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Libero

Libero

172 episodes

A podcast about football, the least important of the most important things, featuring John Brewin, Miguel Delaney, James Horncastle, Tariq Panja, Jack Pitt-Brooke, Rory Smith and Jonathan Wilson.

Episodes page 1 of 4

  1. 170 | Michael Carrick And His Inevitable End At Manchester United

    · 58 min · Episode 170

    The death spiral has begun for Michael Carrick at Manchester United. It now looks inevitable that he will become the latest poor soul sacrificed at the altar of a huge football club that looks incapable of fixing the…

  2. 169 | In Defence Of The 3pm Blackout

    · 59 min · Episode 169

    The Saturday 3pm blackout is one of the most distinctive aspects of English football. The games in that timeslot are televised around the world, but not in this country, the result of a rule that has stood for more…

  3. 168 | Why Kylian Mbappe Shouldn't Win The Ballon D'Or

    · 1 h 00 min · Episode 168

    The Ballon d’Or, the award Jonathan Wilson despises most. Our voteless trio discuss the merits of a shortlist that includes Rory Smith favourite Julian Quinones and ponders why the race is so open this year. What does…

  4. 167 | Why Does The Premier League Need Brighton And Brentford?

    · 58 min

    The Premier League's two smartest, most upwardly-mobile teams, Brighton and Brentford, are currently third and fourth in the table. Is it too soon to talk about Champions League football? What do we actually mean by…

  5. 166 | PSG Have Become The Establishment. Man City Went A Different Way

    · 55 min · Episode 166

    PSG are a superclub backed by an oil state who have come to dominate European football. Not dissimilar then to Manchester City. Yet, ahead of their Champions League meeting this week, one club is facing serious…

  6. 165 | Liverpool v Man City: It Means Everything And Potentially Completely Nothing

    · 1 h 00 min · Episode 165

    Manchester City travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday in a game that marks the first appearance of the boys in sky blue since the Premier League verdict dropped and opened the public's eyes to Sham City. A…

  7. 164 | What The Manchester City Case Means For The Premier League

    · 56 min · Episode 164

    With Manchester City having been found guilty of systematically cheating their way to Premier League domination, what are the broader implications for competition itself? How robust will one of England's major cultural…

  8. 163 | Is The Manchester City Case The Biggest Story In Premier League History?

    · 56 min · Episode 163

    Trying to place the scale of the Manchester City cheating scandal into context is not straightforward given there is almost no comparable event in the history of English football. However other historic scandals do…

  9. 162 | Manchester City: Sham Football Club

    · 59 min · Episode 162

    Manchester City’s epic run of glory lies in ruins after a long awaited verdict reveals the success was built on a mountain of sham contracts and more than £850m in side income from its Abu Dhabi royal overlords. Rory,…

  10. 161 | The Manchester City Verdict: A Stain On The Premier League

    · 59 min · Episode 161

    The arrival of the news that Manchester City had been found guilty of the majority of the more than 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League upended a sleepy international break weekend. It is the biggest…

  11. 160 | What Makes Spain So Dominant?

    · 1 h 01 min · Episode 160

    Spain are World and European champions (again), but is there more to the country's success than their clearly defined set of football principles? Why has this set of players succeeded where the post-2012 generation…

  12. 159 | Klopp, Zidane And The Latest Batch Of Big Name International Managers

    · 57 min · Episode 159

    Jurgen Klopp and Zinedine Zidane will be among some very familiar faces in the dugout during the upcoming Nations League fixtures as they become the latest high-profile coaches to make the move into international…

  13. 158 | Why Are So Many English Players Going Abroad?

    · 1 h 03 min · Episode 158

    Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane are the most high-profile, but they are from the only English players currently plying their trade on the continent - there are three at Inter Milan alone. This trend is certainly a break…

  14. 157 | Jamie Carragher, Gary Neville And The Rise Of The Partisan Pundit

    · 58 min · Episode 157

    Sky Sports has changed football more than once since the outset of the Premier League and the latest development has elevated star pundits such as Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher to figures that dictate the discourse…

  15. 156 | Manchester United: New Dawn Or False Hope?

    · 1 h 00 min · Episode 156

    Manchester United were an outlier in a summer of lavish spending. In a sea of nine-figure signings, the new arrivals at Old Trafford were brought in on more modest fees as a number of targets moved to rivals. Gone are…

  16. 155 | Champions League Preview: Are Barcelona Ready To Win It Again?

    · 1 h 02 min · Episode 155

    The Champions League begins this week with some enticing fixtures and a pool of potential winners that may be as small as six teams. PSG have plenty going in their favour but much of what benefits the defending…

  17. 154 | Is The Premier League's Transfer Bubble Ready To Burst?

    · 56 min · Episode 154

    The Premier League's clubs have spent just over £3.4bn this summer. Several clubs have paid fees exceeding £100m, Manchester City have done it twice. It feels like less a player trading system than an over-financed…

  18. 153 | This Premier League Knows The Cost Of Everything But The Value Of Nothing

    · 57 min · Episode 153

    The Premier League's summer transfer window has had too much going on. The volume of intra-league deals is unprecedented, the fees are excessive and it seems as if no one is asking 'does it make sense?' To try and…

  19. 152 | What Are Liverpool Now?

    · 1 h 03 min · Episode 152

    Liverpool under FSG have been at various points held up as the model for a modern football operation. They were good sellers and squad builders. The owners generally believed that the best way to run a Premier League…

  20. 151 | Premier League Kick-Off: Awarding The Trophy And Other Overreactions

    · 1 h 02 min · Episode 151

    The 2026/27 Premier League season is underway. So is it too early to hand Arsenal the trophy? Miguel Delaney was at the Emirates on Friday night, while Jack Pitt-Brooke and Jonathan Wilson had to watch on TV. They…

  21. 150 | Can Anyone Stop Arsenal?

    · 1 h 01 min · Episode 150

    With the Premier League in the midst of a period of upheaval, Arsenal, the reigning champions, stand alone as the sole pillar of stability amongst the traditional challengers. Neither of the league's other recent title…

  22. 149 | What Do We Want From The New Season?

    · 54 min · Episode 149

    The 2026/27 Premier League season is finally upon us. Even after a transfer window where all the big money has been spent domestially, there are hopes for some exciting new arrivals into 'our league', and maybe for a…

  23. 148 | Solving A Problem Like Gianni Infantino

    · 58 min · Episode 148

    Gianni Infantino, the embattled 'Pope of Football', is limping on as Fifa president and has split the world's federations into two factions, one that wants to see him removed from office and the other who wish for him…

  24. 147 | The Premier League's Big Beast Manager Is Now A Dying Breed

    · 57 min · Episode 147

    A new era of Premier League football will begin this month. With Pep Guardiola out of the picture, and Jurgen Klopp long gone, none of the ‘big beasts’ of management will be in jobs. Instead, the 'big six' will largely…

  25. 146 | Did The Premier League Need Vinicius?

    · 58 min · Episode 146

    Arsenal’s pursuit of Vinicius Junior is over after Real Madrid announced on Thursday afternoon that the Brazil international had signed a new long-term contract. But on today’s episode - recorded just before the news…

  26. 145 | How Infantino Tried To Sell The World Cup And Destroyed His Presidency

    · 59 min · Episode 145

    With a $15bn World Cup bolstering Fifa's bank account, Gianni Infantino was riding high and set fair to continue as football's self-appointed pope, with another term as president all but guaranteed. Little more than…

  27. 144 | The Premier League Will Return In A Vastly Different Place

    · 55 min · Episode 144

    Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham are all beginning the new Premier League season with different managers than started the last. With a cast of new characters now coming into focus,…

  28. 143 | You've Just Signed A World Cup Star, Was It A Good Idea?

    · 55 min · Episode 143

    Johan Manzambi has become the latest player to earn a big transfer off the back of an impressive World Cup, following the likes of James Rodriguez, Ilie Dumitrescu and Papa Bouba Diop. Yet in recent years clubs have…

  29. Bonus 013 | Remembering Kevin Keegan

    · 50 min · Bonus

    The sad passing of Kevin Keegan at the age of 75 last week brought to an end of the ultimate football lives. One of British football's earliest superstars, highly decorated as a player, revered as one of the game's…

  30. World Cup 015 | The Tournament Debrief

    · 58 min

    The World Cup is in the rearview mirror but before it disappears from our collective consciousness, amid well-earned holidays or a headlong dash back into the gnarled embrace of club football, we take a look back at…

  31. World Cup 014 | How We Saw Spain Become Champions Again

    · 50 min

    Spain have beaten Argentina in the World Cup final in a slightly underwhelming conclusion to an overwhelming tournament. This episode was recorded throughout the day of the final by our Liberi on the ground, Rory…

  32. World Cup 013 | England Crumble To Set Up Heavyweight Final

    · 1 h 00 min

    England's latest World Cup exit at the hands of Argentina was both familiar but also a new type of failure. The familiar retreat was exacerbated by Thomas Tuchel doubling down on the tactics that had worked in Mexico…

  33. World Cup 012 | The Tale Of Two Very Different Semi-Finals

    · 58 min

    France v Spain and England v Argentina are the World Cup semi-finals FIFA wanted but they could not be more contrasting in terms of what they offer the viewing public. One side promises technical prowess and a game for…

  34. World Cup 011 | England, Belgium, France and Switzerland... It's The Revenge Of The Europoors

    · 52 min

    We 're down to the final stages of the World Cup. So who is going to win it? Jack Pitt-Brooke, Jonathan Wilson and Miguel Delaney are on today’s episode, and start with discussion of Argentina who have won their last…

  35. World Cup 010 | England, Brazil And A Change To Football's Established Order?

    · 1 h 00 min

    It's been a busy start to the World Cup round of 16. England triumphed on a night of great drama in Mexico City and Norway dumped out a hapless Brazil. Are these results, especially the latter, symptomatic of modern…

  36. World Cup 009 | France Are Good, Germany Are Bad. Why?

    · 56 min

    As traditional World Cup giants like Germany and the Netherlands fall, their flaws are exposed but how deep do they run? Are these football cultures that have been overtaken the changes in the modern international…

  37. World Cup 008 | Festival Over, Tournament Begins

    · 52 min

    Memorable moments in the 2026 World Cup group stage were rare, with Lionel Messi, Iran and the late drama of Algeria v Austria providing the best of them. With jeopardy now back on the menu as we enter the knockouts,…

  38. World Cup 007 | The Bad, The Good And The Pointless Of A 48-Team Tournament

    · 54 min

    As the 2026 World Cup concludes its final round of group games, it is time to ask whether the new format has delivered or not. Are the levels of the additional teams a problem? Why are the likes of Scotland being left…

  39. World Cup 006 | Is America A Football Country Yet?

    · 1 h 00 min

    It is essential for the success of international football tournaments that the hosts do well, and so far Team USA - undeniably the leader of the 2026 World Cup triumvirate - have exceeded expectations. Yet much of the…

  40. World Cup 005 | The Big Names (And England) Deliver, Ronaldo Doesn't

    · 1 h 01 min

    With all 48 teams at the World Cup 2026 now having played, Gianni Infantino will be delighted that the football is now doing the talking, quite emphatically. To pick apart the first round of matches and the off-field…

  41. World Cup 004 | Tickets, Tornados And The England Camp… Initial Impressions

    · 1 h 00 min

    Libero has landed at the World Cup and we've even seen some football. We have everyone’s first impressions from the first week (or so) in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Both Tariq and Jonathan were in Mexico…

  42. World Cup 003 | Previewing Fifa's Bloated Mega Tournament

    · 1 h 03 min

    The 2026 World Cup is upon us. The “biggest, most inclusive and best" football tournament ever is finally here . Gianni Infantino told us to say that. On today’s Libero, James Horncastle, Rory Smith and Jonathan Wilson…

  43. World Cup 002 | Are Ancelotti And Tuchel The Exception Or The Rule?

    · 55 min

    The 2026 World Cup has a class of elite coaching talent unlike any other tournament in history. Thomas Tuchel, Carlo Ancelotti and Mauricio Pochettino will all be calling the shots for nations they are not from. There…

  44. World Cup 001 | Why Isn't The Age Of Messi And Ronaldo Over Already?

    · 58 min

    Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will play at this World Cup despite a combined age of nearly 80. It is a credit to their commitment to football and, undoubtedly, improvements in sport science that the two defining…

  45. 127 | Arsenal Got Close, But How Do They Catch PSG?

    · 59 min

    Arsenal lost the Champions League final on Saturday night but it has still been an undeniably brilliant season and deserved to parade the Premier League trophy around north London in front of millions fans. For the…

  46. 126 | Is PSG v Arsenal The Future Of Football?

    · 58 min

    The Champions League final between PSG and Arsenal has a rare quality in this fixture: it pits clearly the two best teams in Europe against each other. Both clubs have had brilliant seasons, each winning their domestic…

  47. 125 | Arsenal Vanquish Manchester City... The End Of A Premier League Era?

    · 1 h 00 min · Episode 125

    The Premier League's final day confirmed Arsenal are champions, West Ham are going down and Sunderland are in the Europa League. But it also felt like one long goodbye: from Pep Guardiola to Mo Salah, via Bernardo…

  48. 124 | Manchester City, Pep Guardiola And Football’s Greatest Experiment

    · 1 h 07 min · Episode 124

    Pep Guardiola is leaving Manchester City. It’s an exit that brings to an end one of the most unique experiments in football history, and one that is unlikely to be repeated again. Jack Pitt-Brooke, Rory Smith and Tariq…

  49. 123 | Can Unai Emery Break Through The Europa League Glass Ceiling?

    · 50 min · Episode 123

    Join SC Libero, the most important of the least important membership clubs, now: liberopodcast.com. — Unai Emery is once again in the Europa League final with a team featuring the letters V-I-L-L-A somewhere in their…

  50. 122 | The FA Cup Final Should Mean More Than This

    · 58 min · Episode 122

    ICMP has kindly released an extra few tickets for our live show on 22nd May, so we can squeeze a few more of you in. Plans are coming together and it should be a fun night there will also be copies of the various books…

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