Keeping perspective on Leeds United, a good week for Hull City, the promising influence of Owls' boss Danny Rohl plus positive times for Harrogate Town and Middlesbrough ...
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00:00 [MUSIC]
00:18 Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Football Talk from the Yorkshire Post.
00:21 Where we'll be discussing some of the latest talking points from the world of football with members of our football writing team.
00:26 On this week's episode we're joined by Chief Football Writer for the Yorkshire Post, Stuart Rayner,
00:30 and Sports Trends Writer for the Yorkshire Post, Tom Coates,
00:33 to discuss all the latest developments affecting our local clubs.
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01:08 YorkshirePost.co.uk
01:10 As mentioned earlier in the intro, this week we're joined by Chief Football Writer for the Yorkshire Post, Stuart Rayner,
01:15 and Sports Trends Writer for the Yorkshire Post, Tom Coates.
01:18 Good morning guys.
01:19 Morning.
01:20 Morning Mark.
01:21 Morning.
01:22 Right, so this week saw Sheffield United suffer a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea.
01:28 Huddersfield Town had to share the points in their 1-1 draw with Millwall.
01:32 Rotherham United went down to 10 men in their 3-2 defeat at Plymouth Argyle.
01:37 And Middlesbrough claimed all three points with a 2-1 victory over Swansea City.
01:42 Barnsley claimed a point in their 1-1 draw with Charlton Athletic.
01:46 Doncaster Rovers had a bad day at the office when they lost 5-0 to Morecambe.
01:51 But this week we start with Leeds United, who had to settle for a point when they welcomed Columbia City in a frustrating 1-1 draw,
01:59 which was made even more frustrating by the fact that the Whites missed the chance to close the gap to Ipswich Town.
02:07 What did you make of the game, and what does Daniel Farker's side have to do to avoid dropping points like this, Stuart?
02:13 Well, I mean, first of all, it's the Championship.
02:17 These games do happen.
02:19 You don't want to be complacent about it and brush them off.
02:23 But you just can't be perfect over a 46-game slog.
02:28 It's about how you respond to them.
02:31 Obviously, for Leeds, this is two games in a row now.
02:35 Points dropped.
02:37 Very difficult game against Ipswich on Saturday, so they'll be anxious to make sure it isn't three.
02:43 But I think the main thing, we talked about it last week, is they probably just need a bit of freshening up.
02:52 And they've certainly got the options on the bench to do it.
02:57 But this might be the time for people who haven't played that much of a role so far this season.
03:05 People like Jadon Anthony and particularly Willy Nonto, likes of Patrick Bamford and Ilian Guriev will want to be in that category as well.
03:18 To really put their hands up and really have a strong Christmas period.
03:25 Because this is the time of year when you need your whole squad.
03:31 And it feels like Leeds have got one of the deepest squads in the Championship, but maybe haven't made full use of it so far this season.
03:41 Anything to add to that, Tom?
03:44 I think Leeds are obviously very much hot on the heels of Ipswich and Leicester, the closest team to them in the league.
03:51 And I think it's just a case of trying to find a little bit of consistency.
03:54 They've obviously had that at home, Leicester on the road.
03:57 But I do think a little bit of context is required.
03:59 Yes, there's been a little bit of frustration over the last few weeks with a couple of draws that perhaps should have been victories.
04:04 But like I say, context has got to be considered.
04:08 There was a massive overhaul in the summer and I think all things considered, Leeds have been pretty good this season.
04:14 They sit third in the table and I think it probably speaks volumes for the standards that Daniel Farker has set.
04:20 That when things do drop off slightly, it provokes this sort of reaction.
04:24 So yeah, I think it's just a case of keeping cool heads with Leeds, really.
04:28 I think it's all about considering the context and understanding that Leeds are very much in the race.
04:33 And Stu alluded to the fact that now might be the time for a little bit of rotation.
04:37 And I do think that would be a wise choice for Daniel Farker.
04:41 He's a manager that isn't too keen on ringing the changes.
04:44 You see he likes to make substitutions quite late on in games.
04:48 He very much sticks to his methods and sticks to his preferred start in XI whenever he can.
04:54 I do think we probably will see some of the fringe players come in over the next few weeks with the festive fixture schedule being as hectic as it is.
05:02 And the thing is, Mark, we can all chip in with suggestions about what he should be doing and where things should be going better.
05:09 But you have to bear in mind, there's not many people on the planet who know more about getting out of the Championship than Daniel Farker.
05:16 He knows what he's doing.
05:18 And at times you just have to put a bit of trust in him.
05:22 I do look at it thinking, "Oh, maybe he should do this, maybe he should do that."
05:26 But when all's said and done, he knows what he's doing.
05:29 And Leeds are still in it.
05:32 As you say, they failed to make up that gap to Ipswich.
05:37 They're still in a good position.
05:38 Ten points might sound like a lot, but you can pick up nine points in a good week in the Championship.
05:44 So it's far from being a disastrous situation.
05:50 And one thing that will make it worse is people panicking about it.
05:54 And I think the fact that Leeds have got a manager with this track record makes it easier to just do as Tom says,
06:00 and just stay calm about things, look at things rationally, which I'm sure Daniel Farker will do.
06:06 And next this week, we turn to Hull City, who powered their way to a comfortable 3-0 victory over a lacklustre Cardiff City.
06:15 This wasn't the only good news for the Tigers fans to be celebrating, as it was also announced that Liam Rosinho has put pen to paper for a new three-year contract.
06:25 And also the news that the Tigers have added Billy Sharp to their ranks until the end of the season.
06:32 What was your assessment of the game and what are your thoughts on Liam Rosinho extending his stay at the club and Billy Sharp joining the team, Tom?
06:43 To start with the game, the golfing quality on display was absolutely huge.
06:47 And that's not to take anything away from Hull, but I think most championship sides would have beaten Cardiff at the weekend.
06:52 It was so poor, so disjointed. But Hull were an absolute joy to watch.
06:56 From the back to the front, they're a real ball-playing team.
06:59 That starts with Alfie Jones and Jacob Greaves at centre-back, all the way through to Serry and Martin in midfield, Coyle and Chris to the full-backs.
07:06 They're also technically sound. And that's before you get to the stars of the show, if you like, the attackers.
07:11 You had De Laar, Toufan, Connolly all running off each other, interchanging, constantly on the move.
07:17 They were absolute nightmares for the Cardiff defence to deal with.
07:20 And there's a real nice patience to Hull City's play. Nothing's forced.
07:24 They keep the ball, they pick the moments. And when they do see an opportunity to advance up the pitch, they're very fast, they're very surgical.
07:31 And when the ball is wasted so infrequently, there's a massive ease on the workload with regards to running.
07:38 Less chasing the ball, less chasing shadows.
07:41 Liam Rosinho's really got them ticking. Whenever I've seen them this season, I've been impressed by them.
07:45 He said in his post-match press conference that there was just a really good feeling around the club.
07:49 And you can see that quite clearly when you go up to Hull.
07:52 He's a really exciting new manager. Hull have done a lot of good business this season, the loanees in particular.
07:58 But I think getting Rosinho to stay is probably the best deal that they've struck.
08:02 He's the type of manager you look at. Obviously, he's very early doors.
08:05 It's his first permanent role in management. But you look at him and you can see him going and managing a bright inning in a couple of years.
08:11 But Hull will be hoping that he sticks around.
08:15 And Billy Sharp's a very interesting signing.
08:17 I think it was as soon as the news broke that he wasn't going to be staying at LA Galaxy.
08:21 I think it was not guaranteed, but I think everyone saw him coming back to the championship.
08:26 I think it speaks volumes for how well-respected Sharp is.
08:30 Even at 37, he was a player that was getting linked with championship clubs.
08:35 It wasn't a case of him falling down the EFL leagues.
08:38 He was always going to make a return to the championship.
08:41 I think he's a really astute addition.
08:43 I think his experience come April/May time will be absolutely crucial for Hull.
08:48 If they're still in the chasing pack for promotion, he's been there and done it.
08:53 I know it's a cliché to say, but if you look at Hull's squad, as impressive as it is,
08:57 there isn't an awful lot of championship experience compared to some of their rivals.
09:02 Although they've got a lot of young players in particular,
09:06 they've got two really young centre-halves, young attackers, a pretty young midfield.
09:11 I think having Billy Sharp not only on the pitch but in the dressing room,
09:15 come business time when it's all about keeping cool heads,
09:18 and it's as much of a mental battle to go up as it is a physical one,
09:22 I think Sharp's experience will be absolutely invaluable.
09:26 Liam Rosinio knows exactly what he's going to get from him.
09:29 I'm really impressed by Hull at the weekend. It's been a really good week for them.
09:33 A good addition to the squad, a new deal for Rosinio and a really impressive win.
09:37 I'm really impressed by them and I can see them making a real go at a promotion this season.
09:43 As Tom says, it speaks volumes for Sharp that Hull are so keen to sign him.
09:49 But I think it speaks volumes for Hull as well because, as Tom said,
09:53 he won't have been short of offers, Billy Sharp, and the geography is kinder at Hull.
09:58 But nevertheless, it's a bit of a vote of confidence that he wanted to come to Hull as well
10:05 because they clearly look like a team who at the very least are going to be in contention for the playoffs.
10:12 Again, when Tom talks about the lack of championship experience, that's definitely important.
10:19 I think as well, there's the experience of being in a promotion race,
10:24 specifically whatever division you're in, and in the playoffs too.
10:27 A couple of years ago, Sharp was actually injured but he was Sheffield United captain
10:34 and very much in and around it when Sheffield United were in their playoffs semi-final against Nottingham Forest.
10:41 So I think that experience will be key. Sharp's won promotion five times over his career
10:46 and obviously there's still a few lads who won promotion from League One at Hull.
10:50 But again, it's an area where frankly you can never have too much experience and I think that lifts them.
10:58 I'm at Cottingham on Wednesday, a couple of hours before the Sharp signing was announced,
11:04 and it's just a happy place at the moment. Everyone's wreathed in smiles.
11:09 You forget in the mad world of the championship that they actually started this month with two defeats.
11:16 But already that feels like ancient history and everything just feels so good.
11:22 I think largely due to Liam Rossini, obviously Adrian Ilij-Jalhi's money and dynamism have been important,
11:31 but I think it's needed the direction that Liam Rossini has given them to make sure it's directed.
11:38 The way Rossini described the Sharp signing was "it's a sensible signing".
11:47 And that's the thing, at the start of last season they weren't making sensible signings,
11:53 they were making Hollywood fantasy football signings. Now they're very sensible ones.
11:59 They go into this transfer window looking to add three or four players.
12:05 One's already chalked off and there's a lot less pressure in terms of time and their situation to get the other one.
12:14 So they can pick and choose and really hold until the end of the window if needs be to get the right people
12:22 rather than feeling forced into it because we don't have, for argument's sake, a central midfielder
12:28 or a high-quality right-back or whatever it might be.
12:32 We're in desperate need of this, we're in desperate need of points.
12:35 Things are going quite well and it's just a case of picking those one or two players who can just enhance things.
12:42 And Billy Sharp, as Tom said, because of what he brings off the field as well as on it, is definitely one of them.
12:48 You alluded to it earlier on, Stuart, with regards to the kind of signings that they were making last season.
12:57 The fact that Liam Rossini has been able to come into this club and have to sort through all the players that he had
13:05 at his disposal and pick out the ones that he knew would work best for him, it's basically steadied the whole ship at Hull.
13:17 And by doing so, it's sort of galvanised the fans as well.
13:23 It's made them feel comfortable, they've put trust and faith in Liam Rossini,
13:29 and I just can't see them having that sort of mad January rush come the transfer window.
13:38 Well, they won't because they just don't need to.
13:41 Obviously, as a manager, you're always looking to improve your score, but sometimes you can do too much.
13:47 I think Hull are in the situation where they can just be very selective.
13:53 Tom was there at the weekend, there's no Jadon Fillerjean who's been a really big player for them,
14:00 but Scott Twine, who's largely been a number 10 for them, goes out and does a job out wide.
14:06 And Ozan Tufan, who was one of the figureheads last season, comes into the side and scores an amazing goal and does a great job.
14:15 There's real depth there as well and real quality.
14:19 It's not just about the superstar names.
14:21 As Tom mentioned, those centre-backs were part of the League One promotion winning team,
14:27 but they're just as important a part of the team as five million signings like Fillerjean
14:33 or loan signings from Liverpool and Man City like Morton and De Lappe.
14:38 They look in a really good way and it seems, Tom, as though Saturday's game just highlighted that.
14:45 Yeah, it all just really clicked into place.
14:47 Obviously, there were a lot of eyebrows raised when people saw that Jadon Fillerjean once again was unavailable through injury.
14:53 You mentioned that Scott Twine went out to the left, but it was also fluid.
14:58 I think that's something Cardiff really struggle to deal with.
15:01 I think Rozinja, tactically incisive as he is, gave an element of freedom to that front four.
15:10 You could see in the way that they were playing, it was all very interchangeable.
15:14 Really impressive. There's a real fluidity to the way they attack.
15:19 You've also got so many technically astute players in those forward areas.
15:24 It means that when you do get the ball forward, you're not wasting the moves.
15:28 On so few occasions did Hull get into the final third and end up not creating a chance.
15:33 That's because when you get the ball into players like Scott Twine, who are so technically good and the deliveries are so good,
15:39 you're either going to get a cross off or you're going to get a shot off or you're going to have some sort of opportunity.
15:44 So few of their attacks were wasted.
15:47 Over the course of a draining 90 minutes in the Championship, that's really important.
15:51 If you're constantly doing a lot of running and work to get the ball forward,
15:55 then squandering your chance when it comes is really tiring, both physically and mentally.
16:00 So, yeah, really impressed by Hull at the weekend.
16:04 And we now make the trip to Sheffield Wednesday, who were able to claim all three points with a 2-1 victory over fellow strugglers QPR.
16:13 This now sees the Owls just six points away from safety.
16:17 Now, last week I said that they were slowly closing the gap between them and safety.
16:24 And it looks as though they really are.
16:26 Do you think that Danny Roll and his team can put themselves in that position where they're not having to constantly look up,
16:37 but be able to say, OK, we're now free of the bottom three.
16:42 Let's try and keep this going. And do you think it was just a case of them having to just be given time to gel together, Tom?
16:51 I think it's difficult to say at this point whether Wednesday will find themselves in a position between now and the end of the season
16:57 where they're not in and around the bottom three.
16:59 I think, obviously, the early signs under Danny Roll are really good, but I do think it's still a very tall order.
17:06 But, you know, full credit to Danny Roll. It's not easy to go into a struggling side,
17:10 to try and galvanise a team that isn't your own and has been assembled by someone else.
17:15 He's been very ruthless in some of his decision-making,
17:17 but, you know, drastic situations call for pretty drastic measures.
17:21 He clearly identified very early on who he can get a tune out of, who he can't get a tune out of.
17:26 And he's certainly making the most of what he's got at his disposal.
17:29 You can see he's trying to change the style, but like I say, that's a process that takes time.
17:34 You can see he wants to impress him with a bit more intensity, get the ball forward quicker.
17:38 And the players are adapting to that. You can see with the performances that they're improving on a week-by-week basis.
17:44 But whether or not they can get out of the bottom three, I think all depends on the January transfer window.
17:48 I think once we get to this stage of December, it's on everyone's lips.
17:52 But if they can strengthen in some key areas, I think a goalkeeper and a forward being two areas,
17:57 I think you need to prioritise them quite heavily.
17:59 I think they might have a chance. I certainly wouldn't write them off.
18:02 They've been lucky, really, that there have been some other dire sides in the Championship this season.
18:06 But beating QPR was obviously huge because, yeah, they're also battling relegation,
18:10 but they've had a massive uplift themselves since Martin Sifuentes came in.
18:14 And shooting down an informed side really isn't easy, but I think it does speak volumes to the impact that Royal has had.
18:20 And that's the issue. There has been an uplift at Wednesday, but as you get to this stage of the season,
18:24 clubs start making bold decisions.
18:27 Wednesday made theirs quite early, sacking Ciscommunos and getting Danny Royal in.
18:32 But you know it's QPR. I've also made the decision bringing Sifuentes in and sacking Gareth Ainsworth.
18:37 You've also got Rotherham have now rolled the dice. They sacked Matt Taylor.
18:40 Took their time to get the appointment in, but they've now got Liam Richards in place.
18:45 And that's the thing. Other clubs are making bold decisions now, and I think it's all about whose bold decision pays off.
18:52 And I think the January transfer window is going to be huge. Don't get me wrong,
18:55 Danny Royal has got a lot out of the resources that he's got at his disposal.
18:59 But you look at Wednesday's squad, and as sort of gutsy and high as the performances have been,
19:04 I think for Danny Royal's football to take full effect and make them a real force that are going to be battling in the bottom three all season,
19:12 I think it needs a little bit more quality, a couple more players, a little bit more suited to his style.
19:17 Because that's the thing. I think he deserves more credit for the fact that he's made Wednesday improve in this short period of time.
19:24 Because it's not his squad. It's a squad that was assembled with Ciscommunos in mind.
19:28 I mean, if you look at their summer signings, the loanees in particular, I don't think it would be a surprise to see
19:35 potentially all of the loan players go back, because a lot of the players that were brought in in the summer just haven't had the desired impact.
19:43 And I think when your summer transfer window doesn't go particularly swimmingly,
19:47 and you don't get the reinforcements and the quality that you wanted, or you don't get what you thought you'd signed,
19:53 it only makes January more important. So it's a really massive month coming up for Sheffield Wednesday.
19:59 Yeah, I mean, the head start at Sheffield Wednesday, given the rest, means they're going to be looking up for quite a long time yet.
20:09 But like all, I was at Hillsborough on Saturday, and again, it's just a happy place.
20:14 It feels as though they didn't even wait for the results to improve, for the mood to turn.
20:22 The fans could see what was happening before it came to fruition there, which is obviously hugely important.
20:28 But yeah, as Tom says, there's lots of other clubs going to be in the same boat.
20:32 I mean, obviously Stoke have just brought in Stephen Schumacher.
20:35 We wait to see what happens as we speak at Swansea and Plymouth, and whether they get a manager who can lift them.
20:43 You do worry for Huddersfield in particular, they just seem to have that downward momentum.
20:52 But yeah, there's just a real belief about Sheffield Wednesday.
20:56 I mean, as Tom says, Danny Roll has done it with other people's players, but don't forget that's what Danny Roll is.
21:04 He's a coach. He's about being given a group of players and getting the best out of them.
21:12 Obviously, a good January transfer window where he can get more targeted players will make his job a lot easier.
21:20 But improving individuals is what he and quite a lot of the managers in this season's championship are all about.
21:29 He's clearly done that. And the thing is, by having this upturn in form now, it should make the January transfer window that much easier.
21:39 Because you would think, Lee Brasenia talks a lot about how modern players want a coach who will improve them as individuals.
21:47 And if you had the chance to work with Danny Roll at the moment, I would recommend that you jump at it.
21:54 Because he clearly is someone who is good at making individual players better.
22:00 So, you know, for all the, we know about the off-field problems at Sheffield Wednesday, that might put some people off.
22:08 But for all the difficulties, that is a massive plus to have if you're approaching a strike or whatever position it might be.
22:16 How about coming to Sheffield Wednesday?
22:19 Yeah, that's a really good point. And I think it does make Sheffield Wednesday a lot more appealing as a club to go through the January transfer window.
22:27 Because it's a really sad and brutal fact that there's not as much loyalty in football as fans like to think there is.
22:33 Players, although obviously they want to do well for the clubs that they represent, one of their, if not their main priority,
22:39 will nearly always be their personal development, their career and how things are going to go for them.
22:45 And if they're going into a club where it's someone just fighting a fire, someone just trying to grind results out by any means possible,
22:54 they're going to look at that and they're going to have to weigh up the benefits and how many benefits it actually has for them and their careers.
23:01 And that's the key difference with Danny Roel. I think he's come in and he's a player that, although he's fighting a fire to an extent
23:08 because he's trying to get Sheffield Wednesday out of a relegation dogfight, but at the same time, like Stu said, he's a coach.
23:14 He's someone with fantastic coaching credentials, someone who's worked with some of the best coaches in Europe
23:20 and worked with some of the best players in Europe. He's got that experience for someone so young in coaching terms.
23:27 And that's the thing, he's the sort of person that players can look at and they'll see him as someone who can push their career on.
23:34 All the players that go and thrive in the Championship and go on to thrive in the Premier League and make that jump up,
23:40 more often than not, they've done it with the help of Championship coaches who develop them massively.
23:46 So, yeah, people will be hoping Danny Roel can do that for them at Sheffield Wednesday.
23:50 And never underestimate, of course, in any job how important it is to enjoy coming into work.
23:56 It was a miserable place at the start of this season for some of the games.
24:01 That wasn't Chisco Munoz's fault in terms of he was creating a miserable atmosphere.
24:09 It was the results that were doing it and the off-field issues.
24:12 Now, it just feels lifted. If you go to Sheffield Wednesday, you will be worked bloody hard by Danny Roel.
24:19 You will not get an easy life. But people like playing the brand of football that they're playing.
24:25 People like winning games and like being at a happy football club.
24:28 Sheffield Wednesday are ticking those boxes at the moment.
24:31 So, as I say, it's an attractive place to come right now.
24:36 And hopefully, that is reflected in a bit of success in landing the players that Roel wants in the January transfer window.
24:43 Because, as Tom says, that's going to be a really key time in this Championship season at the round end of the table.
24:52 And next, we turn our attention to Harrogate Town, who walked away with all three points with a 3-1 victory over Notts County,
25:00 which helps maintain their distance between themselves and the relegation places.
25:05 This was then followed by the news that striker Luke Armstrong will be joining Carlisle United in January.
25:11 What did you make of their win over Notts County and your thoughts on Luke Armstrong's departure, Stuart?
25:18 Well, I mean, first of all, Notts County are not in the best of form at the moment.
25:25 But it's Notts County. They're a big scalp in League 2.
25:28 They've got far, far more resources at their disposal than Harrogate Town had.
25:36 Even though it's only a couple of years ago, they were sort of equals in the Conference Playoff final.
25:42 And, of course, Harrogate have had so much difficulty at home.
25:47 So to get that monkey off their back with their first home win since I think it's late September, that was really significant too.
26:03 As ever, it's always about building on these things.
26:09 And that will be the key for Harrogate. But at least they go into the Christmas programme in good mood.
26:17 They've got Grimsby, Akron, Trammey, Tucum, Morecambe. They've got all sorts of problems off the field.
26:23 There's the potential there for them to build a bit of momentum.
26:27 And I think the uncertainty about Luke Armstrong being resolved is just a massive help.
26:35 I mean, Wrexham not getting their paperwork in on time on transfer deadline day in the summer.
26:42 It's just wasted half a season for Harrogate and for Armstrong.
26:47 Armstrong's not got going as a player. Harrogate made quite a rush signing to get Josh Marsh in.
26:55 He wasn't fully fit when he arrived and he's not got going as a player.
27:00 And I say there's just been this uncertainty over the club. I think it was really important not just that they moved Armstrong on,
27:07 but they did it early in the window and it looks like they haven't got the same transfer fee they would have got from Wrexham.
27:15 Well, that's frankly because they're not dealing with Moneybags Wrexham anymore.
27:20 But hopefully, they seem to be wanting to put out the message Harrogate that they've got a good deal.
27:27 Hopefully that is the case and they can reinvest wisely and really strengthen from here.
27:36 But yeah, that win over Notts County I think is really, really important for the belief of the group that they don't need to fear, frankly, playing at Wetherby Road.
27:47 Yeah, and it's obviously just been a massive inconvenience for Harrogate and Armstrong.
27:52 What Stu mentioned there, I covered Harrogate against Swindon last month, I think this was mid-November time.
27:58 And spoke to Simon Weaver after the game and Armstrong had been left out of the squad that day and obviously we asked him about it.
28:06 And he was very clear in saying that he just wants to focus on the players that he knew were going to be at the club beyond the January transfer window deadline.
28:14 And he was very complimentary of Armstrong, he said that his attitude had been good and he'd said he'd play when called upon.
28:19 And it wasn't the case of Armstrong refusing to play or anything.
28:22 But that's the thing, it creates such a bizarre situation where you've got this asset, you've got this player who can clearly be a real asset on the pitch for Harrogate Town.
28:32 But why put your resources, why put your time, why focus a game plan around a player who you know is highly likely not going to be able to do that.
28:43 You're not going to be able to focus a game plan around them for the remainder of the season.
28:47 So the whole thing was just a shame really.
28:50 Obviously it attracted a lot of criticism and jokes from the wider league and English football.
28:56 But the collapse of the Wrexham move was just, no one benefited from that.
29:01 It was just a disaster for all parties.
29:03 Wrexham missed out on a player they wanted, Luke Armstrong missed out on a move he wanted.
29:06 And Harrogate ended up with a player who didn't want to be there.
29:09 As everyone knows in football, it's far from an ideal situation.
29:13 I think it's probably a weight off the shoulders for both parties that he's now moved on.
29:17 The club and Armstrong can now just go forward and have their future without each other, which was clearly always the plan from the summer.
29:26 But it's worth saying that for all the problems that that non-sale of Armstrong caused, Harrogate are doing pretty well at the moment.
29:35 The goal point is clear with the relegation zone. That's the number, let's be brutally honest, that you have to look at when you're in Harrogate's situation.
29:44 In terms of being one of the poor relations of this division.
29:47 But they're 16th in League 2, largely on the back of really good away form.
29:53 They're in a position with a little bit of freedom to just kick on and hopefully cause a few more scares for the teams of Notts County's stature by pulling off a few decent results.
30:08 I think things are broadly moving in the right direction. You always want them to move faster and further.
30:16 But you've got to say to be where they are 21 games into the season is a pretty good effort.
30:23 And now we turn our attention to Middlesbrough, who have made their way through to the semifinals of the Carabao Cup with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Port Vale.
30:32 Now, how much of a boost will this be to Michael Carrick and his side Stewart?
30:38 Massive. To be in a semifinal of any competition is just a huge lift to the confidence.
30:48 It's been a difficult season for Middlesbrough. I was at the Riverside last week when they, frankly, threw away a game against Hull.
30:56 They were much the better team in the first half but they couldn't put Hull to bed.
31:01 We've explained before on this podcast how injuries have played a big part. They obviously lost some big players in the transfer market in the summer and haven't quite been able to replace them.
31:15 But to beat Swansea in the league on the Saturday and then follow it up with a win that they always should have got when you look at the fact that Port Vale are in League One.
31:24 We know it doesn't work like that. Just a massive shot in the arm. They've got Chelsea now.
31:31 For all Chelsea's problems, the fact that it's a two-legged semifinal will always weigh in the favour of the Premier League club in a game like this.
31:43 But nevertheless, as far as big clubs go, Chelsea are a pretty vulnerable one right now. You'd at least enjoy having the chance of causing them a bit of fretting.
31:57 And yet, to have that stand in between you and a trip back to Wembley 20 years after they won the League Cup, their only major trophy.
32:09 The fairy tale's written and you can't say they've done it the easy way.
32:15 The home leg against Chelsea will be the first and only time they've played at the Riverside in this season's competition.
32:23 So it says a lot for the squad players because like most teams in the League Cup, they've rotated.
32:30 Hopefully it will do a lot for their morale because there's some tricky games coming up over Christmas.
32:40 They've got West Brom on Saturday and then Rotherham and Huddersfield away are obviously two teams at the wrong end of the table.
32:48 But that means they're absolutely going to be scrapping for their lives to make life as difficult as possible for Middlesbrough.
32:58 And then New Year's Day, there's a visit from Coventry with all the bad memories that will bring up from last season's play-offs.
33:05 So they're certainly not out of the woods yet, but I think they just needed that morale boost and these last two games should hopefully have provided it.
33:14 Anything to add to that, Tom?
33:16 No, just to echo what Stu said really.
33:18 I think in terms of getting to the Carabao Cup semi-final and coming up against the big boys, I think as well as being obviously great for the fans,
33:26 I think it's fantastic for the players as well.
33:28 And certainly the ones that Middlesbrough brought in over the summer who perhaps haven't had an experience like this before.
33:34 The lads they've signed from Australia, spring to mind, they've brought in players from Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands.
33:40 To have this experience of coming up against Premier League opposition on a big stage, at this stage of the competition,
33:47 I think the experience will be absolutely invaluable.
33:50 You know, Middlesbrough have got a lot of young players as well. I do think, I don't know, I guess I'm a bit of a purist in the sense that I wish more
33:57 Championship sides could make a real stab of having runs in the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup because it's such a huge boost for fans.
34:05 Because, don't get me wrong, the Championships are a riveting league, very entertaining.
34:10 But I think any fan of any Championship club, possibly with the exception of Leicester and Ipswich fans, would agree that it can be a real slog,
34:18 especially when you get into the festive period, the games are coming thick and fast.
34:23 Especially if it's not going your way, it can be very draining to watch at times.
34:28 So I think there's nothing like a Cup run to lift the spirits.
34:31 It's fantastic for Middlesbrough, a club that hasn't had an experience they've had regularly in recent history.
34:38 I think a lot of fans of Championship clubs will be looking at Middlesbrough and being very envious of the position they've found themselves in.
34:45 Finally this week, I will ask Stuart for his Team of the Week before turning to Tom for his Player of the Week.
34:53 Starting with Stuart, who has fallen into your spotlight this week?
34:57 Well, we haven't spoken a lot about Bradford City recently and that's probably no bad thing for them.
35:03 But they've been quietly going about their business very well.
35:06 By the time people are listening to this, they may well have played Doncaster in the Friday night game.
35:16 But as things stand, five straight wins for them and four straight clean sheets.
35:21 Two of those games have been in the trophies, some quite comfortable wins there.
35:27 But it just feels as though Graham Alexander, after only a couple of games to get his imprint on that team,
35:37 has really got them playing the way he wants them to do.
35:42 And just building a bit of momentum. It's still not really properly reflected in the league table as yet.
35:51 But it will be if they keep this coming.
35:57 The beauty of the Football League, as we've said in the past, is you're never really that far away from the playoffs.
36:04 If you can hit some decent form, January is going to be important for them.
36:08 It will be important for pretty much all of our clubs really.
36:11 But in their case, a big part of it will be thinning out that bloated squad of theirs.
36:19 And then of course, like we said with Danny Rowland, it obviously applies to all the managers who have come in during the season.
36:26 Getting some players who are better adapted to the way Graham Alexander wants to play.
36:33 But I think it's always good when a new manager has such a quick impact as Alexander has.
36:42 Bradford fans should be looking very positively towards the Christmas fixture list.
36:48 Tom, which player has caught your eye this week?
36:51 I'm going to give it to Ozan Tufan. Obviously, I watched Hulby Cardiff last week and there was a lot of really impressive displays.
36:58 But Tufan stood out to me for a number of reasons.
37:01 One being that he isn't a player that always gets praise and deservedly so.
37:06 He's a player that can frustrate Hulbans. His ability is clear for all to see.
37:10 But he's far too inconsistent at times.
37:12 He was brought back in at the start of the XI against Cardiff and was absolutely firing on all cylinders.
37:17 It was a proper talismanic number 10 display.
37:19 He was at the heart of so many of Hull's attacking moves and scored a lovely goal.
37:23 Latching onto a great pass from Tyler Morton and lobbing the goalkeeper.
37:28 But he worked so hard as well. He didn't shirk his defensive duties.
37:31 It was the sort of display that really made you take notice.
37:35 If he can produce that regularly for Hull, he could be a huge player for them in the second half of the season.
37:40 In the midst of all the quality attacking players that Hull have got, and especially because he was not as recent an addition as the likes of Scott Twine, Aaron Connolly and Liam Billard.
37:53 I think he probably hasn't got as much attention as them this season.
37:55 Obviously he's taken a bit of a step back and they've had the limelight.
37:58 But it looked like a real case of someone going and staking their claim and basically telling Hull fans and Liam Reginier not to forget about him.
38:08 But he's still a really exciting key player, or can be an exciting key player for them.
38:12 His performance was absolutely fantastic.
38:14 I'd say he was probably the best player on the pitch.
38:17 That was on a day where a lot of Hull players were very impressive.
38:20 I think it goes back to what we were saying about their January signings.
38:24 He had a bad injury after a really good August.
38:29 It seemed like initially he rushed back too soon.
38:32 But after that initial setback, Hull and probably Toufan himself more than anyone, learned the lesson that let's take our time and get this right.
38:43 And now that they have, he's one of those players you think of when you talk about that squad depth.
38:50 The fact that they've got Twine or Toufan to play as the ten.
38:54 It's such an important player in a modern day team.
38:58 And they're two such really good players.
39:01 It just underlines that depth Hull has.
39:04 I'd say it's another example of a football club learning its lessons.
39:08 Because everyone makes mistakes.
39:10 Liam Reginier's in his first proper managerial job.
39:13 He's going to as well.
39:15 But he's an intelligent guy.
39:17 He picks up on what he's done wrong.
39:20 And it feels like the football club as a whole is doing that this season.
39:24 And that's why I think there's such a positive vibe about the place.
39:28 yorkshirepost.co.uk
39:32 yp.sport@nationalworld.com
39:35 yp.sport@nationalworld.com
39:39 Many thanks to Stuart Rayner and Tom Coates, who will doubtless join us again soon for more discussions on the Yorkshire football scene.
39:46 But don't forget you can keep up to date with all the football news across Yorkshire and beyond by logging on to our website at yp.sport@nationalworld.com
39:54 Or if you search for Yorkshire Post Sport, Yorkshire Post Football or even Sheffield Sport on Facebook, you can find us there as well.
40:00 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 as footballtalkpodcast@yp.sport@nationalworld.com
40:12 As ever, many thanks for listening, look after yourselves, and bye for now.
40:17 (upbeat music)