFA would consider a much more regionalized approach in their earlier stages, expanded group stage play, removing the throttle on same association teams in direct competition throughout these tournaments and if the tournament should abandon away goals and look to more single elimination rounds before the group stage phase ever begins. Should the format of added extra time be examined, do we force smaller federations to play in regional-specific qualifying rounds to build back key rivalries and what if the knockout rounds went to a straight seeding system removing the cycle of competitive draws that have placed more emphasis on the draw itself than actual performance. To prepare for this episode, the last three years of the Champions League and Europa League competitions were analyzed to weigh out a number of key factors including regionalization, minimizing logistical drain on travel, enhanced rivalries in the qualifying rounds and how to best position European football from both the fan experience and competitive landscape. We also tackle the matter of the Memorandum of Understanding between UEFA and the elite clubs of Europe set to expire in 2018 and what that could mean in the future as concerns of a European Super League are coming into view once again.

Once again in the midst of another key week in football when European action defines the competitive landscape, Jose Mourinho emerges as the lightning rod as he takes to Goals on Sunday to further his agenda and theories about match officials and more concerns continue to evolve around the matter of Louis van Gaal at Manchester United and whether Liverpool as turned the corner. Joining the show for the first segment is football correspondent Simon Evans who helps us analyze the method and madness from The Special One to determine whether his ongoing campaign against referees has made a bad situation toxic and if some parallels with the conditioning of officials in calcio is repeating itself once again, a serious detriment to the competitive landscape. We also explore the problems for Eastern European teams in UEFA competitions, how regionalization could help develop the overall product and even take on the matter of MLS as potentially the next truly globalized league with some thought and execution over another decade of growth. In part two, show regular and football writer Graham Ruthven takes on the matter of Louis van Gaal and questionable progress at Manchester United, the emergence of Liverpool in recent weeks as certifiable top-four threat and whether Manchester City can turn this Premier League battle into a legitimate title race again. Also discussed are the evolving fortunes for Southampton, Tottenham and Everton who all must make key decisions as the season unfolds and whether Tim Sherwood can get Aston Villa out of a relegation scrap with essentially the same players handed to Paul Lambert.

A pivotal time in football as deeper questions emerge inside US Soccer on a number of fronts including Jurgen Klinsmann, the MLS CBA and preparations for the Womens 2015 World Cup while the Champions League turns into view with the first of the Round of 16 match-ups begin the initial phase amid numerous factors for the Premier League teams entering this phase. In part one Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated and FOX TV joins to give us insight into the matter of Jurgen Klinsmann and his questions about fitness and team professionalism, where the fortunes for this evolution in a new World Cup cycle truly resides, and we also tackle the downstream effects of US Soccer endorsing Prince Ali as MLS negotiates a difficult to call CBA with its players and what can be gleaned from the Womens National Team as the last preparations get underway. The deepest question are reserved for the ongoing back and forth with Jurgen Klinsmann, the media and whether his messaging may be a bit misplaced, and whether there has been an erosion under his watch in terms of preparation and a player pool that has not brought through the type of quality to address his aspirations. In part two Phil Brown joins his regular partner on SiriusXM to preview what the English teams might do in Europe and why the biggest questions might just be pointed at Manchester City who have failed to make the leap expected in Europe given all the investment and resources brought to bear. We explore how Chelsea has seemingly adapted best in this era of Financial Fair Play, why the failures of England in the youth sector continue to present a big problem in the years ahead and why the Spanish clubs may just have an extra gear that should serve them well the deeper this tournament continues.

Joining Anto for a special examination of the fortunes for AC Milan at a very complex moment in its history is Matteo Bonetti of BeIN Sports, starting with yet another perplexing approach against three time Serie A champions Juventus and leading into the biggest issues facing not only its team sheet, but also an ongoing series of deeper questions that never get fully answered. The concerns begin with yet another untested Rossoneri legend as manager in Pippo Inzaghi and his capacity as a first team manager as the club struggles under constant financial pressures and an inability to follow through with a serious and distinct plan. The concerns for supporters are built on transfer targets with more budget concerns than sizzle, clear holes in the squad that have not been fully addressed and what exactly does the future hold in store given that youth strategies have not proved to be successful and a new stadium plan appears on the horizon. During this episode we also consider the key contenders for top three in Serie A, how some of the traditional mid-table sides have exploited an opening left by two Milanese giants struggling with the economic realities of shifting economics and Financial Fair Play with serious disadvantages. Also discussed are key outsiders such as Fiorentina and Lazio who could be dark horses for top three should the favorites fail to deliver on their promise and whether huge changes now face the Rossoneri this off-season including its under pressure manager and long term Milan CEO Adriano Galliani. This is an episode that digs deep into the troubles for AC Milan, yet also looks at how huge changes have opened new opportunities and now force Italian players to look beyond their connection to calcio.

At a key juncture in the early 2015 calendar not only do we examine the restart of the Bundesliga into its second half of the season with so many questions to answer past the halfway point, but also we take a look back at the AFC Asian Cup from the perspective of one of the tournament surprises in China who were not expected to get past the group stage, much less win their group, and whether the South Korea may have emerged as its next closest model. Joining Anto in segment one is new Shanghai SIPG assistant and U-23 manager Mads Davidsen who has served as special assistant Sven-Goran Eriksson at each of his clubs in the Chinese Super League and we take a deeper look into what worked for the Chinese at the tournament and whether this progress can be seen as the launching pad for 2018 World Cup qualification. We also examine the performances of South Korea, Australia in terms of style and limitation, as well as competition darlings UAE who finished a surprising third as West Asian phenomenon Omar Abdulrahman lived up to all the expectations and pre-tournament billing. We also discuss the challenges at Shanghai SIPG this season and the objectives for the club, as well as what head coach Alain Perrin did to turn the fortunes for the sleeping giants of the Far East and how this team was brought together. In segment two, David Raish of Football Collective joins Anto from Germany with a number of talking points surrounding quick rising Wolfsburg, some surprising results near the bottom of the Bundesliga table with some big club names in German football featuring prominently at the wrong half of the table, along with ongoing questions about Pep Guardiola and his future at Bayern, rumors of disconnect with sporting director Matthias Sammer and a look into whether Julian Green and Fabian Johnson are finding any comfort or progress at their clubs in 2014-15.

As the AFC Asian Cup exits the group stage with an elite eight facing the prospect of the knockout round single-elimination matches, J League commentator and correspondent Cesare Polenghi joins the show with Anto to take a deeper look at the defending champions, what makes the squad tick and what are the challenges as Thursday looms against upstart UAE and Omar Abdulrahman. We examine how the competition is being followed in Japan by supporters of the Samurai Blue, how fortunes will likely be shaped by performances of Honda and Kagawa the deeper this competition goes, and what is the effect of the scandal surrounding new manager Javier Aguirre both internally and externally in a culture where controversy is rarely tolerated. Clearly the Japanese have yet to play their best game yet in this tournament and we gauge the impact of European seasons for its top stars, the players who must deliver and how supporter expectations have evolved now that Japan is seeking its fifth continental trophy as the tournament has grown into a regional spectacle everywhere but in the Land of the Rising Sun. We also discuss the matters of central defense and striking options for the Japanese and then take a deeper look into some pressing matters surrounding the 2015 J League season complete with a new league format drawing lots of criticism and what the impact of losing that format means to a football brand that routinely offers a title challenge that often goes down to the last week of a season.

January 2015 is a hotbed for competitive fixtures in international football and to that end commentator and football writer Paul Sarahs joins the show to cover the two glamour events in the 2015 Asian Cup as the group stage enters its most important phase as well as the start of AFCON 2015 from Equatorial Guinea starting this week. In segment one, we examine the AFC results and trends with some very interesting results already emerging from Australia, and this includes some favorites responding well, along with a couple of dark horse candidates who look to shape the knockout rounds which are days away from their start. We dig into the surprising match turned in by UAE in its battle with Qatar, the ruthlessness of Japan against tiny Palestine and why South Korea could become the force that few countries will wish to find as an opponent once the knockout rounds begin. Also discussed is the matter of Iran who looked very professional at first look, a Saudi Arabia team that needed a rebound while underscoring the importance of this tournament to the region. In segment two, we preview some of the many facets that should shape the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations including a changing of the guard for Ivory Coast under Herve Renard, the potential for Burkina Faso and Congo DR while remaining focused on a new generation of African stars who will look to launch their international careers amid a tournament thrown into the balance given the late move from Morocco and how this may alter the fortunes for tournament favorite Algeria. Also explored is the curious appointment of Avram Grant who leads the Black Stars in the aftermath of tumultuous World Cup over the payment of its players and how, this too, serves as both a feature to follow closely and what it says about the always chaotic world of football in the CAF region. Naturally, we take a look at some favorites, some contenders and the stories to watch as the competition begins in earnest on 17 January.

Halfway into the AFC Asian Cup Group Stage a number of key matches and top performers have emerged to define the early rounds of the tournament where some of the established favorites have asserted their dominance, and then there are the efficient results from nations such as Iran and South Korea while China stunned Uzbekistan to become the first nation to book top slot in the next knockout rounds. Joining Anto to discuss many of the trends, surprises and quality of this competition is football commentator and correspondent Paul Sarahs of the BBC World Football Fone-In, Four Four Two and ESPN FC, and we begin to evaluate which of the nations are kicking into high gear, what national teams seem to be emerging as clear dark horses, and look for some emerging trends that serve to shape an important tournament not only for the region, but also significant to the growth of the sport in Australia who have been rampant through Matchday 2. We dig into the surprising match turned in by UAE in its battle with Qatar, the ruthlessness of Japan against tiny Palestine and why South Korea could become the force that few countries will wish to find as an opponent once the knockout rounds begin. Also discussed is the matter of Iran who looked very professional at first look, a Saudi Arabia team that needed a rebound while underscoring the importance of this tournament to the region.

In a week when the transfer market resumed and Premier League football entered another key phase out of festive football with so many intriguing shorelines including Steven Gerrard leaving Liverpool, the top 16 in the AFC came together in Australia to start the biggest tournament in Asia with new and emerging powers set to make their mark. Two football correspondents from the One World Sports website join this episode to explore each area of the world game. In segment one, Graham Ruthven helps us unpack the surprise clubs in the English top flight, what the challengers and favorites may have to do in this transfer window, and whether the departure of Steven Gerrard from Liverpool this summer may signal something deeper at Anfield in terms of a future for Brendan Rodgers and what clubs like Arsenal and Everton must solve now if they wish to achieve their objectives. In segment two John Duerden joins from Malaysia to explore the 2015 Asian Cup to give us a view of the favorites, the challengers and some of the key players and fixtures who will shape this tournament. From title defenders Japan to host nation Australia and dark horses South Korea and Iran, we examine how West Asia will have an important role to play in this tournament, where the Samurai Blue are in terms of their campaign and if this competition has turned an important corner into the mainstream.