It's Manchester City's to lose and with their experience of grinding out the results around this time in the season, will it be curtains once again for Mikel Arteta's men?

Dec has been anxious to diagnose Liverpool's end-of-season woes, but it is time for him to face the music and try to explain what has gone wrong for Jurgen Klopp's team.

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After all three teams falter in Europe, crashing out of their respective competitions, Dec is here to round up the recent action and look ahead to the games ahead with FA Cup Semi-Finals and a double-gameweek all to come in what will be a week to decide who will be in contention as the season enters its last few weeks.

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With over 70 years of supporting Liverpool in the semi-detached between our host, dad Steve and brother Connor there are some stories from the old-standing Kop and some looks to the future as a title race for this season, at least, is still all to play for.

The Champions League is also hotting up, with two English sides still in the contest. Who does the panel believe has the best chance of winning it? With Liverpool looking to get back into Europe's top competition next season, does this family believe the new format will be a hit?

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There is no time to waste as some teams look to move their manager on, and other teams are looking to back their own with West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion both having contrasting takes on their incumbent in the forms of David Moyes and Roberto De Zerbi.

Will The Hammers look to renew the Scotsman's deal at the end of the season as repayment for their European triumph last season? And will The Seagulls look to back their Italian maestro with many suitors looking to prise him away from the seaside club?

There's no getting away from the fact that this is a huge weekend in the title race as Liverpool will look to keep their title hopes alive as they take on Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday. With it looking as though a win for either side may take one team out of the conversation for winning the Premier League, who will blink first in what may be the final Klopp vs Guardiola match-up?

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Liverpool take on Chelsea in the fixture to decide where the first piece of domestic silverware will be awarded. However, an injury crisis is in full swing at Anfield, will Jurgen Klopp be able to begin his swansong in fine voice? Or will it be Mauricio Pochettino who will take home the prize, beginning a revival era at Stamford Bridge?

After Sir Jim Ratcliffe completed his minority takeover of Manchester United this week and stated that the North of England is in need of a national stadium, does the British tycoon have a point in all of this? Should the Red Devils receive some government support in building their new home? And do they even need a brand-new ground?

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With little time until the final international break of the season, it will be the last chance for England Manager, Gareth Southgate, to try some other options before finalising his squad for the Euros competition this summer. Who do the guys in the semi-detached think should make it into the friendlies squad so that they can prove themselves before what will most likely be Southgate's last dance?

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The game between Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest looked like a relegation scrap at the start of the season now looking like a way for the Cherries to add more misery to the travelling side staring down the barrel of an FFP charge.

Chelsea would like to make this season look a lot rosier than its monochrome colour right now as Mauricio Pochettino is looking more and more unsafe in his position, after each uninspiring away performance heaps pressure on the Argentinian. He will hope that when Gary O’Neil’s Wolverhampton Wanderers visit Stamford Bridge, the luck of the away team will follow in the nature of theirs throughout this season rather than what they had against Manchester United when they were awarded one of the softest penalties of the season.

Speaking of the Red Devils, Erik ten Hag’s men will want to record back-to-back wins when they take on David Moyes’ West Ham United. After a toothless shift in mid-week, the Hammers will want to match the result they had against their opponent when they beat Manchester United just before Christmas.

The city of Liverpool was shocked much like the rest of the footballing world when their manager, Jurgen Klopp, announced he would leave the club at the end of this season. With narratives written on the Reds’ players winning competitions for their departing gaffer, the focus needs to be on their next fixture when they take on Arsenal at the Emirates. In what is being declared as a key game in deciding where this season’s Premier League title will end up, it is clear that this match will need to live up to the hype.

The champions take on Brentford on Monday night so that they can make it five consecutive Premier League wins in a row. The City machine that Pep Guardiola has crafted is breathing down the neck of the league leaders and with Kevin De Bruyne back from injury and looking in fine form, they look as though they are more than equipped to take the sword to Thomas Franck’s men as Ivan Toney will hope to add another few thousand to his weekly wage he will undoubtedly get at the club he will join in the summer.

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Reading between the lines, it is clear that the English game is in a sorry state in the top division when the so-called leaders at the top are summoned in front of a UK Parliament Select Committee and are shown to be dismissive of some of the oldest and most respected clubs in the country and sheepish on the details on the alleged offenders among 'The Big Six'.

Analysis of the allegations put towards the Merseyside club is covered in this week's episode. In particular how Farhad Moshiri has run the club and is now using borrowed cash from the prospective owners in 777 Partners to keep the lights on.

Richard Masters and Rick Parry, Premier CEO and EFL Chairman respectively, have been put under pressure from the government over the charge placed on Nottingham Forest and the latest charge put towards Everton. How their leadership and governance of the game has failed, as Mr Masters put it in his Select Committee hearing, the so-called "smaller clubs" but have allowed the rich clubs to continue to thrive is put under the microscope.

These failings, the lack of control and the fact that we are talking more about court cases and reports instead of the action we see on the field leads at least one of this week's duo to say this week's episode title with firm belief and confidence.

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Is there more to the idea of one of these penalties being awarded? Is it an attribute that can be trained and worked on like most tools in the arsenal of the modern player? Why is there a trend that top teams are awarded this type of penalty more than the lesser teams in the division? And what, if anything, can be done about it?

The HEAT continues to burn on as a certain ex-Liverpool captain has decided to exit the team managed by another Liverpool captain. Jordan Henderson has decided to call time on his Saudi Arabian escapade with news outlets across the country reporting that he would like to move back into European football.

With rumours that Ajax may be looking at taking a punt on Henderson to help turn around their poor Eredivisie form, will he get his move? What does this mean for the Saudi's project? Should his former club come knocking to re-sign their former skipper? And what are the guys in Amsterdam sampling to want to take that risk on this player?

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Dec and Jonny, firstly, go through the big stories from the festive period as Liverpool sat at the Premier League summit on New Year's Day whilst Arsenal have slumped from the top spot on Christmas Day to fourth place now.

Aston Villa gave up some ground to give those outside the top four something to think about, all the while Manchester City won the FIFA Club World Cup to return to beat Everton and make it clear they are not giving up this year's title without a fight.

As for Manchester United, they were left to pick at the Christmas scraps as they earned hard-fought points against Liverpool at Anfield and Villa at Old Trafford but with a defeat to Nuno Espírito Santo's new-looking Nottingham Forest, Erik ten Hag will still be looking shaky in his position as Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe look for solutions as they and all the teams in England's top flight look for their buys in the January transfer window.

After the updates it is onto the week at hand and with it being an FA Cup weekend, Dec and Jonny take you through their thoughts on the domestic cups. With the Football Association and the English Football League called into criticism every year when each domestic cup rears its respective head, what should actually be done about these competitions?

Are they working as they should? Can they be improved? Is the 'magic of the Cup' still there? And what should be done going forward?

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It's safe to say though that one thing that does not wind down is the English top flight's footballing action as gameweek's start to pile up over the festive season, so what better time for the trio to go through how their pre-season predictions have faired until now.

Jonny has been tasked with a special trial in this episode for him to win the chance at an early Christmas present, whilst Dave receives his in this show in the form of someone from Everton's illustrious history making an appearance...

All will be revealed in this action-packed show that will act as VFTT's last full episode in 2023 - so we all wish you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and have a fantastic New Year when we will be back in full voice in 2024!

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When does a player become a nuisance for being injured with all his talent? Could Chelsea look to sideline him in the future? And does the captaincy act more as a burden than an inspiration to him given his circumstances?

There have been five permanent managers since Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United. David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and now Erik ten Haag have taken up the managerial hot seat at Old Trafford.

Dave ranks their tenures from worst to best as pressure continues to ramp up on the Dutchman currently in charge of the Red Devils as they look ahead to a clash against Liverpool this weekend, which the lads preview as well as a relegation 6-pointer between Burnley and Everton.

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David Raya continues to dominate the issues for Mikel Arteta’s team but with few goals being scored from the forward line’s biggest hitters from last season, will they regret not strengthening both sides of the pitch in January’s transfer window if funds are indeed not high as is being reported?

The Premier League, this week, announced a £6.7billion domestic TV rights deal that will run from the 2025/26 season until 2028/29. With the English top flight solidifying itself, once again, as the richest league in Europe with more matches guaranteed to be televised in this new deal, what are the benefits we will see in our game?

The 3pm blackout will remain in place in this new deal, but should this become a relic of the past? What are the knock-on effects across the division and the footballing pyramid thanks to this humungous price tag? And what will the consumer end up paying for in what may not just be what is in their pocket?

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There are plenty of fantastic goals and results across the division to go through from last week as well as clashes at both ends of the table to look forward to as the Premier League is gifting us all the first instalment of fixtures to sink our teeth into as we wash it all down with some mulled wine and minced pies, or perhaps something stronger depending on where your team is in the table.

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It was Alejandro Garnacho's world we were living in last weekend as he slammed home one of the best overhead kick goals in the history of the Prem, but which one is the best? The two resident Kopites will try to put aside allegiances to pick their favourites from the competition's over 30-year history.

The lads then preview this weekend's fixtures in which there are, once again, cracking 3 o'clock kickoffs that we will be missing out on at the top and bottom of the division with Burnley wanting to mount their relegation fight when they take on Sheffield United and Chelsea need 3points against Brighton if they are going to find any momentum as we reach the busy festive period. Can Newcastle United be able to end Manchester United and Erik Ten Hag's run of 3 matches without losing or even conceding in the league? And will Man City beat Spurs to reignite their title-winning credentials?

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The lads will preview the matches ahead of the weekend's action that will see Liverpool travel to the Etihad where they have not had the best record in recent years in the League playing Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. Could it be that after eight years since their last win in the Prem in this fixture, Klopp's Reds could pick up three points? Or will it be the Citizens who will recapture their title-winning form with a vital win?

Also on at the weekend will be clashes between Brentford and Arsenal, Newcastle against Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa as well as the Monday night game as Fulham take on Wolves. The Bees will want to show up like they did when they first took on the Gunners when they entered the league two years ago, The Magpies will still have their eyes on Champions League qualification for next season despite their injuries when they face the Blues from West London, Spurs will need to ignore the absences of Romero, van de Ven and Maddison (to just name a few) if they want to show that Villa are not prepared for the top six and The Cottagers will need to prove that Dec was wrong to back Wolves after the latters' late heroics in the previous gameweek.

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Thank you for listening to the ramblings of these three up until now, VFTT is just getting started and there will be so much more coming up as we approach the end of this year so make sure you're following the pod on your platform of choice to get each new episode in your active downloads every Friday! See you next week!

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As the resident Toffee is back on the pod, it is only fair to get an update on all things Everton. Will 777 Partners take over the club? How is the mood around the ground given the rise in recent form? Is Beto better than Calvert-Lewin? And would Dave take a points deduction now or next season?

With the Christmas season fast approaching, and with that comes the packed Premier League fixture list, who do the lads reckon will be topping the table come Christmas Day? Will any of the contenders be able to knock Pep's treble winners off the top of the tree to be the star come New Year's? Is there any hope for the likes of Sheffield United, Burnley or Bournemouth for a festive fightback to escape the relegation zone once 2023 comes to a close?

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Then to one of the more dramatic stories this season as Ivan Toney and Sandro Tonali have been handed lengthy bans that will see the end of the latter's season and the former will only return to action in the new year. Does the game have a problem with gambling? What should the players and the clubs do to progress from this? And what should Toney make of the reported £100million that Brentford would reportedly want to sell him?

To round things out there are two huge fixtures to preview in this gameweek as Newcastle will take on Arsenal at St. James' Park and Spurs will need to prove to their former manager, Mauricio Pochettino, that they can go further than they could when he was in the managerial hot-seat as Chelsea from West London hope to show they can get some C-word going in their season when they travel North on Monday night.

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Is this actually just a way for the Premier League's 'Big Six' to ensure they are included in the treasure trove of Champions League revenue? Does it in any way benefit the competition?

Dec then goes into detail as to what this format will play out like next year. The UEFA boffins have tried their best to explain their other innovations in the past such as the much-maligned UEFA Nations League, but can this Kopite explain the convoluted cluster-fruitcake that is the 2024/25 Champions League Group Stage?

After all that is said and done the lads will turn their attention to some of the events of last week in which Liverpool were able to get one over on their local rivals in a Merseyside derby with more than a little controversy. Arsenal were able to rescue a point from Chelsea, but have some of the wheels started to fall off Mikel Arteta's side? And ahead of the highly-anticipated Manchester derby this weekend, do Man United stand a chance of getting anything from Pep Guardiola's wobbly Citizens as they make their trip to Old Trafford this time around a better one than last season?

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Could it be that Sean Dyche's team will pick up what would be only the Ev's second win in the last nine league derbies at Anfield? Or will Klopp's side regain some much-needed form and send their city rivals back across Stanley Park with their tails between their legs?

After casting their minds back to past performers in the fixture, some past results gone by with some heroes and villains name-checked, the lads provide their predictions to the fixture that provides entertainment in varying doses.

To round up the pod, the attention has to turn to Manchester United who are deep in talks with Sir Jim Ratcliffe over a minority stake in the football club that sees the ever-unpopular Glazer family still in control of the football club. What does this mean for United? And what can their supporters find some positives in, from what has been a business decision that will undoubtedly send ripples that will become waves and tides in the many years to come in the history of this giant of English football?

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With the UK and Ireland winning their bid to host the Euro 2028 competition, the lads turn their attention to what the England team may look like around that time, but also how the organisation of this contest will pan out for the two nations. Will UEFA be able to prove they can run a knees-up in a brewery? Will the Bramley Moore Dock stadium be finished on time? Will a replacement bus service be introduced to the travelling European faithful?

And finally with Belgian forward Eden Hazard announcing his retirement from the game, Dec and Jonny reminisce on the times he has cooked a fair few full-backs in the EPL. With a debate regarding his Premier League legacy swirling around social media this week, can two Kopites be ever convinced that prime Eden Hazard could be better than prime Mohamed Salah?

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Much has been discussed regarding the merchandising of the modern game and Dec brings forward one of his bugbears: the overproduction of football kits. Should the huge manufacturers be selling the much more expensive athletic cut kits to children? Is there anything that can be done about football clubs being 'over-branded'?

And ahead of the big clash at the weekend between Arsenal and Manchester City at the Emirates, is there a way for Mikel Arteta to learn from his mistakes last season and bag a result over his former tutor even with his injury issues in the forward line? Or will the City-machine match the Gunners' firepower and show why they are the champions of the English Premier League?

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The lads cover all about the teams desperate for wins near the bottom end of the table as Chelsea lost once again at home, this time around against Aston Villa, and with talks of Mauricio Pochettino possibly not surviving his tenure at Stamford Bridge beyond Christmas, is there any solution to the rot going on under the Premier League's big spenders? Is relegation a serious possibility?

With Sheffield United losing terribly against Newcastle United to the tune of 0-8, as well as Burnley and Luton Town still without their first wins of the season, it is looking more and more bleak for the newly promoted sides. We look into whether may be one of the worst sets of teams that have risen from the Championship to England's top division and who may be the first to pull the ripcord and remove their head coach from their position.

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777 Partners may soon be the majority shareholders in Everton in a matter of weeks or possibly days, but with loans being offered up to the club from the private investment company and the reputation of their multi-club ownership structure receiving much criticism it may be a positive for Dave that the lads in the room alleviate him of the duty of discussing what could be a disastrous takeover for the Goodison faithful.

Moving towards the games occurring this weekend there's only one fixture, apparently according to the broadcasters, worth putting on at 2pm on Sunday: Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur. Ange Postecoglou has become the Premier League's latest flavour of the month with him winning the first managerial honour of the season but with both North London clubs level on points going into the match and only separated on goal difference, will Mikel Arteta be able to put Spurs back into their corner after their positive start, or maybe despite the serial scorer in the fixture in Harry Kane departing for Munich it'll be Son who will make the Gooners cry?

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With football in the top division getting ever more expensive, could these two Kopites find value in watching the world's greatest game from some of the smallest grounds?

With the return of the Premier League this weekend a small preview of the games to come features at the end of the pod and (thankfully) a certain someone forgot to mention FPL, so instead Everton v Arsenal, Bournemouth v Chelsea, Nottingham Forest v Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers v Liverpool are previewed before things come to an end for this international break - and all done with barely discussing the Euro qualifiers!

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As promised, the lads move away from talking about the Premier League this week. However, with the Champions League and Europa League groups drawn for when European competitions kick-off after the international break, elite (and less-so elite) competition is still the topic of conversation as Newcastle have found themselves in the cliched ‘group of death’, Harry Kane will face-off against Man United in matchday 1 at the Allianz and Liverpool will be red-faced if they do not qualify from their Europa League group, so is there an outside chance for an upset?

The biggest story in the week has come from Liverpool’s former captain, Jordan Henderson, who in a more than controversial interview has claimed his move to Saudi Arabian club, Al-Ettifaq, has not been motivated by money and that he aims to work with their government to promote change. This week's pod ends with a couple of heated rants on the subject, as well as a minor gloat this week from Jonny after he retakes the FPL top spot.

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As the story of a certain Uruguayan substitute striker unfolded over the weekend, the question has been whether this is the true arrival of Liverpool's faltering forward and whether he has been underrated so far in his Premier League career. With that in mind, the lads put forward their takes on Darwin Núñez's form and whether he, amongst other players in the division, is underrated or overrated.

Ahead of the clash between Arsenal and Manchester United at the weekend, talk surrounding the most intense rivalries in England's elite league has been building. The lads go through what they believe are the most exciting grudges in the top flight and also those that are maybe more media fabricated than those with substance.

There has also been movement in the VFTT PL Fantasy League, but for who? All this is covered and revealed in this week's show.

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Missing out on the footie scran chat last week, VFTT’s resident Blue Nose does not escape as easily this time around as Dec and Jonny look to uncover all from Dave’s culinary capers from the opening week (it was either that or ask how much he enjoyed losing to Fulham).

The lads move on to discuss the less than stellar start the FA and its officials have had to this Premier League season as VAR decisions at Goodison Park, Anfield, Old Trafford and Selhurst Park have become low lights of the opening weeks. Are there any easy fixes? Should the country’s governing body look outside its borders for support? Or does the answer lie in the removal of video assistant refereeing altogether?

The final topic of the week has Dec raising questions over Manchester United's recruitment. As Mason Mount departs from the side due to injury for the next couple of weeks and Casemiro failed to impress against Tottenham at the weekend, amongst many others fielded for the Red Devils, to whom should Erik Ten Haag turn to at such an early point in the season?

Jonny also gets his chance right at the end to brag over his lead in FPL after two gameweeks - should this lead continue in the weeks and months to follow, I can only apologise to all of those listening as his gloating intensifies.

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In the absence of Dave this week, the opportunity has arisen for a debrief on the last seven days in which a clash at Stamford Bridge finishing 1-1 in scoreline meant little to the Londoners in the grand scheme of things as two players, who could end up costing £173million in total, traded Merseyside for West London. It may be too much for at least one Kopite to handle at first.

To round off the pod the lads rally around England to support Sarina Wiegman's Lionesses ahead of the World Cup Final this weekend against Spain.

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A closer examination of the actions of the clubs inside the Saudi Pro League comes up later on, with more top talent being acquired by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund including Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Karim Benzema just to name a few.

This is all before some final thoughts are made before the curtain is raised at Turf Moor as Dave yearns for the dismal northern summer to stick around as the first ball being kicked may have come too soon for some in the studio this week.

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