Football Daily - In Focus with Pep Guardiola

Episode Date: August 3, 2022

Steve Crossman speaks to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola about playing golf and spending time with family during the summer break, why emotions are more important to him than stats in football a...nd how Erling Haaland is settling in.They also discuss why Pep has embraced the city of Manchester so much, what he plans to do when he retires and why the club’s fanbase around the world is so important to him.Steve’s also joined by former City midfielder Michael Brown to reflect on Guardiola’s words, what the signing of Haaland says about the club’s status and whether he thinks Pep’s more relaxed than what we see on the touchline.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 BBC Sounds Music Radio Podcasts This is the Football Daily with Steve Crossman Welcome to
Starting point is 00:00:13 the Football Daily I'm Steve Crossman Michael Brown's with me Thanks for having me What's this going to be called? All About Steve and Pep or just All About Pep?
Starting point is 00:00:22 Or All About Steve All About Steve That's even better innit? Everything's All About Steve Do you or just all about Pep? Or all about Steve. All about Steve. That's even better, isn't it? Everything's all about Steve. Do you reckon they could make this headline all about Steve? No. Do you think they could? I don't know how long this podcast is going to be, Michael,
Starting point is 00:00:34 but I don't think a discussion about me we could sustain for more than five minutes without people switching off. Oh, I don't know. Sunday, you can hold it for hours, mate, can't you? We're not talking about me, are we? I know, we'll talk about Pep. It's going to be good, though, isn't it? Yeah, right. So, cards on the table. We are here inside a massive aircraft hangar at Manchester City's Media Day.
Starting point is 00:00:54 One interview and one interview only, but the one Michael Brown that they all want. Well, it's the big man himself. He's looking very smart. I've seen him walking around earlier. But it's a big day, isn't it? All the players get to put the different kits on, walk around the different media outlets. You can see them walking around, sort of getting the pictures taken, doing some different things. It's a player's nightmare, surely. It is, because you're wondering how daft you look when you go to the camera and try and make this particular stance or this stand. Did you have to do this?
Starting point is 00:01:27 Yeah, you had to do it. And then your teammates are behind you laughing, giggling, seeing what you do, putting a bit of pressure on you while you're down the lens. And it's just getting bigger and bigger. We've seen ones over there which are like a virtual camera running around you while the player had to take a touch at the same time. And the standard ones that you just walk down the lens. And different ones I've just seen only recently you come in and say something and it looks like
Starting point is 00:01:48 the the young kids can come and join them in sort of like a 3d 4d sort of picture so that'd be quite nice so to describe what we've got in front of us we've basically got loads of green screens so that all of this fancy stuff can be printed on it. And yet here we are for Five Live sitting on what is effectively a foam box with Manchester City running it. Where's the budget gone? Well, the budget's gone, Steve, and many, many things,
Starting point is 00:02:15 but this is where we are. We can handle it, Steve. We can handle just sitting on a little foam area. That's a little divide that goes in between the pitches here and the split up this indoor complex but um can i tell you brownie i've got cramp because right sitting down with pep guardiola um i'm not gonna lie to you i picked my sitting position i was trying to look as relaxed as possible with like you know my leg crossed and it went dead after about two minutes and you didn't dare move
Starting point is 00:02:43 did you i seen when you stood up straight after it, literally you were walking in a real funny way. I was a bit worried for you, to be honest. But just relax. It's only Pep. You're all uptight, tense. No. Just relax and talk to him normally.
Starting point is 00:02:55 No, it's fine. No, I was not uptight at all. I just realised after two minutes that I wouldn't be able to stand up at the end of the interview. So I had to hop over to shake his hand to say thanks very much. Do you know what I was wondering like doing you sit there as well is is with pep he can be a little bit the first answer that comes back can be been quite right back on you for the interview and
Starting point is 00:03:14 really on the back foot and then over a little bit of time he generally warms up or goes the other way it depends so do you know do you do you feel like when you're going to interview somebody like pep you've done them so many times how do you get into that to try and make him relax ooh that's a good question I mean
Starting point is 00:03:31 this is all about Steve well no I was just wondering it's about that but because he's got that aura yeah he scares a lot of people away straight away
Starting point is 00:03:40 with the questions that they would like to ask him this is a relaxed one isn't it really yeah where actually we're talking about the football the Premier League how you've, isn't it, really? Yeah, it's easy. Where actually we're talking about the football, the Premier League, how you've enjoyed your summer. It's easy for us and it's easy for him.
Starting point is 00:03:49 And so do you think, is your perception there straight away a little bit more relaxed because you know he probably will be? Well, you won't believe this, but the way I dress, Michael, it's not just because I'm really scruffy. That's why you keep doing podcasts, Steve. I can see you getting by your clothes.
Starting point is 00:04:04 Are those trainers white or are they... No, they're off-white. They were white. Extremely off-white now, aren't they, Steve, to be honest. But look, yeah, you try and relax them. Shall we hear the interview? I think we should do that. I think we'll see how you start yourself, can't we? Okay. Here is the Manchester City
Starting point is 00:04:20 manager, Pep Guardiola. Pep, how are you? Good, thanks. Have you managed to refresh? Is there a way that you can sort of take your mind away from football a little bit at all? Yeah, a little bit, of course. What do you do? Family. Family time.
Starting point is 00:04:34 Home. Some trips, short, but home. Basically home. Do you have like another sport that you can watch? Always golf? Yeah, sometimes I play golf as much as possible. I remember you saying
Starting point is 00:04:48 that you weren't too pleased that the last day of the Premier League was the last day of the Masters, right? Yeah, that's right. That's right. I was angry
Starting point is 00:04:54 because they have to do it when we can watch it all but we enjoy it. So here when Sky give us the golf make an incredible incredible you know the organisational event But we enjoyed it. So here, when Sky gave us the goals,
Starting point is 00:05:06 make it incredible, incredible. You know, they organized the event. So 24 hours watching the driving range and all the players, so it's really nice. You catch any of the Open? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We were here, especially the first, yeah, the first one or two days.
Starting point is 00:05:21 And after we traveled to States in the final round, we watch it there the last, you know lines hold yeah it was so emotional so yeah. How much time is your phone off before the tour happens in that break between the end of the season is it off for even a day? No no I don't talk much by the phone I don't get much messages so be with the family that's what you have done. So you can switch off. Yeah, yeah, definitely.
Starting point is 00:05:48 Don't be in the turning ground, on the grass. We can switch off, definitely. I read an interview that someone you know very well, Paco Gomes, who played with you for Spain and is a coach as well, he was saying, I love spending time with Pep. I love playing golf with Pep. And he said, the thing with Pep is he gives 100% in every single minute. And that's what you need to be a top manager.
Starting point is 00:06:11 Do you agree with that? I think all the managers who love a lot, they are 24 hours connected. So always there are ideas and new things and suggestions for a staff, for your staff, for, you know or the opponents create problems, and everything is a new game, it's a new challenge. So I regret I don't have Paco Gomes swing. He's an incredible golf player,
Starting point is 00:06:33 incredible one. He's really, really, really good. And yeah, it was fun to see him. Would you describe yourself as being an intense guy? I've seen people describe you as intense. Well, I think I'm not. I'm not. I'm a calm guy.
Starting point is 00:06:49 But my profession I try to take it seriously for what I represent for our especially the guys who hire you and especially for what you represent
Starting point is 00:06:59 because a lot of football is feelings. It's not about tactics or about anything. It's feelings. How you can produce feelings for the people who love each other, who love ourselves. You know, love especially this club. And that's why you have to be serious sometimes when the situation is going wrong.
Starting point is 00:07:14 You have to be there. And the players must feel that we work for them 24 hours. They have to be ready for the time with training. But the rest of the day you have to be there. And we work for them and they know it. They know we are there for them, but I'm not. I'm a calm, really, really calm guy. It's interesting you say football is about feelings, because you know how it is.
Starting point is 00:07:34 Football these days is a wash with numbers, it's a wash with statistics. But as a manager, is it always personal relationships? Is that still and will always be the most important thing? Football is feelings, emotions, absolutely. Stats, listen, when I read stats, don't make me happier. When I see the numbers, 40 goals, 50 goals, don't give me anything. It's the same for Premier League. Right now, it's nice, but don't prove me something special.
Starting point is 00:08:02 Emotions is the right moment, you know, when you are there and what the players are able to produce for all the people we are outside. I'm part of that. So what we're going to try is to let them think everyone in the same way, be ambitious enough to still be starving and hungry enough to continue and do it again and do it again. And this is our job. Are you still starving? Are you still hungry?
Starting point is 00:08:27 Definitely. You know, when you win, you produce, and especially the way we won last season when Ilkhan scored the goals at the end, or, you know, with Rodri, but the last goal, when you leave that, I said, I want more. I know you have a big, big, long process, but yeah, to try to still the players enjoy playing football. What about if those statistics were number of medals
Starting point is 00:08:53 or number of trophies? Is that not the thing you use to judge yourself by then? Listen, in sport and everything, we have the memories. Our fans have the memories of what we have done. And I don't deny it's so nice what we have done in the last five years, won four Premier Leagues in this country, in this competition, with an amount of incredible talent, managers and players. So it's, I will never forget it, never ever.
Starting point is 00:09:18 But at the same time, it's gone, it's done, it's the past. So life is belief for once in our lifetime. We have a new challenge ahead of us, and we have to take it, and I'm pretty sure we'll do it. I watched a video this morning that the F1 driver Sebastian Vettel did, and it's about his career, because he's retiring, amazing career, and he was saying that, you know, I am this guy, this winner, but also there is another me, you know, there is another me as the guy away from football. Is this the same with you, do you think?
Starting point is 00:09:48 Absolutely. I love my job. I will try to do it if someone wants me until as much as I want, but I am pretty sure that when I am going to retire, I have many, many things to do I want to do, and I will do another person. Absolutely. It's not just football my life
Starting point is 00:10:05 is it I would say right now it's almost the most important part of my life but I will do many many other things and I will maybe will live perfectly what's on that list I will play more golf I will be more with my family I will start to study French I still still cannot speak, I won't speak. I will start to cook. I want to be a decent cooker to me, at least the simple things. I will travel to places I have not been. I will be more with my sisters I have not been. I will be more with my nephews and my brother.
Starting point is 00:10:39 I will try to follow more what my son and my two daughters do. So yeah, many things speaking of cooking i have been to your to your restaurant in manchester and it's not just that you also have you know we've seen you singing oasis after big victories as well i know that manchester city fans love how manchester has become such a big part of your life I mean how could it not after six years but how important is that you know to really embrace and immerse yourself in the city of the team you manage from the day one I felt comfortable and be comfortable means many many things but this is a reality so I love this dark side for Manchester the underground places and the bars and the typical restaurants.
Starting point is 00:11:28 And the people were so kind. And that's why I embraced this reality. So I felt I feel so comfortable. Anybody who, like us, lives around Manchester will have seen Erling Haaland. Some will have seen him in person because he's been in the local supermarkets and this kind of thing. It's nice, isn't it? Is he settling in well?
Starting point is 00:11:48 Yeah, but you know, the people sometimes, it quite surprised me for the fact, oh, Erling Haaland go to the supermarket. What's the problem? So the people go to the supermarket. So he can go to the supermarket, you know,
Starting point is 00:12:00 and go to the cinemas and go to maybe the theatres or go to the restaurants. And, you know, yeah, we go more in the TV, but the people go to the toilet, you know, and go to the cinemas and go to maybe the theatres or go to the restaurants. Yeah, we go more in the TV, but the people go to the toilet, you know, clean the teeth. We do these kind of things. Even the people maybe don't expect it, we do it. And Erling is not an exception of that.
Starting point is 00:12:17 Maybe that's because, you know, Manchester City has had so much amazing success, you know, most of it since you took over. Before you, a couple of Premier League titles as well. But maybe for fans this is the first time when a player has arrived who is within that really exclusive group of the most wanted footballers on the planet. Yeah, maybe it's right. We cannot deny how incredible numbers and talent it is and what I saw of him so far is a huge competitor and every training session is incredible focus to do it so there's no doubt about that but we had a
Starting point is 00:12:50 lot of legends here yeah star for the legend our legend Sergio that his contribution had been the way we are right now Sergio Vincent company Pablo Zabaleta Joe Joe Hart, David Silva. But maybe those are players who became legends here. Yeah, maybe. Yeah, you're right. You're right. Maybe we could not do it, or maybe they choose another club because the charisma had come from Barcelona, Madrid, Bayern Munich. You know, it's higher than us because we are new in the highest hierarchy in Europe.
Starting point is 00:13:21 We are new, just one decade, and they are a long, long history. And maybe you're right. So we know one when the most followed strikers or players, they come here. That is a proof that we have done really well. I remember in this preseason when in the States five years ago, six years ago, and it was a few, few blue t-shirts in the stands. And these last games against Bayern Munich and against America it was a lot so that means that people follow us you know the people follow the the winners and we won a lot these last years and the people support us all around the world and that is incredible the big big big honor you know to to be part all of us to to this success. So when you were in America you got to spend a bit of time
Starting point is 00:14:02 with Aaron Rodgers you know legendary NFL quarterback and I wondered if you know when you were in America, you got to spend a bit of time with Aaron Rodgers, legendary NFL quarterback. And I wondered if when you see somebody like that and the players you've coached, City, Barcelona, we could talk all day. We don't have time to name them all. But I wondered, is there something about those elite athletes where they stand a little taller or they have some kind of aura around them? Of course, what I said is an incredible honor. So before it didn't happen, maybe we didn't even travel to do a tour. And Aaron Rodgers came, I have to say it was an incredible surprise how nice he is. We talked about if he could come here and see the facility,
Starting point is 00:14:38 spend one week, few days and see Champions League games, Premier League games and see Indarek. Yeah, it's a privilege. When I was in Barcelona, we were in Barcelona. So I remember Kobe Bryant playing with us, a football game, a small game and important personalities in world football, world sport. And could see us and, you know, even for the players, you know, Kevin was with them and Erling was with them, with Aaron.
Starting point is 00:15:04 So that's good. At the end the connection for all the people, all the athletes in all the sports, all the connections are there. You can watch sometimes a golf player like you admire and talk a little bit about, I don't know, swing, about how they behave or how the mentality. Yeah, this kind of trips or organization, they help us to do it. When you coach somebody at that very, very elite level, do you have to treat them differently or do you have to treat them exactly the same as everyone else? Well, when you approach a little bit, you are a little bit careful
Starting point is 00:15:41 because I don't know personally how to react. But it depends on him you are more open and I had to be a Roger was so kind so amazing shirt
Starting point is 00:15:51 one of his t-shirts and this stadium was in Wisconsin in Green Bay what a it was so good and the stadium
Starting point is 00:16:01 and playing there was nice Pep such a pleasure to talk to you thank you so much a pleasure for you guys of course wish you the to talk to you thank you so much a pleasure for you guys of course
Starting point is 00:16:06 wish you the best for the season thank you so much that is Pep Guardiola this is the Football Daily we've got Michael Brown with us Jack Grealish
Starting point is 00:16:15 is just signing some shirts about 20 metres away from us Michael should we get him over should we get Jack over we'll get told off
Starting point is 00:16:21 won't we if we pull them straight into our podcast massively I think that interview with Pep I feel like we've built pull them straight into our podcast here massively I mean I think that interview with Pep I mean I feel like you know we've built some
Starting point is 00:16:26 good relationships there I'm not massively keen to smash it to pieces with an unlicensed interview but he was good there wasn't he
Starting point is 00:16:34 in his interview and listening to certain things about the pressure of stats not really a one for certain amounts of stats or what he creates
Starting point is 00:16:43 about winning trophies not necessarily for personal gain, for memories for the Manchester City supporters. Let's talk about Haaland first then, because we got into that quite a lot. And I thought it was really interesting that, you tell me if I'm wrong, but I feel like he was coming round to the fact that maybe an Erling Haaland is a player that City couldn't maybe have signed six years ago when he arrived,
Starting point is 00:17:05 but can now? It's hard to argue that, isn't it? The players that have come in, not necessarily the top, top world stars, but obviously left being world stars. I think that's the difference. I think that's what you were trying to achieve with the actual question. But the point was right. Erling Haaland now is that world star. Everybody wanted to sign him. Everybody was looking to see where his next move was and how about how he's coming to the building, the introduction to him in front of all the supporters, how he took that.
Starting point is 00:17:37 I was backstage there, I was working for City and got to see that, speak to his dad about how he's going to take on the challenge. And his dad was actually saying, well, he'd be really frightened to go into that dressing room, what he's got to go at. But he seemed to be so confident. He said he was really shocked in his son, how confident he was, how he wants to take it head on, how he believes he should be in that dressing room.
Starting point is 00:18:00 And I think that tells you there's a world start already there with the right mentality. Did you play with his dad? No, I just missed him, unfortunately. I actually asked him, he said, are you enjoying the media side of it? I said, I am. I said, what about you? And he said to me, he said,
Starting point is 00:18:15 I did it for a little while, but then I started to just concentrate on it helping my son. I said, well, you seemed to do an extremely good job, didn't you? And he just laughed and he's still so supportive because I think that's what's important but just watching him
Starting point is 00:18:30 is the aura around Erling Haaland around the players on his can you feel it yeah you can feel it straight away and I think the players
Starting point is 00:18:37 are excited to play with him let's have a look at you let's see what you've got we want to challenge you see how good you are and it seems to be a great mix so a lot of pressure on him straight away obviously getting that goal against Bayern Munich the other night Let's see what you've got. We want to challenge you, see how good you are. And it seems to be a great mix.
Starting point is 00:18:46 So a lot of pressure on him straight away. Obviously getting that goal against Bayern Munich the other night, it was just straight away, here he is. One touch and he scores. What is it like for, because what I'm trying to get a handle on is, you were saying that Alfie Haaland is basically saying that, you know, he would have felt a certain way going into a dressing room like this. He can see Erling doesn't. How rare is it to have a player walk in and just immediately it feels to them and maybe it feels
Starting point is 00:19:09 to you that they own the place well I think you've got to look and and in certain clubs they go and sign a big player don't they yeah but this is Manchester City now at a whole new level of players and they're very much a team ethic group rather than one in particular individuals which we've seen at other clubs world stars for instance here everybody has to be on the same page they have to track back they have to run they have to behave they have to fit into the group and and be social within that group as well you know because it's a real um tight-knit group who have fun uh that not everybody sees, in regards to around the place,
Starting point is 00:19:49 but actually when you know in the camp, it's a fun place, which is very, very important. Pep Guardiola encourages it. They get some good team days together. And I think he'll fit in well because he's got that confidence and that aura to go and do it. So they're looking, as I say,
Starting point is 00:20:02 really at him in a big way to say, what are you going to deliver for us? And that's what's strange here, isn't it? We started with all about me. We effectively know it's all about Pep. I'm briefly going to make it all about Brownie. Because I want to know how you feel. As someone for whom Manchester City
Starting point is 00:20:18 means an awful lot, how important is it to you the way that Pep Guardiola has and continues to embrace the city because what I liked was we've seen the cigar and the oasis singing you know we know he owns a restaurant but actually just him describing what he likes about Manchester you could I feel like you could hear a bit of passion in the voice there well there is he said he was he felt it was very very important to support the city that he worked in straight away from the very very start and he has
Starting point is 00:20:45 been and like you mentioned he's invested in areas as well I think he's always the first to help people out in and around the community encourage local events local charities etc and he knows and understands now and he's learned that over the way he wanted to learn that didn't want to shut it out is the things he would like to be different in Manchester of course he's from a different culture a different country and but he certainly learned to live with it and try to to help improve I think you've seen not only with Manchester City we've seen a huge improvement in the city over the last few years the regeneration of that so I think it's important with the football clubs in Manchester as well to keep helping that situation with international players and talent and and people who are known worldwide
Starting point is 00:21:30 to come and embrace that I think it's a place now where people want to come and play the football yes we've always had certain ways but I think I feel now of oh we want to go to London I think now Manchester's at that level where they say yeah yeah, let's go. I want to see Manchester. And the players are living in the city. We've seen Calvin Phillips early in Highland coming to the football club
Starting point is 00:21:50 and then moving into the middle of Manchester, not on the outskirts. And he never mentioned the weather. Well, I think he was waiting for that for next week's interview.
Starting point is 00:21:59 There's always an if and a but in the weather in the North West, Steve. We're not that spoilt at times, but it could be worse. Like a top journalist that you are, you were making notes. What else have you got?
Starting point is 00:22:09 Because as you can imagine, I mean, I took most of it in, but I was like eye contact, eye contact, trying to focus on what he was saying. No, I just think his sort of understanding of what these players should be like. I think that was quite funny that he was was Erling Haaland should be able to go to the theatre, to brush his teeth, to go to the supermarket. Why is it a big shock?
Starting point is 00:22:32 These players still do everyday life and they should be able to do that. And when the world stars, it's not always that easy to do that, is it? But I think the one thing I liked listening to pet was what he wants to do when he finishes because he says he's quite relaxed um and i don't feel like he is relaxed at all he's not intense we know he's intense he knows he is but what he's saying is you don't necessarily know his character from when he leaves here to go at home relax with that glass of wine go and spend time with family loves his golf for instance and that's what we're not seeing and listening to saying he wants to be really good cook when he finishes he wants to go and play tennis with
Starting point is 00:23:13 family he wants to go golf and he wants to be as good and you would feel he'd be quite competitive with all of those wouldn't you away from the building but it's getting a good insight into Pep Guardiola, not just on the sideline, day-to-day, how he trains. We know he's intense, but only certain people in that circle, because he must be frightened as well, to let people see the true relaxed side of Pep Guardiola. Why frightened? Well, I think we find with the football now
Starting point is 00:23:43 and the bigger groups, the higher the profile the people are, they don't let people into that circle Dwi'n credu ein bod ni'n ei ddod o hyd i'r ffwrdd gyda'r chwaraeon fwyaf nawr, y fwyaf o'r profil y mae pobl yn eu bod yn. Dydyn nhw ddim yn gadael pobl i mewn i'r cwmpas hwnnw oherwydd mae'n broblem ymddiriedol. Mae'n rhaid i nhw ddeall y tro ymddiriedol, dysgu i ffyrdd, dysgu i wybod pobl. Byddai'n anodd iawn i Pep Guardiola, ond nid ydym yn gwybod yn llawer am ei berson prif, beth mae'n ei fod yn, y charakter. Rydyn ni'n ei gwybod yn Manchester City, felly byddai'n gweithio'n ymdrech i'w grŵp, rwy'n siŵr. really know so much about his private person what he's like that type of character and because we only know him as Manchester City so he'll have his close-knit group I'm sure and I think that's
Starting point is 00:24:10 just the way the world is at the moment what I think it suggests as well is that you know if we'd have had like an hour with Pep Guardiola I would have been asking him about Cruyff and Sir Bobby Robson and what he learned from them but like Sir Bobby Sir Bobby, he coached into his 70s. The way Pep Guardiola talks, whenever he calls it a day, one, he's not going to be that old, and two, I can't see him becoming a pundit and being on TV all the time from the way he was talking. He's got a long list of stuff he wants to do there.
Starting point is 00:24:41 He has, hasn't he, with different countries in there as well. Obviously, he's here. We've questioned this before about how long he will spend at manchester city that day will come we should have asked that question yeah we're gonna say well obviously he's committed he's a real question cross ask a proper question you just sat on the fence steve being very very nice and um thought you could have put some right punchy ones in i would have probably had a go and um so how are you going to play harland then what's the difference um it's not frost nine how are you going to play Haaland then? What's the difference? It's not Frostnick. It's not Frostnick.
Starting point is 00:25:07 That's the sort of questions I would say. What are you going to do different with this nine? You've spent this money, but you've sat on the fence. It's a long season. I'm sure you'll get after him with a few of those questions. But, you know,
Starting point is 00:25:17 it would be great to sit and have longer with him, wouldn't you, and try to find out, pick his brain a little bit more. But I can imagine... Listen, I'm happy with 15 minutes. That was great. Well, if I'm honest, you said... What? with him wouldn't you and try to find out pick his brain a little bit more but I can imagine you probably had those same questions I'm happy with 15 minutes
Starting point is 00:25:26 that was great well if I'm honest you said what you've got a good relationship you haven't broke those bridges yeah I'm looking at Alex
Starting point is 00:25:34 head of media and he's saying 15 minutes because you're going over and there's another question oh no so I think you might have no I haven't
Starting point is 00:25:40 you might have upset them slightly I think it was about 16 and a half you did at the end oh really yeah I think they'll be alright with you no they did in the end. Oh really? Yeah I think they'll be alright with you.
Starting point is 00:25:46 No they've been very good to us here at Manchester City and I would never ever miss that. We know that, we're only joking
Starting point is 00:25:53 Alex, they were really good but it was a good interview, good sit down, very relaxed wasn't it and like I say you don't often see Pep
Starting point is 00:25:59 Guardiola that relaxed for that length of time so I think it's really going to be a good listen all round. And obviously, not just the audio, the visual side of it, see how relaxed he is sitting in that chair.
Starting point is 00:26:12 I think it'll be a really good one for people to go and watch. You've reminded me that interview will also be on Football Focus. It's not your first time, Michael, is it? It is. Don't know when, at some point, let's just say it. So the full interview will be on Football Focus as well. Any other business, Michael is it? It is. Don't know when at some point let's just say it so the full interview will be on Football Focus as well.
Starting point is 00:26:27 Any other business Michael? Happy? Yeah happy I can't wait I'm at the Community Shield on Saturday working for Manchester City so we're doing a few bits there
Starting point is 00:26:36 pitch side and the game and I'm saying is this going to be the real start of the new sort of the remixed team
Starting point is 00:26:44 are we going to see something different from Pep Guardiola. We just had a slight glimpse of some set pieces over in the background just earlier before the players come in and I'm really looking forward to the season. It's going to be exciting and we'll see some challenges from different clubs but yeah, great day. We're getting close now. You never saw
Starting point is 00:26:59 Kyle Walker, did you today? Or did you see him when I was with you? Oh I did, I've got some great content. Have you? Yeah, I've got some great content have you yeah I've got some great content of him doing all his media side of it so he'll he'll get a little bit of stick of that
Starting point is 00:27:09 walking on we've got some so you're showing me so basically you've been videoing Kyle Walker we just videoed him for a little bit of context like a super fan
Starting point is 00:27:17 well not necessarily a super fan Steve no you can give me a little bit this is Sheffield United link I'm guessing yeah you know we do a bit together occasionally,
Starting point is 00:27:26 you know, every now and then. Look at you going all shy now. I'm not going shy at all, Steve, you know that. No, it was coming over, but when Pep Guardiola takes the seat, what can we do? True story, true story. Oh, this is a bit squeaky, isn't it?
Starting point is 00:27:38 I think the time has come for us to say goodbye for now, hasn't it? No, why not? I think the pod's a long time, isn't it? We can carry on talking about Manchester City. I enjoy talking about it. There's other clubs who are getting excited to get to the Premier League
Starting point is 00:27:51 or Championship clubs wanting to change. We're all about Manchester City today, their media day, and it's going to be all about Pep and nothing else. We can talk about your trainers, but I think we should leave them. I agree. It's always a pleasure, Michael,
Starting point is 00:28:02 and much more to come this season. Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. Can't wait to get going. New Premier League rights deal for this season as well. We've got the 5.30 kick-off on a Saturday. And as always,
Starting point is 00:28:14 fully covered, two live games on Premier League Sunday. The only place to hear Premier League football on the radio on a Sunday afternoon. This is the Football Daily
Starting point is 00:28:24 with Steve Crossman. on the radio on a Sunday afternoon.

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