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SACKED!

SACKED!

Written by: Neil Ashton
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About this listen

SACKED! is a high-concept football show that takes listeners behind the scenes of the Premier League — where power, pressure and politics collide.


Hosted by former Sunday Supplement presenter and founder of AMG Global Neil Ashton, SACKED! is set in the Owner’s Box of the fictional Crisis Club FC and features weekly guests including managers, former players, CEOs, sporting directors and leading journalists.


Each week the real stories behind football’s biggest decisions are discussed — the sackings, battles for survival, and what it’s like to win and lose at the highest level of the world’s most watched sport.


Each week the agenda features Crisis Club FC, Sackology and the Press Conference — where Neil and his guests are grilled by the most demanding people of all: The Fans.


Smart, dramatic and brutally honest, SACKED! is football told from the top down.


New episodes weekly.

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Neil Ashton
Economics Football (American)
Episodes
  • Mark Ogden - The tip that changed football
    Apr 8 2026

    ESPN's Mark Ogden joins us in the Owner’s Box to take us inside one of the biggest stories in football history — the day Sir Alex Ferguson quit Manchester United.

    From getting the tip off to the moment of relief when Manchester United announced Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure, Ogden shares his perspective on the pressures, access and responsibility that comes with breaking such a momentous story.


    Offering also a rare insight into the inner workings of the media around Old Trafford, he also recalls the media bans, hairdryer treatments and memorable moments from the press box.


    Ogden then reflects on the managers who have caught his eye in the modern game, explaining why Luis Enrique stands out as one of the most impressive figures in football today and why Sam Allardyce should have stayed on as England manager.


    Smart. Honest. Unfiltered.


    This is SACKED!


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    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    41 mins
  • Former Chelsea Defender Michael Duberry: From Bell’s Palsy to European Glory
    Mar 11 2026

    On Matchday 6 of SACKED! in partnership with The Brain Charity, we sit down with former Chelsea, Leeds United, Stoke City and Reading centre back Michael Duberry to share his powerful story about resilience, perseverance and the realities of life at the top of the game.


    But one of the most remarkable moments of his career came when he was diagnosed with Bell's palsy just days before the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup final.

    Unable to properly move part of his face, Duberry reveals how he handled the diagnosis, earned his place in the starting XI and survived the dressing room culture of the time.


    He also opens up about the tougher chapters of his career, including difficult moments when a club no longer wants you and a relationship with a manager breaks down.


    Along the way, Duberry shares stories about teammates and life at the top of the game in the late ‘90s and early 2000s — from limo rides with Linda Lusardi to stories about Diego Maradona from Gus ‘Radio’ Poyet.


    This episode is a candid and revealing conversation about what it really takes to survive and thrive in professional football.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    45 mins
  • Former Manchester United coach René Meulensteen: The Death of the No.9 And the Disappearing Wingers
    Mar 5 2026

    On Matchday 5 of SACKED!, we sit down with former Manchester United coach Rene Meulensteen — and what starts as a chat quickly becomes an identity crisis for the modern game.


    Who killed the No.9? Why don’t wingers like David Beckham, Ryan Giggs and Andrei Kanchelskis take on full-backs and whip crosses in for a centre-forward anymore?


    Meulensteen reflects on an era when United fans were spoiled by elite finishers such as Wayne Rooney, Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham — a golden generation of No.9s who defined a dominant period in the Premier League.


    Those days feel long gone. Today’s game is different — more systems, fewer mavericks — and fans are crying out for creativity, drama and exuberance from modern stars.


    Meulensteen also delivers brilliant insight from his time working alongside Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, offering a rare glimpse into the standards, psychology and philosophy behind one of football’s greatest dynasties.


    It’s a fascinating, honest and provocative conversation about how — and why — the modern game has changed.



    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    39 mins
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