Football Weekly — England’s Comfortable Win, Scotland’s Chaotic Comeback, and Football’s Geopolitical Quandaries

Episode Date: October 10, 2025
Host: Max Rushden
Panel: Barry Glendenning, Philippe Auclair, Johnny Liu, Ewan Murray (in part two)
Summary compiled and structured in the style and tone of the show, for listeners who missed the episode.

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the aftermath of England’s impressive 3-0 win against Wales at Wembley and Scotland’s improbable comeback against Greece in World Cup qualifying, as well as lively debates about the England squad’s big selection questions, Scotland’s prospects, football’s response to global crises, and plenty of classic Football Weekly banter.

1. England’s 3-0 Win Over Wales: New Faces, New Style, New Problems

(Start: 01:03 to 24:31)

England’s Brighter Mood

• The panel opens with relief and surprise at England’s dominant, front-foot start — especially considering familiar gripes against teams sitting deep.
• Johnny Liu praises England’s “mobility” up front without Harry Kane, highlighting Morgan Rogers in a Bellingham-esque role, Elliot Anderson as a “standout” in midfield, and the chemistry between Spence and Gordon on the left.
  • “England are allowed to be good... The prevailing noise is so often negative… Sometimes, that was just a good performance.” (02:39, Johnny Liu)
• Barry Glendenning notes the growing strength in depth: England excelled “with no Bellingham, no Foden, no Grealish, no Harry Kane, no Cole Palmer, no Trent Alexander-Arnold…”
  • He speculates Tuchel could even have the courage to leave Jude Bellingham home for the World Cup — “he won’t care about abuse, because he’ll be gone.” (04:51, Barry Glendenning)

Selection Headaches, Tactical Debates

• The core debate: Is it possible to leave out “big names” like Bellingham, Foden, Grealish, etc, when new options are thriving?
  • Philippe Auclair: “It’s remarkable that that player [Elliot Anderson] is absolutely superb… Problem solved.” (07:24, Philippe Auclair)
  • Some see Anderson’s emergence as solving a midfield issue. Morgan Rogers is name-checked as making Bellingham’s “automatic” selection less obvious.
• Johnny Liu is adamant: “I don’t see any route to England winning the World Cup without Jude Bellingham… even at half-capacity, he’s their game-changer.” (10:11, Johnny Liu)
• Panel discusses the “ego problem” — can a superstar like Bellingham be left on the bench?
  • Philippe: “You can’t just leave him on the bench and ask him to switch it on.” (11:47)
• Comparison to France omitting Cantona and Ginola before winning the 1998 World Cup: not a perfect parallel, but highlights how selection dramas can have unexpected outcomes.

Kane or Watkins, Static or Mobile?

• Barry on alternatives to Harry Kane: “No doubt Kane is their standout striker. If anything happens to him, that’s a huge concern.” Watkins’ energy and running was a feature, but the team needs to adapt its style accordingly. (20:13, Barry Glendenning)
• England’s goals were “soft” due to an abject Wales performance, but you can only beat what’s in front of you. England “could have had five or six.” (21:09, Barry Glendenning)

The Wembley Atmosphere (or Lack Thereof)

• Discussion on muted Wembley crowd and Tuchel’s criticism of the lack of home support.
  • “For some reason, [England fans] can’t have as much fun as the away fans.” (21:43, Max Rushden)
  • Home games at club grounds (Villa Park, Stadium of Light) might generate more atmosphere, but Wembley is the FA’s “cash cow.” (22:04, Johnny Liu)
• Philippe notes the powerful gesture of FA’s partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society, “really brought home the message” amidst the glitzy setting. (22:55, Philippe Auclair)

2. Scotland 3-1 Greece: A Fortunate and Vital Win

(Start: 26:46 to 35:56; Scotland segment)

Ewan Murray’s Live Reaction from Edinburgh

• Ewan describes Scotland’s win as “utterly bizarre” — outplayed for large stretches, but clinical (and a tad lucky) when it counted.
  • “How Scotland won, let alone by two clear goals, I don’t know!” (27:09, Ewan Murray)
• This is the second time Scotland has nicked a win against Greece despite being clearly second-best.
• Scotland now level on points with Denmark, in a position “better than since 1998 to get back to a World Cup.” (27:50, Ewan Murray)
• Ewan predicts a “comfortable win” over Belarus — instantly prompting Barry’s “internal alarm bell.” Ewan goes all-in: “I’ll come back on Monday dressed how you like if I’m wrong!” (28:38-29:00)

Scotland’s Midfield Choices and Luck

• The panel fawns over Billy Gilmour’s impact off the bench, calming and controlling the game.
• Greece’s missed first-half chances, especially Pavlides’ glaring miss, are cited as moments Scotland “rode their luck.”
  • “Greece should have been out of sight.” (33:15, Barry Glendenning)
• Angus Gunn’s vital late save allowed Scotland to edge ahead, despite his lack of recent game time.
  • Scottish goalkeeping is a “national crisis,” with no young successor in sight, but Gunn is “playing very well for Scotland recently.” (32:14, Ewan Murray)

Steve Clarke, Style Debates, and Scottish Football Identity

• Johnny relays Scottish fans’ concern that the national team “has no identity or style” — are they in an “awkward transition” between effective football and attractive football?
  • Ewan: “Expectations are elevated, but… apart from a handful of stars, there isn’t that much depth of talent. Sometimes expectations are misplaced.” (34:53, Ewan Murray)
• Clarke is about to become Scotland’s longest-serving ever manager and could be first to take them to three major tournaments — his legacy is secure regardless of the final outcome. (35:56)

3. Scottish Managerial Changes and Rangers’ Drama

(35:56 to 39:57)

• Russell Martin sacked as Rangers head coach after just 123 days:
  • “He met with a level of antipathy from the moment he walked through the door… almost vicious from the start and I don’t entirely know why.” (36:18, Ewan Murray)
  • Philippe notes anti-vegan, anti-environmentalist sentiment circulating against Martin; Ewan agrees some of the criticism clearly crossed a line.
• Steven Gerrard is the “obvious choice” for the role, and would have the fans’ support — “it’s the perfect situation all round.” (38:34, Ewan Murray)
• Hearts’ flying start and the hope for a real challenger to the Celtic-Rangers duopoly is briefly discussed.

4. Results Roundup & International Tidbits

(39:57 to 42:44)

• Austria beat San Marino 10-0 — their “biggest win ever,” with Marko Arnautovic scoring four.
• Faroe Islands scored four against Montenegro: a “historic night,” including a goal by “a frozen pizza salesman.”
• Brief chat about Ireland’s daunting trip to Portugal after losing to Armenia. Barry is not hopeful:
  • “I’ll be astonished if Ireland come away from Lisbon with anything other than a heavy beating.” (41:52, Barry Glendenning)

5. Football and Geopolitical Crisis: Israel, UEFA, FIFA & Moral Paralysis

(Start: 44:35 to 52:30)

The Israel Question: Why the Inertia?

• Israel’s upcoming matches (Norway, then Italy) raise security and political challenges.

• Philippe: “FIFA and UEFA have been pretending they didn’t have any feet to drag for a very long time.”

  • References a 2015 FIFA report recommending Israel’s suspension due to its inclusion of clubs from occupied territories (a “clear violation” of statutes).
  • “UEFA leaked talk of a meeting about suspension… nothing official… all done in a non-official way.” (45:02, Philippe Auclair)

• Johnny: “The moral case is totally unarguable. Israel had absolutely no place playing any kind of international football.” Cites death toll among Palestinian footballers as evidence of sport being unable to stand by.

  • However, institutionally, such action means “going up against vested interests in sport and global politics — the US State Department was openly hostile to even the suggestion.” (48:25, Johnny Liu)

• Max reads grim war statistics; Norwegian FA donating match proceeds to humanitarian relief; Italian officials call for postponement or behind-closed-doors matches.

• Philippe adds a new detail: UEFA’s Executive Council had a “majority in favour of suspension” but the “very top” of UEFA leadership avoided a vote.

  • “If there had been a vote, Israel would now be suspended.” (51:46, Philippe Auclair)

6. Quick Hits and Lighter Moments

(52:30 onward)

Brazil Call Up Ancelotti — and England’s Premier League Supplies a Third of His Squad

• Ancelotti now in charge for Brazil; can he “make them rational and sane,” finally uniting the world’s most talented football diaspora?
  • “There are more Brazilian footballers everywhere than any other nation, yet nobody’s managed to draw them together for decades… If Ancelotti can’t do it, who can?” (52:33, Johnny Liu)
  • Philippe: For the upcoming games, “13 of the players called by Ancelotti play in England — the whole midfield is Premier League.” (54:46, Philippe Auclair)

Billionaire Ballers, Cold Palmer (TM), and U-Boat Derby

• Cristiano Ronaldo becomes football’s first billionaire.
• Light ribbing about Cole Palmer trademarking “Cold Palmer” for everything from submarines to Christmas crackers:
  • “What else do you need than a cold palm? Two-for-one with a mouse mat and a submarine.” (56:41, Max Rushden)
  • Debate on who did “the cold” celebration first: “This ends up as Palmer vs Rogers in the High Court!” (57:02, Johnny Liu)

Community Support: The Great Perth AirPods Retrieval

• Max’s AirPods are stranded at Perth Airport; the listener community rallies to retrieve and forward them.
  • “Going to an airport to do anything for anyone is a massive pain in the ass… but it’s heartening how many listeners volunteered!” (59:10, Barry Glendenning)

Notable Quotes (Selected, with timestamps)

• “England are allowed to be good… Sometimes, that was just a good performance.”
  (02:39, Johnny Liu)
• “I don’t see any route to England winning the World Cup without Jude Bellingham.”
  (10:11, Johnny Liu)
• “[Tuchel] doesn’t pander to egos… If he elected to leave Jude Bellingham out of the squad, [he wouldn’t care].”
  (04:51, Barry Glendenning)
• “If anything were to happen to [Harry Kane], it would be a huge concern.”
  (20:13, Barry Glendenning)
• “[Scotland’s win] was right up there — how Scotland won, let alone by two clear goals, I don’t know!”
  (27:09, Ewan Murray)
• “FIFA have been… pretending they didn’t have any feet to drag… There has been a majority [in UEFA] for suspension – the problem is at the very top.”
  (45:02 & 51:46, Philippe Auclair)
• “The moral case is totally unarguable. Israel had absolutely no place playing any kind of representative international sport at all.”
  (48:25, Johnny Liu)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• England v Wales & Selection Debate: 01:03–24:31
• Scotland v Greece & Scottish Football: 26:46–35:56
• Scottish Managerial Drama: 35:56–39:57
• International Results & Ireland’s Woes: 39:57–42:44
• Israel-UEFA-FIFA Segment: 44:35–52:30
• Brazil & Ancelotti / Lighter Bits: 52:30–60:48

All ad reads, promos, intros, and outros omitted for clarity and focus. Episode structured to match the riotous spirit, sharp observation, and camaraderie of the Football Weekly team.