EFL EXTRA: Lankshear shines and surprises galore

0:04Hello and welcome to the Game Football Podcast from the Times and Sunday Times. This is our EFL Extra Show bringing you reaction and analysis of the latest news and action in the Championship League One and League Two. I'm Tom Clarke and joining me as always we have the former Football League defender turned journalist Gregor Robertson. And from this season we will be with you every single week. none of this once a fortnight nonsense every single week Gregor there's no going back now I've said it on air commitment committed to in the first week of the season this terrible terrible idea to do even more work and talk about football even longer on the podcast we've cemented it now no going back

0:45Gregor Robertson: no you got giddy after a very exciting opening weekend of EFL action in every league some great stories emerging already so yeah maybe we're just a bit giddy after week one, but we'll see how it goes. Listen, we've got reinforcements as well. Kit Shepard and Joe Harston, we'll be hearing from them as the season goes on after their debut on the preview show. And Gregor, a huge moment as well for the Game Podcast EFL show. We've crossed through to the other side. We've stopped just being the nice guys who do an EFL show. We've now reached the point of football fandom where people are slagging us off for doing a football league show.

1:21It was brilliant, the reaction from Southampton fans, West Ham fans, loads of Wolves fans as well after that preview show, particularly Southampton fans. What a bunch of clueless Muppets was one of my favourite responses to our preview show. Lots of Southampton fans asking us to stop talking about Spygate. Stop talking about it. If you idiots in the media would just shut up, it would go away. I'm not entirely sure that's true, Southampton fans, especially with an FA charge hanging over your manager's head. But we'll talk about your opening game against Watford very shortly. But Gregor, you've already mentioned that.

1:56Loads and loads to pick up on. Loads of interesting scorelines and loads of really refreshing scorelines, I think, actually throughout the three divisions. Actually kind of confounding and backing up the idea that you can never actually know what's going on in the Football League. That's what makes it so compelling. Kicking off with Wolves 2, Blackburn 2 on that Friday night. One of the favourites for promotion against one of the teams tipped for relegation and Wolves just about salvaging a draw right at the end. we can come on to that game in a minute what caught your eye the most?

2:29Gregor Robertson: Yeah I mean that was you're right it was a kind of welcome to the championship even if it is a cliche for Wolves and their new manager and you know Blackburn a club that almost everyone has tipped to go down actually looked quite lively looked like there's a lot of threats going forward Could have won Absolutely and they were we might as well talk about it now they were hard done by I think the penalty that gave Raul Jimenez the chance to level that's a great story in itself, Raul Jimenez returning to the club and all his family there and all the scars with Si Senor in the stands but Blackburn were hard done by Alibi Ossou, who was great I thought really athletic down the right it's a handball in modern football but there's no clarity that it was inside the box and Tony Mowbray was trying to be very political about afterwards the Blackburn manager saying I don't want to bring anyone's credibility or ethics into doubt or anything like that but that was a very questionable penalty for him and I think anyone who saw it yeah that was a good kick off, I mean Wolves looked good Wolves looked good at the start and they were lively I think I think Fer Lopez could be one to watch this season he was somebody who was picked up for 20 million last summer from Celta Vigo, didn't happen for him at all in the Premier League, was loaned back to Celta in January, but he's really, really gifted technically great balance, lovely foot his pass for Munetzi's opener was a sweet, sweet little pass and then Blackburn came back really strongly and as I say, I think their forward line looked quite good we've got Morishita, who's crossed for McLaughlin's header, the equaliser was an absolute peach, Todd Cantwell was really busy Dapo Afolayan was returning to England after three years at St Paul he was dangerous at times as well he's had a really interesting career and Andre Goodjohnson one of three of either's boys playing football gave them leads as you say that was a kind of fitting opening to the championship action I think Reminder that there's loads to come I should say as well with that controversial decision.

4:49I've had a think, mate, and I've decided, because there's going to be plenty more in this show, I'm going to give a pound to a charity, maybe an EFL-associated charity, I'm not sure, but I'll give a pound at the end of the season for every time we have an incident on this podcast that we talk about that we said, what if there's been VAR? What if there's been VAR? What if there's been VAR? We don't want VAR in the Football League and there's been some big controversial decisions already this weekend. So every time we say it, a pound goes in the kitty for the end of the season. So we're up and running.

5:19A quid already.

5:20Gregor Robertson: Shall we go to Norwich versus West Brom next then? I think it would make the most sense. I think it would make the most sense because Norwich fans will be very upset if we don't. Hegbo, the first goal, he's punched it in, hasn't he? He's punched it in. He's punched it in. Do you know what? So there's number two. Two quid. We're two quid. We're up and running. Two quid, but still, you know, I don't care. I don't care. He was almost on the line. That's the point. That's the point. Yeah, exactly. That's the point to the charity donation just to keep everyone happy with no VAR but a really fascinating game as well and a rare boost for my footballing knowledge I was excited to see West Brom and Jimmy J Morgan and James Morrison's team this season and listen it's only one win and as we've just said they got lucky with that first goal but positive signs against one of the teams that again were tipped to be near the top and Norwich could well be what did you make of Jimmy J Morgan's performance?

6:11Gregor Robertson: Yeah I thought he looked excellent really classy it was his cross for the first goal Dean just worked down the left and then the way he took his goal for West Brom second was just brilliant the way he glides got great movement really classy, elegant runner and he's one of them where he thought he was going to pull the trigger and he kept holding on and he was just running across the box and then he just cut it back into the opposite corner so yeah he's someone who there was excitement about at the start of the season. I think he had a positive pre-season. He's been at Chelsea and Southampton as a kid.

6:47Gregor Robertson: He was on loan at Gillingham and Peterborough last season. I think he scored 14 goals in all comps at Peterborough. He's only 20. I think they've picked up someone who's got a big future, a lot of potential there. So, yeah, early days, but very, very positive start for him and West Brom. Not the end of the world for Norwich. They had a lot of the ball, created chances, and they were a little bit hard done by with one of the goals. So nothing to get worried about there yet. Yeah. Remember, Norwich fans, there's a quid to charity on your behalf. We're going to rack it up. I could be in trouble with this at the end of the season, the way we're going on.

7:22We're only 10 minutes in and already giving£2 away because of VAR not being in the Football League. We don't want it. Let's do Burnley 2, West Ham 2 next, Gregor. Another really interesting game, this one, late goals. Kind of the backdrop to it as well. should bring in West Ham's£22 million deal for Arnett Engels. A huge transfer, a sign of where football is these days, that a championship side dropping£22 million. I'll ask you for your views on him in just a second. But what did you make of this game? Encouraging signs for Burnley, I would say.

7:55Gregor Robertson: Yeah, I mean, I don't think there was a great deal in it for a long period of the game. And then Burnley really rallied towards the end. They really did. and like you've got to say Ian Fleming stole the headlines but he was a dominant figure throughout the game he had so many chances he hit the woodwork a lot crosses into the box for him and he's a real threat and he's someone who is one of the players who we highlighted being looking at his phone probably between now and September 1st Nicky Hayen understandably said afterwards he thinks he should stay because he's the main man in a team that's going to be fighting to get back into the Premier League will he be that at another club if there are suitors out there for him I'm sure there are, it's whether they can agree a deal or not and then from West Ham's point of view it was kind of I don't know, they conceded a lot of late goals last season, they had a lot of late heartbreak and they did it again, you know when Solomon scored the second, Kilman had put them ahead with a header in the first half you know there were only 20 minutes to go he really should be holding on and then Oli Scarls, someone who played a lot of football last season at left back young academy graduate, rather a bit of a rash tackle on Marcus Edwards in the box gave Fleming the chance to have the deficit from the penalty spot and then Fleming again in the 92nd minute kind of hacked the ball into the level and make it feel like a win for Hayen on his first game in English football so yeah like again we spoke about these two teams at length in the preview about how much will change between now and September 1st.

9:37Gregor Robertson: And as you say, Engels arriving from Celtic and I think it's a championship record fee. It's just the start, I think. They're reportedly trying to sign Joe Pirro from Leeds who scored a lot of gold for Leeds in the promotion campaign. I'm sure that won't be the last of it either because if you look to West Ham's bench, it was pretty thin. We spoke about a lot of players who are almost too good for the level they went down with 39 points last season that wouldn't have been the case in any season for a long long time but they're thin they're thin on the ground and there'll probably be more exits too so I think probably a lot of income and exits still to happen at West Ham and we'll see how they look and get a clearer picture of what they look like on September 1st What are they getting for their 20 odd million with Engels?

10:27West Ham fans should be excited?

10:29Gregor Robertson: Yeah he's someone who took a while to settle or to really get the best from him but he's creative presence in midfield big lad yeah like you know Celtic fans will be a bit perplexed that again someone's leaving for a team in the championship but this is the live land and clearly West Ham are a club that's looking to bounce back at the first attempt and he's had a few suitors so I think West Ham have kind of tried to get in there sharpest and I think he'd be a good sign-in for them, definitely at the championship level. I think he's probably capable of playing for a mid-ranking Premier League team.

11:12Yeah, interesting. And a sign of what we said in that preview show, listeners, there's a long, long way to go in this transfer window. Lots and lots could happen. And I think that's probably why we didn't explicitly go out of limb and make some predictions about who might finish top, who might go for the automatics and things like that. So we will come back and do those, maybe at the end of the transfer window, after we've seen a few weeks of the season as well because there's loads of interesting results and in terms of teams losing players as well, Southampton, Nestori Irankunda, the Australian star who lit up the World Cup, sold to Sporting Lisbon 24 hours before their defeat against Watford.

11:45Not an ideal start for Tonda Eckhart and his team. We can come on to some of their reaction and a little bit of animosity. Sorry, Southampton fans who were already in the bad books of, but it was there. But a great start for Watford, Gregor.

11:58Gregor Robertson: Great start, yeah. I mean, 2-0 up inside half an hour. Icar Bravo, 21-year-old Spaniard, one of, I think, five players at the time of recording, Sintram Udinese. We highlighted that in the previous show as well. He looked really lively, took his goal brilliantly, kind of tenacious runner with a good touch and he finished it really well. And then, I mean, Nabazade, a magnificent breakout moment, 19-year-old academy graduate, born in England but he's got one cap for Afghanistan that's his background, he's played a handful of games for Watford in the last two seasons but I think five in total he's not really had a run of games but he started the season here and this was a proper arrival moment, surging run down the right just kept going, kept going, no one could catch him and no one was quite committing to come across and close him down and when he did it was too late, he just rifled it into the far corner, great finish.

12:59Gregor Robertson: That was a brilliant moment for him. And then Southampton, they came back strongly in the second half, Kyle Lahren pulled one back and Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who I think is the subject of a bid from Benfica. Again, this sort of underlines the tumult that will affect these relegated teams between now and the end of the transfer window. He missed a glorious chance at the end and as you say, I think the Southampton sorry the Watford fans and even some Watford players enjoyed him missing that he was one of the villains of the peace in the whole Spygate affair and yeah it was quite an atmosphere it looked like at Vicarage Road and as you say Watford had just sold Nesteria and Kunda to Sporting breakout star for Australia at the World Cup and Imran Luzer their talisman, their best player was left at the squad because he wants to leave so you know it's not it's not just the the big boys who who've got some some dealings to do between now and the end of the month another team that we picked out in a rare bit of a good good guess work from the game podcast EFL extra show we said QPR would be good fun and so it proved a 3-1 win against Portsmouth some of those players that I think have got real ability maybe showing in this game why I think QPR fans would be thinking we've got a team here.

14:18We've got a team. We can have a go if only we could find some consistency. And of course, we won't be making guesses about their consistency after only one game, but a good start for them, Gregor.

14:28Gregor Robertson: Very much so. I mean, particularly after going behind, Terry Devlin's strike for Portsmouth was an absolute peach. You know, uncorked from like 30-odd yards into the corner. Great strike. But it looked like Kwame Poku in particular was causing all sorts of trouble to Portsmouth, left flank. Kwame Poku arrived from Pierborough last summer and you know, been a star in League One for a good few years and was blighted by injury last season so if he can stay fit, it's almost like a new signing for QPR and he's a really talented player so he looked on form, Koki Saito on the left, cutting siren scored their second Elias Chair, someone who's been a really bright light for QPR for a number of seasons, not always consistent enough but like his employers but he scored a double and Ruman Burrell started ahead of Richard Coney who didn't even get on the pitch so they've got some decisions that are being made up front already that it would be hard to keep both of them happy but you just get the impression it's not going to be dull for QPR for good and bad and that was the case last season but if a few of their main players can show any sort of consistency, then I think they're a threat for anyone.

15:52Yeah, a bit of momentum, get them going. Another team near the top of the table getting an important win. Middlesbrough beating Lincoln City 2-1 in that game. I can say it, Gregor, with that complete dispassionate delivery because another one of my promises this season is I'm not going to bone. I'm not going to bone. And this was a good early test because the Imps were 1-0 up and they lost 2-1 in the 91st minute. Two goals for Will Lancashire. I mean the boy looks like he can score doesn't he say what you want about other aspects of his game and I still think there might be a bit to work on two goals that are fox in the box type goals movement all all there and a really bright start for him and also for a young player Gregor when you've been signed for that much money in the championship dropping down for a team who were like we need a goal scorer he's got three in the opening two games a brilliant start for him and it just means that he and the team then get some confidence in this game yeah you're right i mean

16:49Gregor Robertson: he was just joddy on the spot on both occasions uh kind of stuck a leg to prod in the first and just timed his run to the near post absolutely brilliantly to perfection for the for the what was ultimately the winner after i think it was Rayleigh McGree kind of reckled free brilliantly down down the right and then along the along the touchline the byline sorry and then just cut it back and still it was like it was a in and a flash it was just a perfect perfect kind of uh forward play um and his his interview in the pitch afterwards was quite was quite kind of touching not touching it was like you know it showed that he said that you can be you can feel a bit daunted by a fee you know the size of the transfer fee the expectation as he said like they need goals they've gone out and signed him he's a young lad uh and he said that everyone at the clubs just made him really feel at home, the staff, the players, the fans obviously really desperate for him to do well.

17:44Gregor Robertson: So he was quite honest about the fact that he felt a bit daunted, perhaps even scared by the size of the fee, the expectation and what is a big jump in a season really after going along to Oxford, a struggling team in the Championship, scoring some goals, but then getting a move to one of the biggest and most ambitious teams, one of the favourites indeed, to be promoted in the Championship and you're the main man so he's got off to a brilliant start and look over to you now Tom, I think we have to give a good mention to Lincoln too because they started brilliantly, Chris Cohen was kind of full of praise for his team particularly in the first half proper Lincoln goal as well to take the lead very direct and then Dariko across to reach and a great finish I was interested in his little phrase as well, Cohen He's like, we lost our punch back Is that something he said often?

18:38Gregor Robertson: Is that a common phrase? It seems like you want them to be aggressive always Yeah, all the time And I think it was a brilliant first half I couldn't believe it 1-0 up against one of the favourites So much, I think, amongst the fan base had been Well, you know, we've signed a couple of players Don't get me wrong But we've not overhauled the squad And the team that started on Saturday If that had started a game in League One I think I would have been worried because it was missing Sonny Bradley our defender who finished in the team of the year it was missing Jack Moylan who of course we've sold to Cardiff and I think a lot of those players were actually fringe players last season they were squad players and the way we kind of went about the game we acquitted ourselves fitness competing was it sounds really cliched and a little bit naive maybe but I was just really impressed and really pleased that that was the game but in terms of that punch back it was the same it's how we try to play the game and everybody would be looking at it going oh they only had 27 possession I'm like lads we did that when we were top of league one don't worry that is the game plan because punch back is about get the ball try and score and in just in that second half you saw the retreat a little bit I think fitness played a part as well maybe need a few new faces to come off the bench and things but also maybe the punch back is we had in games last season where we would concede maybe an equaliser and we'd go back again and you just didn't see that you felt like a little bit of the ambition maybe went away in that second half we started doing trying to win free kicks that were a little bit soft and things so you know you could see the goal coming you could see the the winner coming for Middlesbrough but lots lots to like as a Lincoln fan lots of jokes obviously in the preview show about sticking it to the dressing room wall about how we're going to finish 24th I think any Lincoln fan watching that game will have been hugely encouraged even my dad one of the most pessimistic men ever to have followed football afterwards was like no no I think I'm feeling I'm feeling all right we've got big games now and we've got Portsmouth at home next weekend we've got Bolton away and then we've got Blackburn got three games there where if we follow up and we play like that we could pick up some points and get going so that'll be the key thing so yeah plenty of reasons to be hopeful and I should just say as well in terms of the goal you mentioned Deriqua and Reach and the long ball Freddie Draper with the backwards header one of the toughest skills surely in football to master a header backwards he's our young striker another one from the academy who's very very highly rated the definition of puts himself about that lad I tell you so yeah really pleased even though we lost 2-1 listeners that's the height of my support this season we can lose 2-1 in the 91st minute and I'm still feeling confident I see how long it holds See how long it holds.

21:21We've got weekly shows, so you can check in even more often now. We've got even more. So, yeah, but they're just some of the highlights of the opening weekend of the Championship. Plenty more we've left out, I'm sure. But as I say, we'll be doing weekly shows now. So plenty more chance for us to have our say and plenty more chance for you too. So do get in touch with me, tom.clark, at thetimes.co.uk with your views on your team or any bright players that you've seen that you think we should keep an eye on. We're going to take a quick break. We'll be doing League One and League Two review. just after this.

22:01Welcome back to the Game Football Podcast from the Times and Sunday Times. These are our new weekly EFL Extra Shows with me, Tom Clark, and the former Football League defender, Gregor Robertson, looking at the best and worst of the Championship League One and League Two. After opening weekend, Let's dive into League One. And I think we have to start with the thriller, probably of the entire weekend of all three divisions. Reading 3, Luton 4. Jack Wilshere's boys, they were good fun at the end of last season, Gregor. They were always good for a goal, and it looks like they're going to continue it this season too.

22:34Gregor Robertson: Yeah, this is an absolutely bonkers game. It was great fun from start to finish. Luton took an early lead, a six-minute lead. And then, you know, in the space of the next half an hour, Jack Marriott plundered a hat trick for Reading and it looked like the game was being taken away from Luton but then Casey Palmer who we mentioned in the previous show a big siren in January for Luton and made the move permanent from Hull this summer struck twice in the space of three minutes to level up and then dramatic, dramatic winner Gideon Kodua one of a couple of forward signings from West Ham in the summer, 96 minute winners, absolute bedlam so yeah it was just absolutely crackers and Reading are a really interesting club this year in that they've still got the kind of the context of their near death experience very recently but the fans aren't actually all that enamoured with their manager Liam Richardson Jack Marriott is someone who's you know he's had a really interesting time in the last I think he's on to his 12th club of his career he earned a move from Peterborough to Derby in I think 2018 and then he's just dotted around everywhere at Wrexham season before last but he still, he took all his goals brilliantly and as you say Reading I've not been dull to watch in recent times and Luton I've kind of, I've found this I found a bit of a doggedness as well actually under Jack Wilshere as we said in the preview it took them a while to really get going at Luton but they're one of the favourites and I think it's not all about the kind of talent at their disposal they've actually shown some real guts in grinding out wins and getting points towards the end of last season and they certainly did that here so a thriller to start the season and as you say probably game of the weekend Absolutely game of the weekend And really interesting to see both if Luton can keep that going.

24:45They've got a real team there. Bit of momentum. As you say, I watched Reading a couple of times last season and there's a team there. There are players there. And it just doesn't seem to always work. They can't seem to get their groove going all the time. And just when you think they have, they fall short, which is probably epitomised in this game. I wanted to mention Notts County 1, Leicester 1, Gregor, because at the very top of the show, I talked about that draw between Wolves and Blackburn being a good reminder that you cannot predict anything in the Football League. And this game was another one.

25:13I watched this game. Really, really interesting to see. Notts County were excellent. Really, really worked hard. Obviously promoted from League Two last season via the playoffs. I think everyone would have been looking at this game thinking, well, this is an easy win for Leicester. And to be honest, Leicester played like it at times in this one. Little bit too arrogant. I talked in the preview show about Birmingham and other teams that I'd seen in League One strutting their stuff, being like, we're too good for this. We're going to walk away with the league by 110 points. And listen, that might still happen for Leicester, but they'll need to up their energy levels.

25:47It was a bit ponderous at times. There was a lot of passing, a lot of possession. Scored a good goal, but it wasn't kind of a guaranteed goal. And to be honest, Notts County could have been 2-0 up by that point. So really pleased for Notts County that they got an equaliser in this one because it was absolutely the least that they deserved.

26:02Gregor Robertson: Yeah, and that's kind of, you're looking at all the stats and it just looked like a very Russell Martin sort of start to life at the club in League 1. They had 69 % possession to Notts County's 31. They had 0.78 expected goals to Notts County's 2.27. 11 shots to Notts County's 16. 16 touches in the box to Notts County's 39. So, as you say, they dominate the ball, a bit ponderous, and no bite, no cutting edge. It's the start of the season, let's not be too hasty. or too hard on them or anything like that. They're another team we're going to have a lot of business to do between now and the end of the month.

26:47Gregor Robertson: But this has been Russell Martin's kind of, this has been the stick to beat Russell Martin with for quite a while. And he needs to change that or else I don't think it'll end well. Yeah, a brilliant win for Bromley. 1-0 at Barnsley, Gregor, another team. We often have this, listeners, where we finish recording one of the shows, I say, thanks very much. We'll see you next time. Producer Neil hits the button and then someone on the show goes, oh, bloody hell, we didn't mention X. And on last week's show, Gregor, you quite rightly said, crikey, we didn't mention Bromley in the third tier after a brilliant promotion last season.

27:25So we're mentioning them now. What a brilliant win. What a brilliant way to start the season.

27:29Gregor Robertson: Yeah, I mean, it's just a fantastic story. You think this is the first ever game at the level. They're going to one of the division's biggest clubs. you know there are some clubs with bigger resources now but they're one of the most storied clubs I think you know when they're in the championship they're always one of the the teams who've played the most number of seasons at that level I'm not sure if that can still be holding now but it certainly was the case a couple of years ago and they've gone there and they've been dogged and they scored an ugly goal to win it in the 70th minute it was really ugly Ethan Archer completely shanked his shot dragged it and Victor Adebayegio was on hand to bundle it and goalkeeper a little bit questionable too perhaps but it snuck in at the kind of just inside the back post and boy did they celebrate it and you saw the celebrations and the joy afterwards as well securing their first ever three points in their first ever game in League One so yeah Bromley have recruited quite cannily I think like a lot of players who Bromley are a club obviously who they're diminutive in stature they sign a lot of players from like South London or from the sort of London area don't really kind of branch out from there players would be happy to play for a team in London and make a good fist of it and they've been really effective really really effective and I think that football will continue it's a big challenge for them but you know going away to Barnsley and getting a win in your first game was an excellent start yeah what else caught your eye in league one have you got is there i'm sensing you might have a new favorite player is this true darren seely sanchez fernandez oh wow my goodness Huddersfield 3 ASU Wimbledon now listeners if if you haven't seen uh he scored two goals in this game um one of two players Huddersfield signed from uh Excelsior the the the team in the Netherlands in the summer but his second goal was an absolute beauty cut inside onto his left foot cut Arte into the top corner and then the guy ran off and somehow got his hands on a golden mask and donned this golden mask in a celebration so not only does he look like a star, he looks like a bit of a character as well and yeah I also looked at these he's some born in the Netherlands but according to Wikipedia Tom, getting exciting here, he's of Cape Verdean descent as well so who knows, he could be joining up with the boys for the next World Cup I would offer to get Sanchez Fernandes put on the back of your Kate Verde shirt but it'd be so expensive with all those letters that I think I might just have to leave it at the shirt for now I mean this was a brilliant start for Martin Drury as well, new permanent head coach had a really interesting journey like Huddersfield in many ways of being a bit of a basket case in terms of the number of managers that Kevin Nagel, the owner higher than fires.

30:33Gregor Robertson: The last one was not of their doing, really. Liam Manning obviously had to leave on a compassionate leave. Drury stepped in on an interim basis and he's now got the job. He's been an academy coach at Man United, West Brom. He followed Carlos Corberan to Valencia from Huddersfield. Was that West Brom the last time? Huddersfield to West Brom, yeah. And into Valencia. He joined Brentford last summer as a coach. So he's got a good CV. he's only 40 and it was a great start for him as well as the old lad Sanchez Fernandes Yeah absolutely a new star picturing an interview maybe with Gregor Robertson wearing a gold mask next to his new favourite player in the Football League We should mention a couple of other things Bradford 2 Peterborough 0 a good start for Bradford looking to continue their promotion charge from last season made it to the playoffs but no further Sheffield Wednesday off and running with a victory Gregor they're off the mark points points on the board for Sheffield Wednesday but my goodness me I talked about Barry Bannon pulling the strings uh in midfield for Sheffield Wednesday at League One level that was a hell of a miss oh my goodness yeah I mean I he was I don't know how he still had the energy to to be fair like just getting on towards the end of the game and he's he's he's pressing and charging down he nipped in a kind of short back pass I think it was got around got around the goalkeeper, open goal, and he dragged it wide at the near post.

31:59Gregor Robertson: He's got his head in his hands. Maybe he's just thought, do you know what? I'm just going to score screamers. I'm just going to score screamers, free kicks, maybe a goal from the halfway line. I don't do tap-ins. Maybe. I don't do tap-ins. I don't do open goals. Or maybe he's just unselfish. You know, he doesn't want to take all the headlines on his return. Exactly. It's too early. Too early. It's a long season ahead, but some really interesting storylines already emerging in League One. Let's wrap up with League Two. Gregor we talked about one of the most exciting games probably the most exciting game being that 4-3 win for Luton against Reading but coming up not far behind York City 3 Bristol Rovers 2 so much turmoil at York this summer of course which we mentioned in the preview show with a change of manager despite that brilliant promotion a huge win for their manager though Scott Lindsay this one wasn't it certainly was yeah I mean as we mentioned in a previous Stuart Maynard led them to promotion with I think 180 points in that dramatic fashion in the last season back in the back in the football league after so long away and then was sacked and replaced with Scott Lindsay who was booed in pre-season and he kind of afterwards came out and this was a great performance and a great win and it looked like a great atmosphere as well you know back in the football league Harry Boyce scored in absolute of beauty with his left foot, like such a sweet strike one or two goals and they're playing against a Bristol Rovers team who many people's eyes are up there as favourites with Salford and really so, they've got a huge budget, they've got Steve Evans who's done it before and some really talented players in the ranks and they went right at them, they went for the jugular and Scotland the afterwards really coming out and saying I understand that there's been that there's been some you know distress at what's happened in the summer can you just give me a chance now basically give me a chance you know hopefully you can see that the players are willing to play for me and you know are still ready to attack League 2 get behind us now so that was like in a rallying cry not too like explicitly but he was that was the gist of it and you know He, after some difficult times at MK Dons and his return to Crawley, needs this to go well too.

34:29Gregor Robertson: Great start for York City. What an amazing thing the Football League is. We're only one game in and you've already got a manager winning 3-2 at home and saying, please give me a chance to his supporters of his team. Listeners, I think as well as my new venture for giving a pound to charity every time I say we don't need VAR in the Football League after a controversial decision. maybe Gregor Robertson should have a pound for every time he picks out a goal scored by someone with a left foot honestly it's absolutely rampant bias towards it's a rampant bias towards the left footers from the former left back it's outrageous and you mentioned them there Gregor let's finish with a mention for Salford City I mean could there have been any more bigger jinx than me and every single person who covers the football league talking about this being Salford year than an opening day 3-1 defeat at Barnet.

35:19It didn't look great, did it? And only a last-minute consolation as well to just get them on the scoreboard.

35:25Gregor Robertson: Yeah, I mean, look, Barnet away is going to be one of the toughest places, one of the toughest fixtures in League 2 this season. Dean Brennan's sides acquitted themselves brilliantly last season, the first back in League 2, and were perhaps a little unfortunate not to make the playoffs. Obviously, look at a lot of the underlying data. They suggested that he should be finished higher in the league. But yeah, Salford, every year we see they've got to be up there with the favourites, the amount of money. But they've turned up the volume. They've ramped it up even more this year. Got Macaulay Langstaff up front on reportedly five figures a week.

36:07Gregor Robertson: They're bringing on Ben Woodburn from the bench. They've got Molineux, who was Doncaster's best player in League One last season. Real creative force. on the right, and Barnett were pretty dominant. They scored, they were 3-0 up. As you say, Salford got their 90th minute consolation ahead by Alouwu. And it's kind of, you know, Barnett really are a club, and particularly under Brennan, who've signed a lot of rough diamonds from non-league and polished them up. Dean Brennan's journey is from non-league. and although they've kind of that's changed a little bit since they've been in the league too, that's essentially their blueprint their model, it's the exact opposite to Solford, who are signing players all the time from higher leagues giving them more money than they would probably get in a higher league and you know, I don't know there just seems to be, there just always seems to be, again this is the first game of the season let's not get carried away, there always seems to be that bit more desire and you know ambition and I don't know the opposition look like they want to be there more and I think that was the case which is pretty damning for Salford on day one of a new season when they're favourites yeah as you say they are the team that everyone will want to beat but we'll see if Salford can turn it round in the coming weeks and get off the winning mark we should just say a thought for all the Crawley Town fans out there saw their side lose 1-0 in the 95th minute against Crewe Alexandra at home having gone down to nine men.

37:41A remarkable start to the season. That's got to be one of the worst, hasn't it? They were terrible red cards too.

37:46Gregor Robertson: Terrible red cards. Is that two quid more in the jar for the VAR, do you think? No, no, no. I mean, from Crawley's perspective, they were just the most petulant, petty, ridiculous, like throwing the ball at an opponent. And then there was another one where there was a kind of, coming together and he pushed the opponent in the face and you get sent off for that these days it's just stupid, stupid red cards I don't mean VAR would have overruled them I mean this is one where you're getting shouted at by your teammates in the changing room for being so daft Two stupid red cards and losing in the 95th minute Football is back baby Crawley Town fans do get in touch with me If you were there and you want to tell me how annoyed you are tom.clark at the time.co.uk or any other fans out there that is the end of our very first weekly new weekly EFL extra show we will be back with another one next week we'll see you then