Do England have it in them to beat Spain at Wembley?

James Richardson (0:00)

Totally Football Show, international break, it's underway. Let's get through this together, eh?

Today, we're talking England, Spain, and also England's pain. Do they not have it in them? Netherlands have have in them. Catalan, one of the hosts of new managers as these international fixtures roll round, Klopp, Zidane, Pocognoli, among the others. We'll hear about their plans as the Nations League starts up, remind ourselves what it is, and look at some further flung fixtures to Brazil in India and USA with their teenage sensation Cavan Sullivan. It's The Totally Football Show. Thursday 24th September, very exciting lineup for you today. We've got Duncan Alexander, Tom Williams, we've got Felipe Cardenas on the way, and Jack Lang as well.

Jack Lang (0:48)

Hello.

James Richardson (0:49)

Hi Jack. Close your eyes, you could almost be back in the Ranchito Avenue having a World Cup marooned in Mexico.

Jack Lang (0:57)

There are worse places to be marooned, but yeah, it was 28 nights in the same hotel was an experience.

Duncan Alexander (1:04)

On your own?

James Richardson (1:05)

On your own.

Jack Lang (1:06)

Largely on my own, yeah.

James Richardson (1:07)

What do you mean by that?

Duncan Alexander (1:08)

Well, I had big play.

Jack Lang (1:10)

To some degree. Colleagues dropped in for a couple of games, very fleeting on the edge of my consciousness. Right. Mostly it was me and the hotel staff who I grew to and you're rather too well, frankly.

Tom Williams (1:22)

It's like a World Cup meets Alan Partridge, meets the shining.

James Richardson (1:26)

Yeah, strong shining vibes. When the lots were drawn and you got Mexico, I think everyone thought, wow, so Jack's going to get the real World Cup down there. But we would see you from time to time, from your lonely diary.

Jack Lang (1:39)

It was great. It was a great gig. And it did mean I skipped out a lot of the US based doom and gloom.

James Richardson (1:48)

Don't remember any doom and gloom around, are we?

Jack Lang (1:50)

No, just sunshine.

Duncan Alexander (1:51)

24-7. Well, not 24-7, that would be weird.

James Richardson (1:54)

Two weeks ago, in Stockholm, perhaps.

Felipe Cardenas (1:56)

Yeah, maybe. Yeah.

Jack Lang (1:58)

I don't want the listener to feel too sorry for me.

Felipe Cardenas (2:00)

I was eating like...

James Richardson (2:01)

Well, you got to go to England, Mexico, where you were probably eating the turf. Did you eat grass after that?

Jack Lang (2:07)

Didn't eat the grass. I didn't get anywhere close to the actual pitch, but something of that game will stay with me, I'm sure.

James Richardson (2:14)

Excellent.

Duncan Alexander (2:15)

I don't like the phrase eating the grass. I know Thomas Tuchel said he wished he had after that game.

James Richardson (2:19)

Do you think that's something from German? Is that a thing in your book, Tom?

Tom Williams (2:23)

Eating the grass? No. Although the thing that it brings to mind in a football context is, no, I was going to say Gerard Houllier, remember the controversial Robbie Fowler goal celebration when he scored against Everton? Appeared to be pretending to snort the white line. Well.

And Gerard Houllier said, no, no, no, they're just joking around. He was pretending to eat the grass.

Duncan Alexander (2:43)

Well, for me, England played the Netherlands in a friendly at Wembley and Huntelaar hit the ground and sort of sat up and he had a mouth full of like actual Wembley turf. And it's something really quite unpleasant about it. Like being sort of waterboarded with grass.

Tom Williams (2:56)

But on specifically on the subject of the grass as the Azteca. Yes. I mean, I think Tuchel has been slightly mocked for saying he wished he'd eaten it. But I once, I've only ever been to Mexico City once. And I did the stadium tour of the Azteca. And I hit the whole pitch. I grabbed a fistful of turf.

And I just put it in my bag. So I would be imbued by the spirit of the Azteca. And specifically Maradona's handball.

Felipe Cardenas (3:25)

Hello, Heathrow Customs.

Tom Williams (3:26)

Forever.

Jack Lang (3:27)

I bet that wasn't as surreptitious as you thought it was.

James Richardson (3:29)

So you left Mexico with Mexican grass in your bag.

Tom Williams (3:33)

Yes. Yes, I did. Live to tell the tale.

James Richardson (3:36)

Wow.

Jack, I know there's a lot of other memories. Some musical. That track that you...

Jack Lang (3:41)

Yeah.

James Richardson (3:42)

What's the guy called again?

Jack Lang (3:43)

Juan Gabriel.

James Richardson (3:44)

Juan Gabriel. He's quite a performer, isn't he?