EFL EXTRA: Who are the contenders to win the Championship?

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1:16Hello and welcome to The Game, a football podcast from The Times and Sunday Times. This is our EFL Extra Show every week with me, Tom Clark, and the former Football League defender, Gregor Robertson, discussing the best and the worst of the championship, League One and League Two. Gregor, there's loads and loads more to discuss. Last week was the week of the screamer. We thought, but there's some cracking goals this week, isn't there? I'm really, it feels like the players, I think they must listen to the show. Do you think? Because they've realised, particularly in League One and League Two, that we're doing this feature of telling listeners of a goal they must go and watch.

1:51So the players are delivering. There's some absolute belters to come, aren't there?

1:54Gregor Robertson: I mean, everyone just seems to be taking pot shells from distance and they're going in. Some absolute worldies, yeah. So it's been very hard to choose this week. Can't wait to get there on that. You could easily as well make a category for it in the Championship as well. And maybe we'll have to as the season progresses. Speaking of great goals and great performances, I think we probably should start with Middlesbrough 4, Norwich 3 from the weekend. One of many really interesting games, but a fantastic, fantastic game. Really, really thrilling. I was in the office on Saturday and following it. Three goals in the first seven minutes.

2:28Norwich taking the lead with a brilliant goal from Torre with a player we've mentioned already on the show this season. And then Middlesbrough hitting back Berhalter and Amari Ocosio-Dubri. That is going to be a very clever signing, isn't it, for Middlesbrough in the Championship. I think losing Morgan Whitaker for a couple of million and bringing him in on loan might be the best bit of business at the end of the window. The game then panned out brilliantly, Norwich fighting back and Middlesbrough getting a goal late on. These are two really entertaining sides, aren't they, Gregor? But what does it say, do you think, about Middlesbrough and Kim Helberg this season and about the idea of a progression that they were able to get the win in this game?

3:09Gregor Robertson: Yeah, first of all, you're right, Kim Helberg was kind of effusive in his praise of Norwich as a team afterwards and the fact that it was just two teams really going at it and committing to attacking and trying to win the game. And it was very well in it. Norwich really did come back, and it was kind of Asheville bundling in. It was like a very Will Lancashire-esque finish. It was Lancashire who provided the cross this time, just Johnny on the spot and the six-yard box to finish it and get the winner. But, yeah, I mean, it's funny. Middlesbrough have been involved in some thrilling games they've signed Lancashire, as you say Kozudubre was outstanding last season for Bolton when he came back from his injury he just transformed the end of the season and you're right I think that's going to be a great piece of business so they've made some clear upgrades we've spoken about Hackney leaving the thing for me is they're obviously going along very nicely and it doesn't feel like they've actually hit the stride yet actually, there's more to come I think and yeah, they've ground out some wins.

4:16Gregor Robertson: Yeah, they've been a bit leaky in defence. I'm sure that Hillburg will want to remedy that. But for me, the biggest takeaway is that this isn't the best version of Middlesbrough yet. I think there's more to come, which is a bit ominous for the rest of the league. Do you agree with me about that point about Kozy Uduberi coming in on loan, having lost Morgan Whittaker to Orlando Rapids right near the end of the summer window? a lot of suggestion around that actually being a better trade obviously they've not got the player permanently but actually for this season or for certainly at this point and that's a better deal in terms of him being a little bit more dynamic a bit more a bit quicker than Morgan Whittaker he's a player that did brilliantly on loan at Bolton last season in League One one of the best talents in the league truly terrifying to play against I think he could be a real star do you agree with that idea that he gives them something a little bit extra?

5:11Gregor Robertson: Undoubtedly, yeah. I mean, you saw it when he took the goal. It was kind of, he got the ball and he was faced up by a defender just inside the box and he just shuffled it to the side and really such sharp feet, such quickness and thought and feet and like moved the ball to the side and finished before the goalkeeper was even down to his side. It's like he's really, really sharp and electric at his best. so yeah and I think actually the sort of dynamic of the front four there was really good, Conway off the left, as much as I think he probably would like to play down the middle and be the main man, the goal scorer, he's really good down the left, he's a powerful runner great kind of getting the ball out wide and committing a full back and creative as well as someone who can chip in with goals and Riley McGree has really stepped up as well I think in the absence of Hackney and you know we spoke at the start of the season, Berhalter coming in, he was an old friend of Aaron Morris he's a bit fortunate with his goals in this game but he's starting to make his presence felt as well so clearly shipping a few less goals is the thing that Elberg will really want his team to remedy between now and as the season progresses because they can't keep conceding three goals like this and just hope they can score four.

6:27Norwich as well also needing to stop shipping so many goals they've scored 13 but conceded 13 as well as that goal for Torre early on it's great to see Jovan McCarma back and scoring as well he was Norwich's top scorer last season he is a real talent if he can stay fit for Norwich and they're only in 12th Norwich but I expect them to come if they can get a run of form together but Middlesbrough in fourth as it stands at the moment just between West Brom and QPR two sides who've surprised a few this season but maybe not us we did pick them both out in a preview show as having potential to challenge near the top of the table they played out a one or draw at lunchtime on Saturday really interesting game a brilliant goal from Callum Stiles a really underrated player I think for West Brom does fantastic work at fullback I just wanted to mention West Brom Gregor because I did the Times football newsletter yesterday and I picked them out as the most exciting team in the country explaining to the readers lots of things that we've mentioned on this podcast already but one thing I wanted to add just for listeners after last week's praise of all their attacking talent, Jimmy J Morgan and all these players.

7:30I watched West Brom win at Derby in the week last week. This is the joys of having a five-month-old child. I never go out anymore. I just watch even more football than I used to. They were down to 10 men for most of this game for over an hour, but they got a 1-0 win. And the thing that most impressed me was you saw the other side of West Brom. All this attacking talent, this young, youthful exuberance, Isaac Price and all these players Nat Phillips at the back George Campbell their captain a couple of big saves as well from their goalkeeper Derby weren't great and they haven't been great all season but midweek game West Brom holding out had a huge away contingent the whole players staff James Morrison celebrating in front of them at the end it's very early days but it just showed me that other side because you do need that don't you you can't just have all these exciting players Nyongola Jimmy J Morgan and Isaac Price, you've got to have that solidity and stability in the middle of the pitch.

8:25So I think that bodes well for them going forward for the rest of the season in terms of them having a bit of everything as the season really gets going. Ahead of West Brom, though, who are in third, Swansea in second, another win for Vitor Matos and his team at the weekend, beating Burnley, bottom-placed Burnley. Which way do we go on this one, Greg? A very impressive from Swansea again, but I mean my goodness me

8:51Gregor Robertson: two absolute gifts some extraordinary really really bad go on take it away I think it was Adam either gifted gifted possession by the goalkeeper Vice for the first and then Ruguva just gifted possession to you as well you can't do that it's not particularly when you're down and you're trying to scramble together a win you can't gift wrap goals like that and they were punished really well particularly Yales, he kind of shifted it to create the angle to fire it in it and their post was really really good he's quite exciting and then the stat that's doing the round afterwards is that Burnley have conceded 16 goals which is already as many as they conceded in the whole of their last season of the Championship under Scott Parker of course when they were last promoted so it's been a really really bad start for Burnley and it looks a bit ominous for Nicky Hayen, the manager, who's kind of a bit of an unknown coming from Belgium, quite committed to playing an expansive, their possession dominant style of play created a lot of chances in a lot of games in fact there was even periods in this game where they rallied and created chances and Ramazani pulled the goal back but they've just been so bad at the back and then Jamie Vardy comes on for his debut for the last 26 or 27 minutes and he just purely has a club that's lost its way really badly in the last 12 months or so.

10:27Gregor Robertson: So yeah, difficult times for Burnley. Yeah, I think there was a worrying thing for me as well listening to Nicky Hayen after the game talking about the Jamie Vardy transfer and he kind of hinted, I think he even maybe said it more explicitly than I heard, but it's great to have him. I think he offers us something more dynamic but it would have been great to have him a month ago and I'm thinking, A, I don't believe you. Like, I just don't believe a new manager going into a championship team would be like, right, 40-year-old Jamie Vardy is what I want. Like, full respect to Jamie Vardy, he might score 10 goals this season.

10:57I don't believe that that would be the case. But B, if it is the case, how on earth do you not get a Jamie Vardy free agent sign-in over the line when your new manager wants it? So it's either I don't believe him or if I do believe him, it's quite worrying for him. So it's very difficult times for Nicky Hay and for Burnley this season. But Swansea again continuing, taking those gifts that they were given there in second. Same number of points as West Ham United, who are top of the table on goal difference. Thanks largely to a massive 6-0 win on Friday night against Wrexham. Six different goal scorers, Gregor.

11:37We talked earlier in the season, you mentioned, you speculated, whether the Nuno Espirito Santos style would suit the championship when his team are quite clearly one of the strongest. Maybe this is when we're seeing it now. It was like a different kind of West Ham and Nuno altogether. Kyle Walker-Peters flying forward as if he's trying to do a Cafu impression. It was remarkable stuff, but six different goal scorers as well shows you the strength of this side, doesn't it?

12:05Gregor Robertson: It does, yeah. I've been thinking about this a lot, actually, because we were quite we weren't down on West Ham at the start of the season but we were saying it's not going to be as straightforward as a lot of people think and I often explain the large part of that was to be with the transfer when they're closing in, the players knowing where they're going to be and the manager knowing what the team's going to be and then you'll see a bit of a change I think to the extent we're seeing that but you also just forget that there is a class of player I'm not talking about Jared Bowen there's a class of players who are on this mezzanine level that they're too good for the championship really and they're not quite you know, they maybe do a job in the Premier League but they're often playing for the team that comes down in the Premier League there's quite a large class of players and Kyle Walker-Pierre is one of them who knows, Joe Piro might become one of those players on that mezzanine level West Ham have quite a lot of them and so it's not just about Jared Bowen staying and keeping Tati I didn't think he would keep Tasty Castellanos.

13:08Gregor Robertson: Solomon's probably another one. I thought Solomon would maybe be good enough in Premier League. He's had some injuries. He'd been shipped out on lawn to Leeds and then again to West Ham. He's too good. You see some of his passes. There were some great forward runs, but he would pick out the pass. And he's also, for the first goal in particular, he's quite unselfish. He gets the ball at wide and a lot of people close him down because they're terrified. He can beat them. He can deliver a great cross and cut inside on his right foot and whip it in. But Morata made that run, who's come along from Forrest, the left back, could be another one on the mezzanine level, to do over that run.

13:43Gregor Robertson: You know what I mean? Times I made that run as a player and the ratio of making that run to get in the pass, my goodness, it's like a fraction. You never get in the pass. It's a decoy. You lay them in and then they scored it across for Jared Bowen, made the time perfect. Lovely goal. Kind of run perfectly, finished goal. So there's a lot of really good or promising combination play as well. Yeah. I don't know it probably sounds like I've been thinking about this a lot were we were we were we miles off on West Ham or were we getting carried away perhaps you know they've got a probably a slightly more difficult run of fixtures to come now yeah but I just also think you underestimate the extent to which they have so many players in their squad that are not like Premier League players but they're too good for the championship I'm loving that just have you nicked that from someone have you just come up with it yourself on your travels the mezzanine level footballer.

14:37Gregor Robertson: Mezzanine is a phrase that's often used about clubs. It's often used about clubs like Norwich were on it for a while, Burnley were on it for a while. And that was a lot. That was to do with parachute payments. So this is slightly different. I think actually you could use it for a sort of class of players as well because there are a group of players who keep making this up and down move and they make a lot of money doing it as we always thought the worst position to be in. And I think West Ham have quite a lot of those players in their ranks. I'm just lining up your kind of mezzanine 11 at some point, maybe in a quieter period, maybe in an international break.

15:11Your mezzanine FC could be a great little feature. Captain by Dwight Gale or Robbie Earnshaw or someone like that from down the years. That's what I'm thinking. But yeah, I think West Ham, I would just say on your idea of are we overestimating them or are they just on a good run? Again, showing what a saddo I am. I watched the second half of their 3-2 win at Bolton during the week last week. Again, another game since we've recorded. They've got four wins on the spin, but in the middle was this game at Bolton. 2-2, Jared Bowen got the winner. A great little run and finish, but the Bolton keeper probably should save it.

15:46In fact, he definitely should save it. So again, you think maybe in that game, 2-2 at Bolton, fans would be coming away going, bloody hell, we can't beat Bolton. So it's that little moment, which again, you'd come down to quality. Jared Bowen finds the winner, finds a way, and the momentum keeps going. the runaway train starts to gather pace

16:05Gregor Robertson: Yeah there's details in this the whole start, I mean you think of the Charlton game when they lost at home and they missed the penalty at the death, it would have made it a different outcome so it's like there have been and I keep banging on about it it's difficult until the window closes to know how the land lies and maybe you underestimate you underestimate how good a manager Nuno is he's proven over a number of jobs to be a very astute manager and yes he might have a style of play that he really wants to you know that is his sort of go-to option which is being fairly conservative and playing on the counter attack but you know he's not he's not a dummy I'm sure he can play another way if he's got the resources and in this league with West Ham he does Yeah I would say as well regular listeners to this EFL show will be used to me making some slightly maybe sarcastic maybe you could accuse them of being disparaging comments about Wrexham so I was intrigued I'd say Gregor to hear Phil Parkinson's comments after the game about oh West Ham has spent so much money and you know we just can't compete and I'm there thinking you you do forget you're not forgotten Wrexham's trajectory have you Phil you're not forgotten all those strikers you signed in League One you sure do you know I'm sure lots of fans in the EFL will remind you of all the money that Wrexham have spent to make their way from the National League up to the Championship and a fine achievement it was, but they definitely needed cash to get there Do you know what, just quickly, the other funny thing about this game is, I actually watched the first 20 minutes West Ham starting to turn up I was thinking, I reckon Wrexham are really good with the ball They are, they are, and they often are It's true, that's one of their strongest traits West Ham really couldn't play out, they were pressing them they were suffocating them in their own half and any time they tried to go forward they would lose possession, I'd say okay they're really good without the ball and then bang bang bang bang it's like okay you know goals change games and that's certainly the case at the London Stadium They absolutely do but yes interesting comments from Phil Parkinson after this one maybe starting to feel a little bit of pressure as well, Wrexham currently down in 19th in the championship table speaking of interesting post-match comments it would be very easy for us to focus on the weekend and ignore some more nathan jones gems from the midweek last week um charlton in sixth drawing with qpr in the week a good point i would say against qpr nil nil but nathan jones after the game absolutely fuming with some of the decisions and fuming with the assistant referee saying at one point i mean if you've not seen it i can't do justice to it listeners please just look it up it's an extraordinary rant but the line that is sticks out he says and the assistant referee looked at me as if i'd volleyed his cat i looked at me like i'd volleyed his cat which is funny in itself as a kind of passionate manager who's known for a good turn of phrase but the best bit is that then he has to follow it up in his pre-match press conference for the weekend's game by coming out and saying just to clarify i have never volleyed a cat i'm an animal lover i'm an animal lover i have never volleyed a cat what what a brilliantly bonkers world we live in where an angry manager after a game he's frustrated we've all said stupid things in the heat of the moment after our team hasn't gone and then either i should just clarify I don't I don't drop Kit Kats which you know is great to hear.

19:47The disgust on

19:48Gregor Robertson: his face as well when he was making that statement it was just pure disgust he was oh my goodness he would not have liked to hear what you have to say to that assistant after the match I'm sure it wasn't a thing. Yeah we do talk about goals you must go and see do go and watch that post match interview but Charlton following up that 0-0 draw with another 0-0 draw against Portsmouth at the weekend and just below them Wolves getting a late win at Sheffield United. Gregor showing the strength of their squad with substitutes off the bench for a 1-0 win at Sheffield United at the weekend. That keeps them in seventh.

20:22In eighth, should we have a quick word for Southampton? Again, winners at home. They're looking so, so good, particularly at home scoring for fun as well. Big winners against Bristol City. Kyle Larrin, the top scorer, player of the month, fresh out of the pocket of Lincoln City defenders. from the previous week where he did absolutely jack all at Sinsel Bank, back again with the goals. It was another impressive performance from them, wasn't it?

20:48Gregor Robertson: Certainly was. Lovely, lovely first goal by Laron as well. Only second after I couldn't typically serve. Dynamic, mazy, darting running field from Leo Sienza. And yeah, they are looking pretty ominous. I mean, if you take away the points deduction, the level with West Ham at the top of the league, it's easy to forget that. and I think we'll be duking it out for the title personally all the things we spoke about at the start of the season about the uncertainty about the extent to which the Spygate saga would affect them, it seems to be dying down and it's still kind of as I say, it's still a bit in the background with the manager, this charge hanging over the manager but the players, crucially look like that's all in the past and they're ready to to get a rate or wrong from last season.

21:39Yeah, that's a good question. I think you've posed there about early stages and how we're looking at the league. How many teams do you think at this early stage are in contention for the title? You mentioned Southampton there. We've obviously got West Ham doing well at the top, four wins on the spin. We've picked out some other sides, Middlesbrough. How many teams do you think could be going for the title? Because there's some other surprises in there as well at the minute, West Brom and Swansea being the case.

22:06Gregor Robertson: It's funny, I was thinking about that before as well, and there's not that many. I would say Middlesbrough, West Ham and Southampton. Beyond that, Swansea, they're looking really, really good, but personally I'd be surprised if they managed to sustain this over the course of the season and newly challenged for the automatics. The same is true of West Brom. And then another team where we spoke about at the start of the season who could be in contention is Norwich, and they've had a really sort of up and down start, but I still wouldn't rule it out, I think. What about Wolves? Not Wolves, because they had a great start.

22:43Again, have got that similar thing to West Ham of goals from everywhere.

22:47Gregor Robertson: Yeah, you know, we actually, we kind of thought that Wolves would settle in the league quicker than West Ham. Not entirely sure that's true. You're right, the players they picked off from the bench at the weekend was extraordinary. I mean, Trippi, even the goal, like Andre, he wasn't a sub, but Andre's pass out to Trippi, Trippi cut back for Tommy Doyle, Tommy Doyle sort of cross-come shot for Jimenez, Jimenez back post, so three of those four players involved in that goal came off the bench, and then the fourth was Jordan James, who still can't hold down a place in the starting 11, so they've got extraordinary strength as well.

23:28Gregor Robertson: I'm just not actually certain about The manager yet and Exactly what he Wants his team to be I personally don't think Wolves look like it At the moment but they have the players They have the quality and as I say I wouldn't be that surprised if Norwich kind of improve Because we've seen it in flashes They've had a couple of unfortunate moments In terms of decisions going Against them Yes they've looked a bit wild and open in some games but they've got some real quality as well and you saw that in the game against Middlesbrough again with some of the substitutes they made and the impact they made.

24:04Yeah, really interesting. Very early days, I'd put you on the spot there but I'd definitely take a three into two title battle but I think I've got a suspicion there might be a fourth or a fifth team circling right towards the end of the season. Greg, I'm just going to run through a few more talking points because we should get to a break. Loads more still to discuss. Birmingham 2-1 winners at Derby but the only talking point from this game you must have seen it listeners by now is the miss from Luis Vasquez. Probably, I mean, every season there comes up, this is the worst miss of all time. This is right up there.

24:35It's not bobbling. The keeper's on the floor. He's three yards out. The conditions are perfect. In fact, it's in the category of it's harder to miss. One of the most extraordinary misses ever. You must have seen a lot in your time. Where would you rank it?

24:52Gregor Robertson: There's one that always comes to my mind because I was at the game it was an old firm between Celtic and Rangers and it's a Rangers striker Van Bossen it's extraordinary, it's very similar it's kind of, I can't remember whether it was Gazza, maybe running through like, clear through faces up the goalkeeper, lays it to the side open goal in the 6 yard box, over the bar it's like, oh my goodness, the stick he took it was that Celtic part I never really lived that down so I'm not sure Vasquez is going to be able to put this one down either. That's the worst I've ever seen in the flesh but this was right up there.

25:31The one that made me think of was Carnu which again I wasn't at the game but that was the big one for I think it was West Brom or was it Portsmouth where it kind of goes all the way across the box but it does at least bobble. There's some kind of mitigating factor I think that allows it. This Vasquez one he's just walking onto it just pass it into the goal. Thankfully it didn't matter for Birmingham. Just a couple of other results I wanted to mention Gregor. Blackburn proving what an idiot I am for last week suggesting that they might struggle with a 3-1 win against Millwall the Venkis back in the stands but not welcomed off of a lion with two goals two brilliant goals in this game for Blackburn he was a player that I didn't see when I saw Blackburn earlier in the season so he could be the one who makes a difference kind of interested in how Millwall seem to be struggling a little bit in defense this season maybe that's a theme we can come back to later on and I just wanted to finish with a mention for Bolton beating Cardiff two of the promoted sides from League One last season it was nil-nil heading into the final minute when Thierry Gale nodded home got a lot of time for his celebration Gregor I don't know if you saw it exuberance you know loud loud raucous limbs everywhere he takes the shirt off and his data vest thingy because you know it's not as good if you're going to take your shirt off and then you've still got the kind of data thing on.

26:51Doesn't look as good. And obviously, he's an elite sportsman. He's absolutely shredded. He thought, sod this. I'm taking that off as well. And then he stands and takes it all in. Really brilliant to see. And I would just say, watching the highlights of this, I was really interested in the fact that there was some really good refereeing. Both sides penalised for dives in the box looking for penalties. And I think he got them both spot on. Two yellow cards given. Just shows, just to continue our growing momentum, that actually maybe if you just let referees referee the game, they don't do too badly after all.

27:23They do make mistakes. Of course they do. And we'll mention some more calls for VAR in the Football League after the break. Any other bits that I've missed in the Championship? I've just remembered another goal I want to mention, but anything that you might pick up instead?

27:34Gregor Robertson: Well, I think we need to come to Preston North End Lincoln. That, honestly, genuinely, if we didn't mention it, it wouldn't be a problem. The fact that you've seen enough of a manager, I think is quite important. So I think really we have to. The game itself, I thought you were going to just brush past the game and mention the managerial departure. I think the game was one brushing pass, to be brutally honest, because you scored another goal from a long throw, 1-0 to the Lincoln. The anti-football imps are at it again. Indeed. Shall we brush past that and talk about Preston? Yes, that's fair. I'm a little bit sad for Paul Hecken, but I know the supporters, I think he'd lost them really, and I think they'll be happy with the decision.

28:16Gregor Robertson: He's lost 17 of 27 championship games in 2026 Only won five in that time And if you think where they were before that It's been kind of at the turn of the year After a really decent start First half of last season They were right in the playoff mix And we were talking about a team that had So many really important loan players And we've said this over and over again on the show How important and make or break They can be for a team in the championship They had Daniel Jebberson alone from Bournemouth They had Lewis Dobbin on loan for Aston Villa who subsequently joined Southampton They had Harrison Armstrong on loan from Everton for the first half of the season before he was recalled that was a big part of their reason for their fall away in the second half of last season Armstrong of course has just commanded a£40 million bid from Nottingham Forest so he's a bit of a player and Alfie Devine and Alfie Devine was the one that they made permanent in the summer for 6 million on its own and they spent 15, 15, 20 million quid in the summer which for Preston historically is quite a lot of money but it's not turned the dial and really poor defensively 60 feats from their opening in 7 games I think Heck and Bottom even would have known when the final whistle blew after the defeat against Lincoln, no offence to Lincoln You're getting on board with the teams like Lincoln chat, we've already had loads of that this season some of our supporters are even planning on getting t-shirts made teams like lincoln just for when for when we beat like it's interesting to see how many managers you guys getting sacked after we've got we've got quite the track record quite the track record anyway we will see what the future holds for preston north end in need of a new manager lots of people getting quite excited about the idea that carlos corbran has left his job at valencia and whether he could be coming back to the championship i'll throw in i'll throw in dave challoner that feels a little bit more appropriate than carlos corbran i must say with respect to Preston?

30:16Gregor Robertson: Well, yeah, I mean, Carlos Corbran would be at the top of a lot of lists in the Championship, but probably Carlos Corbran might hope for a team with bigger expectations. One thing we should say is Preston have been for quite a while near in the completion of a takeover, so their ceiling may rise. But yeah, coming back to, I would say Dave Chaloner, it's rare you have someone who's out of work, who's got such a good track record. you know he lives in the northwest i think that fits very nicely we will see whether they've got an appointment made in time for next week's show i think there's only one game we've not mentioned gregor and there's another win for stoke city after their bad start to the season continuing their good form with a win 2-1 at watford but actually the thing that caught my eye in this game 19 year old amin nabizada he just does not score anything other than a worldie this kid it's really really remarkable we've mentioned a lot of young talented players showing their hand in the championship already this season, this kid is one to watch, he just seems to score an absolute banger every week, it's an absolutely brilliant goal.

31:24Loads more to come in part 2 as we look at the best and worst of League 1 and League 2, we'll be back in just a sec

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33:32Welcome back to the Game Football Podcast from the Times and Sunday Times. This is our EFL Extra Show every week with me, Tom Clark, and the former Football League legend, Gregor Robertson, taking a look at the best and worst of the Championship League One and League Two. And it's time to dish out our weekly awards in League One first. And let's start with the win. The game, the win of the weekend. It depends on which way you're going to go with this one. I've got a game of the weekend. Gregor you've understandably got a win of the weekend who's it for?

34:03Gregor Robertson: It's got to be Leicester say I mean after last week the 4-0 defeat at home against Oxford Russell Martin coming under such intense scrutiny shall we say to be politely and then to go 4-1 up at Stockport who've been outstanding so far this season you think my goodness what an incredible response this is and then this could easily be game of the weekend too because what happened after that was extraordinary Stockport, first of all Norwood with a brilliant free kick and a fooling the goalkeeper at their post 4-2 and getting it back to 4-3 and then there's still, you know you watch the extended highlights of it, there's still chance after chance after chance, two goals ruled out for offside second one in particular, thanks to a very eagle-eyed assistant referee alignment.

34:58Gregor Robertson: My goodness. And they just held on for dear life. That was huge for Lesnar City and Russell Martin. Although you still hear or see on social media chants from the crowd, from the Leicester fans, when they're winning 4-1 or whatever, or 4-3, Russell Martin, your football is bleep. He's got an uphill baffled he's got to continue churning out results to make the supporters and it's not going to be all the supporters but certainly a constituency of the supporters to to buy into what he's trying to do at that club um and it's an interesting sort of broader question actually about about the football he's trying to play and where it sits in modern football now it was interesting hearing him talk before this game quite movingly actually wasn't it about yeah all the comments that are made these days.

35:50And you do forget that when it strays into the personal, how much that must affect. He talked about, I've been in the game for years. I can handle it. But my family have all got to listen to this stuff. And it would be one of the more remarkable turnarounds if he were able to complete this at Leicester because it feels like he's coming from a point of view that's a real low ebb.

36:12Gregor Robertson: It already felt like it approached the point of no return. So that's why this was such an important win. but as I say he needs more of them because I think the discontent will be rumbling away in the background or it still is it will be until he strings some positive results together and wins and it looks like the football he's trying to play has a purpose and that's ultimately what Leicester fans want the most they want their team to be they expect their team to be competing to win automatic promotion straight back to the championship and beyond. Yeah, we'll see what the future... The coming weeks could be really interesting.

36:55You know, get a couple of wins and it might turn around for Russell Martin at Leicester. I mentioned whether it was a game or a win of the weekend. I've got two. Bromley's 2-2 draw at Blackpool behind twice, fighting back twice. Nice little free kick routine in here. A lovely away kit. I'm really vibing the away kits in the Football League this season. There's some brilliant offerings, but that was an important draw for Bromley to stop a run of three defeats. But if you ask me for a win of the weekend, I would pick Oxford. Aaron Ramsey as manager, Louis Sibley with a nice goal in this one, up to fifth, getting a win against Burton Albion and Gary Bowyer, as ever, making their opponent work for it.

37:31But a 3-0 win for Oxford. I think they might get up towards near the top of the table. We shall see. We're speaking about Russell Martin being a manager under pressure. We should mention a manager who has been sacked at Wickham. Gregor, tell us a little bit about what's happened.

37:44Gregor Robertson: Yes, it's a bit more of a surprise this one I think I mean he's not started well, that's very clear He's only been a year in the job and there have been a few draws in the start of the season and I think it actually kind of tallies in again with the end of last season Wickham were battling for the playoffs at the end of last season they lost four of the last six games and I think we referenced on the show that Michael Duff said afterwards to his players you've wasted 11 months of your lives and so it wasn't a positive hint of the season by any stretch and he actually remembers the detail of some of those games he conceded really late goals to kind of lose or sometimes to throw away three points completely yeah it was a bad end to last season and it's not started well this season But there's a broader discontent at Wickham now, actually.

38:43Gregor Robertson: They've got one of the richest owners in the Football League, a Kazakh billionaire. They've now hired and fired two managers since Matt Bloomfield left for Luton Town. Assigned, I think, about 40 players. Broken their transfer record a couple of times and there's not really much evidence of a progression on the pitch, having said all that. So I wouldn't say this is all on Michael Duff. I think Michael Duff is a really good manager even though he's had a difficult period in his last couple of jobs here in Barnsley I think there's a bit of uncertainty about Wickham's direction as well Yeah, they did get a win at Leighton Orient 3-2 after making that decision Always happens, doesn't it?

39:22Always happens Every single time James Restell, our colleague on the desk who's a Leighton Orient fan, said Bloody hell, they've sacked the manager just before they play us That's never a good sign and so it proved Gregor, your goal that listeners must go and check out from League One

39:36Gregor Robertson: this is a bit of a you know there were a lot of good goals again in League One I chose this one by Chris Conn-Clark for Peterborough against MK Dons to snatch a point in the 85th minute it was one all the game primarily because of his first touch it was extraordinary it was like a cross to the back far deeper than the back post and he was almost keeping the ball in play like a few yards away from the byline but his first touch was just like he kind of trapped it and passed it back inside like at an angle and it looked like it was well over hit as well but it was into space and that opened up the angle for him to just run onto it and curl arc a ball beautiful finish over the goalkeeper into the far top corner so it was like it was really intelligent as well actually not just the kind of quality of the finish it was the way he set himself up and quite brave too he looked like he'd over hit it and he could have been a counter attack afterwards so yeah lovely slightly different goal by Chris Conclark.

40:35Yeah, and as you mentioned there, you did mention lots of the great goals in the Leicester Stockport game, but Emil Rees, I thought, his second goal for Leicester, a brilliant finish. If he can play well and lead the line and get some goals, then that also might help Leicester. My goal that you must go and check out comes from George Pratt. His first ever goal in the EFL, only 20 years of age. He's on loan from Blackburn at Bradford. He's from Bradford and he scored the only goal in a win at Notts County. He's a centre-back. it's a brilliant brilliant finish again it's a kind of like do you know what sod it I'm going to hit this and he might never score a better goal than this in his life I wonder whether he'll try and recreate it over and over again but a fantastic finish for him and a great moment definitely go and check that one out Gregor your moment of the weekend in League One to wrap us up

41:20Gregor Robertson: it's another brilliant goal but it's the fact that it was scored after 27 seconds you often see goals scored you know you don't see them that often but when you do a goal kind of scored so quickly it may be a mistake or a gap in the defence or you know This was like Plymouth sustaining an attack and then Iroh getting the ball out in the left, coming in onto his right and just rocking an absolute beauty into the top corner. So not only was it the fastest goal of the weekend, 27 seconds after kick-off, it was one of the best as well. So really standout moment for all the Irohs on loan from Spurs for Plymouth in their victory against Barnsley.

41:57Yeah, definitely go and have a look at it. It's amazing. I'm sure you might have seen the clips already. before I get to my moment of the weekend Gregor a moment I didn't like we've got more managers more managers who've seen the game Chris Powell the assistant manager Luton after their defeat at Stevenage Jack Wilshire sent to the stands not happy with the referee both in the build-up to the first goal he thought there was a foul sent off sent to the stands and then it was offside the Stevenage winner from Josh McGinnis but Chris Powell we do not want you making comments about VAR in the Football League after the game even if they are quite measured we don't like it look Chris Powell, Jack Wilshere I'll put another couple of quid into the charity jar for the end of the season I think we're up to about 12 quid now but Chris stop it you're a better man than that you want football to be pure and joy don't do it I'll come for you it's only a 2-1 win these things even themselves out but my moment of the weekend was another 2-1 win Cambridge Gregor 2-1 winners against Reading fist bumps at the end for your mate Neil Harris he's not mugged off dot com this week they've had a great start haven't they up to fourth what a brilliant performance and like this game kind of epitomizing what they're good at just really really solid hard working jack marriott who's having a great start to the season for reading gave them the lead and you're starting to think well maybe cambridge will do well in this one but two second half goals and a 2-1 win fourth no one saw that coming no it's been a brilliant start for for cambridge

43:22Gregor Robertson: and Neil Harris is a really canny manager he's obviously been associated with Millwall for a lot of his managerial career but Cambridge is another club he's been associated with and you know coming back in strange sort of dynamic last season in terms of having a former manager as a director of football as well and Mark Bonner but they made it work and I think they recruited quite well in the summer and it's a bit just like a really really hard place to go to at Abbey and you know you have to deal with a lot of crosses into the box a lot of direct play and a lot of sort of intensity and yeah brilliant brilliant start for Cambridge yeah into League 2 then to wrap us up Gregor your win of the weekend please I think it's got to be York City's 4-0 win against against Windham Town I mean from where where York started the season it's been an absolutely magnificent start 100 % home record as regular listeners will remember we spoke about the fact that the club sacked their manager Stuart Maynard just before the start of the season Maynard who'd got them promoted with 108 points something like that and replaced them with Scott Lindsay and Scott Lindsay was receiving some pretty unkind chants in pre-season friendlies but he's turned them around and he's got the fans on board no wonder given some of the quality of their play and Alex Newby's goal in this was just an absolute thing of beauty sort of half-volley absolute worldy I'd say this might be the best goal of the weekend in all the leagues I think the way he struck it was so pure and there are a lot of challengers there's still two more to come, listeners and then Oli Banks Oli Banks almost he tried to go one better when he scored the second great finish in the top corner as well but 4-0, free scoring newbies relaying the goals and Scott Lindsay has turned it around and York City look like they're in with a chance of going back to back.

45:27Yeah, absolutely. We'll mention some of those goals in just a second. I should say for a game of the weekend, we have to mention Rotherham 3, Salford 3. An absolutely brilliant game. Go and check out the highlights. There's some good goals in this. There's also some more good refereeing, some good decisive refereeing. Second yellow cards shown for dives, decisive penalties given for shirt pulls in the box. We don't need VAR, Chris Powell. we don't need it I'm telling you the referees know what they're doing let's back them but in terms of a win of the weekend I'm going to pick your former club Grimsby Gregor beating high-flying Bristol Rovers which tees you up perfectly for your goal that all listeners must go and watch

46:03Gregor Robertson: Yes Turi David Turi Grimsby's Faroe Islands midfielder he's been at the club for a couple of years now and I think he's had a few injuries and he's not he's kind of taken a while to acclimatise he'd still see some flashes of real talent there, he's a very technical midfielder but this was his best moment in a Grimsby shirt and as you say a really big statement win when you consider how well Bristol Rovers have started and I think Grimsby are going to be right in the mix for the title I think alongside Bristol Rovers, there'll be one or two others who think they can challenge and Salford now they're starting to pick up might be one of them but I think these are two of the best teams in the league but it was this this goal was a thing of beauty Turi picks it up quite deep and maybe 45 yards out and no one really closes him down and then you hear the but it's like 30 odd yards and he maybe takes one more touch and then bang right into the top corner just an arrow exocet missile job so yeah definitely check that one out and a pretty special moment for one of Grimsby's more interesting signers.

47:22Gregor Robertson: There have been a few of them since they're sort of linked up with the Jamestown Analytics mob. You know, it's not that often you see players signed from, I think it was Vykingor he joined from, and there have been players from Scandinavia and stuff, lower leagues and stuff, and he was one of the more intriguing ones, but you see why when he sees strike a ball like this. Have you seen the one from the fan angle the one from the stands oh it's amazing it's a great goal from every single angle but do go and check it out you will not be disappointed Gregor my goal of the weekend comes for a pass basically it's in Gillingham's 2-0 win against Tranmere and I want listeners to go and watch it just to validate my choice because I watched this and I was watching the highlights and on the commentary they said something about oh you know got on the end of a pass or you know and I was like, hang on a minute, Gareth McCleary's made the most beautiful, arcing, curling pass from the right wing, splitting a defence, played one of those passes that's just in front of the centre-back, but then it curls into the path of Ronan Hale.

48:28And then I checked another report.

48:29Gregor Robertson: It actually mugged off.com the centre-half. He thought he could get it and then he realised he couldn't and he spun and he fell on his backside. It was a brilliant pass. And then I read another report that referenced the defensive mistake. Ronan Hale capitalised on a defensive mistake. and I was like, this is one of the great injustices of modern football. That's the best pass Gareth McCleary might have ever played. I mean, he's a very good player, very solid pro at the football league level. I've seen him lots of times against Lincoln over the years. It's a brilliant pass. I'm so glad you agree because I thought I was going mad.

48:59Anyway, listeners, go and check it out and make sure that you agree with me. It's a brilliant ball from Gareth McCleary to play in Hale. A wonderful, wonderful goal. Let's finish with our moments of the weekend in League Two. Gregor I am going to go first with another slightly off the wall one and it's a clearance off the line by Dan Moss for Rochdale to get them a nil-nil draw at Walsall in the second half of this game much needed team bottom of the table York City of course promoted as with Rochdale having very contrasting seasons and but they really really needed something in this game they got a draw and you'll be delighted to hear that there were modest celebrations from Dan Moss and his teammates.

49:40There were no chest bumps, no Arsenal Gabriel style high fives. It was just a little pat on the bum. Well done. You've done your job. So that's my moment of the weekend. I'm going to let you finish because you've definitely got the best one.

49:53Gregor Robertson: Yeah, Joe Powell, another contender for goal of the weekend for Salford City against Rotherham, the game you just cited there. Joe Powell was signed from Rotherham in the summer against his former club. All the disappointment is he raised his hands because he can't score a goal like that and then apologise for it. I'm so glad you said that. I'm so glad you said that. I'm like, mate, this is the best. Because I actually, this is my best goal of the weekend. Just the angle, left foot, off the end. It swears, it hits the bar and goes in. It adds some more to the aesthetic. You know, it's tough. It's a tough choice.

50:25Gregor Robertson: I just love the purity of this strike of Newbies. But this was an absolute corker, yeah. And actually, you know, I know you won't like me saying this because there's a lot of cynicism around Salford and Gary Neville and all them. but you see there's a clip I've seen of them in the crowd. I'm not sure they're in the crowd, they're maybe in the policies but there's Gary Neville and Paul Sculls and just leaping up in the air like genuine like oh my God moment. So you know, there's cynicism but they can feel that as well and no wonder because it was an absolute beauty. Yeah, there was also great moments in the Salford crowd as well where it panned to them and there were lots of Salford fans going oh my God, like barely celebrating and being like it's that good a strike but as you say come on Joe Pal you only had two years at Rotherham like fair enough played about 70 games just go and celebrate down the other end you don't have to run and mug everyone off just it's the greatest moment of your career absolutely staggeringly good goal I would just like to finish Gregor with a little non-league nomination we had a little non-league shout last week I just wanted to give a shout out to Southend United fans who made probably a 13 hour maybe 14 hour round trip to Carlisle United for their away game they thought they'd won it it was one all going into added time.

51:38They thought Kyle McAdam had got a winner with a brilliant goal from 25 yards. But then four minutes later with literally the last kick of the game, Georgie Kelly equalises to make it 2-2 and Southend fans thought they had the greatest away trip ever have to make that six, seven hour drive back down south with only a point. Football fandom is tough gear. But respect from everyone at The Game Podcast. And by everyone, I just mean me and Gregor. we'll leave it there Gregor Robertson thank you very much for joining me as always for this absolutely jam-packed EFL Extra Show we'll be back with another one next week we'll see you then

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