Did It Cross The Line

The DICTL Derby is rapidly approaching and Rebecca & Alex are back to look at Liverpool and Chelsea's great starts to the season. Liverpool have started the season where they left off, except this time they have most of their squad actually available. We chat about Virgil van Dijk continuing where he left off, the club tying down their core players to new contracts, who can best fulfil the 'Gini Wijnaldum' role, and rant about the reactions from Sean Dyche and English pundits following the win over Burnley. Chelsea have also hit the ground running, with Jorginho now the best player in Europe (apparently) and Romelu Lukaku scoring within 15 minutes of his re-debut. Are Chelsea truly title contenders this season and how will Chelsea vs Liverpool play out this weekend? Will both teams go for the win or settle for a draw in the title race? And who will win the anticipated battle of Lukaku vs Van Dijk? We also take a closer look at the Champions League group stages draw, Arsenal under Arteta looking like an absolute mess, Tottenham impressing under Nuno, Harry Kane sticking around, Manchester City's midfield weaknesses, West Ham and Brighton's strong starts, Man Utd's title challenge already coming to a screeching halt, and Rafa Benitez at Everton so far. Plus, Andy Robertson's vibranium ankles, Thomas Tuchel the walking spreadsheet, the carbonara challenge, the 5th Beatle, super premium repair shops, slicing through hot camembert, crumpling like a ghost, speaking in Star Wars, squeaky chairs, buying Harry Kane on Wish, and Rafa's Xmas Tree. **Please take the time to rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, as it makes it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

We're back! After some time off, Rebecca & Alex have returned to catch up on a great summer of football, some wild transfer news, and preview the imminent Premier League season. We kick off by revisiting the Euros, including how it was a far better tournament than it had any right to be, Italy's brilliance, Denmark's emotional run, how it very nearly came home, and (inevitably) a lot of chat about England, politics and racism. Then there's the shocking moment we never expected to see; Lionel Messi leaving Barcelona. We chat about how Barca lost their greatest ever player, why calls that he should play for free are nonsense, why joining Paris St Germain isn't just because of wages, and just how good that PSG side is going to be this season. We also revisit a somewhat forgettable Community Shield showcase where Leicester City kicked off their season in style with a win over Manchester City. What does it tell us about the upcoming season and do Pep Guardiola's side actually have an Achilles heel? As for the Premier League, both Liverpool and Chelsea look in great shape going into the new season. Liverpool have all their centre backs available again and Chelsea look like they have Romelu Lukaku returning to the club any day now. Is the Inter striker the missing piece for Chelsea to win the league? How much are people underestimating a revitalised Liverpool squad which won the Premier League only 14 months ago? How do a strengthened Man Utd side factor into this? And will Harry Kane sign for Man City and give them (another) extra edge in the title tilt? We also make our top six and relegation predictions (as well as revisiting last season's picks) and we reveal the winner of last season's Prediction Purgatory. Plus, the Euros tiny car, Pep's extra inch, Jack Grealish's calves, are Burnley actually relegation candidates, keeping your knees on, penalties & pie charts, bulbs & bedding in, penis rockets, Donkey's Hell, living in suburbia, tiny cats, why every day is pool weather, and Lord Harreth of Poppington. **Please take the time to rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, as it makes it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

Rebecca and Chelsea are Champions of Europe again so we're back with a special, extended edition of Saved By The Bell to break down how they did it. As ever, that means 10 categories for both Rebecca & Alex about Chelsea's 1-0 win over Manchester City in Porto to lift the trophy, but only one minute to respond to each category (although we are quite flexible with those timings for this one since it's a special occasion). Categories this time include Thomas Tuchel, Pep Guardiola (and that team selection), N'Golo Kante, Reece James, Kai Havertz, Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, and much more. Plus, can Man City win the Champions League under Pep, shirts off for Chelsea, whether Kante deserves the Ballon d'Or, Eden Hazard as a mascot, the irony of being a football fan, Steps concerts, the multiverse, bonus cookery advice, distracting seagulls, looking good in a cape, and Stop Crying Your Heart Out. And please sign up at patreon.com/diditcross for loads more exclusive football podcasts. **Please take the time to rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, as it makes it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

The top four race is fully on and Rebecca & Alex are back to discuss Liverpool and Chelsea's recent form, plus a bunch more football news. We kick off with Liverpool and debate whether Alisson Becker's headed goal against West Brom was the 'Goal of the Century', as well as Nat Phillips' contributions vs Burnley, Bobby Firmino's brilliance, and that big win over Manchester United. Chelsea went 1-1 in their mini-series against Leicester City, losing the FA Cup Final but winning the Premier League contest. We chat about the difference in the two matches, the Jorginho dilemma and why Brendan Rodgers can't seem to maintain top four form at Leicester. And we also preview Leicester vs Tottenham & Aston Villa vs Chelsea, delve into the Women's Champions League final and Barcelona's dominant win over Chelsea, where Harry Kane might go next, Roy Hodgson's retirement, Nuno Espirito Santo's next move, and Karim Benzema's surprise recall to the France squad. Plus, more VAR nonsense, cloning Pep Guardiola, Mourinho inadvertently helping Manchester City, Tuchel & Terry, centre back anxieties, heading everything, extra credit for mind games, the story of the beeping fridge, Irn Bru legs, problematic Instagram Stories, the emotion of a poppy, a one woman show, triangles to squares, and Disco Panicking. And please sign up at patreon.com/diditcross for loads more exclusive football podcasts. **Please take the time to rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, as it makes it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

We're back! Chelsea are in a Champions League final, Pep Guardiola picked a normal team for a Champions League knockout game, and Liverpool even won a game at Anfield. What a few weeks it's been! We start by chatting about Chelsea's performance over two legs vs Real Madrid, as well as their win in that (sort of) preview of the Champions League final over the weekend vs Man City. Chelsea have temporarily stopped City from claiming the title but are they the team to stop them finally claiming the Champions League too? We've got a lot of praise for Edouard Mendy, Antonio Rudiger, N'Golo Kante, Kai Havertz, Mason Mount and Timo Werner for their showings against Real Madrid, as well as Thomas Tuchel and Pep Guardiola's respective semi final tactics. Let's see if the final is in Istanbul or London next. We also delve into Liverpool's win vs Southampton, their surprising run of form, Thiago Alcantara's goal, and what the Reds' top four chances really are. And there's also previews of Manchester United vs Liverpool and Chelsea vs Arsenal, our thoughts on the protests at Old Trafford, Leicester's form, Steve Bruce actually picking his best players, Sam Allardyce finally getting relegated, and (of course) we give the people what they want with Rebecca's unabridged thoughts on Jose Mourinho's move to Roma. Plus, MAJOR Line of Duty spoilers, Pep the Alchemist, Chelsea's Captain Marvel, Neymar vs Hazard, Aguero's apology, referee bias, new football stat ideas, Pot Noodle levels, rats in the kitchen, gravy hogging, big German sausage, Drizella & Cinderella, and "Francais pizzazz". And please sign up at patreon.com/diditcross for loads more exclusive football podcasts. **Please take the time to rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, as it makes it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

It's been another busy couple of weeks of football in this relentless season and Rebecca & Alex are back to chat about the Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League and much more. We start with today's breaking news that 12 European clubs have reportedly agreed to form a European Super League, including Liverpool and Chelsea. We discuss the potential ramifications, whether we think this will actually happen or it's just the top clubs using it as leverage, why the 'Top Six' might want this change, and generally rant about money in football and owners vs fans. On a more positive note, Chelsea are looking good in all competitions right now and we discuss the controlled performances and wins vs Man City in the FA Cup and Porto in the Champions League, consider their chances against Real Madrid in the semi final, chat about squad depth, and analyse Reece James and Ben Chilwell's recent performances. Liverpool are having a less fun time of it, although the second leg performance vs Real Madrid had a lot of positives. We consider Liverpool's top four chances in the Premier League, where the goals need to be coming from, and inevitably get involved in the Trent Alexander-Arnold defending / England discourse. Elsewhere, we look at Solskjaer vs Mourinho, Arsenal's inconsistency, West Ham dropping points vs Newcastle United, Leicester's house party problems, Norwich returning to the Premier League, and (sadly) another discussion about racism in football following UEFA's bans for Ondrej Kudela and Glen Kamara, plus the recent incident in La Liga in Cadiz vs Valencia. Plus, previews of Leeds United vs Liverpool and Chelsea vs Brighton, the Chelsea meerkat, the Dulux Twitter admin, hot water bottles, Masterchef spoilers, salt control, cat weddings, Brendan Rodgers' dancing, playing hockey without kneepads, the meat in the sandwich, and 'Leeds Things To Chance'. And please sign up at patreon.com/diditcross for loads more exclusive football podcasts. **Please take the time to rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, as it makes it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

Happy Friday! We're back with a quick, bonus Prediction Purgatory 'Bank Holiday Bonanza' catch up podcast as the Premier League returns this weekend. We look ahead to Leicester City vs Manchester City and Arsenal vs Liverpool, as well as revisiting our predictions from the last few rounds of games to see if Alex can start catching up on Rebecca's lead. Including what can truly be defined as a "mad moment", if John Stones will be more nervy after his defensive error for England, the best trios in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, pre-game anger towards Martin Tyler and what he might say this time, and mouthwash vs gin and tequila. And please sign up at patreon.com/diditcross for loads more exclusive football podcasts. **Please take the time to rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, as it makes it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

Rebecca & Alex are back and we've loads to catch up on with Chelsea's continued good form and Liverpool's resurgence in their last couple of games, plus plenty more nonsense from the world of football. We start with Chelsea and their unbeaten run under Thomas Tuchel, looking at the "resurgences" of Antonio Rudiger and N'Golo Kante, Mason Mount being great under multiple managers, and doing defensive football right. We also take a closer look at Liverpool's recent form, including the importance of Fabinho being back in the midfield, why the Kabak and Phillips centre back partnership works, nonsense off the field narratives, and tactical adaptations. And there's also analysis of Spurs' slide this season, more Rio Ferdinand nonsense about Mike Ashley and Newcastle United, Gareth Southgate not picking Trent Alexander-Arnold for England, protests against Qatar 2022 and player responsibility, and racism and transphobia rear their ugly heads once again. Plus, Alisson Becker's magnificent moustache, IQ vs tactics, sexy dirty 3 points, swipe right for relegation, football's Meghan Markle, living on Mars, Scrabble epiphanies, whiney winey, the 'Up' montage, boulangerie, 'Head of Death Banger,' and a jizz show of negativity. And please sign up at patreon.com/diditcross for loads more exclusive football podcasts. **Please take the time to rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, as it makes it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

It's Liverpool vs Chelsea tomorrow night, and we thought it'd be remiss of us if we didn't throw out a bonus Prediction Purgatory for a quick preview of the game with our picks. As always, we each predict the game in five categories: Result, Score, First Goalscorer, First Card and Random Mad Moment. And please sign up at patreon.com/diditcross for loads more exclusive football podcasts. **Please take the time to rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, as it makes it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

Rebecca & Alex are back ahead of another busy weekend of football to chat about their teams' differing fortunes at the moment, plus some other football talk too. We start with Chelsea, hot on the heels of their big win in the Champions League over Atletico Madrid. We chat about how quickly Thomas Tuchel shut down the Hudson-Odoi narrative following the substitution vs Southampton, that Olivier Giroud goal, Kurt Zouma's future, how good Chelsea now look defensively, as well as how lazy the anti-Atleti narrative was after the game from the pundits and social media. We also delve into Liverpool's recent struggles, including the "bad title defence" narrative, Jordan Henderson's injury, whether the win over RB Leipzig was truly a false dawn, the struggles vs Everton, and whether Bobby Firmino's time is really up at the club. And there are also discussions about why Marcus Rashford's penalty win exposed the anti-Salah brigade for what they are, Jesse Lingard's resurgence at West Ham, and whether Mourinho is the wrong man for Tottenham. Plus, previews of Chelsea vs Man Utd and Man City vs West Ham, an early yeet, Jota up the bum, Pep's fashion choices, Luis Suarez's sh*thousery, the dual meaning of OG, new best friends, lotus biscuit commercials, goat issues, pink highlighters, Wino Wisdom, throwing chocolate, Countdown adjudicators, "win-men", and the King of Two Beers™. And please sign up at patreon.com/diditcross for loads more exclusive football podcasts. **Please take the time to rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, as it makes it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

Rebecca & Alex are back from illness to look back at some of the last week's Premier League and FA Cup action, as well as preview a few of the big games coming this weekend. First, we chat about the current state of Liverpool following the 4-1 loss to Manchester City, including sad news for Jurgen Klopp and never knowing what's going on behind the scenes, putting Liverpool's season into proper context, why this is absolutely not the "worst title defence ever", and just how easily will Man City regain the league title this season? On the other hand, Chelsea can't stop winning under Thomas Tuchel and we take a closer look at the resurgence of Jorginho and Werner, whether Kepa can do the same, and how high we think Chelsea could actually finish now this season. We also look ahead to Leicester vs Liverpool and Man City vs Tottenham, before looking back at Everton & Spurs' 9 goal thriller in the FA Cup and Everton's wild comeback vs Man Utd in the league, Jose Mourinho vs Gareth Bale, the fallout from Mike Dean's red card to Tomas Soucek, and what can really be done to combat social media abuse? Plus, Jorginho the labrador, throwing drinks over Roy Keane, Mourinho's past comes back to haunt him, Frank Lampard on his couch, the worst parts of the football media, Pep's penis, elbows in the eye, Carlo Ancelotti as Baby Yoda, Vernon Dursley, law school, 'Wanton Bongs', late Valentine's Day gifts, fighting the Balrog, God's favourite son, the Wanda head tilt, extended Clash of the Titans metaphors, and chocolate chicken nuggets. And please sign up at patreon.com/diditcross for loads more exclusive football podcasts. **Please take the time to rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, as it makes it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

To try and cheer up all our Liverpool listeners after that result last night, we thought we'd mix it up with a special Saved By The Bell based around the Marvel Cinematic Universe - we can only apologise if you support Liverpool and aren't a fan of superhero movies though! For this bonus episode, we've picked out our 10 favourite MCU characters and we've each got one minute to explain why before that bell dings. Including Captain America, Black Widow, Hulk, Thor, Captain Marvel, T'Challa and more. Plus, Nick Fury trivia, powerful women, yeeting Hawkeye, pro wrestling heels, green sperm, Venom's tongue, electrocution, Iniesta and Endgame, Deep Blue Sea, Black Panther's legacy, which snacks you shouldn't eat in the cinema, and which MCU characters we're most like. This is also a precursor to an MCU movies 'Dealer's Choice' we plan on doing over on the Patreon this month, so please sign up at patreon.com/diditcross for that and loads more exclusive football podcasts. **Please take the time to rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, as it makes it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

Chelsea and Liverpool are winning games again and Rebecca & Alex are excited to talk about it. We kick off with Liverpool, delving into their much improved performances against Tottenham and West Ham, including lots of love for Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah and Bobby Firmino, plus Klopp's tactical changes and Michael Edwards doing it again with some great business in two new centre back signings. We also take a closer look at Chelsea's improvements under Thomas Tuchel, with actual tactical direction, as well as the re-emergence of players like Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso, plus whether Hudson-Odoi and Alonso's performances could be a bad thing for Reece James and Ben Chilwell. And we even looked at Man Utd's dip in form (only for them to go and win 9-0 as soon as we finished recording) and Newcastle United's resurgence vs Everton (just in time for Newcastle to lose to Crystal Palace). Plus, another rant about VAR, "Southmampton", another Mourinho tactical innovation, Pep's sexual reactions, Scotch Egg Sean Dyche, Glenn Hoddle's venom, score confusion, the Metrosexual Master, heels and hearts, mental inflation, exploding microwaves, Big Girl Panties™, the various Incredible Hulk movies, and blow up boyfriend dolls. **Please take the time to rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, as it makes it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

Rebecca and Alex are back with another of their future Patreon shows, this time focusing on European football. High Five takes a look at five big talking points across five European leagues, every show. This time we take a closer look at the fallout from the Milan Derby with Zlatan Ibrahimovic vs Romelu Lukaku in Serie A, Schalke's struggles in Germany (recorded before Ozan Kabak was linked with a move to Liverpool), how Pochettino is doing at PSG, Barcelona and Real Madrid's debt issues, and analyse Steven Gerrard's incredible season as Rangers manager. Plus, plenty of deviations along the way, from the colour of Thomas Tuchel's hair and wild gesticulations, to constipation meds and football clubs built on states of sand. And please let us know if you enjoyed the new show concept on our social media channels. **Please take the time to rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, as it makes it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

It's the one you've been waiting for; it was Thomas Tuchel's first game in charge as Chelsea manager so we had to hop on the mics after Chelsea vs Wolves played out a 0-0 for another Saved By The Bell aka. 'Saved By The Tuchel'. Once again, it's 10 categories and Rebecca & Alex each have one minute each until that bell dings (or Rebecca decides to change the rules - whichever comes first). In our post-match reaction, we delve into whether Chelsea showed improvement under Tuchel, the Chelsea lineup, Hudson-Odoi, Havertz & Mount, Rudiger, the midfield, Wolves' defensive display, Wolves without Jimenez, and what fans should expect from both teams in the second half of the season. Plus, plenty of the usual detours, including various Celine Dion & Avril Lavigne references, more rants about Football Twitter, viral sensations, and breakfast food. **Please take the time to rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, as it makes it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

Another new podcast special? With the news this morning of Chelsea sacking Frank Lampard, we thought it was the perfect time to launch the Managerial Minds podcast, taking a closer look at three managers in the news this week for various reasons. We start with Frank Lampard, looking at why his time as Chelsea manager has come to such an abrupt end, whether it was the right decision, and what he did wrong in terms of tactics and man management along the way. We also take a closer look at his apparent successor at Stamford Bridge, Thomas Tuchel, and whether the notoriously difficult tactician is the man to fix Chelsea's problems; will he clash with the board and the dressing room, can he balance the midfield, is this the lifeline Werner and Havertz need, and what does this mean for Mason Mount? And we finish with Rafa Benitez who is back on the market after leaving Dalian Professional. We cover the inevitable (but unlikely) links to a Newcastle United return, before discussing whether the much discussed Celtic move would be a good fit for him; and not just because we'd love to see a Gerrard vs Benitez Old Firm Derby. Plus, the inevitable detours on Jose Mourinho, Didier Drogba, Petr Cech, John Terry, Brendan Rodgers, Mauricio Pochettino, Emma Hayes, Jody Morris, and managers who look like incels. **Please take the time to rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, as it makes it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

It's our second Saved By The Bell and it's another Manchester United vs Liverpool game - although this FA Cup tie was a hell of a lot more exciting than the last time these teams played! Rebecca & Alex are back to give our post-match reaction, with 10 categories and only one minute each to respond before that infamous bell dings. There's loads to cover this time, including improved performances, Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Mo Salah, Rhys Williams and Alisson Becker. Plus, lots of wild analogies along the way from Bobby the Battery to more Solskjaer LOTR references, QAnon vs FSG to Lucifer & Lampard, and Jermaine Jenas to the Clintons. And, as always, you can visit our social media channels to vote on who did the best job this week. **Please take the time to rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, as it makes it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

P-p-p pick up a podcast! Rebecca & Alex are back to unpack a couple of disappointing Chelsea and Liverpool performances, plus delve into some other Premier League talking points too. First up, it's Chelsea discussion on the back of that 2-0 loss to Leicester City. Rebecca says she isn't going to rant so cue one of the biggest rants about Chelsea and Frank Lampard to date, including whether Lampard should be sacked, the tactics, the defensive coaching, the goalkeeping coaching, man management issues, and much more. We do have a lot of praise for Leicester and Brendan Rodgers too though, including whether the Foxes are title contenders again, James Maddison's amazing performance and that great post-match interview, and how Martin Tyler managed to ruin a great Wilfred Ndidi goal. We also delve some more into Liverpool's 0-0 draw against Manchester United and look ahead to the Burnley game tomorrow, including whether the Reds should go into the market for a centre back, some bizarre Thiago detractors, and getting some real perspective on football. There's also time to dig into Arsenal's resurgence under Mikel Arteta, the media continuing to compare Steve Bruce to Rafa Benitez, and even a little bit of praise for David Moyes and West Ham. Plus, Sean Dyche impersonations, Brendan Rodgers' true character, "Jurgen Flopp", trigger happy firings, greasy Burger Bruce, BTEC coaching, leaky ceilings & leaky defences, Wendy House snobbery, turkey in a meaty country, 15 eggs short of a dozen, car stereos, Nick Fury's eyepatch, forgotten Faramir, sexy Gollum, Question of Sport, the Divergent series, and poop brownies. **Please take the time to rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, as it makes it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

New feature alert! Rebecca & Alex have just watched the absolute thriller that was Liverpool vs Man Utd playing out another 0-0 at Anfield and we're here with our instant thoughts after the game. To give our post-match reaction, we've got 5 categories per team and only one minute each per category to give our response before - you guessed it - the bell gets dinged! From Thiago Alcantara and the perfect roast dinner to Paul Tierney's bedsheets to the Girls Aloud & Sugababes analogies you never saw coming, we cover a lot of ground in 35 minutes. Please let us know if you enjoy the new show - and head over to our social media channels to vote on who did the best job. **Please take the time to rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, as it makes it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**

With Liverpool vs Man Utd upon us this weekend, it seems like the perfect time to drop our first special podcast of 2021, taking a closer look at the careers of Jurgen Klopp and Sir Alex Ferguson. They're the great modern managers of the two most successful football clubs in England - but who is the best? We debate Klopp vs Fergie in nine categories of football management; Personality, Leadership & Coaching, Tactics & Philosophy, Substitutions, Transfers, Youth Development, Trophies, Motivation & Man Management, and Media & Mind Games to determine who really comes out on top. This might be the most extensive podcast we've ever done, delving into both men's incredible careers; plus, all the expecting detours along the way, including Jose Mourinho, Jordan Henderson, Pep Guardiola, Arsene Wenger, Dani Alves, Chris Wilder, Thierry Henry, Sam Allardyce, Ilkay Gundogan, Sergio Ramos, Mesut Ozil, international management, VAR, the MCU, Monopoly, Dracula, food poisoning, Ribena, and far too many deviations on sex and bananas. **Please take the time to rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, as it makes it easier for other potential listeners to find us. Thanks!**