The Good, The Bad & The Football

Paul, Nicky and Paddy are joined by former Leicester, Liverpool and England striker Emile Heskey. The lads start with Arsenal’s win over Everton and the impact of teenage sensation Max Dowman. Nicky recalls first seeing Dowman play when he was just 14, while Scholesy asks whether the youngster might be the type of player Arsenal have been missing this season. They also discuss the fearless confidence Dowman showed on such a big stage and debate how important the senior players around him will be in shaping his development.Emile reflects on his own breakthrough at Leicester, explaining how Martin O’Neill helped guide him as a young player, while he and Nicky also share how they approach their own sons’ football journeys and why sometimes the best thing parents can do is stay out of the way.Elsewhere, the panel try to make sense of Manchester City’s recent dip after their draw with West Ham. Why have the results gone south? Has Erling Haaland stopped scoring for a reason? And why might Phil Foden be struggling for minutes - could it even affect his World Cup hopes?There’s also debate around Liverpool’s frustrating 1–1 draw with Tottenham, with Scholesy sharing a theory on what might have gone wrong this season. Meanwhile, the lads praise the form of Bruno Fernandes at Manchester United and the resurgence of Casemiro in midfield. Does Bruno get into United’s all-time XI, and is he a genuine Player of the Season contender?The show also tackles some of the stranger moments in football this week, including that bizarre Chelsea huddle that somehow involved the referee, and Liam Rosenior’s claim that his players wanted to “respect the ball” — something Scholesy and Nicky aren’t buying. They also ask whether referees are starting to enjoy the spotlight a little too much, with Paddy offering a theory on why refs should probably go back to being geography teachers.Emile also shares some brilliant stories from his career, from struggling with homesickness after joining Liverpool to the moment he finally felt settled on Merseyside. He looks back on his partnership with Michael Owen, explaining why it was the best strike partnership he played in, how it started with England’s youth teams and why Owen winning the Ballon d’Or didn’t feel like a huge deal inside the dressing room.There are some classic football tales too: Scholesy remembers sharing a room with his hero Mark Hughes, while Nicky reveals why rooming with Les Sealey wasn’t quite as enjoyable. Emile also relives the unforgettable night England beat Germany 5–1 in 2001, explaining the story behind his putting celebration. He opens up about playing under Sven-Göran Eriksson, how he managed to annoy Fabio Capello, the half-time scrap during Turkey v England, and the European giant he nearly signed for… before ending up at Birmingham instead.If you want to ask the guys anything about football email them at: [email protected] The Good, The Bad & The Football:YouTube: www.youtube.com/@goodbadfootballpodInstagram: @goodbadfootballpodX/Twitter: @goodbadftblpodTikTok: goodbadfootballpodFacebook: www.facebook.com/goodbadfootballpodEnter for the chance to win £500k for just 19p  www.thatprizeguy.co.uk

00:00 - Intro
01:15 - Emile's FIGHTS In The Tunnel!
04:10 - Max Dowman Is INSANE!
16:45 - Emile's Sons At Man City
27:05 - What's Happened To Haaland & Foden?
33:15 - The Problem With Liverpool
37:40 - Bruno Fernandes & Casemiro ON FIRE!
42:10 - Chelsea's Weird Tradition
47:55 - Do Footballers Get Homesick?
51:10 - Playing Up Front With Michael Owen
01:00:15 - Germany 1-5 England, Sven & Capello
01:04:25 - Quickfire Questions
01:08:15 - Emile's new app
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Wes Brown joins Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Paddy McGuinness on The Good, The Bad & The Football for a brilliant trip through his time at Manchester United.

Wes explains how one teammate being sick unexpectedly changed his career path and saw him move into defence at United, before reliving his early battles with a teenage Michael Owen and the moment Gary Pallister accidentally revealed he’d be making his debut. The lads debate whether Wes really deserved his reputation for being nasty in training and hear the unbelievable story of how a bust-up on a bus led to him being banned from public transport and asking Sir Alex for a pay rise.

There are brilliant insights into contract negotiations at United, with Roy Keane stepping in to negotiate Wes’s deals, while Paul and Nicky recall how Fergie used Gary Neville and David Beckham as benchmarks to keep the dressing room in line. They also remember their first club cars, how Becks pimped his ride and Nev’s classicly sensible choice.

Ahead of a huge week in the UEFA Champions League, the conversation turns to European nights, from the hostility of Galatasaray to the pressure of playing at the Bernabéu Stadium against Real Madrid. Wes relives marking legends like Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane, facing a teenage Ronaldinho as a schoolboy and later going 1v1 with Lionel Messi. He also opens up about the incredible competition at centre-back for England during his era, why he eventually stepped away from international football, and how the gamers at United — including Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Darren Fletcher — helped team morale.

Elsewhere, Wes reveals how he ended up interviewing Cristiano Ronaldo during his return to United in 2021, shares a hilarious first conversation with Steve Bruce after joining Sunderland, and reflects on battling back from two devastating ACL injuries.

Today’s episode is sponsored by Surfshark! Go to https://surfshark.com/gbf or use code GBF at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!

If you want to ask the guys anything about football email them at: [email protected].

Follow The Good, The Bad & The Football:

YouTube: www.youtube.com/@goodbadfootballpod

Instagram: @goodbadfootballpod

X/Twitter: @goodbadftblpod

TikTok: goodbadfootballpod

Facebook: www.facebook.com/goodbadfootballpod

00:00 - Intro
00:45 - Man United’s Academy
14:30 - Wes’ debut
21:30 - Incredible Sir Alex Story!
35:00 - Dressing Room Stories!
44:50 - Toughest Stadiums To Play In
49:00 - Playing With Ronaldo
54:00 - England defenders
01:00:50 - Quickfire Questions
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Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt & Paddy McGuinness discuss Michael Carrick's long-term future at Manchester United after he equalled the record for best opening nine games as a Premier League. They also discuss what being the Manchester United manager requires.

After a weekend where Manchester City & Arsenal both won, attention turns to the title race, with Paddy changing his mind on who he think will come out on top! Paul & Nicky debate the importance of set-pieces in the modern game and give their thoughts on Arsenal set-piece coach Nico Jover having a bonus in his contract for every set piece scored.

The boys then answer some incredible audience questions, including who would survive the longest on a desert island and ranking Eden Hazard, Gareth Bale & Mohamed Salah.

If you want to ask the guys anything about football email them at: [email protected].

Follow The Good, The Bad & The Football:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@goodbadfootballpod

Instagram: @goodbadfootballpod

X/Twitter: @goodbadftblpod

TikTok: goodbadfootballpod

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodbadfootballpod

00:00 - Intro
02:05 - Michael Carrick's Future
22:55 - How much do professional footballers train?
29:00 - Harry Maguire's insane dive
32:15 - Nicky's Corner RANT
34:45 - Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea
41:30 - Nico Jover's Set Piece BONUS!
43:55 - The Title Race Debate
49:15 - Audience Q&A
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Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt & Paddy McGuinness discuss the fallout from the North London derby, which saw Arsenal restore their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table with statement performances from Eberechi Eze & Viktor Gyokeres.

Nicky describes the feeling in the dressing room of a team in a relegation battle and they debate whether Declan Rice is captain material before chaos ensues with a conversation about the top 5 most difficult sports to play.

If you want to ask the guys anything about football email them at: [email protected].

Follow The Good, The Bad & The Football:

YouTube:    / @goodbadfootballpod  

Instagram: @goodbadfootballpod

X/Twitter: @goodbadftblpod

TikTok: goodbadfootballpod

Facebook:   / goodbadfootballpod  
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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: [email protected] The Good, The Bad & The Football:YouTube: www.youtube.com/@goodbadfootballpodInstagram: @goodbadfootballpodX/Twitter: @goodbadftblpodTikTok: goodbadfootballpodFacebook: www.facebook.com/goodbadfootballpod 
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