EFL Extra: "Six pointers everywhere!"

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1:28and League 2. It's March. The chaos is coming, Gregor. This is what it's been all about for the last few months. All the pondering, all the posturing. Before the running, we get the running for the running. That's what I'm calling this one. It's not very catchy, but I couldn't think of anything better. It's a bit like, you know, Christmas Eve Eve. This is December 23rd now for the Football League. It's bloody exciting, isn't it? Sure is, yeah. The top 9-0-1 at the weekend, which is not very common in the Championship. and a good few of them are putting together good runs now. You think about Wrexham, Southampton, kind of challenging for that last playoff place.

2:04Hull, after a little wobble, getting a couple of back-to-back victories. And Ipswich, with a couple of games in hand, still always threatening to make that run that we've kind of predicted for most of the season to challenge for one of the places in the top two. So very, very exciting ending site. Yeah, absolutely. Speaking of teams that have kind of got around a little bit of a blip, But Coventry, four wins on the spin for them. You know, looking like they've got things back together after that blip, that wobble they had around the New Year, January mark. Frank Lampard celebrating in front of the fans.

2:39We're seeing that as a common theme on social media. Coventry obviously pushing that quite a lot. But the gap is back to five points at the top of the championship table. Middlesbrough behind them. Then four points between Middlesbrough and Millwall. Ipswich still lurking there with those two games in hand. Coventry, they timed that blip perfectly didn't they? Everyone has a blip at some point, they couldn't have done that any better could they in terms of getting it out of the way around Christmas, it's all busy, it's all messy, everyone's dropping points we'll go on a bad run here lads and then turn it round in the march and on for the running It's always well timed as long as you turn it round and you do it in time and thankfully for Coventry and Frank Lampard they do appear to have done that obviously the win against Middlesbrough was a kind of seismic turning point and four wins consecutive wins since then and like they look like they're purring again Jack Radoni scored in his last three games with an absolute beauty against West Brom scored against Sheffield United and then scored the winner slightly fortuitously although kind of in the balance of play I think it was a deserved win against Stoke at the weekend and like he's someone who's, I don't think he'd scored since August, he missed a chunk of October, November with an injury but one of a few players who's been same with Mason Clark same with Thomas Asante they've just they've not always all been fit and firing at the same time but as long as one of them is it seems to be good enough and you know Coventry clearly Middlesbrough Middlesbrough looks like they're going to keep on their coattails they're going to keep them honest anyway the real the most important gap is the gap to third and that's at nine points and that looks like a very big one for any team even Millwall in good form to close that gap Just on Borough then, got a big win at Birmingham last night in the Monday night game.

4:28No mean feet going to Birmingham at any point this season. They've been desperate to try and break into that playoff contention. They haven't quite managed it yet. They obviously lost that game against Coventry, then two draws at home that they would have been looking to turn around quite quickly. How important was it for them to get that win against Birmingham, show that they still mean business and show that, as you say, they're going to keep Coventry honest for the rest of the season? yeah very important and there was it was there was an interesting Kim Helberg went to a back three played with wing backs and one of the wing backs Matt Target scored two goals in the first 26 minutes it was a kind of and if you look at look kind of shocked every time he scored oh my god what am I doing hang on a minute good finishes though really good finishes the first one in particular where he's getting that clipping behind and he's controlled it on his chest that looked you know like they've worked on it and And it looked, the Birmingham took a while to kind of recalibrate and obviously they did not prepare for that at all.

5:25And as you say, Birmingham, I think they lost once at home in the league in about two years. Yeah, huge win for them after, as you say, three games without a win and a bit of a wobble after they'd been in great form. Very, very big win for Middlesbrough. And I still just absolutely love watching them play, even in the games where they've not managed to win. Like the game against Leicester, I watched that as well. they move the ball around so quickly and are so like incisive and Hayden Hackney's at the we've mentioned him all the time he's at the centre of most of this but just always every time he gets the ball I find it really jarring like obviously watch a lot of football but rarely you see a player whose intent to go forward is so like marked every time he gets the ball every time he gets the ball he wants to look forward and make something happen if that's running with it if it's looking to play one twos if it's looking to play a forward pass looking to get a cross on the box looking to shoot anything as long as it's forward.

6:21He does it and he's being a joy to watch. So, you know, part of me anyway as a neutral, but we just love to see him get his boyhood team into the Premier League because otherwise he'll go. Yeah, he will be in the Premier League or in some top flight around Europe at some point next season, I'm sure. But it'd be great if he got Middlesbrough there. I mean, I was prepping for this show and I think you're going to ask me a similar question around League One. So I'm going to ask you first around the Championship. I was prepping for this show and looking at the table, as I mentioned there, the top three and then Ipswich, lurking with those two games in hand.

6:48And then you've got Hull, who had a bit of a wobble in recent games, but have turned it around with two recent victories. Then Wrexham, who've been on a fantastic run. As I've mentioned in recent shows, Phil Parkinson continuing to prove me wrong. Some of my earlier predictions early in the season. You've then got a four point gap to Southampton just outside the playoffs. You've got teams like Derby, who you've quite rightly pushed earlier in the season. Watford, Bristol City. But am I mad to think that actually the top six might not be locked in is the wrong phrase because it can never be locked in until it is absolutely definitive.

7:20But there's something about that top six to me now that looks like that might be the top six that we finish with. What do you reckon? I don't think it's a mad thing to say. I think Wrexham are the team that are the real... I mean, Hull, as you said, had that wobble and then they beat Derby County 4-2 who were in great shape and just had a couple of bad results for Derby and sent them down the table. And then the game against... The Hulls game against Portsmouth at the weekend was bizarre. I think they had two shots in the game. And it was like, again, I capitalised on a bit of a goalkeeper error.

7:52Matt Crook slid to get the ball over the line. But they've had so many games like that. So many low-margin victories. The volume of shots they all have for the number of goals they've scored is remarkable. But that seems to be the team they are this season. So you look at the top four and they're not going anywhere. you think Ipswich are looking up, Millwall are looking up Hull and Wrexham Hull obviously have an even bigger cushion but still not entirely certain they're nailed on and Wrexham just looks so resilient and just every time I look at their team it blows your mind a little bit the squad that they have and the players, the individuals who have all risen to this challenge collectively but on an individual basis too if you know what I mean like Oli Rathbone now is you look some of his goals have been just outstanding a lot of them match winning goals Saturday's goal against Charlton was his 7th in 17 League and Cup appearances since he came back from a big ankle injury in December so his season started really in December and he's been hugely impactful and this is a guy who his career was spent he had 5 years at Rochdale 3 at Rotherham joined Wrexham when they were in League One in 2024 he's not really someone with championship pedigree he's 29 years old and yet he's someone who's deciding championship matches and they've got loads of that's what their team is littered with so they've got a real kind of collective you know attitude amongst themselves that looks really ominous and Phil Parkins is leading all that but can they see it over the line?

9:41Southampton are really starting to motor Don Deick I think he's won more points than anyone since he got that job. Had a big wobbly other side of Christmas but they're really purring now and I wouldn't even like, this might sound a bit weird but Watford, you never know Really, yeah? Ed Stills was derided really that whole appointment was kind of everyone laughed at it a little bit oh that's another still brother and it's been a pretty positive start and you just never know you never know his impact so far has been pretty impressive and I've got a couple of players out off my mama and Kouadabar out until after the international break they're two important players for them but look at Jack Batazzi he's really starting to come into his own saw Jeremy Ngakia strike at the weekend that was an absolute beauty it's been a positive start so predictions very difficult but you know I just I think I would say that the sixth place with Wrexham is by no means secure Yeah I mean Hull have also got Millwall this weekend as well if they lose that one against a team that as you say are looking upwards rather than consolidating their place that might also open the door I'll also have Ipswich on Tuesday night as you know we recorded on Tuesday lunchtime you know that could transform things again they could climb above Ipswich into third and be three points behind Middlesbrough.

11:08Like, yeah, it's very, very, very hard to call. Just on, the only reason I said it is that obviously I'd listened to you on the recent show talking about going up to Hull and seeing about the camaraderie that the coaching team have built there. They've got a kind of bit of a ragtag bunch of former kind of players at this level, higher level, lower level, that are all delivering, Olly McBurnie being the kind of archetype of that. Wrexham as you say the momentum that they've built up by going up and up and up through the leagues must still be there within the club and coming from the manager that's my only thing looking below yes Southampton have got amazing form under Tonda Echardt overall I just wonder with the teams below them whether they'll all kind of take points off each other in that way of where it is so competitive at this stage in the season and that Derby Watford Bristol City Preston Birmingham even Sheffield United even are all going go on if we can put a run together and they'll all win two lose two that kind of thing and actually I talk about it so much on the podcast recently at the end of the season but the kind of the vibes the camaraderie the the mentality of this stage of the season that is what will help Hull and Wrexham over the line what do you think having been in the situation yourself well yeah I mean that was that was said that's something I spoke about on the last show Hull Hull do seem to have a real a real energy about the place and and Sergei Kirovich is kind of is the man who's the architect of all that and it's the same with parkinson like well you know we said let's let's be honest we said at the start of the season that this was likely to be the the campaign where phil parkinson and his football came unstuck and he was kind of you know they would they would hit reality and it's just not been the case and like they they deserve enormous credit for the way they have they have sort of navigated this this step which has been the biggest step because even when they spent money, they spent money on players who fit that same profile.

13:02Like Nathan Broadhead's not a star, even if he was 7 million. He's not a superstar. Kiefer Moorer's not a superstar, even if they spend a few million on him. Like Callum Doyle, they spent the best, what was it, like the best part, 10 million on him? And he's like a real up and coming, someone who'd proven himself, despite being so young, in the championship on several loans. But he's not a star. He plays on the left of their back three. he fits them really well and he's got a bright future there isn't a star on the team I think that's been part of how they've cultivated their environment that's been a major part of it so yeah, they've got the wind in their sails and it's theirs to lose or to throw away but I also just look at Southampton and the strength they have there was a reason why we said at the start of the season that they should be in the conversation, you have to do something really stupid if you're a team with Premier League parachute payments and the ability to go and spend 10 or 15 million quid on Finesas or Tom Fellows.

14:04And we're seeing some of the Leo Sienza really coming to the fore now after a bit of time to acclimatise to the league. They've still got a brilliant, brilliant squad and a manager who's managed to turn things around for them. So I think they're the ones who are, for the teams looking over their shoulders, maybe making them sweat a little bit. Yeah, you're talking about a team there in Southampton that we've said, and many others said that they should be challenging near the top of the table. One thing I don't think many people would have predicted would be that we'd paid a heading into this March period with West Brom and Leicester City in serious danger of relegation.

14:39Leicester City, of course, hit by that points deduction, which has put them in the bottom three. But as it stands, Sheffield Wednesday relegated, of course, still on minus seven points at the very bottom. You've then got Oxford United in 23rd with 32, Leicester City 22nd with 34 West Bromwich Albion just outside the relegation places with 35 points the idea as well Gregor that you'd have Gary Rowett former Oxford manager now in charge of Leicester trying to keep them out of the relegation places whilst Oxford are also battling against them we talk about the Premier League having some mad storylines in it that's got to be right up there in the football pyramid overall hasn't it?

15:15Yeah and you know just the fact that Leicester you know have kept their points deduction and then challenging it, which I think there's a threat that could be increased a little bit. It was very brave as well. Yeah, he had a pretty positive start. You think about getting a draw at Stoke, a draw at Middlesbrough, two tough games to start with, but then they were really, really poor against Norwich. Norwich were in really good form, but just the ease of which they let in the two goals was pretty tough for Rowett to take. And I think a bit of a realisation of the scale of the task. Yeah, it's a bizarre situation.

15:58I mean, Oxford getting that win against West Brom really kind of threw the cat among the pigeons. If West Brom would win that, then it's like, you know, it gives them a bit of breathing space and really consigns Oxford to, you know, looking pretty clear favourites for relegation. But it's given Oxford some life again. And West Brom is just, like, where do they go now? You know, after... Yeah, we should say as well, just in case listeners are... From the last show, Eric Ramsey, the man who they appointed after Ryan Mason, sacked in the recent weeks after a dismal start and very short spell it transpired in charge of West Brom.

16:39Absolutely atrocious. Didn't seem to get anything going. His comments after the games as well, we talk about it in the Premier League show as well, but not particularly inspiring. It just seems like the whole place is in a really bad state, Gregor. I've got a friend of mine who's a West Brom fan who I always like to reach out and speak to fans of clubs. And he did initially come back, Gregor, and say, I'd rather not talk about it. It's too painful. And you can quote me on that. But he did give me a few other insights. He just said, it's an absolute mess. The recruitment has been dreadful. We've wasted so much money.

17:10And it feels already like there's a resignation amongst the fan base that relegation is coming, which is never a good place to be. Obviously, they've lost Carlin Grant and Sam Johnson who are two big players for them through injury. Anything's still possible but they haven't won this year. They haven't won a game in the Championship since the 29th of December and when that kind of rot sets in, it's so hard to get out of. And I mean, you heard James Morrison who's obviously a bit of a club legend who's currently interim in charge talking after that defeat against Oxford kind of saying, where were my players?

17:41Where was the fight? You know, and that's, we talked about it with Tottenham and Igor Tudor didn't we on Monday's regular show but when those comments start being made you start going what's what's the training ground going to be like what's the dressing room going to be like how do you lift yourselves for any kind of game I mean you tell me can can they well James Morrison this is the third time in a year he's been interim manager and yeah he's a bit of a club legend and you're right that was quite worrying it was unacceptable it's a sevens defeat in 11 games 11 game 11 winless games as you say Eric Ramsey lasted 44 days 9 games without a win it was an absolute unmitigated disaster and there's really although Ryan Mason was never someone who I didn't think was going to be a great success at the start of the season but it's not someone who really engaged the fans that much but I don't think they would have gone down with Ryan Mason as manager No I agree, they wouldn't be here they were really poor away from home but there were some decent underlying numbers, they were creating a lot of chances I think that will be possibly come to be seen as the biggest mistake because as I say as I just said, where do they go now?

18:58Leaving an interim in charge when you've got the next games are really tough as well, they've got Sheffield United away, then they host Southampton and Hull then they travel to Bristol City and then they host wrecks them. They're all looking up. They're all either in the playoffs or hopeful of getting there. Whether they want to stick with James Morrison or whether they try and go down the same route as Leicester have and get someone who's experienced and has been here before. Obviously, Roweit got the Oxford job last season when they were I think they were appointed two places above the drop zone in December 2024 and led them to the 17th place finish so he's somebody who's been there and done it before, he's got a huge championship experience, there's logic to that whether or not he's a long term appointment I'm not looking around and thinking I'm not sure who West Brom turned to if that's the profile they're going to look for and there's just all sorts behind the scenes as well just kind of a void of leadership as well, the sporting director left in January and it was a disastrous spell, he didn't really know the championship I think he'd worked with the owner at Bologna who they had a minority share in it looks like they're appointing a new technical director from Liverpool 35 year old guy called Dominic Price had to put in a call to an old director who left 18 months ago just to come back in a bit of an emergency called, come back and help steady the ships there's a lot wrong there it's two years since Shalim Patel bought the club and he saved them from administration, he spent a lot of money in service and debt and they were in a mess financially he was very open about that he wrote the fans an open letter at the start of the season to say we need to comply with profit and sustainability regulations it's going to be tough but the business they have done has just been a disaster and they look in real, real trouble.

21:14Do you think, the other thing as well in these situations when we start talking about teams that have plummeted you look at the teams above them Blackburn had picked up some wins Portsmouth are getting wins in amongst defeats Charlton you think maybe are out of it they've obviously dropped way down the table from the heights of the playoff place being in playoff contention earlier in the season but as you look above these teams and start thinking for Oxford and Leicester and West Brom maybe it is just a straight fight between the three of them for those two places, final relegation places do you see any of those other teams above them?

21:46Can they drag them back in, do you think? I don't think Blackburn are out of the woods I mean they got the bounce with Michael O 'Neill they beat QPR in West London and then they beat Preston in a local derby with a winner with a very, very death and then since then they've lost to Bristol City and to Derby and they've also picked up a couple of injuries so also we've got to remember Michael O 'Neill is still Northern Ireland's manager when it comes to international break he won't be there to sort of throw the players he's doing a dual job I think we really would have been hoping that he was going to pull them clear and that wouldn't become sort of a bit of a lingering issue later in the month so no I wouldn't say that Blackburn are safe by any means Bortsmouth actually have not had all the results that their performance have deserved and the results have picked up you know they beat Charlton they beat Millwall both away but the games against Wrexham and Hull at the weekend they were pretty unfortunate to lose actually so they really, like again if you look at some of the underlying data they really have turned things around recently that doesn't mean they're going to pull clear but there's more confidence in them to do so, so I would say personally from Blackburn down you'll be looking at who one of those teams well two of those teams will be joining Sheffield Wednesday in League One next season certainly hope Portsmouth do it because they are big clubs absolutely massive clubs we should say as well we hope Portsmouth do it and linger in that place is just above the relegation places and John Moussignor can keep his job for two years on the spin in the Championship we talk so often about madness and managerial changes quietly doing an excellent job it's time for a little break before we get into League One I've got a little quiz question for you Greg this one's nice and easy 38 years and 91 days barnsley's david mcgoldrick is the alt week became the oldest player at the weekend to score a league hat-trick in england's top four tiers since who in april 2015 find out after the break

23:54most all-in-one hr systems are a patchwork of disconnected and manual tools Rippling is totally automated. If you promote an employee, Rippling can automatically handle necessary updates, from payroll taxes and provisioning new app permissions to assigning required manager training. That's why Rippling is the number one rated human capital management suite on G2, TrustRadius, and Gartner. If you're ready to run the backbone of your business on one unified platform, head to Rippling.com slash AcastBiz and sign up today. That's R-I-P-P-L-I-N-G dot com slash AcastBiz to sign up. When you manage procurement for multiple facilities, every order matters.

24:36But when it's for a hospital system, they matter even more. Grainger gets it and knows there's no time for managing multiple suppliers and no room for shipping delays. That's why Grainger offers millions of products in fast, dependable delivery. So you can keep your facility stocked, safe, and running smoothly. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by. Grainger. For the ones who get it done.

25:41Welcome back to the Game Football Podcast from The Times and Sunday Times. This is our EFL Extra Show with me, Tom Clark, and the former Football League defender, Gregor Robertson. Nice and easy, I did say, nice and easy quiz question. the answer to which, Wills? Jamie Curiton. Jamie Curiton, that's right. Even older than David McGoldrick for Barnsley at the weekend, Jamie Curiton was 39 years and 221 days when he scored a hat-trick for Dagenham and Redbridge against AFC Wimbledon in April 2015. Still doing it, of course. McGoldrick is probably one of the best cutback finishers I've ever seen.

26:15He's a great finisher in general. He scores some worldies as well. Yeah, he does. But that one where he just sweeps it. I think it was the first goal he just sweeps it into the far corner it just looks so easy and that is not easy I mean how many times do you see people blazing shots over the bar and stuff? He is so classy in those situations and he's in great form he's scored 10 goals in his last 9 games now yeah incredible that he's still going that way he seems to amble about the pitch as well just scoring either worldies or getting on the end of crosses and then pulling the guns out as his celebration as well yeah absolutely a sign of a player enjoying his career Let's talk about League One then.

26:53Kind of similar theme to the championship. That top bracket in League One still looking quite similar to when we discussed it last time. Cardiff in first place on 72 points. Lincoln behind them, just a point behind those two, face each other at lunchtime on Saturday. Then you've got Bolton in third on 61. Then Bradford City, 58. Stockport, 56. Then Huddersfield Town completing the playoff spots. Three very big teams in there, all of whom would have spent a lot of money this season hoping to get automatic promotion. There's then Reading, Stevenage, Wickham, they're all lurking behind. So it's the same question.

27:26What do you make of that? It's the same question. Is it locked in? Do you think, is there a chance it's already locked in in League One? Sort of in a similar way. There's absolutely no way you're going to get me to say yes to that. Not a chance. Listen, I would be stupid not to say that Lincoln and Cardiff have given themselves a ridiculously good chance to lock in those two automatic spots. both sides do just keep seeming to win they both seem incredibly confident I was at our game at home against Blackpool we won 4-0 in the end you were messaging me along with producer Neil saying oh see it's done and I was like lads you weren't here it wasn't that straightforward and it really wasn't it was 1-0 it was cagey then we got a second goal and we killed the game but it does just feel like there's a momentum there it'll be fascinating to see what happens this weekend this is not just my pessimism I do think Cardiff might show that they are the stronger of the two teams this weekend they're at home I think it'll be a very different game to when teams play Lincoln at Lincoln's ground we've been we've been had such a great home record I think away from home teams can get after us and we'll see whether Cardiff do that but listen I do have to say that probably you look at the teams below and it's that same point as that I may be suggested around the championship of where they will all take points off each other you asked me on the last show two weeks ago which one team would I be worried about both as a Lincoln fan or even a Cardiff fan from that bunch chasing could they put a run together.

28:48I suggested Bolton, they've been on the best run. I also suggested Stockport with their experience. They've lost the last two, including at Wigan at the weekend, Wigan struggling down the bottom of the table. That is the other factor for the top two, not just that Lincoln and Cardiff are in great form and have been on amazing runs. It's that you look at the teams below them and whilst Bolton have been on a good run, they've got maybe the better fixtures of the teams down in that playoff bracket as well. That would be the question as to whether any of them can put together a run because I don't think like Cardiff and Lincoln's run will continue Lincoln have got some tough fixtures coming up we've got Cardiff we've then got Stockport a week later so there could be some points dropped there Cardiff as well lost to Plymouth they went away to Plymouth and got smashed by them out of nowhere didn't see no one saw that coming so there's defeats in there but it's whether any of those teams can put together a consistent enough run and I'm not quite sure I don't know about you what do you think like that's when you look at it and start I'll say you two are going to have a title battle now, between now and end of the season.

29:46So you can say it, I can't say it. My dad won't let me back in the house if I say that on a published podcast. I also think the only sure thing, really, are Bolton for the playoffs. Bradford have really wobbled.

30:03Clearly they're fortunate and they have a seven-point cushion to Reading in seventh and Stevenage but Stevenage have a game in hand Stevenage Stevenage have kind of gone under the radar again they've really found some form again signed Matty Phillips former West Brom forward last month scored his first goal in the win at the weekend yeah I think everyone's kind of forgotten about Stevenage so I think they could make a chase for the playoffs too and Huddersfield after Liam Manning's sort of early bounce they've won one of the last five he's the same issues are cropping up for Huddersfield and Stockport, they've won one of the last five as well and very, very few times in Dave Chaloner's tenure as Stockport County manager, has that been the case?

30:51So I don't think any of them look in great shape. I think you guys are going to go, Lincoln and Cardiff, I'll go toe-to-toe for the title and who catches them? And Wickham, Stevenage and Reading all look well-placed. They've still got a good chance. Still got a good chance of getting crashing it. Wickham as well with a game in this midweek as well. So they could close that gap and actually jump into the playoffs by the time you're listening to this show. I've got to say Reading would be the one that I'd be looking at. They've been on a great run of form. Jack Marriott, a very experienced striker and forward at this level, has been banging in the goals recently.

31:28They're a team that you wonder if they could get up ahead of steam. They're also interesting though. Liam Richardson has got a really, really since he got the job in late October I think he's got the fourth best record in the league but they're not the fans don't seem to be that enamoured by the football on show they scored a 90th minute equaliser Paddy Lane who came on four minutes earlier got the equaliser, Matt Ritchie who came on the 79th minute scored a 97th minute winner at the weekend against Bradford That was a huge result for many reasons. Bradford win that, they look much safer and better placed for a place in the playoffs.

32:09Redden really throwing their hat into the ring to make a late run for the playoffs as well, and on a really good run. And Wickham, yeah, I think Wickham are in really good form. And as you say, they could be sick by the time listeners listen to this. So, yeah, nothing is certain yet. No, absolutely not. Let's look at some teams that have changed. manager recently near the bottom of the table. I mentioned Huddersfield losing against Wigan at the weekend. They've changed manager and brought back Gary Caldwell and Exeter have also gone back to a familiar face. Matty Taylor coming back in charge for them, Gregor.

32:42How are you looking at the bottom of the League One table? It's very, very tight, isn't it? It certainly is. Rotherham much-needed win against Plymouth at the weekend. They're holding on for dear life at the end. I think there's actually a Lute-Lype-Lymouth are equalised and then it was chocked off for offside kind of heart and mouth stuff so they've, you know, as you say Rotherham on 34, like Port Vale even though there's actually some real signs of life under John Brady, I think it's going to be too much for them to make up a kind of 10 point gap to Blackpool so you've got Rotherham on 34 points, Northampton 35 Orient 36, Blackpool 37 Wagon 37 that's ridiculously tight and you can keep going Donny, Burton, Mansfield you know you've got to say six points between 23rd and 16th I mean I think Mansfield and Burton will be fine but you never know Mansfield obviously have the FA Cup game and you've heard Nigel Clough talking about you know not wanting it to be a distraction and you know It looks like it is Nigel because you've been on shocking form in the league Absolutely shocking So I mean Caldwell returning was an interesting one because obviously he's been there in the past he's got an affinity with the club and it's kind of a rare example of someone leaving a former employer in Exeter with kind of goodwill and best wishes and he's had a pretty positive start and I think Exeter could even get dragged into it they're only 41 points so very very hard to call I mean Leighton Orient look in real trouble winds are so rare one at Northampton last week but they just couldn't back it up they've not been able to string a couple of winds together for a long, long time.

34:26And David McGoldrick put them to the sword at the weekend. So Kevin Nolan coming under real pressure at Northampton. So even I saw the press conference after the losing 4-0 saying it was never a 4-0 game. You might back that up, but it's not a good thing for a manager to say after losing 4-0. So very, very, very hard to call, Tom. There are also, but also I'd just say for Blackpool fans and teams down the bottom as well, it's a really odd game tactically as well. Blackpool really didn't try to play any type of E &F type football in the first half against us. I'm all fine with a team who wants to come away from home and try and kill the game, etc.

35:04But it was really strange given that Blackpool have, in my opinion, some good players. George Honeyman is a good player at League One level if you can get him on the ball. And then in the second half, they tried to show a completely different style and looked much better. But by then it was maybe too late and they made a mistake. so it just feels a little bit messy there at Blackpool but I think Northampton are doomed I said that a few weeks ago when I saw them play I'm just not sure they've got enough players that have talent in there late in Orient as well you have to look at and worry when the run has been so bad that when you get into that psyche whether you can break the chain so really interesting to see what happens at the bottom of the League 1 table Wigan and Blackpool at the weekend is a big game both tied on 37th 19th and 20th that's a huge huge game There's some absolutely stonking games in League 1 this weekend make sure you check it out if you're adding off of VAR in the Premier League I keep telling you League 1 is the place to be Let's finish with a quick look at the League 2 situation Bromley still riding high at the top of the table four points clear of Cambridge who've continued their largely good form and MK Dons behind them I guess let's keep the theme going then Gregor I mean we should have caviated it with that this is basically the most impossible league to say is it locked in in March the 3rd as we record this you can never lock anything in in League 2 can you?

36:28No I mean if you just look at it you've got three points covering second to fifth that's Cambridge in second to Notts County in fifth then there's a five point gap to Crewe in sixth and then you've got four points covering sixth to 11th Grimsby in 11th so there's two kind of real batches of teams they are both fine for either fine for automatics or for the playoffs and very very hard to call I mean Bromley, this is a big win for Bromley after three consecutive draws two Michael Cheek penalties, got a win against Accrington who have been a kind of difficult opponent for a lot of teams this season and then below them Cambridge looked like they'd beaten MK Dons which was second versus third until Aaron Collins' 96th minute penalty equalised.

37:23They're both in great shape on great runs, but they've both got difficult run-ins. They've got to play almost all of the current top seven between now and the end of the season. So, yeah, it's also very vague to go at the top end of the table here. I would say that I'd go down to Grimsby in 11th. Colchester's another three points behind, but I think all the way down to Grimsby in 11th absolutely could still make a run for the playoffs I mean they're not far behind at all and it was a very very big win for Grimsby at the weekend at Notts County great strike by Charles Vernon to win it in the 85th minute and that's another one of those games which is kind of big for both Notts County a win there would have taken them to third and a win for Grimsby kept them right in the hunt three points adrift of Salford for the place in their playoffs also I bet it was a big win for Salford too, I mean they'd lost four in a row, they looked like, we've said this for a couple of weeks now like every season they threaten to do this and then they just kind of implode do something to throw a massive spanner in the works I think Carl Robbins has just signed a new contract as well so a bit of a strange time and so but big win for them against Colchester and had the same effect, Colchester a bit of drift now and Salford back back in the playoffs so League 2 still so much to play for, Bromley looked like they were going to run away with it but they've had a bit of a you wouldn't call it a wobble but just not as I say those three consecutive draws just means they've only got a four point gap over Cambridge now and it was bigger so anything anything, you know still all to play for in the title, all to play for in the top three and all to play for in the top seven as well.

39:16Yeah, League Two encapsulates why we should probably do this podcast once a week rather than once every two weeks but we'll leave that for debate for next season. Just a final question then to you about not just League Two, probably more so for League Two when it's really up for grabs and maybe the results are a little bit more sporadic and changing all the time. Is it more important at this stage in the season to put together a little unbeaten run or is it more about how you bounce back? Because I mean, I always remember, you know, being a fan of a team in the Football League, my dad always used to say simple things to me like, winning a defeat, that's one more point than two draws.

39:48You know, just stupid stuff. And because you were used to it, you'd lose one game, you'd win another, then you'd draw two. Like, you've been in so many different situations in your career. What's more important at this stage in the season? Putting together a little run and that feeling of like, we're not being beaten? Or is it actually just having a bit of calm about you where you maybe lose a game and then you win the next one, which is obviously more points than two draws. What do you think? Which is harder? Which is easier? What's more important? I think in the wins, but I'll also throw in another thing is that it's important because in this league in particular, you play so many of your rivals for the playoffs or for automatics.

40:28And when you play those games, winning them is really important because, I mean, as we said, you look now you've got Salford are playing Grimsby on Tuesday night, that's a huge game, I mean that's as I say, Grimsby are three points playing Salford suddenly Grimsby level with them or go into the playoffs I think when you come up against rivals for whatever it is your goal is they're the big games as well to win and the beauty of the EFL is that when it comes to the last couple of months of the season they're almost every week like every other week you're playing one of those games against a rival for the playoffs or someone who you're trying to battle with to avoid relegation and those games are seismic You should write the adverts for Sky mate six pointers at every turn it's EFL in March and April you could see it now couldn't you but you couldn't be more right Gregor Robertson we'll leave it there thank you very much for joining me as always thank you too for listening we'll be back with an EFL extra show very soon I'm sure it will have changed all again.

41:33We'll see you then.

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