Steve McClaren on England Regrets, Class Of 92 Secrets & The Truth About Ronaldo vs Ten Hag!

16 Feb 2026 · 1 h 24 min · 31 chapters

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The Good, The Bad & The Football

Episode Summary

Episode Title Steve McClaren on England Regrets, Class Of 92 Secrets & The Truth About Ronaldo vs Ten Hag!

Description In this episode, hosts Paddy McGuinness and Paul Scholes are joined by former England manager and Manchester United assistant Steve McClaren. They discuss McClaren's experiences with Cristiano Ronaldo, his time as England manager, and insights into Manchester United's training dynamics.

Key Topics Discussed

Cristiano Ronaldo and Erik Ten Hag

  • Ronaldo's Return: McClaren shares insights about working with Ronaldo during his return to Manchester United and how his relationship with Ten Hag deteriorated.
  • Piers Morgan Interview Fallout: The aftermath of Ronaldo's explosive interview with Piers Morgan and its impact on the club.

England Managerial Tenure

  • Regrets: McClaren reflects on his time as England manager, including the controversial decision to leave David Beckham out of the squad.
  • Challenges: The pressures of managing the national team, including media scrutiny after the Croatia defeat and the infamous umbrella incident.

Insights on Manchester United

  • Training Dynamics: McClaren describes the competitive nature of training sessions at United, including anecdotes about players like Roy Keane and Gary Neville.
  • Sir Alex Ferguson's Coaching Style: Insights into Ferguson's management techniques, his relationship with players, and the importance of maintaining high standards.

Notable Stories

  • Convincing Juninho to Return to Middlesbrough: McClaren shares how he managed to bring the Brazilian star back during the 2002 World Cup.
  • Winning the Eredivisie with FC Twente: McClaren recounts the emotional team talk before clinching the title, showcasing the bond within the team.

Quickfire Questions

  • Hardest Trainer: McClaren recalls Gary and Phil Neville's dedication to training.
  • Best Player in Today's Game: Yap Stam is highlighted as a player who could still excel in modern football.
  • Missed Signings: McClaren shares the story of nearly signing Diego Forlán before he joined Manchester United.

Key Takeaways

  • Steve McClaren provides a candid look into the complexities of managing high-profile players and teams.
  • The discussion highlights how personal relationships and dynamics within a team can significantly affect performance and morale.
  • The episode blends football insights with humor, showcasing the camaraderie among former teammates.

Follow the Podcast

  • YouTube: [The Good, The Bad & The Football](https://www.youtube.com/@goodbadfootballpod)
  • Instagram: [@goodbadfootballpod](https://www.instagram.com/goodbadfootballpod)
  • Twitter: [@goodbadftblpod](https://twitter.com/goodbadftblpod)
  • TikTok: [@goodbadfootballpod](https://www.tiktok.com/@goodbadfootballpod)
  • Facebook: [The Good, The Bad & The Football](https://www.facebook.com/goodbadfootballpod)

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Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

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Steve McClaren's Coaching Experiences

2:08 to 3:37

Steve shares humorous anecdotes about coaching and training games.

“Steve said, before you got here, Steve said, got to be careful with Nicky and Scolzi because they're always like, I said, oh, I know.”

The Competitive Nature of Training

3:37 to 6:10

Discussion on how training sessions were highly competitive and intense.

“People say to me, you know, what's the best game you ever, you ever, you know, seen at United, you know, I said, I'll tell you the best games we had.”

Becoming a Manager at Manchester United

6:10 to 8:08

Steve recounts the surprising call and transition to managing at United.

“How did that call come about then to get the job?”

First Day as United's Coach

8:08 to 11:00

Steve describes his first day and the challenges of coaching star players.

“We played well, good performance, but they won.”

Adapting Coaching Style

11:00 to 14:01

Steve explains how he adapted his coaching style to fit Manchester United.

Training Insights: Defensive Work and Player Dynamics

14:01 to 18:00

Learn about the competitive nature of training and individual player tactics.

“Saturday was easy because we just put them against Roy Keane.”

Team Strategy: The Importance of Forward Play

18:01 to 22:29

Discover the tactical approaches emphasized by the coach for effective gameplay.

“It used to bobble back to your feet and they were through and won twos penalties, scores, that's how he scored goals.”

Managing Complacency: Lessons from the Gaffer

22:30 to 28:00

Understand how to handle player complacency and maintain competitive spirit.

“And I remember we had this spell that was driving me mad.”

Steve's Coaching Insights on Player Complacency

28:00 to 29:26

Learn how Steve McClaren identifies and addresses complacency in players.

“So he would spot little things which were complacency signs, and he hated that.”

Building Team Morale and Understanding Player Temperament

29:26 to 30:59

Discover Steve's methods for gauging team morale and player attitudes.

Show all 31 chapters

The Challenge of Managing Superstars like Ronaldo

30:59 to 34:24

Explore the complexities of managing high-profile players such as Ronaldo.

“And I loved that role, you know, and we had Ronnie.”

Eric's Coaching Philosophy and the Importance of Discipline

34:24 to 37:04

Understand Eric's strict coaching philosophy and how it shapes player behavior.

“walking off wasn't he and I would have thought he was in his car by the time the manager when the game was over.”

Steve's Career Transition and Conversations with Sir Alex

37:04 to 38:44

Learn about Steve's transition from assistant to manager and his discussions with Sir Alex.

“So it was a case of, and he stuck to his guns.”

Reflecting on Middlesbrough and Janinho's Impact

38:44 to 41:24

Hear about Steve's experiences at Middlesbrough and the influence of Janinho.

“But I said, you know, in terms of, and he said, well, look, if you want to go and manage, he said, I think you're ready.”

Recalling a Player's Comeback Journey

42:00 to 43:10

Steve discusses the return of a player from injury and the challenges faced.

“And after something like that, could you see he'd lost a bit of summer?”

A Cup Final to Remember

43:10 to 44:20

The excitement and challenges of a memorable cup final are shared.

The Dynamics of Coaching vs. Managing

44:20 to 45:50

Steve reflects on the differences in satisfaction between coaching and managing.

“He used to make do things, change, what are you doing that for?”

Lessons from Sir Alex Ferguson

45:50 to 48:00

Steve shares insights learned from working under Sir Alex Ferguson.

“And I just remember saying to Yardy Cruyff, you know, early on, what is it about him?”

Becoming England Manager

49:50 to 53:10

Steve discusses his journey and decision-making process to become England manager.

“Just parking up club management, because the thing for me as an England fan, and when speaking to Scolzi and Butty about their time at England, it always completely fascinates me.”

Challenges of Managing National Rivalries

53:10 to 56:00

Steve talks about the challenges of managing players from rival clubs in England.

“So it was really to the board who were directors at football clubs.”

Managing Player Relationships

56:00 to 56:36

Steve McClaren discusses the challenges of managing player relationships in England.

“But I always had an affinity with the boys because of the closeness that we had and that relationship.”

Building Team Culture

56:36 to 58:08

Exploration of team culture and bonding strategies in football.

“Did you sort of have anything, like, even if it was like taking on paintballing, do you know what I mean?”

Reflections on Coaching Style

58:08 to 1:00:17

Steve reflects on his coaching style and media influences during his tenure.

“So they didn't have cause of English players.”

Press Relations and Player Management

1:00:17 to 1:02:42

Discussion on the relationship with the media and its impact on player management.

“And I was more concerned about trying to get the players together and get the right formats and things like that.”

The Pressure of Results

1:02:42 to 1:05:55

Steve delves into the pressure of delivering results as the England manager.

“For some reason, the relationship between United players wasn't great, England fans especially.”

Media Frenzy and Public Image

1:05:55 to 1:09:48

Insights into dealing with media frenzy and maintaining public image.

In the Eye of the Media Storm

1:09:48 to 1:10:00

Steve shares his experiences of unexpected media scrutiny during his career.

“and I know people who watch the pod, they'll be giving me pelters if I don't ask you about the umbrella situation.”

Media Scrutiny and Managerial Perceptions

1:10:00 to 1:13:15

Explore how media coverage affects football managers and their decisions.

“When that happened, and again, like you said, ignoring the press, they always pick up on something, don't they?”

Holland's League Achievement and Comparisons

1:13:16 to 1:15:46

Discuss the significance of winning the league in Holland and its parallels with England.

“The first time they've ever won the league and probably haven't won it since, I don't know.”

Emotional Team Talks and Motivational Techniques

1:15:47 to 1:18:34

Learn about the impact of emotional speeches and motivational strategies in sports.

“We played it about an hour before they went out.”

Missed Transfers and Player Management Decisions

1:18:35 to 1:22:18

Discover the story behind a missed signing and its implications in football management.

“And looked at Bayern's team and then looked at our team.”
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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

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1:31Paul Scholes:Welcome to the good, the bad and the football. This week, we're minus Nicky Butts. He's away doing his badges for the Gaelic football. He'll be back next week. But boy, have we got a replacement. Ex-England and Middlesbrough manager, Steve McLaren. Steve. Pleasure, Paddy. Welcome, Steve. What a treat this is. And I've got to say, before we started, you two were already taking the mickey out of each other and I can see there's a lot of history there which we'll get into. Steve said, before you got here, Steve said, got to be careful with Nicky and Scolzi because they're always like, I said, oh, I know.

2:14Paul Scholes:I see it.

2:15Steve McClaren:No, I was very quiet.

2:16Paddy McGuinness:The little digs and stuff like that. You were a grenade, weren't you? The bigger grenade, the better. And then grenading, Scolzi's arm. Gone. Gone. pick up the pieces yeah just put a bit in there deal with that well they were the worst there's loads of stuff

2:36Steve McClaren:the worst are the best what do you mean oh yeah in both respects yeah in both respects

2:41Paul Scholes:did you say Sculls retired you from taking part in training games that's right

2:47Paddy McGuinness:I mean every day was a test wasn't it at training a competition a test whatever a banter and I played one game and I thought it was quite decent, I thought it was quite alright and then this one game I played towards the end of my three years there and he just sniped at me, sniped at me, can't touch the ball, touch gone today, were you passing that one? You're in blue, you're in blue and it was like that and I went and the biggest thing you've got to have as a coach is respect from the players yeah and I just I went I could be losing it here so I actually stopped but that's the worst thing I could do because I didn't mind reffing and playing yeah because I could influence the game and your decisions which were poor yeah always but when you're on the I didn't enjoy that I enjoyed joining in which you know

3:47Steve McClaren:but the worst thing as a coach was being a referee oh yeah the Friday morning game it got lively didn't it Steve people say I can imagine with you lot as well.

3:56Paddy McGuinness:People say to me, you know, what's the best game you ever, you ever, you know, seen at United, you know, I said, I'll tell you the best games we had. And I used to invite people in on a Friday morning just to watch the training before a game. All V young, wasn't it? Yeah. 40 by 30, like this room. Yeah. Two benches. Two benches, you know them benches used to get me out of the school? That was Jim Ryan, wasn't it? Yeah. Or the arguments. And I never put it. Ref it. Oh, my God. And was it a goal? Wasn't it a goal? Did it touch the... I mean, VAR.

4:37Steve McClaren:VAR. What did you do? Well, the benches were like that, obviously. You know, the school benches were in the gym. So you put one on top of the other, don't you? So you had two. Yeah. But when the ball hit the bench, it had to bounce out back into play. Oh, so... So if it just nicked the edge and went behind the goal, fucking hell, lose murders. and they just went to the side of it. There was murders, weren't they, Steve?

4:56Paul Scholes:How do you go on when you're doing those games like that where it's really competitive, but you're thinking, hang on a minute, I don't want him injured? Do you have to interject during a training session and go, whoa, go easy? Or have you just got to leave them to it?

5:10Paddy McGuinness:I think that's... As you'll know, a little bit of... You have to manipulate it. So you have to be careful. So there are some instances where... I mean you kicked lumps out of each other didn't you they honestly kicked lumps out of each other and so you'd have to sometimes if you made a mistake and played on when really it was a foul and you shouldn't that's all hell so you had to stop it and give it one way or another even if they argued or whatever you had to stop it but if you missed it so you had to manipulate it's the worst job for me

5:44Steve McClaren:that was an art as well manipulating it and making it compressive that was a big thing

5:48Paddy McGuinness:so I was like a

5:51Steve McClaren:play on

5:54Paddy McGuinness:play on

5:54Steve McClaren:that would make me

5:56Paddy McGuinness:snap or whoever it was and then it would make it more competitive and I used to say we used to get them there's three lines there's that you're under aroused there's that you're over aroused and there's that you're in the sweet spot so I used to say my job was to get them in that sweet spot and keep them there

6:17Steve McClaren:you know Steve's first game as a coach at Man United was go on Forest away 8-1 Did you come the Thursday or the Friday I came the Friday

6:28Paddy McGuinness:Meet the players on the night In Nottingham in the hotel

6:32Steve McClaren:Oh so you weren't even at the training ground

6:34Paddy McGuinness:No So I thought I'd get the weekend off And the gaffer went Come on a Friday I said I have a few things to say No come on Friday and sit on the bench I'm like

6:46Paul Scholes:Just to rewind slightly for people watching because I'm interested in that as well. How did that call come about then to get the job?

6:56Paddy McGuinness:So I came back. I was at Derby then, assistant manager with Jim Smith. Come back from a game. Phone went. I remember it distinctly, seven o 'clock. Picked it up. Scottish voice. Yeah. Steve? Yeah, so abrupt. Yeah. Steve? Yeah. Yeah. Want to join United? What's simple as that? Simple as that. You want to join United? and I hadn't, there wasn't really a sniff or an inkling about it because I wasn't well-known and a lot of well-known people were in for the job. So it was a bit out of the blue and I went, and I thought, someone's taking the, I thought, this ain't him, it can't be him. And I went, yeah, I would.

7:37Paddy McGuinness:He said, I know, and we played. Derby played Man U at Old Trafford on the Tuesday. Oh, had we really? Yeah. So he said, I know you've got a game on Tuesday, Trafford. He said, make sure you lose it. He said, make sure you lose it. I'll speak to Jim Smith after, and you can come and join us on Wednesday, Thursday. I went, fine, put the phone down. Went to the game. You won the game. We played well, which was a perfect result for me. We played well, good performance, but they won. Got back to Jim, Derby with Jim, 2 in the morning. Jim said he said I know what's been going on I know what's been going on he said get in your car tomorrow morning off you go he said you know

8:24Paul Scholes:he could have

8:25Paddy McGuinness:handled that differently yeah

8:27Steve McClaren:I thought he would have recommended you because like you say it came out of I don't think we'd heard about you or heard of Steve so thinking where's it come from so it must have been Jim was he not involved with the manager did he not recommend you to him yes

8:41Paddy McGuinness:no but Jim would know but Jim would know if it yeah recommended I kid I would just left on a kid I'll gone and Jim took over it was so we needed a very needed one in and yes or so that was it so the Tuesday went so I met him on the Thursday yeah just went yeah yeah yeah whatever and then come come Friday meet the players I was like oh my god you know they're all going the LZ yeah I'm sitting on the bench so I'm sat on the bench with Jim Ryan and playing forest one nil down after one they scored first they scored first and I'm like going oh no no and I remember Jim Ryan tapped me on then I went oh Jim I said just were like we're trying to play football out and they first 20 minutes every team did it didn't they especially away from home yeah and knowing I knew he just stopped me on the moon don't worry Stevie he said don't worry watch and then all of a sudden brought the press once chance brought the breasts twice chances chances broke it one each yeah rock it to one but pop pop pump and then last 20 minutes for four one up and he sounds soul shower on I remember Jim also taught me went said that Oh God this is gonna be more goals and he scored for didn't he for eight one so I'm going in on Monday morning I'm going, what the hell do I do?

10:21Paddy McGuinness:What do you coach?

10:23Steve McClaren:That was the 99 season as well.

10:26Paul Scholes:Oh! Do you know, as a coach going into something like that then, obviously United, massive club, Sir Alex Ferguson, best of the best, and you were talking earlier about playing in that game with Scorsese, you're going, you don't want to lose face or respect with the players. When you wake up in the morning, Steve, for that first day, that first training session what have you got in your head what are you are you looking at players like Scolzi or Roy Keane you know the ones the leaders in that dressing room are you thinking target them first like what's going through your mind like on your way in yeah

11:05Paddy McGuinness:it's not that's a good question you're absolutely right

11:09Paul Scholes:thank you we've got we've got we've got we've got we've got we've got we've still took about 10 haven't it 10 podcasts 15

11:20Paddy McGuinness:but you're absolutely because I am wondering what the hell do I do on a Monday morning and I went into his office I always remember I sat with him and he yeah Stevie first day looking forward yeah yeah yeah I said what what exactly would you like me to do you know what yeah and everything and he went and he went yeah he just like swore at me he went hell Steve yeah I've got your sire what did you used to do at Derby

11:54Steve McClaren:what did you

11:55Paddy McGuinness:used to do there and I went and he went well whatever you did there son is why you sat there now get yourself out there and coach bloody hell and I went did everything and I went wow so I did clean sheet and I was fortunate because I'd had Jim Smith he was quite young as a coach as well weren't you still 35 yeah because you had to retire quite early yeah I was 31 I stopped playing coach by about 35 36 was that at Oxford yeah at Oxford yeah and I went oh my god what do I do and yeah it was daunting daunting to do that but Jim was Jim was different to yeah gaffer but justice fierce yeah it just as was it so I'd had four or five years with Jim and it was a great education for actually stepping into an environment like that which was a real harsh one and you had to know what you were doing so so I think I spoke with Jim Ryan Jim said you love boxes no try and take the boxes away from him in the morning was impossible could not do it and they tried after so I went no I love that the boxes

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13:14Paul Scholes:so that's as a coach instinctively go partless doing that it's going to get everyone's back up regardless of what you think just leave them to it

13:22Paddy McGuinness:yeah well there's certain respects and Jim said I like possession I like a bit of this I like a bit of this so Jim was a great guide for me to do that and then it was I mean 8-1 so I concentrated on the one yeah and I went and I usually I remember having a chat with Gary you know I need clean sheets you know Gaffer always just say clean sheets last 10 games of the season wins your championships so I thought right I'll concentrate on the defenders worry about him Beckham Coley Yorkie Gizzy and all them just throw my ball so we used to do a lot of defensive work didn't we used to do a lot of 1v1s running from the halfway line 1v1 you know Scorsi against Gary and things all competitive everything had to have a press up on it or something everything was competition yeah and they loved that and I thought as long as I can keep that I can get me defensive work and just throw them a ball and say and we used to say look you back for yeah if you can defend against this sat is gonna be easy and we used to say that you know that is I used to say people Monday to Friday was the hard bit.

14:39Saturday was easy because we just put them against Roy Keane.

14:43Paddy McGuinness:Yeah, yeah. And you used to think, oh, Saturday, great. No one's kicking me or anything like that.

14:49Steve McClaren:I never realised how young you was, Steve, 35, 36. I know. And you'd never thought of that now coming into the dressing room because you thought you must have been slightly nervous, as you said, but to come in, from a player's point of view, we never sensed that at all. Really? It was a conference. It was a great voice, very clear, everything you needed to do. And I just say the sessions were brilliant.

15:12Paul Scholes:So in them sessions, if you were ever, like Steve was saying, they put you against Nev, what did you used to do against Nev? Like what was his Achilles heel when you were like up against him in training where you go, oh, he always struggles with this?

15:28Steve McClaren:I was never a 1v1 person. Steve's mentioned I hated it, man. I didn't have the skills, didn't have the pace. I couldn't really go past anybody. but the thing, my strength was obviously passing. And I think the thing with Neve, I just try and factor, not weaknesses, because there weren't a lot of weaknesses, but I loved just dinking one over his head, you know, to the left winger. Yeah. Because I knew it pissed him off. Yeah. And I didn't want to smash you at about 10 yards over him. No, just enough where he can't reach you. And it just can't quite, I used to love that. I used to look at me, you dumb man.

16:01Steve McClaren:But he was king of the diagonals, weren't you?

16:04Paddy McGuinness:you were king of the diet you didn't have to look and Giggsie was out there and he just used to go wallop

16:11Paul Scholes:did you when you were playing like Giggsie and Bex was that because you didn't have to look because you just knew they were going to be there or what were you thinking when you when you're putting a diagonal on and you're not really like most normal human beings where we like right that ball you get the ball and then look yeah

16:31Steve McClaren:it was always about looking before for me I got that from Eric Harrison and Eric as a kid awareness was the biggest thing about being a midfield player you need to know where your players are on the pitch and you're talking about a team that you knew where everybody was anyway but you've still got to know you've got Ryan, you've got Bex and as a midfield player it's all about having options so I always had them options I had the options of Teddy or Dwight York to play a 1-2 off, Coley running through Ollie Gunner running through so it's just I think as a Miffy player it was just all about understanding and I think it was quite clear in that team It was simple wasn't it?

17:10Paddy McGuinness:It was a simple kind of game plan and when you think of the complicated tactics that you have now it was 4-4-2 it was kind of man against man and these knew and one thing that the gaffer always stressed was I want penetration behind I want penetration I want runners behind and when he never got that that was the only time he spoke to me steamy got a coach and run behind right run behind pass it forward and pass it for and that was his motto yeah it was simple wasn't it yeah play forward play forward run forward yeah uh look forward everything was about being forward hit the front two players and then play off that and and it was it was best in terms of scanning and seeing that and nicking up we nick a ball around the corner and even if Corley or York never got hold of it, it ricocheted.

18:03Paddy McGuinness:It used to bobble back to your feet and they were through and won twos penalties, scores, that's how he scored goals.

18:09Paul Scholes:How do you go on when you were taking, when you go into United, let's say you're the coach there and you're getting the messages from the gaffer, are you saying to the lads this is what the gaffer wants or do you not say that, is it all coming from you, if you know what I mean? like do you like if they're not quite doing it are you saying Luke this is what I've been told to tell you to do or do you just say it regardless you don't give them that information I mean

18:38Paddy McGuinness:I had the same with Jim clean sheet of paper for four or five years and the same with the gaffer very rarely only once or twice you know need more runs so coach that yeah coach that otherwise you just didn't you He was in control, wasn't he?

18:55Steve McClaren:He just used to come down.

18:58Paddy McGuinness:We used to see him down, and sometimes he joined in the box, didn't he? And I used to go, please don't come down to the box, did he?

19:06Steve McClaren:Please don't.

19:07Paddy McGuinness:And when he was...

19:09Steve McClaren:If he had to go in the middle, he went mad.

19:11Paddy McGuinness:Oh, well, fights and everything. He wouldn't go in the middle. No. Scores, you're in. Scores, you're in. And he would go in, but Roy wouldn't go in. But he would go in. He won it. So he... And it was pretty simple. Yeah. It was, you get the ball wide, overlaps, crosses. You know, people talk about counter-press. That was how United won games, because packed defence is very difficult. Cross, try and play off Yoki or Corley, Teddy or Oli, get the ricochet, get the one-two, things open up and you play through counter-pressing, rest defence, stay in their half. the only problem was transitions which is why we did a lot of defending from that half way going backwards so it was pretty and they were damn good players yeah you know and you didn't have to interfere with them but the defenders they wanted coaching yeah and that's what I did at Derby a lot so I took that with a back four so who was that

20:16Paul Scholes:then then Gary

20:19Paddy McGuinness:Stam right Johnny Johnson one of his brilliant defenders and Dennis Irwin they were the main

20:25Paul Scholes:you're not going to go too far wrong there are you really

20:27Steve McClaren:Steve was in complete control really what we did in training Steve was in complete control and before Steve not before Steve because while Steve it was more about putting sessions on rather than tactics really wasn't it but Steve did then because I suppose in European games we were getting done a little bit of midfield weren't we and that's when Steve started to bring it all together a little bit with more of your positional senses as a midfield player because we'd never really done anything everything was possibly off the cuff a little bit and exciting Steve brought that organisation to the European games which were desperately needed

21:03Paddy McGuinness:I think what we did a lot we brought in Prozone which really helped so analysis was just coming in so I'd used that at Dabby brought that in and the defenders were fascinated by Gary especially it was wow this is great you can see the position of everybody you can see So gradually I got them on board and gradually they never listened much. I hated it. Yeah, the balance between them. You know, look, you can get the balance in the run and you've got to be tucked. And that was the one thing I always remember that first season. I think it was Inter Milan at home, 1-1, I think. And he said, no, we're playing four.

21:45Paddy McGuinness:A lot of people are criticising him for not playing three in the middle. and this is his strength his conviction and stubbornness yeah went no we play in 4-4-2 we're going to stick to that because that's our strength we're attacking and that's what we do I always remember that speech he gave to the team and you know the rest is history yeah I think that was

22:10Steve McClaren:the way we did it but Steve brought a way of doing it which defensive when you weren't on the ball it made it clear yeah I always remember the session he did on the far side of Crancy where the one he just goes to the ball and then the other two come in I always remember that but Steve had a wave making it so clear and easy that was great strength

22:29Paul Scholes:Did you feel with these that you could if it was getting a bit you could give them a bollocking or did you have to handle them a little bit differently because of the calibre of players they were and the team they were in

22:40Paddy McGuinness:Oh no they piss me off every day

22:46Steve McClaren:That's not very nice is it I know the feeling I only get it once a week do you know what though as a number two before Steve came number twos were like they were like the players friends I suppose weren't they yeah no I was on the players side they'd probably fight your case a little bit towards the manager Steve was a little bit different like that he'd come on and probably like a manager really you would have a go at us wouldn't you where we'd never really had that I actually remember I don't even remember Steve you came in the dressing room once after there was a you remember it was like a bad weekend I can't remember we had a bad result at home or somewhere and Steve as a number two he took the meet you came and took the meet I think the manager might have been sat down actually gets and starts like having a pop at all of us and we're fucking even Roy had a go at Roy yeah we'd never seen anybody do that type of thing before

23:40Paul Scholes:is that like one of the things every now and again you've got to do that just to assert like who's running things here

23:46Paddy McGuinness:They were, majority 99 % of the time, unbelievable to work with coach, despite all the whatever. And I remember we had this spell that was driving me mad. It was the beginning of the season and the gaffer never used to interfere at the beginning of the season.

24:07Steve McClaren:That would have been after 99 then, wouldn't it?

24:09Paddy McGuinness:You remember the next season after? After 99? Yeah. the next we started training and the one thing he hated was was complacency you know get your medals away win it again yeah and we started that season poorly training was it it was competitive but it was beyond it it wasn't the same it was beyond it and I hated it

24:38Paul Scholes:yeah

24:38Paddy McGuinness:and I went to see him I said I've got to tell you you've got to have a word with these because we're going to be out of sight of the championship, of winning the title by the time Christmas comes the way they're training and the way they're playing

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26:17Paddy McGuinness:The gaffer's real strength was knocking complacency. So I used to call it the disease of me when players get to, you know, ah, I'm okay. We must have got a lot.

26:34Steve McClaren:We must have got, without knowing it, we must have got a little bit like that. He's subconscious, that's what I'm saying. He's just one of them things. He's subconscious. Where can you go from there? Because we know that's done, that has to be put aside, but there must be still something, as you say, subconscious that makes you do it.

26:49Paddy McGuinness:Because we won the treble, and I remember, I want to get away, go on holiday. Yeah. And he pulled me in the car park. He said, we're in tomorrow. I went, we just won the treble. He said, no, we're in tomorrow. Next year. No. so we all came in all the staff baking butties cup of tea at the cliff he said there's a bucket he says right all your medals put them in the bucket what we're going to do next year and that was his strength that he hated the disease of me yeah players getting too uppity and entitlement yeah and it's subconscious because you've reached that course yeah and You just dip a little bit.

27:36Paddy McGuinness:And he was a king of noticing them little complacency signs. Yeah. And he used to hate it. So it could be just a minute late for training, a little bit. Or he watched a lot of players' body language. Steve, I've been with him. There's something wrong with him. I've been with him. He's not doing this. So he would spot little things which were complacency signs, and he hated that. And what he would do, he would notice it, stamp on it, and if you didn't conform, you were out of the club. Right. So that was the kind of circle we've had a lot of times where someone just started to get a little bit, miss a gym session.

28:28Steve McClaren:And as a player, you don't really realise that. No. And you think if Steve or the manager had a coach, no, no, no, no. But deep down, you do know that.

28:38Paddy McGuinness:And he spotted it. And he's done that with a lot of players. Loads of players, yeah. And you will see it. And you don't last very long. And he's got rid of them. Yeah. Before they've become that. Perfect example. For it to spread over to the other players as well.

28:51Paul Scholes:Are you aware of the noise as a coach, not as a manager? Oh, without a doubt.

28:58Paddy McGuinness:Yeah. Eric, we need to win this one. We need to win this one. So that was my job. And I was fortunate I had that relationship with him that I could speak openly. And he always spoke openly anyway. So we always had a bit of to-ing and fro-ing. But without a shadow of a doubt, look, we need to win this one. and there were certain stages where we actually came to that where we had to I remember going to Crystal Palace I thought we got beat I thought that was the end I remember yeah I thought the day after I thought I got it I gotta say I went oh we're off yeah we're going we're in trouble we're in trouble yeah and you know and we we after that yeah and that's what you do with the staff you all sit down and and he was very good with me we had that relationship and just we're in trouble really yeah yeah in trouble how was your role different with him because

30:04Steve McClaren:obviously under sir alex you was you did everything yeah how was it with eric was you yeah it was

30:09Paddy McGuinness:different it was um you had mitchell who didn't all the train most of the coaching training you had Fletch and Eric Ramsey and myself was there and my job was to house the temperature so the first thing I used to do when I coached them back in 2000, 99, 2000 was I used to go down to the dressing room yeah, how are you boys? yeah, good sleep, I used to have a cup of tea not saying much as how I am I used to know sleepy eyes, look tired yeah so he's go oh I'm planning this today I think I get away with that today they're in a grizzly mood or the quiet right all the banters great all the energies up yeah everything like that so you're constantly feeling it out so I might my job was a great job because it was just so I was just wandering around I call him and be done with managing by wandering about yeah so I was in the so I'm there and all the players coming how are you doing everything like oh god and then the biggest thing was down in the gym before and we used to love that because I used to smell the walk around the walk around how are you doing that oh it's a bit harsh

31:27Steve McClaren:what were you like so I love that yeah we used to always go on the bikes it was like 20 but it was like a spinning class yeah we could see the coaches walking around you used to see if we've been drinking last night you smell a bit of beer yeah yeah

31:41Paddy McGuinness:so that was my my kind of job and yeah sometimes do a little bit about what I call do some sessions and the old way hey you know they all get the boxes going get a bit of competition get a bit of that but the majority was and then going

31:57Steve McClaren:through your record not sure yeah yeah we're gonna be tough with that one yeah

32:04Paddy McGuinness:Yeah, you know, and that was it. And I loved that role, you know, and we had Ronnie. Ronnie was brilliant, you know, because he used to come. I always used to gauge the temper of the, like I used to gauge Roy. I was right. He's not right. The squad's all right, you know. And Ronnie used to come in with the shorts up and the sleeves up, you know. I looked like a god. Looking a million dollars. Looking like a god. You know, I used to say, I used to say, oh, Ronnie, I said, I said, because he used to, if the sun was out, Oh, yeah. was out, was out, six pack was out.

32:45Steve McClaren:He was like Paddy on his man's house. Oh, no. 75 day dying. Spray tons, everything. Everything. But his was natural.

32:55Paddy McGuinness:Anyway. Yeah. And everybody said, oh, my God, Ronnie. I said, I said, how do I get a six-pack? He did look at me and went, you're a bit too late, Steve. I said, I thought you had that machine, you know? That machine he had, didn't he? The 10 machine. The 10 machine. You remember that? He said, it does you good, but what do you any good, don't you? So I used to try and get a little connection with that, whether it's good or bad, and he'd tell me that I'd always gauge how he was. And I'd always then say to Eric, he's not in a good mood Ronnie yeah yeah you'll be careful you know be careful what you do say ask him and everything like that so but he was he was great

33:40Steve McClaren:I just think in the Christian I can't imagine being happy being left out of a team it must have been tough yeah because obviously

33:49Paul Scholes:there was the last minute thing at Spurs weren't there which is was the one where he walked off he walked off Eric was putting him on with like

33:56Steve McClaren:no sorry no there was no subs left to come on was there

34:00Paul Scholes:and he walked off

34:01Steve McClaren:so he got up off the bench and walked off didn't he was that with Eric then yeah so you've upset him now go and deal with that good luck I think you can gauge how he's feeling yeah

34:14Paul Scholes:was he aware he'd walked off at that moment or did you have to tell him oh no he was aware because I can't remember did he speak to him about warming

34:23Steve McClaren:he was filmed walking off wasn't he and I would have thought he was in his car by the time the manager when the game was over.

34:29Paul Scholes:How do you go on, though, with an absolute superstar like that? Because the one thing about him as a player, and I've never met him in my life, but he does seem like a good professional for looking after his... So he's not a player where you're going, oh, he's just a big-timer, he's never getting involved. So when an incident like that happens, and you're kind of probably thinking in your head, bloody hell, like, not a good move for Eric, that to even suggest that. How do you broach something like that in the immediate aftermath with Eric? What did you say to him?

35:06Paddy McGuinness:I mean, I think he knows it. And I think it's what we talked about that, you know, the gaffer back in that day was exactly the same. He must have had a lot of incidents where players, you know, get overconfident, come in, but a big time chance. Boardman used to knock that straight away. or he'd use you in the short term and get rid of you. Yeah. You know? Yeah. And what's happened is, and Eric did the same, and credit to him. I mean, there was a lot of battles on that training field. Yeah. And a lot of, all I want you to do is this, this, this, this, and this, which was, that was Eric's coaching.

35:51Paddy McGuinness:You do this, you do this, you do this, you do this. Ronnie this is your job and I used to say to Ronnie all he wants you to do is you're the first press make one run make two runs and maybe make a third one if you feel like it and then recover back into the middle in case we win the ball and then we can play to you that's all he wants you to do if you can't do that you won't be playing or if you won't do that you can't be playing Okay, or he won't pick you. I'm telling you, he won't pick you. It's not like I think other people would, and that's the difference. Yeah. Other people would. But Eric was, no, I'm doing that, and he's got to do it.

36:33Paddy McGuinness:Otherwise, he doesn't play. Yeah. I understand that. And it was a little bit of a fight. Not a fight, but a standoff. And who was going to win? There was a bit of pride in there as well. A lot. And who's going to win? And, you know, Eric stuck to his guns. You know, I think most managers would, oh, all right, we'll accommodate. We'll accommodate that. All right, you don't have to do that. You don't have to do that. But you've got to score, which is fine. Some managers are like that. So it was a case of, and he stuck to his guns.

37:07Paul Scholes:In a situation like that, obviously with someone as globally famous as Ronaldo, and football's a business as well, when those ruptions are going on do you ever feel anything from the board going can you just sort this situation because he's our golden goose really for shut sales and everything

37:29Paddy McGuinness:else absolutely that's the pressure and that's the difference between the gaffer who had full control and fought for that through many years and you've seen that even before i was there and he had control. So he had control, top down, and they were aligned with him. And what's happened, that control has gone. So no manager has that control and that alignment. And Eric, to credit, and to be fair, Ronnie was very good, and he had a couple of days in which, which is normal. You can understand that. But in the end, it was totally professional. So I do my job, and we're training. and I'm still unbelievable on the training field some days I've gone oh my god Ronnie yeah yeah finishing and things are all yeah absolutely but you you've you've it's very difficult you've got to have that from the top and whatever he they've got to back that up yeah and whether they did all they didn't it didn't matter you know the situation was forced that in the end happened how it happened and I think that was the best for Ronnie and I think that was the best

38:44Steve McClaren:also for Eric oh you obviously wanted to be a number one at some point Steve now before you was kiddo and I think his relationship probably broke up a little bit when the manager when he decided to leave to go and be a number one so how was it for you leaving them was it was it easy was he was it I never felt like he fell out with you but no he fell out with kiddo a little bit oh definitely did

39:08Paddy McGuinness:then yeah you know he definitely did but with me it was he announced his retirement yes you remember the year after was it the year yeah yeah it was kind of a year before yeah and he said I'm gonna retire the next season or something and I had an open honest chat with him I've been with you three years and you know where does that leave me yeah you know if you retire what that He said, well, look, Steve, you're not going to get the job. I said, I don't expect to. But I said, you know, in terms of, and he said, well, look, if you want to go and manage, he said, I think you're ready. He said, I think you're ready.

39:53Paddy McGuinness:How old were you then, Steve? I was bang on 40, bang on 40, which I thought was a good age. I'd had 10 years coaching at various, and I'd gone to finishing school. Yeah, of course. You know, that was it. Yeah, yeah. You know, he doesn't realise it's finishing school, but that was finishing school. Yeah. And so everything is benchmarked from that. And a lot of it is downhill from there. So it's like that. So he was, we had a chat and he said, if you want to.

40:27Steve McClaren:I suppose that's where the difference is with kiddo, I suppose, isn't it? you know because obviously Kido he was still going the manager if he announces he's going to leave the club then I suppose it is a little bit different for you

40:36Paddy McGuinness:yeah and he was fine he said yeah if you can I said well I've got one or two clubs sniffing and everything and I remember I remember I took the Middlesbrough job and obviously things happened the next season and he after about three or four months I'm coming out of retirement I'm not retiring and I did think then because I had a bad start with Middlesbrough I was going oh god I think you won a bit

41:00Paul Scholes:civil with Middlesbrough I don't want to really talk about it oh that first one no I can't yeah let's get past

41:07Steve McClaren:the Middlesbrough chat I thought there was some achievement though because I think that was Middlesbrough's first ever major trophy

41:13Paul Scholes:yeah yeah yeah and that's what you won players in that team as well yeah really good players we did one of your favourites in that team at that time Janinho

41:22Steve McClaren:oh what a player we said on air and we got a bit of stick for it we thought he was the best ever Brazilian to play in the Premier League

41:33yeah

41:33Paddy McGuinness:I think the first time it's hard to think of more I think the first time

41:36Steve McClaren:oh I'll talk about the first time we brought him back

41:38Paddy McGuinness:and I remember it was the World Cup in Japan and we played Brazil and I

41:44Steve McClaren:did you have a word with him there I sneaked around

41:46Paddy McGuinness:the back of the bus I sneaked around the back of the bus and I waited for him I said we just got beat haven't we and I waited for him Juni and we ah it's not a mistake I'm gonna come back yeah so we had a chat and he said well was he at the time then I can't remember where he gone maybe by maybe back to Brazil yeah I think come back to Brazil and I said you want to come back oh if everything's okay speak to my father so I come back and spoke to Steve Gibson and he knew him and that's how I got him we got him back it was like airport thousands in the stadium the full house everything we went on pre-season to Italy, never forget it worst pitch ever what are we playing on this pitch for and he played, I shouldn't have played him he played, did his crew shed did it so we never got it up

42:48Steve McClaren:how old was he when he came back to you?

42:49Paddy McGuinness:Yeah, he was...

42:50Steve McClaren:Early 30s or... Yeah, about early 30s.

42:52Paul Scholes:And after something like that, could you see he'd lost a bit of summer? He came back nine months later.

42:59Paddy McGuinness:He was terrific. And he was terrific. And we got to, obviously, the final. Yeah. And I don't want to go on too much about that. No, no. Who was that against the... Schwartz. Well, Schwartz. Was JJ playing?

43:14Paul Scholes:Yeah. They all were. Kevin Nolan were. Kevin Nolan. it was a good team that team when that goal went in sorry I just indulged me when Kev scores that one Kev Davis where he's gone down like that do you remember that it literally just bubbles past because to be fair to Schwarzer he pulled off some absolutely unbelievable saves

43:34Paddy McGuinness:he won us the cup yeah because once you got that yeah we were 2-0 up after about five minutes a double kick penalty yeah I know yeah oh my luck's in here that was a double kick penalty double key penalty

43:47Paul Scholes:that was Job was it Job Zenden oh Zenden sorry Job scored the first one didn't it yeah yeah

43:53Steve McClaren:is that when the finals were at Cardiff

43:55Paul Scholes:yeah yeah

43:56Paddy McGuinness:and I thought and then you scored

43:58Paul Scholes:because he was right outside the box and you're looking at that you're thinking that's all day for a keeper and it just went straight I don't even know

44:07Paddy McGuinness:how he scored it myself 2-1 with about 70 minutes to go you know what it's like you've been 2-0 up yeah we at the post he pulled off about three or four and you're thinking in

44:18Steve McClaren:you know

44:18Paul Scholes:but

44:19Steve McClaren:we're a bit unlucky

44:20Paul Scholes:but we won it anyway that was

44:23Steve McClaren:Gareth who's your captain wasn't he

44:24Paul Scholes:yeah was he yeah what would you say you get the most satisfaction from Steve being a coach or being a manager

44:31Paddy McGuinness:I think you get more satisfaction overall for being a manager because I was and that's why I was lucky with Jim even with the stress of it all that comes with being a manager that makes the stress worthwhile while Ralph you get them moments don't get me wrong you get the law moments but and so I think it's mainly that the enjoyment and the satisfaction gets from that but the achievement and what you want to do and I I don't know I was with Jim and the gaffer they gave me free reign so I was in control and I always liked to be in control and so when you're number two you know I was learning so I was I accepted that yeah but now I'm a little bit I would be more vocal well Monday's a Friday

45:22Steve McClaren:with a manager anyway really weren't you yeah looking at yeah but the most important and what

45:27Paddy McGuinness:he was good at yeah was game day yeah instilling belief into them instilling belief and the standards through the week, set them on the path, but he was the king in game management. He was the best in me. He used to make do things, change, what are you doing that for? 99's a perfect example of that. And you go, what is he doing? And I just remember saying to Yardy Cruyff, you know, early on, what is it about him? He says, he just gets every decision right he says he puts him on and he scores remember that put Andy Cole on half time to win the championship

46:11Steve McClaren:at Middlesbrough

46:13Paddy McGuinness:Old Trafford when we had to beat Spurs and what are you doing that for Teddy's doing alright he's called his scores to him what am I doing so make

46:25Paul Scholes:suggestions to him do you say things like in the moment of the game when a decision gets made like where you're going I'm not sure that's right Would you say to Sir Alex, why are you taking him off? He's doing all right. No, you stay quiet. Yeah, I agree.

46:42Steve McClaren:You might be thinking it.

46:44Paddy McGuinness:Just what I'd do. Just what I'd do. And where do you want him to play? Just what I was thinking. Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, he was just the king of game. For me, king of game management. And he had one thing, he hated complacency. place and see the other was was he's just he made the right decisions and he stuck by them yeah he took risks i'm just gonna say everything was too hard to win him won everything and he took i remember we got beat 6-1 by man city or he did and and were 3-1 and he just went for it yeah ended up 6-1 and he goes yeah that's me and and you know he is he's a gambler he's a gambler he's He's a gambler.

47:26Paddy McGuinness:Yeah, he's a gambler. Yeah. And that's what he did with his... And I didn't realise, I went, oh, I don't know if I'd take that risk, that gamble, get him on. Yeah. And the gamble was, you know, was with the kids. Yeah. You know? No, I'll take the risk. And given belief, I'll keep playing them. You know, because they've got the standards and they're the future. So that was his strength. And he just took risks and gambled. And he used to say to me, any advice he said he said yeah he said he said don't seek don't seek conflict because by god it will come to you yeah yeah and he said that and then he said and deal with it straight away yeah yeah that was the big and get seven out of decision seven out of ten decisions right, you'd be a damn good manager, son.

48:22Paddy McGuinness:And that was it. I was off. I'm R.J.

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48:43Paddy McGuinness:Trying to get some back to prison today?

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49:25Paul Scholes:Tax Act understands you haven't memorized the tax code. That's why Tax Act has live experts to help. Tax Act can even do it for you if you prefer. It's the easiest way to know you're doing it right. Well, other than going back to college and obtaining a bachelor's degree in accounting with a minor in finance, then interning somewhere and becoming fluent in all tax forms, but that might be hard to accomplish before tax day. So maybe just stick with Tax Act. Tax Act, let's get them over with. Just parking up club management, because the thing for me as an England fan, and when speaking to Scolzi and Butty about their time at England, it always completely fascinates me.

50:10Paul Scholes:It's not what I think as a fan goes on. so just for you I think in any particularly English manager's career to get a call from the FA saying they want to make you the next England manager where were you at the time and was it and it sounds silly me saying this but was it an instant yes or did you have to go let me think about this

50:37Paddy McGuinness:no I had to think about it I think I was involved with England from 2002 I was in 2002 all the way through. So I'd had quite a few years with Sven, knew the environment, knew the players. So I thought I knew everything. I was in the best position to do that.

50:52Paul Scholes:But were you always aware you might get the call then because of that? Or did you never really think about being an England manager?

50:58Paddy McGuinness:You know what? I didn't actually think, even though I kind of knew he was leaving. I just thought they'd go, you know, foreign again. Because Sven had been quite successful in terms of that. So I thought, and they did try to go for it again. They went for Scolari, didn't they? Scolari, but anyway, pressure and everything, he turned it down. Sensible man. Sensible man. And so I just put myself up for it. I thought it was as good as anything, you know, interviews. And then, oh. And I think because of the run we had at Middlesbrough, because we're in Europe and we got to a European UEFA Cup final.

51:40Paddy McGuinness:so therefore and I just felt oh I'll have every right than you know than Big Sam and Kerbishley and people like that and I thought well I've got a chance there's any at the end of the day as a player I wanted to play for England everyone wants to you know so what's my ambition as a coach is you know as a player I want to climb Everest yeah never got the past base camp but as a coach I felt I was climbing Everest and I was ambitious enough and egotistical enough to think that I could reach the top of it and have that belief to do that. So I was in a good place to do it.

52:23Paul Scholes:Where were you when you got the... So you do the interviews and again, we had Steve Bruce on the podcast and just even that, when he was talking about how that works, for me, I was like, I thought there were more to it. You know, he said he'd get up in the morning, someone came to his house at breakfast. Dan Ashworth, was it? Yeah, and they were just chatting. It's sort of quite an informal way he described it.

52:47Paddy McGuinness:How was it for you? I think that was right because I think the board, the FA board at that time were not like they are now, which is Dan and football people, administrators, football people. Did you have to apply for it, Steve? I think more or less, but I was part of it. You started being in it, weren't you? I was part of it. And I knew all the board members. So it was really to the board who were directors at football clubs. So it wasn't like Dan and people like that who have been in football and coaching. So it was a fairly straightforward process, giving the job. And you're absolutely right.

53:27Paddy McGuinness:A lot of people were, you know, this could make you or break you. You know, and look, and I think, which is my yin and my yang, my strength and my weakness, is I'll make that work. Yeah, but it's a big risk. So what? Yeah. I'll make it work, you know, and if I don't, I'll fall down and I'll try and get back up. Yeah. I kind of, at that stage where I had that opinion. Yeah. And so I just went, no, I'm going for it. and you know tumble tumble I've got to have a go you're actually you're asked to play for England I don't know if I'm quite ready no I know exactly do you know what I mean do you have any

54:13Steve McClaren:regrets about this Steve I know when you first went in you had a few big decisions to make because there were some players coming to the and we were talking about Cristiano before and Eric you had that little bit with Bex didn't you as well

54:23Paddy McGuinness:well Bex was it so relinquished the relinquished the captaincy did he really And he was going to America.

54:32Steve McClaren:Yes.

54:33Paddy McGuinness:So that's a decision. So I went, well, that MLS, we've looked at it, it's not a good league. Distance. But he still wanted to play though, didn't he, for England? He did, he did say that. And so I had to make that decision. Captaincy, John Terry or somebody else. You gave it John, didn't you, in the captaincy? You gave it to John, didn't you? John. Yeah. but you will you'll know because you sort of retired 2004 Portugal Portugal yeah and you know with England it was hard wasn't it at that time you could the clubs were rivals weren't they oh we hated each other you know what I mean

55:20Steve McClaren:that's when you talk about it yeah and all you think about a lot's made of it about sitting but I don't think that rivalry is probably as strong now as it was then because the core of the England team were cores of the bigger clubs as well you think United your Liverpool your Chelsea your Arsenal big personality we really didn't like each other because we're all trying to go for the same thing

55:43Paddy McGuinness:of course yeah so the hard thing yeah a lot of media a lot of this did you ever feel like

55:48Paul Scholes:the England players because of your connections at United you're like oh he's a bit softer on them yeah

55:54Steve McClaren:yeah because you did both roles didn't you he was at United while he was doing England

55:57Paddy McGuinness:I was at United with England. I was with Middlesbrough and with England. So I was a little bit more distanced. But I always had an affinity with the boys because of the closeness that we had and that relationship. So we always had that connection. Chelsea were just coming.

56:13Steve McClaren:It must have been difficult for you that, Steve.

56:14Paddy McGuinness:Yeah, it was.

56:15Steve McClaren:Relationships, you know, like maybe if you like, even we did two-touch every day, you're thinking, what are them Chelsea lads thinking? What are them Liverpool lads thinking? Yeah. They would feel a bit awkward. That must have been tough for you.

56:25Paddy McGuinness:Yeah. it was because I yeah and I think it's tough for any manager even in now Miller probably a little bit easier because Garris I think is ease that burden yeah everyone's closer and if I'd have thought about it a little bit the key thing was bringing everybody together for the one badge park the club be mates be teammates but we could never get that you must have felt that and Chelsea all of a sudden Mourinho they were winning leagues and United were not and Liverpool were that you've got Gerrard you've got you know Lampard you've got John Terry you've got the Man United boys and bringing them together we could never I just could never do it

57:14Paul Scholes:what sort of things do you like you know you're at home and you're thinking about training in the games of England, what kind of things did you put in place where you thought, right, this will galvanise them? Did you sort of have anything, like, even if it was like taking on paintballing, do you know what I mean? Like, anything at all where you thought,

57:32Paddy McGuinness:right, I'll try this? And I think, you know, in hindsight, that wasn't quite in terms of what is happening now in the modern day with the cultures and how to build culture. Yeah. And, you know, you read Gareth's book and talk about how he built that. England culture smart we didn't have that the resources or the tools to think of building culture to how do you bond well dinners together and things like that dinners were dinners were in silence I used to even when I was coaching honestly this is mind blowing to me

58:07Steve McClaren:hearing this I think Gareth I know Gareth has all his methods and stuff but I do think he got a little bit lucky Gareth because they were saying there weren't five or six lads from each team who hated each other because probably there was more foreign players now. So they didn't have cause of English players. Look, as well as Gareth Deggall, he did bring the full group together. But I do think he had a little bit of luck with that. You think it was an easier group of England players

58:32Paul Scholes:to manage in the way modern football is? Well, I think so.

58:37Steve McClaren:I'm only saying that from the outside looking at them, but I did get that impression it was a little bit easier to bring them together.

58:42Paddy McGuinness:And I think the media as well was a big influence back in then because everyone's bothered about their image, the media. Their agents were, I'll give you that information if, you know, don't give that player some stick and things like that. And I think Gareth handled that well in terms of, he was a great front guy for that. Politician, wasn't it, Gareth? And I was not a politician with the papers. I was black and white. And, you know, I think that was the most difficult thing for me, the first six months was that the players the players I love them love the players the periphery around dealing upwards being inside was you still doing all the coaching

59:27Steve McClaren:when you was actually the number one

59:30Paddy McGuinness:yeah majority yeah majority because I enjoyed that I was going to say

59:36Paul Scholes:even though you enjoyed it did you did you looking back did you think now do you go with hindsight I could have done a bit less on the coaching and a little bit more of the other stuff or did you feel as though you were spreading yourself a bit too thin doing it all? No, because you had,

59:53Paddy McGuinness:and that was the thing with England, 24-7 managing. Oh my God. England, think about the camps, a little bit of build-up, aftermath, it's forgotten, Premier League's carrying on, carrying on with life. And me, I was, what, 40, 43, 44,

1:00:17Paddy McGuinness:something to do, you know. Of course, yeah. And I was more concerned about trying to get the players together and get the right formats and things like that. And I didn't focus enough on I was too influenced by the media.

1:00:30Paul Scholes:I was going to say, because, you know, we know how hard they can be, but it seemed pretty brutal back in the day. Did that have an effect on you with your decisions? did you sort of were you like I don't care what they say whenever they're having a go or not I'm doing it like this

1:00:51Steve McClaren:sorry Steve there must have been a lot of backlash with the Beckham thing

1:00:54Paddy McGuinness:media wise there was when results don't go but I always remember the first game and we won I think 4-0 against Greece who were the European champions at Old Trafford and I'm going my god this job's easy isn't it you know I'm thinking this is okay and so as I go and I reflect sit in my cave and go back and look on that the media I let I let that the first six months especially affect me so I was more concerned with that than in terms of the FA wanted that right the media so how intrusive were they Steve

1:01:31Steve McClaren:were they

1:01:32Paddy McGuinness:they were fine it was just would they involve your parents would they come to your house no no they were fine no they were fine they were okay you know they were just typical of that you know I think that's the impression everybody got though

1:01:46Steve McClaren:that's what I'm saying yeah

1:01:48Paddy McGuinness:no it wasn't that bad no I lived up in Yarm yeah and nice little town little village left alone was my sanctuary because you know the London press didn't come up north yeah so therefore it was fine

1:02:02Steve McClaren:so you know

1:02:04Paddy McGuinness:and your results led and after about six months I just we went to Andorra didn't we and we and the crowd were and I said on the bus I said to to Ramdon I said the crowd are not you know come on England they're like they're booing before a going yeah

1:02:25Steve McClaren:a lot of our games were like that

1:02:28Paul Scholes:that's got to be players and as a manager booing before you've even done it's got to be like psychologically

1:02:37Steve McClaren:did it yeah Yeah, it did with us. With people like David, yeah. For some reason, the relationship between United players wasn't great, England fans especially. I don't really know why, but that was just the way it was.

1:02:51Paul Scholes:As an international manager, this is just something because I heard this the other day and I thought, oh, that's an interesting one. When you're saying about Bex going to America and looking at now, you've got like Ivan Torni over in Saudi and he's sort of putting, he's saying, I still want to be in the contention for England because I'm scoring X amount of goals. Now, I know it's a different league out there. But when a player does disappear off to another league, how do you, have you got people still watching them? Like, how do you keep, it's like out of sight, out of mind sometimes. How does it work that?

1:03:28Paddy McGuinness:Easier nowadays with Y Scout, which covers every game around the world. So you see, you know, and that's what I did just recently with Jamaica. Players everywhere. Why scout? Watch the clips of the players or the games of the players. Get in touch with them, things like that. So it's easier than it was. But it was just needing to make a mark, seeing that, putting John Terry as captain. And I think Chelsea at that stage were the dominant team.

1:04:02Steve McClaren:Yeah, the good team, yeah.

1:04:03Paddy McGuinness:In terms of that, him and Lampard were very strong, Ashley Cole. So it was just putting a stamp down. But I've got to say, after about six months, I went, after that Andorra game, press, no, I'm not going to appease them. I'm not going to do this, that. I'm going to do my own thing and ignore the noise. And I think too much noise. So get the noise out of my head, focus on the players. what do you actually need to qualify and we got into a and I remember going over to Seabex and actually saying I think you can help us yeah I think you can help us and he was terrific as he always is it was fantastic you know weekend in LA watching him talking to him look England need you we need you we think you can help us great yeah great and he came back and we got to a situation where we got back into the group and really we should have qualified because we went to Russia and we played on AstroTurf never been known yeah and we were 1-0 up and the AstroTurf was dry on the night before and the game there were water in it like mad yeah

1:05:29Steve McClaren:I thought what and it was it was different play around that stuff we did it with United and we were from CSK in Moscow and it just changed

1:05:36Paddy McGuinness:the game and anyway we lost that but still the rest is so there were you know a little but we got back on track and I got after 18 months yeah you know probably first year I got more comfortable in myself and in the job and thought right I just focus on players camps results yeah and don't worry what the media say Northern noise and I felt better it didn't work out in the end but

1:06:04Paul Scholes:when there is that sort of real heat from the press as an England manager what are the FA doing around you because they must have people PRs and everything else like trying to get the press on side I know Luke if the results aren't there it's going to be an uphill battle but did you feel at the time like the FA had your back yeah

1:06:28Paddy McGuinness:we tried a media offensive when I first got the job so meet the editors of every paper go around which I did very very good yeah and then I learned it's about results course course and after six months I went don't matter what to say and I remember after and I said you know Adam I say questions first question I went no I've had my say I've said enough I'm off and I walked out and I just went no write what they want write what you want write what you want say what you want I'm focusing on the team preparation results and results are key and

1:07:10Paul Scholes:when it came to the end at England and again I realised this is one of those a bit like the Ronaldo thing where you go right ease out the pitch you know we can sort of get things working did you feel a sense of relief or did you feel like you wanted to carry on

1:07:29Paddy McGuinness:after the Croatia game

1:07:31Paul Scholes:yeah

1:07:33Paddy McGuinness:I wanted to to carry because I thought I'd made I thought I'd made progress yeah to the point of we should have got the result at Wembley against Croatia we should have done you just had to not lose the game just had to not lose yeah and the keeper made a mistake

1:07:48Steve McClaren:yeah

1:07:48Paddy McGuinness:and we're 2-0 down half time and we made the and we come back to 2-2 and I thought well I must have been doing something right yeah but I couldn't and it was just brought home to me the next day when I went home and I live in Yarn which in Aisleby just outside yeah is but were you mile down the road single not single track but the road hmm and I remember coming back from England all the periphery with all the press and I thought I'm back up north get him in a little bit I'm safe from turning into that road which is a mile yeah all cars were parked bloody hell and half a mile I couldn't get to the house they were all on the road so we had to slowly go through and then I had some gates and go through got through the gates and this just all a mile long and I'm in my house and I'm going and I remember following my press friend from Sky I said how do I get rid of these he says take him a cup of coffee out a tray of coffee

1:09:04Steve McClaren:I'm not going to have cups anybody else

1:09:08Paul Scholes:two in years

1:09:11Paddy McGuinness:go to the end of the road and just answer some questions and he said they'll be happy I said I'm not doing that You know, I'm like, there's no way I'm doing that. Especially making the tea. So I think, yeah, my wife made the teas. We walked out and answered a couple of questions at the gate and everything like that. And all of a sudden, they disappeared as quickly as they came. Brilliant. And then that was it. Never really had, you know, they moved on pretty quickly. Yeah.

1:09:49Paul Scholes:It is on to the next thing, isn't it? and I know people who watch the pod, they'll be giving me pelters if I don't ask you about the umbrella situation. When that happened, and again, like you said, ignoring the press, they always pick up on something, don't they? They always pick up on something. Graham Taylor was like the turnip thing and all that, carry on. And like the modern world now, it's clickbait. Back then it was front page headlines. Papers were everything back then. at the time are you stood there just thinking well it's pissing down so I was getting a brolly not giving it a moment's thought but when did it sort of dawn on you that they actually they were doing something with that like they were making that a thing

1:10:38Paddy McGuinness:watching the warm ups we go out and it's being down yeah and I thought I'm going to be I want to because Slavan Bilic had done it so Koresh were there and Slavan's there and I'm here all walking all watching the warm up and thinking it's short here and Slavan's got a beanie a little beanie hat on and I thought okay it's like a FA umbrella I thought I'd be alright I'm labelled up

1:11:12Paul Scholes:which is a normal thing to do this is a normal thing to do

1:11:16Steve McClaren:you watch managers now they're just probably because of Steve they won't use an umbrella no they're absolutely draped no I saw our tetty yesterday yeah absolutely piss yeah it's almost as if you put a brolly just makes sense

1:11:27Paddy McGuinness:yeah a trendsetter yeah or not and I looked and I went it looks ridiculous in that beanie and he must have looked at me and went it looks ridiculous it was that Wally

1:11:42Steve McClaren:over there and I was thinking

1:11:44Paddy McGuinness:and I've talked about it after I'm going and then I'm looking I'm going if I wore a beanie it'd have been Stevie the beanie yeah

1:11:53Steve McClaren:a beanie Stevie or something and the old beanies

1:11:57Paddy McGuinness:went so whatever there's ridicule after I'd seen it with Sven so I knew the press with Sven Sven got more stigma scrutiny than anybody so I knew what was happening yeah it's just and I'm very surprised no one umbrella company have approached me make an advert it's it's make a fortune you must have some golf umbrellas at home I don't even the funny thing is I went to Holland the next year and I remember watching the game and it's absolutely I'm watching the game and it's absolutely peamed out and again and like that and I'm going no way where's my where's my where's my and I look behind me and the staff are all on the bench there's about 10 of them on the bench as they all are just sat there all of them umbrother and an umbrella I'm looking back

1:12:54Steve McClaren:and I'm going do you think they're taking a piss out of you

1:12:56Paddy McGuinness:yeah I'm thinking this is a wind up this is a wind are they winding me

1:13:03Steve McClaren:I've got the FA on the umbrella trainer

1:13:06Paddy McGuinness:trainer trainer he's a kit man trainer and I went

1:13:13Steve McClaren:no no Going on to Holland though, that was some achievements. The first time they've ever won the league and probably haven't won it since, I don't know. But that was, what was that like in England? Would that be like the Leicester thing or maybe like a Villa winning the league or something like that? Leicester, yeah, it was massive,

1:13:34Paddy McGuinness:huge.

1:13:34Paul Scholes:What's it like when you still go over there now?

1:13:36Paddy McGuinness:It's great. Yeah, I bet. It's great. It's still, you know, and it was a completely different region. Twent, A little bit like being up north. Yeah. It was similar. You know, it's Farmers Land and things like that. So it's only a small club. But, you know, you always look at United and that's the standard. Can you ever achieve that? Yeah. And that was possibly, I've had it once or twice, that was possibly where it was like that, where the standards were set. And I always remember about halfway through just looking and going. and that time the media and what I was good with the media the media used to sit and watch training so I used to sit on the bench with the media and go how are you doing everything like that oh yeah lads are alright today and everything everyone was out practising doing extra and I always say that is a sign of a damn good club yeah that's what United did extras did more extras

1:14:34Steve McClaren:couldn't get them in

1:14:35Paul Scholes:yeah couldn't get them in

1:14:36Steve McClaren:it was some achievement though Steve wasn't it you think you had the likes of Ajax and PSV of course absolutely I actually read this morning that Ajax won the last 14 games of the season didn't they did you end up winning by one point they never lost Martin Yollick was wasn't it that must have been

1:14:53Paul Scholes:a little bit of a sweater towards the end we had a few you had to win your last away game

1:14:57Paddy McGuinness:we had a few

1:14:58Paul Scholes:at the end what's your team talk on that last game you've got to win what are you saying to them

1:15:04Paddy McGuinness:you know what it was it's famous every given Sunday Any given Sunday? Oh yeah, any given Sunday. The speech? Yeah. Al Pacino. Al Pacino speech? You wouldn't know.

1:15:16Paul Scholes:No.

1:15:17Steve McClaren:I've heard of it. He's never seen the film. Ah, great film. The most dick I had last week, by the way. All week. Merited. Have you never watched the film? Merited. I've said I've watched the film. You said you watched Phone Box. That were it. Let's not go there, are you? No, wait a minute, you're wrong. It's Phone Boone. Yeah, Phone Boone. Sorry, going back.

1:15:35Paddy McGuinness:So you're going... I went to the dressing room. We were only in the little dressing room. I can't remember what the team was. And we got it all set up, rigged up, and we showed the Al Pacino. We put it to 20 music and goals and things like that. Oh, you actually played it? We played it about an hour before they went out. That is unbelievable. So we got the team round, staff in, even the president, everybody. And we went, any given Sunday, this is it. So did you put clips of your team on? Yeah, so you know where they do the American football coach. We put the clips of the players.

1:16:14Steve McClaren:We did that for England for a bit, if you remember. We used to travel on a team coach on the tellers. You used to put videos of us scoring goals and stuff.

1:16:20Paddy McGuinness:Yeah, it did make you feel good. No, it does. It works unbelievably. You can't do it every week, but it works. And we put that on, and then the lights came up. Everyone was bloody crying. I was going. and it was because it is an emotional film and everything we've got to stay together we've got to go and the lights came up and you can see all the players like wow and to be fair I walked out and said to the assistant I said we've won this game really you just knew it

1:16:54Paul Scholes:what was the score Steve we won 2-0 2-0 what a feeling yeah

1:17:00Paddy McGuinness:and then we went back to 20 amazing from Did you leave after you won the league then? I did, I went to Germany, yeah Eric was your number two though, wasn't he? First year, yeah You went to Wolfsburg, didn't you? Yeah, interesting

1:17:18Paul Scholes:Quick fire questions here Steve First one, who was the hardest trainer at United?

1:17:28Paddy McGuinness:I couldn't pick it because they always did extras and you did extras for hours and hours He used to bang on the window, the gaffer. Get him in, get him in. They're all words. But I always remember one day, just looking out the window, it was when we went to Carrington, and Gary Neville and Phil Neville got a bag of balls over the shoulder and they're walking out onto the field. And I watched them and they're the way for half. I got the ball. Throw-ins. Throw-ins.

1:18:00Steve McClaren:Long ones. No, they were unbelievable. Yeah. Just out there.

1:18:05Paddy McGuinness:And then they were just, are we just getting out of the range?

1:18:09Paul Scholes:You know, that is typical Man United standards. And which player you managed or coached would be the best in today's game?

1:18:24Paddy McGuinness:I remember that game. I remember that game. Against Bayern Munich. Legends game. It was a few years ago. Old Trafford. Yeah. And had a decent team. And looked at Bayern's team and then looked at our team.

1:18:44Paddy McGuinness:And he could still be playing, but he could have still been playing. Bex played, he could have still been playing. Yeah. And I think Yap Stam.

1:18:53Steve McClaren:Yap, yeah.

1:18:54Paddy McGuinness:Yap. And I went, he could still play. Really, yeah. in the modern game one on one defender you know when you look at Van Dijk now people like but his strength he was quick

1:19:09Steve McClaren:I think Yap was better than Van Dijk I might be a bit biased but as a one on one defender I've never seen anything like Yap and that freed the rest of the team up as well I don't think people realise me playing in the centre of the field I didn't want to run back I didn't have to all our thoughts scoring goals score goals which is what the manager wanted if you know he's the you just don't think about it then. Paddy, it was unbelievable. The ball, he was going to challenge, he just took the ball off people.

1:19:34Paddy McGuinness:Yeah.

1:19:34Steve McClaren:And then he'd start attacking himself as well, wouldn't he? He was a monster.

1:19:38Paddy McGuinness:He was a monster. He was all around. So one-on-one defending, any transition, no problem, leaving him with anyone. Yeah. And then come and play out with the ball. And every time he went forward, the crowd, he's shooting. Got mad at him. Yeah. Yeah. So he could. He could.

1:19:54Paul Scholes:And any player in your management career that you almost signed, but you never quite got there. Has any of that slipped through the net?

1:20:05Paddy McGuinness:One interesting one when I saw that question pop up was Diego Forlan. All right. So we were interested in Forlan at Borough and my agent and the chief exec went out to countries from Uruguay. Uruguay, yeah. Went out to Uruguay and I said to them, right, go out there on the quiet, talk to him and bring him back here because he was out going to be number 10. I love number 10. Number 10 is going to be the boy. Yeah. So they said, right, we'll do that. So off the flu, got a phone call and we got him. Got him on a plane. Tell me when you land anyway. Phone call. Landed in Heathrow. I said, landed in Heathrow?

1:20:54Paddy McGuinness:great. I said, oh, I've got to get a connection flight to Teesside. Yeah, we've got him. We've got him. Where is he now? Can I speak to him? Ah, he's just nipped off. He's just gone to the toilet. So I went, he's gone to the toilet? Have you followed him? And they went, no, no, no. I said, God, make sure you get in me. Let me, anyway, let me know. Anyway. So about middle afternoon, all of a sudden I get home, not from a frame. I was getting get home, six o 'clock news. And Manchester United had just

1:21:32Paddy McGuinness:unveiled their new signing at Manchester Airport. Diogo Fallon. I'm going, I'm picking up the chief exec. We're still looking for him. I see this in Manchester. The Gafford, the Gafford's stalling him off me. Middlesbrough must have

1:21:52Steve McClaren:paid for his flight over to him. We did. He'd never got that back. Brilliant. It would have been good for you as well, did I go on it?

1:21:59Paul Scholes:Yeah, it would have been perfect for us. Yeah. That's the trouble with, I suppose, clubs like United, once they come in, it's like all bets are off really, aren't they?

1:22:09Paddy McGuinness:Yeah, but we thought we'd done a great plan of getting right round the ball.

1:22:16Paul Scholes:Well, there we go on that bombshell. That's the end of today's The Good, The Bad and The Football. Steve, thank you very much for joining us. Pleasure. Cheers Steve Absolute pleasure Thank you

1:22:26Steve McClaren:Sorry can we just mention Salford first Before we go Well they lost What do you want to talk about You talk about Salford losing every week I was really proud of them though I was really proud of them To be fair No from where we were last year Obviously we got beat 8-0 last year We was all a little bit concerned 2-0 City had 4 shots on target We had 2 shots on target And when did this go

1:22:47Paul Scholes:Because the first one was an own goal

1:22:49Steve McClaren:The second was an 80 odd minute wasn't it Yeah something like that The first goal was after about 3 minutes and I thought here we go it's been a nice little upset that one I actually wondered how long was left when the first goal went in but no look it was great because last year I think we went on a run of winning once in 12 games after last year it really derailed us and we're in a decent position now touch wood we've got a lot of games to catch up on which is going to be tough but we're in a good place and hopefully we can get where we want to be coming into the season thanks for that we play the next five well done Salford

1:23:21Paul Scholes:on your loss on your lunch yeah it was a victory for us it was a win for us thanks for watching you can catch us on all your usual channels Apple, Spotify and YouTube take care

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From the publisher

Paddy McGuinness and Paul Scholes are joined by stand-in co-host, former England manager and Manchester United assistant Steve McClaren. He lifts the lid on working with Cristiano Ronaldo during his return to Old Trafford, explaining how the CR7's relationship with Erik ten Hag deteriorated behind the scenes, how everyone tried to manage the situation, and the shockwaves felt inside the club after that explosive Piers Morgan interview.Steve reflects on his ill-fated spell as England manager too: how he landed the job, leaving out David Beckham, the realities of managing the country, and why the role proved so difficult, from club rivalries spilling into the dressing room to the relentless media pressure that followed the Croatia defeat and the infamous umbrella.He also reflects on his first spell at United and the surreal moment he first thought Sir Alex Ferguson’s call offering him a job was a wind-up, how his first game with the club left him wondering what on Earth could he coach into the players, Fergie's greatest strengths as a manager and the best advice he ever received from the gaffer.He also takes us inside the Manchester United training-ground too, including the time he tore into the squad’s performances starting with Roy Keane, why practice matches were the hardest games of all, how Scholesy used to wind Gary Neville up, and why nobody wanted Fergie joining in possession boxes.Beyond England and United, McClaren also shares how he persuaded Juninho to rejoin Middlesbrough at the 2002 World Cup and how he discovered United had beaten him to sign Diego Forlán after Boro had already flown him over from Uruguay. He also relives winning the Eredivisie title with FC Twente, revealing the emotional team talk that reduced his players to tears before their title-clinching match.If you want to ask the guys anything about football email them at: questions@goodbadfootball.co.uk.Follow The Good, The Bad & The Football:YouTube: www.youtube.com/@goodbadfootballpodInstagram: @goodbadfootballpodX/Twitter: @goodbadftblpodTikTok: goodbadfootballpodFacebook: www.facebook.com/goodbadfootballpod 
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