Season preview part one: Is there actually a title favourite?

Jimbo’s got the Euro gang back together as Julien Laurens, Pol Ballús, Seb Stafford-Bloor and James Horncastle return for a new season of hijinx and drama across the continent.  We begin in France, where underdogs PSG got their title defence underway with a 1-0 win away at Nantes on Sunday night. But is there anyone who can close the 19-point gap? And are Marseille already in self-destruct mode?  The Liga season is well and truly underway, with holders Barcelona getting their campaign off to a winning start against the nine men of Mallorca. Real don’t play until Tuesday night - but how equipped are Xavi Alonso’s new-look side to topple Barca?  Over in Italy, we’re in store for yet another fascinating title race. The news that Romelu Lukaku is set to miss the first three months of the season with a muscle strain could open the door for a challenger to Napoli’s crown. So will it be a resurgent Milan or perhaps Gasperini’s Roma that put up the greatest fight?  And in Germany, Harry Kane’s won another trophy! Bayern take home the Supercup. While there are still some areas of concern for Vincent Kompany’s side - have the teams around them done enough over the summer to produce a title race?  Produced by Lucy Oliva.  RUNNING ORDER:  • PART 1: Welcome back! Just not in French… And moments of the weekend (00.50) • PART 2: Ligue 1 review - PSG off to winning start - Marseille are not (08.55) • PART 3: La Liga review - Barca the favourites ahead of new-look Madrid? (21.00) • PART 4: Serie A review - Lukaku injury blow opens up the title race? (37.00) • PART 5: Bundesliga review - Who can challenge Bayern’s crown? (56.30) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Premier League is back and so too are Jimbo, Daniel Storey, Adrian Clarke and Matt Davies-Adams to take in all the Matchday 1 action. Arsenal have their backs against the wall at Old Trafford but come away with all three points. But are there reasons to be cheerful for Ruben Amorim? Man City breeze past Wolves at Molineux as we all consider the players Pep didn’t even have at his disposal. And champions Liverpool secure a dramatic victory over Bournemouth. Are Arne Slot’s side far too open? There are big wins for Sunderland and Forest which are impressive but might tell us quite a lot about West Ham and Brentford. Plus Eze, Richarlison and Birmingham’s perfect winning goal. Produced by Charlie Jones. RUNNING ORDER:  • PART 1: The Premier League is back! (01.00) • PART 2a: Man United 0-1 Arsenal (08.30)  • PART 2b: Chelsea 0-0 Crystal Palace (16.00) • PART 2c: Forest 3-1 Brentford (23.00) • PART 3a: Sunderland 3-0 West Ham (32.00) • PART 3b: Spurs 3-0 Burnley (38.00) • PART 3c: Wolves 0-4 Man City (44.00) • PART 4a: Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth (49.00) • PART 4b: The rest of the Premier League plus Championship headlines (56.00) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to your Saturday morning dose of Totally! This is a space where we let our figurative hair down and free ourselves from the relentless merry-go-round of this season. We’ll have nostalgia, we'll have trivia, we'll have whatever nonsense tickles our fancy really. And we'll be taking a look back through the annuls into the week in football that was through the years... Today we're taking a trip down memory lane and charting the remarkable life and career of Mario Balotelli - who happened to celebrate his 35th birthday on the 12th of August. A great entertainer, social media legend, fireworks enthusiast, bib denier, misunderstood character, sensational striker and hugely significant cultural figure - from Inter to Genoa and everywhere in between. Produced by Lucy Oliva. RUNNING ORDER: • PART 1: Welcome to Totally Extra - Cotswolds recommendations, sausage pasta, road trips and a quiz question (00.40) • PART 2: This week in football - Triffic Niko Kranjčar, the start of the Premier League and crazy lockdown scorelines (12.00) • PART 3: Why Always Me? The life and times of Mario Balotelli (16.35) • PART 4: AOB, James' hotspot password and a correct answer? (55.00) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jimbo's joined by Tom Williams, Daniel Storey and Tim Spiers as we continue our look ahead to the 2025-26 Premier League season - and after shining the spotlight on the six teams competing in the Champions League during our last episode, today we turn our focus to the rest of the sides in the top flight. But we begin in Udine, where Tottenham saw a two-goal lead dashed to be beaten 4-3 by PSG on penalties in Wednesday night's Super Cup final. Despite defeat - are there reasons to be positive for Spurs fans? Back to domestic matters, and there's plenty of intrigue around the return of Sunderland after an eight-year spell out of the big time. The Athletic's football finance writer and Mackem Chris Weatherspoon joins us to consider their chances of staying up - before we run the rule over how fellow promoted sides Leeds and Burnley could fare after breaking the 100-point barrier in the Championship last season. Elsewhere - surely Manchester United can't be as bad as they were last season? Laurie Whitwell stops by to talk us through the pros and cons of their pre-season - and hopes for this campaign with the pressure on Ruben Amorim to turn their fortunes around. Will Everton be interesting this season with Jack Grealish added to the mix? Are Brighton the side most likely to upset the established 'big six' this time round? What kind of season will Forest have after the unexpected highs of last season? And are Brentford the 'B' team at risk of get dragged into a relegation scrap? All those questions and many more answered - plus a low socks convention, bad penalties and regretful friendships. Produced by Jesse Howard and Lucy Oliva. RUNNING ORDER: • PART 1: PSG lift the Super Cup (05.00) • PART 2a: Sunderland's return to the top flight with Chris Weatherspoon (18.30) • PART 2b: The hopes for Leeds and Burnley of survival (26.45) • PART 3: Are Manchester United going to be better this season? With Laurie Whitwell (42.45) • PART 4: Who'll be the best of the rest? (53.25) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back in the summer of 2020, Jimbo and co passed the time reviewing classic Premier League campaigns. For the last time this summer, we bring you the thoughts of Michael Cox, Daniel Storey and Matt Davies-Adams on the 1995/96 season, when Keegan's entertainers nearly went all the way. Newcastle were the neutrals' favourites and Man United were in transition with their kids. But a 12 point lead in January evaporated for the Magpies via Cantona, a legendary Keegan outburst and the greatest game in Premier League history. Elsewhere, English clubs were terrible in Europe, Alan Hansen was embarrassed by the Class of 92 and Man City were relegated due to a lack of technology. Produced by Charlie Jones. RUNNING ORDER:  • PART 1a: Blackburn stink up the joint (04.00) • PART 1b: Man City relegated (06.30)  • PART 1c: Keegan's Newcastle examined (08.00) • PART 1d: Man United usher in the Class of 92 (13.00) • PART 2a: Liverpool 4-3 Newcastle (19.00) • PART 2b: Keegan and Big Ron's outbursts (22.00) • PART 2c: United's grey kit (26.00) • PART 2d: Did Newcastle bottle it? (28.00) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.