Show Notes
Fourteen men have managed the England men’s team since Sir Alf Ramsey won the World Cup in 1966, and none have come close to repeating the feat. Under high expectation, intense scrutiny and crippling pressure, a series of England managers have been hounded, humiliated, abused and, in Sam Allardyce’s case, stung by a ruthless media. No wonder Graham Taylor called it “the impossible job”.
In this week’s episode of “Copa Independent” – The Independent’s new World Cup podcast – chief sports writer Lawrence Ostlere is joined by chief football writer Miguel Delaney and senior sports writer Kieran Jackson to discuss what it takes to be the England manager, why it’s so “impossible” and whether a foreign coach like Thomas Tuchel is the answer.
The episode also features a debate on our all-time World Cup XI, as they attempt to select a central midfielder to play alongside German great Lothar Matthaus, with plenty of disagreement before eventually settling on a player who has never won the World Cup. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from Copa Independent
The Ballon d’Or has become increasingly political, with player branding, club lobbying and voting blocs all playing their part. But what should the award recognise? In the latest episode of Copa Independent, Lawrence Ostlere, Miguel Delaney and Richard Jolly debate whether it should go to the best player or the most valuable over a 12-month period — and how much weight should be given to trophies, stats, influence, “magic” and the impact of World Cup years.
Lawrence Ostlere is joined from Anfield by Miguel Delaney and Richard Jolly immediately after Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Liverpool in a match overshadowed by the recent guilty verdict and ongoing appeal, creating a sense of uncertainty and “freakish” unreality around the match, and the Premier League. They discuss the atmosphere at Anfield—frustration more than fury—alongside City fans’ defiant chants, retro shirts and inflatable bananas, and debate how much the result can mean for a season distorted by pending sanctions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Are Liverpool about to see the real Alexander Isaak? How long can Carrick last at Man Utd? These questions seem a touch mundane after what we've been through in the last two weeks but the Premier League is back! Even though it may never be the same....
Lawrence Ostlere is joined by Miguel Delaney for another impromptu episode of Copa Independent to react hours after an independent commission’s verdict on Manchester City was released, which finds the club guilty of almost all Premier League charges and arranging “sham” sponsorships to inflate revenue by more than £830m over nine years, misstating accounts, concealing finances from auditors and regulators, and repeatedly breaching cooperation duties. Will the Premier League ever be the same again? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In an impromptu episode of Copa Independent, Lawrence Ostlere and Miguel Delaney react to the news that Manchester City are to be found guilty of almost all Premier League charges stemming from the 2018 football leaks revelations.