EFL Extra: The winners and losers from the festive period

0:04Hello and welcome to the game football podcast from the Times and Sunday Times. This is our EFL Extra show every two weeks with me Tom Clark and the former football league football football football.

0:30plenty of action over the festive period so we're going to use this show to judge which sides had a good Christmas and New Year period and who had a shocker so let's get straight in to the Championship and we have to start, I think, with the negatives with one of the male positive stories of the season in all three divisions but Frank Lampard and Coventry have not enjoyed their festive period, have they? No, definitely not one point from the last three games it's actually 9 points from 8 games since the start of December and also kind of 2 2 defeats against Sipswich in the last month I don't know, perhaps augurs the likelihood of a coming title race after all I feel we'll get on to Sipswich because they're definitely one of the positives but certainly the second of those wins was pretty comprehensive as well so Lampard has been pretty honest about it all he said that they've basically not been as clinical as they were for the first half of the season and there was no way that was ever going to be possible to maintain they scored a half century goals before the midway point of the season they've only scored four goals in six games in December so there have been issues like missing Brandon Thomas Asante has been big Victor Torque was missing St Andrews they had a bout of flu in the camp before Christmas but you look at their bench and this is the one thing that we spoke about from the off you just start to look at their bench and what options they've got to call upon now Hadji Wright was the only real standout attacker to call on from the bench at the weekend and then the other thing is Lampard himself, he's just been getting a bit spikier of late you remember the incident after the Southampton draw before Christmas and then at the weekend he was complaining about Combs not getting penalties like all season to be fair it did look like a strong case for a penalty for a foul on Mason Clarke but he is getting I don't know the tone of his it's understandable too like he's not lost games all season and the tone of his sort of post-match debrius has certainly changed Yeah I mean you do wonder whether actually because the thing is they're still in a very strong position You know, you're quite rightly talking about a title race there, but they're still eight points ahead of Ipswich.

2:58Ipswich are a client of third. Coventry is still clear of them, and they're still six points clear of Middlesbrough in second, so they're still in an incredibly strong position. There's part of me that actually thinks maybe this has come at the perfect time for Coventry. If you're going to have a dip, have it now in a very busy period where you can maybe redress some things and maybe bring in some new players, because that's what, you know, as a board, you look at it and go, right, we've got the foundation. We're in a great position. Will they back in? Will they bring in some players, maybe some loan signings from the Premier League?

3:25Who knows? But you could say that they're in a strong position. We should also mention the absolute head loss from Bobby Thomas, their centre-back in the defeat against Birmingham, by the way. I mean, slapping the opposition player and then just kind of running off the pitch knowing that he's going to miss the next three games. I mean, that is probably as much as the defeat against Birmingham because he's such a key player for them. Not great luck. you know he kind of ran off clapping the away fans as if you know maybe he'd kind of brought down a player to try and keep them in the game no you've just completely lost your head slapped an opponent and you're going to miss the next three games not a great look for him and it perhaps suggests that some of that pressure that we wondered whether they would start to feel by being the top team is starting to play a part yeah definitely I mean Birmingham were on a bad run as well like Lampard again after the game he said like there'd been games like the Epswich game where you got to hand it to the opposition they were better than you and like that can happen this game Birmingham were on a really bad run it felt like sort of tension in St Andrews there were chances as well they had chances and the game the game was there I think he said the game was there for us today and you know that's one of the few times a season that he can say that he's disappointed with the way that his team sort of lacked energy and dynamism and those sorts of things but yeah that kind of moment of ill-discipline like again it can happen in a season but it it will be costly because he has he has been an absolute talisman for them yeah definitely Let's talk about some of those positives and we've mentioned them a couple of times already.

4:50Ixwich, a very good festive period for them. Three wins and a draw in their last four games, as I said, they're taking them up to third, perhaps where we thought they'd be all season and Kieran McKenna's side starting to show their strength, Gregor. Very much so. I think this is starting to look ominous for the rest. They were 13th in November. There was talk about too much kind of rotation, too many tweaks. it's such a different context now for Ipswich as opposed to two seasons ago when they last won promotion because they'd just come out of League One they were the kind of plucky upstarts on a ride in the crest of a wave one of the brightest young managers in the country and not a great array of options it was like just such momentum this time they've got by a country mile in my view the strongest squad in the division and it's been about how he best utilises that and it kind of feels like he's still going to be doing a lot of rotation but there have been some real key performers in recent weeks and I think I've won 9 of the last 15 games now only lost twice in that run and if you look at the festive period in isolation a draw at Millwall is a very good result that huge win at Coventry and then a scruffy win against Oxford so they're going to show on different faces as well but as I say those two games against Coventry say a lot they're the first team to go to Coventry and win this season and if you look the number of chances that they created in openings was remarkable even if Jack Clark's opener was like owed something to a bit of fortune there was a bit of a deflection I looked over the goalkeeper they had so many openings before that so they were they were really good to watch in that game and yeah I think they're starting to starting to purr at just the right time When you say ominous do you think you obviously talked about a title race with Coventry there do you start to think Ipswich are going to come ploughing all the way through?

6:57That depends on how Coventry react to this sort of sticky patch they still have that buffer still being outstanding for the first half of the season Coventry still got you know they're a ray of firepower even if they're not quite hitting the target with as much ease as they were earlier in the season but Ipswich have I like we said at the start of the season there was a reason why they were the favourites they've got the best best squad on paper and and Kieran McKenna someone like who not so long ago and is still you know Ruben Amman's been sacked he's still on the shortlist for that he's still got a great reputation yeah Yeah, I think it's starting to look ominous.

7:47Yeah, perhaps the only thing that could go wrong for Ipswich Town fans would be Kieran McKenna deciding to jump shit to one of the big jobs. I mean, it's a bit of a stretch now, isn't it? Might be on offer for Man United or any other jobs in the Premier League. We should just mention as well there, a Millwall draw on Boxing Day. Millwall keeping a pretty good run over the festive period. Two wins and two draws keeps them in the playoff picture. A good festive period for them. But Gregor, it is a team below them in six that you wanted to pick out as one of the other winners of the December-January period, Watford?

8:17Yeah, Watford have been on a great one. They've won the last four in a row. Their game against Hull was postponed at the weekend, 20 minutes before kick-off. That was... Yeah, nightmare. You know, if you'd said just like a month ago that that would be a clash between fourth and fifth as well, you would have been, you know, you'd probably got some funny looks, but they've both been on a really good run. So yeah, they could have been up level with Epswich. so yeah since Javi Gracia took the helm in I think it was late October they've been a brilliant one they've they lost two I think he lost two of his first three games but then they've only lost one in 13 since then like with Watford there's always the volume of trading that they do every season it's just like they just need it to come off and this season actually there are some players beginning to emerge to suggest that it is like they've got some really really exciting players this year if you think Errikunda who's 19 came from Bayern's our feeder club in the summer he started to make a real impact he made a real impact from the bench in the 3-0 win against Birmingham just before New Year the right winger Othman Mama he's also 19 Moroccan signed from Montpellier in the summer he looks like a real talent like he apparently won player of the tournament of the under 20 World Cup he was voted African young player of the year they think he could be a player that they turned the biggest profit they've ever turned from and they might even be interested, I think he only played might even just be double figures of games because he was injured at the start of the season but they might even get offers for him this January, he's been an absolute star and then they've got Max Alain who's on loan from Manchester City, young centre-back he's played a lot of minutes, doing really well Semedo from Udinese came on, got the 90th minute winner against Norwich, there are loads of players we know about who've been good for nots like you know Jack Vatati who we love Imran Loosa even Matty Pollack at the centre half Quadro Barth coming back from injury Tom Inns getting a hat-trick Tom Inns I think he's 33 getting a hat-trick but actually like that core of players it's like they've been there a while and they've been solid championship performers or better it's about what's around them and there's some real excitement about the players around them now and then just a steady hand in Javi Garcia which is like it's not an easy thing to be at Watford Steady hand in Watford doesn't exist No, I mean It's not existed the whole time probably under Javi Garcia Yeah, yeah he came as close as anyone he took them to an FA Cup final you know they played some really good football you know there's always eyebrows raised when a manager returns but it's been a success so far and Watford look really good Yeah, four wins on the spin for them as you say also four wins on the spin for Wrexham a brilliant festive period for Phil Parkinson proving me wrong I've been saying all season whether I wouldn't get the chop if they were struggling in the bottom half of the table That's all the motivation he needed Tom Yeah he's been playing this podcast in the dressing room let's shut this jealous Lincoln fan up let's sort him out but it all turned around in a very Wrexham style in this big game against Sheffield United on Boxing Day absolute cracker 5-3 but they were 3-1 down I think after 24 minutes Sheffield United looking to continue their decent turnaround under Chris Wilder but this is what Wrexham have done under Phil Parneson they've won big games at home got the crowd behind them and it's proved a catalyst because they've then won the next three after it and they've gone up to ninth in the table just to point off the playoffs Yeah I mean as you say that game was against Sheffield United was bonkers but then beating Preston after that like Preston and another team were doing really really well 2-0 win at Blackburn and then Matty James absolute screamer against Derby at the weekend to win their fourth in a row as he said and they've actually they've had to kind of dig deep into their squad they've got quite a lot of injuries Kiefer Moore's got a hamstring injury I think it is be out for the next few weeks in comes Sam Smith scored in both of the last two games Ollie Rathbone someone who started he had a long lay off earlier in the season I think from the back end of last season he started to make an impact Nathan Broadhead starting to kind of just about live up to his price tag maybe Dean Windass had a hand in 10 goals so like Moor's injury is a blow but you just look at Wrexham's squad and although there's still very few stars it's always been the case as they've certainly risen through the leagues it's really deep like they've got a lot of good players waiting in the wings and they're still doing it Phil Parkinson's way only Stoke have played more accurate long balls this season I think they rank 21st for touches in the opposition box, it's like really low margin pretty simple football but it's effective and it's tough to play against so yeah I think the depth is underlined by the fact that Matty James is actually the only player who's played in every league game this season they've had to make a lot of changes Ian James McLean suspended at the weekend they're someone ready to step in and they continue the momentum they've had too many draws earlier this season but they've started to turn them into victories so personally I know this is the question you're going to ask next but personally I think the playoffs might still be a step too far this season that's no bad thing that's no like no no this would be an amazing season for them to finish in 9th but it is so tight it wasn't necessarily the question I was going to ask on Wrexham but it's just looking at those teams if we say that Ipswich are charging towards those top two automatic places behind Middlesbrough and Coventry, you've then got Preston, Millwall, Watford, Hull, Stoke, Rexon, fourth, downs and ninth with just three points separating them.

14:18And then even below that, you've got Bristol City and QPR, who are just two points behind them as well. In that bracket of teams, do you still think there are teams below who could make a charge? Birmingham getting that big win against Coventry. Leicester, of course, a huge side below them. We may talk about Southampton in a minute, a really difficult Christmas period for them? Or do you think it will be a kind of mixed bag and it'll just be whoever can? Maybe it comes down to signings again. Maybe it comes down to January. Maybe there's an opportunity for teams like Preston, Watford, Hull, Stoke, Wexham.

14:47Can we go and get a couple of players that maybe take us on a level and make us get in the playoffs? Undoubtedly, that could play a big role. You think about Birmingham, without question, we'll do some business. I've already seen Wagner left back. they'll do big business this window and they want to kick on like you saw Tom Wagner give another interview recently saying they expect them to be a Premier League team in 2026 like that sounds pretty bold when they're like in the bottom half of the table but that's their aim so yeah they'll go big I personally wouldn't wait off like a Derby County like it's been such an up and down season for them, they had a really good run before Christmas and then you know apart from the one they'll win against Middlesbrough a pretty difficult period over a festive period in December but they've flickered and they're a bit like Rexham they're a bit of the same firepower perhaps Brendan Diaz could be a decent signing for them but John Eustace just always confounds the expectations so if you're to pick that's who I would pick out of the teams below but above that it's like you know it's anyone's guess let's be honest because if Preston maintain this form and again they're another team that are winning a lot of low margin games but if they can maintain that form it would be a minor miracle given their budget and the reliance on like a gaggle of lone players from the Premier League so really sort of eclectic mix of challenges this year and like there's a long way to go and it does sort of the league will spread out a bit but at the same time it's not unusual for the Championship for us to be talking about teams as far down as 12th as potential playoff challengers.

16:42It's great. Yeah absolutely, it's crackers and great fun and impossible to predict but do send me in your thoughts tom.clock at thetimes.co.uk Let's finish with some of the potential losers and the ones who struggled over the Christmas and New Year period. I already mentioned them there. Southampton with a great lesson perhaps for all these Premier League clubs who are changing managers. Interims don't always mean permanent success. Tonda Eckhart, four wins in five as interim manager, then gets the job on a permanent basis, two in eight since then. Not been the ideal performance for Southampton.

17:14They lost 4-0 against Middlesbrough at the weekend, 0-0 at halftime, then conceding four goals in the second half. Images and video of their players going over to the travelling fans who'd made that long journey to apologise and listened to the fans who were venting their fury. Not a good period for them. Gregor, you also wanted to pick out West Brom for some of their struggles that continue under Ryan Mason. They're in a difficult position, West Brom. There is context to consider here. The owner, Shilin Patel, has been very open about the challenges he inherited. He wrote an open letter to the fans in June about an outline of how precarious their financial and sort of regulatory position is and they had to sell the player of the year in Hegham the best player Tom Fellows the captain Darnell Furlong but they're sliding they really are on the slide they're 18th now I don't think it's going to take much for them to get dragged into a scrap and in Ryan Mason they have a rookie manager in the dugout and I was you know I was pretty open about my misgivings about that appointment in the summer and like he started well I thought it was yeah but he's shown promise they've had some good results they've also had a lot of very tight games 3-2-2-1 here and there like I've got a good friend of mine who's a West Brom fan who said we play good stuff at times we just seem to kind of lack the ticker or you know just to get over the line and pick up these points which let's be honest if you look at the table is what it's all about it is so tight just below them you've got Charlton Athletic who maybe about three EFL shows ago we were talking how brilliant season they were having under Nathan Jones.

18:56They're now below them by two points. They might get dragged into a relegation scrap as we're going. So the fine margins are there, but so you worry about Mason's experience when it comes to this side of things. Is that what you're getting? Well, yeah, that's a part of it. Look, their form on the road is absolutely horrendous. I think the defeat at Swansea was their ninth defeat in a row away and their 10th of the season overall. so like there's some sort of issue there and he's already kind of had the vote of confidence given by Andrew Nester the sporting director just before Christmas like the pressure's building and it's all new it's all new to him and that's potentially going to be an issue I'm actually not sure like if they slip much further I don't think I'm not sure he'll survive so yeah like they obviously obviously West Brom and our team have been in the Premier League not so long ago and like they have you know the club have big expectations and the fans expect to be challenged rather than to the table and as I say there is a context to consider but I think ultimately Ryan Mason isn't really getting the best of the players at his disposal either.

20:12Yeah absolutely just mentioning one of those teams just to finish off the championship section before we go to take a quick break you talked about Charlton there. Also in that bottom half of the table, you've got Portsmouth, who had been on a good run, but lost recently, just keeping themselves out of the relegation zone at the moment. But both sides involved in maybe one of the best moments of the festive period at any level. I'm sure all the listeners saw the clips from the Charlton end of Charlton against Portsmouth, Charlton equalising in what was it, the 96th minute, I think? Something like that, 96th minute, an equaliser goes in in front of the travelling Charlton fans.

20:46The chants go up. We never lose at Fratton Park. We never lose at Fratton Park. They're giving it large to the Portsmouth fans who are storming out of the ground. We've all been there before. Meanwhile, the play is kicking off. Portsmouth launch it long and get a 2-1 win. Absolutely crackers scenes. And let's be honest, one of the great reasons of the internet, that's one of the good things about the modern internet. You get to see all this footage and all this content. One thing I wanted to ask you there, Gregor, did you ever concede a goal like that? Because it is very rare that that happens, the Portsmouth scenario.

21:16You know, I've been, we've all been there supporting your team you concede 1-0 96 minute oh my god everyone does what Portsmouth fans did storm out of the ground have you ever been in a game where either your team has then immediately scored or you know equalised and then conceded it's just so rare for it to happen like that yeah god you put me on the spot there Tom it's been a while now I can't I can't honestly remember one but you're right it is rare because when you know it felt like the end of the game it shows that it never is really until it is, you've got to keep going and that's why you always see a manager or often the captains as soon as you come back to and they're taking centre is to kind of like pointing at their temples like switch on because you're at your most sort of you know your biggest danger when you're in that moment so yeah it was crackers on a great finish by Yang like an absolute beauty the way you're going to cut across it and right to the far corner and absolute scenes yeah absolute scenes summing up the craziness of the championship particularly over this Christmas period now Gregor if I was testing your memory of your own playing career then just you wait for the quiz question that we've got to take us into the break it's FA Cup third round this weekend so it's time to go old school with a Gregor Robertson personalised quiz just for the start of 2026.

22:47I'm not going to make this a regular feature, don't worry. We've exhausted basically every fact about your career already on the show. In fact, we've probably even done this one. But what was your last appearance in the great old competition of the FA Cup? I want the opposition and the scoreline. See if you can remember the listeners after the break.

23:16welcome back to the game football podcast from the times and sunday times i'm tom clark and i'm joined by gregor robertson frow fortnightly nearly weekly sometimes weekly sometimes fortnightly efl special show just before the break i tested gregor on his own memories of his glittering career and ladies and gentlemen and heartbroken to say that he couldn't remember his last appearance in the FA Cup which was a 12th minute cameo appearance off the bench for Grimsby Town in a 5-1 win against St Albans in November 2015 and actually Gregor in the break we've discovered that maybe this is because you blocked it from your memory because you've revealed that actually maybe this this game might have been one of the few in your final season as a professional where you thought it's time for me to become a journalist now yeah I do remember being on the touchline that day and Connor Townsend was on loan you know a left back who went on to have a very good career you know West Brom Ipswich among others I think he was on loan from Hull and I just remember being on the sidelines and I think I even said it to our captain who was on the bench that day too Sean Pearson saying Sean this is the first time in my entire career I wouldn't pick me and yeah he was he was you know that was a that was a that was a tough I thought Bill to swallow and I thought the end is approaching yeah but look at what a lovely time you've had since you had a great career and now you've been a journalist of the Times and here you are sat chatting absolute nonsense about the Football League with an idiot like me speaking of let's get straight into League One winners and losers from the festive period there are so many in League One to mention and Gregor this league is setting up once again to be one of the most hotly contested in the Football Pyramid in Europe I say it all the time ever since Lincoln have been in it for the last good couple of seasons it is so so hard to call but we did have quite a good festive period that's all I'm going to say Go on then let's start with Lincoln let's get your quick monologue out of the way about Lincoln It's not going to be a monologue we did just have a very good festive period You did because you had some really tough games too Some very tough games yeah I went to watch us beat Cardiff top of the table clash we won 2-1 in a very tight game change of formation helped.

25:36Also saw us beat Stockport, the mighty Stockport. We've tipped them many times to be near the top of the table. We won 2-1 away, got a penalty in the last minute. We've beaten Peterborough just the other day. Peterborough, one of the form sides in the division. They had a great festive period as well. We beat them 5-2 at the weekend. Also got a draw with Huddersfield. I watched a draw with Huddersfield. They're another side who've had a very very strong festive period, looking really, really good. Some of their players in the system seeming to click. They were 1-0 up. I was watching this game and thinking, this is just going to be one of those games.

26:07We had a great first half, failed to score. Huddersfield came out, got 1-0 in front. I thought, this is it, this is it. The run is coming to an end, but we got a draw. So it just means that any fan, they just look confident as well. That's the other thing. Players playing with confidence. Got a few players like Adam Reach, who's obviously played a lot in the Championship and's playing left back and left wing back for us at the minute. Scored an absolutely brilliant volley against Barnsley. I know we always say to go and check out goals that we've seen from the edge of the box. ball dropping, hit it with his right foot in off the bar.

26:36A lovely, lovely goal to watch. And it just looks, they look very good. They look very strong. But as I said, with the championship, I do think even more so with Lee Wong, Greg, and I don't know whether you agree. There's some teams in there like Stockport, like Bolton, like Huddersfield, like Cardiff, that maybe got a bit more financial clout than the likes of Lincoln, Bradford, Stevenage, even down into Luton and Reading, who are just lurking outside the playoffs. And you wonder, do they go and get a Premier League loan star? Do they go and sign someone from somewhere? Do they bring someone in for six months to just get them over the line?

27:08I noticed, for example, that Louis Barry had been recalled by Aston Villa from Sheffield United. If he goes to anyone in League One, obviously he had a great spell at Stockport. That could be a game changer. So yeah, very good festive period for Lincoln. I'm very grateful I got to see some great wins, which is all any fan wants when they're stood in the cold. But I'm not getting too carried away yet because it's still incredibly tight. No, six and a half minutes I interviewed, obviously as you know interviewed Michael Scubala before Christmas and like it has interesting times for Lincoln undoubtedly like the way even just the way you play it's kind of a point of difference to a lot of other teams quite the way he framed you know I put a question to him about how low your possession is you know how direct you play and he kind of framed it really interestingly about it's not that we don't want the ball it's that we're we are more willing to risk it when we have it and that's an interesting way of looking at things so yeah definitely exciting times but I think that's enough on Lincoln Tom Oh come on we're only just getting started we're only just getting started but that is interesting it's all about creating a chance as quick as possible and that's what we did against Stockport we just got the ball forward and it dropped to Rico Hackett who's one of our attacking players and he took a snap shot that wasn't even that good a shot and it beat the Stockport keeper because the keeper was like, oh my God, you've shot, you've scored.

28:32So I wasn't even ready for that. Just kind of squeezed past him. So it's an interesting stylistic thing. But coming back to my point then about the top of that table then and some of those other teams that have had very good festive periods, Huddersfield, you know, watching them, they've got some really experienced players in there. Lyndon Gooch, Alfie May has obviously had a great player at League One level. Harness in midfield as well. They've got some really, really strong experience in there. Stockport, Olly Norwood, calling the strings in there. but also they've got loads of other players in there.

29:00Ben Ellsbourne as well. Jack Diamond, really good up front. You just look at it and think, I do wonder whether there's a couple of big loan signings that could be coming in, or maybe even signings from the Championship that could just make a difference. Because League One this season is not the same as last season, where Birmingham were far and away the best team. And then you had the might of Wrexham, and you had Stockport and Wiccan trying to keep hold of them. I've seen a lot of the teams at the top of the table now, and then none of them are like, oh my god wow they are clearly by far and away the best team so are there any in there that you're looking to think if they add one or two or with the financial might in mind that you think that'll take them beyond well Huddersfield sort of improvement in recent weeks has been interesting and we also think about they went big last January it didn't work but they were willing to do so they signed a couple of strikers for about 3 million pounds and I reckon that there's a good chance that Lee Grant will be backed again because he was really backed in the summer and then like Stockport have been really inconsistent like it's not it's kind of not really been like them they're still very much in touch Dave Chaloner will probably be supported as well this month Luton will be interesting too and another is for me has been Reading over the festive period and you know over a bit a bit longer too really really since Liam Richardson got the job I think they've improved a lot.

30:28They won three of the last four. They jumped six places to ninth. It's put them within touching distance. Another Lewis Wing absolute screamer in the 89th minute to beat Stockport at the weekend. There's still rumblings behind the scenes. It's incredible that Reading still managed to do this given the context. It's not as bad as it used to be, but they were served a winding up petition by their former CEO before Christmas there's been consistent talk and rumours about a need to sell the training ground which is the jewel in the crown, it's the place where the academy has nurtured so many talents that have kept them competitive Rob Coogh came out and said it's not true but I think the running costs and what not are a big issue but Liam Rich Liam Richardson's done a really good job since he took the reins there and then you know Wickham, even Wickham down in 10th since Michael Duff came in there have been big improvements and I've said it here before I think his career almost warranted more success than it's had, I think he's a really good manager and I think it could be proved to be quite a good fit at Wickham so yeah, really interesting league and obviously like then you think about you get down to Mansfield over a brilliant festive period brilliant festive period like I think it's going to be a step too far but that's kind of actually probably if Nigel Clough has been honest with you you'll think thank God that's given us some breathing space it's no need to look over our shoulder quite as kind of fretfully so yeah as ever League One is a fascinating league with some real big beasts like Bolton even and as I said Bradford have been brilliant on their returning, particularly when you look at the context of how their fellow promoted teams are looking now after a positive start, both Port Vale and Doncaster propping up the league basically can Bradford maintain this for the second half of the season?

32:41It's going to be fascinating to see. Yeah, that's the big question for some of those smaller clubs near the top of the League One table. Speaking of Big Beast, one team that would consider themselves a Big Beast at League One level in recent years, Rotherham United an absolutely stinking December 6th defeats on the spin in the relegation places Burton Albion have lost three on the spin just above them as have Leighton Orient Gregor Doncaster Rovers as well a shocking period as you say Port Vale eventually deciding to make the change of manager Darren Law sacked and then a cromply win 5-1 against Blackpool and interim head coach James Smith there's their interims again they do seem to make a difference even if it's only for one or two games which of those teams I've mentioned there maybe teams above them are you looking at the table and starting to get worried about?

33:26Rather I'm without a doubt I mean there are four points from safety now six consecutive defeats I think as you said like the last time they led a game was November 22nd and actually they were on a really good run before this I think there was nine games unbeaten between October and November but Matt Hamshaw's under big pressure and it's kind of I don't know there's a sort of bigger bigger picture kind of seen to the conversation here about Rawdom they they over they kind of punched above their weight for so long under Paul Warren yo-yoed between the divisions they've got a really old school owner in Tony Stewart who is like not really willing to break the bank to push the boat out to spend money they don't have so competing in the championship was almost impossible and actually I think they've returned to League One and found that it's going to be as hard to compete in League One because as I've spoken about on many occasions the spending the player wages and the budgets have skyrocketed in the last few seasons and Rotherham aren't one of the big spenders anymore I like there been some mistakes since they moved on from the power company with Paul Warren Matt Taylor Liam Richardson returning to Steve Evans Matt Hamshaw is like an old like a a guy who's got a big big attachment to the club he was Warren's assistant as well seemed like a bit of a stretch to hope that he was going to be a success as his first real crack at management but they're looking in dire straits so yeah really tough times for Rodham one of my old clubs Yeah absolutely one of the toughest leagues in Europe and tell you League 1 both at the top and the bottom let's finish with a look at League 2 and Gregor, I mean, you've got to say Bromley being top of League 2 the idea that Bromley get into the third tier, Michael Cheek in amongst the goals as well over the festive period, we talked about him at the end of season awards show, what a wonderful thing it is late in his career, it'd be great to see him climb up the divisions again and be part of another promotion for Bromley a wonderful period for them six wins on the spin fantastic for them Incredible, yeah, I mean 8 of the last 12 as well it goes on for a while they played 3 teams over the festive period and beat Newport Bristol Rovers and Crawley who were fighting for their lives on paper you look at them and think they're winnable games but those teams are fighting for their lives and actually when you take it back over that longer stretch of a dozen games they're beating MK Dons, they're beating Salford they're beating Grimsby who despite the league position are like you know I think will probably come good and will be challenging for the playoffs they're another team that play like unashamed, direct like unfashionable football although it's getting more fashionable play the fewest accurate passes per game average about 151 in a game which like you know and City are like 500, 600 it's you know it's pretty in your face stuff but as you say when they've got a cheek up front as he bagged a hat-trick against against Crowley that one against Crowley he's up to 12 goals for the season great story at 34 we keep coming back to him it's like you know how did it take him this long to reach the EFL but it's not just him they've got Cabamba Mitch Pinnock is a really good player at the level only M.K.

37:08Donz have scored more goals and they've played a game more like they've got a really really dangerous attack and then the broader pitch of the club it'd be a great story like not many smaller teams Forest Green probably but not many smaller teams would have reached the third tier and have done it really smartly it's not just been about the investment of a you know a benefactor like a Dale Vince it's been they've got a really really successful academy kind of behind the stadium that you know generates a lot of revenue brings in a lot of local players and they've been run really astutely so yeah also I've not even mentioned Andy Woodman Andy Woodman was looked at from clubs higher up the food chain in the past and he decided he's good where he is and you know he's doing a hell of a job Absolutely I just wanted to mention two teams Banyan mid-table Accrington, Stanley and Oldham both picking up important points over the festive period three wins and on the spin for Accrington to kind of give them some breeding space similar to what you mentioned with Mansfield in League One and all of them as well.

38:19Five games unbeaten, including a 2-1 win in the 96th minute against Walsall. Gregor, who've lost their last two games. I don't think we want to linger on it too long because we don't want it to happen again. No one wants it to happen again. But they have dropped down to third. Just keeping the kind of casual listener up to date with one of the most bonkers stories in the Football League, Walsall. A fantastic first half of the season. Surely it cannot happen again. Can it can it it can navy who knows let's not dwell on it too long so any other teams just to finish grego to pick out either that you're worried about after a bad festive period or ones that you think are looking up i've been it's obvious but you you've got to be worried about harrogate town who um you know another club that are really really interesting story simon weaver's the longest serving manager in the in the efl been there since 2009 his dad irving obviously owns the club as well so you know he ain't getting sacked and they've been on a miserable run popping up the table now and I think it's another story of like when Harrogate were promoted the landscape was like they were still one of the smallest teams in the football league but the landscape was a little bit different and the inflationary sort of drag has made each passing season more and more difficult for them they challenged after promotion they briefly challenged for a kind of consecutive promotion and the last few seasons have been a much tougher slog so yeah a big part of me really hopes they pull clear because they're a really spirited family orientated club not just because of the owner and his son as the manager one of the clubs I've you know I've been to many of these clubs doing the journeyman column and you know their accommodation their welcome was very warm indeed and they've had some great stories in the FA Cup as well so but it's looking really really tough for them lost the last four games in a row like not even found the back of the net in that run or thrashed 4-0 by MK Donnells just before Christmas as well looking really tough for them we should say Newport just briefly as well like you know Christian Fink's got a win he's got a win he's got a win but I think he's quickly realised how tough a job it is and he's sort of forced a personality and you know bright happy disposition not had the desired effect so far No definitely not never want any teams to be talking about positions at the bottom of the Football League but unfortunately two do have to go down we will see who continues to struggle by the time we come back for the next EFL Extra but we'll leave it there for now Gregor Robertson thank you very much for joining me as always thank you too for listening loads of midweek action as I mentioned at the end of Monday's show we'll be back to discuss it all on Thursday we'll see you then Thank you.