Episode 842: Joey’s Biggest Gamble, Ozil Lights Up, Pochettino’s Pop

Joey Barton’s 18-month ban for gambling seems to mean that we have seen the last of him in the Premier League. Barton might not have had a great career in conventional terms, but at least it’s been a helluva ride.

My response to the FA’s sanction and for transparency the table of bets involved. https://t.co/U4H6ByhVcd

— Joseph Barton (@Joey7Barton) April 26, 2017

We haven’t always been impressed by Jose Mourinho’s habit of criticising players in public – and he was at it again in the build-up to the Manchester derby, wondering why certain players seem so reluctant to play through injury. But one of his former players has only good things to say about Mourinho’s man-management and motivational style.

Dion Fanning joins us in studio to talk about football’s issues with gambling. The game and the media organisations that cover it are making a lot of money from betting sponsorships. Are they exposing fans to the risk of addiction?