The Transfer Flow Podcast

Patrick and Ted kick things off with a bit of managerial madness.

Tottenham Hotspur turn to Igor Tudor in the middle of a relegation battle, while Nottingham Forest move on from Dyche. Are Spurs actually a Champions League-level squad? Is this dysfunction structural? And what do the underlying numbers really say about Forest’s performances?

From there, it’s all about the Champions League playoffs:

• Benfica vs Real Madrid: vibes vs tactics, deep blocks, and whether Madrid are quietly stabilising

• Borussia Dortmund vs Atalanta BC: chaos merchants collide

• Club Brugge vs Atlético Madrid: Simeone volatility and Brugge upset potential

• Galatasaray vs Juventus: Turkey away nights and Juve’s quiet resurgence

• Olympiacos vs Bayer Leverkusen: Bundesliga instability meets Greek knockout pedigree

• AS Monaco vs Paris Saint-Germain: are PSG ominously clicking again?

They also dig into how to think about betting edges in volatile leagues, when not to gamble, and who the real Champions League favourite is right now. Enjoy!

Tickets for The Transfer Flow Conference (May 22, London) are available now for a 10% discount: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1981005227964/?discount=earlybird10

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Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

01:23 - Ben Kingsley, Iron Man 3 and Hugh Laurie

03:00 - Ryan Gosling and a correction

04:23 - Pointing fingers

04:58 - Dyche at Forest

05:54 - Spurs appoint Tudor

06:34 - The rift in the Spurs fandom

07:23 - The Heitenga hire

08:33 - They can’t just ignore the UCL

09:05 - Imagine if they got De Zerbi

10:20 - UCL Playoff preview

10:50 - Benfica vs. Real Madrid and Jose Mourinho

11:48 - Haven’t lost in the league but 7 pts from first

12:34 - Mourinho controlling the narrative

13:10 - Special One TV

14:38 - Real Madrid are very getable right now

15:50 - Tactics vs vibes at Real Madrid

17:25 - Issues in the previous game

18:22 - Atalanta vs Dortmund and self control

19:50 - Likely an entertaining game

21:26 - Atalanta spend little time in the middle third

22:46 - Impact of Lookman’s loss + Hoffenheim

23:34 - Club Brugge vs Atletico Madrid

24:58 - Belgium were good last year

26:30 - Brugge also put up 3 on Barcelona

27:10 - A better use of Lookman?

28:42 - Qarabag vs Newcastle

29:20 - Bodo vs Inter Milan

29:35 - Juventus’ improvement and matchup with Galatasaray

31:29 - How do you approach betting with teams from places like Turkey?

34:55 - How do these teams matchup?

36:20 - Monaco vs PSG

38:12 - PSG getting back in form?

38:59 - Luis Enrique has a job for life

40:05 - An outright favorite for the competition?

41:25 - Variance betting for all of your Champions League needs!

more coming soon!

#psg #arsenal #championsleague #bayernmunich #realmadrid #barcelona #dortmund #intermilan #josemourinho #ucl #tottenham

Tottenham have sacked Thomas Frank, but will it actually change anything?

In this episode we break down why the next Spurs manager could be walking into the same structural problems. From squad construction and midfield imbalance to the injury spiral and long-term strategy, this feels bigger than one coach. We discuss why Frank’s expected “floor” never materialised, what Spurs are missing behind the scenes, and what kind of profile would realistically make sense next.

There’s also a wider conversation about injury crises in the Premier League, how clubs get stuck in doom loops, and whether squad building is the real preventative solution.

Finally, we take a look at the La Liga title race. Why Barcelona might have the edge over Real Madrid, how style of play matters against low blocks, and what fixture congestion could mean in the run-in.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

01:14 - Relegation zone math

02:20 - A long time coming for Frank

03:55 - Who will Spurs get next?

04:34 - Spurs must be run better

06:00 - This is a deeper problem

06:33 - Their relegation risk is low

07:02 - A bleak managerial market?

07:57 - They dug themselves into a big hole + Frank’s floor

09:30 - Bad transfer policy

11:40 - Getting points is all that matters for the moment

13:36 - Longer term, who’s willing to take the job?

14:50 - They need an overachiever

15:56 - Set piece problems + the players haven’t quit

18:04 - 12 days until they play Arsenal

18:53 - Remaining schedule

19:47 - Iraola an option?

21:53 - Would he want it and nothing is guaranteed with him

24:00 - Who’s even available? And Xavi talk

25:15 - People who the Spurs job would be appealing to

26:34 - How do you fix the injury doom spiral?

27:33 - 12 players injured for Spurs

28:14 - UCL games causing problems?

30:20 - Planned substitutions

31:10 - Managing injury and relegation at the same time

31:50 - Squad building problems and fatigue

32:40 - How to prevent the injury crisis

34:05 - This got Maresca sacked from Chelsea

35:40 - Chelsea offer a good blueprint

37:10 - Bad spending and who should get sold

38:40 - La Liga title race

39:49 - Real Madrid still haven’t figured out their lineup

40:50 - Half of the league is battling relegation

41:21 - You must be able to break down low blocks

42:35 - 2 extra UCL games for Real Madrid

43:20 - Barcelona have more weapons

On this episode of The Transfer Flow, Patrick and Ted break down a chaotic, high-quality clash at Anfield as Manchester City beat Liverpool in a game that felt like a season’s worth of drama packed into 90 minutes. We dig into what City got right, why Liverpool struggled to solve the press, and how a single moment of brilliance nearly changed the story again.

From there, we zoom out to the title race and ask whether City are really back, what Arsenal should be focusing on down the stretch, and why controlling games in the Premier League feels harder than ever right now. Along the way, we talk Erling Haaland’s underrated all-around impact, elite goalkeeping across the league, and why nobody ever looks comfortable anymore.

In the second half, we get into Newcastle’s worrying drop-off, Eddie Howe’s growing list of problems, and how squad depth (or the lack of it) is shaping seasons at both ends of the table. We also look at the relegation battle, West Ham’s faint hopes of a late escape, and why Forest fans should still be nervous.

We wrap things up with listener questions, including a deep dive into “hot hand” theory in football, sweet spots for shooting, and what analytics can (and can’t) tell us about form, finishing streaks, and player development.

Tickets for The Transfer Flow Conference (May 22, London) are available now for a 10% discount: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1981005227964/?discount=earlybird10

Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTransferFlow

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Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

01:33 - Dominik Szoboszlai’s free kick

02:44 - The drama of Liverpool/Man City

04:04 - City’s first half

04:55 - Liverpool on their back foot

05:32 - The quality of players in this match

07:42 - You can’t go hard for 180 minutes every week

08:18 - Sideism for Liverpool?

08:45 - The impact of Haaland

10:53 - Gakpo and Ekitike for Liverpool

11:30 - Pep’s weirdness + Rayan Cherki

12:57 - Late game red card + Is the TItle Race on?

13:44 - City were much stronger in past seasons

14:02 - Eddie Howe and Newcastle

15:15 - Uncalled penalties

16:00 - Newcastle fan’s frustrations

17:10 - Managers need to do less, not more

18:46 - Howe overseeing transfers?

20:01 - Arsenal’s overpayment for depth to win a title

21:02 - Should Arsenal fans be concerned?

22:00 - The other end of the table + faith in Leeds?

23:20 - West Ham’s improvement

24:00 - Will West Ham save themselves?

25:20 - Paco Jemez + Comparing schedules

26:58 - Brentford are flying

27:47 - The Fulham vs Everton game

28:22 - Samuel Chukwueze

29:52 - The crazy goalkeeping in this game

31:22 - Impressive saves across the league

32:18 - Hot Hand Theory

33:45 - Sequencing

34:59 - Tracking shooting training data

36:06 - Creating better players

36:45 - Sweet Spots exist, Hot Hand isn’t provable for us

37:52 - When the streaky players fall off what do we change?

39:34 - Smaller margins across the league now

40:27 - Juventus are evil

41:24 - Will there be a goalkeeper bubble?

42:04 - TTF Conference tickets and a £25,000 talk?

#manchestercity #liverpool #premierleague #arsenal #football #epl #soccer #eplnews #manchestercity #haaland #szoboszlai #salah #wirtz #pepguardiola #newcastle #westham #relegationbattle #foryou #fyp

We wrap up the January transfer window by running through the good, the bad, and the ugly of deadline month. Which clubs actually improved? Who paid too much for short-term fixes? And which moves might come back to haunt teams in a year or two?

We get into Aston Villa’s win-now approach, Fulham’s expensive gambles on upside, West Ham continuing their long tradition of confusing striker business, and why Ligue 1 quietly had one of the smartest windows overall. There’s also a look at Endrick’s loan to Lyon, Atlético taking a swing on Obed Vargas, and what these deals say about how clubs are thinking longer term.

Tickets for the Transfer Flow Conference are still available via the link below, and you can also find a link to Patrick’s charity trek fundraiser if you’d like to support a great cause.

Tickets for The Transfer Flow Conference (May 22, London) are available now for a 10% discount: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1981005227964/?discount=earlybird10

Patrick's Charity Trek: https://www.justgiving.com/page/patrick-van-straaten-1?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

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Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

02:02 - Aston Villa

04:19 - A lot of money spent

05:52 - How quickly can you integrate January moves?

07:01 - These players will help them secure the Champions League spots

07:47 - Tammy Abraham

08:19 - Fulham have added players that don’t help them now

09:25 - Oscar Bobb is promising, but hasn’t shown much

11:13 - Bobb’s numbers haven’t even been great

14:14 - Fulham need to pay for robustness and playing time

14:44 - Raul Jimenez and Chris Wood

16:05 - What Fulham’s bread and butter should be

17:25 - Quinten Timber moves for very cheap

18:48 - French teams have been very savvy

19:53 - Endrick and the young talent at Lyon

21:55 - Endrick’s personality vs. his role

22:48 - Not going to the Premier League is a good choice

23:35 - French teams selling to Saudi

25:56 - Go to Saudi, get paid, and go back at pre-peak age

26:34 - The bad: West Ham

28:28 - Will they regret spending this money?

29:07 - Got a lot of money for Paqueta

30:06 - Could you have gotten the same player 3 years ago?

30:58 - Playing time as a resource

32:22 - Keeping our eye on Crystal Palace

33:13 - The value of Strand Larsen

34:57 - Worry about the McNeil deal?

35:38 - What will Obed Vargas and Ademola Lookman bring to Atleti

38:00 - The Penguin and what he brings

38:50 - If Vargas can add either playmaking or defending then he will be worth multiples

#premierleague #transfernews #transferwindow #astonvilla #westham #atleticomadrid #football #soccer #westham #fulham #endrick #lyon #ligue1 #foryou #fyp

On today’s episode of The Transfer Flow, Patrick and Ted run through transfer deadline chaos and a genuinely weird Premier League weekend.

We start with the biggest rumours flying around late in the window, including Curtis Jones to Inter (and why stats people have always loved him), Ademola Lookman’s move to Atlético, Jean-Philippe Mateta’s failed medical, and the increasingly strange career arc of Jhon Durán.

From there, we dig into Spurs’ comeback draw against Manchester City and why Pep’s side still look incapable of controlling games for 90 minutes. We also talk Liverpool’s recent surge, whether Florian Wirtz and Xavi Simons have finally cracked the Premier League learning curve, and why City’s second-half numbers should worry everyone.

We wrap up with Chelsea’s worrying trendlines under Liam Rosenior, how much beating Napoli matters for him, and what it would take for Chelsea ownership to make a change.

Tickets for The Transfer Flow Conference (May 22, London) are available now for a 10% discount: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1981005227964/?discount=earlybird10

Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTransferFlow

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter: https://www.thetransferflow.com/subscribe

Join Variance Betting: https://www.thetransferflow.com/upgrade

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe1WTKOt7byrELQcGRSzu1Q
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Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

00:42 - Accidentally going live and the TTF conference!

02:34 - Jeremy Jacquet to Liverpool or Chelsea?

03:36 - Minutes as a resource

05:30 - Xavi Simons and Florian Wirtz have figured something out

06:10 - Rayan Cherki was BALLING this weekend

06:55 - Curtis Jones to Inter Milan

07:57 - Will Liverpool let Curtis Jones go?

09:02 - Did Jones need more minutes than he got?

10:10 - Connor Gallagher and Jones + alternate realities for Jones

11:37 -Jean-Phillipe Mateta’s failed medical

12:53 - Why more players are failing medicals

14:04 - Learning from past players (Umtiti)

15:36 - Unfortunate for Palace

16:47 - The price for Larsen is not great

17:34 - Ademola Lookman to Atletico Madrid

18:31 - The price isn’t too far off

19:57 - Atleti are confident bringing in older players

20:38 - Simeone’s kids and Zidane/Thuram

21:48 - Jhon Duran leaving Fernebache

23:04 - Red Flags

25:47 - Solanke’s goal and Tottenham vs City

26:42 - 1st vs 2nd half stats

27:41 - City can’t defend with the ball anymore

29:25 - Ekitike making the Isak signing look insane

29:49 - Have Liverpool flipped a switch?

31:02 - Liverpool vs City

32:04 - Man United vs Fulham

33:23 - Ted’s Carrick suggestion from last year

33:55 - Chelsea’s trending is becoming concerning

34:37 - Shifting between tactical styles

36:00 - Carabao Cup potentially enough?

36:55 - How patient will Chelsea’s ownership be with Rosenior?

38:33 - Forcing Patrick to read a children’s book