Episode 3455: AFCON Chaos Final, MCMUFC, Great Man Theory, Rice.gif, (More) Post Human Football, Marty Whelan <3's Ken
People were calling this AFCON predictable but in the end, it showed us something we’ve never seen before in a major final – a walk-off that initially looked like a turning point in humanity’s war against VAR, and only got weirder from there.
After another weekend of … rugged … PL games, we discuss why so many fanbases seem angry and whether it has to do with the way the game is being played. Do we blame the Pep style, do we blame the anti-Pep style, or is the truth…. somewhere in between?

As Michael Carrick leads Manchester United to a crushing win over Manchester City, we also discuss whether it’s time to fish the Great Man Theory out of the bin.
That Old Trafford ROAAAAARRRR! ? pic.twitter.com/4miK8MWI4i
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 19, 2026
With so many smoking ruins to choose from it was hard to pick a stricken club to focus on today but we’ve gone with Spurs, where the Thomas Frank era looks to be entering its final few days. Jack Pitt-Brooke was there on Saturday to watch all the poisons that lurk in the mud hatch out. Where did it all go wrong for Frank? Which previous managerial reign is Jack reminded of? What about the burgeoning cult of the Lost Leader Ange? And who is next in line to drink deep from the poisoned chalice?
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What a game, Ken’s right. pic.twitter.com/5QhzqfHI3H
— Marty Whelan (@martylyricfm) January 19, 2026