If Nooruddean Choudry really thinks we live in a totalitarian run country, he really needs to get out more.

It’s sad this pod has become a discussion of the affairs of the super rich clubs.

To illustrate this point, on the most recent pod they enthused about and discussed the upcoming League Cup semi final between Arsenal and Man City. It wasn’t mentioned even once that City still have to play Southampton in the quarter finals.

If you want to hear about Liverpool, the Manchester clubs, Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs (host Max supports them), then you’ll be ok. Otherwise give it a miss, there are many more balanced podcasts out there.

Every week they seem to decide to ask “do we give City/Newcastle enough grief about their owners” and then all agree they never talk about them and forget they discussed the same thing last week, the week before, three weeks ago and have done so for the past decade. A bunch of middle aged white bigots.

As I say the pod is so good and one of the more in-depth football podcasts I listen to. The guests more often than not bring opinions led by logic and data.

However, every third episode or so is ruined by the fast forwarding I have to do whenever Troy Townsend speaks. Not once has he given an opinion that doesn’t conform to some form of cognitive bias (outcome or recency). Please stop this reverse order nepotism and don’t invite him back

I listen to lots of footy pods, this one is up there with the best, on Nunez twenty games and a goal or assist in each. He’ll be fine.

Why is everything and everybody else crap, not good enough, not up to it except if they are associated with Arsenal, JJB?

I do listen to a few football podcasts - usually Spurs related, but this is almost a guilty pleasure, the diversity of the hosts is good, the football knowledge of sum of the guests is astronomical, but really it’s just great football banter with Barry, Max and all. Look forward to this on my commute.

Insightful, great journalists & absolutely hilarious with a great knowledge of the inside jokes in football 😎

Loved the pod all the way back to the early days. Well done to the whole team.

It’s the best football podcast hands-down. Handles the the light and shade of the sport perfectly

Barry is a miserable bloke, who has a an agenda and Max is a fake football fan who tries to be fashionably woke. Horrendous listening. Stopped listening ages ago and life is better.

Just listened to todays pod. Can’t have been easy but to deal with a vey awkward issue in a human way for all concerned is probably a salutary lesson to us all. Life is by no means black and white, no argument or perspective is one sided. Lovely to have a little bit of balance whatever your outlook.

There was quite a lot of football in today’s episode of The Guardian Politics Weekly.

It was the worst place podcast ever please if you read this do not listen in

‘At least Wayne Linekar had a plan’

A popular misconception is that worms can regrow bits of their body; they can’t.

Love this pod.

Love ya max!!

Really enjoy the pod, range of strong guests, great to see WSL receiving more attention… but find episodes with JJB in unlistenable, unfortunately.

One of the great things about football podcasts is that you don’t have ex-players or people who have links to the game. I can’t listen to the Nedum Onuoha episodes, seems quite full himself, never gets challenged over some of the bitterness he shows, e.g. talking about playing for Nigeria & you had to know certain people to get selected & then turning them down because he had club ambitions. This was never challenged by any of the guests. Don’t listen to his episodes.

. . . to the Totally Football podcast. I got tired of being told by Barry how much he hates the English (I’m English), Conservatives (very on-message for The Guardian) etc. When did that become funny?

I got tired of being lectured/ranted at by Philippe Auclair from his high horse about the Qatar World Cup and FIFA. I know quite a lot about the World Cup having worked on it for six years. Philippe doesn’t. Ditto the contrarian and somewhat virtue signalling input of Barney Ronay.

Really, I just wanted to listen to a good natured, informed chat about football.

In the end the whole thing became somewhat irritating to listen to. Max Rushden is fine and I shall miss Jonathan Wilson’s input which is always well balanced and good humoured. A shame, but I’m off.

Some research before you do your shows will be very welcome!!!

Have their favourite clubs, love them and disregard the rest as support acts

Can be enjoyable but they don’t half talk some rubbish sometimes. The latest absolute nugget of tosh being that “we can all agree that we’d like to see more play acting and conning the referee in the women’s game”. Well actually, no we can’t, so please stop assuming everyone has the same moronic opinion as you.

Whilst Max Rushden is a good host Barry Glendenning has all the wit and charisma of a boiled egg making the show unlistenable.

By far the best football podcast going, it feels like you’re sat in the pub with your mates. Always a great selection of people on - highly recommended.

Max Rushden, who seems to have made a great career by being a nice bloke and randomly mentioning 1990’s footballers apropos of nothing, presents this football podcast.

Regular “co-host” Barry (also nice bloke) glories in his lack of football knowledge whilst chiming in with curmudgeonly comments as both laugh historically at each other’s jokes.

The pod is occasionally peppered with the brilliance and smart wit of Liew and Ronny but on the whole it’s a bit of a ‘dads in the playground’ take on football. The most depressing episode was the one after Eriksen collapsed on the pitch where guests all spoke solely about how THEY felt and offered little comment as to the actual person who died! Then in the next ep they just read out praise the received for the previous ep. Grotesque

Best selection of guests since it started, really enjoy it.

When they can leave the virtue-signalling alone it’s a Great mix of humour, banter with proper analysis. Could maybe do with dropping some of the sections regarding the leagues / competitions that no one cares about tho.

I’ve been listening to this podcast since the 2018 World Cup. For the first few years, I was an avid listener, but now I find it hard to get through an entire episode. It becomes a little bit tiring hearing max tell us how ‘we’ should behave and feel every time something remotely controversial happens in the football world. The constant bleating on about how they will cover the Qatar World Cup and how the guests ‘feel’ about covering the tournament leaves a bit of a sour taste in the mouth considering how happy they all were to enjoy Russia a few years ago when problems in that country were well reported. Far too much virtue signalling these days, I only listen if I have nothing else to listen to.

A podcast entitled - Forests return to the premier league, where not a single Forest player is mentioned, no mention of the job Steve Cooper has done; not an ounce of credit given to the club, just 10 minutes on VAR, and press facilities. One of the worst pieces of journalism I have ever listened to. Unfollowed.

Depends hugely on the guests. Enjoy Jonathan Wilson and Barney Ronay. Jordan Jarrett Bryan is insufferable and shouldn’t be allowed near a microphone. Funny how he gets on so often with so obvious little talent, can’t imagine why.

My favourite podcast, my favourite football perspective. Discussion of social justice in football is always valuable and definitely underrepresented in mainstream football coverage.

Always entertaining (and sometimes informative)! Keeps me going during my half marathon training 😅

I listened to the pod for over 14 years but have recently unsubscribed. Since Max Rushden took over the pod has become more Guardian and less Football - a lot more chat about social justice Issues with Max almost apologising when they deign to discuss the games themselves. An increasing portion of the show is taken up with Max Reading Out Official Statements In A Very Serious Voice - he clearly would prefer to be hosting a news and politics podcast so is trying to make this football show into one. If your politics don’t align with The Guardian’s then it’s an uncomfortable and unwelcoming listen.

I miss a lot of the old contributors like John Ashdown who have been dumped in favour of less interesting but more “diverse” guests who make Max feel worthier when he doesn’t see all white male faces staring back from his Zoom screen. Wish they would get back to how the pod used to be or at least save the worthier stuff just for the specials, but as I can’t see that happening I’m out.

Never listen to a whole episode anymore as it's just becoming another poor mans take on preachy politics. I use the fast forward button more and more these days or just turn it off

Podcast should have links in the show notes, so that topics/videos/posts discussed in the podcast can be easily looked up

Podcast should be split into chapters. This means I could tap straight to the section I want rather than having the podcast just in one block.

Max and Barry are great constants, with an interesting scope of guests and specialists. Broad range of topics covered. I listen to other football pods and would say Guardian isnt perfect but it’s the strongest one out there

The pod is descending rapidly. Sports reporters are not journalists. Less hand wringing and less of your political opinions. By all means hold them, just dont feel the need to share them. Got my own thanks. Lars is only one who is bearable now.

First time review any podcast. What a load of rubbish. Do not waste your time listening. In fact will waste no more of my time writing a review!

Love Jonny, Love Barry. Unfortunately that host (is it Max?) is a massive plastic. Proper product of the 90s/00s. Even the way he talks about football reveals he doesn’t really have an interest and knows nothing. Post 96, hunting for coolness, he chose Cambridge to try and be authentic and relevant. Tried to brand himself like that ever since. He then had the temerity to want Borham Wood to beat Everton- not because he likes Borham Wood but because he thinks it appeals to his average middle England base. He is the Tiger Tim of football punditry- boring, toothless. Please get rid so that Barry needn’t be so embarrassed anymore.

Max, Barry, Jonathan and all the regular pundits are mostly good, but often when I am listening, It feels like old news.

A Prem match on Friday evening won’t get discussed until Tuesday evening. By which time I have read and listened about it elsewhere. The BBC’s Football Daily has a much shorter turnaround and I can listen a few hours later, not half a week away.

Excellent hosting and outstanding panelists. Simply the best football podcast

Jonathan’s explanation of Zouma’s actions didn’t make sense at all. He completely missed the mark! People get a dopamine hit from being outraged by watching a human taking advantage of vulnerability? are you serious?!! That is a completely invalidating statement!

Totally put me off the whole podcast … please get some less ignorant and more emotionally intelligent people on the pod!

This podcast is the greatest football podcast out there

Always loved the show, loving the specials even more now. Crypto, gambling, race, sexism, thanks for talking about it.

After wunning my club into the graaaand with no remorse it’s gw8 to see Max and Bal do the same to this show for th Talksport brand. Listen to me and Gabby for weal insoyt.

Feels like the “guests” get all their analysis off MOTD. If you like a podcast full of platitudes then this rubbish is for you. And don’t get me started on this Max guy, I’ve never experienced someone so unqualified for a job. Unfunny, zero personality, absolutely no football knowledge. What are the bosses at The Guardian thinking?!

This pod rekindled my interest in football after years of apathy. I mostly credit Barry’s grumpy humour for this. Keep it up chaps.

This Pod is simply the best about. Max is very good, guests are always funny and informative.

You would think by now with so many great fan generated podcasts the “professionals” would have upped their game. Sadly they haven’t, little understanding of individual clubs, focus on the narrative, rather than performance and analysis. Disappointing.

Another podcast on the mandatory vaccine train. Pathetic really that Max and guests all agree that vaccines should be enforced on players and the public. Not once a guest or Max asked the question why players would refuse the vaccine - just assumed they are selfish… if you’re going to debate it at least take both sides of the argument and ask the question why maybe players are refusing the vaccine…