Episode Summary
Hosts
Graham Dunn, Jamie Rooney, Philip Craig, Declan Clarke
Phil Craig, Shane Guiliano
Guest(s)
Release Date
6 June 2024
Duration
70 min
In this special season-closing edition of By Far The Greatest Team, Graham Dunn and Jamie Rooney are joined by regulars Shane Guiliano and Phil Craig to revisit every side ranked across Season 2 and
The panel relive the highlights of a packed season — from Oxford United’s historic promotion to the passionate debates surrounding Marseille, Leeds United, Napoli, Leicester City, and West Germany 1954. With characteristic humour and forensic analysis, they challenge their own rankings, asking if nostalgia has coloured perception or if modern metrics reveal something new.
Across two hours of lively conversation, the group dissect what “greatness” really means: sustained excellence, cultural impact, or emotional resonance. They debate whether Maradona’s Napoli belongs alongside the true giants, whether Leicester’s 2016 miracle has aged into legend or luck, and whether some celebrated teams have been flattered by history.
More than a scoreboard reshuffle, this episode is a reflection on the evolving language of greatness. Football legacies are built as much on storytelling and emotion as on trophies — and when the final votes are cast, a few surprises remind listeners why By Far The Greatest Team remains football’s most passionately argued history show.
Takeaways
Recent matches reveal the evolving dynamics of player performances.
Marseille's history is filled with drama and controversy.
Romanian football had a significant impact during its peak.
West Bromwich Albion's legacy is often overlooked in football history.
The 1954 West Germany team marked a turning point in football.
Leicester City's title win raises questions about their place in history.
The debate on what constitutes 'true greatness' in football continues.
Season 2 Promotion & Relegation: Re-Ranking the Greats
Every season ends with promotion and relegation — even in The Greatness Index. In this special review, the panel revisit all teams discussed throughout Season 2 to ask which truly deserve their place among football’s elite.
Across decades and continents, the conversation tests nostalgia against data: should Leicester City’s 2016 miracle rise above older champions? Has Marseille’s 1993 triumph stood the test of time? And where does Maradona’s Napoli belong among football’s pantheon?
As Oxford United celebrate a symbolic “promotion,” the panel reassess what greatness really means — trophies, style, or the stories we still tell. The debate stretches from post-war giants like West Germany 1954 to the misunderstood “Dirty Leeds,” revealing how perception and legacy evolve long after the final whistle.
Part reflection, part friendly argument, this episode captures football’s endless capacity for reinvention. Rankings shift, legends rise and fall, but the passion to define greatness never fades.
Main Topics
Iconic Moments
Reviewing every ranked team from Season 2
Debating promotions and relegations in The Greatness Index
How bias, nostalgia, and data shape judgment
Case studies: Marseille, Leeds, Napoli, Leicester City, West Germany 1954
Defining greatness beyond trophies — culture, emotion, and time
Oxford United’s symbolic promotion in the rankings
Leicester’s title-win revisited through modern metrics
Debate over Napoli’s placement and Maradona’s legacy
“Dirty Leeds” reputation re-examined
Re-ranking the giants: Ajax, Manchester United, Porto
Notable Manager
Marcelo Bielsa, Claudio Ranieri, Helmut Schön
Notable Players
Diego Maradona, Jean-Pierre Papin, Jamie Vardy, Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff, Billy Bremner, Zinedine Zidane, Patrick Viera
Style of Play
Round-Table Debate, Analytical Discussion, High Tempo, Counter-Arguments, Structured Dialogue, Historical Context
This episode trades tactics for intellectual playmaking — a strategic debate shaped by narrative transitions, lively tempo, and analytical pressing. The “formation” resembles a round-table 4-3-3: two hosts as deep-lying playmakers, two guests attacking from wide positions with sharp opinion and humour, and constant interchanging of ideas in midfield.
The tone mirrors football itself — dynamic, unpredictable, and emotionally charged. Each argument builds like a passing move: historical facts laid short, contextual analysis switching flanks, and emotional crescendos arriving like well-timed finishes. Listeners experience a tactical balance between nostalgia and data, with humour as the connective tissue.
By the end, the panel’s discussion becomes a tactical masterclass in narrative balance: measured possession of insight, fast-break creativity, and late-game drama as votes swing and reputations rise or fall. It’s less about systems of play and more about the system of thought — football analysis as theatre, played at Champions League intensity.
Related Content
If you liked this one, you’ll love these classic episodes. Keep the nostalgia going — explore more from the By Far The Greatest Team Football Podcast archive.
