On this week’s show, The YP’s football writers, Stuart Rayner and Leon Wobschall, join host Mark Singleton to discuss everything from Premier League to League Two football.
They start off in the top-flight and assessing the further dent to Sheffield United’s already-slim hopes of avoiding relegation following their 1-0 defeat to Wolves.
In the Championship, Leeds United now find themselves in a title race after getting the better of one-time runaway leaders Leicester City for the second time this season.
Hull City continue to show play-off form while, in League One, Barnsley are emerging as genuine contenders for the top two after getting the better of promnotion rivals Derby County.
In League Two, our panel assess the play-off chances of both Bradford City and Harrogate Town.
They start off in the top-flight and assessing the further dent to Sheffield United’s already-slim hopes of avoiding relegation following their 1-0 defeat to Wolves.
In the Championship, Leeds United now find themselves in a title race after getting the better of one-time runaway leaders Leicester City for the second time this season.
Hull City continue to show play-off form while, in League One, Barnsley are emerging as genuine contenders for the top two after getting the better of promnotion rivals Derby County.
In League Two, our panel assess the play-off chances of both Bradford City and Harrogate Town.
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SportsTranscript
00:00 [Music]
00:12 Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Football Talk from the Yorkshire Post, where we will be discussing some of the latest talking points from the world of football with members of our football writing team.
00:20 On this week's episode we are joined by Chief Football Writer for the Yorkshire Post, Stuart Rayner, and Football Writer for the Yorkshire Post, Bill Moshall, to discuss all of the latest developments affecting our local clubs.
00:29 Don't forget you can keep up to date with all the football news across Yorkshire and beyond by logging onto our website at yp.sport@nationalworld.com, as well as checking out our various Twitter feeds, the main one being @ypsport.
00:42 If you search for Yorkshire Post Sport, Yorkshire Post Football, or even Sheffield Sport on Facebook, you can find us there as well.
00:48 And if you have any questions for our writers, you can get in touch using those various Twitter or Facebook pages, or email us directly with a subject matter at footballtalkpodcast@yp.sport@nationalworld.com.
01:00 YorkshirePost.co.uk
01:02 As mentioned earlier in the intro, this week we're joined by Chief Football Writer for the Yorkshire Post, Stuart Rayner, and Football Writer for the Yorkshire Post, Leon Wobbshall. Good morning guys.
01:10 Morning.
01:11 Morning.
01:12 Right, this week we saw Sheffield Wednesday claim a much needed 2-1 victory over Bristol City.
01:18 Bradford City saw their game against Barrow called off due to a waterlogged pitch.
01:23 Harrogate Town fell to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Newport County, and we'll be covering them later on in the podcast.
01:29 Don Cacero has claimed all three points with a 1-0 victory over AFC Wimbledon.
01:34 Middlesbrough lost 2-0 when they visited Plymouth Argyle, and Bloodworm United left their game against Queen's Park Rangers empty-handed after losing 2-1.
01:43 But this week we start with Sheffield United, who fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat against Wolves.
01:48 This now sees Chris Wilder's side having recorded just one win from their last five games, and they have a visit from Arsenal next on the fixture list.
01:57 What was your assessment of the game, Stuart?
02:00 Pretty similar to an awful lot of their games this season, really.
02:06 It was a good effort by Sheffield United. They dominated the second half.
02:14 There were some good things about the performance, but ultimately, when you see them like that, I think it kind of highlights that they're just not good enough at this level.
02:27 They had probably four good chances before Wolves scored, didn't take any of them, just switched off at a cross and poor defensive work.
02:38 Those two little areas, I say little, the biggest areas in the game, just decided the match.
02:47 You couldn't fault their commitment. It even spilled over a bit too far at one point between Jack Robinson and Vinicius Souza.
03:00 You couldn't fault their effort. They did a lot of good things, but ultimately, they're just short of the level required, unfortunately.
03:10 It's pretty similar. We've spoken in the past about Rotherham, haven't we? There's tons of heart, there's spirit, application.
03:20 You can't fault the perspiration on the shirt. It's just the inspiration, isn't it?
03:27 It's become a regular theme of this podcast, really. You look at the runs at the end of the season.
03:34 I just think Sheffield United have got to try and get some individual kudos and points for their own careers for the rest of the season.
03:47 There's been some young players coming through the likes of Asula, and maybe there'll be one or two others.
03:53 I think Arblaster was on the bench the other day. If they can get something to take into next season, a few performances here and there, a goal of two in a league for Asula.
04:04 Hopefully, Rhian Brewster as well. He's a lovely lad. He's been through an absolutely hell of a time on the injury front.
04:15 Everyone at Bramall Lane loves him. If he can get a couple of goals somewhere, a big goal in a game or two, hopefully that'll set him up for having a decent summer and going again.
04:27 Hopefully getting some good looks. I think that's going to be part of it, individual-wise. Hopefully, collectively, get some pride in performance.
04:37 Hopefully, one or two results along the way that might ruffle one or two feathers. I wouldn't be for making grand aims.
04:45 Chris Wilder knows the score. I think that's what he'll be looking for. Looking for some players who he thinks he can trust and have the ability for next season.
04:54 Let's face it, he'll probably be in the Champs, he'll be highly likely. Just finishing with a little bit of a smile or two somewhere. Let's just hope that.
05:06 It really does feel like this is a rebuilding job for Chris Wilder. He's basically come back and inherited the remnants of the team he built in the first place.
05:19 Two or three years of real under-investment in Paul Hecking's bottom side means that team hasn't evolved as it should do. They're trying to put that on fast-forward now.
05:30 As Leon says, we've seen Andre Brooks and Willa Sula. I'm sure we will see Oliver Arblaster down the line. There's been other unfamiliar names on the bench.
05:40 It's a case of testing people out, seeing what people are made of. They know the talent they've got in their academy, but until you actually see them on the field, it's whether they've got the temperament.
05:52 One thing I would say in their favour against Wolves was they went 1-0 down after having some really good chances. We had a flashpoint, which was something that happens quite a lot.
06:07 It wasn't a massive deal, but we basically had Robinson and Souza falling out on the pitch rather than in the dressing room out of sight of everyone.
06:21 At that point, you wondered, "Is this about to go bang? Are we going to see another surrender collapse like we saw against the likes of Aston Villa?"
06:32 But there was nothing of the sort. They really did dig in. Maybe that even galvanised and cleared their heads a bit. They really did give a good second-half performance.
06:43 That character is still there. They've just got to preserve that. As Leon says, this season is starting to feel fairly inevitable. I think it has been for quite a long time.
06:58 But those character traits are going to need them next season because they're going to be in a battle then.
07:04 It's important that they keep showing unity, showing their desire to keep going. There's been one or two games this season where it's disappeared, but only one or two.
07:18 When you consider the sort of season they're having, it sounds like it is a bit grasping at straws, but that's a reasonably positive sign to take forward.
07:28 If you can then build on that with a couple of young players coming through, you've got the starting point for the rebuild in the summer.
07:36 I didn't really see that much wrong in what happened there in the little bust-up. Obviously, you don't want to be seeing it every week, do you?
07:49 I think a few times in a season. Look, they've had a lot on their shoulders this season. It's been difficult. It's been frustrating.
07:56 One or two things do boil over from time to time. I think it's just the modern way, isn't it? To highlight and focus on it and make a lot bigger headlines than it would have been a few years ago.
08:08 That's just the way the world is. That didn't trouble me as such. You don't want to be seeing it on a regular occurrence.
08:16 I just think with Chris Wilder as well, you're sort of between eras, aren't they, Sheffield United? They've had the great side and the great players that have served Chris Wilder in his first spell.
08:29 Paul Hegginbottom as well, getting to the play-offs and then going again. We all know about the character and the talent in that dressing room, but time stands still for no one.
08:39 Quite a lot of them are coming towards the end and then you're having to bring players through and try and build another side.
08:48 Also, in the meantime, they're trying to compete and survive in the best division in the world.
08:53 That's going to be a big thing for Chris as well, trying to develop and build a side in his own image, the way he wants the Sheffield United football team to play.
09:07 It might take time, so there's all that side of it as well. There's a lot to contend with.
09:14 I think you want to see players digging each other out when they're not doing their job. You'd just rather as a manager it happen in the dressing room.
09:22 The worry, the way we are now. I covered Newcastle versus Aston Villa in April 2005 when Lee Bowyer and Kieran Dyer went at each other.
09:33 They both got sent off for that. There was a long VAR check on Sunday to decide whether to send those two off.
09:41 After the ridiculous sending off of Mason Holgate the previous week, if even one of those players had got sent off for fighting a teammate, you'd be absolutely despairing.
09:52 Realistically, we say fighting, it's a couple of little slaps and a bit of a head together. If that's violent conduct, then we really need to redefine our definition of it.
10:03 The whole road tackle was ridiculous. It was shameful, wasn't it?
10:06 Exactly.
10:07 That's just one of the things that nobody wants to see in football. It could have really put the player out for a long time.
10:15 I just hope there's some common sense about that.
10:20 Exactly.
10:21 Nobody knows in football what's bad and what's just a little bit of a tiff.
10:28 In bed, the VAR and the referee recognise that. We should pay credit to them.
10:34 We'd be more critical if they just shrugged their shoulders and they came out in their interviews afterwards and said, "I'm not really bothered that this sort of thing has happened."
10:44 Leon's right. You can make way too big a deal of that. I think from a Sheffield United point of view, given that you've got to find positives where you can, you look at it and say, "At least they care."
10:58 We sometimes question that as some teams, but Sheffield United's still fighting away.
11:05 Next, we turn our attention to the top of the table clash between Leeds United and Leicester City, which saw the home side emerge victorious thanks to three goals in the last 14 minutes of the game.
11:16 This now sees Leeds United narrow the gap between the two sides to just six points.
11:21 What were your thoughts on the game? If you cast your mind back a couple of months ago, would you have thought that we would have had a title race on our hands, Leon?
11:30 No, it's incredible what Leeds have done. Not so long back, you look at the Christmas they had, they obviously got a great result against Ipswich, but then one or two things were going against them.
11:43 Late goals, dismissals, the results, West Brom, so questions were being asked of them, but all good sides responded. You can definitely say Leeds have done that nine in a row, first time since 1931.
12:01 They did get out of jail a card or three, not even two, against Leicester because Leicester were excellent in open play.
12:14 It's the first time this season a team really better in Leeds and it looked like they had the measure of them.
12:24 I thought Dewsbury Hall and Winks were excellent in the middle of the park, the outshone the Leeds duo.
12:31 Yeah, they just couldn't finish the dinner, could they? Fortunately from a Leeds perspective, they should have been home and hoes, let's face it.
12:41 There's obviously controversy with the disallowed goal.
12:45 It's funny, I tweeted beforehand, I just had a look at the team sheets and I can't remember off the top of my head, but I know Leeds had Bamford, they had James, one or two others.
12:57 Leicester were without Vardy, they were without Ian Hatcho. I think they just had one strike, Tom Cannon.
13:05 I thought that possibly might be significant and ultimately it was, wasn't it? Leeds played the hand and brought Bamford on and James in it.
13:16 It did change it because I think if Vardy was playing or Ian Hatcho, I think Leicester would have won that game.
13:23 Yeah, you take what you can in Leeds' situation.
13:27 The good thing as well, they did have the adversity but they didn't feel sorry for themselves.
13:34 Parker addressed it, the crowd gradually got into it and yeah, they had Eilean, let's face it, they did have big slices of luck, certainly with the Archie Gray goal.
13:43 But they just kept going, didn't they? I think the performance for me was, it was almost personified by Rooter really.
13:51 He didn't have the best of games, everyone knows about the quality he's got. He's an infectious character, he's got great talent.
13:58 Didn't go for him on the night, didn't go for Somerville particularly, did he?
14:02 Or even Archie Gray, he got a bit of a chasing from Mavidi at times but they just came back, they didn't hide it.
14:09 Rooter especially, he just kept going and going, he had an involvement in both the goals and yeah, it was just magic scenes at the end.
14:18 Leeds, I think the important thing for me was just handling that adversity that they had.
14:22 They didn't go under, even though they did have some big slices of luck, let's face it, but they didn't worry about it, they just kept going.
14:31 So yeah, huge result and a great night in the season in the end, if unlikely for most of it.
14:39 Yeah, it just goes to show why the professionals go to death by always talking about just each game as it comes.
14:46 You've just got to be like that because you never know what's going to happen around you.
14:50 We've talked about it, talking about boring people to death, Leon and I have banged on about this all season in terms of the way Leeds just keep their heads down, keep on with the job.
15:01 As Leon says, no one exemplified that better than Rooter.
15:05 Yeah, I'm not having the best of games but if I keep plugging away, something might happen for me and that's been the story of Leeds this season.
15:15 I think that's got a lot to do with Daniel Farkas' influence and his experience of having been the course of distance and yet it's starting to pay dividends at the moment.
15:28 As we've said before, there'll be a bump along the way but with Leeds, probably more than any of the other teams I would say, you feel that they'll be less inclined to be sidetracked by that.
15:42 They'll just jump back on the horse and get on with it and I think that's a big strength of theirs this season.
15:49 That real refusal to get sidetracked by the dramas, whether they be good or bad, which you need in a Leeds race.
15:58 Yeah, I think to be fair to you, I think you can say the similar thing about Ipswich, can't you?
16:04 They had a bad run, everyone's saying they're going to go away and they haven't had the one or two. They've taken the bad run, the one, three or four.
16:13 The crowd have got their backs, as Leeds have. They're with them, there's a real genuine togetherness and you get that impression at Portman Road as well, don't you?
16:23 There's a story there, there was a story last season and it's carrying on this season. That's why I think Ipswich are the biggest danger for Leeds at the minute.
16:35 They've got ability but they've got that camaraderie, they've got that organisation, they've got that strong dressing room.
16:42 That's the big thing, we've spoken plenty of times about Farquhar, that's what he's done, he's sorted that out.
16:47 He's found the characters who he can trust, who listen to him.
16:54 The togetherness and the unity has grown there in a pretty short space of time, considering where they were.
17:01 It's all power to Leeds and mightily impressive. Obviously, from the Yorkshire perspective, they can go the distance.
17:11 Stuart's right to say that the interesting thing will be when they do get a result that goes against them.
17:18 They've won nine in a row but I think everybody knows enough about the Championship.
17:22 You're not going to win 16 or 17 in a row, are you? There's going to be a point where things don't go well.
17:27 Little things go against them that went for them against Leicester.
17:31 That'll be important to see how they react but judging on the evidence this season, you'd back them to handle it.
17:42 You talk about it from a Yorkshire perspective, from a neutral perspective, I think all of those top four sides have handled it well.
17:50 When we talk about who's handled it better, it's all relative. They've all done a good job of it.
17:55 It's a cry and shame that one of them is going to miss promotion quite possibly too. They're all very deserving of it.
18:02 From Leeds' point of view, you can't worry about who deserves it out of the other three or who deserves to win a game on a Friday night.
18:10 You just do your job and see what comes of it.
18:12 The Huddersfield-Leeds game, that would be fascinating to be spent on.
18:18 The Leeds play on the Wednesday night, obviously got one or two issues with players.
18:25 By the time we're out, we'll probably know the result.
18:29 If Huddersfield go for them early, get the crowd on top, it's always been a huge game for Huddersfield.
18:36 That'll be an interesting test from the Leeds' perspective, won't it?
18:39 How will they handle that?
18:41 They could have the same, just under a week down the track, at Sheffield on Wednesday.
18:46 Big arenas, big atmospheres.
18:49 The thing about Farkov, he seems to build sides for all sorts of weathers, doesn't he?
18:59 Sides that can do it when things are going well and that can also tough it out.
19:05 He's been a past master in a lot of respects in terms of his championship career.
19:11 That's right. We're speaking before the Chelsea game.
19:14 I think we can safely say that by the time people are listening to this, it would have taken a lot out of them.
19:20 Emotionally, physically, whether they've pulled off a shock against a Premier League team,
19:25 whether they've taken a bit of a beating, whether they've gone to extra time,
19:29 you took in the travel and all that sort of thing.
19:31 The last thing they wanted was a 12.30 kick-off on the Saturday.
19:35 But it's not just the 12.30 kick-off on the Saturday.
19:38 It's then to recover to play on Tuesday and then to play on the Friday night.
19:42 That's a tough schedule. But guess what? Everyone in the championship has tough schedules.
19:47 As we said, the whole Leeds ethos, the Farkov ethos, don't whinge about it.
19:53 Just get on with it. This is why we've got the deep squad.
19:56 As Leon said about the bench on Friday, there are players who he can dip in and out to freshen things up.
20:05 But the way Huddersfield's morale has changed under John Worthington and now Andreu Breitengraiter,
20:11 they are going to need to be right up for it.
20:14 We'll learn a little bit more about their character on the back of that.
20:22 But as Leon said, probably the way they start the game as much as anything else.
20:26 I think with Chelsea as well, given the history of the opponent,
20:30 Leeds can't go there half-talk handed. They're going to have to have some sort of go at it.
20:37 It's not just the history. They've got 5,500 fans there.
20:41 That in itself demands that you give everything.
20:45 I'm sure they wouldn't do anything other than that.
20:48 I think we can safely say, even though the game's probably passed by most people at the time most people are listening to this,
20:54 that that was the case.
21:16 I mentioned in my report on the Monday, I think it showed the good and the bad of Hull there.
21:25 There's all the elements there for them to get in the play-offs and do well in the play-offs.
21:33 It was a real tactical battle. We know from his time at Huddersfield how good Carlos Corbijn is at that side of the game.
21:41 It's a real game of chess for long periods. What made the difference for Hull was a moment of individual brilliance from,
21:49 in this case, Fabio Carvalho. There are quite a few players in that Hull squad who could have done something of that magnitude.
21:56 They've got those players who can produce those moments that decide tight games.
22:04 If you go into a play-off with that, you've got to fancy the chances.
22:11 Think back last year to the Middlesbrough-Coventry game where we had one goal over two legs of football.
22:19 Really tight stuff. On that occasion, it was Gustavo Heymer who decided it for Coventry.
22:24 If you've just got somebody who can produce that bit of magic, you've got a lot going in your favour.
22:29 The other side with Hull is they'll always give you a chance. They've always got that moment in them where there just might be that one mistake.
22:38 It's just balancing that out. It's probably the fact that they've got both that will keep things interesting as to whether they actually make the play-offs.
22:47 When they get in them, it really could go either way. They've just got to tighten up on absolutely minimising those mistakes,
23:01 really focusing their concentration and that will allow these flare players they've got to come through.
23:08 I'm pretty confident that they can make the play-offs and they can do well in the play-offs, but there is always that nagging doubt in the back of your mind.
23:16 I think it's a good education for them, Stuart. You look at the business they've done in January.
23:22 They've bought some marquee players, Giles and Cavalio. No-one's doubting the individual talent.
23:30 They've got it absolutely in abundance. It's about coming together. We always talk about leagues.
23:35 It's often about the teams in the run and it's about the teams getting you through.
23:39 It seems to be if there's a basketball game and you attack, we attack, all are fine in that regard.
23:45 They've got plenty of strings to the boat. Several match winners, Philly Jean. There's quite a lot.
23:54 You look at some of the fixtures, in the next month they've got to play Leeds, they've got to play Preston as well.
24:00 They've got a sniff, haven't they? That'll be a tough one. We've got Leicester, they've got Coventry.
24:07 Team matches that might not be necessarily decided by too much really, the fine margins.
24:14 That's probably why the game against West Brom could be a sign of things to come. Individual-wise, going forward, all are fine.
24:23 It's just that organisation, being tactically smart and everyone on message in terms of that,
24:36 that's going to be interesting to see how they handle that. In terms of talent, Stuart's spot on.
24:41 Individual-wise, they're a match for anyone, certainly the top end of the pitch.
24:46 They've got to enjoy it as well, haven't they? This time last season, it was a bit of a grind for them, wasn't it?
24:58 Before we seen you come in and the first thing you had to do was sort out the defence and get them away from trouble.
25:03 Part of it, you look at Coventry and Luton last season, probably Middlesbrough as well.
25:10 It's tough and it's asking a lot of questions. You've got to enjoy it as well.
25:16 The supporters have got to be a part of it as well. In some games, it might be going against them a little bit at home.
25:25 The supporters have a bit of an onus on them. They've got to revive the players sometimes. I think it's all part of it.
25:32 The West Brom game felt a bit of a sign of what could be to come in the sense that West Brom came there and showed them lots of respect.
25:39 It was a really cagey game. You can imagine it being similar at Preston.
25:45 You can imagine it being similar against teams like Coventry because there's so little to divide them.
25:50 There's such obvious flair on the whole side. You'd be brainless not to try and restrict them and frustrate them
25:58 and see if they do lose concentration for a minute or two.
26:02 He feels bang on when he uses the word 'education'. To get access to all that talent, Paul have had to take a gamble in a sense
26:10 on getting less experienced players who have basically been, in the case of the Lone East, been sent to Hull to make their mistakes for someone else.
26:19 Mercurial.
26:20 Mercurial is the euphemism we like to use in football.
26:24 The upshot of that is that you have moments like Fabio Cavalier produced against Rotherham.
26:35 That's what they're capable of. It's just the case of Liam Rossini. Fast forward in their educations really
26:43 and getting that mental strength that you see in more experienced teams.
26:48 Trying to bring a bit of that into them. In some ways that adds to the excitement.
26:55 All of that excitement as a Hull fan at times but strap in, you're going to get it.
27:01 Absolutely.
27:03 Now let's focus on Barnsley who were able to defeat Derby County 2-1 and by doing so kept up the pace with the top two in the division.
27:13 What were your thoughts on the game and do you think that Neil Collins can be pleased with the performances that his team have been putting together in recent games, Leon?
27:21 Yeah, he sure can. I think that was it one loss in 17 by my admittedly poor maths. I think it was the reverse fixture at Derby.
27:33 Adam Phillips got the glory on Saturday. Two excellent goals. The first goal you knew as soon as he sort of chested the ball down and hit it, it was only going in one place.
27:45 He showed that punch on for goals last season. I think he got double figures. Not got so many this year but obviously got the second goal, a clinical header.
27:54 The sort of skill, you can't really teach it to be honest. Some players just have a knack and Phillips looks to be one of those.
28:05 At this stage of the season I think they're precious those players. As much as that was encouraging, I thought it was across the pitch really.
28:16 I mean, I looked at Nicky Cardinale, a good game. Luka Connell played well. And the good thing as well was that Devante Cole, top scorer in division,
28:26 he was quite quiet really as John Matty was. So they're quiet, you have to find another way don't you? They did with Phillips.
28:34 Also, I look at the defence as well. The back three, the first time they played together as a three, in a huge game, a six-pointer against Derby.
28:45 Donovan Pines' full debut, Meldy Gvivni and Josh Earle. They had a few wobbles early on to be honest. Derby were good from set plays but they managed to sort it out.
28:58 A real team effort. That was the really encouraging thing for me from a Barnsley perspective. I like the look of Earle.
29:08 He looks like he's been there for Donkeys years already and he's only been there for about a month or so hasn't he? So he looks a really good signing.
29:15 I'd say the good thing for me, there's players there who've seen it and done it. Connells, Adam Phillips, Herbie Caines.
29:26 There's people there who are putting their hand up across the team and that's what you need isn't it?
29:32 Look at the midfield, Phillips has got six goals, I think Caines has got about eight or nine. So the pair of them could get double figures.
29:40 They've got a goal scorer up front and they're decent at the back with a good keeper.
29:46 It looks set fair for Barnsley. The results went for them in midweek. Bolton lost and Derby lost as well.
29:57 Looking at Derby as well, they look to have more issues than Barnsley.
30:03 They're certainly missing James Collins up front who would score twice in the reverse fixture.
30:09 They lacked a focal point for me up front. I know they've brought Dwight Gale in but to me he looks like he needs somebody with him.
30:16 So I look at Barnsley, I think the bases are more covered. They've got a huge game at home against Bolton next Tuesday.
30:25 In some respects those sort of games take care of the cells don't they in a funny sort of way.
30:32 I think the trick for Barnsley could come, it might even be in the games like on Saturday going to Wickham where they're going to get a bit of a bombardment.
30:40 They've been under the radar a little bit Barnsley. Now they're coming out in the open and you're looking at the table thinking yeah this is really on for them second.
30:49 How they handle that sort of pressure, we've mentioned it with Leeds as well haven't we. That's all thrown into the melting pot isn't it.
30:56 The expectation and handling it but I do see good vibes as far as Barnsley are concerned.
31:03 I'm just so impressed by how unflappable they are really. You talked about it with Leeds but Leeds have got a manager who has won this division twice.
31:12 We mustn't forget just because Neil Collins has been abroad he's not new to this but nevertheless he's new to English football.
31:20 It shows the value. He's had a good five years learning his trade in the States. There's a lot to be said.
31:28 We often see, you look at Michael Carrick last season it probably would be the same with Danny Rowe in the summer.
31:33 They have a good, not even full season and they're getting talked about oh they could go and manage so and so in the Premier League.
31:39 There's a lot to be said for just staying in one place for a couple of years, learning from the good times and particularly the bad times and getting on with it.
31:47 Obviously Barnsley, they lost to the playoff finer, they lost in not far off the worst possible circumstances.
31:56 The last kick of extra time having fought so hard with 10 men, they then lose their manager, they've lost important players.
32:04 That really could have been the point at which the Eftels went for them but instead Leon's railed off that back three.
32:11 All new to the club this season, the manager new to the club this season and they've just got their head down.
32:18 It's not far off but we've not seen the ridiculous unbeaten run we saw from Sheffield Wednesday last season and Rotherham the season before.
32:29 We've seen real consistency. There'll be an odd defeat along the way but it's an odd defeat.
32:35 It's stamped on straight away, it's moved on and they get on with it.
32:40 I really like that about Barnsley and I do think in this division, I mentioned the last couple of seasons, we have seen it sometimes.
32:48 This isn't to talk them down or anything but in some respects, there's lots of other disadvantages,
32:53 but in some respects, I feel it's a bit easier to be a club like Barnsley than a club like Derby or Bolton with so much desperation to get back.
33:03 We've seen Rotherham nipping ahead of those teams before. We saw Plymouth nipping ahead of Sheffield Wednesday last season.
33:10 It allows them to get their head down and get on with it but as Leon says, the picture is now changing.
33:16 You look at those games in hand and you look at the points circled and people are starting to twig that this is a good side.
33:23 This will be another test of that unflappable atmosphere. Can they just brush off the fact that people are expecting things of them now?
33:31 In fairness, we reached a similar point last season with some but not all of these same players.
33:38 They did carry on quite well then so fingers crossed we can see the same again.
33:45 They can be the sticky games, sure. I looked at this time last year, Sheffield Wednesday went to Forest Green.
33:52 Huge expectation, they've got to keep winning. The game looks good on paper, doesn't it?
33:59 They actually lost and I did the game the following week or the following midweek.
34:06 They played Cheltenham and they got a late draw there and they were pretty fortunate to be quite honest.
34:11 They're the games that can really test you. Barnsley got Wicca and then they got Bolton which I think will take care of itself.
34:20 They got Lincoln, I think that might be tricky. Lincoln are decent away and they've been a bit of a bogey team as well.
34:28 Then they've got to go to Carlisle as well. They'll be going to Carlisle, the Barnsley fans will be turning up expecting a bit of a stroll.
34:36 They can be the difficult games sometimes. Just quickly on Neil Collins, I think he's done an excellent job, hasn't he?
34:45 He hasn't panicked either. Don't forget, he was only recently, well relatively recently, at the end of November he was getting stick from the crowd.
34:54 Speaking about Lincoln, they went to Lincoln. I think they drew near the end or Lincoln might have scored near the end to be honest.
35:02 But it wasn't the best performance. They were having a little bit of a sticky run and some of the fans were singing 'Your football's rubbish'.
35:08 The Moon music in November wasn't particularly good at Barnsley. They obviously got booted out of the FA Cup as well.
35:16 There was a fair bit of rancour. It's all credit to Collins. He's kept a laser focus on the bigger picture.
35:27 And what he's got in the dressing room. He's not panicked and he's getting the rewards now.
35:34 Next we turn our attention to Bradford City, whose run in the EFL Cup came to an end when they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Wicca Wanderers in the semi-final of the competition.
35:44 Stuart, what did you make of the performance and are there any positives that Graham Alexander's men can take from this whole experience?
35:52 The performance was very good and that is the positive you've got to take. I think the biggest positive you've got to take is the way footballers' minds work.
36:04 That was the second time in less than 12 months where they were a game away from Wembley and they missed out.
36:11 I think you find often with the most successful sides, they get driven on more by the bad times than the good times.
36:18 You'll often hear managers saying to them, "Remember how that felt? Don't feel that way again."
36:26 That's what Bradford have got to use. They're in a position, Leon referred to it, when he was at Harrogate in the week,
36:39 the state of the League Two table is such that there are so many teams who have got a sniff of it.
36:47 Bradford are 16th at the moment but they've got games in hand. They're five points away from Walsall with a game in hand on them.
36:59 I wouldn't fancy them to make the playoffs but it's not out of sight and they should certainly be looking to barge their way in later on.
37:08 It was a real frustration for them and particularly for the fans.
37:13 Leon and I had a rant about late postponements a couple of weeks ago.
37:17 The fact that not only was the Barrow game postponed at such short notice but that Pete Wilde wanted to play the game.
37:24 Kim Alexander was all for playing a bounce game on that pitch, were it not for the fact that it wouldn't look great.
37:35 It's a real shame that game didn't take place and they didn't have the chance to respond.
37:41 If you talk about the performance on the night, everything was there bar the clinical finish.
37:47 You did wonder if Andy Cook hadn't been suspended, even if Jake Young hadn't been injured, if that made the difference.
37:53 Again, as is often the case, when you don't take your chances, one mistake very late on by Sam Stubbs who had a really good game and it just cost you.
38:08 We started a podcast talking about that with regards to Sheffield United.
38:12 It applies across all the divisions, all the games. That's the way it works.
38:17 If you don't take your chances and you make one slip-up, you get punished. But they should look at it and say, "Look, Wicca are a league one side."
38:26 We outplayed them. Even the Wiccan players were saying afterwards, apparently, it was a smash and grab.
38:32 It was a textbook smash and grab. There's a lot to hold on to there for Bradford. They've got to use this in a positive way.
38:41 I totally agree. They've got something else to aim for, haven't they? Let's be honest.
38:47 A month or two ago, you'd have thought they're having this run in this competition.
38:55 They lose that game, that's going to be it. Forget for the rest of the season. They're just going to be playing dead rubbers.
39:00 But the madness of the table, someone's going to nick second, aren't they, by the look of it?
39:05 Before the Newport-Harrogate game, Newport were 16th. They've won that. They've gone up to 10th.
39:13 I think, ironically, the same thing happened on Saturday as well. Walsall went to Harrogate, they were 16th.
39:18 They've shot up to 10th. I think they might even be in the playoffs now.
39:23 They are, yeah.
39:24 That just shows how mad it is. Bradford have got to be grateful. They've still got something to have a shot at.
39:33 They've got an outside chance at the playoffs. I think they've got four out of five at home.
39:37 They've got to play a lot of the teams in the mix. They've got Notts County on Saturday, they've got to play Ackrington,
39:42 Gillingham, Walsall, Newport, there's probably a few others I haven't mentioned as well.
39:49 Just be grateful they've got something to have a go at. Hopefully, further down the line,
39:55 we're getting to the real nitty-gritty in April. They might have Jamie Walker back on deck to provide a bit of an optional front.
40:07 Alex Patterson maybe, who knows? It's still there for Bradford. The season's still alive. Be grateful for that.
40:17 I think looking at that race, to get in seventh spot, he's not that far away from sixth as well. Barrow have only got 53.
40:28 Certainly, one place I think will be down to whoever finishes. It's just going to be a race for the tape, isn't it?
40:33 Who gets momentum? How things snowball? All the things that come into it. Dressing room, spirit, organisation, resolve.
40:44 All that. He's got the potential to be a real mad chase. Bradford are one of those teams, we've mentioned it before,
40:52 with the advantages they've got in terms of the fan numbers at home, selling out away ends.
40:59 They can generate momentum if things go well. It's OK talking about it, but you've got to do it, haven't you?
41:05 At least the opportunity's there, isn't it?
41:07 Yeah. Austin Trustee at Sheffield United talked very early in the season, and he got criticised for it in some quarters,
41:14 about how footballers are deluded and have to be deluded. And they're right. They achieve things they shouldn't achieve
41:23 because they don't believe in themselves. We can look at the league table and say, 'Well, they're not going to do that.'
41:28 They can't think like that. And if they have anything about them as professional footballers, they won't think like that.
41:33 That's why they've got to where they are. We talk every week about what's realistic and what's not realistic.
41:41 Sheffield United are down, and the brother of United are down.
41:45 Exactly. They just, as we said with Leeds, do what you can do and give everything.
41:56 Sometimes things have a habit of falling into place. I genuinely don't think it will happen for Bradford City,
42:03 but they absolutely cannot think like that, and I'm sure they won't.
42:06 There's got to be a story or two, isn't there, somewhere before the end of the season?
42:10 We had Huddersfield last season in Great Escape. I remember years back with Warnock, Rotherham as well.
42:16 Specifically, looking at Bradford, they got promoted in 2012/13. They were something like 13th in mid-March,
42:25 and then they just finished with a wet sale. Stories all over the place.
42:29 There's certainly going to be a couple of those this season.
42:31 You just hope from Bradford's perspective, or Harrogate, that they might be one of those.
42:38 Speaking of Harrogate, that's where we turn our attention to next.
42:42 They fell to a frustrating 4-1 defeat when they welcomed Newport County.
42:47 This now leaves Simon Weaver's side three points off the playoff spots, with a trip to Swindon Town next up on their fixture list.
42:54 What did you make of the performance, and what seems to be going wrong for the team at the moment, Leon?
42:59 I think frustrating, probably putting it kindly, Mark, to be quite honest. It was pretty rough.
43:05 All credit to Newport. They started in 16th, and they got a good hiding at the weekend as well against MK Dons.
43:14 Graham Coughlan, their manager, who we know from these parts,
43:18 he was probably saying the things that Simon Weaver said after the game on Tuesday.
43:25 He wasn't happy with the application of his side.
43:29 First of all, credit to Newport. I thought they were excellent on the night, and looked a real slick, sharp outfit.
43:36 It was probably a bit of a difficult one for Weaver in the respect that he was trying to freshen it up.
43:43 They played Walsall on Saturday. By all accounts, they just looked a bit toothless in the final third.
43:49 But it's always a big gamble, isn't it? When you rest your two top scorers and keep them on the bench.
43:56 George Thompson and Jack Muldoon were on the bench until early in the second half.
44:03 By the time, I think he'd brought Thompson on, it was after about 50, 51 minutes.
44:09 Literally in this next moment, Newport scored, made it 3-0, and that was it.
44:16 The game was done. He soon made four substitutes, and soon came on a few minutes later.
44:22 It was all done. The only good thing was that Thompson managed to find the net for a consolation.
44:29 It's just home for him, isn't it? You look at Harrogate, and it's been a bit of an Achilles heel for a while.
44:37 Away from home, they look good, don't they? They must be in the top four or five clubs there.
44:44 At home, they're probably in the bottom half dozen, aren't they?
44:49 It's just one of those, isn't it? They've done so well in January and the first part of February.
44:55 But as we've mentioned with other teams, you get that expectation. People start to think,
44:59 "Well, Harrogate aren't under the radar anymore. They're coming out into the open."
45:04 That brings a bit of a different sort of pressure. Now Harrogate have gone back down to 12th,
45:10 they've completely slipped under the radar again. It wouldn't be so bad if they started winning.
45:16 It was a bit of a lesson ultimately. Fair play to Simon Weaver. He did admit that he got his side wrong.
45:26 I get the freshening up element, but it's a big gamble, isn't it? Certainly two of them.
45:34 He might have been wiser just putting one of them on the bench, keeping the other one on.
45:38 But your two players who were in double figures, that was a bit of a gamble.
45:45 But they've just got to go again to Swindon on Saturday. Let's still remember they're having a bit of fun as well.
45:51 We're speaking about Hull. Last season was a bit of a grind like it was for Hull.
45:59 So at least they're further up the table this time around.
46:03 They're having a wobble. At the moment it is just a wobble. We've talked about it with other teams,
46:12 just not letting it spiral out of control. Again, as I said with Barnsley, that's one of the advantages of Harrogate.
46:22 They don't have that because they don't have such a big fan base. There isn't that all-encompassing pressure
46:28 that there is on certain teams. There isn't that expectation to get out of the division.
46:32 They're finding it, feeling it a bit, aren't they?
46:35 Exactly. This is a fun season for Harrogate. So long as they can put this wobble to bed quickly.
46:43 There's no reason why they can't. You can see any team in the Football League one day and think
46:49 they're the worst team in the world and the next week they can win.
46:53 It's just a case of not getting too carried away with it and continuing to enjoy themselves.
46:59 When all is said and done, in this bad run of three defeats in four games, they're still in the top half of the table.
47:05 There's still only three points outside the playoffs. Just get back to what you were doing before the
47:13 Mansfield game. Play with smiles on your faces and see what happens.
47:17 I'll make a prediction. Thompson and Muldoon will play on Saturday.
47:21 Finally for this week, I turn to Leon for his Player of the Week before looking to Stuart for his Team of the Week.
47:29 So Leon, who's caught your eye this week?
47:32 Yeah, there's been a few. I'm looking down and I've made a few notes.
47:36 Josh Earle, who I spoke about, he's playing like a veteran already at Barnesley. He was good.
47:42 Danny Ward, you know, he disappeared really, but he came back on the scene and scored his first goal since December.
47:53 Big player for Huddersfield if they're going to get out of where they are.
47:57 Hakeem Odelekan, we've seen a bit of him at Hull. Grant McCann knows about him.
48:03 He's managed to prove a bit of a catalyst for Doncaster Rovers. They're getting back on form a little bit,
48:12 which is good to see, given that they've really struggled at the back end of the last few seasons.
48:18 So that's been good. Routier as well, we've spoken about him. He's just irrepressible, isn't he?
48:25 Great player, but a terrific character as well. Players and people like that are good for you.
48:32 They're good to have them around you.
48:35 I'd probably go for Ivan Phillips, really, just given the magnitude of the game.
48:41 He actually scored against Derby last year. He said he'd watched a video of Barnesley 1-4 when on that day.
48:49 He watched a bit of a video for a bit of inspiration. Two great goals, contrasting goals, a brilliant volley and a real clinical header.
48:58 He'd obviously got two goals in the previous home game right at the death.
49:02 So he's a bit of a penchant for being the hero at the minute.
49:06 He could be a big player for Barnesley in the running and he certainly showed that on Saturday, so I'll give him the vote this time.
49:13 And Stuart?
49:15 With regards to Team of the Week, I almost feel bad not giving it to Barnesley after a result like that.
49:22 There's huge credit due to them for beating Derby.
49:26 We probably haven't talked enough this week about Huddersfield's win at Watford,
49:32 but I get a feeling that we'll talk quite a lot about them one way or another next week.
49:36 They're in good shape at the moment, but really you can't look past Leeds United doing the double over the team
49:44 who for months now have been inked in as everyone's winners of the championship.
49:51 As Leon says, it was a lucky win in lots of respects, but hey, who wins a win?
49:58 And it was a great win and a reward, as we said, for all that they've done leading up to it in terms of keeping their heads,
50:07 building that consistency, getting the momentum, having the belief in themselves
50:12 and the crowd believing in them to push them on late on.
50:15 So yeah, fantastic week for Leeds United. I'll give them my Team of the Week.
50:24 YorkshirePost.co.uk
50:26 YorkshirePost.co.uk
50:37 Many thanks to Stuart Rayner and Leon Wobtrell who will doubtless join us again soon for more discussions on the Yorkshire football scene.
50:42 But don't forget you can keep up to date with all the football news across Yorkshire and beyond by logging onto our website at yp.sport@nationalworld.com
50:50 or if you search for Yorkshire Post Sport, Yorkshire Post Football or even Sheffield Sport on Facebook, you can find us there as well.
50:56 If you have any questions for our writers, you can get in touch using those various Twitter or Facebook pages
51:01 or email us directly with a subject matter as football talk podcast at yp.sport@nationalworld.com
51:07 As ever, many thanks for listening, look after yourselves and bye for now.
51:11 [Music]