Friday Football Podcast Round-Up Sept. 16-29

The last couple weeks I was roadtripping in Scotland so I couldn't do this. So I included a couple from last week.

Every Friday I will be recaping 4-5 shows in the wide world of football podcasts so that you can find some gems to listen to. Explore new topics and learn more about the game you already love. I don't intend to critique the show or the hosts of the show. Instead, I want to give you an array of samples, like a man holding 4 trays at a mall food court. Sample and see what you want to invest your precious time in.

Please note: I will not be including shows that focus on game results but instead on shows >50% on non-game result based discussion. This is because, as it is a round-up most people don't want to listen to people talk about game result based discussion 6+ days after the said games.

The Lob:

Uli Hasse and the State of German Football

Uli Hesse is the best-selling author of Tor!, Bayern Munich: Creating A Global Superclub and Alles BVB.

Topics discussed:

• Ignorance of English fans in regard to German football

• The Miracle of Bern and how it was a seminal moment in German football

• Why Uli Hesse got hooked on baseball and it’s impact on his writing

• Comparing and contrasting Italian and German football

• An examination of the German model that led to success in 2014 and what prompted it

• The possible end of the 50+1 rule and why Germany may struggle if it doesn’t

• The origin of RB Leipzig

• How fans are stakeholders and less customers

Interesting Moments:

Talking about Dortmund’s youth program in the 90’s and why they were so successful and yet ultimately failed. A great story about Kasey Keller and watching his son play football.

Favorite Quotes:

“Do the Germans know that everyone hates them?”

“We still have that idea that football is not part of the entertainment industry. Football is a communal experience and the clubs are there to cater to the communities.”- Uli Hasse

Things I learned:

The German national team won the 1954 World Cup with amateur footballers and that the German league wasn’t professional until the 60’s. Terrace/standing seating never ended in Germany, only in European games. When paid viewing of games on TV, like cable in the US or UK, came about fans boycotted games were considered a right so Germany doesn’t generate the same amount of revenue as the Premier League

You’d like this if….. you like the mix of football and politics, want to learn about the origins of German football and what its future may look like.

Player DP:

THE UNITED APPROACH: PAUL MCGUINNESS

Paul McGuinness was immersed in the world of Manchester United as a player and coach for 28 years.

Summary:

Paul learnt his craft from his father Wilf, a Manchester United Manager and was mentored by the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Matt Busby, Tony Whelan and more. PDP Editor Dave Wright sits down with Paul to discuss sharing incredible stories of the culture and family values of the club and how he and his colleagues instilled them in the academy.

Paul also speaks of his time coaching Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and others, the use of mix aged groups, creative play and cage football. Having overseen 86 graduates at the Manchester United Academy, Paul is a man with a wealth of knowledge for all coaches to learn from. He also discusses…

• coaching as an art vs science

• what he looks for in a player, (FEARLESSNESS & more)

• dangers of money in the game

Interesting Moments:

Showing up at charity matches on weekends and playing with legends like George Best. He makes an analogy with coaching and baking. Discusses the gangly 16 year old Michael Keane and ties him to illustrate a point on “belief.”

Great quotes:

“We played 13-a-side. We found that was just the best number to make it just chaotic enough to get the fine skills you have you have to time, you have to disguise, you have to quick play, one twos, reading the game, quick reactions.”- Paul McGuinness

“You’re a privileged spectator!”- Paul McGuinness

“Play is the highest for of research.”- Einstein

“It’s a mixture and that mixture, the way you mix it is the art, knowing the ingredients is the science and the art is putting it all together so you have the right mix.” - Paul McGuinness

“Get yourself in the room.” - Paul McGuinness

Things I learned:

Mixing ages is great because it taught older players leadership and how to teach younger players which increased comprehension. The way to maximizing top talent is by stretching the basics, or raising the standard. So the standard is far beyond the basics. If you want to be a successful get yourself in the room with other great coaches. This could be applied to any profession.

You’d like this if….. you’re a young coach, you’re interested in Manchester United’s culture and like youth development.

Dummy: Interviews with smart people about soccer

The most powerful American, and the most hateful fan group, in world soccer

Topics discussed:

• Noah Davis talks about his article and interactions with President of U.S. Soccer, Sunil Gulati.

• They examine the character of Gulati and his chief motivations.

• They examine Gulati’s decision to make MLS a single entity system. They investigate Gulati’s role in the election of FIFA President Infantino.

• Sam Patters discusses La Familia, the ultras group of Beitar Jerusalem, and one of the most violent groups in the world.

• He talks about their episodes of violence and the various owners of Beitar Jerusalem, one of which was an arms dealer, and he’s not even the shadiest or most “colorful.”

• He then goes into the personal story of one of the members of La Familia and his radical transformation.

Interesting Moments:

Gulati travels more than 300,000 air miles a year. Davis tells a lovely story about Bruce Arena, Tab Ramos and cleats. They openly chant to being racist and calling Muhammad a son of a bitch. In 2013, they famously burnt the team clubhouse to the ground.

Great quotes:

“The difference between Chuck and Sunil is Chuck cared about money, Sunil cared about power.”-Noah Davis quoting person close to Sunil Gulati

Things I learned:

Sunil Gulati is a professor of economics in Columbia. Israel doesn’t like extraditing people to France. The Israeli league has been attracting Muslim players for 40-50 years.

You’d like this if…..like shady owners, crazy fans, and the politics of FIFA & US soccer.

You can listen to the show here.