Set Piece Menu Football Podcast

SPM 178: A question for the Premier League: "What are you doing?"

13 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 Le...

SPM 177: The Influence of FIFA and FM

06 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 th...

SPM 176: The Set Piece Menu Draft

29 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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,...

SPM 175: The (still prospective) Newcastle United Takeover

22 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 sov...

SPM 174: Football needs one voice, and better accountants

15 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The football: The coronavirus pandemic has revealed two truths about football, particularly in England, that were perhaps previously hidden. Some of t...

SPM 173: The SPM European Super League

08 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 p...

SPM 172: The Football Conversation (Part 2 - Fans v The Media)

01 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

SPM 171: The Football Conversation (Part 1 - Fans v Fans)

25 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

SPM 170: Football's Future In The Coronavirus Pandemic

17 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The football: Such is the fast-moving nature of the coronavirus situation, last week's pod was rendered out of date pretty quickly, but that's not goi...

SPM 169: Football's Response To The Coronavirus Outbreak

11 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The football: Behind closed doors, a temporary postponement, or a full cancellation? We discuss how the coronavirus outbreak might affect the rest of ...

SPM 168: MLS

04 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

SPM 167: Preparation and Mindset

26 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

SPM 166: The Likeable Footballer XI

19 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

SPM 165: Do the Cups still matter?

12 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The football: 2020 has been almost exclusively spent considering the enduring value of England's domestic cup competitions, and so we thought we'd wei...

SPM 164: Do professionals enjoy playing football as much as amateurs?

05 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

SPM 163: Captaincy

29 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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...

SPM 162: Charisma

22 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The football: Charisma. Can a manager be successful without it? And what forms does it take in football beyond the dictionary definition? We talk abou...

SPM 161: Is the media coverage of Manchester City and Liverpool different?

15 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The football: Does the media treat Manchester City and Liverpool differently? Is there an #agenda against or for either when you compare the coverage ...

SPM 160: After the Premier League power shift of the last decade, what will the 2020s bring?

08 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 th...

SPM 159: Unfulfilled Potential XI

01 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 look...

SPM 158: Festive Football Fun!

23 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Merry Christmas from Set Piece Menu! The football: Following a frankly below-average summer outing for the SPM Football Fun quiz, the clamour* has gr...

SPM 157: What do we mean by 'great'?

18 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 gr...

SPM 156: Unfulfilled Potential

11 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

SPM 155: Do we talk about managers too much?

04 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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...

SPM 154: What makes a club a crisis club?

27 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 us...

SPM 100: And it's LIVE!

20 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 i...

SPM 153: Referees - do we expect too much or are they letting us down?

13 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 epis...

SPM 152: Re-evaluating managers we *might* have been wrong about

06 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 man...

SPM 151: Should support be unwavering?

30 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. The football: Should support be unwavering? Inspired ...

SPM 150: How do players do amazing things?

23 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 su...

SPM 149: Why do footballers do stupid things?

16 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 s...

SPM 148: Do you need to be an activist, or is being a supporter enough?

25 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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, o...

SPM 147: Why do players make mistakes at international level that they don't for their clubs?

18 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. The football: After high profile mistakes in recent months by Englan...

SPM 146: Players So Underrated They're Rated

11 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

SPM 145: Time-warping Past Players Into The Present

04 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

SPM 144: Can football sustain the 92?

28 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 dramati...

SPM 143: The Entourage

21 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 on...

SPM 142: Betting

14 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 q...

SPM 141: New Season Questions, Queries, and Quibbles

07 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 qui...

SPM 140: Tactical Periodisation

31 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The new episode of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. The football: Tactical Periodisation. A rather boring nam...

SPM 139: The Clutch Gene

24 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 sport...

SPM 138: The Legitimate Football Voice (Part 4)

17 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 conclud...

SPM 137: The Legitimate Football Voice (Part 3)

10 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 conv...

SPM 136: The Legitimate Football Voice (Part 2)

03 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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: Par...

SPM 135: The Legitimate Football Voice (Part 1)

26 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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...

SPM 134: Diego Maradona

21 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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...

SPM 133: Pod Postbag

12 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 t...

SPM 132: The Blueprint for Championship Promotion

05 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

SPM 131: Training

29 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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...

SPM 130: The UEFA Finals - Where, Why and Who For?

23 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. The football: Who are Uefa's priority? With the difficulties confron...

SPM 129: The 2nd Annual Hot Takes and Takeaways

15 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. The football: Our second annual 'Hot Takes and Takeaways' from th...

SPM 128: Being A Club Man

08 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 a...

SPM 127: Are players any good at judging other players?

01 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 an...

SPM 126: Is reinvention the key to ultimate success?

24 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Set Piece Menu, the podcast where four friends talk football over food. The football: The reinvention of Lionel Messi (and yes, Cristiano Ronaldo to...

SPM 125: Do players care about their surroundings?

17 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Enjoy another edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. The football: Do players care about their surroundi...

SPM 124: Injuries

10 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 th...

SPM 123: Is luck really a thing?

03 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Thanks for downloading the latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. The football: Is luck really a thing? Afte...

SPM 122: The Modern Football Fan (Part 2)

27 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

SPM 121: The Modern Football Fan (Part 1)

20 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 th...

SPM 120: The Champions League Has Gone Nuts

13 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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'...

SPM 119: Football On Terrestrial TV

06 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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? ...

SPM 118: The Insubordination Of Kepa

27 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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...

SPM 117: Managers As Mr Motivators

20 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 co...

SPM 116: The Evolution Of The Full Back

13 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 50...

SPM 115: The 2019 January Transfer Window

06 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 al...

SPM 114: Are trophies only for ego?

30 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The latest Set Piece Menu: the podcast where a presenter, writer, commentator & pundit talk football over food. The football: why has the FA Cup los...

SPM 113: Do we treat some players differently?

23 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The latest edition of Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. The football: Are some players treated differently tha...

SPM 112: Where Is The Line?

16 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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...

SPM 111: Life After Football

09 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. The football: Life after football. Our resident former pro, Andy Hin...

SPM 110: Atteveld XI (Bag v House)

02 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Happy New Year from Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. The football: The Atteveld Derby. To continue our festiv...

SPM 109: Chinch's Worst XI

26 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Merry Christmas from Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. The football: Andy Hinchcliffe's Worst Teammate XI. A s...

SPM 108: How To Run A Football Club

19 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 shor...

SPM 107: Commentary

12 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. The football: The Art of Commentary. Football commentators are th...

SPM 106: Is football important?

05 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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...

SPM 105: Tribalism vs Truth (Part 2)

28 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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...

SPM 104: Tribalism vs Truth (Part 1)

21 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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...

SPM 103: XG and other analytics

14 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 o...

SPM 102: Are Manchester City ruining it for everyone?

07 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. The football: with Manchester City set to potentially dominate th...

SPM 101: What if...?

31 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. While chronology might dictate a 100th episode, lack of organisa...

SPM 99: What do young British managers have to do to get a top job?

24 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. The football: What does a young successful British manager have t...

SPM 98: Burnout

17 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 P...

SPM 97: Local or Inherited Teams (Part 2)

10 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 respons...

SPM 96: Local or Inherited Teams (Part 1)

03 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 inherit...

SPM 95: Does European Football need fixing?

26 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This is Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. The football: Does European football need fixing? The Champions Leag...

SPM 94: S**thouses

19 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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...

SPM 93: What is Beautiful Football?

12 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 b...

SPM 92: Anatomy of a Pundit

05 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 Hin...

SPM 91: The Shortened Transfer Window

29 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 Premie...

SPM 90: SPM Book Club with Sanj Shetty

22 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 gu...

SPM 89: The Inappropriately Skilled XI Reveal!

15 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 'Inapp...

SPM 88: Relegation

08 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

SPM 87: The Inappropriately Skilled XI

01 Aug 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 l...

SPM 86: England's World Cup Story

25 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This is the latest Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. The football: The England World Cup debrief. Football did...

SPM 85: I Can't Believe That Happened!

19 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 s...

SPM 84: People Who Helped To Shape Modern Football (Part 4) - Silvio Berlusconi

11 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 Pe...

SPM 83: People Who Helped To Shape Modern Football (Part 3) - Arsene Wenger

04 Jul 2018

Contributed by Lukas

The latest edition of the Summer Special Series from Set Piece Menu - the podcast where four friends talk football over food. The football: The Peop...

SPM 82: People Who Helped To Shape Modern Football (Part 2) - Walter Crickmar

27 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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: Th...

SPM 81: People Who Helped To Shape Modern Football (Part 1) - Jimmy Hill

20 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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...

SPM 80: Does the World Cup still provide the best football?

13 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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...

SPM 79: Is the World Cup a blessed release?

06 Jun 2018

Contributed by Lukas

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 Worl...