Coventry City Special: Back in the Premier League!

26:53Recruitment got better. I talked about, you know, baby steps. We didn't have a lot of money to bring people in, but recruitment was a lot better. So, you know, we spent years, I mean, it's crazy now when you looked at it, but years really doing recruitment on, you know, on the back of a fag packet. It was, you know, ringing people up, doing it old school, checking things out. And, you know, and we didn't really have a recruitment, you know, department that was worthy of anything because the club wouldn't fund it. When they did start funding it, I think you started to see, you know, the fruits of those labours.

27:28you know the players that have come in you know whatever level and you've got to remember that different teams have been uh assembled you know as you go up the leagues but you know the the recruitment has just got better and better and better and i think that's one of the reasons we are where we are at the moment because you know the way i see it the recruitment department at the moment are doing an outstanding job and i think rob i think coventry would have been in league one and I did a FA Cup draw with Mark Robbins like we did it from Coventry and I had a good chat with Mark at that and he he was full of praise for how their recruitment was starting to work and and he felt that they had caught up a bit then that there was data being used and and they'd narrow it down to three players for exactly he would tell me and then he would be able to then make a decision based on those three and go out and watch them and scout them.

28:23But it took a while for them to get to that stage. And maybe even some of the youth stuff was starting to pay off a little bit then. Yes, that's absolutely right. And I think that the club was being run, as Augie alluded to there, a lot more professionally. And Mark had a relationship with Dave Boddy, who was the chief executive. They had a very close working relationship. And I'm sure, well, I know that Dave, various times when things were looking particularly bleak, he successfully persuaded Mark to stay and resist overtures from other clubs. So that relationship was absolutely key. But it was just for somebody to stay at one football club, we all know these days, for seven years is an extraordinary achievement.

29:14And that's what Mark Robbins did, brought the club all the way up through the divisions. They were a missed penalty away from going into the Premier League, losing to Luton on penalties at Wembley three years ago. That would have completed the story, if you like, with Mark Robbins taking the club all the way through the divisions from League Two to the Premier League. didn't quite work out. And then Doug King took the extremely, at the time, controversial decision to sack him in November 2024 and replace him with Frank Lampard. I just want to go back to that spell with Mark Robbins before we come on to Robbins' departure and hear from Mark Robbins' first captain when he returned to the club, which was Michael Doyle, who was also returning for his second spell at the club.

30:00So let's hear from him because he's been talking to Rob. Just being at Portsmouth and won a league, I was quite torn off to a goal, because I really enjoyed at Portsmouth selfishly from a professional point of view. But he asked me to go back down and he basically locked the doors when I went back down and said, you ain't leaving here till you sign. So that was kind of the start of that second adventure then. The big thing with Mark, he made me feel really wanted, and I was excited to work with him when it was agreed. And what was he like as a manager? How would you describe him, Doyler? And why do you think he ended up being so well-loved at the club?

30:38Well, look, from a personal point of view, from me, I was his captain. You know, he confided in me a lot and he'd tell me stuff like, you know, football was what he felt. I wouldn't say I was on a pedestal, but I was a lot older than a lot of the lads, so I could take myself away and I'd deal with a lot of stuff in the dressing room that needed to be dealt with. Also, if I felt that he needed to know something, I wasn't like, listen, we need to keep an eye on this and that. I could have that chat with him, that type of relationship, you know. But he was a really good man manager, but he was very rootless as well.

31:06And I think you have to be that if you want to be a top manager, you know. And he certainly was that, you know. He was quite rootless, you know, because his job's to win and he has to do whatever it takes, you know. For us as players, we're selfish. We just want to play. And he's probably got 11 happy people on a Saturday and, you know, the rest are really disappointed and not happy. But he was quite rootless with that. He was spying on win onto the next game. And he surrounded himself, you know, a very good coach in ADV. Evash was brilliant tactically and that. And I think they worked really well together.

31:34You know, Mark was a great man, manager. Could feel what the game needed, whether it was an extra forward or defender on the pitch. And, you know, he didn't take too much coach. You know, we stood back and he managed, you know. I think he managed the whole club at that point. You know, as I said it before, he was kind of, he was CEO, he was the manager. He seemed to be doing everything, you know. And he did it really well. And obviously the club received massive rewards from what he did, you know. And just lastly, clearly beating Exeter in the playoff final League Two in 2018 was a magnificent occasion.

32:06But a lot of fans remember the second leg of the semi-final at Knox County just as much, if not more, because of the performance on that night. And just the feeling of togetherness between you, the players and the fans, Michael. Yeah, I think, you know, for me personally, you know, as I say, that was probably one of the best days I had. certainly we had some great days as a player through your career and cup games and promotion and things like that but that was probably one day that stands out for me it was an amazing day as I say we were up against it and Notts had a quite formidable record at home I think they'd lost one game at home all season and they were quite chirpy coming off the pitch at the Rico when we drew one all and I'll be honest going into the game I was thinking bloody hell it's going to be tough I wasn't too sure what we'd do but you know it was a performance it was a brilliant performance from the lads and as I say we took over Meadowland with 6 ,000 fans there that night it was a bit unforgettable but I just felt that night for me was the night the kind of fans it was the night they got the club back you know that's what it felt like to me that night was like it was a brilliant season but I just felt that night in Notts County it just changed everything and the club never looked back from that moment they've had like you know some unbelievable memories the last 10 years I think as a supporter base like I think they couldn't have asked for any more and now they've topped it off we're getting to the Premier League Michael Doyle, the former Coventry captain, talking to Rob there.

33:31Rob Gurney, Coventry commentator at BBC Radio Coventry and Warwickshire. And Dion, he sounded like the leader they needed at the time. Yeah, just a very confident footballer. He knew exactly what he brought to the game. Fearless, spoke incredibly well. And when he did speak as well, he was listened to, which I think is very, very important. It's OK having a leader, but people around you have got to respect what you're saying. and I knew Doola quite well actually even though he's different to my era. He actually viewed one of my houses and he wanted to buy it. But we were very, very close at the time but he pulled out and then I got rid of his number.

34:13Bindi. He cost you a few quid, Doola, did he? Yeah, he's a joke, Doola. Wow, God. He bindi, I can't believe it, Doola. He used to like you. were you not offering him a sort of Coventry Old Boys favourable deal on your house I got him a sign Stephen Griswitz church and he said now

34:37that's what I did that's what I pulled out

34:42but he was the idea aside from where he was trying to live Steve he was the ideal leader for that Mark Robbins regime was he It was brilliant. I mean, you've only got to listen to the way he spoke then. You know, he understands the game. He knew the game on and off the pitch. He knew his job as a captain. And again, you know, when you go through, I mean, you know, Doyler was massively influential in those early years, turning the club around, the promotion to Division One. And then, you know, they've actually managed to recruit some very, very good experienced players who lead on the pitch. I think of Liam Kelly, who's just joined the staff only this season, has under-21 coach, now he's finished playing.

35:27It's massively important that you've got somebody on there that can actually pull the strings, almost know what's happening in a game. And Michael Doyle was brilliant for that, Liam Kelly was. And there were a few others that followed as well. And you see it now with Matty Grimes and Onyeka, now he's joined. you get the feeling that they understand what's happening in there and they'll need to because the Premier League will be a totally different challenge to what they've been used to so far. Before I let you go, Dion, how do you view this season ahead for Coventry? As boring as it sounds, just keep jabbing.

36:04Keep jabbing, man. Keep your distance. Keep doing what you do. I just feel if they play the way that they play, they're incredibly brave. They try to play the game in the right way. I mean, the way that Frank has changed the football club, he's changed the training ground, and Oggy would have been back so many times. I went to the training ground, Chappers, I walked into the gym, and there was a few players that were injured, and there's training going on, by the way, there's a few players that were injured. I was just looking around, I was going to interview Frank after training, and they stopped what they were doing, they came over to me, they said, Dion, nice to meet you, and then they carried on with their rehab.

36:44that's what Frank Lampard has brought into the side professionalism respect and I think it shows on the pitch that those players are really playing for him the football club and the fans as well it's going to make a massive difference if those fans stay with the players this season Dion enjoy your evening thank you thank you very much Oggy great to see you mate you were the best mate you were the best Rob I didn't like you anyway cheers chappers thanks for texting the post thanks Dion Always a pleasure. Always a pleasure and never a chore. Let's go back then, crikey. Right, let's go back to Doug King buying out Sisu in 2023, which leads us on to, and you've already touched on it, Rob, really, the removal of Mark Robbins.

37:33But what changed with Doug King? Basically, optimism and a sense that the club was really moving in the right direction and that Sisu were no more. And that was such a relief, if you like, for the supporter base. It wasn't necessarily a case of anybody but Sisu, but the fact that they'd been through such turmoil under the previous ownership meant that the fans were just relieved, basically, to have a new owner in charge of the football club, who was prepared to put some money behind it and get them to where we all think they deserve to be, which is back in the Premier League. So it was optimism, Mark.

38:24That was the one thing that Doug King did bring to the club when he bought it. When he decided to move on from Mark Robbins, what were your feelings, Steve? Because as Rob has sort of mentioned, the atmosphere felt febrile. Yes, it did. and it was disappointing because, I mean, you know, if you go back to, I think it was November, was it two years ago? 2024, Rob, yeah. Yeah, we'd had a really bad start to the season, but we'd had a bad start the previous season and the season before then. And Mark Romans and Adi Vyvash had turned it around. We'd managed to make the playoffs one of those years, get into the semi-final of the FA Cup, another one.

39:07So, you know, I still felt that, you know, They were probably following the same pattern as previous years and they'd probably turn it around. So, you know, it's always disappointing when you lose a manager that's been so successful. But I've got to say, I mean, you know, with due respect to Mark Robbins and everything, I mean, Frank Lampard has just done an incredibly good job. The way he's taken the club forward, moved it on. You know, the results last year, the way that they played was incredible. And on top of that as well, the owner, Doug King, I mean, he's barely put a foot wrong, really.

39:38There's two things, really. I mean, you know, he's managed to buy the ground for Coventry. We've not owned the ground since the day we stepped foot in it. I think it was Michael Doyle that was talking about the soulless place previous to it. Now, I mean, you walk into the CBS now, it's a cauldron. And, you know, if we're going to survive this season, we're going to need to have the type of results and the type of atmosphere that we've experienced in the last few years where results have been absolutely brilliant. So, you know, he's managed to buy that stadium. But, you know, even this season, you know, we've got to the Premier League, everybody's thinking, how much are you going to spend?

40:1460, 70 million. I mean, you know, as of today, I think we're upwards of 120 million, which is incredible at the moment.

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41:27You're listening to the Football Daily Podcast with Mark Chapman. Let's bring Katie Stafford into this, member of BBC CWR Sky Blues Fancast. Evening, Katie. Good evening. Are you optimistic? You have to be, don't you? Well, as somebody who rarely is, no, actually. It's just me then, yeah. I'll carry the optimism flag. If I take you back, we'll come on to this season in a moment. If I take you back to when Lampard was appointed and what your feelings were then? It was a difficult time, I think, that a lot of people disagreed maybe with the sack of Mark Robbins purely for the fact of what Oggy just said there Coventry always started their season slowly they always said that if they started the season with Tony Mowbray and finished with Mark Robbins then we would have got up a whole lot quicker because they were just chalk and cheese in that respect but I think that people were disappointed and hurt and angry and it was the end of an era and he was the only person that stuck around when the club was in, well, plummeting and then brought them back up again.

42:29So he was almost the dad of the club. I think everybody saw him that way. He was the fatherly figure that was always there when you needed him. Normally, Chappers as well, the fan base, by the time a manager is sacked, is calling for his head. Now, that wasn't the case at all. Some supporters were starting to question whether he was the man to take the club forward, but not many, so that's why the decision came as a bolt from the blue. And Katie will know this, a lot of fans were preferring the idea of Ruud van Niestelrooy being Mark Robbins' successor rather than Frank Lampard. Of course, he went to Leicester and things ended up on the glass mountain as far as he was concerned.

43:15So Lampard has turned out to be a phenomenal appointment. And just on the ownership, I think, again, a lot of Coventry fans thought that Mike Ashley, who is part of Fraser's group, obviously the chief executive, they owned the stadium at one point when Doug King only owned the football club. And I think a lot of people, me included, thought that Mike Ashley was more likely to buy the football club to pair the stadium and the club together, rather than what's turned out to be the case. And Doug King has bought the stadium as well as the football club. It's just strange how things work out sometimes.

43:54I mean, Steve, you knew the squad that Lampard was coming to take over and you knew the atmosphere around the club. I'm quite biased here. I know Frank. I like Frank. I've interviewed Frank a few times. My concern was more for him, to be honest, because of the reaction to Mark Robbins going because I felt like he'd been dealt not the greatest set of cards in previous managerial roles. There was always something to deal with. Do you know something? I mean, obviously you do your homework when people come in and you look at Frank Lampard's managerial record and actually I thought he got a tough road really because he'd done quite well.

44:34I mean, I remember him taking Derby to the playoffs. Everton, when he took over, was always a difficult club to manage. You know, there were so many managers before Moyes came in that struggled there. And when he went back to Chelsea again, it was only a short period of time. and the club was in free fall then. But, you know, when you look at his record, you know, for a young manager, I always felt it was pretty good. I used to listen to him when he was, you know, either on Sky or other TV channels talking about the game. And, you know, I always felt that, you know, certainly when you sit there, you always think, oh, could you play for this player?

45:09What sort of manager would he be? And I always thought that he sounds like a player's type of manager. He can relate to them. He can talk to them about the modern game. and it's certainly not all about, you know, I mean, he was such an outstanding player that, you know, it's sometimes very, very difficult for players who are that good to be able to accept that some players can't do, you know, the things that they could. And, you know, he's managed to bridge that gap. He can talk on a level to all the players. I mean, they absolutely love him and I think that's, you know, probably been probably one of his biggest successes in management, the fact that he can build an atmosphere and a winning mentality within those players just by the way he is.

45:50Let's hear from him. Here is the commentary manager then on getting ready for the season ahead. We've had a lot of time to prepare. Fortunately, we were promoted early in April and as the season had a long break. It's hard to do certain recruitment business in the middle of a summer. We were well-cooked there, but we're trying to be strategic about how we see it. I love the squad that got us to the Premier League. They fully deserve it and they were great for us last year, but of course we know we want to improve. So we've brought in some players that we think will help the squad. We've had a good pre-season, the players are working very hard.

46:23We've been given a massive challenge of the champions on day one, and that's no problem. You know, you have to play them, so we have to be ready for that game and try and give a good account of ourselves. But I think we're working hard to get ourselves in the best position to take on the challenge ahead. That challenge you speak of, is it the greatest you've faced in your career, would you say, the challenge of keeping Coventry City up, given the advantages that more established teams in the top flight have? I think maybe yes. And I don't want to sound defeatist in that way because it's fine. Life's about having challenges.

46:50And when you have a challenge in a place that you enjoy working, we have a good feeling, we're on a good trajectory as a club. The fan base are with us, the players I love working with. So that's great. It's a great base. But of course, we study a lot of the teams that go up and come down. That's pretty regular. There's some teams that have come up and stayed up and you go, what did they do? So, you know, we have to take on the challenge in our own way with the players that we have and try and make our mark. There was this sense of a kind of yo-yo effect of clubs that come up immediately going down again because as I say of the advantages that their competitors have and yet you had last season Sunderland obviously doing really well, Leeds as well.

47:24How much encouragement does that give you in the squad do you think seeing that precedent being set? Yeah it does, every situation is different but Sunderland, credit, recruited strongly, recruited and went for it and brought out an aggressive team that you could see were giving teams problems and had different ways of I've watched a lot of their games. It's a good case study for us because their story was a little bit similar in terms of we played them when they were promoted in the semi-final and they hadn't been in the Premier League for a while. So they went, bang, this is what we need to do.

47:50Leeds slightly different because they probably had some more Premier League players. So it's like good to watch those and then think about what we want to be. But they're good reference points for us. And it's good for confidence to see teams come up and do that. And we'll try and do our version of that. Sitting here now, would you take 17th if it was offered to you? I would. You framed that question to give you that answer. I want to say more than that. I want us to compete every week. You look at what Sunderland did, they ended up in Europe. I don't like setting benchmarks low, but of course we start with that as a baseline.

48:19But we want to go and compete and maybe we can do better than that. I think you've spent more than£70 million so far this summer. What does that tell us about the ambition, the level of ambition at the club? Yeah, we're ambitious and credit to the owner, for Doug. He gave me my opportunity at the club and we've had a great 18 months. I think we know now it's a necessity to improve your squad if you come up. And in the market now, we all know where it's going, especially at the top end. So it's not easy for a club like us to do that. So we have to pull all the stops to try and sell the project to players.

48:46Sometimes it's more of a developing player or an experienced player who's coming to help us in a different way. And that's fine. But yeah, we are ambitious. We want to stay here. The size of the club, as it is, deserves to be a Premier League club in my opinion. but when you've been 25 years out of it, that's easier said than done. We have to do the work on the pitch. And you've enjoyed plenty of battles against Arsenal over the years. How special will it be for you personally walking out in that opening match, having achieved what you wanted to last year and being up against a club that really is at the height of its powers, it seems?

49:15Yeah, I'm excited for that and it'll be difficult for us. We're probably nobody's favourites, I'll say that. But for me to have gone to Coventry from the position I was in personally and going to the club 18 months ago to have had this time with Coventry, I feel proud, I feel proud of everybody that's been involved in it, but in my role, and I want to go to the Premier League and do well. Fortunately, I'm used to, as a player and as a coach before Chelsea and Everton, I've had these occasions and now I've got an opportunity to get back there. So I'm excited for that. Steve has alluded to it, and Dion very much mentioned it as well, Katie, that he's changed the culture as Lampard.

49:48Absolutely, and there's a massive group cohesion that I don't think you can actually describe until you've seen it yourself. Everything about the club is just on the up, whether it's on the pitch, off the pitch, the fan base. Everybody's quite optimistic going into Friday. It can't get any tougher as far as Premier League starts go. It's Arsenal, then it's the six-pointer against Hull at home the following week and then it's Manchester City away. But what a time to play them and I think that's the attitude that a lot of the fans have. We're going in as underdogs, zero pressure because if you're playing them near the back end of the season in their own yard, it's a completely different game.

50:24So there is a real feel and optimism going into Friday. Will the style that they played last season at times, and I'm looking at a stat here that says 10 of their 28 wins came with the minority share of possession, Katie. So will their style suit at times having to hit on the counter-attack in the Premier League? That stat really surprises me because I'm trying to cast my mind back to 10 games where we were without the ball for a lot of the game. I think that we'll see quite a few changes in the way that we set up. I went to the Monaco game last week and we were far better off the ball that time around.

50:58We were physical, box-to-box midfielders. It was a joy to watch. Very different to the fluid football that we saw last season, but definitely going to hang on in there and try and be gritty this year. But I think that against maybe the teams in the lower part of the table, then we will have time on the ball. And that'll be then when we get to play the Lampard ball that we've all come to know and love. It will be that fluid? I hope so. I can't see Lampard wanting to play anti-football. I think that that's just not his style at all. He'll still want his attackers to be going at it. And you can see from the business that Coventry have done in this window that they've still brought in wingers and the midfielders they brought in actually have quite a good goal record too.

51:41I think he's still planning on outscoring the opposition where possible. That's our best line of defence effectively. What he has done in the transfer market this year for me has bought legs. There's athleticism, there's people who want to work hard. Katie was talking about the game last week against Monaco. The press, high up the pitch, was the best I've ever seen a Coventry City team do. This was a pre-season game and, you know, we have to be careful not to get carried away with pre-season. But Monaco are a decent side. They beat Liverpool the year before. And, you know, they were very, very uncomfortable trying to get around Coventry's press.

52:19And, you know, the Premier League could be different. We're going to wait and see on Friday night. But there's no doubt about it. Coventry have got legs. They've got hard work to go with it, athleticism. And that takes you a long way in being able to stay in games and be competitive. Mark, I'm pleasantly surprised, by the way. Sorry just to bust it out. I'm pleasantly surprised by the amount that Doug King has sanctioned spending in the transfer market. It's around, well, over£120 million. I mean, Frank Onjeka was£6 million. That was an obligation to buy from Brentford. Loom Chowna,£20 million from Burnley.

53:04Oral Amenda, the Swiss centre-back, for around£17 million. Carl Rushworth, that was the big signing of the summer. The guy that was on loan from Brighton last season. 17 clean sheets, won the Championship's Golden Glove. £22.5 million for him or thereabouts. Kalab Yerenci, now what a phenomenal talent. He looks to be at£23 million for just a 20-year-old. Gus Hamer, very romantic signing, him coming back for£6 million. And then in the last couple of days, Taiwoia won you for£9 million from Nottingham Forest. And just today, Sadiq Sharif again reported£20 million for a 19-year-old French age group international from Fenerbahce.

53:48So Doug King has sanctioned a hell of a lot of money going out the door. So it would appear, well, the club are clearly going to give it a go to the very least, as Frank Lampard was telling Dan Rowan just now, finish 17th, if not better than that, in the forthcoming season. I'm glad you've gone through all those names, because it means I don't have to now. But the other thing, Katie, that strikes me when I look at them is a real blend, a real blend of Premier League experience players, i.e. they have featured in the Premier League, coupled with some really quite interesting young players from the continent, but also with some experienced players as well.

54:38I think Awanyi is 29. But also then players who know the club as well. You know, Onyeka, who was already there. Rushworth, who's been there. Even Gus Heyman coming back. So there's a real blend, even before you look at positions and what they need and so on and so forth, in terms of experience, club knowledge, league knowledge and age? Yeah, I think the balance is spot on, really. If you think about the players that might not have Premier League experience have come from the top leagues in Europe. A lot of them have Europa League and Champions League experience too, as well as being internationals.

55:11And that will be crucial. They are used to playing at the top level, just not in the Premier League. So they arrive fresh and knowing the standards that are necessary to compete in the Premier League. I think that it's wise to look at the younger players because you have to have one eye on this season and one eye on the future. If Coventry don't survive this season and are relegated, you have to have sellable assets. And the likes of Urenki and probably Amenda and the new Lazarif that arrived today are exactly that. They are young, raw talent. So I think it's good business all around. And obviously, if you bring in loads of Premier League experience, Premier League players come at the premium, don't they?

55:49That's where your highest price tag is. But I also think, Steve, and you've watched these players for many years, it will be interesting to see those that Lampard has been loyal to since taking over from Mark Robbins, which has been the majority of the squad, whether they are ready to step up. You know, many times on a Saturday afternoon, myself and Statman Dave have argued about whether we prefer Hayden Hackney or Jack Rodoni. Well, Hayden Hackney's got a Premier League move to Everton. And now it'll be interesting to see what Jack Rodoni, as just an example, can do in the Premier League with commentary.

56:23But there will be several players that will be interesting to see whether they are now ready for that step up. Well, they will. I mean, they all did so incredibly well last season. I mean, Jack Rodoni, unfortunately, won't be playing at the weekend. and he's still recovering from a shoulder operation, but he's always looked Premier, shit material. Milan van Eyvac has got so much pace down the right-hand side, you'd think the Premier League would suit him. And there's a number of others that, you know, have waited a long time and worked very, very hard to get to this level. I think the manager has brought players in, and, you know, some of these players will get an opportunity to show what they can do at this level, but they're going to have to learn fast, and they're going to have to be thinking on the feet, because if they don't, there'll be other players that want to get an opportunity as well.

57:06So it is something that you look at and a lot of the fans' favourites last season you would like to think would play this season and do really well. It's not always the case. Football moves on and if players come in to replace some of them then that's the way it is. It's up to the players that get an opportunity to try and stake a claim and keep the place. What will you be thinking, Katie, five or ten minutes before kick-off on Friday night? It probably only just be sinking in. I've never watched us in the Premier League. So I am so excited to be there on Friday. Very fortunate to be in the away end with the other Sky Blue faithful.

57:42It has sunk in, especially now with all the media and it all ramping up for this week. But until maybe I step foot through the turnstiles of the Emirates, I don't think it's quite sunk in yet. Any part of you, Rob, and I feel like I can say this to you as a grizzled veteran that will think, not sure this is proper football. It's not like when we went away to Peterborough on a Tuesday night in November. Any part of you, just a little bit? Well, like you said earlier, I am, as everybody will know that knows me, a glass half empty person. That is my nature. Even I am optimistic looking ahead to this new season because I just think the recruitment has been terrific and I'm looking forward to it, Mark, in a way that I didn't think that I would be necessarily, but I genuinely am.

58:38There'll be a bit of you going, this buffet in the press room at the Emirates is honest. It's VAR as well. We haven't coped with that in the championship. That's a whole new other show. Who needs quinoa? I just want a sausage roll when I go away to a grab. Katie, Rob, Steve, thank you very much. Enjoy the season ahead. And that's it. Commentary back in the Premier League. It starts on Friday night. 209 commentaries on the way on Five Live and BBC Sounds across the season and all the analysis on the Football Daily feed. Next up is EuroLeaks.

59:26This goes beyond what the KGB did back in the days. Conspiracy theories and the Football World Cup. Is there ever one without the other? Well, I've been digging into one of the very best back in 1994. The guy from Iraq gets a red card for a dubious tackle. I'm James Montague, and from BBC Five Live, this is sports strangers crimes presents shadows on the pitch listen on BBC sounds