Author: neil

Here’s another chance to hear my interview with Christian Fuchs from season four.

Back then, Christian was still at Leicester, where he had won the Premier League against all the odds. Nigel Pearson signed him for the Foxes from Schalke – and was then promptly sacked. But the left-back fitted in with Claudio Ranieri’s plans. Ranieri made every player feel special, which was key to their amazing success. Christian describes watching Tottenham drawing with Chelsea – which clinched the title for Leicester – as an incredibly exhausting experience. He had never quite believed that they would become champions.

You’ll also hear about playing alongside the great Raul at Schalke, how Mattersburg captain Dietmar Kuhbauer toughened a young Christian up, and how a loan spell at Mainz under coaching genius Thomas Tuchel was a seminal experience.

Enjoy,

Graham

In part two of my fascinating interview with Aberdeen boss Stephen Glass, we hear about how everyone goes on about ‘pressing’, but no side can truly pull it off for ninety minutes.

You’ll get the skinny on some of the great coaches Stephen has worked under or alongside: Roy Aitken at Aberdeen, Ruud Gullit at Newcastle, Gianluca Vialli at Watford, Tony Mowbray at Hibernian, Tata Martino at Atlanta. Stephen has hired the redoubtable Scott Brown as player-coach, and promises Dons fans will come to love the man they used to hate.

Stephen Glass might have been brought up as a Dundee United fan, but he gave everything as a player and gives everything as a manager to my beloved Aberdeen. Once, he even helped relegate United while wearing a red jersey.

Stephen learned his trade from coaches who had played during the Dandies’ golden age, but boy, it was a tough apprenticeship. Such were his talents that when at Newcastle, he was compared with Magpies legend Tony Green.

In part two of my riveting Big Interview with Aston Villa manager Dean Smith we hear about how he establishes the right culture by leading by example. He thrives on developing players, and consistency is his byword. All of this laid the groundwork for the incredible 7-2 destruction of then Premier League champions Liverpool in October 2020.

Thanks, Dean. That was special.

Graham

Dean Smith is a dyed-in-the-wool fan living the dream. As a youngster, the Aston Villa manager watched his club’s glory days from the Holte End when the European Cup was clinched and talents like Brian Little, Gary Shaw, Gordon ‘Sid’ Cowans, Andy Gray and Didier Six plied their trade. But the man he has just sold for £100million – Jack Grealish – rivals them all.

Enjoy.

Graham