On this week’s show, our panel of Stuart Rayner and Leon Wobschall discuss the change in the dugout at Sheffield United, with Chris Wilder returning to replace the axed Paul Heckingbottom, whose time at Bramall Lane, they say, should be remembered findly after getting the club back into the Premier League.
They also cast an eye in the direction of the Championship clash bettween Leeds United and Middlesbrough and what both managers can take from a game that saw Leeds emerge as 3-2 winners, keeping up the pressure on the top two, with Boro still hovering just outside the play-off places.
There is also time to look at the battle to beat the drop, with managerless Rotherham United battling it out with Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield Town who, despite improved performances and results, can’t seem to pull themselves clear of trouble.
Lastly, the pair pick their respective player and team of the week.
They also cast an eye in the direction of the Championship clash bettween Leeds United and Middlesbrough and what both managers can take from a game that saw Leeds emerge as 3-2 winners, keeping up the pressure on the top two, with Boro still hovering just outside the play-off places.
There is also time to look at the battle to beat the drop, with managerless Rotherham United battling it out with Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield Town who, despite improved performances and results, can’t seem to pull themselves clear of trouble.
Lastly, the pair pick their respective player and team of the week.
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SportsTranscript
00:00 Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Football Talk from the Yorkshire Post, where
00:14 we will be discussing some of the latest talking points from the world of football with members
00:17 of our football writing team. On this week's episode we are joined by Chief Football Writer
00:21 for the Yorkshire Post, Stuart Rayner, and Football Writer for the Yorkshire Post, Leon
00:24 Walshall, to discuss all of the latest developments affecting our local clubs. Don't forget you
00:29 can keep up to date with all the football news across Yorkshire and beyond by logging
00:32 onto our website at yp.sport@nationalworld.com, as well as checking out our various Twitter
00:38 feeds, the main one being @ypsport. If you search for Yorkshire Post Sport, Yorkshire
00:43 Post Football, or even Sheffield Sport on Facebook, you can find us there as well. And
00:48 if you have any questions for our writers, you can get in touch using those various Twitter
00:51 or Facebook pages, or email us directly with a subject matter as Football Talk Podcast
00:55 at yp.sport@nationalworld.com.
00:59 As mentioned earlier in the intro, this week we're joined by Chief Football Writer for
01:04 the Yorkshire Post, Stuart Rayner, and Football Writer for the Yorkshire Post, Leon Walshall.
01:08 Good morning guys.
01:09 Morning.
01:10 Morning.
01:11 Well, this week saw a week where a number of games up and down the country were called
01:16 off due to poor weather, as well as the second round of the FA Cup. But for those who were
01:21 able to take part in league action, we saw Sheffield Wednesday claim an impressive 3-1
01:27 victory over Blackburn Rovers. Rotherham United claimed a point when they paid a visit to
01:31 Birmingham City. Hull City fell to a 2-1 defeat when they welcomed Watford to the MKM. Huddersfield
01:39 Town had to settle for a point late draw against host Swansea City.
01:46 But first, we will start in the Premier League with Sheffield United, who were thumped 5-0
01:52 by a completely dominant Burnley side, and the Blades fell behind within the first 15
01:58 seconds of the game, which kind of set the tone for the rest of the game really. What
02:05 was your assessment of the game, Stuart?
02:08 It was dismal. It was absolutely dismal from a Sheffield United perspective. I'd obviously
02:14 been at the Bournemouth game the previous week, and we talked on this podcast, they
02:21 were really slow out of the box. So the talk, even after that game, never mind before the
02:27 Burnley game, was how there needed to be a reaction, they needed to start on the front
02:33 foot in the next game. And it wasn't just the fact that they needed to show they'd sort
02:39 of learned the lessons of Bournemouth, it was the fact that this was another one of
02:42 these mini league games that Leon and I have been talking about all season, the game they
02:47 really need to take advantage of. They were playing a team that hadn't won a home game
02:52 all season, hadn't had a clean sheet all season. It was clear exactly what was needed. And
03:00 they just, as you said, they conceded after 15 seconds. Well, okay, you concede after
03:05 15 seconds, but what are you going to do after that? You've still got more than 90 minutes
03:09 left. And there was just nothing there. They just looked mentally beaten 15 seconds into
03:18 a game. There was, again, just repeating what I said about the Bournemouth game, there was
03:24 a real lack of fight, there was a lack of people in the opposition's faces. I don't
03:31 think it was a lack of effort. I just think it was probably more down to a complete lack
03:36 of confidence. And it just exactly, yeah, it just felt like a game where you just thought
03:44 this, look, sometimes, you know, Leon will tell you, you know, we both cover football
03:49 for a long time. Sometimes you're at a game and you just, it just feels like, well, this
03:55 is the end for this manager. And, you know, I'm not speaking with hindsight. This is what
04:01 I wrote at the time in my report in Monday's Yorkshire Post. It just felt like Paul Heckingbottom
04:07 was done, you know, and it feels really harsh. He's done so much for that football club.
04:13 You know, it felt really disappointing that he was sacked, but the players just weren't
04:23 doing it for him in those last two games, which they'd gone into, you know, should have
04:29 been in good spirits and all that sort of thing. Everything was there for them to really
04:33 build on the walls and bright game. And for whatever reasons, it didn't happen. And he
04:39 just, he just went away. I mean, you know, Leon texted me when I was on the way home.
04:45 Even from afar, Leon could sense, you know, he's going to struggle to survive this. It
04:49 was just, I say, when you've seen a bit of football, you can just, you can just tell.
04:56 And I say it was, it was really sad to say, but that was the sort of performance, say
05:02 on the back of the previous one as well, that he was always going to struggle to survive,
05:08 I'm afraid.
05:09 I think deep down as well, Stuart, Paul would have, you know, he's been around the block.
05:17 He's a big boy. I think deep down in his heart of hearts, he would have possibly known as
05:23 well. And certainly, you know, Stuart McCall as well, another one who's, you know, he's
05:28 been in football for most of his life. It's just some results. You just can't survive
05:37 in a position like Sheffield United's. And unfortunately, you know, he did look like
05:42 Sadio was one of those.
05:43 Yeah. I mean, I say, you say in his heart of hearts, he wasn't, he wasn't really hiding
05:49 it in the post-match press conference. You know, he said, I've been, and I've said to
05:53 those players, I can walk away with my head held high, you know, and in hindsight that
05:58 resonates even more than it did at the time. But yeah, it was clear from his, from his
06:02 demeanor that as you say, he's not daft. He's also been around the game a long time. He
06:08 knows the deal, you know, he knew, he knew when he signed up to it, what he was letting
06:13 himself in for, but it just had that sort of end of days feel about it. I say it's really
06:20 sad to see because, you know, you feel like it doesn't take into account all the things
06:25 he's done for that football club the last couple of years, they would have been in a
06:28 real mess if he hadn't sort of got a hold of things and not only for the football club,
06:34 but for the owner personally, because, you know, a couple of recent Sheffield United
06:39 managers would have had a lot to say about the owner in public, you know, about, about
06:45 the way he was let down at times, but he bit his tongue, you know, he's got this no excuses,
06:53 no excuses policy and he was a real human shield for the, for the owner at that time.
06:57 So, you know, when, when a few fans have been saying the last few weeks, or, you know, they'd
07:01 be keeping them on for too long, I think he'd earned that, you know. But I just think it
07:06 got to the point where it just felt untenable as, as Leon says to him, as well as to us
07:13 and certainly judging by the way they played to the, to the players as well. And it's,
07:19 it's sad to see him go. I hope we see him back soon, you know, hopefully another Yorkshire
07:23 club because he's, you know, it's a pleasure to, to work with from a media perspective.
07:26 And then, you know, the game's better with, with, with people like him working in it.
07:31 But it had just, I say it wasn't about the, it wasn't about the results, although obviously
07:39 losing, you know, 8-1 on aggregate to two relegation rivals is pretty bad results. It
07:45 was more, it was more the manner of it that was so damaging for him.
07:51 And this was then followed by the news that the Blades had parted ways with Paul Hickingbottom
07:57 and that Chris Wilder had returned to the club as his successor. Chris Wilder's first
08:03 game in charge wasn't an easy one, it's fair to say, as it was up against Liverpool and
08:09 ended in a 2-0 defeat. What did you make of Paul Hickingbottom's time? Obviously we've
08:14 spoken about it briefly there, but, and what do you think about his time? And also, how
08:20 do you feel about the idea that Chris Wilder is now back at the helm at Bramall Lane, Leon?
08:26 Yeah, I think Stuart hit the nail on the head about, about Paul Hickingbottom. You know,
08:32 he did a sterling job, all things considered, when you look at it in the round and where
08:38 they were. When he took over, just over two years ago, obviously brought in Jukanovic.
08:46 It just didn't work for him, did it? The club had sort of lost a mojo and identity and,
08:56 you know, credit to Paul for doing more than steady in the ship. In the first season, they
09:04 got to the playoffs and I know Stuart, that second leg, and they were very unfortunate
09:10 not to get through against Nottingham Forest. And Stuart said as well, with Paul, there's
09:18 been always the back-talk, there's been all sorts of things to contend with, which, I
09:23 mean, Paul's got a bit of wool on his back in terms of experience, but I think a lot
09:27 of, you know, even more senior experienced managers would have found it tough. I mean,
09:33 there was all the ongoing uncertainty about the future of the club, there's been transferring
09:37 bargails, there's been, you know, hellish trots with injuries and, you know, Covid things
09:46 and issues with the training ground, this, that and the other. So he's had a lot on his
09:50 plate and, you know, he shouldn't have forgotten that, obviously, the start of the season was
09:56 always going to be a problematic season. It's not gone the way that anyone would have wished
10:03 and, you know, Stuart touched on the fact that, you know, he did feel like a dead man
10:08 walking after the Burnley game. But it's important to remember what he's had to sort of face
10:15 in the background and also what he did last season. You know, tremendous achievement in
10:20 getting them promoted back to the Premier League. So I think his place in the people,
10:27 the Sheppard United supporters will look, cast aside sort of what's happened at this
10:33 first start of the season, which was always going to be difficult and they'll judge him,
10:39 you know, in terms of history pretty fondly. You know, he's among the bracket of managers
10:43 who have taken them to the Premier League. It was a real strong effort last season. They
10:51 had plenty to contend with the adversity and even the former times people were sort of
10:58 thinking they're going to get reeled in by Middlesbrough in particular. But no, they
11:01 showed a strong jaw and held the nerve. So, you know, it's important to remember what
11:07 he did. He's still relatively young, Paul, I'm sure he'll come into the Championship
11:13 Chairman's thoughts in the new year with managers inevitably change. He's got a promotion on
11:21 his CV and get into a play-off semi-final. So, you know, that's pretty impressive and
11:27 admirable. But yeah, I mean, in terms of bringing Chris Wilder in, it just seemed to make sense
11:36 really. They didn't have too many options. He's someone who knows the club, he knows
11:42 the club's DNA and what the supporters expect of the football teams. You know, he knows
11:50 the workings of the club as well. There was quite a bit made at the time of his sacking
11:55 in, of his departure in early 2021 about him falling out with Prince Abdullah, by all accounts
12:03 and from what Wilder said in his presser before the Liverpool game, fences have been mended.
12:11 He spoke of the Prince, you know, meeting him in London and also giving him a reference
12:15 for some of the jobs that he's applied for. He mentioned one, that's Ben Badger. So, their
12:22 working relationship is seemingly back on track. And yeah, it just seemed a sensible
12:31 decision to bring him back.
12:36 Yeah I mean, I just think, if we're going to be brutally realistic about this, if Sheffield
12:43 United were going to try and find a manager who would definitely keep him up, they'd be
12:47 looking forever. It's not a situation like Huddersfield were in last season where you
12:55 could reach for Neil Warnock and you could say, well, with his knowledge of that division
12:59 and that squad, you know, he can keep them up. This is a squad that is not, not resourced
13:06 for the Premier League. There's going to be no big budget in January. I'm not saying they
13:10 definitely can't stay up because there's always a possibility, but it's a big ask. I think
13:15 the thing I refer, you know, refer you back to what I was saying about Paul Heckingbottom's
13:21 team in the last couple of games. The thing is, whether they go down or they stay up,
13:26 it's got to be with a fight. Bringing Chris Wilder into that club, it's going to reinvigorate
13:33 the supporters. It's going to reinvigorate the players. We know what a demanding manager
13:38 he is. He's not going to stand for people going through the motions in a Sheffield United
13:43 squad. And in all honesty, I very much doubt Paul Heckingbottom did either, but I just
13:47 think Heckingbottom had got to the stage where his authority had been so undermined by results
13:55 that he no longer had that sort of heft to make those threats. Wilder comes in, clearly
14:01 his stop. Leon's just mentioned about how he's repaired his relationship with the Prince.
14:07 There were some Sheffield United fans who were still a bit unhappy about the way he
14:12 left, but I think by and large, Leon can obviously tell you what it was like at Bromelain on
14:16 Wednesday, but I think by and large, they all just want to get behind him and behind
14:21 the team. So he's a man with the authority to say, "Look, you're not performing well
14:27 enough." Just to pick a name at random, I don't want to single the lad out, but "You're
14:33 not performing enough, Luke Thomas. You're not in the team." And he can do that. He can
14:39 lift the crowd. And I think that's the thing Leon mentioned in his match report. One of
14:47 Chris Wilder's favourite phrases is, "Leave him by the front door, not by the back door."
14:52 And if Sheffield United are to leave this division this season, they've got to do it
14:57 by the front door. They've got to do it with a bit of pride, because ultimately, if they
15:03 go down just frankly pathetically, which is the best way to describe their performance
15:08 against Burnley, that will seep into next season. They need something to cling to. And
15:14 I say, it's just possible that the stars might align and they might stay up. I'm not totally
15:21 writing that off, but I think it's so unlikely that it's more about the manner of the performances
15:27 than the results from here.
15:28 Yeah, I mean, that's exactly what the Chief Executive said, Stephen Bennett, in a joint
15:37 press conference ahead of the game. I mean, it had gone on the record to say that Paul
15:42 Higginbottom wouldn't be sacked even if Sheffield United got relegated. But it was just the
15:48 manner of those two performances in such huge games as well that prompted a re-evaluation.
15:55 And if they're doing that, obviously, Chris Wilder's in the background as someone who
16:02 knows the workings of the club. And as a first sort of port of call, I've actually attended
16:11 the Liverpool game. Not too many Sheffield United supporters would have been expecting
16:16 too much. But I think what they would have been certainly expecting is a vastly improved
16:22 performance, far less passive, in your face, aggressive. And that's what Sheffield United
16:28 were. It was, you know, it all comes to, it was a decent starting point, despite the result,
16:35 obviously they lost 2-0. And a half-decent PR exercise. I mean, he was welcomed bombly
16:43 by United tonight. Ahead of the game, there was a chant of 'Chris Wilder is one of our
16:48 own'. There were chants of 'Chris Wilder and Alan Nill' as the game went on in the second
16:54 half. And in a funny sort of way, it was almost as if he'd never been away, really. But yeah,
17:02 it was, he made some bold changes as well. He brought Andre Brooks in at left-back. I
17:09 think he'd started a cup game, but it was his first Premier League start. And I thought
17:13 he was excellent for such a young lad. And obviously Mo Salah was up on his side as well.
17:19 And didn't do that much damage against him. And a few, he looked comfortable, and a few
17:27 forceful probing runs going forward. And he got a standing ovation when he came up in
17:31 the second half. And applause from Wilder. And Chris isn't the sort to give wanting applause,
17:41 so he'd certainly earned that. Willa Sule had got a start up front, and he put himself
17:47 about. He was physical. He wasn't intimidated. And he had a pretty good game as well. So
17:54 that was encouraging to see that. But I suppose the hard thing now for Sheffield United is
18:01 backing it up. Obviously Wilder's returning against Liverpool, and in a way it's a little
18:07 bit of a free hit, I suppose. But Brentford looked quite a big game for them. With respect
18:16 to Brentford, they were a good side. But they're not Liverpool, are they? And after the game
18:22 on Saturday, I think they've got back-to-back away trips to Chelsea and Aston Villa. Obviously
18:28 a little bit further down the line at Christmas, another huge game against Luton. And then
18:32 it just looks like these two home games that they've got coming up. Brentford, Luton, they'll
18:38 be needing to take something from them. Wilder's not giving up the ghost in terms of Sheffield
18:47 United staying up. And why should he? He was part of that side in 1990 who were in a far
18:53 worse position than the current team. And they staged an absolutely astounding recovery
19:00 at the end of the season in mid-table. Sheffield United, now that's not going to happen. They'll
19:06 gladly take 17th. As Stuart said, it probably is unlikely. They're certainly not going to
19:12 spend millions in January, but it's by no means impossible either. In terms of a start,
19:20 no points against Liverpool, but as a PR exercise, it was much better after the wretched performance
19:27 has turned up. In the previous two games, the fans got back on side a bit, but Wilder's
19:36 been in the game long enough to know that it's all about Saturday now.
19:40 I just think as well, Mark, the timetable of this has completely spiralled out of Sheffield
19:45 United's control. They didn't pick when they broke up and it was forced by those two performances.
19:53 The timing is pretty good in the sense that he starts with these three home games in December.
20:00 As we've said, they were never realistically going to get anything out of the Liverpool
20:05 game, but it was important to lay a marker with the performance to get some ideas in.
20:11 They'll have a pretty good idea of that squad anyway, because it'll be keeping a close eye
20:17 for quite some time, but to just get a better feel for it. And then you've got Brentford
20:22 and Luton. We've been banging on about that on this podcast for so long. It's huge for
20:27 them. As Leon says, Brentford is a bit of a tease. The fact that they're both at home,
20:33 the three away games are horrendous. Chelsea, Aston Villa and Manchester City. If he can
20:40 get something from both of those games, that would really be a bit of belief. As Leon says,
20:49 you just never know. We've seen enough ridiculous escapes over the years that you can never
20:58 write anything off. That's the thing. When you've got a manager who has done ridiculous
21:04 things with Sheffield United, let's not beat about the bush. Getting the Sheffield United
21:10 squad he did to ninth in the Premier League was astonishing. Huge credit to him. Someone
21:16 who did that, they start with that credit in the bank. If you can just get an early
21:21 result to build belief. Obviously, he'll have the benefit of a full-blown lane behind him,
21:30 which he didn't have in that relegation season. That was one of his and the club's big regrets.
21:39 You just never know. Like the Liverpool game specifically, I think the season as a whole,
21:44 it's more about how they play than what the end result is. It's no disrespect to Paul
21:52 Hackingbottom at all. It's almost not to do with him. I just feel that their chances of
22:00 getting those results now are better because of the back story that Chris Wilder brings,
22:06 plus his skills, plus this, plus that sort of thing. They feel in a better position.
22:12 Yeah, just a quick one on that. You look at the bottom of the table and there's Burnley,
22:19 Luton, Sheffield United, Everton. It's almost us against the world for all four of them,
22:26 isn't it? Obviously, the Everton were the points they took. Four teams don't go down,
22:32 three teams go down. There's going to be one story somewhere, isn't there, that's going
22:37 to be remembered at the end of the season. Unlikely for Sheffield United, but let's hope
22:43 for their sakes that they can find that story.
22:47 That was a frustrating thing about the last couple of games. If we'd been having this
22:50 conversation a few weeks ago, Leon would have said five teams, but they've given Bournemouth
22:54 a leg up. They've given Burnley a bit of encouragement. They mustn't do that with Luton Town now.
23:00 Obviously, Luton Town have had their own positives to cling to, but three points give for acts
23:07 on Boxing Day would make that even worse. It's really important that they do stop giving
23:16 these teams a bit of encouragement and a bit of momentum because, as Leon says, if you
23:20 put them under pressure, whether it be Everton or Luton or Burnley, if you put them under
23:26 pressure, you never quite know if they're going to crack. If you give them a goal in
23:31 the first 15 seconds, where they haven't won a home game all season, then they're not under
23:35 any pressure, are they?
23:36 I think it is well, Stuart. It's what's before and after it, isn't it? You're talking about
23:41 them having Chelsea away, they've got Villa away, then they've got the Luton game, and
23:45 then after that they've got Man City away. That adds extra importance on the Luton game,
23:51 even though there's plenty loaded on it anyway. Definitely, yes.
23:56 And now we turn to the Championship and we start with Leeds United, who claimed all three
24:00 points in their 3-2 win over Middlesbrough to keep those in the top two on their toes.
24:06 This victory was Leeds United's seventh straight home victory, the first time they have achieved
24:12 this feat in the top two divisions for 24 years. However, looking at their opponents
24:17 for a minute, Michael Carrick's men, who were going into this game with a number of important
24:21 figures ruled out of contention, now, even though things didn't go Middlesbrough's way,
24:28 they're still only three points off the top six. What was your assessment of the game
24:33 and what positives can both managers draw from this result, Leon?
24:36 I think the first thing you've got to say is it was wonderfully entertaining. Certainly
24:43 in the first half especially, there were five goals and no exaggeration to say that it could
24:50 easily have been about five or six. Chances came and went at both ends. Obviously, Middlesbrough
25:02 shot most of Alan Rowe and took the lead with a really good goal from Wladyslaw Lath in
25:08 front of the south stand. From their perspective, it would have been about holding on to that
25:15 for as long as possible. But the second successive home game, Leeds hit the straps and produced
25:24 a powerful play in response. There were two won up after seven minutes. You've not really
25:30 seen Dan James or Somerville score many headers in their career, but that's what happened.
25:37 The daft thing is, even before the equaliser, Leeds had a couple of chances to score as
25:44 well. It was that sort of first half. Leeds got three-one in front with a penalty from
25:54 Rowan. You think there's going to be a little bit of order now from a Leeds perspective.
26:00 Middlesbrough were struggling in terms of the defensive options. We'll probably go on
26:06 to talk about that later. Paddy McNair came off the senior defender and Matt Clarke came
26:13 on. He's an experienced player but he's been out for 13 months with a back injury. I think
26:19 he had a late cameo in the previous game at home to Preston. I think the last place on
26:26 earth, or certainly in the Championship, that you want to come back after a long injury
26:32 and you're a bit rusty is Ellum Road. I think within about a minute he'd given away a penalty.
26:40 Keeping with the game, Burry hit back. Lartey Laffer played well on the day with his movement
26:47 and pace. He got a second goal. The second half was a little bit less eventful and I
26:55 suppose managed a little bit better by Leeds. Middlesbrough still gave them a few scares
27:02 and there was a big chance in the final quarter. Sam Silvera, the substitute, hit the post.
27:11 It was Morgan Rodgers almost putting the rebound with a brilliant block from Joe Rodon. I thought
27:19 he kept Leeds together at the back on Saturday. They were a little bit rough and Pascal Stroit
27:26 certainly didn't have the best of first halves but Rodon stayed strong. Credit to Leeds,
27:38 a seven successive win. First time in the top two divisions since 1999. It was a win.
27:47 It wasn't without its imperfections but you take it at this time of year and I think it's
27:54 important to give Middlesbrough a bit of credit. They had eight players out and eight became
28:02 nine when McNair came off with injury. The problems are particularly pronounced at the
28:10 back. They've got quite a few out. Senior players, Darrell Lennigan, Dale Fry was also
28:18 out as well. Tommy Smith. A bit further forward, Hayden Hackney who we spoke about on this
28:24 podcast, one of the brightest young midfielders in the division. He was out, others too. Riley
28:31 McGree, a few others as well I've probably forgotten about. Defensively it was concerning
28:39 for Middlesbrough. They conceded three goals in three successive away games. They conceded
28:47 three at Plymouth and at Bristol City. They've had little spurts of goals as well, conceding
28:53 one and then two. That will be a concern for Carrick. Certainly going forward with their
29:00 availability of defenders as well. I look at the games in December, they've got a big
29:06 game with Hull, they've got Ipswich on Saturday as well, West Brom. Defensively you just wonder
29:13 how they're going to manage that. I think going forward, they're fine, they score goals,
29:20 they're really pleased on the eye. It's a little bit risky in the war with the way they
29:24 pass it out from the back and through the pitch. They had Leeds worried on Saturday
29:31 and in terms of going forward, I think they're as handy as most teams in that division. It's
29:38 just a little bit of a worry at the back and I'm sure they'll be looking to address that
29:44 in the January window.
29:47 It just feels like one club in a real rhythm in terms of results, probably more than performances
29:53 in Leeds United. Middlesbrough are just looking to get back to one and it's understandable
29:59 why Leon's outlined those reasons. I don't feel like Leeds are absolutely in top gear
30:08 at the moment and equally I don't feel like that's a worry in any way whatsoever because
30:14 it's December, they're grinding out wins. As Leon says, they've won seven on the bounce
30:21 in December. For them in their position, it's just about churning out those performances
30:26 and if they don't hit the heights, that's fine really, so long as they do later in the
30:31 season.
30:32 I've been really, really impressed with Dan James. That's five home games running now
30:40 and he had a spell at centre-forward under Jesse Marsh in his first season but he feels
30:48 like in his finishing and his attacking play, he's actually a much more adept, much more
30:57 assured finisher now. I just feel like, particularly when he's going through one-on-one with the
31:03 goalkeeper, I just feel like he's going to score now whereas in the past it was a bit
31:08 of a toss of the coin and then to see him scoring headers as well, he's in a really
31:15 good way at the moment. When you've got a player like that in that sort of form, it
31:22 can cover up the odd crack or two. Not that they're playing badly by any stretch of the
31:28 imagination but they're just not at their absolute best right now. Whereas Middlesbrough,
31:34 I'm just struggling to cover those cracks because as Leon says, they've got so many
31:40 defensive injuries and when you play a high-risk game anyway, it can leave you just a bit exposed.
31:48 Since they came off that absolutely tremendous run which sort of kick-started their season,
31:55 they haven't won back-to-back games. It's a tough December for them. As Leon says, it's
32:05 switching hole in consecutive home games. That's no let-up really. Next-of-way games
32:10 at Swansea, who knows? You'd have taken Swansea last week but with a new manager coming in,
32:19 you just don't know what's going to happen there. Obviously West Brom have been in great
32:23 form and had that disappointment against Leicester but nevertheless, Carlos Corbijn has kick-started
32:28 them. Finishing the month away, Rotherham and Huddersfield, who are almost guaranteed
32:33 to make life very difficult for them on their own patches. It's a tough period for Middlesbrough.
32:46 For both teams, it's just a case of grinding through at the moment and just coming out
32:51 of it strongly. More so for Middlesbrough really because of all those absentees. At
32:59 least that Leeds game showed what is there in terms of if you can score a couple of goals
33:04 at Ayrton Road, if you can cause those problems, as Leon says, nearly score more. There's clearly
33:11 no cause to lose too much heart. It's just a matter of finding a way in some of those
33:16 games. Maybe once or twice they might just have to tone down the risk element just a
33:21 little bit, just to grind their way through one or two. But it's certainly not desperation
33:29 times. It was the kind of result, as Leon said, I just saw the result in the highlights.
33:35 It's a result that makes you think, well, probably both teams can take something from
33:40 that day and hopefully that proves to be the case.
33:44 It's probably a decent lesson in some respects for Leeds. They've been having plenty of their
33:53 own way at Elland Road and ultimately on Saturday they won. But they were challenged on Saturday
34:01 and they had to dig a little bit deeper and they found a way and won the game at the end.
34:07 The thing that we've mentioned before, the thing that augurs well for Leeds, the games
34:11 are coming to a fast, is what they've got at their disposal on the bench. People like
34:16 Jadon Antic have come on, we've hardly seen Jed Spence since he's been back in the fray.
34:23 There's the Coopers, Bamford. They're very well stocked in that regard. I'll still be
34:30 interested to see what they do in January. I just wonder if it's just a different face
34:37 as well, bringing a new option in. That might be something to consider. I still wonder about
34:45 Gonta whether he'll want to get away in the new year maybe to boost his hopes with Italy
34:55 down the line in the summer. That's for the future in the here and now. Leeds have got
35:01 some big games and invariably most clubs do at this time of year. Certainly Leeds have
35:10 a huge one against Ipswich just before Christmas which looks a real cracker. I don't discount
35:18 an away game against West Brom as well before the year's out. West Brom have been doing
35:24 really well of Leighton. He's a suit operator, Carlos Corbijn, and I think that will really
35:28 test Leeds as well. I think there's plenty to look forward to for Leeds. At the end of
35:38 the day, Saturday was one of those occasions. It was a really good game and Leeds found
35:43 away and that's what they've decided to do.
35:46 We were talking about the upcoming games that Leeds have got and how some of them seem to
35:51 be quite big ones. The next one is I believe against Blackburn at Yeoward Park and I'm
36:01 interested to see what Leeds will provide for us there because I believe that the Blackburn
36:07 manager is due to serve a touchline ban I think. So it'll be interesting to see what
36:15 performance we get from Leeds against the Blackburn Rovers side at the current stage
36:22 of the season.
36:23 Well it'll be interesting. Blackburn are coming off the back of a pretty surprised defeat
36:30 at Sheffield Wednesday. They've obviously got one of the division's form players in
36:35 Smodic at the minute, he's scoring goals left, right and centre. But yeah, they've certainly
36:41 had their moments at Blackburn this season. I think the narrative is well on Saturday
36:47 they're going to have 7,000 Leeds fans there who will give it a bit of a home element and
36:53 I'd be interested to see how Blackburn cope with that.
36:57 I think at this time of year the opposition is only a small part of the equation really.
37:05 For Leeds it's as much the fact that the way that Southampton have been performing recently,
37:13 you've already mentioned the way that West Brom have been performing recently, the fact
37:16 that Ipswich are holding their nerve, the fact that Leicester have got this head start.
37:22 It creates an atmosphere where you'll have the odd wobble but there isn't that much scope
37:27 to have too much and that's what's been good about Leeds. They made hard work of it in
37:35 the first half against Swansea but they got the job done. They should have dealt with
37:42 it rather more comprehensively in the first half but when they came under pressure in
37:45 the second they got a draw. There is a pretty impressive consistency about them right now
37:54 and they're very unflappable which is important when I say other teams are either breathing
38:02 down the neck or just staying ahead in the distance. That means that they could be playing
38:09 a team near the bottom of the league right now but still there's that pressure on from
38:13 the other sides. As we say, the teams are playing some pretty formidable games coming
38:20 up but games which Leeds fans should be really looking forward to.
38:24 It's got the makings of an intriguing race for automatic promotion. Leicester won on
38:32 Saturday, Ipswich won, Southampton and Leeds so there's going to be that added element
38:40 to it at the minute. It looks two from four doesn't it? It just makes it all the more
38:46 intriguing as the games come thick and fast this period of the season. Leeds have just
38:51 got to make sure that they're well in there by the time the new year begins.
39:00 Staying in the Championship, I wanted to get your thoughts on our Yorkshire sides in and
39:04 around the drop zone in this division. We currently have Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham
39:10 United in the bottom three and the gap between them and safety seems to be getting bigger
39:15 and bigger every week. We also have Huddersfield Town who are just keeping their heads above
39:20 water. What do you make of it all and are there signs of much fight coming from any
39:28 of these sides Stuart?
39:31 I think Sheffield Wednesday is an interesting one for me because obviously Leon and I dip
39:36 in and out of these teams, we don't see them on a regular basis but all the sort of
39:41 moon music coming from Sheffield Wednesday has been that performances have been better
39:46 than results. I spoke to Akinfume on Thursday and I'm talking to him a bit about how there
39:52 seems to be a lot of important building work being done at Sheffield Wednesday that should
39:57 come to fruition in the long term. It felt like the Blackburn win on the back of a draw
40:06 against Leicester City had the real potential to be that lift-off point for them but of
40:13 course we'll only know that when we see if they follow it up at Stoke and Norwich and
40:19 the games to come. And of course the other question is, I think they're now, is it 10
40:26 points adrift of safety? It's a question of will this spark come soon enough to keep them
40:37 safe but it definitely feels as though there's some positive things going on behind the scenes
40:44 in Sheffield Wednesday. I think I wrote a piece recently, they just need to tell the
40:48 league table about it. So yeah, encouragement there. In terms of Huddersfield, Leon talked
40:57 at a bit of length last week about the real grit we've been seeing from them recently
41:03 and a lot of the problems that Leon mentioned with Middlesbrough in terms of absentees and
41:09 what have you, Huddersfield are suffering similar problems at the other end of the field
41:14 but they really seem to be digging in. And again, that seems to be a manager who has
41:19 laid a bit of groundwork and it's taken a bit of time but hopefully it's coming to a
41:24 bit of fruition. Rotherham still in flux and I've been saying about Rotherham for a long
41:29 time, it depends whether you see them at home or away as to whether you think they've got
41:33 a chance of staying up or they've got no chance whatsoever. But the fact that they managed
41:37 to get a draw at Birmingham City, that's doubled their points tally away from home for the
41:44 season. Hopefully that can give them a bit of confidence. Hopefully that will soon be
41:49 built on by a new manager with some fresh ideas and just the sort of things we were
41:53 talking about Chris Wilder providing in terms of someone with a track record, someone who
41:58 has been there before, who players can have confidence in. So certainly all is not lost
42:05 for them either. I think all three of those teams are showing encouraging signs. I think
42:10 the worry for the bottom two, Rotherham and Sheffield Wednesday, is just how much of a
42:15 head start they've given the rest. But even 10 points at this stage of the season is not
42:21 insurmountable. When you think about it, that's three wins and a draw. Over the course
42:26 of the next 27 games, it's possible to make that up. But in terms of Wednesday in particular
42:36 and Rotherham as well, they need to get to it sooner rather than later I think.
42:42 Stewart's bang on what he said there. I think looking at Wednesday and Rotherham in particular,
42:49 the big issue there is away form. I think Wednesday have only got a point so far this
42:54 season and as Stewart said, Rotherham have got two, obviously doubling the tally with
43:00 a draw at Birmingham. If they're going to be both realistic about survival, that's
43:06 got to incrementally improve. Else they'll be putting far too much pressure on the home
43:12 form. Fair play to Wednesday, a great win against Blackburn. I think they've only lost
43:19 one in five now at home. Obviously got that real gutsy draw against Leicester, which I
43:26 suppose not too many would have been predicting that beforehand. That would have felt like
43:31 a win wouldn't it, in respect to how it happened coming at the end. It seems to be that Danny
43:38 Rowe is making a bit of a difference. He's resonating with the players. They've all spoke
43:43 extremely highly of him, of his work, even if it's his work on the training ground. So
43:49 they've got themselves a little bit of help. Rotherham, they'll need obviously, it's become
43:57 a bit of a saga hasn't it, regarding the manager situation there with one or two turning the
44:06 position down. They'll be desperate for some sort of new manager bounce. There is elements
44:18 of hope as Stuart said. More especially it's arrived at home, hasn't it, from factoring
44:27 in Huddersfield as well. They've got two home games coming up against Bristol City and Preston.
44:37 They've had two decent points at all. It could have been more couldn't it, because they were
44:43 pegged back in the last minute at Swansea. Four points from six on the road is handy
44:50 going into back-to-back home games. Had a little look earlier at Town and Rotherham.
44:58 I think they've got four of the next six at home. So that's something that could hopefully
45:05 get their teeth into Huddersfield. They've got back to basics. I spoke before, they had
45:14 those psychologically heavy and damaging defeats they had to Cardiff and Leeds. Went back to
45:21 basics, three centre-halves and five at the back. Become more organised and resolute.
45:27 They've certainly done that. They're sharing the load around in terms of their performances
45:34 there. The back three are playing well. Chris Maxwell's come in, into the siding goal and
45:41 he seems to have been a calming presence. David Kassum has had a few back-to-back games
45:46 and he's been looking good by all accounts. Soba Thomas has got his mojo back and his
45:56 work ethic has been outstanding. There's players there who are putting their hands up. In short,
46:09 the three of them have given themselves a little bit of an inkling at home. So have
46:12 others. Look at QPR, they've had a good result at Preston. If they can turn around their
46:23 dire home form, they'll be thinking they can pull themselves out of it. There's plenty
46:29 to play for.
46:30 Who has caught your eye this week?
46:47 It's probably a little bit of a toss-up between Huddersfield and Sheffield Wednesday. Huddersfield
46:58 have back-to-back away games. I think you factor in as well, they went to Sunderland
47:06 on a Wednesday night and then they've had a quick turnaround and a long away trip to
47:12 Swansea. That brings its own issues, logistics, everything you want really. To take four points
47:21 and it could easily have been six was a pretty impressive effort from Darren Rose. No credit
47:29 to them but if a push comes to shove, I think you have to go for Sheffield Wednesday. They'd
47:37 lost the previous three matches heading into the Leicester game. They've got walloped at
47:44 home to Millwall. Then psychologically, a bad result losing away to Birmingham. Birmingham
47:54 haven't been on the best of form since Wayne Rooney's come in. I think on the quiet Wednesday
48:01 they'd have been targeting that one and fancing the chances. They had two blows for different
48:06 sorts of reasons. They've come back, get an impressive point against Leicester and
48:11 then go again and beat a dangerous Blackburn side. I think that's probably for the first
48:17 time this season that they've said Sheffield Wednesday.
48:22 In terms of the player, I was looking in the same direction. It was really good to see
48:29 Bayley Kadamashi score his first goal in senior football. That's clearly important to him.
48:37 It should do his confidence a lot of good. He's come in and performed very well so far
48:42 for them but it makes a difference when you get that first goal. It was Josh Windass who
48:48 set that one up and it was him who scored the third goal that secured that win against
48:53 Blackburn Rovers. I'd go for him as my player of the week because this has the potential
49:00 to be a really big win for Sheffield Wednesday. We'll only truly be able to say that if they
49:09 are able to back it up but you can't underestimate the importance of getting those three points
49:15 on the back of that Leicester draw. Hopefully Sheffield Wednesday fans can look forward
49:21 to it with a bit more optimism than they were doing a couple of weeks ago.
49:28 Many thanks to Stuart Rayner and Leon Wobtrell who will doubtless join us again soon for
49:43 more discussions on the Yorkshire football scene. But don't forget you can keep up to
49:46 date with all the football news across Yorkshire and beyond by logging onto our website at
49:49 yp.sport@nationalworld.com or if you search for Yorkshire Post Sport, Yorkshire Post Football
49:55 or even Sheffield Sport on Facebook you can find us there as well. If you have any questions
49:59 for our writers you can get in touch using those various Twitter or Facebook pages or
50:03 email us directly with a subject matter as football talk podcast at yp.sport@nationalworld.com.
50:10 As ever, many thanks for listening, look after yourselves and bye for now.
50:13 [Music]
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