Welcome back to It Was What It Was. In today's episode, co-hosts Rob Draper and Jonathan Wilson continue Graham Taylor’s England story as the 1994 World Cup qualifying begins to wobble, with Paul Gascoigne’s talent and volatility dominating the narrative. They examine how Taylor’s pragmatic, direct style—shaped by lower-league realities and later linked (often unfairly) to FA long-ball doctrine—collided with more technical European approaches, and how internal battles involving Charles Hughes and data pioneer Charles Reap poisoned the backdrop. England’s campaign lurches through a Norway draw at Wembley after a late stunner, a Gascoigne-inspired win over Turkey, and a damaging 2–2 draw with the Netherlands featuring an undetected elbow and a late penalty. With Gascoigne returning in a mask, England then stumble in a hostile Poland away match and escape with a late equaliser, before Taylor’s brutal “headless chickens” verdict leaves his team heading to Oslo under growing pressure.00:24 Setting the Scene03:08 Taylor’s Pragmatic Roots06:50 Pressing vs Possession10:04 Charles Hughes and the Winning Formula13:55 Reap vs Hughes Fallout19:31 Norway’s Long Ball Irony21:59 Back to Qualifying Hopes24:10 Gazza’s Norway Controversy26:50 Taylor’s Gaza Dilemma28:22 Norway Opener Heartbreak30:53 Turkey Win and Dependence32:53 Too Honest With Press40:12 Dutch Clash at Wembley44:13 Mask Return and Mania45:52 Poland Chaos and Critique49:03 Headless Chickens Finale Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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