There's an adage that at the end of the season the table never lies, but with so much affecting this season's Premier League placings does it still hold true? Is it possible to understand everything that's going on in football? From financial regulations to club and country coefficients, from law changes to competition restructing, from new metrics to constantly evolving tactics, there's always something new to get your head around. Is that a bug of the modern game or a feature? For more information on the podcast and links related to the subjects discussed, check out the Show Notes on our ..read more

Across Europe the major league titles are already almost won; in Germany, Leverkusen should seal the championship this weekend. The English top flight is the exception with a three way race that could provide the most exciting climax to a Premier League season. It's not all good news for the “Best League in the World”. This week, around the time it was announced that Everton have been deducted a further two points for breaching PSR rules again, it was revealed that clubs are looking at introducing a “luxury tax” to punish over-spending clubs instead of deucting points. Could solving overspen ..read more

The games across the congested Easter weekend can often define what remains of a season. In England the lead changed in both the Premier League and the Championship. In women's football, Arsenal won the the first (and almost certainly their only) silverware of the season, beating Chelsea and denying Emma Hayes the quadruple in her final season at the club. In Germany, the title race is as good as done. Bayern's defeat to Dortmund has opened a 13 point gap between themselves and Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen. For many people, Harry Kane's decision to move to Bayern was motivated by a desire to win ..read more

The international break often leaves football news outlets scratching around for content. It's a good thing they had Ben White declining to join the England squad and Nike's cross of St George design faux pas to whip up some outrage. Trying not to dwell on such matters, we move on to discuss options for improvements to the qualification process for international tournaments. Starting next week, the qualification phase for the next women's Euros will use the Nations League model. Could that same system breath life into qualifying for men's tournaments too, or is there an even better option ou ..read more

Nottingham Forest have been hit with a four point deduction for breaching the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules. The loss of points has dropped them into the relegation zone but they're still ahead of the two best teams in last season's Championship, Burnley and Sheffield United. With the gap between the top flight and the EFL growing ever larger, how else can the clubs coming up from the Championship compete? Today, the Football Governance Bill got its first reading in Parliament, and with cross-party support it should pass smoothly into law. Will a new regulator for football ..read more

Like March hares, right now there a lot of people who are hopping mad. This weekend Jude Bellingham saw red for having a difference of opinion with referee over timekeeping, while in Germany a Darmstadt fan was allowed on the pitch to let the players know how terrible they are. If that wasn't enough, this weekend we also had a former top level Premier League referee, Mark Clattenburg, throw a former colleague under the bus in his new role as an adviser for Nottingham Forest. It must be getting to the exciting stage of the season. For more information on the podcast and links related to the ..read more

It's been four years since the FA Cup became a replay-less midweek round, but it still feels a bit weird. With a new domestic broadcaster taking over the competition in 2025, could more changes be on the horizon? If there are changes to be made, maybe the powers that be should consult with the fans first. The recent victory of ultras in Germany in their action against unpopular financing plans from the German league should be an example for fan groups everywhere. But could similar action even happen in England? For more information on the podcast and links related to the subjects discussed ..read more

Sunderland are looking for a new manager, just two months after hiring the last one, Michael Beale. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace have appointed a new manager, and this time it's an interesting choice. 2022 Europa League winning head coach Oliver Glasner comes in to replace Roy Hodgson. In Germany, pressure is mounting on Thomas Tuchel, whose Bayern side have lost three games in the space of a week. For more information on the podcast and links related to the subjects discussed, check out the Show Notes on our blog. pods.sofpodcast.com/sofpodcast_564.mp3 What's in the Weekend Boxset? Hopefu ..read more

Last week, the football laws body IFAB announced an idea they were looking to trial - the introduction of blue cards for offences punishable by a visit to a ten minute sin bin. Why, in England at least, has the idea almost universally gone down like a lead balloon? Are the decisions-makers at IFAB fixing problems that no one has asked them to fix? For more information on the podcast and links related to the subjects discussed, check out the Show Notes on our blog. pods.sofpodcast.com/sofpodcast_563.mp3 What's in the Weekend Boxset? Manchester City face Chelsea twice and if those games a ..read more

After bruising defeats at the weekend both Roy Hodgson and Mauricio Pochettino are under pressure before they face each other next Monday. Are they safe all the time no one else would touch their respective clubs? Also this week we discuss a couple of controversial off-field decision with some VAR chaos in Belgium and, closer to home, the problems of cup-tying players in league-based knockout competitions after Aston Villa avoided being kicked out of the Women's League Cup. For more information on the podcast and links related to the subjects discussed, check out the Show Notes on our blog ..read more