Football Weekly – Ballon d’Or Glitz, Carabao Cup Drama and an EFL Roundup

Podcast: Football Weekly (The Guardian)
Date: September 24, 2025
Host: Max Rushden
Panel: Barry Glendenning, Ali Maxwell, Sami Mokbel

Overview

This episode is a lively, panel-driven recap and debate on all the recent football action, with a trademark Football Weekly mix of in-depth analysis and comedic asides. The show dives into the Carabao Cup upsets, a round-up of the Football League (Championship, League One, League Two), some notable stories in lower leagues, and a frank discussion of the Ballon d’Or—plus questions from listeners.

Carabao Cup Highlights (02:55–11:25)

• Liverpool's Late Winner Over Southampton

  • Liverpool survived a scare, winning 2-1 despite Southampton's missed chances and hitting the bar.
  • Ekitike's Bizarre Red Card: Hugo Ekitike scored, then was sent off for celebrating (shirt off after a yellow for time-wasting).

    "Great to see players just completely forget stuff like that. Also, that he's very skinny, isn't he, Ekitike?" – Sami Mokbel (03:24)

  • Lively panel banter over pundits discussing fantasy football implications of suspensions.

• Chelsea Edge Lincoln, Lower League Heroics

  • Lincoln took a shock early lead ("big, big Rob Street, a nice moment for him" – Sami Mokbel, 05:49), Chelsea eventually responded with two rapid second-half goals.
  • Lincoln and Grimsby highlighted as examples of sensible, well-run EFL clubs bucking the trend.

    "The clubs that you always want to see do well because they're generally patient, seemingly quite thoughtful with the way they do things." – Ali Maxwell (06:39)

  • Chelsea's "bad vibes"—Ali Maxwell hints Maresca could be under pressure: "I feel like, yeah, just trying to get in front of any potential unraveling...the energy's really bad from top to bottom." (07:28)

• Other Results & Upsets

  • Wolves beat Everton; Cardiff (League One) upset Burnley; Brighton hit Barnsley for six, with Diego Gomez netting four ("Second and third [goals] were beauties, Absolute beauties." – Barry Glendenning, 10:34).
  • Cambridge United lose heroically at Fulham (“robbed 1-0...That’s the way football is sometimes.” – Max Rushden, 11:25).

Championship Check-In (11:25–19:59)

• Surprise Top Three

  • Middlesbrough top, Stoke and Bristol City following; Leicester not dominating as expected.
  • Discussion of early unpredictability:

    "Results have been unpredictable. Stoke...looked like a new side. Middlesbrough...the team to beat." – Ali Maxwell (12:00)

• Middlesbrough’s Strengths

  • Strong defense, emerging attackers, and good use of technical midfielders.

    "Defensively it’s where they’ve been standout so far." – Ali Maxwell (13:28)

• Who Will “Stay the Course”?

  • Sami Mokbel backs Middlesbrough and Coventry: "I do think Middlesbrough will stay the course...the team I picked for the start of the season to win the league would be Coventry City." (14:43, 15:52)

• Relegated Sides’ Struggles

  • Leicester steady, but Southampton, Ipswich, and others have not adjusted well.

    "The style of the current championship season seems to be incredibly...counter-attacking, just trading transition attacks." – Ali Maxwell (16:16)

  • Early season volatility noted by Ali.

• Sheffield United & Chris Wilder

  • Wilder returns amid zero points from six; owners admit previous mistake.
  • On “AI Recruitment” and manager stereotypes:

    "I do think Chris Wilder has a reputation as a dinosaur and a proper football man that he doesn't necessarily deserve." – Barry Glendenning (18:22)

  • Local support strong for Wilder; expectation is for a playoff challenge despite the nightmare start.

    "Not a single Sheffield United fan I spoke to was at all like… everyone was pro Wilder and I actually think he’ll get them in the playoffs." – Sami Mokbel (19:59)

EFL Playoff Expansion Debate (22:25–27:54)

• Proposal for More Playoff Spots

  • The EFL board is considering expanding playoffs to 7th and 8th.

    "It does sound quite fun on a surface level... but to get everyone to agree and push it through, you need a majority. There is so much self-interest." – Ali Maxwell (23:41)

  • Comparison with National League; practicalities and likely resistance from Premier League and FA.

• Arguments For/Against

  • Some say it would reduce "dead rubbers."

    "The reasons that they say it’s Popular. I’m not sure they really stack up either." – Ali Maxwell (24:42)

  • Debate over merit of parachute payments and likelihood of smaller clubs (e.g., Millwall) being accepted by the Premier League.

    "Is it in the Premier League's interest for Millwall to be in the Premier League? That's what you got to ask yourself. And I would say no." – Sami Mokbel (25:56)

  • Example from National League: teams can mount unlikely promotions ("not a terrible idea… it's fine as it is as well." – Barry Glendenning, 26:11).

League One & League Two Roundup (29:48–47:57)

League One

• Surprise Leaders

  • Bradford, Stevenage, and Lincoln—a trio few predicted top.

    "Both teams...have got young managers… improving the longer that they manage the clubs...instead of sacking them after their first poor run, they've been backed." – Ali Maxwell (29:48)

  • Panel notes strong club structure, continuity, and defensive records.

• Cardiff’s Promising Season

  • Brian Barry Murphy described as “the smiling assassin”:

    "Really...overly friendly with you...but he is, he’s pretty ruthless when he wants to be." – Sami Mokbel (32:57)

• Playoff Hangovers & Managerial Changes

  • Stockport, Orient, Wickham—all struggling after near-misses last season.
  • Wickham's managerial slide after a poor appointment, replaced now by Michael Duff:

    "Michael Duff knows what he's doing, doesn't he? I think he'll be all right." – Sami Mokbel (35:22)

• Bottom of the Table

  • Usual suspects like Burton struggle but often rally late; clubs like Peterborough, Blackpool, Rotherham, Reading unexpectedly in or near the drop zone.

    "Unless they buck up their ideas, they absolutely will be [battling relegation]." – Ali Maxwell (36:15)

• On League Structures & Club Size

  • Discussion of how the English Football League increasingly aligns with average attendances, creating a more “logical” structure (38:35).

League Two

• Gillingham’s Unbeaten Run

  • Gareth Ainsworth’s pragmatic football keeping Gills top:

    "Gilles needed this, Ainsworth needed Gills and it all looks pretty perfect right now." – Ali Maxwell (41:31)

  • Minor controversy: Gareth McCleary banned for simulation after a crucial penalty (42:49).

• Salford’s Quest

  • Despite heavy investment, Salford have not yet delivered on promise:

    "That is literally the story of their Life in League 2 so far." – Ali Maxwell (43:39)

• Cambridge’s Strong Start & Strugglers

  • Cambridge outperform predictions; Cheltenham and Shrewsbury, recent League One teams, now at the bottom.

    "It’s quite hard to get relegated from League two… you’ve got to really kind of go out of your way to get relegated." – Sami Mokbel (47:57)

  • Michael Flynn’s pre-emptive “this is the group that gets you sacked” interview at Cheltenham noted as “going out swinging.” – Ali Maxwell (46:38)

Ballon d’Or Reaction (50:12–56:02)

• Apathy vs. Hype

  • Ousmane Dembele and Aitana Bonmati win the men’s and women’s Ballon d’Ors, respectively.
  • Older pundits bemused by the ceremony's importance to younger fans.

    "I struggle to have an opinion on it beyond total apathy...I think kids are way more invested in it than us old timers, because a lot of children, I think, seem more invested in individual players than actual football teams." – Barry Glendenning (50:35)

  • Panel notes how social media and player-focused fandom have changed the Ballon d'Or's significance.

• Metrics vs. Magic

  • Playful debate about whether it should be statistics or “just vibes” deciding the winner.

    "Which metrics? You still have to choose...I’d say being the leader in Europe in expected threat probably suggests you’ve been the most effective player, but I don’t think many people would agree with that." – Ali Maxwell (54:41)

  • Notable mention: Lewis Enrique, PSG, Lamine Yamal, and Serena Wiegman also win awards.

Memorable Quotes & Lighter Moments

• "Surely Chris Wilder has a laptop. Unless he wields a desk computer..." – Max Rushden (22:18)
• On “laptop managers”: Stereotypes in football tactics and changing reputations, with panel reflecting on Wilder’s supposed “dinosaur” status despite tactical innovation.
• Student anecdotes: Sami Mokbel recounts taking journalism students to see George Best's Ballon d'Or trophy and students "rushing over with the same alacrity as seeing the Jules Rimet trophy." (52:06)
• Cheeky banter throughout—advertisers, fantasy football, and Barry’s admission: “I don't really care who wins the Ballon d'Or.” (50:12)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:55] Carabao Cup upsets and Liverpool drama
• [04:33] Southampton's struggles in the Championship
• [05:49] Chelsea’s win over Lincoln, Lincoln and Grimsby as model EFL clubs
• [07:28] Chelsea “bad vibes”; Maresca’s future
• [08:35] Wolves and Everton, Burnley-Cardiff shock, Brighton's 6-0 win
• [11:25] Cambridge United heroics, Cup previews
• [12:00] Unpredictable Championship top 3
• [14:43] Early promotion predictions
• [18:22] Chris Wilder’s return at Sheffield United, AI recruitment
• [22:25] EFL playoff expansion debate
• [29:48] League One surprise leaders & club structures
• [35:22] Wickham’s managerial merry-go-round
• [36:15] League One relegation dogfight
• [38:35] EFL structure & attendance discussion
• [41:31] League Two focus: Gillingham & Salford
• [50:12] Ballon d’Or discussion
• [52:06] Pundit/student anecdote — George Best's Ballon d'Or
• [54:41] Should stats decide the Ballon d'Or?
• [56:02] Listener correspondence and wrap-up

Notable Quotes

• Barry Glendenning on Ballon d’Or:
  “I struggle to have an opinion on it beyond total apathy...I think kids are way more invested in it than us old timers.” [50:35]
• Ali Maxwell on Lincoln and Stevenage:
  "Instead of sacking them after their first poor run, they've been backed instead and the club have come out the other side stronger for it." [29:48]
• Sami Mokbel on Ekitike’s Red Card:
  "Great to see players just completely forget stuff like that. Also that he's very skinny, isn't he, Ekitike?" [03:24]
• Ali Maxwell on Playoff Expansion:
  "I don't think this is going to happen...There is so much self-interest when it comes to voting." [23:41]
• Sami Mokbel on Chris Wilder:
  "Not a single Sheffield United fan I spoke to was at all like… everyone was pro Wilder and I actually think he’ll get them in the playoffs." [19:59]
• Max Rushden on Club Stereotypes:
  "Surely Chris Wilder has a laptop. Unless he wields a desk computer, he's a moleskin manager to the dugout." [22:18]

Summary

Packed with insight, humor, and lively back-and-forth, this episode covers upsets and drama in the domestic cup, why the EFL is fascinatingly unpredictable this year, debates over league structure and fairness, and why the Ballon d’Or has become important to the next generation even as the panel can’t quite muster excitement for it. Standout moments include playful digs at fellow pundits and the modern “laptop” manager, nuanced debates on football governance, and sharp observations about fan culture and the evolution of football fandom in the social media era.