Game of the season at Old Trafford and the latest from the EFL – Football Weekly

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Speaker 1 Hello and welcome to the Guardian Football Weekly. I haven't checked the score at Old Trafford for a couple of minutes, but I imagine it's 10 all by now.
Lots of fun.

Speaker 1 Hopefully the panel have worked out how to analyze it, who played well, who didn't, what formation. Man United were playing by the end.

Speaker 1 You don't want every game to be just goals when anyone attacks but they're great when they come around after that we'll give you a big EFL update as we approach the halfway stage of the season can cove hold on Preston and Millwall are still in the playoffs but almost anyone could get there with a decent run cardiff and Walsall lead the way in leagues one and two we'll answer your questions and that's today's Guardian Football Weekly

Speaker 1 on the panel today Barry Glendenning hello hi Max welcome Sanny Rudravagula hello Max and from the excellent not the top 20 podcast George Ellick hey George hey Max. We begin.
Adult Trafford.

Speaker 1 Manchester United 4, Bournemouth 4. Lucius sent us a message before the game had ended.
Are Manchester United back? Before he'd finished the post, wait a minute, never mind.

Speaker 1 Bournemouth just scored again. Will Manchester United ever be good again? A few seconds later, I mean, are Manchester United back?

Speaker 1 And then finally, or where were they when they were trying to come back? If they are, in fact, not already back from where they were, in which case, should they stay there or go back there or here?

Speaker 1 I also enjoyed Edward Van der Saar's post, Quickly Walk the Dog at halftime. What what happened, FFS in Manchester.

Speaker 1 It was a ridiculous game, George.

Speaker 1 Amarim said it was a fun game for everyone at home and I think that is that's pretty much the only way I find it very hard to analyse games that have this many goals in them.

Speaker 8 Yeah, it's like a classic case where I don't think any football managers come away from a four-all draw having enjoyed it but for us as fans it's brilliant and what's interesting about it is that the first 40 minutes

Speaker 8 after which, you know, before Semenyo scored, United were just sensational.

Speaker 8 Like it was almost the story of the game game was missed chances for Majesty United, where they could have easily, had they been more clinical, been basically put the game to bed before Semenyo got the equalizer.

Speaker 8 And there's something very Majesty United under Ruben Amarim that in what has to have been Majesty United's best, most exhilarating attacking performance under him, it's a game that they haven't even won because the defensively where despite the fact that United made most of the running within the game and dominated it for large parts, Bournemouth still found it pretty easy when they did attack in transition to carve United Open.

Speaker 8 You know, if you look at the stats of the game, United outshot Bournemouth 25 to 14, but in terms of big chances, it was 6-2 to Bournemouth.

Speaker 8 And that is, you know, continually United's undoing is that when they do concede chances, they're normally pretty good ones.

Speaker 8 And maybe it's not that much of a surprise when you've got attacking players.

Speaker 8 You know, Semenio is obviously one of the informed players in the league, but when you've got a back three of Luke Shaw and Lenny Yorron Aiden Heaven, with Diallo playing as a right-wing back, Dallo playing as a left-wing back, you're probably going going to struggle against a team who is so good at attacking in transition.

Speaker 8 But yeah, what happened in the second half was phenomenal, just amazing goals. Both three kicks were obviously brilliant hits.
And then chaos at the end

Speaker 8 with Brooks being denied a famous winner right at the death by Good Say from Lammons.

Speaker 1 Iraolo at the end, Baz, was funny, saying he sort of didn't know if he wanted the game to end. Like when Bournemouth had it, he was like, keep playing.

Speaker 1 And then suddenly Man United would get to be like, Ref, blow your whistle. Like nobody knew exactly what to do.

Speaker 6 I suppose you could argue that Bournemouth possibly deserved to win just because they had those two big chances at the end.

Speaker 6 But as George said, United missed some good chances at the beginning, but it's the ones at the end we remember most.

Speaker 6 And Brooks probably should have scored one of those. He was a bit unlucky.

Speaker 6 The first chance in particular was an excellent save when Lammons stuck the leg out. I think ultimately both managers will be relieved they didn't lose the game.

Speaker 6 Iriola seemed the happier of the two with the draw.

Speaker 1 It is so interesting, isn't it, as George says, that they can be that good and that bad.

Speaker 1 Because it almost felt like the goal, so many of the goals just sort of happened rather than there was a sort of like great momentum before they happened.

Speaker 3 It was great. Even from the very beginning of the game, which you might have missed them, it was a great flowing move right from more or less the off.

Speaker 3 You know, one player, I think it might have been Ubumo, let the ball go through his legs, another player, and they're all running forward, the red arrows and all that.

Speaker 3 And a great chance, which then resulted in Tyler Adams actually getting a knee injury in MCL, I think Irayola said.

Speaker 3 And after that, I thought, oh, maybe the momentum here might, you know, diminish a bit, because obviously when you've got a long injury, that can do that. But it didn't.
It just carried on. And

Speaker 3 that's by far and away the best Man United performance I can remember seeing in years. It really was.

Speaker 3 uh you know the the fergie the fergie era where it was you know vindaloo will score one more than you that's what we had, and it was great.

Speaker 3 And I think, you know, United fans, you know, by chance, I was on the pod having been to Walt Trafford a year ago when they'd lost 3-0 to Bournemouth at home.

Speaker 3 And last time around, I spoke about how, to a man, Bournemouth players were better. You know, Milos Kirkz was the example I gave.
Whereas here, attacking-wise, they were toe-to-toe and then some.

Speaker 3 It was really positive. I mean, Cunha dropping deep, making things happen, then going up again, and boomo the same.
So going forward,

Speaker 3 it was thrilling. And had they had won, I mean,

Speaker 3 the message on are United Back, I think maybe could have had a bit more momentum. So yeah, a really enjoyable game.
Very hard to kind of keep track of exactly what was happening.

Speaker 8 But we love it.

Speaker 3 You know, touted as the game of the season so far. I have to agree with that.
But as George has mentioned, it's the defense where they're just completely inept.

Speaker 3 There was the bit where Mason mounts, like, telling Aiden Heaven what to do, what he should have done. And I think

Speaker 3 as he's running back and Semenyo scores, he's there going, come across, come across. And like he doesn't.
And then it happens.

Speaker 3 And he's looking, you should have come across, which just takes me back to Five Aside, like every single week.

Speaker 3 But yeah, defensively terrible. But going forward, just brilliant, brilliant stuff.

Speaker 6 I used to play Five Aside with a guy like that. And if I was on the same team as him, that was my evening ruined before it even started.

Speaker 1 See, the thing is, I buried am a talker, like a big talker in Five Aside, but I, but in a very positive way. I don't think you'd hate it, but you know, I also think you might hate it, is what I think.

Speaker 1 So, I mean, maybe we don't need to put it to the test, Barry. But, you know, I'm very much like, I'm always available and I'm always praying.

Speaker 1 I'm always saying, well, very good, probably patronizing is how I would be described.

Speaker 6 Also, condescending instruction instead of just barking orders. Well, I mean, I am fitter now than I have been for the last 35 years, Max.

Speaker 6 But I think it'll be a while before I'm fit enough to play Five Aside.

Speaker 1 Do you know, in that game, the moment that I don't know, I think I was probably just supporting Bournemouth because, you know, innately you feel that way, George, about Manchester United if you grew up in the 90s.

Speaker 1 But that... The Fernandez free kick is so good, but I thought that handball decision was really, it really frustrated me that I think Man United had just called for one that wasn't in a penalty.

Speaker 1 And I've just felt that was a sort of very generous, it was like a a generous here, have a have a free kick. But it was so perfect, the strike from Fernandez.

Speaker 8 Neutrals getting frustrated at Manchester United's getting decisions at Old Trafford. Manchester United really are back.

Speaker 6 This is it.

Speaker 8 Yeah, I mean, yeah, it was definitely a soft one. To be honest, I kind of hadn't really thought about it again after the free kick went in.
And just, yeah, an amazing strike.

Speaker 8 And it does feel, you know,

Speaker 8 looking back to the United Everton game a couple of weeks ago where, you know, obviously Adrissa gave was set off early in the game and united just looked absolutely clueless as to how they how to attack against against 10 men now obviously a 10-man everton defending a lead and an areaola bournemouth team are two very very different propositions and the players that united have got um are going to benefit from playing when there is space to attack into but like they looked a completely different side yesterday like you know fernandez looked brilliant in that in that deep roll that we see him take nanets casimira i thought mountain was again pretty good especially in the first half had a really good good shot saved at 0-0 um kunha and Mbomo look really sharp.

Speaker 8 Just feels like this is a front line that's starting to click now. When you look at these players in terms of

Speaker 8 their profile, they should be an exciting team to watch. They should be like an exciting attacking side.
And yeah, I liked it.

Speaker 8 I thought Kunya's finished for the Goldmaker 4-3 was good, and the kind of celebrations from all Chafford was as if it was going to be a famous victory, but they came very close to losing it at the end.

Speaker 1 And we saw Kobby Mainu, Baz.

Speaker 6 We did, yeah. He got, what, 20 minutes at the end? We also saw his brother wearing a t-shirt that said free copy Mainu.

Speaker 6 I'm not sure how or if that will affect Mainu Amarim relations, which already seem quite frosty.

Speaker 6 Apparently, he wants Napoli want to take him on loan.

Speaker 6 I can't really see any reason why he shouldn't be allowed go on loan, but apparently he is among the least well-paid players in the United Squad, so to bring in cover for him would cost him a lot of money.

Speaker 6 uh so i that's something for him and his agent to sort out with the club but he doesn't seem to feature too probably he certainly doesn't seem to feature too prominently in amaram's plans i can't remember anything much of note he did in his 20 minutes on the pitch if i'm honest but uh

Speaker 3 so but but we saw him yeah the fans were so excited that he when he'd sort of get the ball and play a simple five-yard pass and then run towards the ball and make himself available there was like a real enthusiasm there is that condescending enthusiasm yeah maybe it was yeah well done Cobby yeah I'm still available have it back yeah keep going son just that um you know West Ham talks about banning half and half scarves do clubs need to think about banning promotional player t-shirts that are actually a subtle dig if not so subtle at the manager as well do we need to like get a bit more nuance in the on the stewarding to to have a look at this

Speaker 1 do you think he's he's a not i mean like has he done that deal has his brother got the sign-off from cobby do you mind if i wear this or it's just like you know don't please don't embarrass me at work if he hasn't you'll be absolutely livid wouldn't you if you're if you're Cobby miner and you turn out to your brother wearing that and he hasn't asked for it

Speaker 1 like could ruin his career well look we can tratially oblige duels to ask what formation Amarin moved to it looked like he abandoned three five two for maybe a 4-2-4 it didn't feel like a formations game by the last 20 minutes

Speaker 8 like a 5-5 was it I think maybe I don't know 5-0-5 yeah I don't know really either I think when games descend into that kind of chaos where it is effectively a basketball game with the ball just kind of going down one end, there being an opportunity to go down the other end, there's no shape.

Speaker 8 So, you know, if you ask the players what position they were playing, they'd probably tell you, but it doesn't necessarily mean it resembled that on the pitch.

Speaker 8 So I remember very clearly a couple of years ago, I can't remember what manager it was,

Speaker 8 arguing with his, with his, um, in a press conference after the game when the fans were criticising him for playing 4-3-3. And he said, no, no, no, we didn't.
We played 4-2-2.

Speaker 8 And you looked at the position map, he looked at all the players playing, and they were definitely playing the formation you didn't know they were playing.

Speaker 8 So, like, as Rednap says, what are formations? Like, it's just normally when it's very rigid, and with Amarim's normal system, you can very much see what he's doing.

Speaker 8 And last night, it didn't resemble that.

Speaker 8 But I think that's probably more because of game state rather than any decision that he's made to be more fluid with his decisions and the shape that he wants to play.

Speaker 3 Amarim afterwards was asked on the formation, he basically said, Well, it's up to you to figure it out.

Speaker 6 I'm not quite sure

Speaker 3 how that works. Just another thing, I don't know, Max, whether on your World Feed you had the same commentary, but we had Guardian Football Weekly Seb Hutchinson on Comms Duces with Gary Neville.

Speaker 3 And it was great. And I always love it when I hear a fellow pod member, you know,

Speaker 3 organically that is there. And what I love about Seb's commentary is

Speaker 3 you get all that. He loved it as much as us, right? He really did.

Speaker 3 He just let it... wash over him as well and really added to it.
So nice one, Seb. Hope you're recovering today.
It's probably just lying in a dark room, I think.

Speaker 1 I wonder if on Monday Night Football, he's as keen to talk about anecdotes about him being a goalkeeper or shearing his sheep. You know, he treats us differently, don't they?

Speaker 1 So, look, Monday night, we've got Villa away, Newcastle at home, Wolves at home leads away Burnie away. They're sixth.

Speaker 7 It's sort of.

Speaker 6 I mean, it's an impossible question, Barry.

Speaker 1 It is impossible to know, like, like what will happen now to this team.

Speaker 6 And yet, you're asking me to tell you. I am, yes.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're a prescient guy, Baz.

Speaker 6 I have my moments, but I think this one's beyond my wit. I haven't a clue is the answer to that question.

Speaker 6 I mean, we're all talking, or lots of people are saying, that this was Manchester United's best performance under Amerim. They still conceded four goals and they didn't win.
They led three times and

Speaker 6 only came away with a point. So if that's the benchmark for greatness under Amerim, then I would say no, they're not going to finish in the Champions League places.

Speaker 6 If they did somehow scrape into the top four, I wouldn't be massively shocked as,

Speaker 6 you know,

Speaker 6 the answer that sort of more or less covers any question about football. Let's wait and see.

Speaker 3 They are going to lose Nusa Masrawi, Brian and Bumo and Ahmed Diallo for the AtlantaCon. So how's it going to go? Probably revert back to type now.

Speaker 8 There's an amazing stat. I don't know if we're in our to kind of cross-promote on here.
Please do. Bill Edgar tweeted it.
So better give him credit before I take credit myself.

Speaker 8 Manchester United were two and up at halftime yesterday and obviously were behind in the game and nearly lost the game late on. Since May 1984, they've played 1,129 home games.
They've led in 542.

Speaker 8 They've won 491 of those. They've drawn 51 and they've lost none.

Speaker 1 So had Brooks say that when they've led it when they've led at half time

Speaker 1 at half-time.

Speaker 8 Yeah. So 1,129 games.
They led in just under half of them.

Speaker 1 Especially even since this terrible run. Like the Man United fans sit there winning at half-time, safe in the knowledge that they're not.
Well, it's pretty funny.

Speaker 8 They don't lead at half-time as often anymore.

Speaker 6 Well,

Speaker 1 there is that. But that's an amazing stat, isn't it? And of Bournemouth, Sanny, look, they drew against Chelsea, 0-0, this 4-4.

Speaker 1 Nathan said yesterday they were sort of sliding down the table, sort of under the radar, because they're one of the clubs that begin with B that are well run.

Speaker 1 No wins in seven now for them, three points in that time. But still, it doesn't feel.

Speaker 3 Maybe we're just blindsided by the fact it's bournemouth and we like them but we're blindsided by sort of where they're at yeah i think there is a bit of that but i also think and iraiola mentioned this as well after the game that you've got to remember that he's spent a lot a big part of the season focusing on the defense and the goalkeeper because they all left basically so i think attacking wise the the threat that they've got hasn't really changed i mean i'm answering antoine semeno goes from strength to strength you know he's uh i'm sure he'll be good transfer news fodder for the next next couple of months I suppose until the end of January but defensively is where they've kind of been needed to rebuild and you know well you know Sinesi was there before and he's done well so yeah I think that's taken a bit of time and I think we saw going forward all that's still there just defensively they're still kind of working on it Petrovich who I think's done quite well actually had a pretty not a great game.

Speaker 3 Diallo's goal. I'm at Diallo's goal.
He kind of didn't quite get himself right from the cross coming in. I don't know if he could have done more on Casimiro's header as well.

Speaker 6 But I think, you know, they'll be okay.

Speaker 3 I don't even worry about that. I just think it's

Speaker 3 hard because they've done so well.

Speaker 3 And, you know, was it Barney talking about a club like Bournemouth can do better than United because they don't have all the weights of everything else around them, all the machinery, or the hype and all that?

Speaker 3 And they're agile. I guess like

Speaker 3 a... like a start-up, like a start-up football club if you like.
They can just go around. But I guess that does come with, it can go the other way as well.

Speaker 3 And I guess we're in a bit of a middly phase, but I think they'll kick on again. All right.

Speaker 1 And that'll do for part one. Part two.
We'll head to the AFL, starting with the championship.

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Speaker 1 Welcome to part two of the Guardian Football Weekly. So the top of the championship looks like this.
Coventry have 47 points.

Speaker 1 Middlesbrough 42. Preston Mill will have 35 in third and fourth position.
Ipswich and Hull on 34. Stoke 33.
Leicester 31.

Speaker 1 I mean you could make a case for anyone down to about 15th or 16th to go on a runner and make the playoffs.

Speaker 6 Preston in third to West Brom in 16th or you could throw a blanket over them. It's seven points.
So they will all fancy their chances of promotion.

Speaker 1 Yeah, so it's brilliantly set up, I guess. I mean, look, the question about Coventry, George, is that they had a sort of mini-blip, didn't they?

Speaker 1 where they lost 3-0 to ipswich they drew one all with preston not easy games either but they beat bristle city at the weekend i think the last time we did an afl pod people were saying well look their their lead is so great some were saying it's you know they're definitely up i don't think you can ever say that even at this stage of the championship but but that was a really important win wasn't it it was a really important win yeah especially because there's this kind of quirk of the of the fixture uh the fixture in the EFL that two teams are playing against each other home and away in December and for Coventry, that was Ipswich.

Speaker 8 And obviously, they went to Ipswich Nos 3-0. And then they're going, they host them on the 29th of December.

Speaker 8 And there was this kind of idea that if Ipswich could kind of hang on to their coattails up until that game and then beat them,

Speaker 8 then the gap would be smaller.

Speaker 8 So on Saturday, for Ipswich to get beaten by Leicester away, and for Coventry to win against Bristol City, it kind of put an end to that theory that we could have a title race on our hands early in the new year.

Speaker 8 I would say that Coventry are, you know, they're the best team in the league. They're rightfully top of the league.
Definitely some concerns over their performances in the last couple of weeks.

Speaker 8 You know, they were they were pretty good in the first half an hour or so against Ipswich, then folded after going behind.

Speaker 8 They couldn't beat ten-man Preston and even went ahead in that game and conceded to ten man Preston later on in it to draw.

Speaker 8 And even against Bristol City on Saturday, you know, they were pretty good value for their lead, but then it was Kyle Rushworth, their keeper, who was by far and away the best player on the pitch.

Speaker 8 And the key reason why Coventry were able to win the game, having made a string of really good saves.

Speaker 8 So, you know, if I was one of the chasing pack, pack, I'd probably be taking some heart from them not being quite as dominant as they were early in the season.

Speaker 8 And certainly for Middlesbrough, who are five points behind them in second, as is often the case with managerial changes, ask any borough fan if they'd like to swap Rob Edwards for Kim Helberg now, and you will not find a single one who will because they're very, very happy with how their team are performing under their new manager.

Speaker 8 And they'll feel like, you know, but them five points behind Coventry as a stand and seven points clear of Preston in third. It is incredibly congested in the championship.

Speaker 8 And I would say that, you you know, as Barry says, from third down to 16th, the positions are kind of bordering irrelevant because it's so tight.

Speaker 8 But, you know, Middlesbrough are the ones now who are kind of pulling away from the pack, along with Kov.

Speaker 1 Yeah, and Kimber Helberg is really interesting, Sanny, isn't it? Because you'd imagine when a manager comes into a team that are doing well and just says, okay, well, this is good.

Speaker 1 I'm just going to keep this. Bit on a slot last year.
This is good. I'll just keep this going.
But by all accounts, he's changed quite a lot, Barrett.

Speaker 8 Yeah, it seems that way.

Speaker 3 And what's also done well for him is Morgan Whittaker, whose whose form has been incredible, six goals in his last six games. And I guess he's given him a bit more freedom going forward.

Speaker 3 I mean, Tommy Conway had gone, how many games with it, George? He hadn't scored a goal.

Speaker 8 It was like a huge amount. One moment, peace.

Speaker 3 He's googling to double check. But, you know, they've done this without one of their best attacking players being in form at all.
He's finally got himself a penalty.

Speaker 3 And I think, you know, at least he's got that off his back.

Speaker 6 But

Speaker 3 you've got at least two

Speaker 6 16 games without a goal.

Speaker 3 It's incredible. But you've got at least two key players there, Morgan Whittaker and Hayden Hackney, who have different jobs, but both are kind of standout players in that team.

Speaker 3 So I think, yeah, he's tweaked quite a bit by the sounds of things, but he's got some really important players who've been given the freedom.

Speaker 3 Worgan Whitaker, in particular, on the right flank, has been devastating, I guess, for them.

Speaker 3 The only worry is they had a similar Morgan go on a run of scoring goals, and Aston Villa went and bought him. So Whittaker's taken a bit of time to kind of find his feet.

Speaker 3 He had a great season, well, three, four seasons ago now for Plymouth Argyle. And then it hadn't quite come together at all at Borough.
And now it finally looks like he has.

Speaker 3 So they're doing very well. Just going back to Coventry, by the way.
I don't know if you've seen their goal scored column, but it's 52 goals they've scored. Their goal difference is plus 30.

Speaker 3 I've been sent to Coventry quite often by Five Live. Two games actually in particular recently.
They were behind against Sheffield United and also behind against West Brom.

Speaker 3 And both times I didn't feel once that they weren't going to win. Like the atmosphere there, the players they've got, quite a few are interchangeable.

Speaker 3 It just means that they can just crush an opponent. It's quite something.

Speaker 1 George, I wonder how many times I'm not the top 20 you've had the discussion about whether Preston and Millwall can

Speaker 1 last the season in the form that they're in.

Speaker 8 Yeah, a few times.

Speaker 8 I made the foolish mistake of on on the BBC Oxford pod that I do about Oxford United saying that Preston were in a false position before we game against them on Saturday, so it was inevitable that they're then going to beat us 2-1.

Speaker 8 Preston being in third is an incredible achievement from Paul Heckenbottom and they and he deserves unbelievable credit for getting them there.

Speaker 8 I think what he's done and what the club have done in terms of recruitment, you know, if you're someone that dips in and out of the championship around kind of playoff time, whatever else, you'd be forgiven for thinking of Preston as being a you know a team that are punching above their weight with a pretty old group of players who struggle for goals.

Speaker 8 That's kind of been their identity for a long time. But Heke's come in and brought in this kind of raft of young lonely or permanent signings.

Speaker 8 So you've got Daniel Jeberson leading the line after a kind of hellish couple of years for him, who's kind of finding his feet under his former Blades boss, Hecke.

Speaker 8 Lewis Dobbin, who's been fantastic with four goals and five assists. Alfie Devine, who's looking, you know, every bit a future Premier League player.

Speaker 8 Harrison Armstrong, who's only 18 years old, is probably the pick of the bunch, a kind of really good, technically gifted midfield player.

Speaker 8 They brought in Thierry Small from Charlton, who's an England under-21 international, who can basically play either left-back or off the right-hand side, a left-footed, really good attacking wing back or winger.

Speaker 8 And so they've freshened up the squad quickly with this injection of youth and a different playing style, and it's really working.

Speaker 8 You know, I would mitigate that by saying that I think there have been some performances recently that have been a bit concerning.

Speaker 8 You know, they beat Sheffield Wednesday 3-2, but Wednesday were definitely the better team within that game, and Preston were pretty fortunate to get away from it.

Speaker 8 Even the performance against Oxford on Saturday wasn't vintage, but they still got over the line. With Millwall, it's a bit more sustainable in my view.

Speaker 8 They kind of look to me to be having kind of been building towards this for a while.

Speaker 8 In Tristan Cramer, they've got a player who plays centre-back, a right-back, who used to be at Brentford, and I'm pretty sure will be a Premier League defender relatively soon.

Speaker 8 Caleb Taylor's another one who's a big, young centre-back. And again, they're a team that have kept their kind of defensive solidity,

Speaker 8 that identity, but have added, for the first time in a while, some kind of sparkling young attacking talent to go with it. Femi Aziz has been superb, playing off the right-hand side.

Speaker 8 In Mihailjo Ivanovich, they've got a 21-year-old strike who scored four goals, scored a lot of goals last season, and will be, I'm sure, pretty sought after over the summer.

Speaker 8 Tiano Ballo's had a decent season as well. So it's kind of adding that.

Speaker 8 bit of attacking quality in the final third along with a manager in Alex Neal who we know when he kind of gets his teeth into a job normally can can get success.

Speaker 8 So, you know, this season in particular, where the parachute payment teams have struggled, albeit, you know, certainly it looks like Sampton are finding some format, and Leicester without good results Saturday, too.

Speaker 8 But this feels like the season where maybe where that top six is so difficult to break into because you can normally rely on at least two of the parachute or two of the relegated teams being in it, and probably last season's playoff finalists too.

Speaker 8 With Sheffield United struggling as well, this feels like the season where maybe a Preston or a Millwall or both of them could sneak into the top six, or maybe even the top two.

Speaker 6 Could I formally object to your assertion that Alex Neal

Speaker 6 can achieve success whenever he gets his teeth into a job?

Speaker 8 The man who took Sunderland out of league one.

Speaker 6 The man who abandoned Sunderland to go and fail at Stoke.

Speaker 6 Having taken him out of League One.

Speaker 8 Yeah, but he didn't get his teeth into that Stoke job was the issue, I think. But no, he's someone who I think

Speaker 8 the job he did at Preston is age pretty well. And Norwich, he was obviously fantastic and he's doing it again now.

Speaker 3 The Barry Glen Denning death stare, there, by the way.

Speaker 1 Just before you interrupted, Barry, I was about to say we're contractually obliged for Barry to say something bad about Alex Neal.

Speaker 1 Whenever his name comes up, it was interesting, Sadly. George mentioned the relegated clubs, and there was

Speaker 1 a couple of months ago, it was like, oh, they're all hopeless. And now Ips, which have been on a great run, they're in fifth now.

Speaker 1 Leicester at eighth.

Speaker 1 Inconsistent, but you know, I've put a few results together. And Southampton until the weekend were on this absolutely incredible run, weren't they? When they'd won, I can't remember, a lot in a row.

Speaker 1 And then you had Leicester beating Ipswich and Fatab was scoring this unbelievable goal, but it sort of from, you know, there are good halfway line goals and bad ones, if that makes any sense.

Speaker 1 And this was an absolutely brilliant, I mean, it was well inside his own half, but a brilliant goal.

Speaker 3 Yes, and just in the build-up to it, he nutmegs a midfielder as well, pokes it through the legs, then brings it forward, then hits it.

Speaker 3 I was wondering which way way you were going to go on this, by the way, Mats, because I know the ball goes over the keeper and then bounces and we get the keeper kind of ending up in the net, but he doesn't fully get crashing into the net.

Speaker 3 And I wondered you were going to say, oh, it's not, aesthetically, it's not what I want to see from a halfway line goal. So I'm pleased that you actually liked that goal.

Speaker 6 I could have gone the other way, I think.

Speaker 1 Well, no, I liked it from the build-up, totally. But it seems to me those three sides are now, you know, on a sort of more macro level, these three sides are starting to put it together.

Speaker 3 Yeah, and I suppose when you've got the quality, you can do that.

Speaker 3 I mean, I saw Ipswich Blackburn Rovers in the replayed game from the game that got abandoned from the waterlogged pitch back in August.

Speaker 3 And Rovers had it sealed, but they're so inept, they allowed Ipswich to score right at the death.

Speaker 3 And that was a mixture of their own ineptitude and the fact that Ipswich have just got better players.

Speaker 3 And I suppose fundamentally, if you're talking macro level, you've got players who were able to be okay at times in the Premier League and that can see you through.

Speaker 3 So I suppose that was always the thing. And Southampton's a really interesting case because there's a lot of players around that squad.
You know, it's cliché, I'd say, you're used to losing, right?

Speaker 3 So manage to turn that around and change the mentality, I think, is huge. For less, the non-football stuff still hangs over them.

Speaker 3 And I do feel with the fans that they're not too many poor performances away from feeling a bit mutinous.

Speaker 1 And they're due a points deduction, aren't they?

Speaker 3 So this goes back to historic rule breaches.

Speaker 3 But then kirt from wrong does it would it not apply so it it's like they did it in the efl and got promoted and then it's still kind of hanging over them that's that's that's right is that right george i think yeah exactly yeah so we we just we don't know like and and you know this can't go on like like uh man city like there needs to be resolution on that so cue a mick mccarthy-esque it can

Speaker 8 it seems like that there's there's kind of actually exactly says Manchester City. There are rumors that something's imminent and it's about to happen.
And then it just goes completely quiet again.

Speaker 8 And there's no news.

Speaker 1 So it has to be resolved soon. God, I'd actually, I'd actually probably for a week or two forgotten about the 115 charges.
That's something that's, you know.

Speaker 6 I think that's what they want to happen, man.

Speaker 6 Maybe you're right.

Speaker 1 Although now we've said that, we might get a voice note for, you know, in a couple of hours.

Speaker 1 At the bottom of the table, obviously, we know about Sheffield Wednesday, that they lost three and a half to Derby last night. Then you have Norwich City got a key win

Speaker 1 the other day. They're on 17 points.
You're Oxford on 19, Portsmouth on 20, Blackman 22, Swansea 23, Sheffield United 23.

Speaker 1 What do you make of Oxford, George? I mean, it's sort of where you kind of should be, I guess.

Speaker 8 Don't tell our fans that.

Speaker 8 I got pelters in pre-season for having us in the relegation zone allowance 24s.

Speaker 8 But yeah, I mean, I think I'm of the view that if Oxford stay up on final day on goal scored, then it's a job well done, really.

Speaker 8 If you're a match going fan, it's very hard to have an enjoyable experience being a fan if you're watching your team struggle to win games and struggle to score goals.

Speaker 8 You know, with Gary Rowitt in charge, you probably expect there to be an element of solidity and there has been for much of this season. But four wins from 21 games, it isn't enough wins.

Speaker 8 The goal difference of minus eight shows you that we're rarely beaten far.

Speaker 8 There was a bit of a change of kind of style or at least personnel with a lot of attacking players starting against Preston on Saturday, which didn't really work.

Speaker 8 I kind of think

Speaker 8 if you've got Gary Rowett as your manager, you want him to row it out and go properly, you know, we're going to stop you from creating many chances.

Speaker 8 We're going to sit very deep and we're going to try and nick a gold because that's how he's had his success in the past. We're kind of a rigid defensive shape.

Speaker 8 So I'm pretty pessimistic as it stands that we're going to stay up. But, you know, we've...
we're in it. We're by no means kind of tailed off as it stands at the moment.

Speaker 8 The frustrating thing is that Norwich seemed to have improved massively under Philippe Plimont with a brilliant win last time out against Southampton.

Speaker 8 Swansea picked up back-to-back wins at home to Oxford and Portsmouth under their new manager Victor Matos,

Speaker 8 who I've seen in some Swansea circles being called Victor Matos, which I absolutely love as a nickname.

Speaker 8 Charlton have kind of struggled a little bit in recent weeks.

Speaker 8 Producer Joel won't, like me saying, a big game between Charlton and Oxford on Saturday at Charlton where if Oxford can win that one, that really brings Charlton back into the relegation mix.

Speaker 8 And then maybe the most significant result in the relegation picture was on Saturday where Blackboard won a lup away at Portsmouth and came back and won the game 2-1, which was very needed for John Massinho, was very needed for Pompey because they've really struggled this season.

Speaker 8 In Colby Bishop, Connor Chaplin and Josh Murphy, they have three players who, I mean, certainly in Murphy's case, Chaplin was a key player for Ipswich when they came second in the championship a couple of seasons ago.

Speaker 8 And Bishop was very good last season. Those three players between them have one league goal, which was not expected.
So for them to be where they are, given

Speaker 8 the struggles from a goal score scoring perspective from key players is maybe impressive in itself. But had they lost that game, I think the heat would have been turned up at a fratten part.

Speaker 8 But instead, it was a win that Derby Hoping can kickstart their own season because they've struggled as of late.

Speaker 1 Made it sound like they all scored that goal by just kicking it all at exactly the same time.

Speaker 6 So that they all

Speaker 1 scored the goal. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 Sandy, you pointed me in the direction of Victor Martos doing a post-match. I think they're getting a bit too common.
These, you know, manager does post-match. Well done, lads.

Speaker 1 And And they go, you must listen to this sound on this. It's amazing.
And someone just goes, well done. You're all really good.
Have a day off. Congratulations.

Speaker 6 Is this like Harry Kane's famous team talk in the huddle?

Speaker 1 Come on, lads. Let's go get him.
But he was quite funny at the end where clearly one of the players is, you know, a foreign player. I don't know who it was.
And he's just going, you're great.

Speaker 1 You're great. You're great.
You were great. And then he just says, and you haven't got a clue what I'm saying.
And the whole place, the timing, the comedy timing was brilliant.

Speaker 3 Yeah, that was great. I think it was Malik.
You you yell kooles from Marley. And he's like,

Speaker 3 you don't understand a word I'm saying. Yeah, that was great.
Yeah, you're right. It can feel a bit cynical.
I think the

Speaker 3 highlights,

Speaker 3 the zenith of this was Plymouth Argyle beating Liverpool last season. And the manager whose name's popped out in my head

Speaker 6 so easily can go.

Speaker 3 God, how can we not remember this bunch of old men? Come on, come on. I'm looking at you, George.
You're the youngest. Mirror and Musnich.

Speaker 6 Yeah, Yeah, Miran Muslich. There we go.

Speaker 8 That's it.

Speaker 3 One minute you're the toast of the town. The next minute you've completely forgotten.

Speaker 3 That was kind of the high point of it. And it was very cynical.
But he came in there

Speaker 3 with a good reputation. One of Jürgen Klopp's coaches.
There was maybe a bit of Kloppism in his, maybe, in it with the way he was. But that emotional intelligence was something that Klopp had.

Speaker 3 And I think you've got to have that, haven't you? And

Speaker 3 he seems very kind of switched on. I was at the defeat actually to Stoke City on the weekend, and they gave as good as they got and stoke were kind of due

Speaker 3 a turning round if you like but uh yeah he seems like um a decent chap and he's got a good pedigree i was going to ask george on how many seasons he'd be okay with oxford just struggling and just surviving as the lowest budget club in the division but but whilst that i've got a mo I suppose we should mention Sheffield United Chris Wilder kind of turning things around yeah watched quite a quite a bit of them up close recently although they they drew one all with with Norwich in the week before they then lost at West Brom.

Speaker 3 They had three games in like a week. And while they made like eight changes from the 4-0 win against Stoke City, and that 4-0, they were just brilliant.

Speaker 3 Like, you wouldn't have known at all that Sheffield United were right near the bottom and Stoke were trying to push to the playoffs. And Ollie Arblaster came back in.

Speaker 3 He'd been out for, I think, 17, 13 months. He'd been out injured.
And they threw him in. And he was excellent in the Norwich game.
And before that, Stoke, he was on the bench and they were just great.

Speaker 3 But then he made all these changes, only got the point, and then lost this game at West Brom.

Speaker 3 You just remember that actually, you can't really afford to roll the dice too much in this league because, you know, there's so many teams that kind of say me. But he's definitely turned it around.

Speaker 3 Like, I don't think Chef United have anything to worry about. And

Speaker 3 they've just given Reederval, the ex-Crystal Palace player, an extension on a contract. Patrick Bamford's due one as well.
Danny Yings finally scored his first Chef United goal the other day.

Speaker 3 Yes, they've got all these players there. So, yeah, I think they'll be okay.
And

Speaker 3 they're good on the set pieces. They don't mind giving the opposition the ball and sitting back.
And generally, it's working well for them.

Speaker 6 Could I ask the obligatory Wrexham question, which is

Speaker 6 Jasper Jolly in The Guardian a couple of weeks ago revealed that they've received £18 million

Speaker 6 in grants, so they don't have to pay it back, from the Welsh taxpayer.

Speaker 6 And I'm just wondering, it seems quite unfair that a club, club which I think is now valued at 350 million has these two Hollywood star owners, one of whom is a billionaire, is taking money from the Welsh taxpayer.

Speaker 6 I think Wrexham would argue, well, we're generating loads of money for the town, but apparently, you know, there are going to be redundancies in

Speaker 6 Wrexham Council

Speaker 6 and

Speaker 6 schools in the area are having to tighten their belts, but they're still apparently able to give all this money to a club that doesn't need it.

Speaker 6 I'm just wondering, does anyone have any strong thoughts on that? Or

Speaker 6 is it something that has been discussed?

Speaker 3 I suppose the argument is that the grants go towards infrastructure that has a community net benefit, and they're not the first club in football to get that. But

Speaker 3 in the same way, you know, extrapolate this, in the same way Jim Radcliffe's like, we're going to build New Trafford and we're going to get all this Northern powerhouse,

Speaker 3 you know, money. It doesn't really kind of wash, does it?

Speaker 3 I guess the devil's in the detail there, George.

Speaker 8 Yeah, I hadn't seen that, but it doesn't sound great.

Speaker 8 Yeah,

Speaker 8 as Barry says, when you consider the wealth of the owners and also the fact that the owners, I think, have...

Speaker 1 They've sold a stake, haven't they?

Speaker 6 Yeah, they've just sold a stake.

Speaker 8 Well, and they've sold the stake and they've and there also reports that they've basically, you know, they've been repaid the money they initially invested as well.

Speaker 3 Yeah, so the funding's part of the Wrexham Gateway project.

Speaker 3 And I suppose you've also got to remember, you know, Wrexham, the football club now, yeah, is this big shiny Hollywood thing, at least, you know, outwardly.

Speaker 3 But Wrexham as a community, you know, it's got some areas of huge deprivation. So are we okay with investments going into something?

Speaker 3 that has a net community benefit. Admittedly, some of the stuff's coming on like floodlights and stuff.

Speaker 6 I'm not sure quite well i i don't particularly

Speaker 6 know whether this is a good or a bad thing that's why i'm floating it but the money to be clear is going directly to the football club it's it's not

Speaker 1 football club adjacent money or you know they are getting the money to do with as they wish all to kefer more the council said that funding for the project was not taken from its budgets was provided solely through the welsh government grants the club uh must also make the racecourse ground available for other sporting events and concerts which the council said would create additional benefits for the residents of North Wales.

Speaker 1 Spokesperson said the racecourse is an important cultural and heritage asset for the city of Wrexham. We're obviously keen to protect it for the future.

Speaker 1 Wrexham AFC spokesperson said the funds will be used for overall improvements of the stadium and new cops down that would bring the stadium to international level.

Speaker 1 There you go. But yeah, that was a good question.
If they're taking the money out as well, you know, they're getting all their money back.

Speaker 1 Suddenly it doesn't feel like the dream that it once was. But, you know, still, Rex and fans probably won't complain.
Anyway, that'll do for part two. We'll do lead one and lead two in part three.

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Speaker 9 Hi, folks. It's Mark Bittman from the podcast Food with Mark Bittman.

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Speaker 1 Welcome to part three of the Guardian Football Weekly. Three cities at the top of League One.
Cardiff, Bradford and Lincoln City.

Speaker 1 And then come Bolton, Stevenage, Stockport and Luton making up the playoff places.

Speaker 1 How do you view it at the moment, George?

Speaker 8 Yeah, it's well, I mean, we're going to see the league leaders in action tonight with Cardiff hosting Chelsea in the Carabao Cup.

Speaker 8 They're four points clear. And I think Brian Barry Murphy deserves immense credit for the job that he's done there, really.

Speaker 8 A guy who, and this is why it really frustrated me a lot with because he was linked to a lot of jobs. You know, he was Rochdale manager.

Speaker 8 When Rochdale were relegated out of League One, but the players we had at Rochdale, a young group, who a lot of them, you know, Robert Sanchez included, have gone on to do some pretty cool stuff

Speaker 8 in football, you know, gone on for better careers. He then got the job at Manchester City's Academy.
And so often, when clubs were linked to Barry Murphy, fans would be like, well, what's he done?

Speaker 8 All he's done is get a relegation. And it's not that simple.
Like, he is someone who,

Speaker 8 in really tough circumstances, still managed to play a certain way.

Speaker 8 It's a brilliant bit of recruitment from Cardiff, whose managerial appointments prior to BBM have been so poor that it's part of the reason why they've ended up in League One.

Speaker 8 And their transfer activity in the summer was minimal. Nathan Trot came in.

Speaker 8 The best bit of business they did was retain the services of Yusuf Selek, who is a striker who just shouldn't be playing 30th football anywhere, and is, I think, now topping the goal scorer charts in League One with 10, or at least first or second.

Speaker 8 But it's the young players that... He's come in and immediately, whether it's Ruben Colwill, who's kind of the star of the show,

Speaker 8 or Dylan Lawler, who's a brilliant centre-back,

Speaker 8 Roland Capaccio, who's a right-back, who's kind of coming to the side and immediately looked brilliant. Kian Ashford, a wide player, Joel Colwell, who's Ruben's brother.

Speaker 8 It's just a homegrown crop of players. And in a time where football is, and football fans are so obsessed with recruitment and buying players the whole time.

Speaker 8 Cardiff are an example now of why hiring a manager who is a really good coach with a clear focus on player development and a clear playing style can be the route to success.

Speaker 8 When you consider their approach to Lutons, for example, who have chopped and changed squads so much between every window, have chopped and changed managers consistently, and you know, are struggling now in League One, albeit in seventh, but the performances haven't been good at all.

Speaker 8 You know, Cardiff are the ones who are really impressing, and I fancy them tonight to not necessarily win, but I think they will give a really good account of themselves and stick to their way of playing.

Speaker 8 And it should be a great watch. Bolton are the ones who I think think are the closest challenges in terms of quality.
Bradford sits second, having an unbelievable season, Lincoln in third.

Speaker 8 Bolton under Stephen Schumacher are a really, really good side. In Amario Cozy Dubury, they have one of the best players in the league, loads of good options.

Speaker 8 They came back from 1-0 down against Exeter on Saturday and won the game 2-1

Speaker 8 with their players coming off the bench to make a big impact. So they'd be my two most likely at this stage.

Speaker 3 Just on Luton, they drew 2-0 with Port Vale, who really struggled and hadn't scored a goal in nearly 10 hours.

Speaker 3 And someone, a Luton fan, like spotted Jack Wilshire in a pub and tweeted like Jack Wilshire out for a beer after a 2-2 draw at bottom of the league.

Speaker 3 And I think he got such peltas, I think he then deleted the post. It did make me think like, you know, man goes for a drink after work is somehow outrage.

Speaker 3 But on Luton, I suppose

Speaker 3 They lost 5-0 to Barnsley, and that was a real...

Speaker 3 But they've only lost one in,

Speaker 3 I think, 12 or 14. But it is like all competitions, it includes that EFL Trophy and stuff.
And losing on penalties to Fleet would hurt them. Against Orient, they drew one all.

Speaker 3 And then this, again, at home to Port Vale, they were behind as well.

Speaker 3 What wasn't great. And I think it's...

Speaker 3 But I don't know what Luton fans expect. Like,

Speaker 3 they've had this huge turnover and they brought in a coach who, like, they've got a player there or a coach who, when he was a player, is better than any of those players.

Speaker 3 Like, will achieve more than probably any of them will do. Right.

Speaker 3 once on the cover of FIFA if you remember that you know that's how that's how good is how his high his stock was Jack Wilshire and I think it's credit to him for like going to a club where obviously like if you don't know he came through the academy there and very celebrated before he went to Arsenal and I just don't know what Luton fans want because you've got to give if you can't give him time who can you give time to like they've had so many different types of manager now you've got one who maybe wants to play the right way but also has that loot and grit in him like isn't that exactly what you want but uh things take time and this league league is, it can be quite middling, and if you can just be there or thereabouts, you're okay.

Speaker 3 So they are seventh, albeit, you know, they've not got a huge amount of wins. It's only eighth and they've drawn a lot with the five.
But, you know, they're knocking on the door.

Speaker 3 I don't know what Mordy could ask for. I suppose a while ago, I mentioned how

Speaker 3 under the previous manager, they were about to play Stevenage. And if things had gone wrong there, which they did, then he'd be in trouble.
And he was. And I guess that kind of

Speaker 3 feeling that we should be doing better than we are and we're doing terribly still kind of, it's still there somewhere.

Speaker 3 And you need to kind of get it out of the system because it's not going to help him.

Speaker 1 He doesn't look that happy at the pub that he's doing.

Speaker 1 It's one of those overly lit pubs as well that has a sign on the wall that says, take the path less travelled.

Speaker 6 Sort of a motorcycle. Very TK Max.

Speaker 1 I thought I would get a groan from you, Barry.

Speaker 1 At the bottom, you mentioned Port Vale. They're pretty adrift.
15 points, five points away from Blackpool in 23rd, Exeter in 22nd, and Plymouth in 21st.

Speaker 1 And then come Donnie, Peterborough, Reading, all on the same points as Plymouth. And then Burton have 23 points.

Speaker 1 How do you judge this, George?

Speaker 8 Blackpool

Speaker 8 look like they're improving under new boss Ian Everett. They came back from 2-0 down against Lincoln to draw to all last time out.

Speaker 8 And I expect with the quality they've got in their squad that they will get out of this mess.

Speaker 8 A couple of other really good managerial appointments have had a similar effect.

Speaker 8 Peterborough were looking like a bit of a lost cause under Darren Ferguson. The appointment of Luke Williams looks an inspired one.
They're playing much better.

Speaker 8 And in Harry Leonard, it looks like Peterborough, who've, you know, so many times over the years, they've found these strikers who come in and score loads of goals and they sell for a massive profit.

Speaker 8 Normally these are players recruited from kind of beneath them, but not always. Like Ivan Toney obviously came in from Newcastle, having previously been at Northampton.

Speaker 8 And in Harry Leonard, they've got a player who's been a Blackburn for a long time. He's had big injury issues.
He's never quite been able to force his way into the first team.

Speaker 8 He's coming to Peterborough and he looks like he just should be a championship striker.

Speaker 8 And he, I think, will score a lot of goals for them, scored two against Northampton in the Neen Derby on Saturday in a 2-1 win.

Speaker 8 There are massive concerns at the moment for Plymouth Argyle, who got a really, really big, important win last time out against Rotherham to make it back to about 1-0 wins.

Speaker 8 The fans are not happy there about basically anything

Speaker 8 when you consider, you know, they're recently a mid-table championship side who's suddenly facing up to a relegation battle battle in League One. It's not a huge surprise.

Speaker 8 Simon Hallett, their owner, put out a really good statement.

Speaker 8 He's all about kind of honesty and transparency.

Speaker 8 And it's good to see that quite often, you know, when the knives are set on him, he puts out a statement and the fans kind of nod their head and say, fair enough. Thank you for that.

Speaker 8 Like open communication can often work.

Speaker 8 Tom Cleverly, you know, they're keeping the faith in him to turn it around, but have appointed Derek Adams as the director of football, who's formerly our guy manager and most recently Morecambe manager for the second time.

Speaker 8 So they'll be hoping that those two wins can kickstart something, but I wouldn't say the performances have been amazing. And should mention Exeter and Port Vale as well.

Speaker 8 Port Vale, who looked like one of the unluckiest teams in the league to me early in the season where the performances were quite good, but those couldn't win games.

Speaker 8 They're retaining the faith of Darren Moore at the moment, but you have to wonder how much longer with just three wins from 19.

Speaker 8 And then Exeter, who wins 22nd, 20 points for 19 games, they are in the midst of a bit of an existential crisis at the moment. Cash flow is short.
They need money.

Speaker 8 They've been very open.

Speaker 8 You know, it increasingly does kind of feel like the fan-owned model is relatively unsustainable

Speaker 8 this high up in the pyramids. The win over Wickham in the FA Cup was huge to get them in the third round draw because they needed the funds from uh whoever they drew.

Speaker 8 They then drew Manchester City away, which is obviously a huge draw for them, and they'll they'll reap the rewards from um the gate receipts there.

Speaker 8 Albeit, I wonder how many tickets will actually be sold for Manchester City or home to Exeter.

Speaker 8 But I just couldn't believe it yesterday when the um the games were announced for live TV, especially in this day and age where, yeah, sure, you're not going to put Manchester City or Homes of Exeter live on

Speaker 8 the main channel because of risk of

Speaker 8 what it could be and what it's likely to be.

Speaker 8 But when you've got loads of games that are being streamed on various different platforms and you've got MK Dons versus Oxford being streamed and you've got Port Vale versus Fleetwood being streamed, I can't understand how that hasn't been selected for TV, which would have obviously...

Speaker 8 brought i mean not significant money but still would have brought some some money that's very very much needed for Exeter. That in itself isn't necessarily a reason

Speaker 8 for TV companies to do this, but the FA Cup is all about the underdog. I just can't understand why that hasn't been chosen, especially because it would be an opportunity to shine a light.

Speaker 8 You know, we talk whenever there are

Speaker 8 kind of properly to the wall issues at Reading or at Derby. There's talk about football having to kind of unite in order to help these clubs out.

Speaker 8 Well, what about some preventative action in order to help a club that are being very open and honest about them heading that way? So I'm amazed that that's a Saturday three o'clock kickoff.

Speaker 6 But, you know,

Speaker 8 hopefully they can get a famous win at Man City and get a home draw in the next round against Premier League time, Premier League side, and get a plum TV spot.

Speaker 1 Even Cambridge's defeat to Birmingham is on Discovery Plus in the FA Cup third round.

Speaker 8 I just can't understand it.

Speaker 8 But surely you'd think there are enough Man City fans to make it worthwhile to put that on a streaming platform.

Speaker 6 It may be.

Speaker 1 Yeah. Well, it's not my decision.

Speaker 1 Maddie, too. Yes, I'll sort it out.
See what I can do.

Speaker 1 League two, Walsall top on 39. Knotts County, Swindon have 37.
Bromi have 36.

Speaker 1 MK Don, Salford, Chesterfield, Crewe, and the Mighty Ewes.

Speaker 1 It's pretty tight in there.

Speaker 6 Wasn't it this time last year? Walsall were about 50 points clear at the top of League Two and then didn't get promoted.

Speaker 3 Yeah, so they were

Speaker 3 how many points clear were they, George? Again, 14, I think. 14, yeah, yeah, yeah.
So last year, Barry, they had Nathan Lowe on loan from Stoke City. He got 15 in 22 and set up another five.

Speaker 3 So he then got recalled by Stoke, and that coincided with the wheels falling off

Speaker 3 dramatically.

Speaker 3 You know, they got to the player final and lost that, and it was, it was, yeah, it was bad. This time around, they've had to rebuild.

Speaker 3 New goalie, you know, loads of different positions have to be refilled.

Speaker 3 They have another loan striker, Daniel Carnew, on loan from Charlton who's got 9 and 16 so far And you think that the team that he's come on loan from could do with more goals in the championship They might also want to recall him and this same situation might end up becoming a reality So that's the big worry for me Carnu's like the most poacher of poachery strikers like if you look at the stats He doesn't seem to like touch the ball other than score a goal.

Speaker 1 Everyone listening wants to know is is it the son of Carnu? It doesn't sound you know it doesn't sound yeah I I don't think it is

Speaker 6 very upsetting.

Speaker 8 No, Sanny, did you see his goal on Saturday? Because it was very, because even though I agree with you, he got the ball.

Speaker 8 I mean, it's one of those goals that you're only taking a shot on if you're unbelievably confident.

Speaker 8 He got on the ball 25 yards out, could have just run forward to make it one-on-one and decided instead just to smack it off the crossbar into the top left-hand corner from 25 yards out.

Speaker 8 So he can do it all.

Speaker 6 Well, there you go. I did see that goal, but I've seen so much football, I can't remember it whatsoever.

Speaker 3 So that's my main worry for Walsall. I mean,

Speaker 3 Matt Sadler, like, had a lot,

Speaker 3 he's had a lot of pressure on him, especially in the way that things didn't come together. And then losing in the playoff final.
And it would have been very easy for Walsall to go, right?

Speaker 3 Do you know what? This has been going wrong for a while. They stuck with him.
He's clearly proving that, you know, we can do it. And that's very positive.
But that's my big worry.

Speaker 3 The fact that the main scorer and pretty much their only real scorer, the goals were kind of dried up for everywhere else, is a low knee.

Speaker 3 And you just hope that he haven't got Charlton haven't got a recall clause come January because that'll be worrying again.

Speaker 1 Now, George, we are ninth, not lost in the league since October. The only defeat in that time is a penalty shootout in the LDV Johnson's Paint Trophy, whatever it is now.

Speaker 1 The meanest defence in the league. Have you still got us 18th?

Speaker 8 No.

Speaker 8 Live on the podcast the other day, me and Ali had a £50 bet on whether or not Cambridge would finish in the top seven. And you'll be happy to to know that I was the one saying that you would.
Yes.

Speaker 8 Yeah, I've been pretty impressed recently. It just feels like League Two is so mad this season.

Speaker 8 And again, it's another league where we're all sort of top on 39 points, but you can go down to 15th and Chamir on 26. Like it's

Speaker 8 the position is in the middle of that is kind of irrelevant. And Cambridge kind of sits directly in the middle of it.

Speaker 8 But there are so many teams whose performances kind of vary wildly from week to week.

Speaker 8 Swindon being one of those, MK Dons being another, Salford who are kind of hitting just crazy realm now with the end-to-end nature of their games.

Speaker 8 Whereas Cambridge are the ones, you know, if you look at the teams I just discussed there, MK Dons has scored 38 goals and conceded 24. You've got Chesterfield who scored 36 goals and conceded 31.

Speaker 8 Cambridge, 22 goals scored 18 conceded.

Speaker 1 We're not to make it entertaining, guys.

Speaker 6 You're the solid option.

Speaker 8 You just absolutely know you're not going to concede many goals. You're probably going to score a few, and that's normally enough.

Speaker 8 Like, if you look at successful teams in League Two in the past, it's very, very rare that it's the expansive gung-ho teams normally it's the the ones where like yeah we've got a solid defensive unit we've got some good players up front we've got a wily manager who's been here and done it before so i think as the chaos goes on around you cambridge are the ones who are probably just going to naturally plod along and finish somewhere between

Speaker 6 fifth and seventh. That's twice now that George has said league position is irrelevant.

Speaker 6 And I'm worried about Mark Langdon if he's listening, just his head literally exploding.

Speaker 1 Just one question, one question at the bottom on Christian Fuchs, who I interviewed on Talksport.

Speaker 1 It was one of my worst interviews of all time because I was like, let's have some fun with Christian Fuchs, but he was in manager mode, being serious about having just, which is fair enough, right?

Speaker 1 He's just got a job. He doesn't want to dig in.

Speaker 8 If you told him that was the name of the segment, he might have, he might have prepared.

Speaker 6 Fond with Rox.

Speaker 6 Fook around and find out.

Speaker 6 Exactly.

Speaker 1 But like, it's an interesting decision he's taken. And it is currently, look, they weren't doing well before, Sonny, but they're still not doing well.

Speaker 3 Yeah, he's still not one. That's the main thing.
I don't know.

Speaker 3 I don't know why he's done this.

Speaker 3 What's he got to gain from going in there?

Speaker 8 There was a really good interview with Ben Fisher in The Guardian with Fuchs, where he kind of explained his decision. And it seemingly comes from his assistant manager, who

Speaker 8 is a Newport man, I think maybe played for them, who runs his academy in America. So that, because I couldn't work out the link at all.

Speaker 8 And I messaged a couple of people who are kind of close to Newport, or even people who are close to Leicester to try and find out. And they were all completely miffed as to why he'd turned up there.

Speaker 8 But it seems like that's the reason for the link of him to Newport. And I kind of, you know, does Christian Fuchs walk into a kind of league one or a championship job?

Speaker 8 You know, he's been Dean Smith's assistant at Charlotte for the last 18 months.

Speaker 6 My abiding memory of Christian Fuchs is when he kept trying to leave Leicester and they wouldn't let him.

Speaker 6 And his family had relocated to New York and he had a soccer school in New York and he wanted to go and run it. But Lester kept convincing him to sign a new contract.

Speaker 6 So he finally escaped and now he's back managing at the bottom of league two. It doesn't stack up.

Speaker 3 Yeah, a career decision based on doing a favor for a mate does sound. But maybe that academy, the guy clearly is very important, his academy.
So, you know, it's like go and manage Newport or I walk.

Speaker 3 And he's like, well, I need that academy to keep going because Lester might try and trap me again. And I need somebody to keep it going.

Speaker 1 Or maybe he's just a lovely guy. You know, we're all here to help our friends out.
And, you know, he's just doing that. Anyway, thanks, everybody.
That'll do it for today. Cheers, Sonny.
Cheers.

Speaker 3 Thank you.

Speaker 6 Thank you, George. Thank you, Max.

Speaker 1 Cheers, Barry. Thank you.
Football Weekly is produced by Dolegrove. Our executive producer is Danielle Stevens.
Back on Thursday to review the Carabao Cup quarterbacks.

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