Episodes

  • 320: Between the Sticks #221

    320: Between the Sticks #221
    Jan 7 2025
    Everything comes to he who waits...

    That was the case for Brandon Austin who, after spending the best part of 17 years at Totttenham Hotspur, was finally granted his first team debut at the weekend. The soon-to-be 26-year-old acquitted himself well in the defeat to Newcastle, earning the Man of the Match award on TNT Sports and giving Ange Postecoglou something to think about ahead of Wednesday's Carabao Cup clash with Liverpool.

    Elsewhere, Matz Sels is perhaps the surprise package of the season in the Premier League. The Belgian leads the way for top-flight clean sheets following his blank in Nottingham Forest's 3-0 win over Wolves.

    In the EFL, Illan Meslier is feeling the heat at Leeds, Joe Whitworth provided an assist in Exeter's defeat to Bolton and Ben Amos returned to league action for the first time since April 2023.
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    34 mins
  • 319: Between the Sticks #220

    319: Between the Sticks #220
    Dec 25 2024
    What a week it's been for Fraser Forster.

    First there was Manchester United in the Carabao Cup, which Tottenham won. Then there was Liverpool in the Premier League, which Tottenham resoundingly lost.

    The understudy to Guglielmo Vicario has been called out for his lack of ability when playing out, raising suspicions Spurs might enter the market in January with Vicario not back until mid-February. We run the rule over his two performances, plus that of Danny Ward, Jordan Pickford and Emi Martinez - the latter being crowned the FIFA Best Men's Goalkeeper for the second time in three years.

    Merry Christmas!
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    41 mins
  • 318: Between the Sticks #219

    318: Between the Sticks #219
    Dec 16 2024
    Did we witness the greatest-ever save in footballing history at the weekend? Or was it just the best save ever seen in the Premier League? Or was it neither?

    We run the rule over that stop from Emi Martinez in Aston Villa's defeat to Nottingham Forest, before touching on respective heroics from England goalkeepers Jordan Pickford and Dean Henderson in a draw with Arsenal and win over Brighton.

    In the Championship, Sol Brynn regained the No1 jersey at Middlesbrough - a jersey which looks like it's now his to lose - while Aynsley Pears made it five clean sheets in a row for Blackburn.

    Matty Young and Connor Ripley take the plaudits as top stoppers in League Two. Young is proving his worth on loan form Sunderland at Salford, while Ripley's all-action style earned a point at Bromley to keep Port Vale in second spot.
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    36 mins
  • 317: Between the Sticks #218

    317: Between the Sticks #218
    Dec 10 2024
    Andre Onana was back in the error-stricken headlines this week.

    It's been a while since the Manchester United stopper courted column inches, but that he did after conceding to Morgan Gibbs-White in Nottingham Forest's win at Old Trafford.

    Elsewhere, two klaxons were sounded - one in the Premier League courtesy of Mark Flekken and one in League Two via Josh Keeley - while weather wreaked havoc yet again with League Two feeling the full force of Storm Darragh.
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    31 mins
  • 316: Between the Sticks #217

    316: Between the Sticks #217
    Dec 3 2024
    Two contentious decisions took place in the Premier League at the weekend:

    1) Did Adam Armstrong interfere with Bart Verbruggen's ability to prevent a goal scored by Southampton in what ended in a 1-1 draw with Brighton?

    2) Was it right to award a penalty for Lukasz Fabianski's challenge on Gabriel in West Ham's 5-2 defeat to Arsenal?

    We attempt to answer both, albeit with a little fence-sitting in the process.

    Elsewhere, a Premier League debut was handed to Joe Lumley at the age of 29, while Aro Muric pulled off a Save of the Season contender for Ipswich in their narrow loss at Nottingham Forest.

    FA Cup Second Round heroes come in the form of Jas Singh, Billy Crellin and Josh Keeley, who sounds a brand new klaxon for the first time.
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    30 mins
  • 315: Between the Sticks #216

    315: Between the Sticks #216
    Nov 26 2024
    As conditions wreaked havoc across the country at the weekend, it was in non-league where goalkeepers truly felt the force of Storm Bert's brutal ball bamboozlement. We start with Wroxham and Gloucester City in the Isthmian League North and Southern Prem respectively.

    The Premier League then takes centre stage with Save of the Weekend contenders from Andre Onana and Guglielmo Vicario, the latter of whom is now set for a period on the sidelines after playing the majority of Tottenham's win over Man City with a broken bone in his foot.

    Alex McCarthy was under the spotlight in his 150th Premier League appearance for Southampton. In stepping in for Aaron Ramsdale, he conceded three in a defeat to Liverpool, the second of which saw Mo Salah steal in to gift The Reds an equaliser.

    In the EFL a series of injury time saves proved crucial for points saved and matches won, notably for Luton's Thomas Kaminski and Jacob Chapman of Huddersfield.

    A nod to Sol Brynn, too. Following a number of loan spells away from Middlesbrough, he finally bagged a first league appearance for the club. It came in a 6-2 away win at Oxford.
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    34 mins
  • 314: Between the Sticks #215

    314: Between the Sticks #215
    Nov 12 2024
    Caoimhin Kelleher and Mark Travers have been pretty much close to flawless since stepping in for Alisson and Kepa at Liverpool and Bournemouth respectively.

    At the weekend, Kepa was back in the Cherries' starting XI, while Kelleher - who pulled off two stunning saves in a home win over Aston Villa - will no doubt be back on the bench once his Brazilian teammate returns to fitness.

    So, what next for the two No2s who could most likely be No1s at other Premier League clubs?

    We discuss exactly that, plus another head save from Dean Henderson and a Save of the Weekend contender from Jordan Pickford at West Ham.

    The Goalkeeper Assist klaxon sounds for Ben Killip of Barnsley in League One, Franco Ravizzoli remains unbeaten in 12 for Wycombe and David Harrington switches allegiance from Ireland to Wales as the Fleetwood stopper is called up to Craig Bellamy's latest squad.
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    39 mins
  • 313: Between the Sticks #214

    313: Between the Sticks #214
    Nov 5 2024
    Have we witnessed a turning point for Southampton and Aaron Ramsdale?

    Two big saves in the victory over Everton gave the Saints and Ramsdale a first win and clean sheet of the campaign at the weekend. With a likely call-up to the England squad beckoning, the tide could just about be turning down on the south coast.

    Along the way is Mark Travers who, after stepping in for the injured Kepa Arrizabalaga, is very much staking his claim to be Bournemouth's ongoing No1. Defeat of Man City - their first in 32 games - gives Cherries boss Andonia Iraola something to think about once Kepa returns to fitness.

    Plenty of action to cover in the FA Cup First Round. Onto the next next phase go Jas Singh, Den Jeseph, Mathew Hudson and Laurie Walker of Tamworth, Kettering, Oldham and Solihull respectively, while Harborough's Elliot Taylor and Jonny Maxted of Brackley stepped up to nab a scalp over their more advanced non-league counterparts.

    Gainsborough Trinity's Dylan Wharton arguably bags Goalkeeper of the Round following his three successive stops in a shootout triumph over Hednesford, and Text Talk returns courtesy of Frankie Leonard. The SCEFL stopper went viral for a quite remarkable stop for Bearstead against Fisher, managing to make a save despite being entangled in the net at the same time.
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    44 mins