Football Weekly – "Manchester is Red and Chaos at the Afcon Final"

The Guardian | January 19, 2026
Hosted by: Barry Glendenning, Max Rushden
Panelists: John Bruin, Seb Hutchinson, Asasu Obeyuana

Overview

In this lively and humorous episode, the panel delves into a transformative Manchester Derby where United reclaim old swagger, dissect Spurs’ ongoing turmoil, assess managerial chaos at Crystal Palace, and unpack a genuinely bizarre and controversial AFCON final. The show balances sharp analysis with banter, providing both devoted and casual fans with perspectives on the week’s dramatic football stories across England and Africa.

Episode Structure

1. Premier League: Manchester United’s Derby Triumph
2. Spurs in Crisis & The ‘Dr. Tottenham’ Myth
3. Crystal Palace: Glasner, Transfers & Ownership Turmoil
4. Other Premier League Highlights
5. Chaotic AFCON Final: Refereeing, Protest, & The Panenka That Wasn’t
6. Governance in African & World Football
7. Notable Quotes & Moments
8. Segment Timestamps

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1. Manchester United: Derby Day Resurrection

• Manchester United 2–0 Manchester City

• John Bruin, who attended the match, described a rare sense of emotional redemption at Old Trafford:

  • “I felt alive, Barry. I felt like I was back in my 20s and 30s and Old Trafford felt like that.” (03:32)
  • United’s performance echoed classic Fergie teams: intense, incisive, with the crowd and players locked in symbiosis.
  • “For one day only, Old Trafford was how it can be, how it used to be. And it was a privilege to be there.” (06:39)

• Panel Discussion:

  • Old Trafford’s atmosphere, the debate over renovating historic stadiums (“Would Liverpool tear down Anfield?” (06:10)), and how “older stadiums produce the best atmospheres.” (07:51)
  • Michael Carrick’s impact as caretaker manager:
    • Simplified tactics, trusted youth like Kobbie Mainoo, and restored belief.
    • “Put round pegs in round holes and it'll be fine. And you're sort of going, why didn't Amram do that for 15 months?” (08:13)
  • The perennial hope/danger of club ‘DNA’:
    • “I'm skeptical about DNA... but if you bring back somebody who is a legend at the club, it just... gives everyone a lift.” (12:07)

• Carrick’s Fan Connection:

  • He holds season tickets and claimed watching from the stands helped shape his management. “He’s obviously been sat in a stand saying don't play three at the back, you know, and free Kobbie Mainoo.” (14:32)

• Caveats:

  • United’s dominance is unlikely to last unless deeper systemic issues are addressed, but the panel relishes this fleeting resurrection.

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2. Spurs in Crisis & The “Dr. Tottenham” Effect

• Tottenham’s Dismal Form:

  • Suffering their “worst run in 19 years.” (03:03)
  • Thomas Frank heavily under pressure after abject results and fan unrest: “He seems to be widely liked because he appears to be a very, very nice man. But that'll only get you so far.” (16:43)
  • Barry Glendenning summarises: “You lose the fans and the players, you don’t really have anything.” (18:45)
  • ‘Dr. Tottenham’ is lampooned for reviving struggling opponents (“They don't just heal at this point, they can raise the dead.” (16:43))

• Managerial Uncertainty:

  • Substitute teachers Harry Redknapp and even Chas & Dave jokingly suggested as possible replacements.
  • Internal confusion post-Daniel Levy’s departure (“organizational drag”), leaving no discernible style and no clear leadership.

• Panel Consensus:

  • “Just get rid. Put him out of his misery... like if you're in a relationship that's gotten sour.” (17:53)
  • Interim manager likeliest option until summer managerial market clears (“There’ll be loads of managerial changes and churn... maybe get Potch back, who knows?” (23:18))

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3. Crystal Palace: Glasner’s Meltdown and Player Exodus

• Summary of Crisis:

  • Palace enduring a catastrophic week: FA Cup shock, captain Mark Gayle’s sale, and manager Glasner confirming he’ll leave at the end of the season.
  • Glasner lashes out: “I feel we’re being abandoned completely... If you get your heart torn out twice this season, what should I tell the players?” (26:00)

• Squad Depth & Ownership Tensions:

  • Only 12-13 players available. Glasner claims a lack of support—though John Bruin checks his math (“only one of the subs was under 20, so he could have brought on players if he wished.” (30:13))
  • Glasner accused of angling for the sack by publicly criticising the hierarchy (common managerial ‘exit’ tactic).

• Fan Perspective:

  • “If I was a Palace fan, I’d be pissed off, obviously, because they've lost Eze, Gay’s gone, who they might lose—other players will want out as well.” (30:13)
  • This is seen as part of a wider Premier League trend of managers engineering hostile exits.

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4. Other Noteworthy Premier League Talking Points

• Chelsea 2–Brentford 0:

  • Chelsea scrape a lucky win. “I thought they were very lucky. And if I was Keith Andrews, I’d be scratching my magnificent hair.” (35:59)
  • Credit for goalkeeper Sanchez but signs of managerial fortune.

• Liverpool 1–Burnley 1:

  • A “sad unbeaten run” for Liverpool; fans turning quickly on manager Arne Slot.
  • “They've drawn four of the last five; it seems like a sad unbeaten run... The spectrum of Xabi Alonso hanging over every Liverpool game now.” (36:28)

• Everton Upset:

  • Everton’s surprise win. TiarnBarry’s goal highlighted as “the finish of a very confident striker... That was such a difficult thing to do against an incredibly good goalkeeper.” (39:43)

• VAR & Handballs:

  • Arsenal denied a penalty in a key game—Max Rushden jests, “Maybe it might be better if you scored a goal, lads, and then you’d have won the game.” (42:00)
  • Consistent theme of VAR confusion and inconsistency.

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5. Chaos at the AFCON Final: Refereeing, Protest, and the Missed Panenka

• Match Recap:
  Senegal 1–0 Morocco (AET)

  • The final descends into farce with wild refereeing, a disallowed goal, a disputed penalty, a 15-minute delay for protest, and a catastrophic Panenka miss.

• Refereeing Woes:

  • Asasu Obeyuana offers a damning assessment: “The refereeing at this AFCON... has been appalling. Frankly, if there were a football prison for crimes against football, the referee yesterday should be in there. Serious. I’m not being facetious now, I’m serious.” (46:28)

  • Technical failures: “VAR room for some games didn't even work.” (47:36)

  • The final's “terrible penalty decision” and subsequent chaos stemmed from systemic governance failings at the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

• Protest & Delay:

  • Moroccan team come close to staging a walk-off in echo of 2019 African Champions League debacle: “If the players hadn't returned... it would have been the first time in 69 years of the African Cup of Nations that a final had been abandoned.” (48:50)

• The Diaz Miss:

  • Brahim Diaz’s infamous Panenka: waited 15 minutes amidst chaos, then chipped weakly into the keeper’s arms. Panel debates intent, psychology, and global attention.
  • “It was such a terrible Panenka. It just didn’t look real. I was like, am I watching something? Like, what is happening?” (53:42)
  • Obeyuana moots a dramatic theory: “I feel that he deliberately missed that penalty for the peace of the game.” (56:33)
  • The panel splits over whether it was psychological collapse or noble intention.

• Aftermath:

  • Fallout for CAF, for Morocco (“kids are crying, the press conferences were abandoned”), and the broader perception of African football.

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6. Global Football Governance: FIFA & CAF

• Obeyuana’s Perspective on Governance:
  • “When governance is not right, nothing on the field goes right. Everything that has happened in the final is a result of incompetent governance.” (58:43)
  • Criticises FIFA President Infantino for politicising football with Trump "peace prize": “When a world governing body feels that they are better placed than the Nobel Peace Prize committee... you know FIFA has come to a place it should never go.” (62:26)

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7. Notable Quotes and Moments

• On Atmosphere at Old Trafford:
  “Would Liverpool tear down Anfield? Because it's about what that stadium can do... why would you sell off that experience?” (06:10 – John Bruin)

• On the Football 'DNA' Fallacy:
  “I'm sceptical about DNA... but if you bring back somebody who is a legend at the club, it just gives everyone a lift.” (12:07 – Barry Glendenning)

• On the Dr. Tottenham Phenomenon:
  “They don’t just heal at this point, they can raise the dead.” (16:43 – Panel/Joke by Questioner)

• On AFCON Refereeing:
  “Frankly, if there were a football prison for crimes against football, the referee yesterday should be in there. Serious. I’m not being facetious now, I’m serious.” (46:28 – Asasu Obeyuana)

• On the Diaz Panenka:
  “It was such a terrible Panenka. It just didn’t look real. I was like, am I watching something? Like, what is happening?” (53:42 – Max Rushden)

• On FIFA’s Trump ‘Peace Prize’:
  “When a world governing body feels that they are better placed than the Nobel Peace Prize committee… you know FIFA has come to a place it should never go.” (62:26 – Asasu Obeyuana)

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8. Timestamps for Key Segments

• Manchester Derby analysis: 03:13 – 14:32
• Spurs/Frank turmoil: 16:43 – 23:50
• Crystal Palace meltdown: 26:00 – 33:37
• Chelsea, Liverpool, Everton short takes: 33:37 – 42:43
• VAR & Arsenal–Forest handball: 41:31 – 42:43
• AFCON final chaos: 45:39 – 61:09
• FIFA governance/Trump controversy: 61:09 – 64:13

Final Thoughts

This episode masterfully blends detailed football analysis with the Guardian’s trademark wit and humour. It offers both catharsis for suffering fans and laughs for the neutral, while occasionally confronting the serious failures of the sport’s authorities at home and abroad. As Barry notes after his marathon fundraising plug:
“I still hate running. I don’t think I’ll ever enjoy it, but people’s generosity has been remarkable.” (64:33)

This summary covers all major topics, offers memorable quotes, and provides precise timestamps—serving both those who missed the episode and die-hard listeners wanting a refresher.