Semi-Final Special

Vive La France

Jason Cowley and Stephen Bush are joined by Helen Thompson, Professor of Political Economy at Cambridge University, to discuss France's victory in the 2018 world cup final, and whether Croatia were in fact the better team on the day. They also reflect on how the French team's progress has intersected with domestic politics, and what its success might mean for President Emmanuel Macron's centrist vision for his country. Finally, they analyse the England team's run at the tournament, and look ahead to what could be next for the likeable young players who captured the country's imagination over the past few weeks. Get in touch with questions and comments on Twitter: @JasonCowleyNS [http://www.twitter.com/JasonCowleyNS], @stephenkb [http://www.twitter.com/stephenkb] or @ns_podcasts [http://www.twitter.com/ns_podcasts]. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for privacy and opt-out information.

Extra: England's Elimination

Jason Cowley and Stephen Bush are joined byNSpolitical correspondent Patrick Maguire to react to England's elimination from the 2018 world cup after their semi-final defeat to Croatia. They also discuss the future of this young England side, and check in on their predictions for the final. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for privacy and opt-out information.

Semi-Final Special

Jason Cowley and Stephen Bush are joined by John Bew to discuss the semi-finals, and whether Gareth Southgate's team will be adaptable enough to triumph over Croatia. They also discuss both English and Croatian nationalism, and analyse Belgium's chances against France. Finally, they make their predictions for the final next week. Get in touch with questions and comments for future episodes on Twitter: @JasonCowleyNS [http://www.twitter.com/JasonCowleyNS], @stephenkb [http://www.twitter.com/stephenkb] or @ns_podcasts [http://www.twitter.com/ns_podcasts]. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for privacy and opt-out information.

A New England

Jason Cowley and Stephen Bush are joined by David Goldblatt, author of The Ball is Round: A Global History of Football [https://amzn.to/2u4ToFt], to discuss fear of the World Cup penalty shoot out and Gareth Southgate’s vision of a new progressive England. Then they talk about the Left’s problem with patriotism, how good Belgium’s Golden Generation really is, and the political tensions between Croatia and Russia. Finally, they share their predictions for who will triumph in the tournament (and check in on Stephen's performance in the parliamentary lobby league). Get in touch with questions and comments for future episodes on Twitter: @JasonCowleyNS [http://www.twitter.com/JasonCowleyNS], @stephenkb [http://www.twitter.com/stephenkb] or @ns_podcasts [http://www.twitter.com/ns_podcasts]. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for privacy and opt-out information.

Pressure

Jason Cowley is joined by NS contributing writer John Bew and Alison McGovern, the Labour MP for Wirral South, to discuss England's performance in the tournament so far, as well as the ways in which different teams, coaches and players — from the Colombian side to Gareth Southgate to Mo Salah — are handling the pressure to deliver good results. They also check in on how the north African teams are faring and look critically at the appearance of political symbols on the pitch, especially in relation to historic tensions in the Balkans. Get in touch with questions and comments for future episodes on Twitter: @JasonCowleyNS [http://www.twitter.com/JasonCowleyNS], @stephenkb [http://www.twitter.com/stephenkb], @johnbew [http://www.twitter.com/johnbew] or @ns_podcasts [http://www.twitter.com/ns_podcasts]. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for privacy and opt-out information.