The Transfer Flow Podcast

Episode 185 - We Need to Talk About the Referees

The Transfer Flow Podcast

Show Notes

City and Arsenal both benefit from big calls this weekend. Is there a referee conspiracy, or are we just all going mad? Ted and Patrick break down a controversial refereeing weekend, dig into whether the set piece problem can actually be fixed, and ask why Premier League coaches are so terrified of open play. Then: Man United's unlikely season, Chelsea's coaching crisis, Real Madrid's dressing room disaster, and Bayern's interest in Anthony Gordon. Enjoy!

Tickets for The Transfer Flow Conference (May 22, London) are available for just £10: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1981005227964

Join our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheTransferFlow

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter: https://www.thetransferflow.com/subscribe

Join Variance Betting: https://www.thetransferflow.com/upgrade

Follow us on our Socials:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe1WTKOt7byrELQcGRSzu1Q

X: https://x.com/TheTransferFlow

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetransferflow.bsky.social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetransferflow/

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Intro

00:31 Title race update, Arsenal close in

02:34 Was the City refereeing scandalous?

04:52 Do refs have unconscious bias toward big clubs?

07:21 Arsenal's VAR moment, right call, wrong vibes

09:12 Why every manager copies set pieces while complaining about them

10:18 How do you actually fix the set piece problem?

13:53 The wrestling in the box no one wants to legislate

15:24 What is the actual goal of changing the rules?

17:06 VAR, meat walls, and boring football, three problems rolled into one

20:28 Smarter people will always find the loopholes

21:13 Why Premier League coaches are more risk-averse than anyone else

23:28 City review, Doku is unplayable when fit

24:09 Arsenal review, Odegaard changes everything when he comes on

27:27 Is the title actually over?

29:24 Liverpool vs Chelsea was unwatchable

30:08 Man United's strange season, good results, bad numbers

32:05 Should United keep Carrick?

34:48 Chelsea in crisis, fire Slot? Who replaces him?

39:05 Real Madrid chaos, Mbappe, Valverde, and a dressing room on fire

40:27 Where does Mbappe even go?

41:54 Why Real Madrid's problem can't be solved with transfers

43:47 The "oops all dickheads" policy explained

45:24 Bayern Munich want Anthony Gordon, Farmer's League?

47:46 Harry Kane is somehow the most dominant striker in Europe right now

49:23 The referee discourse is making people crazy online

#arsenal #premierleague #mancity #realmadrid #arsenalfc #manchestercity #manchesterunited #chelsea #bayernmunich #football #soccer #epl #fyp #foryou Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More from The Transfer Flow Podcast

Oct 22, 2026

Have Iraola's Liverpool finally clicked? Patrick and Hayden Van Brewer break down a big Champions League midweek.

Oct 19, 2026

Patrick and Ted go through the Premier League weekend and ask which teams should be worried, and where the table is hiding what the numbers say.

Oct 15, 2026

Real Madrid were 3-1 down in the 83rd minute and won 4-3 on three corners in seven minutes. Nobody should be convinced.

Oct 12, 2026

Manchester City beat Liverpool, but did anything about it matter? Patrick and Neel review the weekend in the Premier League and La Liga.

Oct 8, 2026

Cristiano Ronaldo walked out of Portugal camp after being an unused sub against Norway, and Portugal won all their games under Jorge Jesus anyway. Patrick and Neel break down the Ronaldo fallout, first looks at France under Zidane and Germany under Klopp, and the chaos of AFCON qualifying, where Ghana and Nigeria are in serious trouble.

See all episodes →