Set Piece Menu Football Podcast

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 by anything other than measurable metrics, and if not, how can there still be room for artistry, and other more intangible, non-data-driven elements of the game? The food: We are asking for your suggestions of local food banks that you'd like us to mention, as while we're unable to eat together, some are finding it hard to eat at all, and we'd like you to use us to promote a local cause that's doing work you admire. Let us know at setpiecemenu@gmail.com And we have another listener soccer story, so send us yours and we could be reading it out on a future show!

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 go wrong? Who is the chief architect of their triumphs? We discuss if there are managers' teams, and players' teams, and what it says about them. The food: After an email last week that wondered whether you might like to donate food to those more in need than the four of us during lockdown, a listener has made the first suggestion: a food bank local to Steven and Hugh. If you are so inclined, please head to https://www.justgiving.com/fallowfield-withingtonfoodbank, or please email setpiecemenu@gmail.com with your own ideas of how to help in these difficult times. Thank you!

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 envision a World Cup without their players. Rory's done all the research into who would be left, how that effects their national squad, and together we all try to pronounce their names correctly. The food: Hugh's assertion that the best chicken samosas ever come from a local deli is confirmed by someone with ties to that very deli. Well, someone who knows someone whose uncle works there. Also, a buffalo makes an interesting suggestion as to how to overcome the fact we haven't eaten in each other's presence for nearly a year... Emails to setpiecemenu@gmail.com

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 pitfalls anymore? As we enter the second half of the season, when stakes are raised and competitions are decided, will we start to realise the relationship has become a little more comfortable than we'd like, particularly as we're about to experience those seasonal denouements without fans for a second time. The food: Hugh feels the need to make a public service announcement about the chicken samosas he had at a local deli. Yes, Didsbury has more than one deli, and these are the best samosas he's ever had. Email: setpiecemenu@gmail.com And don't forget to enter the competition to get Andy's name (or some sort of ridiculous derivative) in the next Jack Reacher novel: www.jackreacher.com/winyourname

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, and that we need to find a new way of describing those who subscribe to a different philosophy? The food: For the first time the pod recording takes place during the evening, and both Andy and Rory are having dumplings. Make of that what you will... All emails to setpiecemenu@gmail.com and also don't forget www.jackreacher.com/winyourname (listen to the soccer story for an explanation...)

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, talking about Leeds. The food: The pandemic has denied Hugh his normal Christmas cake, traditionally baked for him by his aunt. So into that void steps Steven's partner Katie, who appears to have nailed it first time. Email: setpiecemenu@gmail.com Twitter and Facebook: Search setpiecemenu

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 pictures in our minds, and the incorrectly-sized shorts. The food: Chinch has been banned from eating crisps in public by his wife, who instead insists he hides away in the bathroom. Apparently the level of crunch is directly proportional to the size of one's jaw, which immediately helps you to understand why Mrs Hinchcliffe makes this request. Emails to setpiecemenu@gmail.com Thanks for all your support in 2020!

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 memories of the game in years gone by. On this week's part one, we talk specifically about players, and if nostalgia leads us to always undervalue the current generation of footballers. The food: Rory is complaining about how much he'll be required to eat at Christmas, because his wife Kate has decided on making a nut roast, even though there will be no vegetarians present. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Season's Greetings from the SPM team!

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 if so, how do you replace it? Features an over-extended metaphor about Asterix, and the secrets behind how a modern player avoids giving mixed zone interviews. The food: Rory has found a new local coffee shop that suits his elevated tastes, and he wants to give them some publicity, even though their usual clientele tend to wear a little too much lycra for his liking. Plus: Do you own a small business? Does it offer niche goods? Are you based in a non-UK territory? If the answer to these questions is a resounding "yes" then email setpiecemenu@gmail.com if you'd like to follow our Jordanian hardware store in sponsoring the show!

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 tended to dictate that journalists keep who they support private as well, but are the exceptions starting to outweigh the rule, and why does it matter to fans anyway? The food: Pie, of the humble variety. Tenuous we know, but Chinch needs a slice of it after trampling over Rory's attempts to showcase his finest work on his office wall. Email: setpiecemenu@gmail.com Twitter: @setpiecemenu www.facebook.com/setpiecemenu And subscribe to our YouTube channel!

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 was he a product unique to the time, or can that conflict still be found in modern footballers? The food: Mince Pies. Because it's December. And because everyone knows you shouldn't do ANYTHING Christmas-related before the calendar turns to December. Email: setpiecmenu@gmail.com Follow us on twitter, facebook and our YouTube channel!

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 significant prospect of success. He calls his team 's**t', but then he's allowed to. We couldn't possibly comment. Although we do. At length. And with A LOT of bleeps. The food: Chinch is asked if he visited the chippy outside Turf Moor on his way to a recent Burnley game, so we thought we'd start a new feature where you tell us about the best takeaways near your favourite team's ground. Let us know at setpiecemenu@gmail.com and, obviously, if it's a Chinese then Chinch is guaranteed to visit it post match. email: setpiecemenu@gmail.com twitter: setpiecemenu We're also on Facebook and YouTube!

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 consequence, coupled with the old Italian footballing adage that a nil-nil is the perfect result, suggests there's more of a conversation to be had. Any excuse... The food: Firstly Chinch and Hugh have a homemade cookie-off, and then our former England international behaves completely inappropriately with a merengue. There is video evidence of this. Email: setpiecemenu@gmail.com We're also on Twitter, Facebook and have a YouTube channel!

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 happens to a footballer once they enter the mainstream? How are they perceived differently, and how does that e affect the expectations of them on the pitch? The food: Chinch is wolfing down crumpets with cheese. Why? He has a deadline. Why? The reasons are best left unsaid, which is why Chinch outlines them in great detail. Email: setpiecemenu@gmail.com And check us out on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube!

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 Hugh's setup (rant) about sport as a whole and its relationship with the mainstream that we decided to just stick with it. We'll go back to the original plan next week, which we will make appear like a completely planned Part Two... Also, please stick around for the Soccer Story. It's an important one. The food: Hugh is very proud of his first ever cottage pie, complete with the (not so) secret ingredient: Worcestershire sauce. Yes, a British culinary staple, but one that it's taken him this long to cook. Email us at setpiecemenu@gmail.com And find us on twitter, facebook, and our YouTube channel!

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 discuss what makes a successful rebuild, how often you need to be planning for one, and whether they're even possible if you don't have money, or a manager with a significant power base. The food: Maltesers, suspended roughly half a centimetre above Rory's mouth. Because, like, he's 12. Please send your emails to setpiecemenu@gmail.com Subscribe to our YouTube channel, and give us a follow on Twitter and Facebook!

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, is football heading for a potential existential crisis, one that could stretch the relationship between those two sides of the debate to breaking point? Framed in the context of Project Big Picture, pay-per-view Premier League matches, and a potential European Super League, we discuss if football's future might end up being so fractious it becomes self-sabotaging. The food: Pepperoni pizza, provided by the soccer story. To reveal any more would be a spoiler... Thanks for all your emails to setpiecemenu@gmail.com - we love hearing from you! Here's our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKzyR8SYH_LitHeWMWdZmbw Please give us a 5 star review on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/set-piece-menu-football-podcast/id1184990713

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 flimsy foundations have been exposed by Covid 19. Well, as it turns out, others have also been discussing potentially seismic changes to the traditions of English football. We consider whether Project Big Picture is devised with the spirit of opportunity in mind, or if it's blatant opportunism, with the architects using the pandemic as an excuse to attempt to get what they've always wanted. The food: It's our 200th episode, so Hugh bought a cake. This is not only inappropriate, as it's not a birthday, but also in the wrong home, because Rory's son is actually celebrating a birthday. Hugh will be mindful of both these things while he eats the whole thing himself. Thanks for all your support over the 200 episodes of Set Piece Menu, give yourselves a pat on the back. And then send an email to setpiecemenu@gmail.com, or gi

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 appearances not actually the media? Plus: We couldn't let the events of the past weekend go unmentioned, so there's more WTF-ery and handball nonsense to consider as well! The food: Having waved goodbye to daughter and granddaughter, who have moved out of the family home, Andy's wife Nicky immediately cooks their favourite dish without them - pasta with strips of fillet steak. Emails to: setpiecemenu@gmail.com And you can find us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube!

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, attempt to answer our own question, while making sure Steven has enough time to rant about the handballs. The food: Hugh is particularly pleased with himself as he's eaten a vegan burger for the first time. Just one of the many cool things from three years ago he's only now catching up on. Don't forget to enter your selection into the SPMPLPL! Head to tinyurl.com/setpiecemenu to take part! Email: setpiecemenu@gmail.com