72+ EFL Pod: Fearing for Leicester & WBA spa days

23:04Aaron Paul:B-I-T. Bang in trouble. But then what you get, and this is, I feel like I get from Leicester City, because those players in there will be feeling, well, if we do get relegated, I'll go nick and move still. You know, I'll have another club come after me. Whereas, again, with the greatest respect to Oxford, a lot of those players are thinking, mate, for me to be in the Championship, I've got to be at this football club. I've got to do everything I can to be at Oxford United and make sure I stay in the Championship. Same with Portsmouth. You know, and I mean this respectfully, whereas I think there's a lot of players at Leicester City that go, hmm, if we go down, I'll be all right.

23:35I had players, you know, during that season, like, you know, January going, nice, fine, I'm going to be leaving anyway. And you're like, mate, I don't care if you're leaving in January, if you're leaving at the end of the season, just give me everything you've got and then we'll live with whatever happens. And that is the worst thing when you get to an end of the season because it tarnishes you, man. Like once you've been in a team that's relegated, people are looking at, well, why did you get relegated? What's your contribution? You couldn't have been this, you must have been a panic. You know, and this is the thing that players have to understand.

24:03Unfortunately, at Leicester, City doesn't seem as though that's getting through to enough of those players. My name's Steve Bracknell, assistant manager at Royal Oak FC. You may have seen me online going viral. Viral sensation. And now the BBC have given me the chance to set the footballing world banterise. This could be a great opportunity for us, lads, a podcast for the BBC. Can I just say, what's a podcast? Brilliant. Great start. Well done, Bob. Brilliant. We can completely show utter transparency to Royal Oak fans. I'll use me charm. Gift it gab. Game's gone. The Steve Bracknell podcast. Watch on YouTube.

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25:24Just go to linkedin.com slash broadcast. That's linkedin.com slash broadcast. Terms and conditions apply. Doing taxes the old way meant handing everything off and just hoping things were moving. But now you can feel confident your taxes are being handled right with Intuit TurboTax. Now you match with a TurboTax full-service expert. Just upload your documents right in the app, and boom, they take it from there. Start to finish, you've got a dedicated expert working your return. They check every deduction and credit to help you get the best possible outcome, so you can feel confident you're getting every dollar you deserve.

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26:39Aaron Paul:involved in the relegation scrap i've never heard of anything like this before where's from in jarby and beat hull by three calls to nail interim boss james morrison said giving his squad the spa treatment was a factor in ending their long search for a win morrison sent the players for a spa day on thursday as part of pre-match preparations in an attempt to calm tension the team responded by beating a hole by three goals to nail johnny while other teams are out there doing shape his lads while they're in a steam room they're probably getting a massage maybe enjoying some bubbles who knows a light lunch uh you know a robe maybe a nail buffing or something like that that is mad i've never heard of anything like that well i'm sending my I'll let's down to Spa tomorrow.

27:25Try and get a tune out of him. But look, I know where he's coming from. When you're on these bad runs and you've tried everything, first of all, you double down on the training ground. We get out there, we'll work harder. We'll drill defensively. You do that for a week. The weekend comes, you get beat. Then you try something different. We'll go 5-0 this week. We'll just have a little bit of fun, take the pressure off. And you do that for a week and you get beat. We'll change system next week. and you try and try and try and in the end, you just start trying to think out of the box. Like, let me just, what can I do?

27:58What can I do different? We won't train today. We'll go, we've done it where managers have said, like, come on, we're going to the cafe, you know, have like a fry or a bacon roll or that's probably a few years ago now. I'm not sure they do that anymore. But he's just trying to think of different ways to just get a tune out of his players. Spa day, why not? Let's try something different. I've done everything else.

28:19Aaron Paul:How do you reward your players? Days off. that's all they want players players want to know how much money they're going to earn are they going to win any medals and how much time off they're going to have so you can't guarantee medals obviously their money is what they they know what they're earning so the little carrot that you've got Joe you remember it when we come in on a Saturday and you don't play to the following Saturday and the boys are waiting and you've won the game you're just waiting for the managers to go see you Tuesday lads and you won't get a you never hear a reception like it for an extra day off, your Monday off.

28:53So it's a big thing. It's a big thing just giving players that extra day. They can go and do whatever they want to do, play golf, spend time with their family, whatever. But sometimes that works.

29:03Aaron Paul:Have you ever, you know, pre-match in the dressing room said, you know, you score three goals, you get an extra day off or something like that. You go out and they get beat and you come back and just rub it in their face. Yeah, it's happened. I have used it as a carrot before games, especially like some cup games, you know, where it's not about performance. It's like, lads, get through and you get your extra day. That's all I care about. And you might just scrape a one-nil. Or if you go out, you've got to stick to it. You ain't getting your extra day. If you're going to dangle that carrot, you've got to stick to it either way.

29:36But honestly, it often works. I think it's a really interesting conversation about it's not just the physical demands. There is a psychological impact that being in a run that they've been on is tough. No matter what anybody thinks, you know, they're going through it. You know, I'm sure there's players there. Listen, we know Jed Wallace extremely well. He's a man that I would want in my corner. I bet he loved this one day. I bet he's on him. He probably is the one who went in and told him to sort it out. But listen, if that has made a difference in the sense of the players and staff maybe getting an opportunity just to switch off from it all for a moment, you know, a bit of a feel-good factor back in the squad, because it is tough when you're losing games all the time and, you know, you're in the run that they're in and all the pressure around that.

30:18you know yes listen we're paid to go out and win games of football of course we are but we are still affected at times and listen from his perspective he's identified something he felt might help what you're absolutely then banking I think what it does give you is gives you that extra bit of credit with the boys to say listen I need a performance today because I've done something that we're going to get battered for if we do not win this game of football and that comes out that we've been down the spa and we're in a relegation battle we are all going to get absolutely killed it. So I think that extra demand, you know, that probably that buy-in he gets back from the players, I think, listen, it's work to treat.

30:54Simplified it, 4-4-2. So I think we're coming back round again, as I think the days of the fry-up in the cafe on a Monday is not far away, Chaco. We're going to get back to it soon, mate. Fry-ups all round tomorrow.

31:04Aaron Paul:Yeah, love it. Love it. Bubble and squeak for me, please. I'll tell you what, I think... Pipe and mash. There you go. Yeah, oh, can you imagine? That'd be great. Jed's the kind of person who'd be so committed as well with this bar he'd be first on with the robe he'd be in there cucumbers on his eyes nice little agatha christie on the go like a little book to take with him he'd be he'd bang up for it you know that's the best of luck to west from joe and hey who knows they might be in a spa right now uh let's bring some fresh news that has uh broken this morning in league one rotherham united they've parted ways with matt hamshaw after their five nil defeat away to Peterborough Tuesday night.

31:42Aaron Paul:Real concern about their situation, Joby. Six points from safety, nine games to go. But the fact of the matter is they've been quite bad for a while. Quite bad's probably putting it mildly. I think there's been a lot of sort of, what's the right word? We've been waiting for it. I think that's the easiest way to put it, really. I think, you know, wondering when is it going to happen, not if, because clearly the run they've been on. I've got to say, when you look at some of their recent fixtures, you know, Obviously that result last night and performance, there are types of performances that end up getting to this situation because getting beat 5-0.

32:18But they've had Bolton, Huddersfield, Plymouth, Bradford in the last few games. It's a tough run. But yeah, listen, it's been worrying times there for a long time now. And unfortunately, it feels as though the inevitable is going to happen. Listen, they're a couple of wins away now from being safe. and with the form they're in, can you really see them getting the points that they need to stay up? It's obviously a last roll of the dice, maybe a fresh impetus, a bit of fresh energy in the building that they're hoping that can do the trick and get those wins. But yeah, it's been a real disappointing season.

32:51Aaron Paul:Do you know what, Joby? I sit here after every match then. Last night was one of those where you sit and I don't know if it's just me. I go on the BBC Sports website and I look at the results and I'm like, ooh, hmm. It's popcorn time, man. It is the most baffling season, the most turbulent season I've seen in a while. Until right at the end of the game, they get pegged back. And it's just how it's going to be now, between now and the end of the season. Like you say, just that chopping and changing, not even week to week, throughout the days as they go by. And yes, listen, it's brilliant. This is the time of the season, I think, except for the managers over there.

33:28We all love it, don't we?

33:30Aaron Paul:Let's push on and drop into League 2. Five of the top seven, all one on Tuesday night. The other two, MK, play on Wednesday. And Cambridge United, who drew nil-nil away at Walsall, delighted to say, friend of the programme, Cambridge United director of football, Mark Bonner, is with us. Bonzo, how are you? Very good, Az. Very good, gents. Good to be here. You're looking well. The director's box life looks like it's treating you well. Good lunches, good teas, drinks, seats. I mean, it's better than being a manager, isn't it? It's very different. There's parts of it where I miss the bit that Johnny's going through.

34:08You don't miss that. You should see him here this morning, Bonds. A little bit of Johnny's life thinking, yeah, this is quite nice.

34:14Aaron Paul:Tell us all about it. Back working at Cambridge United. Neil Harris down in the dugout. You above him watching on. This is some combination you've got going. And you're hitting form beautifully. Yeah, Neil's done a brilliant job this year. And him with the staff, I think, with a good side. put ourselves in a position that I think if you'd have said at the start of the season, you know, you see how difficult it is sometimes for teams that suffer relegations to have success the next season. If you'd have said we're 69 points with nine games to play, we'd have definitely taken that. And we built a cushion of four points over fourth place on Saturday after a good result.

34:51Didn't get the maximums last night, but are still in there. And we've nine to play and five at home that include Salford, Swindon, Notts County and Grimsby. We've also got to go to Barrow. You know, it's a great end to the season, to be honest. I think having you there, obviously, you know, someone who's an absolute legend of the club and been a big part of those successes previously is such an important thing because, you know, I remember that team, you know, where you lot got promoted when I was at Leighton Orient. And, you know, again, I think if you looked at the budget of that versus a lot of the other teams at the level at the time, you know, would have been nowhere near the top end of the table.

35:28And I look at your side defensively, Mark. I mean, is that something at the start of this season between you and Neil that you wanted to set out? I mean, 28 goals conceded at this stage of the season is outrageous, really. And it just goes back to what does it take to get promoted? You know, being together, being solid, being organised, hard to beat, which I feel sometimes is going out of the game a little bit with modern day coaches, all about the other end of the pitch. But it just goes to show if you want to be successful over an extended period of time, that defensive stability is so important hugely a huge and any successful teams usually got that to fall back on and if you look at us over the year we've our goal scoring rate and our possession rates have increased and improved but yeah there's no doubt we started fairly pragmatic that we were we were attempting to be Port Vale bounce back straight away but desperate not to be Carlisle and and when you've got that sort of broad spectrum to work with the starting point is be hard to beat and then try and improve and build on that.

36:24And we have done. We've put ourselves into a really good position. And, you know, when the time comes that we go back to League One, whenever that is, we'll be a much better club for that this time around than we were last time and hopefully able to compete even more so.

36:38Aaron Paul:How do you plan then for a season where you don't know what division you're going to be in? Yeah, it's an interesting one. I mean, the little bits around pre-season become a bit more challenging, maybe with the games that you want to organise. I think the reality is we've missed out on players in the summer and in January that chose to go to League One. The financial landscape isn't a whole much difference between League Two and League One. We'll have a bit more, but not huge amounts. So the truth is the pool of players that we're looking for, whether we're towards the top of League Two or fighting to be in League One, it's really similar groups of players.

37:11So actually, from a recruitment perspective, it doesn't really make too much difference. We're trying to get the best players we can afford that fit what we want. and usually, whichever division we're in, it's a similar group.

37:21Aaron Paul:Can I just say, Joby, the invasive part of my mind is reminding me that Junia Shamadu plays for Stoke City. Mark, you'll have to listen to the pod and come back and work that one out. Let's hear from Neil Harris, the Cambridge United boss, after his side's goal has dropped Walsall. The negative tonight, and I'm going to say it straight as it is, the impact from the bench was horrific tonight. I was so unhappy with that. The four lads that come on I thought were terrible and it didn't help us at all. and the difference in games over the last five months has been that impact from the bench and today wasn't good enough.

37:53What were the specifics behind why you were so unhappy with that aspect of it, Neil? They played terribly, Doug. Now they've got to be better than that. Come on, they've got to come on and change games. So you can't come on and make mistakes and turn the ball over. You're fresh in coming on the pitch. Look, they're brilliant players. They've done brilliant for us. But I'm just being really honest. You know, I'm the first person to say how well they've done when players have come off the bench, how well the lads have done as a group. and they've done brilliant. It's another strong point tonight.

38:20But, you know, when you need lads to come off the bench and really impact it, we didn't tonight. So, lesson learned for them. You know, heed my words. Please be better than that when you come on the pitch. And we have to be more consistent.

38:31Aaron Paul:You're always going to get refreshing honesty from Neil Harris. I'd run through brick walls with that man, though. Literally, with one leg. I don't really care, Joby. I'd do it for him because you just listen to him there. The frustration in his voice, the anger in his voice, the disappointment in his voice as well. you want to go out and do your best for him. I think the big thing with Neil is we all know, you know, we've played against him, we've worked with him, played against his teams. You know, he is honest first and foremost. And he would have said exactly that in the dressing room. I'm 100 % sure before he then comes out and says it.

39:03So as a player, you know, and you know deep in yourself, you know, whether you have done as much as you could have, whether you have had the impact that you wanted. And actually at this time of the season, I think it's really important that everybody does know the demands and the expectations because it's very easy to sort of fall into, yeah, we've had a decent season, you know, we're OK. No, you know, you look how tight that top of the table is and the difference between going up automatically and maybe ending up falling into the playoffs where anything can happen can be you coming on and having an impact and nicking a game 1-0 in the last minute of the game.

39:35So the only thing I'm a little bit worried about, my old mate James Brophy, I think, was one of them in his crosshair. So, Mark, when you see him next, just make sure he's all right. I'm going to send him a little text today just to check on him because I know he can be a little bit sensitive, old bro. So just make sure he's all right for me. Of course. I think the interview is brilliant and people want to hear honesty and that's exactly what it is. I mean, when you say he said exactly that in the dressing room, if he said, please be better, lads, I'd be quite surprised. But I think the impact from our substitutes this year has been exceptional.

40:05And the reason he's had the career he's had, Neil, and the impact he's had here is because he's relentless and his drive is not going to let up. And I absolutely love that. and the honesty makes someone so easy to work with because people don't hold stuff back like we're quite open to be able to speak to each other any way that we want and that's that that's really refreshing do you do you guys buttheads um it's an interesting one isn't it i think we challenge each other but i think was um you know i heard i heard david moise say once when you're a manager there's enough people that want to disagree with you and challenge everything you do sometimes you need people to support you and help you work out what's going on in your mind So I was trying to find that balance between the two things and support him every way that I can.

40:45But I certainly offer an opinion and we're not afraid to disagree with each other. But the fact that we can do that really honestly with complete trust and move on quite quickly makes it a really healthy relationship. I'd just be interested to hear about how you find the match day experience now, Mark, having obviously been down there in the dugout, doing it yourself, sort of hands on on a match day. Now you're up in the stand watching the different pressures of that. For me, I don't mind admitting match day is my least enjoyable day of the week. I like the Monday to Friday and then I feel the match day, obviously the pressure, the nerves that come with that.

41:23Just interesting to see the difference in feeling for you now doing your different role, having done both. Yeah, it's a great question, Jonny. And the answer is I don't love it, to be honest. I mean, I love the fact that you can watch a game and you're not tied to the outcome in the same way. and the defeats or the bad performances don't do the same thing to you that they might have done when you're on the touchline. But the same thing is also true. I agree with you that match days are tough when you're the manager, but the highs of being the manager and the good bits that are there, I don't think you can replicate that anywhere.

41:55And for those of you that played, you'd say the same thing, I'm pretty sure. So you can't help the fact that I do miss that bit too, because as hard as it is, when it's good, there's nothing better.

42:04Aaron Paul:Do you plan the celebration, if you go up? Is that a director of football? Does that come out of your remit? Absolutely not. Do not let the carp come before the horse, do you know what I mean? That's for other people. Next game is the only one that matters. Well, it's great speaking to you. Best of luck in the race for promotion. Mark Bunner, Cambridge United director of football with us on 72+. We will talk about Trammer at some point on this show in the next few weeks. Let me bring you one stat to do with them. out of a possible last 42 points available. Do you know how many they've picked up, Joby?

42:40Out of 42, I'm going to go for six.

42:45Aaron Paul:Four points. Oh, my gosh. Four points. Pete Wildside absolutely stuffed on home turf. 3-0 by Harrogate Town. I am very, very worried for that football club right now because they're six points off safety. Obviously, just beaten by Harrogate. Barrow absolutely tanked as well. it's a rocky rocky situation shout out Christian Fuchs by the way if he's able to get Newport County out of trouble then you know massive credit good on him but Tramir Rovers they've stopped this club in reverse and it's very very worrying so we'll talk Tramir over the next couple of weeks and no doubt it'll heat up over Easter let's finish with this 72 plus 72 minus on the Football Daily yeah it's time for Joby's best and worst EFL moments of the week.

43:36Aaron Paul:Who's on your radar, Jobes? Well, I've got to say, we've got a couple of absolute crackers this week. So I'm going to rip up the script and instead of doing a plus and a minus, I'm going to do two minuses because we've had two situations that I'm scratching my head in all the time I've been involved in football. I don't think I've ever seen them. We get two in one week. So we're going to do two minuses. First up, it's going to be Birmingham's Jack Robinson with an absolute moment to forget. The ball was actually still in play. Goalkeeper rolls it out to him. Robinson thought the ball had gone out and he thought he was going to be the one to take a goal kick.

44:11So he stops, picks the ball up, marches over to the six-yard box and puts it down as if it's going to be a restart. Referee blows up. Everyone's looking around like, hang on a minute, surely that hasn't gone out of play. Ends up giving a penalty. Here it is. What have they seen? They've seen something and the referee is coming up. I thought Promote had given the corner for taking two longs. He's given handball. And the Blues are suddenly going to protest to the linesman on the far side. The linesman said the ball is live. Well, if he is, then it's a penalty.

44:44Aaron Paul:Job's 10-10 description of that. I mean, it took longer than the actual clip. Well, I've got to be honest. It's something that, as I say, I don't think I've ever seen before. If you haven't seen it, go and watch it. It's absolutely bonkers. Your other 72-minus then. Another crazy situation this time. It's Oli Norburn of Notts County. Obviously a team chasing promotion in League Two. He's already on a yellow card early in the game. And then he does this. Norburn gets a foot in. Dobber's boots come off, but no foul given. And Norburn then picked up Dobber's boots and thrown it off the pitch. You've got to be a little bit careful with things like that, having been booked, is Oli Norburn.

45:25It's Nick Cerula and Norburn's going to be off. Oli Norburn is off. Oh my word. The referee has seen the fact that he's chucked Dobber's boot off the pitch. And Norburn, inside the opening 20 minutes of this one, has been sent off for two yellow cards.

45:39Aaron Paul:Nothing wrong with that. Tidying up. Tidying up, lobbing the boot off. I thought it was a bit harsh, to be fair. Yeah, no. I thought that was harsh. That's not nice. That's not nice. Johnny, key stage one maths. A minus and a minus. A double negative equals. A plus. Exactly. let's have a 72 plus and i'm going to bring you this one this week great to see eduardo bove scoring for what for someone who's had a real tough time over the past year and a half he suffered a cardiac arrest while playing for fiorentina in december 2024 and he fired home whatford's third against wrexham last night so really really good to see eduardo bove um scoring and the celebration was unbelievable going and it was, can we call it the Robin Van Persie going and standing on the advertising hoarding, opening his arms up like Christ the Redeemer you know what, I love it, I love it it's what it's all about.

46:36Aaron Paul:Where is everyone this weekend who's doing what? The game that we spoke about in the show so Ipswich Millwall which I cannot wait for, going to be a massive game at the top end of the table so really looking forward to that. Peterborough at home for us, Saturday 3 o 'clock looking forward to happy days don't get beat 5-0 mate you know what happens after that got beat 5-0 away that is it for this episode of 72 plus thank you to Johnny Jackson and to Joby McEnough and to you for your company as well oh and to Mark Bonnet Cambridge United Director of Football forgot to say thanks to him thanks Bonzo as for us here 72 plus we'll be back next week catch you then Gaff are we making the playoffs yeah you jinxed it didn't you How have I jinxed it?

47:23How have I jinxed it?

47:24Aaron Paul:I said we will lose two more games to the end of the season. We've now lost them. Right, there you go. I didn't jinx anything. In the way that he drops it so casually, I think we just need to win seven of our last games. I just like the way he was going. So we'll play Orient, we'll beat them, and then we'll go there and we'll beat them. All right, we'll give Lincoln one, but then we'll go there and we'll beat them. It's easy to get in it. Fan talk, mate. Right, do you want me to re-assess it now? No, no, no, no. No, next game, next game, next game. I'm Rich Hall, and this is Sports Strangest Crimes presents Confessions of a Super Bowl Streaker.

48:01When people ask me what I do, I say to them, well, by day or by night. The story of one man's mission to conquer the holy grail of streaking the Super Bowl. Mark Roberts is too lively for his body.

48:14Kieran McKenna:He's just like the entertainer.

48:16Aaron Paul:Mark pushes the boundaries of what is socially acceptable. No chance, Texas. It's really strict, but then the more I thought about it. More thought, hang on. What are you about? Sports Strangers Crimes presents Confessions of a Super Bowl Streaker. Listen on BBC Sounds.