The Rest Is Football – Episode Summary

Podcast: The Rest Is Football
Title: Mansfield Miracle, Shocking Officiating & Gary and Alan vs Harry Kane
Date: February 16, 2026
Hosts: Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, Micah Richards

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the latest round of FA Cup action, the remarkable upset by Mansfield, controversial officiating in the Villa–Newcastle match, England left-back debates, the return to form for Liverpool, and the inevitable conversation around Harry Kane's milestone 500th goal. With their signature blend of expert insight, banter, and nostalgia, Gary, Alan, and Micah dissect key moments and trends from the weekend’s football.

1. FA Cup Weekend: Big Stories and Small Miracles

• Mansfield’s Historic Upset over Burnley

  • Mansfield defeat Burnley in the FA Cup — the standout shock of an otherwise routine round.
  • Micah: “Burnley should have scored three or four goals… Mansfield were brilliant as well on the day, but Burnley missed so many chances.” (03:07)
  • Nigel Clough’s management and the standout nature of Louis Reed’s free-kick are praised.
  • Mansfield reach the FA Cup fifth round for the first time since 1975 (23:40).
  • “That is still a monumental effort... It’s a fabulous technique [from Reed].” – Gary (23:20)

• Team Rotation & Squad Management Critique

  • Burnley’s nine changes under scrutiny.
  • Gary: “You get a home game in the FA Cup and you think, oh, I'll make nine changes. I honestly do not understand the logic behind that.” (03:28)
  • Discussion: Weighing momentum vs. the need to keep non-premier league regulars match-fit (05:14).

2. Officiating in the Spotlight: Villa vs Newcastle

• Catastrophic Decisions Without VAR

  • Alan lambasts the referee and assistants:
    • “Those three yesterday, seriously, how bad were they? ...Out of five, maybe four big decisions... they got one correct.” (13:23)
  • The debate escalates over the “comfort blanket” VAR usually provides to officials.
  • Lack of VAR in the cup leads to multiple errors; Alan lists missed offsides and a missed red card for Digne (14:46–15:20).
  • Newcastle win anyway, but Alan notes the uproar there would’ve been otherwise.
  • Micah: “At full time ... it was seething. It just won. And you still have to get a dig in about the refs. It was hilarious.” (15:27)

• The VAR Debate & Proposal for an Appeal System

  • Gary: “I’d still take that over VAR – at least it’s quick mistakes. VAR still makes mistakes anyway... It's actually been the most damaging thing for our sport in my lifetime.” (16:05, 17:12)
  • He reiterates his proposed “appeal system” — teams get limited appeals, only check incidents flagged by a team.
  • Alan: “I would just like VAR to be as they told us... maximum benefit, minimum interference... they have gone so far from that, it’s incredible.” (17:38)

3. Squad Talk: Studio Dynamics and On-Air Banter

• Fun behind-the-scenes chat on how pundits position themselves in TV studios:
  • Micah: “I prefer sitting at the end because when you're in the middle, you feel squashed…” (10:13)
  • The trio discuss how to get unique points in, avoid being upstaged, and the best/worst TV boxes in stadiums (12:10).
  • Quick quips, e.g.:
    • Shearer, joking after sniping at Micah’s seat preference: “Well, you would.” (11:08)
    • Gary: “I always felt like you were after my job.” (11:25)

4. England’s Left-Back Dilemma

• Lewis Hall’s Emergence
  • Micah: “Lewis Hall has to start left back for England... His performances of the last two months have been outstanding.” (19:43)
  • Alan and Gary on Hall’s positional flexibility and comparisons to other midfielders-turned-left-backs.
  • Noted as England’s most in-form left-back with Luke Shaw’s status uncertain.

5. Newcastle’s Progress and Player Dynamics

• Bruno Guimarães Injury Worries

  • Alan reveals Bruno is out for about 8 weeks, a big concern given Newcastle’s reliance on him:
  • “I think there were 13 [games] before yesterday without him, and they only won one game.” (20:37)

• Tonali’s Performance and Transfer Rumors

  • Alan reassures fans despite rumors of an Italian return:
    • “Judging by his reaction [after his goal], I wouldn’t look too serious into it.” (21:28)
  • Micah praises Tonali’s recovery after a difficult season:
    • “A lot of people said he’s not going to be the same player... but with his quality, he’s always going to get back to his best.” (22:00)
  • Gary underscores the value of visible, sincere support from players for Eddie Howe (22:37).

6. Liverpool and City Review

• Liverpool Back to Their Best?

  • Noted improvement under Arne Slot with standout performances from Szoboszlai, Salah, Wirtz, and defensive solidity:
    • Gary: “Liverpool do look like they’re on the way back.” (32:21)
    • Alan: “He [Szoboszlai] had to fill in at right back as well several times... he’s a really good player, great engine.” (30:29)
  • Micah: “When van Dijk plays well ... the whole of Liverpool play [well]...” (31:08)

• Man City’s Keeper Conundrum

  • Trafford’s situation and Donnarumma’s arrival at City:
    • Gary: “He thought he was coming to Manchester City to be the first team goalkeeper.” (33:17)
    • Alan argues learning from Donnarumma will help Trafford in the long run. (34:46)

7. Around the Grounds

• Championship & Scottish Premiership

  • Hearts, Rangers, Celtic in a genuine three-way race:
    • Gary: “You’ve got a proper title race in Scotland. ... It’d be incredible if someone outside of Rangers or Celtic won it.” (37:40)

• Wolves Survive a Grimsby Pitch from the 1980s

  • Alan nostalgically enjoys seeing “mud, rain... like back in the 80s.” (44:11)

8. Harry Kane’s 500 Goals & Striker Legacy

• Kane Hits 500—How Do Alan and Gary Compare?

  • Micah: “Does it bother you that Harry Kane scored more goals or not? Be honest...”
  • Shearer: “Why would it bother you if he scored more goals?” (42:51)
  • Gary: “Harry Kane’s a better footballer than me and Alan, probably.” (43:21)
  • Stats discussion: Kane’s 100 penalties among his 500 goals (41:45); Alan’s candid about his own tally, tongue-in-cheek about including youth goals (41:08).
  • Broader debate over strikers’ inflation in strike rates due to modern laws, pitches, number of penalties.
    • Gary: "If I was in my prime now... I’d fancy scoring a lot of goals." (43:31)

• Memorable Quotes:

  • Gary Lineker on VAR:
    "It's actually been the most damaging thing for our sport in my lifetime." (17:12)
  • Alan Shearer, on officiating:
    “Those three yesterday, seriously, how bad were they?” (13:23)
  • Micah Richards, on Lewis Hall:
    "His performances of the last two months have been outstanding." (19:43)

9. Light Touches and Banter

• Critique of diving, with references to Bastoni and their own bad dives:
  • Gary: “There should be an automatic three-game suspension because that’s the only way players are going to stop doing it.” (39:02)
  • Micah sheepishly admits his own was worse (39:24).
• Fun with new football phrases:
  • “A bit of room of space” as a possible catchphrase—Micah plans to write it down (36:38).

10. Notable Timestamps

• [03:07] Mansfield’s win and Burnley’s missed chances
• [13:23] Alan Shearer’s officiating rant (Villa–Newcastle)
• [16:05–17:12] Gary Lineker’s anti-VAR tirade and appeals proposal
• [19:43–20:15] England left-back discussion: Lewis Hall
• [41:45–44:09] Kane, Shearer, and Lineker: the goalscoring debate
• [23:20] Nigel Clough and Mansfield's historic achievement
• [31:08] Liverpool’s improved defensive performances
• [39:02] The punishment for diving

Conclusion

This rich, energetic episode delivers what The Rest Is Football promises: timely analysis, authentic behind-the-scenes banter, and sharp observations on the evolving game. From Mansfield’s cup heroics to seething VAR discussions, nostalgia for the muddy pitches of past decades, and debates over England’s striking royalty, it’s an episode brimming with insights, laughs, and proper football talk.