Feast of Football

Are Swansea City suddenly in the Championship play-off picture? A rare away win means the Swans are now just five points adrift of the final play-off place - currently occupied by Wrexham. And with the two sides set to meet at the Cae Ras on Friday night, there is suddenly some extra significance on the match. Wrexham's injury list continues to grow - with Kieffer Moore's hamstring injury a cause for concern for Wales with the World Cup play-offs just a fortnight away.Having been top of League One since 22 November, Cardiff City were dethroned by Lincoln City on Saturday and are now four points adrift of the new leaders after a midweek draw in Barnsley. A blip, or something more concerning?

Carl Roberts, Iwan Roberts and Sam Vokes reflect on Wales' draw in their opening World Cup 2027 qualifier and look ahead to two huge games for Wrexham and Cardiff City on Saturday. And is there a real sense of hope at Rodney Parade after Newport County move out of League Two's relegation places for the first time in 152 days?

Carl Roberts and former Wales international Nia Jones preview Wales' World Cup Qualifying campaign with special guests Josie Green, Ceri Holland and Rhiannon Roberts. With a huge 12 months ahead of them, we’ll find out how Wales are preparing ahead of their first game in the 2027 World Cup qualifying campaign against the Czech Republic and we’ll also hear from Josie, who’s 20 weeks pregnant and juggling life on and off the training pitch.

Wales Under-19 coach Chris Gunter discusses his role developing the next generation, and the significance of hosting the Euro U19 finals in north Wales this summer. He shared his views on all the Welsh EFL clubs, with specific insight into the revival at Cardiff City, where he held a short-term coaching role alongside Aaron Ramsey at end of last season.Snoop Dogg's astonishing visit to Swansea obviously gets a mention, and so too does some goal Chris helped create for Sam at Euro 2016 (but they don't really like to talk about it).

Carl Roberts, Iwan Roberts and Sam Vokes discuss Wrexham's FA cup game against Chelsea, Snoop Dogg in Swansea, Cardiff's promotion charge, Newport's big win and this weekend's games. We also discuss the Winter Olympics and favourite post-match food.

Ten weeks ago, the general consensus was Swansea City were in a relegation battle. Thirteen games later, has new manager Vitor Matos transformed the team into Championship play-off contenders? A comfortable 4-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday leaves the Swans just five points adrift of the top six, but four games against team above them in the table await.Wrexham failed to give owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac a win to mark five years at the helm by slipping up at home to Millwall. Attention now turns to the fourth round of the FA Cup against Ipswich Town.No such problems for Cardiff City, who shrugged off the 20th-minute red card to Ryan Wintle to win 3-0 at Rotherham, a display described by Iwan as one of the best he can recall by a team with 10 men.

Did Elliot Lee tarnish his relationship with Wrexham by saying his is happy to join a manager who "values" him after moving to Doncaster Rovers on loan? After three successful consecutive promotions with the Reds, Lee has found himself surplus to requirements by Phil Parkinson. Should he feel aggrieved? Or is this purely the reality of professional football, especially when playing for an ambitions club like Wrexham?Lee is one of 10 players to leave Wrexham in January, allowing Parkinson to recruit three more new faces he feels will strengthen their promotion hopes. Swansea's only significant piece of business was signing Finland midfielder Leo Walta. Manager Vitor Matos has certainly steadied the ship - are there now realistic hopes of overcoming the eight-point gap to reach the play-off places?Cardiff's lead at the top of League is down to just two points, but remains a healthy eight-point cushion inside the automatic play-off places. Newport's heavy defeat to relegation rivals Bristol Rovers exposed yet more defensive frailties, while the underdog story continues in the Welsh Cup as two lower league sides reach the semi-finals.

Is Cardiff City's immediate return to the Championship an inevitability? The Bluebirds are now 10 points clear of the League One play-off places after a comfortable midweek win over Barnsley, prompting comparisons with Birmingham's march to the title last season.Life is far harder for Newport County, who failed to build on the feelgood factor of a rare win on Saturday by losing to fellow strugglers Accrington Stanley on Tuesday. Manager Christian Fuchs might insist his team are not in a relegation battle, but the coming games - starting with Bristol Rovers - could define their whole season.Wrexham showed their winning mentality with two added time goals to snatch a win at Queens Park Rangers that lifts them to the top six in the Championship for the first time this season. But an inexplicable handball and a missed open goal continued Swansea City's away woes.And Iwan and Sam share their Welsh Cup memories as the competition reaches the last eight - with several lower league clubs dreaming of lifting the cup and booking an unforgettable ticket to Europe.

Iwan Roberts and Sam Vokes know more than most about scoring goals. They also know a prolific scorer can be worth his weight in gold. Swansea City's Zan Vipotnik is the Championship's top scorer with 13 goals, while Kieffer's Moore's 10 goals for Wrexham ensures they are well in touch of a play-off place. And in League One, Yousef Salach has caught the eye in Cardiff City's rise to the top of the table. But if they had to choose, which one would they say is the best?But this week's podcast starts with the disappointing news of Ben Davies' likely absence from World Cup play-offs with a broken ankle, while Jordan James gives manager Craig Bellamy another potential scare with a hamstring injury.

Wrexham produced another memorable occasion at Y Cae Ras with a thrilling FA Cup win over Nottingham Forest on penalties, leading to a somewhat underwhelming fifth round tie against Ipswich Town. It was penalty pain for Swansea, though, despite showing more encouraging signs against struggling West Bromwich Albion.A superb solo effort from Yousef Salech secured a hard-earned point for Cardiff City, with a potentially pivotal period coming up against two promotion rivals.And Sam prepares for a "huge game" against Newport County after Iwan goes in "two footed" with the alarming decline in Gillingham's form.

Barry Horne and Iwan Roberts join Simon Davies to pay tribute to former Wales captain and manager Terry Yorath, who has died aged 75. Yorath made Horne his captain of the national side, which famously coming within a victory of qualifying for the 1994 World Cup, while Roberts won his first cap during his reign. Both remember him as an immensely talented footballer, with a humble and warm personality as a manager. "He was a father figure," they say. "Wales has lost a great man."

After a calamitous defeat to Swansea City before Christmas, Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson could not have asked for a better response from his players. Four consecutive wins has lifted the Reds to ninth in the Championship, but crucially, within six points of second place. Are they now genuine contenders for automatic promotion? Iwan and Sam certainly think so.Swansea's steady progress under Vitor Matos continues, although Iwan believes some are "getting carried" away with the improvement, given they've yet to beat anyone above them in the table.Cardiff City remain top of League One, but their lead at the top remains three points despite a fruitful festive period. And Newport County are off the bottom of League Two, giving themselves some welcomed hope into the new year.

From the unprecedented high of a first appearance at major tournament, to the disheartening 12-game winless streak, the past 12 months have been a period of polar contradictions for Wales manager Rhian Wilkinson. "It's by far my least successful year," she tells Carl Roberts and former Wales international Nia Jones, "but I'm so proud."In an in-depth interview, Wilkinson reflects on the harsh lessons learned at the European Championship and the relief of ending the year with a victory over Switzerland. She reveals how her parents' influence have shaped her career, how she sees herself as manager and not a coach with Wales, and what role she hopes the retired Jess Fishlock will soon have in her backroom team.

Carl Roberts and former Wales internationals Iwan Roberts and Sam Vokes reflect on the weekend’s results. Swansea came from behind to beat Wrexham 2-1 in their first league meeting for 22 years. Meanwhile, League One leaders Cardiff were beaten 2-1 away at promotion rivals Lincoln, and bottom-of-the-table Newport County suffered another League Two defeat after losing 4-1 away at Colchester.

Carl Roberts, Iwan Roberts and Sam Vokes reflect on a good week for Cardiff City, despite a League Cup defeat to Chelsea. Swansea City and Wrexham prepare for a first league meeting for 22 years, and Newport's financial reality is laid bare as chairman Huw Jenkins faces the disgruntled fans.

In a rare and fascinating insight, head coach Craig Bellamy gives a glimpse into the tactics and fundamental principles used by Wales in the recent World Cup qualifying campaign. Using a tactics board in the dressing room at the Wales training base near Cardiff, Bellamy reveals the flexibility of his approach and what he demands from each member of the squad. Carl, Iwan and Sam are engrossed... and barely manage to get a word in.Bellamy, who has won half of his 16 games in charge of Wales, also names his biggest coaching influences and explains the debt of gratitude he owes to Iwan for protecting him during their time together playing for Norwich City.

A big statement of intent - that's what Carl, Iwan and Sam made of the three late attacking substitutions made Cardiff City manager Brian Barry-Murphy that turned an acceptable away draw into a huge win at title rivals Stevenage. It increased their lead at the top of League One to four points, but also sent a clear message to their rivals on the manager's winning mentality.Swansea City had a super sub of their own as Liam Cullen struck to ensure a second successive home win that silenced talk of a relegation battle... for now. Newport County put a shocking FA Cup display behind them to earn a point at Crewe, giving Iwan new hope they can climb off the bottom of League Two as the hectic Christmas schedule arrives.And after Mo Salah's remarkable outburst against his treatment at Liverpool, Sam recalls his attempts to persuade Sean Dyche he was wrong to drop him to the Burnley bench.

It may only be early December, but the message is clear for Swansea City - this is now a relegation fight. And the next two games - at home to fellow strugglers Oxford United and Portsmouth - could define the whole season.Wrexham, meanwhile, are looking upwards after extending their unbeaten run to eight games. Manager Phil Parkinson has now reached 200 league games with The Reds, with a hugely impressive 59.5% win rate. With so many clubs now opting for a head coach rather than a more traditional manager, are the likes of Parkinson becoming a rare breed? Iwan and Sam share their experiences of working under some of the best in the business.Premier League scouts are flocking to Cardiff City to watch Dylan Lawlor, and Rhian Wilkinson can breathe a sigh of relief after claiming a first win for Wales in a tough, yet historically significant, 2025.

Special guest Dave Hughes joins Carl Roberts, Iwan Roberts and Sam Vokes to share his thoughts on his brief spell as Newport County manager, which ended with the sack after just 22 games in charge. The 37-year-old recalls his early days at Aston Villa that saw him break into the first team as a 19-year-old, and takes pride in the development of some of the rising stars he helped develop at Cardiff City. And how he's eager to put down the paint brush and get back on the training ground as soon as possible.

Carl Roberts, Iwan Roberts and Sam Vokes discuss Wales' World Cup play-off draw, that will potentially bring two home games in March, and the magnificent 7-1 win over North Macedonia that wrapped up second place in the group in style.Newport County's search for a new manager ended with the much-anticipated appointment of Christian Fuchs, but Swansea City's hopes of securing Vitor Matos has hit a potential stumbling block.