The Rest Is Football — Player Ultimatums, Superstitions & Fantasy Football Standings

Podcast: The Rest Is Football
Date: December 17, 2025
Hosts: Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, Micah Richards

Episode Overview

This episode delivers a lively Q&A session as the legendary trio—Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, and Micah Richards—tackle fan-submitted questions on topics ranging from Premier League fantasy football, dressing room dynamics, high-profile transfer drama, superstitions, VAR reform, and the power of football’s greatest moments. Their trademark chemistry shines as they blend deep insight, candid personal stories, and plenty of playful banter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Fantasy Football Standings and Obsession

• Lineker gives an update on everyone's Fantasy Premier League performance:
  • Harry (producer) leads with 997 points.
  • Gary: 934 points, "comfortably clear" of the other two.
  • Micah: 870 points.
  • Alan: 861 points, nine behind Micah.
  • "Harry's very keen to hand them over because he's ranked first… I'm second comfortably clear of you two muppets." — Gary Lineker (03:17)
• The podcast’s combined team is performing admirably, 235th out of 40,000+ in their own league, and 29,000th globally out of 12 million players.
• Micah admits he’s obsessed: "I need to stop me, because it's taking over my life and I'm still..." (04:08)

What Is Erling Haaland Like Off the Pitch?

• Alan's praise: "He was so brilliant, so respectful, so professional. ... I loved his attitude. I loved his desire and his hunger to score goals." (05:57)
• Gary sums up: "Goal scorers are just good people, Micah." (06:28)
• Micah jests about not getting invited to the Haaland interview, setting up a running joke.

Rival Moves: Would They Have Played For Their Clubs’ Nemeses?

• All refuse—even the thought.
  • Alan: "There isn't enough money around for me to play for them." (07:10)
  • Micah: "No City through, mate. Nope. Not going to the red sides for no amount of money." (07:28)
  • Gary references turning down Nottingham Forest when Brian Clough was manager.

Away Fans: Who Decides Their Location?

• Generally decided by the host club, though Alan believes there are guidelines ensuring reasonable placement unless safety or logistics intervene.
  • Example: At Newcastle, away fans are “up in the gods”—which can give the home side an edge.
  • Alan: "You can hardly even hear them... which has to be of an advantage." (09:00)

The Messi Question: MLS Success at 38

• All praise Messi's continued impact—winning MVP, topping both goals and assists, and revitalizing Inter Miami.
• Alan notes the supporting cast (Busquets, Suarez), but all agree: still remarkable, even if “not as competitive” a league.

Player Ultimatums: Fallout When Transfer Pushes Fail

• Are players forgiven after failed transfer maneuvers?
  • Alan: "They're not just going to dump him and say, look, I'm not going to speak to you..." (11:17)
  • Micah shares the Carlos Tevez saga at Man City: When Tevez returned from his infamous "golf sabbatical," teammates welcomed him back as soon as he started delivering.

Special Segment: Sounds of the Game

A retrospective celebrating football’s most iconic moments, as captured through crowd roars and commentators.

• Gary’s favourite: Leicester clinching the title, celebrating the "roar" at Chelsea-Spurs when Leicester won the league (13:39).
• Alan highlights his top Newcastle goal vs. Everton: "It just sort of... I just did it and. Yeah, and as soon as I hit it, I just knew... definitely my best goal." (15:03)
• Micah relives the Aguerooooo moment for Man City’s 2012 title: “Not a chance it was fate. The sound, the atmosphere was electric.” (15:49)

Superstitions: How Strikers Cope with Goal Droughts

• Gary’s remedy? Haircuts for a run of bad form: "I used to get my hair cut. ... It's shifting your mindset. So. Right, I've done this now. Fresh. Here we go again." (20:50)
• Alan: Took it harder emotionally but didn't change routines: "I'd just lose hours of sleep at night... but I never did anything dramatically different." (21:54)

Dealing with Criticism from Pundits and Press

• Neither Alan nor Gary paid much heed, especially in lean periods. Gary: "If I hadn't scored. I wouldn't look at them. If I had scored, I'd buy every paper." (23:38)

VAR: What Would You Change?

• Gary proposes an appeal system: “Two appeals a half... The team that makes the appeal have to say exactly what they're appealing against... That for me will transform it and that will happen. I tell you now, at some point it has to.” (25:42)
• Alan’s wish: return to “maximum benefit, minimum interference,” versus the current “nonsense.” (26:20)
• Micah agrees: "We have that in bowler's league, and it works a treat." (26:59)

Biscuit Debate, Arsenal Allegiance, and Home Furnishings

• Custard Creams vs. Bourbons: Alan is team Custard Cream, Gary picks Bourbons. Micah: "I'm on a diet. No drinking, no fatty foods." (24:26)
• Would Micah celebrate if Arsenal won the title? "Nope... Man City through and through." (25:12)
• Personal mementoes at home: Alan has letters from the late Queen, family photos; Micah keeps Man City trophies, England caps, and Lego sets for his son.

Monthly Fantasy Football Prize Winner

• November’s winner is “Johnny Duncan” (Gilda Gooners), earning a Mexican shirt signed by Higuita, Lineker, and Dunga.
  • Micah: “Why is Donga signed a Mexico shirt? We're talking about Brazilian Donga, right?” (30:37)
  • Gary explains it was done at the World Football Hall of Fame in Mexico City.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Gary, on the fantasy football team:
  "The rest is football. Team fantasy is 235th in our league and that's out of 40,000 plus people." (04:30)

• Alan, on footballing rivals:
  "There isn't enough money around for me to play for them." (07:10)

• Micah, on forgiving teammates after drama:
  "When he came back, we was all buzzing. Couldn't care less what happened with him and the manager... it's all about are we winning our next game?" (12:10)

• Gary, on VAR reform:
  "Mine is just change it to an appeal system... If your appeal is successful, you keep it—simple as that. Stops all this nonsense... That for me will transform it and that will happen. I tell you now, at some point it has to." (25:42)

• Alan, on his best-ever goal:
  "As soon as I hit it, I just knew where it was going... definitely our best goal, guys." (15:10)

• On confidence and the media:
  "If I hadn't scored. I wouldn't look at them. If I had scored, I'd buy every paper." — Gary (23:38)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Fantasy Football Standing Recap: 03:17
• Erling Haaland Character Discussion: 05:57
• Would They Play for Rivals?: 07:10
• Who Decides Away Fans' Seats?: 09:00
• Messi in MLS: 10:14
• Transfer Sagas: Dressing Room Reactions: 11:17
• Sounds of the Game segment: 13:36 – 17:00
• Goal Drought Superstitions: 20:50
• Handling Media Criticism: 23:38
• VAR Suggested Changes: 25:42
• Biscuit Debate: 24:06
• Fantasy League Prizes: 29:22
• Significance of Memorabilia at Home: 27:10, 28:28

Tone and Chemistry

The episode is fast-paced, packed with warmth and wit. Gary leads with dry humour. Alan combines blunt honesty with self-deprecation, and Micah is full of energy—often the butt of running jokes, but always game for a laugh. They move quickly between deeply insightful footballing wisdom and the everyday realities—what it’s like to lose form, face critics, or confront the pull of club loyalties, all seasoned with competitive ribbing and affection.

For New Listeners

Whether you’re a die-hard football fan or just catching up on the season’s noise, this episode delivers a perfect blend of expert analysis and entertainment. You’ll learn how pros handle the pressures on and off pitch, what really matters in dressing rooms, the logic behind VAR reforms, and—crucially—which biscuits fuel Britain’s top pundits.