Podcasts by Set Piece Menu Football Podcast
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk about football over food. They are together a writer, a commentator, a presenter and a pundit. Rory Smith is the Chief Soccer Correspondent of the New York Times, Steven Wyeth commentates for BT Sport and the BBC's Match Of The Day, Hugh Ferris is a presenter at BBC Sport, and Andy Hinchcliffe is a former England international (seven caps) who is now a pundit for Sky Sports. On each episode they discuss one footballing issue, while digesting a delicious lunch or brunch, and almost never reaching any sort of conclusion.
Further podcasts by Rory Smith, Andy Hinchcliffe, Steve Wyeth, Hugh Ferris
Podcast on the topic Sport
All episodes
SPM 267: Au Revoir from 2022-01-26T06:00:04
The football: March 2020 was football's hiatus, January 2022 is ours. With changes afoot in the SPM family, and a relaunch expected later in the year, we thought we'd give you all a bit of a break....
Listen
SPM 266: Serie A from 2022-01-19T06:00:08
The football: Is Serie A the most exciting league in football right now? And if so, does that mean it has at last shaken off its stereotype - one that hasn't been true on the pitch for a long while...
Listen
SPM 265: Is Football Too Eurocentric? from 2022-01-12T06:00:22
The football: As the latest Africa Cup of Nations begins to unfortunate characterisations and complaints about scheduling and availability, we ask if those questioning the relevance of competitions...
Listen
SPM 264: The Christmas Schedule Conundrum from 2022-01-05T06:00:22
The football: The Premier League likes attracting the best managerial talent, but what if that talent wants to change the Premier League? Thomas Tuchel, Pep Guardiola, Ralf Rangnick and Jurgen Klop...
Listen
SPM 263: SPMROTY (Part 2) from 2021-12-29T06:00:02
The football: Part two of our Set Piece Menu Review of the Year allows us to skew negative, and yet it's a shorter episode. Go figure...
The food: Having recorded the pod pre-Christmas, we...
SPM 262: SPMROTY (Part 1) from 2021-12-22T06:00:16
The football: We're getting festively reflective as we bring you our Set Piece Menu Review of the Year, which is in no way attempting to sound or feel like another annual retrospective (the one whi...
Listen
SPM 261: Being At The Game vs Watching The Game from 2021-12-15T06:00
The football: What's the difference between watching a game on TV and being at the stadium itself? A listener poses the question, and we try not to sound too snobby in our response.
The fo...
SPM 260: What Is Style? from 2021-12-08T06:00:22
The football: A listener who's relatively new to football wants us to put a little meat on the bones he regularly hears in the coverage of football about 'style', 'identity' and 'philosophy'. What ...
Listen
SPM 259: Is English football as special as it thinks it is? from 2021-12-01T06:00:34
The football: After Paul Merson wondered whether Ralf Rangnick's lack of experience in English football might make him an inappropriate appointment by Manchester United, we ask if English football ...
Listen
SPM 258: What YOU Don't Realise About Commentators... from 2021-11-24T06:00:19
The football: In the unforeseen absence of two of our number, we fill their places with people who actually know what they're talking about. Peter Drury and Conor McNamara are some of the finest ex...
Listen
SPM 257: Is international football more exciting than we thought? from 2021-11-17T06:00:11
The football: The qualification campaign for the 2022 World Cup may well end up delivering familiar countries to the finals, but in getting there has it shown us that international football might h...
Listen
SPM 250: Live at the National Football Museum from 2021-11-10T06:00:14
The football: In front of a live audience at Manchester's National Football Museum, we discuss whether football does a good job of curating its own history. Also includes extras!
The food:...
SPM 256: Complacency from 2021-11-03T06:00:14
The football: Is complacency football's greatest leveller? All the talk of complacency from those on the pitch is about how to avoid it, but are those in the boardroom falling prey to it all too of...
Listen
SPM 255: Loans, lower league partnerships, or leave the kids alone! from 2021-10-27T05:00:24
The football: After the last round of the EFL Cup (yes we were organised enough to make a plan then and save it for this week's round) Pep Guardiola talked of his young Manchester City bucks benefi...
Listen
SPM 254: Do you have to be a football fan to be a football player? from 2021-10-20T07:37:42
The football: After Benjamin White revealed he'd never watched a football game that he wasn't a part of himself, we ask Chinch how a player's relationship with the game can run so counter to what m...
Listen
SPM 253: Are we celebrating the wrong things in football? from 2021-10-13T05:00:27
The football: Following the Saudi (sorry, PIF) takeover of Newcastle (see SPM175 for more) we talk about how money, and the availability of wealth regardless of its origin, is celebrated more than ...
Listen
SPM 252: Playbooks from 2021-10-06T05:00:20
The football: After Julian Nagelsmann talked about football potentially introducing an NFL-style playbook we ask if that's completely preposterous, or if in fact we're already headed in that direct...
Listen
SPM 251: Soccer Pod Potpourri 2 from 2021-09-29T05:00:09
The football: For availability, and as it turns out, expediency reasons (Rory's dad is about to have lunch, and we're not allowed to be in the way) we bring you a second edition of what proved to b...
Listen
SPM 249: Judging Historical Achievements In The Modern Era from 2021-09-22T05:00:16
The football: Upon Jimmy Greaves' passing, his astounding goal-scoring record was brought to the attention to a whole new generation of football fans. Why was it not something that more people inst...
Listen
SPM 248: Traditions or Anachronisms? from 2021-09-15T05:00:17
The football: The fact that Cristiano Ronaldo's 're-debut' couldn't be shown on television in the UK was considered by some to be proof that the age-old Saturday 3pm blackout was no longer fit for ...
Listen
SPM 247: Women's Football - Cash, caché and change? from 2021-09-08T05:00:17
The football: With caveats abounding that we are men talking about women's football, this week's discussion is about how the new TV deal and associated exposure could give the women's game a chance...
Listen
SPM 246: Are some players bigger than the game? from 2021-09-01T05:00:25
The football: Pep Guardiola suggested Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are players of such stature they can choose the club they play for. Is that true, or is it the financial reality of how few ...
Listen
SPM 245: Siege Mentalities from 2021-08-25T05:00:25
The football: Siege mentalities, or more pertinently, fake ones. Why has what once might have been a genuine management tactic turned into little more than a media trope, happily seized upon by man...
Listen
SPM 244: Big Six or Top Six, or neither? from 2021-08-18T05:00:14
The football: Why are the 'Top Six' clubs in the Premier League spoken about so much, when some of those 'Top Six' don't fill the top six positions anymore? The European Super League debacle spoke ...
Listen
SPM 243: Leo Leaves (Us Cold) from 2021-08-11T05:00:15
The football: Lionel Messi is leaving Barcelona, but the story - mainly because of the destination - is leaving us cold. We discuss what Messi to PSG says about modern football, and we come up with...
Listen
SPM 242: Premier League Exceptionalism? - Part 3 from 2021-08-04T05:00:04
The football: In the final part of our series we ask why the Premier League isn't the centre for tactical innovation in the game, and whether they'd either like to be, or comfortable with the idea ...
Listen
SPM 241: Premier League Exceptionalism? - Part 2 from 2021-07-28T05:00:01
The football: In part two of our summer series, we ask how the Premier League's exceptionalism applies to its finances, transfers and players. Is there a tax for English clubs, because the rest of ...
Listen
SPM 240: Premier League Exceptionalism? - Part 1 from 2021-07-21T05:00
The football: The summer series (aka filler content between organised domestic or international football) is back! We have three connected episodes coming at you over next three weeks considering t...
Listen
SPM 239: Hot Takes and Takeaways (Euro 2020 Edition) from 2021-07-12T16:31:16
SPM 239: Hot Takes and Takeaways (Euro 2020 Edition) by Rory Smith, Andy Hinchcliffe, Steven Wyeth, Hugh Ferris
Listen
SPM 238: The 32-team Euro(s) from 2021-07-07T05:00:10
The football: Rory has an idea of how an expanded Euros could be expanded further, to include 32 teams. He's very proud of it, but clearly can only really commit to its principles once he's worksho...
Listen
SPM 237: Rose Tinted Glasses of Tournament Nostalgia from 2021-06-30T05:00:10
The World Cups and Euros of our youth are acclaimed through the rose tinted spectacles of nostalgia. In our mature years we are much more likely to find fault. What distorts our memories in favour ...
Listen
SPM 236: Soccer Pod Potpourri from 2021-06-23T05:00:19
Over time we've be inundated with excellent suggestions from you, the listener. Many have been used & attributed, some nefariously repurposed & claimed as our own and others saved for a rainy day.<...
Listen
SPM 235: Footballing Fathers & Sons from 2021-06-16T05:00:23
The podcast where four friends - presenter Hugh Ferris, writer Rory Smith, commentator Steven Wyeth & pundit Andy Hinchcliffe - talk football over food.
This week: footballing families and...
SPM 234: The Value Of Trophies from 2021-06-09T05:00:13
The football: Do trophies have a different value depending on who wins them, how often, and whether they are claimed by a player that's also associated with individual achievements? Harry Kane has ...
Listen
SPM 233: Two Things Can Be True from 2021-06-02T14:25:31
The football: After Pep Guardiola seemed to lean into the very narrative that appears to annoy his acolytes more than any other for the Champions League final, we discuss whether something being pr...
Listen
SPM 232: The 4th Annual Hot Takes and Takeaways from 2021-05-26T05:00:10
The football: The Premier League season has come to an end, but it can't be officially 'put in the books' until we've delivered our annual hot takes and takeaways. Sit back and let these completely...
Listen
SPM 231: Squad Construction from 2021-05-19T05:00:26
The football: How does a manager put together a squad for a major international tournament? Is it the 'best 23 players', as the requirement from those who shout the loudest dictates, or is there mu...
Listen
SPM 230: Player Priorities from 2021-05-12T05:00:16
The football: As a follow up to last week's pod, which turned out to be an inadequate answer to a question posed by a listener, we try to actually answer that question. What factors should players ...
Listen
SPM 229: Player Pathways from 2021-05-05T05:00:22
The football: Erling Haaland, his dad, and his agent, all have a plan. They've been plotting the player's career ever since he started as a teenager at Bryne in Norway. This is a prime example of a...
Listen
SPM 228: A New Kind Of Tribalism from 2021-04-28T05:00:21
The football: The European Super League seemed to re-frame the tribalism that's become such a huge part of modern football culture. Instead of fans railing against each other, they joined together ...
Listen
SPM 227: The ESL S**tshow from 2021-04-21T11:51:12
The podcast where four friends - presenter Hugh Ferris, writer Rory Smith, commentator Steven Wyeth & pundit Andy Hinchcliffe - talk football over food.
The football: The Super League, bli...
SPM Bonus: The ESL Fury from 2021-04-19T10:09:07
The football: The European Super League appears to have transitioned from being used in a game of brinkmanship to become a thing of potential reality. Cue the outrage. We have the temerity to think...
Listen
SPM 226: Agents from 2021-04-14T05:00:16
The football: Considering that Kevin de Bruyne appeared not to need one, and Erling Haaland is very obviously using one, we thought we'd talk about agents. Is the bad press they get, particularly i...
Listen
SPM 225: Should we expect football to reflect our own moral compass? from 2021-04-07T05:00:22
The football: With the recent protests by some players against the conditions faced by migrant workers in Qatar, and the conflict some of us feel when considering some of the elements that have hel...
Listen
SPM 224: The Sub-Chinch England XI from 2021-03-31T05:00:10
The football: After an unnecessarily deep dive into the international footballing history of Jonjo Shelvey, a listener suggested we might put together a Select XI of players who have appeared for E...
Listen
SPM 223: What is 'International Level'? from 2021-03-24T06:00:20
The football: For so long, the phrase 'international level' has been used to designate the 'highest level', but is that still the case? Why does a player that represents his club in, say, the Champ...
Listen
SPM 222: Is football intelligent enough to change? from 2021-03-17T06:00:13
The football: A year on from the global lockdown, and the football shutdown, why is there no apparent consensus on how to change the game to guarantee for a better future? The pandemic seemed to pr...
Listen
SPM 221: How much football is too much football? from 2021-03-10T06:00:28
The football: With nearly a year of every Premier League football fixture being on television, have we reached a saturation point? Are we still enjoying the entertainment, or is it suffering from o...
Listen
SPM 220: The Anatomy Of A Post-Match Interview from 2021-03-03T06:00:12
The football: Following a much-discussed incident from another sport, we try and shine a light on how a post-match interview works from a journalist's point of view. What are the time and editorial...
Listen
SPM 219: System or Circumstance? from 2021-02-24T06:00:28
The football: When a coach is so wedded to a system that has brought them success, should they modify it when unforeseen circumstances dictate? Or is the eschewing of a winning philosophy defeat in...
Listen
SPM 218: GOATs from 2021-02-17T06:00:22
The football: Why the obsession with crowning someone as the GOAT? And not even just the GOAT of a particular sport, but an overall GOAT for all sports? Steven is annoyed by the discussion, particu...
Listen
SPM 217: Statistics have growing power, but are we using them responsibly? from 2021-02-10T06:00:22
The football: We apply the 'Peter Parker Principle' to football statistics, asking if the growing power of data should be wielded in a more responsible way. Can a player's performance be measured b...
Listen
SPM 216: Managers' teams or players' teams? from 2021-02-03T06:00:18
The football: Why are some teams defined by the success or otherwise of the man who leads them, and why is the story of others told through the prism of their players? Whose fault is it when things...
Listen
SPM 215: The Non-Elite World Cup from 2021-01-27T06:00:17
The football: Following FIFA's threat to bar from their tournaments all those involved in a potential breakaway European Super League, we imagine those 15 clubs have called FIFA's bluff, and envisi...
Listen
SPM 214: What's our current relationship with behind closed doors football? from 2021-01-20T06:00:09
The football: Now that it's been more than seven months, and an end is not immediately in sight, have we become so accustomed to behind closed doors football that we're not noticing the potential p...
Listen
SPM 213: Pragmatism from 2021-01-13T06:00:37
The football: We often describe managers or teams as pragmatic, but has football distorted the meaning of the word? Is it actually the case that those labelled as idealists are arch pragmatists, an...
Listen
SPM 212: Why is everyone talking about Leeds? from 2021-01-06T06:00:14
The football: Whether it's because of Marcelo Bielsa's philosophy or the official club twitter account, it seems everyone is talking about Leeds. We ask why, and answer that question by, inevitably...
Listen
SPM 211: Nostalgia (Part 2) from 2020-12-30T06:00:14
The football: The second part of our festive offering about nostalgia. After the discussion last week about players, we wonder if nostalgia actually most affects the intangible: the feelings, the p...
Listen
SPM 210: Nostalgia (Part 1) from 2020-12-23T06:00:28
The football: Over the Christmas period we're bringing you a two-parter on nostalgia; how it effects the way we think about football right now, and whether it's a legitimate foundation for our memo...
Listen
SPM 209: What happens when the magic potion runs out? from 2020-12-16T06:00:40
The football: After two promotions and glowing notices for his overlapping centre backs, Chris Wilder and Sheffield United are struggling. Has the magic potion he created for his team run out, and ...
Listen
SPM 208: Allegiances from 2020-12-09T06:00:25
The football: Why do some pundits wear their allegiances on their sleeve, and has the success of Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher changed the age-old convention of impartiality? Tradition has also ...
Listen
SPM 207: Can you have the genius without the flaws? from 2020-12-02T06:00:35
The football: The passing of Diego Maradona prompted a discussion about both his genius and his flaws. But was he the former because of the latter, and would he have been the same without both? And...
Listen
SPM 206: Why do people support s**t teams? from 2020-11-25T06:00:22
The football: A listener describes his own support of the team he loves as a 'diagnosable masochistic disorder', prompting a question about why fans continue to follow their club if there's no sign...
Listen
SPM 205: What makes a good game? from 2020-11-18T06:00:21
The football: What are the crucial criteria that must be met for a game to be considered 'good'? The assumption is that the simple answer is goals; but both high-scoring affairs of little consequen...
Listen
SPM 204: Footballers and 'The Mainstream' from 2020-11-11T06:00:38
The football: Following our conversation about sport in general and its relationship with the mainstream, we eventually get around to what last week's episode was originally supposed to be. What ha...
Listen
SPM 203: Sport and 'The Mainstream' from 2020-11-04T06:00:14
The football: We've had so many intra-episode tangents over the years, why not make a whole episode out of one? An intended conversation about footballers in the mainstream got so sidetracked by Hu...
Listen
SPM 202: The Rebuild from 2020-10-28T06:00:22
The football: Whether it's foresight and proactivity from a position of stability and strength, or alternatively you're in a mess like the current Barcelona, teams need a regular rebuild. We discus...
Listen
SPM 201: Can football die? from 2020-10-21T05:00:26
The football: Can football die? And if so, would football be the reason why? With big clubs attempting to pull the game in one direction, and fans appearing to be resistant to any change whatsoever...
Listen
SPM 200: Project Big Picture - Opportunity or Opportunism? from 2020-10-14T05:00:24
The football: For a long time, and in the last six months more than once, we've been talking on SPM about how football's structure might have to change, particularly in the context of how its flims...
Listen
SPM 199: Team Talks and Press Conferences from 2020-10-07T05:00:27
The football: How effective are the words managers use to both his players, and the media? Is the modern team talk more about tactics than broken tea cups, and is the audience for his media appeara...
Listen
SPM 198: Seriously. WTF is going on? from 2020-09-30T05:00:24
The football: Can anyone please tell us what the **** is going on in the Premier League? Three rounds of fixtures, and a plethora of goals, mistakes and handballs. Oh, the handballs! We, as ever, a...
Listen
SPM 197: Knee-jerk Reactions (Part 2) from 2020-09-23T05:00:04
The football: The second part of our conversation about early season knee-jerk reactions asks if players are immune to them, or whether in the social media age they're more aware of those premature...
Listen
SPM 196: Knee-jerk Reactions from 2020-09-16T05:00:38
The football: Why are we so obsessed with coming to such early, sweeping conclusions each and every season? It would appear these knee-jerk reactions are ever-present, and they are opinions that ar...
Listen
SPM 195: The Football Pyramid from 2020-09-09T05:00:19
The football: Is the pyramid that has so long been the structure of English football still secure? The new season is about to start with the prospect of lower league clubs playing without fans, som...
Listen
SPM 194: What we learnt about matches with no fans from 2020-09-02T05:00:17
The football: As plans were being made for the post-lockdown return of football, many the apocalyptic prediction was made about how the game would suffer without fans being allowed to attend the ma...
Listen
SPM 193: The Champions League Last Eight (that was good, so let's not do it again) from 2020-08-26T05:00:27
The football: This year's Champions League last eight tournament had everything we'd expect of the final stages of club football's elite competition, apart from ties played over two legs. If it wor...
Listen
SPM 192: Pep Talk from 2020-08-19T05:00:25
The football: After three (chaotic, mistake-ridden and VAR-affected) exits in three Champions League quarter finals in a row, we try and work out why the best manager of a generation can't get it d...
Listen
SPM 191: Elite players who have become elite managers from 2020-08-12T05:00:13
The football: After Juventus took a punt on Andrea Pirlo, a man of legendary status and undoubted elite playing career, to take on their manager's job having had no experience, we consider how rare...
Listen
SPM 190: The lessons and legacy of the coronavirus pandemic, and will football just ignore them all? from 2020-08-05T15:31:45
The football: Covid-19 forced football to think differently about the way football is played, run and financed, but will the game learn any of those lessons? Can the only legacy of the lockdown and...
Listen
SPM 189: The 3rd Annual Hot Takes And Takeaways from 2020-07-29T05:00:16
The football: Many traditions have been delayed in this unique Premier League season, but this is the one you've all been waiting for the most. The 3rd Annual Hot Takes and Takeaways episode brings...
Listen
SPM 188: The Obsession with Records from 2020-07-21T16:13:09
The football: Why the sudden obsession with records, and attempts to devalue achievements if milestones aren't simultaneously broken? Has modern football discourse become overwhelmed with the idea ...
Listen
SPM 187: The Relegation Flake Out from 2020-07-15T05:00:26
The football: Why have the Premier League's current bottom three so far appeared to show very little fight in their fight against relegation? Norwich are down after losing every game since the rest...
Listen
SPM Bonus: MCFC FFP from 2020-07-13T13:33:09
A special bonus pod to discuss the Court of Arbitration for Sport's decision to overturn Manchester City's two-year European ban. It's the MCFC FFP UEFA CAS pod of acronyms.
Usual pod sti...
SPM 186: Professionalism from 2020-07-08T05:00:21
The football: Reunited in person for the first time since the lockdown, we talk about professionalism. What do we expect of players, and what do they expect of each other? Are footballers held to h...
Listen
SPM 185: Desire from 2020-07-01T05:00:21
The football: How important is desire? With Liverpool's Premier League title being the product of good data and good decision-making, how much of a role did desire play? Could they have succeeded w...
Listen
SPM 184: Did we miss the actual football, or the paraphernalia that surrounds the games? from 2020-06-24T05:00:12
The football: Now the Premier League has returned, have we realised we missed the conversation around football, rather than the football itself? Is the game only partly about the games, and is the ...
Listen
SPM 183: The Premier League is back... but is it still the best? from 2020-06-17T05:00:14
The football: The Premier League returns this week, but given that its marketing sells the league as 'the best in the world' primarily because of the full crowds at its games, will the brand be dam...
Listen
SPM 182: SPM Live! (It's Not Live) Part 2 from 2020-06-10T05:00:08
The football: Listeners from all around the world (including Swindon) join the four friends to talk football in the second edition of our live (not live) show. Once again, a Select XI is chosen to ...
Listen
SPM 181: SPM Live! (It's Not Live) Part 1 from 2020-06-03T05:00:17
The football: We are joined by a live audience over zoom, a Select XI of which ask questions to the team. Some of those questions are deeply thoughtful; one of them is about hair colour.
T...
SPM 180: Dressing Room Dynamics from 2020-05-27T05:00:23
The football: We discuss how the dynamics of a dressing room have changed over the years, and ask if there can there be a dominant force, or whether cliques are now more prevalent. Chinch walks us ...
Listen
SPM 179: The Youth/Maturity Paradox from 2020-05-20T05:00:13
The football: With fame and fortune thrust upon them at such an early age, elite footballers have an opportunity to experience things outside of work that most of us can only achieve a lot later in...
Listen
SPM 178: A question for the Premier League: "What are you doing?" from 2020-05-13T05:00:23
The football: The team asks a question of the Premier League, and it's simple. "What are you doing?" Amidst relative clarity elsewhere, the Premier League seems to be awash with indecision regardin...
Listen
SPM 177: The Influence of FIFA and FM from 2020-05-06T05:00:24
The football: Lockdown has taken real football away, but for many a football fan, it has provided more time for virtual football. For closing in on three decades, Football (previously Championship)...
Listen
SPM 176: The Set Piece Menu Draft from 2020-04-29T05:00:18
The football: The SPM Draft. The team each attempt to pick a team's worth of players, following the rules of a draft. Which positions are prioritised, and what strategies are adopted as players com...
Listen
SPM 175: The (still prospective) Newcastle United Takeover from 2020-04-22T05:00:23
The football: We discuss the what, who and why now of the potential takeover of Newcastle United in large part by the Saudi Arabian royal family's sovereign investment fund. With all football, neve...
Listen
SPM 174: Football needs one voice, and better accountants from 2020-04-15T05:00:15
The football: The coronavirus pandemic has revealed two truths about football, particularly in England, that were perhaps previously hidden. Some of those within the game might be a little too self...
Listen
SPM 173: The SPM European Super League from 2020-04-08T05:00:03
The football: It's time for the SPM ESL. After many requests to speculate which teams might fill a European Super League, and the (kinda) successful precedent of our reset Premier League in pods go...
Listen
SPM 172: The Football Conversation (Part 2 - Fans v The Media) from 2020-04-01T05:00:02
The football: Part two of our conversation about conversations. In this episode we talk about the erosion of trust between fans and the media, and lay blame squarely (if not equally) at the door of...
Listen
SPM 171: The Football Conversation (Part 1 - Fans v Fans) from 2020-03-25T06:00
The football: Part one of two about how fans talk about football, or as is becoming more apparent, everything but. Why do fans engage with others fans less about the game, but more about, as Marina...
Listen
SPM 170: Football's Future In The Coronavirus Pandemic from 2020-03-17T16:26:07
The football: Such is the fast-moving nature of the coronavirus situation, last week's pod was rendered out of date pretty quickly, but that's not going to stop us making the same mistake again thi...
Listen
SPM 169: Football's Response To The Coronavirus Outbreak from 2020-03-11T16:17:35
The football: Behind closed doors, a temporary postponement, or a full cancellation? We discuss how the coronavirus outbreak might affect the rest of the European season, and potentially Euro 2020,...
Listen
SPM 168: MLS from 2020-03-04T06:00:10
The football: As it enters its 25th year, and with a new team partly owned by David Beckham, we talk about MLS. Is it still encumbered by the negative narratives that has dogged its past; or with a...
Listen
SPM 167: Preparation and Mindset from 2020-02-26T06:00:20
The football: With the season about to enter its most crucial stage, how important is the preparation the players do, and the mindset they're in ahead of big games? Is it more mental than physical,...
Listen
SPM 166: The Likeable Footballer XI from 2020-02-19T06:00
The football: Is there a footballer in the team you hate that you don't hate that much? Which player rises above the tribal fury of the age to remain likeable, even if he turns out for your rivals?...
Listen
SPM 165: Do the Cups still matter? from 2020-02-12T06:00
The football: 2020 has been almost exclusively spent considering the enduring value of England's domestic cup competitions, and so we thought we'd weigh in. Do they still matter, and what do they m...
Listen
SPM 164: Do professionals enjoy playing football as much as amateurs? from 2020-02-05T06:00
The football: Do professional footballers actually enjoy playing the game as much as amateurs? Us mortals love a kick about, and if we're lucky enough, scoring a rare goal. But if those activities ...
Listen
SPM 163: Captaincy from 2020-01-29T06:00
The football: Captaincy. What makes a good captain, how much does the on- and off-field role differ, and why was English football accused of obsessing about the role too much by Fabio Capello? Also...
Listen
SPM 162: Charisma from 2020-01-22T06:00
The football: Charisma. Can a manager be successful without it? And what forms does it take in football beyond the dictionary definition? We talk about all the people you're thinking about now, and...
Listen
SPM 161: Is the media coverage of Manchester City and Liverpool different? from 2020-01-15T06:00:22
The football: Does the media treat Manchester City and Liverpool differently? Is there an #agenda against or for either when you compare the coverage of the two? We consider the complaints made by ...
Listen
SPM 160: After the Premier League power shift of the last decade, what will the 2020s bring? from 2020-01-08T16:01:28
The football: The last decade brought about a significant power shift in the Premier League, so what are the chances of the 2020s providing more of the same? We consider that predictions of Manches...
Listen
SPM 159: Unfulfilled Potential XI from 2020-01-01T06:00:43
Happy New Year from Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: New year, new you, old us. Instead of looking ahead to a prosperous 2020, we are ...
SPM 158: Festive Football Fun! from 2019-12-23T06:00:03
Merry Christmas from Set Piece Menu!
The football: Following a frankly below-average summer outing for the SPM Football Fun quiz, the clamour* has grown for a Christmas special edition, to...
SPM 157: What do we mean by 'great'? from 2019-12-18T06:00:33
The football: If we accept we use the word 'great' too much, when should we use it? What do we mean when we talk of a player as 'great', or even 'a great', and while we're at it, should we perhaps ...
Listen
SPM 156: Unfulfilled Potential from 2019-12-11T06:00:03
The football: Which players have failed to live up to the hype they received when they were teenagers? Why are they considered the next best thing in the first place, and what are the reasons thing...
Listen
SPM 155: Do we talk about managers too much? from 2019-12-04T06:00:13
The football: In a world where some clubs are making it increasingly clear the manager's role is decreasing in significance, why then do we talk about them so much? Why do we hang on their every wo...
Listen
SPM 154: What makes a club a crisis club? from 2019-11-27T16:05:07
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: When is a club genuinely a crisis club? The word is used too often to describe a short term l...
SPM 100: And it's LIVE! from 2019-11-20T06:00:13
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. And this time they're doing it live!
The 100th Episode Spectacular is upon us, as a room of (actually payin...
SPM 153: Referees - do we expect too much or are they letting us down? from 2019-11-13T06:00:13
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: What the script said was not supposed to be a VAR episode... turned into a VAR episode. But t...
SPM 152: Re-evaluating managers we *might* have been wrong about from 2019-11-06T06:00:22
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Is it time we admitted we were wrong about some managers who have confounded our preconcep...
SPM 151: Should support be unwavering? from 2019-10-30T12:40:39
The latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Should support be unwavering? Inspired by recent events at Southampton and Ars...
SPM 150: How do players do amazing things? from 2019-10-23T05:00:22
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: A sequel to last week's pod, we ask how players do such remarkable things in an environment ...
SPM 149: Why do footballers do stupid things? from 2019-10-16T15:27:33
We are back with the latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Why do footballers do stupid things? A number of recent incide...
SPM 148: Do you need to be an activist, or is being a supporter enough? from 2019-09-25T05:00:06
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Is it sufficient to simply support a club, a league, or a type of football outside the mainst...
SPM 147: Why do players make mistakes at international level that they don't for their clubs? from 2019-09-18T05:00:15
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: After high profile mistakes in recent months by England international defenders, we ask why p...
SPM 146: Players So Underrated They're Rated from 2019-09-11T05:00:06
Welcome to the latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Which players are so underrated they're rated? Whether they're at an unfashiona...
SPM 145: Time-warping Past Players Into The Present from 2019-09-04T05:00:25
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: How would some of the best players from yesteryear fared in today's game? Did some have th...
SPM 144: Can football sustain the 92? from 2019-08-28T05:00:15
This is the latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: In the context of Bury and Bolton's dramatic fight for financial survival, we ask ...
SPM 143: The Entourage from 2019-08-21T05:00:15
This is the latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: The Entourage. Neymar has one. Messi has one. Hinchcliffe didn't have one. Who are...
SPM 142: Betting from 2019-08-14T16:17:05
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Wayne Rooney's impending move to Derby posed some questions about the relationship between...
SPM 141: New Season Questions, Queries, and Quibbles from 2019-08-07T12:42:49
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: We have some questions, queries, and frankly a few quibbles (well, Rory does) ahead of the ne...
SPM 140: Tactical Periodisation from 2019-07-31T20:28:35
The new episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Tactical Periodisation. A rather boring name for a vital part of the game. What is...
SPM 139: The Clutch Gene from 2019-07-24T05:00:04
The latest episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk about football over food.
The football: The Clutch Gene. Why do some sportspeople produce their best under the mo...
SPM 138: The Legitimate Football Voice (Part 4) from 2019-07-17T05:00:04
The final part of a summer series brought to you by Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: We conclude our series on the legitimate voices i...
SPM 137: The Legitimate Football Voice (Part 3) from 2019-07-10T05:00:04
The third part of the summer special from Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: We continue the conversation determining who has a legitima...
SPM 136: The Legitimate Football Voice (Part 2) from 2019-07-03T05:00:09
This is the latest part of the summer specials provided by Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Part two of our series on the Legitimate F...
SPM 135: The Legitimate Football Voice (Part 1) from 2019-06-26T17:35:49
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Part one of our summer special series of 2019! Over the next four weeks we're talking abou...
SPM 134: Diego Maradona from 2019-06-21T15:43:27
On the longest day of the year the longest wait is over for the new episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Diego Maradona. We spe...
SPM 133: Pod Postbag from 2019-06-12T05:00:06
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: A Pod Postbag. So many of you get in touch asking us to talk about a topic of your choosing, ...
SPM 132: The Blueprint for Championship Promotion from 2019-06-05T05:00:15
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: How did the three teams that gained promotion from the Championship do it, and will it ser...
SPM 131: Training from 2019-05-29T15:51:03
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Training. Unless you're a member of Marcelo Bielsa's extended entourage, what happens on ...
SPM 130: The UEFA Finals - Where, Why and Who For? from 2019-05-23T13:15:08
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Who are Uefa's priority? With the difficulties confronting an ever-decreasing number of fans ...
SPM 129: The 2nd Annual Hot Takes and Takeaways from 2019-05-15T05:00:19
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Our second annual 'Hot Takes and Takeaways' from the Premier League season. Did we enjoy t...
SPM 128: Being A Club Man from 2019-05-08T05:00:19
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Is there any benefit to being a 'club man'? Does an extra level of understanding and emot...
SPM 127: Are players any good at judging other players? from 2019-05-01T05:00:19
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: In the week that the Players' Player of the Year is announced, we ask if footballers are actu...
SPM 126: Is reinvention the key to ultimate success? from 2019-04-24T06:00:14
Set Piece Menu, the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: The reinvention of Lionel Messi (and yes, Cristiano Ronaldo too). Inspired by Rory Smith's New York T...
SPM 125: Do players care about their surroundings? from 2019-04-17T05:00:04
Enjoy another edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Do players care about their surroundings? After Kevin de Bruyne gave the imp...
SPM 124: Injuries from 2019-04-10T05:00:02
This is the latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Injuries. We have among our midst one of the leading experts on the injuries of a ...
SPM 123: Is luck really a thing? from 2019-04-03T05:00:12
Thanks for downloading the latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Is luck really a thing? After Liverpool beat Spurs with yet another...
SPM 122: The Modern Football Fan (Part 2) from 2019-03-27T06:00:09
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: The Modern Football Fan (Part Two). What does a fan's future look like, and is there a right ...
SPM 121: The Modern Football Fan (Part 1) from 2019-03-20T15:48:34
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: The Modern Football Fan (Part One). How much has the way you support your club changed? In...
SPM 120: The Champions League Has Gone Nuts from 2019-03-13T07:00:28
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Why has the Champions League gone nuts? Is Europe's elite club competition now the reposi...
SPM 119: Football On Terrestrial TV from 2019-03-06T06:00:18
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Should more football be on free to air television? As La Liga decides to show some of thei...
SPM 118: The Insubordination Of Kepa from 2019-02-27T06:00:16
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: The Insubordination of Kepa. It's said that with great power comes great responsibility, but ...
SPM 117: Managers As Mr Motivators from 2019-02-20T06:00:05
This is the new episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Managers as Mr Motivator. Should coaches be expected to be man managers, a...
SPM 116: The Evolution Of The Full Back from 2019-02-13T06:00:15
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: The evolution of the full back. To mark Chinch's 50th birthday, we consider how the positi...
SPM 115: The 2019 January Transfer Window from 2019-02-06T06:00:15
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: So then, the 2019 January transfer window. What was all that about? A huge reduction in spend...
SPM 114: Are trophies only for ego? from 2019-01-30T07:00:13
The latest Set Piece Menu: the podcast where a presenter, writer, commentator & pundit talk football over food.
The football: why has the FA Cup lost its prestige among Premier League clu...
SPM 113: Do we treat some players differently? from 2019-01-23T06:00:13
The latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Are some players treated differently than others? If two players dive to win a ...
SPM 112: Where Is The Line? from 2019-01-16T06:00:15
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Where's the line? You know, the line that separates gaining a fair advantage with unsports...
SPM 111: Life After Football from 2019-01-09T15:37:01
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Life after football. Our resident former pro, Andy Hinchcliffe, reveals the challenges and em...
SPM 110: Atteveld XI (Bag v House) from 2019-01-02T06:00:05
Happy New Year from Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: The Atteveld Derby. To continue our festive theme of select XIs, we deliver not o...
SPM 109: Chinch's Worst XI from 2018-12-26T06:00:05
Merry Christmas from Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Andy Hinchcliffe's Worst Teammate XI. A special accompaniment to Chinch's soccer...
SPM 108: How To Run A Football Club from 2018-12-19T17:30:51
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: How to run a football club. Admittedly we’re short on collective, tangible experience, but...
SPM 107: Commentary from 2018-12-12T06:00
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: The Art of Commentary. Football commentators are the people who provide the soundtrack to ...
SPM 106: Is football important? from 2018-12-05T15:53:19
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends (and this week, one of their children) talk football over food.
The football: Is it important? Does football really matter? Do the s...
SPM 105: Tribalism vs Truth (Part 2) from 2018-11-28T06:00:04
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Tribalism vs Truth Part Two - The Rules. Could the game's current laws actually be making...
SPM 104: Tribalism vs Truth (Part 1) from 2018-11-21T06:00:14
This week's Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Tribalism vs Truth Part One. With fans willing to make any argument to support their fav...
SPM 103: XG and other analytics from 2018-11-14T06:00:08
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: XG and packing. An introduction (to many, old hat to others...) to two of the most used types...
SPM 102: Are Manchester City ruining it for everyone? from 2018-11-07T06:00:19
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: with Manchester City set to potentially dominate the Premier League for a while to come, a...
SPM 101: What if...? from 2018-10-31T16:31:52
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
While chronology might dictate a 100th episode, lack of organisation determines that you'll have to wai...
SPM 99: What do young British managers have to do to get a top job? from 2018-10-24T05:00:08
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: What does a young successful British manager have to do to get a top job? AKA "the Eddie H...
SPM 98: Burnout from 2018-10-17T05:00:19
This week's edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: After recent talk of burnout amongst Premier League players who appeared at t...
SPM 97: Local or Inherited Teams (Part 2) from 2018-10-10T06:00:09
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: What I said last week - Part Two. Such was the response to our episode about the legitimacy o...
SPM 96: Local or Inherited Teams (Part 1) from 2018-10-03T06:00:19
Time for the latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: If you don't support your local or inherited team, can you still be called a legi...
SPM 95: Does European Football need fixing? from 2018-09-26T11:51:41
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Does European football need fixing? The Champions League and Europa League are back as the la...
SPM 94: S**thouses from 2018-09-19T06:00:06
This is the latest episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: S**thouses. Does every team need one, and do we all grudgingly respect ...
SPM 93: What is Beautiful Football? from 2018-09-12T06:00:16
The latest episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: in what guise is the game at its most beautiful - and who's to say what style ...
SPM 92: Anatomy of a Pundit from 2018-09-05T06:00:06
The latest episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Anatomy of a Pundit. We've had Andy Hinchcliffe masterclasses before, now for ...
SPM 91: The Shortened Transfer Window from 2018-08-29T06:00:36
The latest episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Was it a good idea to shorten the Premier League's transfer window? And if not,...
SPM 90: SPM Book Club with Sanj Shetty from 2018-08-22T06:00:08
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: SPM Book Club. Writer Sanj Shetty becomes the first guest in pod history, as he's invited on ...
SPM 89: The Inappropriately Skilled XI Reveal! from 2018-08-15T06:00:04
This is the latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Thanks to your help, we complete our 'Inappropriately Skilled XI', named after Sha...
SPM 88: Relegation from 2018-08-08T06:00:14
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk about football over food.
The football: Relegation - should we be so hung up on not going down? The team are reunited (kind...
SPM 87: The Inappropriately Skilled XI from 2018-08-01T06:00:14
The latest episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: SPM's Inappropriately Skilled XI. We'd like your help in constructing a team of...
SPM 86: England's World Cup Story from 2018-07-25T06:00:04
This is the latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: The England World Cup debrief. Football didn't come home, but why, how, and should...
SPM 85: I Can't Believe That Happened! from 2018-07-19T16:25:15
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: an 'I can't believe THAT happened' post-World Cup special. Yes our predictions during the ...
SPM 84: People Who Helped To Shape Modern Football (Part 4) - Silvio Berlusconi from 2018-07-11T06:00:04
This is the final part of a Summer Special Series from Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: The People Who Helped To Shape Modern Footbal...
SPM 83: People Who Helped To Shape Modern Football (Part 3) - Arsene Wenger from 2018-07-04T06:00:04
The latest edition of the Summer Special Series from Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: The People Who Helped To Shape Modern Football ...
SPM 82: People Who Helped To Shape Modern Football (Part 2) - Walter Crickmar from 2018-06-27T06:00:04
This is the latest episode of a Summer Special Series from Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: The People Who Helped To Shape Modern Foo...
SPM 81: People Who Helped To Shape Modern Football (Part 1) - Jimmy Hill from 2018-06-20T06:00:04
This is a Summer Special Series from Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: The People Who Helped To Shape Modern Football (Part One) - Jim...
SPM 80: Does the World Cup still provide the best football? from 2018-06-13T06:00:04
Enjoy the latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: World Cup Special (Part Two) - is the World Cup still the pinnacle of th...
SPM 79: Is the World Cup a blessed release? from 2018-06-06T06:00:02
This is the latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: World Cup Special (Part One) - is the World Cup a blessed relief from all the tri...
SPM 78: The SPM Awards from 2018-05-30T07:00:02
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: The Set Piece Menu Awards - tying a light-hearted, slightly truncated bow around the end o...
SPM 77: Support Staff from 2018-05-23T09:07:15
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Support Staff. Are great players enough to make your team successful, or are they only ab...
SPM 76: The 1st Annual Soccer Hot Takes and Takeaways from 2018-05-16T07:00:02
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Soccer hot takes and takeaways! What have we learnt from this season in the Premier Leagu...
SPM 75: What's going to make next season's title races interesting? from 2018-05-09T15:07:44
Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Who or what will make next season's title races in Europe interesting? Have we entered a period of u...
SPM 74: Apologies from 2018-05-02T06:00:06
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Sorry seems to be the easiest word. Why are so many players, managers and now organisatio...
SPM 73: When is the best time to get a manager's job? from 2018-04-25T07:00:03
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: When is the best time to get a manager's job? With Arsenal needing a new boss, the team w...
SPM 72: What's the Point? from 2018-04-18T08:39:22
Welcome to another episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: What's The Point? So many fans support a team that'll never win anythi...
SPM 71: Is pragmatism or a philosophy the key to managerial success? from 2018-04-11T15:04:08
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: How should we rate managerial success? Not everyone has a 'way', but does that mean we un...
SPM 70: A new generation to replace Ronaldo and Messi from 2018-04-04T12:46:27
The latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: With Ronaldo and Messi in their thirties, is there a new generation of superst...
SPM 69: Nerves from 2018-03-28T06:37:52
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Nerves. How nervous do players get? Is it healthy? And what does that mean for life after fo...
SPM 68: VAR from 2018-03-21T09:31:44
This week's Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: VAR. But more the how than the why. If we accept the new technology is here to stay, how...
SPM 67 and a bit: The Premier League Reset from 2018-03-16T14:54:15
A special bonus edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: some number crunching after your gracious involvement in our discussion a...
SPM 67: Politics and Football from 2018-03-14T13:49:18
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Have politics and football become irreversibly intertwined? The game has rules preventing...
SPM 66: Corners from 2018-03-07T10:58:39
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Chinch on... corners. A masterclass from our former England international about the set p...
SPM 65: What happened to all the old big clubs? from 2018-02-28T15:10:39
Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: What happened to some of the traditional 'big clubs'? Why are previously successful and illustrious n...
SPM 64: What's the best goal? from 2018-02-21T07:21:46
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: What's the best goal? Simple question, no simple answers (because there's a podcast to fill....
SPM 63: One dominant club or a cartel? from 2018-02-14T06:03:53
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football - Which is better for a domestic league: one dominant club, or a cartel of up to six? Do y...
SPM 62: How much cheating should be allowed? from 2018-02-07T06:16:31
This is the latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: the Honesty Episode - how much cheating should be allowed, and who's f...
SPM 61: Unsung Heroes from 2018-01-31T11:03:23
The latest episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Unsung Heroes. Whose efforts do the team suggest should be trumpeted, while th...
SPM 60: Don't You Forget About Me XI from 2018-01-24T09:03:14
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk about football over food.
The football: The Set Piece Menu 'Don't You Forget About Me' XI (aka the bickering episode). We p...
SPM 59: Parking the Bus from 2018-01-17T16:42:07
This is the latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Does 'parking the bus' ever work, and is the tactic actually as nihilistic as man...
SPM 58: The Media (feedback episode) from 2018-01-10T17:00:55
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends discuss football over food.
The football: This week, overwhelmed by your response to the issues raised in our series on The Media, ...
SPM 57: The Media (Part 3) from 2018-01-03T11:11:59
Happy New Year from Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. This week part three of our seasonal series on The Media.
The football: the changing football ...
SPM 56: The Media (Part 2) from 2017-12-27T14:27:28
Merry Christmas from Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. We continue the seasonal cheer with part two of our series on the media.
The football: how th...
SPM 55: The Media (Part 1) from 2017-12-20T09:17:24
It's a Seasonal Spectacular from Set Piece Menu, the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: The Media, Part One - is the media biased?
The food: the b...
SPM 54: Are older British coaches stopping the progress of younger British coaches? from 2017-12-13T09:44:49
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Are older British coaches stopping younger British coaches progressing in the game? It's ...
SPM 53: Is there always a bigger club? from 2017-12-06T10:19:25
This week we celebrate the first birthday of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. It's a (not particularly) special anniversary(ish) edition!
The footb...
SPM 52: Why do so many fans seem so miserable? from 2017-11-29T10:29:45
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Why do so many fans seem so miserable? The team wonders if it's sometimes easier to compl...
SPM 51: Joy from 2017-11-22T12:37:57
The latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: What about football gives you joy? Yes, for one week only, no negativity (ok, ...
SPM 50: Youth (Part 3) from 2017-11-15T10:35:16
The latest edition of the podcast where four friends talk football over food - Set Piece Menu.
The football: Youth - Part Three. The conclusion of our discussion on the development of you...
SPM 49: Youth (Part 2) from 2017-11-08T14:11:17
The latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Youth - Part Two. How does a young footballer make the step from academy to fi...
SPM 48: Youth (Part 1) from 2017-11-01T12:30:19
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The team is reunited for a deep dive multi-parter into one of the game's biggest issues!
The foo...
SPM 47: Best of the Pod so far (Part 2) from 2017-10-25T06:45:15
Another chance to catch up on Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: part two of our paternity-induced clips show takes you through some of...
SPM 46: Best of the Pod so far (Part 1) from 2017-10-18T11:08:37
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food, although owing to a couple of happy occasions in the Smith and Hinchcliffe households, and the subsequent granting o...
Listen
SPM 45: Intelligence from 2017-10-11T11:56:46
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: does actual intelligence help a player, or is football intelligence enough?
The...
SPM 44: Is it getting easier to play away from home? from 2017-10-04T12:27:07
This is the latest episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Is it getting easier to play away from home? Warning: includes true fa...
SPM 43 and a quarter: A Best of the rest XI from 2017-10-02T13:03:29
A special bonus edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: we've crunched the numbers on your suggestions and reveal the Best of the...
SPM 43: The polarising of the Premier League from 2017-09-27T08:30:23
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: The polarising of the Premier League (and others, but they don't alliterate). Is the gap ...
SPM 42: Segregation from 2017-09-20T12:44:07
The latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where a presenter, pundit, commentator and writer talk football over food.
The football: Segregation - does it work, or does separating ...
SPM 41: What's the most important position? from 2017-09-13T09:47:13
The latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: What’s the most important position? Spoiler alert - it’s not left back, much t...
SPM 40: Does a manager's age matter? from 2017-09-06T12:09:41
This week's Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Does a manager's age matter? Can an older coach be a better coach regardless of their ex...
SPM 39: Tunnel Club from 2017-08-30T10:50:59
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Manchester City's new Tunnel Club. Why? For whom? And what does it say about the current ...
SPM 38: Is the future of football somewhere other than Europe? from 2017-08-23T09:28:50
It's the latest Set Piece Menu! This is the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Is the future of the game somewhere other than Europe? Can the money of China...
SPM 37: When will it all end? from 2017-08-16T09:39:44
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: When will it all end? A £200 million footballer, £5billion TV rights, investment from sov...
SPM 36: Will the billions make it better? from 2017-08-09T07:37:21
Welcome in the new Premier League season with Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends (together again!) talk football over food.
The football: Will the billions make it better? Wi...
SPM 35: Loyalty (Part 2) from 2017-08-02T09:06:05
This is the latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
It's time for the final summer special edition!
The football - Loyalty: Part Two. Do we ex...
SPM 34: Loyalty (Part 1) from 2017-07-26T10:55:29
The final summer special from Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Loyalty - Part One. Does it still exist? The team discusses the modern...
SPM 33: Transfers (Part 2) from 2017-07-19T16:03:30
The latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Transfers - Part Two. In a world of such mind-blowing figures, is there such a...
SPM 32: Transfers (Part 1) from 2017-07-12T10:38:21
The summer continues on Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Transfers - part one. We break down how a transfer is reported; what and who...
SPM 31: English Football (Part 4) from 2017-07-05T15:21:24
The fourth, and final, part of the Set Piece Menu Summer Special in which we've asked "What is English football?"
This week: Do other nationalities ponder their footballing identity in th...
SPM 30: English Football (Part 3) from 2017-06-28T13:56:21
Time for part three of Set Piece Menu's Summer Special asking "What is English football"?
This week: How does English football reclaim its identity, and is that even desirable?
...
SPM 29: English Football (Part 2) from 2017-06-21T11:09:49
It's Part Two of Set Piece Menu's Summer Special asking the question "What is English Football?"
The football: How has English Football changed, and if it has, has it changed for the bett...
SPM 28: English Football (Part 1) from 2017-06-14T13:40:02
Welcome to the first of a series of four Set Piece Menu Summer Specials asking: "What Is English Football?"
The football - Part One: What do we mean by English Football, and when did it e...
SPM 27: Does money make you less of a success? from 2017-06-07T10:28:10
This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Does money make you less of a success? If you have a war chest of billions, should any achiev...
SPM 26: Plan B from 2017-06-01T21:25:02
The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Why do teams often appear to lack a Plan B? So asks a listener. It's the jumping off point...
SPM 25: Do you need to have played at the highest level to understand football? from 2017-05-24T12:41:48
The latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: it's the last refuge of players trying to deflect criticism, and managers tryin...
SPM 24: Second Teams from 2017-05-17T11:58:59
Episode 24 of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Is it ok to support a second team?
The food: None. Ask Rory to explain.
SPM 23: Three at the back from 2017-05-10T11:34:52
The latest episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: three at the back - how and why does it work?
The food: enough pretz...
SPM 22: The experience sweet spot from 2017-05-03T10:31:59
Episode 22 of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: the experience sweet spot... How a player's body often doesn't hold up long enough to ...
SPM 21: Is it the end of an era for the big three of Barça, Real and Bayern? from 2017-04-26T11:29:41
Time for Episode 21 of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Real, Barça and Bayern - is this the end of an era for the big three?
SPM 20: Which ideas should football steal from other sports? from 2017-04-19T11:18:59
The latest episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where, this week, three friends talk football over food, as Rory is on a high-profile European gallivant.
The football: Which ideas shou...
SPM 19: Is football fun anymore? from 2017-04-12T10:52:02
The latest episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: is it fun anymore, for fans or players?
The food: a continental brea...
SPM 18: The stockpiling of young players from 2017-04-05T11:38:32
The latest episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Stockpiling young players - are some clubs preventing their progress by not of...
SPM 17: How long is too long for a manager? from 2017-03-29T10:21:17
Episode 17 of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: How long is too long for a manager?
The food: Rory's springtime spread of cr...
SPM 16: Does a spell in international football make you a better club manager? from 2017-03-22T15:06:32
Welcome to the latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: does a spell as an international manager make you a better club bos...
SPM 15: The Script from 2017-03-15T15:18:55
It's another Set Piece Menu! Enjoy Episode 15 at your leisure as once again four friends talk football over food.
The football: Is there a script, and if there is, who's writing it?
...
SPM 14: Referees - what are they doing? from 2017-03-08T12:03:36
This is the latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: referees - what are they doing?
The food: michelin star quality lamb st...
SPM 13: Player Power from 2017-03-02T16:12:03
Introducing the latest episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: player power.
The food: breakfast in a bap, with limited...
SPM 12: The lost art of defending from 2017-02-23T14:27:34
Welcome to the latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the football podcast where four friends share their love of the game over food.
The football: Football's lost art of defending.
...
SPM 11: Do Premier League teams care as much about the Champions League as they used to? from 2017-02-15T11:47:22
Sit back and enjoy Episode 11 of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Do Premier League clubs care as much about the Champions League as ...
SPM 10: What needs to be fixed in football? from 2017-02-08T08:27:12
Welcome to the latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk about football over food.
The football: what needs to be fixed in football... IMMEDIATELY.
...
SPM 9: Is the Premier League's Top Six impenetrable? from 2017-02-01T17:00:40
We'd like you to enjoy the latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: Is the Premier League big six impenetrable?
T...
SPM 8: Set Pieces from 2017-01-25T14:47:40
This is the latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: fittingly - set pieces. Are they as good as they used to be, and do th...
SPM 7: Are there really that many world class players? from 2017-01-18T17:10:13
It's time for the latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk about football over food.
The football: are there really that many world-class players?
...
SPM 6: Football in a Post-Truth world from 2017-01-11T17:40:48
Introducing episode six of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food.
The football: 2016 was the year of post-truth politics, but football set the trend a lo...
SPM 5: Is an FA Cup run a poisoned chalice? from 2017-01-04T13:18:52
This is the latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends (well, three and a half this week) talk about football over food.
The football: is an FA Cup run a poisoned c...
SPM 4: Does Christmas actually ruin everything? from 2016-12-28T14:30:56
Season's Greetings from the Set Piece Menu team, who may be new, but still deserve a Christmas Special. This is the podcast where four friends talk about football over food.
The football:...
SPM 3: Is there ever anything new in football? from 2016-12-21T15:56:22
Introducing Episode 3 of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk about football over food. The football: Hugh, Rory, Steve and Andy ask whether there's ever anything new in the game, o...
Listen
SPM 2: Who has the right to criticise footballers? from 2016-12-15T09:43:08
This is Episode 2 of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk about football over food. The football: Loris Karius and the Nevilles. Not a 1960s popular beat combo, but a spat that make...
Listen
SPM 1: Is the Premier League the best league in the world? from 2016-12-09T17:09:42
The first episode of Set Piece Menu. The football: Rory, Andy, Steve and Hugh discuss whether the Premier League really is the best league in the world... and does it matter anyway? The food: muffi...
Listen