Pundits

Jose Mourinho sure knows how to shape the agenda. Nobody is talking about Manchester United's poor Boxing Day draw at home to Burnely. Instead, the headlines have been dominated by his comments over spending. But is he right? Do Man Utd need to spend more if they are to stand any chance of catching Manchester City in seasons to come? If they do need to spend, where should they spend? Are we seeing Mourinho's decline as a world class manager before our very eyes? What happened to the 'Mourinho glaze'? Niall Murray was joined by Stefan Bienkowski and Graham Ruthven to talk it all over and ask - does Pep v Jose end with the loser taking the PSG job?

With defeat to Manchester City on Saturday, Spurs have now won just two of their last six games. They sit in seventh place in the Premier League. So what has gone wrong? Not so long ago Mauricio Pochettino's side looked set to challenge near the top of the table. Now, they might be lucky merely to finish in the top four. What are the reasons behind their dramatic collapse in recent weeks? Do they need to make some additions to their squad in January? If so, who should they sign? Niall Murray was joined by Stefan Bienkowski and Graham Ruthven to talk it all over.

So Manchester City are now 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League table. Is that it all over, then? Did Sunday's Manchester derby result effectively hand Pep Guardiola and his team the trophy for the 2017/18 season? In December? How does this Guardiola team differ to the ones he put together at Barcelona and Bayern Munich? Was is it that Man City do so well? Do they have any weaknesses? Any at all? They must have one? Surely? Is there any way that Manchester United can stop them? What about injuries? What about the Champions League? Might that prove to be a distraction? We're clutching at straws here. Niall Murray was joined by Stefan Bienkowski and Graham Ruthven to talk it all over. Stefan mentioned the Bundesliga. Because he always does.

Five games, five wins. 24 goals, just one conceded. It's fair to say that Paris Saint-Germain have lit up the Champions League group stages. In fact, the French side are the favourites to win the whole competition for many. So are PSG nailed-on Champions League winners in-waiting? Who can stop Unai Emery's side? What about Manchester City? Are we destined for a final between PSG and Barcelona, a showdown between Neymar and Lionel Messi? What is it they do so well? Where are there weaknesses? Is Dani Alves the best full back in football or the worst? Niall Murray was joined by Stefan Bienkowski and Graham Ruthven to talk it all over.

First, Roy Hodgson got the Crystal Palace job. Then David Moyes replaced Slaven Bilic at West ham. Now, it appears that Alan Pardew is destined to take over at West Brom, with Sam Allardyce strongly linked with the current vacancy at Everton. The Premier League continually looks to the same old names to fill the same old jobs. But why? Is there a reason for this? Is this the result of a safety first culture in the English top flight? Why are clubs so reluctant to look outside the box when looking for managers? After all, we're all obsessed with managers. It's a little peculiar that so little imagination is applied to hiring them. Niall Murray was joined by Stefan Bienkowski and Graham Ruthven to talk it all over. And disagree over Moyes.

Paul Pogba is back, and so, it would seem, are Manchester United. Indeed, Jose Mourinho's side were back at their free-flowing best against Newcastle on Saturday, putting on the kind of performance they have struggled to produce of late. So does Man Utd's season depend on Pogba and whether he can stay fit? Just how important is he to Mourinho's team and their chances of winning the Premier League title this season? What kind of player is the Frenchman, anyway? Niall Murray was joined by Stefan Bienkowski and Graham Ruthven to talk it all over. And ponder... was £89 million actually a bargain?

It's the North London derby this weekend, with Spurs travelling to the Emirates to face Arsenal. It could be the most symbolic clash between the two sides in a generation. While Spurs are on an upward trajectory, Arsenal continue to slump. So is this finally the moment when the former bypasses the latter for good? Is it purely down to coaching or is there more at play here? Niall Murray was joined by Stefan Bienkowski and Graham Ruthven to determine just to what extent Arsene Wenger is to blame for the world's ills.

Tales of Chelsea's demise were greatly exaggerated, with Antonio Conte's side claiming a deserved 1-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday. This was followed by the resignation of Michael Emenalo as the club's technical director. So given the turnover of managers, players and now directors at Chelsea, how do they remain so successful? They go against the grain, proving that stability isn't always the way to go. So how do they do it? Is Conte now in complete control at Stamford Bridge? Should be worried that he no longer has a buffer between himself and the board? Niall Murray was joined by Stefan Bienkowski and Graham Ruthven to discuss what this all means for Chelsea and how they keep winning games and lifting trophies.

Manchester United claimed a big win over Spurs at the weekend, getting their title challenge back on track after a difficult week. Yet Jose Mourinho somehow managed to turn the headlines negative, aiming a barb at his own fans. So what is the Portuguese playing at? This isn't the first time he's done that this season, so what's the game plan? Is the pressure of a title race against Pep Guardiola and a rampant Manchester City side getting to him? Is it wise to provoke your own supporters in such a way? Niall Murray was joined by Stefan Bienkowski and Graham Ruthven to talk it over. And yes, the famous 'Mourinho glaze' was mentioned. Avoid that donut at Krispy Kreme.

So Ronald Koeman's days as Everton manager are numbered following his sacking earlier in the week. So what next for the Goodison Park club? Was the decision to dismiss Koeman too hasty? Who should be hired as the Dutchman's replacement on Merseyside? Is Sean Dyche the man for the job? Are there bigger problems to be solved at Goodison Park? Are Everton forever destined to be, err, Everton? Graham Ruthven was joined by Stefan Bienkowski and Graham Ruthven to talk it over. Of course, Stefan found a way to make a comparison to the Bundesliga. He's nothing but predictable.

Kevin de Bruyne is in the form of his life, driving Manchester City to the top of the Premier League. The Belgian has become the face of Pep Guardiola's side at the Etihad Stadium, so is he the best in England right now? To what extent has he changed as a player under Guardiola? Is there anyone as important to their respective team as de Bruyne is to Man City? What might happen if he were to get injured? Niall Murray was joined by Stefan Bienkowski and Graham Ruthven to talk it over. We're all just a little bit frightened of Man City right now. 29 goals in eight games. Astonishing, and much of that has been down to de Bruyne. Like, subscribe, follow... you know the drill!

Liverpool face Manchester United at Anfield this weekend as they attempt to reverse what has been an atrocious run of form over the early part of the season. The grin has been wiped from the face of Jurgen Klopp, with the German appearing a more frustrated figure by the week. So is he in trouble? Does he have the ability to turn things around at Liverpool? Niall Murray was joined by Stefan Bienkowski and Graham Ruthven to talk things over. There was a German football question in there for Stefan, too. We need to keep him happy.

Defeat to PSG marked the end for Carlo Ancelotti at Bayern Munich, with the Italian sacked as the Bavarians' manager the very next day. It illustrated what has been a difficult start to the season at the Allianz Arena. So what the hell is going on at Bayern Munich? How have they worked themselves into this mess? Are their poor transfers to blame? Was Ancelotti doomed from the very beginning? Who should replace Ancelotti? Niall Murray was joined by Stefan Bienkowski (the German football enthusiast who has waited his whole life for this episode) and Graham Ruthven. Honestly, we had to calm Stefan down before recording.

Finally, the defining duel we expected between Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho is materialising. Six games into the new Premier League season and Manchester City and Manchester United sit atop the table. So is this season shaping up to be a joust between the two men? Can anyone become a third force to break up the duopoly of the Manchester clubs? Who has the better squad - Jose or Pep? What might stop either of them from winning the Premier League title this season? Niall Murray was joined by Stefan Bienkowski and Graham Ruthven to talk all things Guardiola and Mourinho, also discussing donuts and asking the question you all want answered - what do horses drink?

This summer marked a turning point in the transfer market. Over £1.4 billion was spent in the Premier League, with Neymar going to Paris Saint-Germain for £200 million. How PSG are able to pay £200 million for one player, nobody is quite sure. So is it time to ditch Financial Fair Play, the regulations that are supposed to prevent reckless spending? Is this in any way sustainable? Niall Murray was joined by Stefan Bienkowski and Graham Ruthven to talk it over. Has football once and for all lost it's damn mind?

Arsene Wenger has revealed that he turned down the chance to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson back when the Scot first planned on retiring in 2002. So would the Frenchman have made a good Manchester United boss? Would it have prevented the decline he has suffered over the past few years? Would United have sacked him years ago? Niall Murray was joined by Stefan Bienkowski and Graham Ruthven to talk over the hypothetical prospect of Wenger as Man Utd manager. What a strange world that would have been.

The transfer window is shut and Philippe Coutinho is still a Liverpool player. Jurgen Klopp's side can now plan for the season ahead, so are they prepared to mount a challenge for the Premier League title? Manchester City host Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, so is this a chance for the Reds to put down a marker? Do they have the defence to sustain a challenge? Should they have sold Coutinho? Niall Murray was joined by Stefan Bienkowski and Graham Ruthven to talk it over. Stefan talks about the Bundesliga, for a change.

Scotland face Lithuania and Malta in a World Cup qualification double-header as their hopes of making it to Russia next year start to fade. Gordon Strachan's contract as national team manager is up at the end of the campaign, so is this his final hurrah in the job? Or is there a way in which his contract is extended once again? If Strachan is to be on his way, who should come in to replace him? Is Michael O'Neill, the Northern Ireland boss who lives in Edinburgh, the obvious candidate? It's time to go foreign again, right? Graham Ruthven was joined by Stefan Bienkowski and Scott McClymont to talk it over. You might be able to tell that Stefan isn't the biggest Strachan fan.

In this week's episode of 'football has gone absolutely crazy' - we discuss Barcelona's pursuit of Philippe Coutinho, the Brazilian playmaker who has been identified as Neymar's replacement at Camp Nou. Liverpool reportedly rejected a £119 million bid for Coutinho last week, holding firm in their stance that the player isn't for sale. But are the Reds being stupid in their refusal to sell him for such an extortionate fee? Graham Ruthven was joined by Stefan Bienkowski and Thom Watt to talk it through. Would Liverpool be better off cashing in on their most valuable asset?

The new Premier League season is up and running and this weekend marks the first heavyweight class, with Spurs hosting the defending champions Chelsea at Wembley. Mauricio Pochettino's side finished second last season and are looking to make the next step in their development as Chelsea aim to keep their crown. So is this the Premier League's new power couple? Niall Murray was joined by Stefan Bienkowski and Graham Ruthven. Stefan is still talking about spinning plates.