Graham's Blog

Here’s another chance to hear my interview with Brendan Rodgers from season five.

Brendan recently parted company with Leicester City, so it’s worth recalling the sheer brilliance of his influence on the Foxes when he arrived. Brendan had honed his philosophy as a budding coach via regular educational visits to Spain. We hear about Samuel Eto’o, Luis Suárez, John Terry, Scott Brown and James Maddison. And there’s moving testimony about what it was like taking over at Leicester in the wake of the tragic death of the club’s beloved owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha.

In part two of my engaging conversation with Manuel Pellegrini we hear how during the South American phase of his managerial career the Chilean learned to control his temper and develop emotional intelligence – although a little dose of the hairdryer treatment doesn’t go amiss from time to time.

We learn how a clash of ideas with Real Madrid’s president caused a departure which led to three happy years at Malaga. And there’s great stuff about current club Real Betis – working with wing legend Joaquin and winning the Copa del Rey. Like veteran Joaquin, 69-year-old Manuel is incredibly demanding of himself to maintain peak condition; every day, he says, he treats as the first of his career.

I caught up with Chilean managerial legend Manuel Pellegrini in beautiful Seville and spoke about his Atlantic crossing to sample the different footballing styles that Italy, France and England had to offer. The English game wasn’t as primitive as some might claim – thanks to the innovating force of Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal and the adaptations of Fergie at Manchester United. Also in part one, the importance of an open, enquiring, cultivated mind, and working with talents like Riquelme, Senna, Pires and Cazorla at Villareal.

Here’s another chance to hear my interview with Jimmy Bullard from season five.

It was back at the start of the pandemic lockdown that I chatted with Jimmy, who was surviving thanks to his love for landscape gardening. This gifted former footballer is now an insightful and ebullient media personality, and he describes signing for boyhood heroes West Ham, the genius of Paulo Di Canio, Pep, Zizou and Juan Román Riquelme, and gives keen analysis about how speed of thought sets the greats apart from the rest.

Last Wednesday, at Celtic’s Lennoxtown training complex, I caught up with the mighty Harry Kewell.

In part two of our fascinating conversation, we hear how a message from Ange Postecoglou sold Harry on a coaching role at Celtic – despite Ange having once rejected Harry for the Socceroos squad. Harry is brilliant at describing how Ange’s combination of simple messaging and human decency influences his footballers. And Harry himself is no slouch at getting inside players’ heads. Indeed, World Cup star Daizen Maeda said he’s the best educative coach he’s worked with.

Also in part two: How Klopp’s Liverpool can come good again.