On this week’s podcast, The YP’s football writing team of Stuart Rayner and Leon Wobschall join host Mark Singleton to discuss Barnsley’s position – both in the League One table and in term of holding onto their best players during the January transfer window.
They also cast an eye over the up-and-down fortunes of Doncaster Rovers, just two games from Wembley in the EFL Trophy, but lacking the kind of consistency manager Grant McCann is seeking in League Two.
Liam Rosenior calling for patience from Hull City’s fans, how do Rotherham United begin to close the gap on the teams above them in the Championship amd why it is taking so long for Darren Moore to turn things around at Huddersfield Town are also up for discussion.
They also cast an eye over the up-and-down fortunes of Doncaster Rovers, just two games from Wembley in the EFL Trophy, but lacking the kind of consistency manager Grant McCann is seeking in League Two.
Liam Rosenior calling for patience from Hull City’s fans, how do Rotherham United begin to close the gap on the teams above them in the Championship amd why it is taking so long for Darren Moore to turn things around at Huddersfield Town are also up for discussion.
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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
00:15 we will be discussing some of the latest talking points from the world of football with members
00:18 of our football writing team. On this week's episode we're joined by Chief Football Writer
00:22 for the Yorkshire Post, Stuart Rayner, and Football Writer for the Yorkshire Post, Bjorn
00:25 Wopshall, 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
00:33 onto our website at yp.sport@nationalworld.com, as well as checking out our various Twitter
00:39 feeds, the main one being @ypsport. If you search for Yorkshire Post Sport, Yorkshire
00:44 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
00:52 or Facebook pages, or email us directly with a subject matter as Football Talk Podcast
00:56 at yp.sport@nationalworld.com.
00:59 YorkshirePost.co.uk
01:02 Right, this week we saw the return of league action, and we saw Leeds United claim an impressive
01:07 3-0 victory as they brushed aside Cardiff City. Bradford City had to settle for a point
01:13 in their 1-1 draw with Colchester United. Harrogate Town inched closer to the playoff
01:18 spots with a 2-0 victory over Forest Green Rovers. Sheffield Wednesday fell to an unfortunate
01:24 4-0 defeat at the hands of Southampton, and Middlesbrough moved to within a point of the
01:29 playoff positions with an important 3-1 victory over Millwall. But this week we start with
01:35 Barnsley who followed up their 2-1 victory over Bristol Rovers with a 2-1 victory over
01:39 Carlisle. What did you make of their performance, and how could we see the team go into their
01:46 game against Stevenage, Stuart?
01:48 Well, their performance wasn't great, to be perfectly honest with you. They were very
01:57 shaky in the first 15 minutes, a couple of defensive errors, went 1-0 down to Carlisle
02:04 United, could easily have gone 4-0 down to be frank.
02:08 Frank Butterworth hit the woodwork with a diamond header, missed a couple of good chances,
02:14 but the fact of the matter remains, you look in the paper the next morning, they got the
02:19 job done. They showed good character, they made some substitutions which made an important
02:26 impact, and they got themselves a 2-1 win. And really, at this stage of the season, I
02:32 mean probably in all fairness at any stage of the season, but particularly this time
02:36 of year, when you're chasing promotion, it's just about grinding those results out, and
02:42 you're not going to play well in every game. But if you're getting the job done regardless,
02:47 that's what it's all about, frankly.
02:49 And now they've got two big away games coming against Stevenage and Oxford. I think it's
02:55 fair to say our biggest question mark against Barnsley is how they perform against the teams
03:01 around them. Stevenage and Oxford obviously fall into that category, so it'll be interesting
03:08 to see how they perform. But they can take a lot from Tuesday, because as I say, whilst
03:13 they didn't play well, they showed exactly the sort of character that you need in this
03:19 situation. So, you know, despite that pretty big caveat, I think it was actually a good
03:25 night for them.
03:26 Yeah, they seem to be making sort of hay while the sun's shining, don't they really? It was
03:33 funny, I did the game at the end of November against Wickham, and I was just sort of debating
03:43 the other day that, you know, big moment at the end of the game where obviously the error
03:47 from the Wickham goalkeeper and Sam Cosgrove scored deep in stoppage time. It just seems
03:53 to be that Barnsley's fortune is that little bit of luck with that, probably the strangest
03:59 goal of the season so far. Things have sort of turned, haven't they, for them after that?
04:03 And, you know, they've had one or two players coming back. I think Stuart's right to say
04:10 that in terms of the squad, they've got not too many injuries at the minute. That strength
04:18 in depth is serving them well. I think particularly at wing-back as well, where obviously they
04:23 brought Nicky Cadden up the other day. I think in those positions, especially and probably
04:35 up front as well, when you're sort of well-stocked at this time of year, that can really make
04:42 a difference. Obviously up front, they've got the likes of Cosgrove and Young-Jarlow
04:50 and Max Waters. So if things aren't going well, Collins doesn't need to panic and he's
04:57 got some options there to change things. They're doing what a lot of successful teams have
05:03 to do at this time of year, they're grinding it out a bit. It will be interesting, as Stuart
05:07 said, to see how they fare in those away games. I think they've got Bolton a little bit further
05:14 down the line as well. I think it was roughly about this time last year when I think people
05:19 were looking at how well Barclays had done, but saying, a bit of a caveat, saying, 'Look,
05:24 they've got all these games to come, they've got quite a lot of home games against the
05:28 likes of Derby, Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth.' They came out on the right side in that regard.
05:35 So in a similar sort of way, that's going to be the aim this year. Hopefully get to
05:42 the end of this window and have all the star turns intact. At the minute, Herbie Kane,
05:51 he was the player of the month for December, he stepped up to the plate. The main one,
06:00 Devante Cole, he's equaled last year's goals tally of 16. There's few better form strikers
06:06 in the division, but obviously if rumours are to be believed, there's some second tier
06:13 clubs who might have a nibble. Liam Messina actually poo-pooed the talk a little bit with
06:21 Hull and Lincoln. From what I can gather, there's no interest from Buddersfield Town
06:25 either, they're another club that have been linked. But I know in the past there's been
06:29 other ones at the end of the summer window who've had a little nibble. So you just hope
06:36 for Barnes' sake to keep hold of Cole and obviously Kane as well. Further down the line
06:45 I think there will be issues. Cole's out of contact in the summer, he's rejected as he
06:50 stands fresh terms. Kane as well, Jordan Williams. But at the time, being with what Barnesley
06:55 have got, they've got quite a lot. They've got a good starting line-up, they're one of
07:01 the best in League 1 and the squad as well. So they've just got to try and carry on making
07:10 hay while the sun shines. As Stuart said, it doesn't really matter how you perform at
07:16 this time of year, it's just finding a way to get through, to set you through for the
07:21 run-up in the final couple of months. But yeah, they're in a very handy position.
07:26 I think that squad depth, in fairness, extends to probably all the outfield positions. In
07:34 terms of holding midfield, they had John Russell playing there on the Saturday against Bristol
07:40 Rovers. In the midweek they started with Luca Canella, who didn't have the best of games,
07:47 just back from injury. So they took him off at half-time, put Herbie Kane there. And he
07:53 was outstanding. So that shows you that. Then at the back, they've had Jack Shepard start
07:59 the last couple of games with people like Jamie McArthur out injured. Jordan Williams,
08:04 who we think of more as a wing-back, was excellent on the right-hand side of a back three. Gives
08:10 them that bit more ball-carrying out of defence in the way that Liam Kitchen used to when
08:17 he was there. And when you think that they've got Donovan Pines building up his fitness
08:22 after signing from the United States, and you've got Kasper Lepater coming back. There's
08:31 lots of options in lots of positions. And I think the key thing for Barnsley, we know
08:35 the reality of life in Barnsley. We know that they will sell players from time to time.
08:42 They have to trade a bit. But I think it's important that they come out of this window
08:48 with that same depth, whether that be by, fingers crossed, keeping the likes of Devante
08:54 Cole and Herbie Kane. But if not, then certainly replacing them with players of a similar ilk.
09:02 And I think if they come out of the window with a similar-looking squad in terms of that
09:09 depth and options, I think they'll be in really good shape for the play-off race to come.
09:16 So, fingers crossed, however that comes about, that is what happens.
09:20 To be fair, this time last year in January, they were in a similar-ish position, weren't
09:26 they? Obviously, there was ongoing speculation. I think there always has been, hasn't there,
09:32 about Barnsley's leading players. This time last year, people like Mads Andersen and Liam
09:37 Kitchen, outstanding players at League One level. They did get the moves in the summer,
09:42 but importantly, Barnsley did manage to keep hold of the family silver in January. And
09:49 they were perilously close to promotion, weren't they? They could have easily gone the other
09:56 way at Wembley. So, if Barnsley do repeat that and keep hold of the leading lights and
10:07 maybe one or two little additions here and there, I think they've got a pretty good chance.
10:12 And I think what does stand them in particularly good stead is that, with no disrespect to
10:17 League One this year, but it's not as strong as it has been. Certainly last year, I'd probably
10:22 have ventured the year before as well, and I think put in Plymouth, miss out with 80
10:28 points on the final day of the season in the year that Rotherham went up on the last day.
10:34 The last two seasons have been stronger for me. So, that gives extra opportunities, I
10:43 think, for Barnsley. There's no real standout team in the minimum. You look at Portsmouth,
10:48 they're having a bit of a wobble. I think most of the teams up there have had bumps
10:54 in the road. So, yeah, things continue as they are and they've managed to keep everything
11:00 together. Barnsley have got a chance.
11:02 And next, we turn our attention to Doncaster Rovers, who followed up their 1-0 defeat against
11:07 Newport County with a 4-2 victory on penalties when they clashed with Wigan Athletic in the
11:12 EFL Trophy. Now, Donny still can't afford to slow down with how close they are to the
11:18 drop zone, but what does Grant McCann need to do to gain some consistency from his men,
11:24 Leon?
11:25 Well, Stuart's seen a little bit more of Donny than me this season. I would probably say
11:30 I think the main thing for me with them is just to try and get an easier set than done
11:35 really, because they've had all manner of injury problems. Somehow get a settled back
11:40 line for me. I mean, again, even on Tuesday night, fair play, they got me in the end.
11:47 Played well in the second half after going behind. Then the one on penalties, they conceded
11:52 another goal from across and a good goal from Wigan's perspective, but a poor one from Rovers.
11:59 And it just seems to be they conceded so many of those goals this season. Crosses coming
12:04 in, whether the defenders not taking responsibility or switching off, bread and butter goals.
12:10 It's been a real issue over probably the last few years at Doncaster, getting that defensive
12:16 order and consistency. That looks to be the main thing for me. They haven't had much luck
12:22 with what they brought in Richard Wood and he was going to be that defensive organiser
12:28 in Forsyth, which obviously has been laid low for a lot of the season with a calf injury.
12:34 So that's unfortunate and they've had a lot of disruption elsewhere. I just hope they
12:39 can have that little bit of luck and then somehow just get some more defensive resolution.
12:47 Because up front they've got a reliable target man and goal scorer in Joe Ironside, but it's
12:54 a little bit unfortunate what happened with Mo Fowle getting recalled from West Brom and
12:59 then going straight back out to Walsall. They could have done without that. I think in midfield
13:07 they've got some, obviously one or two injuries with the likes of Westbrook, but they've got
13:12 some decent ballplayers at that level in Clousers and Tommy Rowe. It's just at the back where
13:18 I have the worries for them. I'm just pleased to see them keep their... I don't think it's
13:27 stretching it too far to say that the EFL trophies are keeping the fires burning this season.
13:35 They're closer to the relegation positions than the play-offs. The first part of calling
13:43 it a draw, in terms of the league, will be at the minute just getting enough points to
13:48 stay out of trouble. I think they will do that. They're going to have to be a little
13:52 bit conscious of it, but barring a major catastrophe, they should be okay and they should have enough.
13:59 It's just pleasing that they've got another competition, something else to aim at. They're
14:04 going to have a quarter-final against Bradford. It's two wins from Wembley, isn't it? I think
14:13 for both Bradford and Doncaster it's quite a big competition. I was pleased in that regard.
14:20 They've had some tough times in January in the last few years, but they've got something
14:25 to go at still.
14:26 I think they need two things more than anything. Stability, not just at the back, but just
14:33 throughout the club and throughout the squad. They made a lot of signings in August. They've
14:41 already made three in January, and by all accounts all three debutants played well at
14:47 the weekend, so that's a good sign. But they're probably going to have to make more because
14:51 as Leon says, Mo Farah has been recalled and a lot of injuries. Once that window is closed,
14:58 they really need to hit on a stable formula, not just in defence, but in terms of those
15:05 players on it. They need to look at what Leon's outlined so that they don't have the injuries
15:10 that stop that happening. They just need a bit of a settled period for Grant McKernan
15:17 and Cliff Byrne to work on the training ground and the things that they need to work on.
15:22 If you ask most Doncaster fans, I think they've got a lot of faith in those two to do the
15:28 necessary if the circumstances are right. And then the other thing is, I think they
15:34 just need smiles on faces. The fact that Wembley is now in sight, that's a great thing for
15:43 supporters and for players to look forward to. They want to go to Wembley as much as
15:48 the fans. So they need to be enjoying the football. They need the whole place to be
15:56 a happier and less tense place. Obviously that relies on the football. But if they can
16:02 get those two things together, that gives them a real platform. A) to attack the EFL
16:10 trophy and hopefully put some silverware in the cabinet. But B) sort of build on for next
16:16 season. We've said many times on this podcast, it's been such a downward curve. They need
16:24 to bottom out. They need to get some stability before they can start building again. I really
16:30 hope that luck plays its part in terms of the injuries. If they make bad signings, if
16:40 they make bad choices, if they don't pick the right team, then that's their fault. But
16:44 at least if they have some more fortune with luck, it's within their hands to turn things
16:50 around. I really hope that happens.
16:52 The encouraging thing for me, Stuart, is that you see it a lot now. I do think social media
16:58 has got something to do with it. As soon as clubs hit a bad run, the managers, the worst
17:03 thing in the world, get him out. And then they can turn around and have a good run and
17:07 it totally flips around. They're a bit of a genius. I do have issues in that in the
17:12 round. But I've just been heartened a little bit by what's been happening at Doncaster.
17:18 They're a reasonably big club for a League 2 level. You look at the recent history, a
17:25 decade or so ago, they were breaking bread towards the play-offs of the Championship
17:32 League, playing in front of five-figure gates. Some sets of ballers in those circumstances
17:41 were obviously at the wrong end of League 2, feeling sorry for themselves, calling for
17:47 the manager's head. But there just seems to be an intelligence and a bit of patience there
17:54 to realise, look, are we going to get a better manager than Grant McCann? And have they come
18:01 to a realisation of the answer that no, let's stick with him? Everybody knows it's been
18:08 a difficult season. There was a big turnaround in the squad last summer. They've had a hell
18:13 of a lot of injuries and haven't had any luck in that regard. But the fans seem to be keeping
18:22 faith with McCann. He's a proud guy. I'm sure he'll be hurting a bit inside, but as a Gyp
18:27 and character, hopefully he can channel the hurt and get a little bit of positivity in
18:34 the final third of the season and then hopefully go again next season. I have been heartened
18:40 by the sentiments of the supporters in wanting to stick with him. Stuart's talking about
18:48 that sort of stability and keeping somebody like McCann. Hopefully we'll provide that
18:55 because amongst other things, Doncaster have had too many managers and they've gone through
19:00 quite a few at a rate of knots in recent seasons. I just hope for all concerned that they can
19:08 hopefully steady the ship. They might have a good run in this cup competition and some
19:14 sort of seeds for growth for next season. That's what it's all about for me.
19:19 They deserve some cause for optimism, as you say, those supporters who have really stood
19:25 by McCann and Burns. Much as there's reasons to hope Bradford do well as well, it would
19:32 be nice to see Doncaster rewarded with a really positive second half of the season, whatever
19:38 that brings.
19:39 Next, we turn to Hull City, who seem to have found themselves in a bit of a dip in terms
19:44 of results recently, with the Tigers having claimed just one win from their last five
19:50 games. I saw in your article that Liam Rossinier called for patience and that Louis Coyle has
19:57 basically called for better concentration. What do you make of their recent form and
20:02 how do you think they can turn things around, Stuart?
20:05 Yeah, I mean, a bit of a dip is an understatement, to be honest with you, Mark. Seven defeats
20:11 in their last 11 games. Liam Rossinier has been very much of the mindset, the sort of
20:19 thing that Liam and I will often talk about. Don't panic, have faith in the things he's
20:25 doing and I firmly believe that Liam Rossinier is a really good manager and can get Hull
20:31 City through this. But, you know, patience alone is not going to cut it now. One or two
20:38 bad results, you can point to the fact that we played better than the opposition. We talked
20:42 about this quite a bit with Leeds United early last season. But when it becomes a sequence
20:47 of seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven games, you have to start looking a bit deeper. And
20:53 I do think they've played well in a lot of those games. I haven't seen all of them, but
20:57 I've seen a few of them. But the fact that they're making these elementary errors at
21:02 the back, the fact that they're not ruthless up front, that needs addressing. It can't
21:07 simply be a case of sit tight and things will fall into place. So, you know, there needs
21:13 to be some harsh words exchanged, I would say, at the training ground. And I'm sure
21:18 we all know managers say one thing in public and one thing behind the scenes. I'm sure
21:24 those conversations are being had. As I say, I firmly believe that Liam Rossini will go
21:30 on to be a really top manager. But, you know, every manager has to come through their test
21:36 and, you know, in most cases, many tests. And this just feels like a big test for him.
21:44 The resources are there in terms of the transfer market, backing is getting, you know, I believe
21:49 the players are there because they didn't get into a play of contention by accident.
21:54 And, you know, the form of other teams means that despite this run, they are still in the
21:59 picture. So it's by no means a disaster situation at all. But, you know, they can't afford to
22:08 be complacent about it. They do have to really just sharpen up on these key areas. You know,
22:16 it might need just a defensive leader to be signed to just bring that extra concentration
22:22 that Louis Coyle was talking about. I mean, Coyle himself is a leader, don't get me wrong,
22:27 but you can never have too many of them. And, you know, Billy Sharp would seem to be, you
22:32 know, the ideal man to bring into a team that's not finishing off its chances. But, you know,
22:39 when I saw them the other day, as bigger concern was that they weren't creating as many chances
22:47 as they ought to for the, you know, the possession they had. And with, you know, Scott Twain
22:53 having left, Liam Dillap having been out for two to three months, obviously Jane Filligene
22:59 is out at the moment. I think that is an area of the field, that creativity that they are
23:05 working hard to address. You know, we've heard names like Manuel Benson at Burnley being
23:11 strongly linked. I do believe that they'll bring someone in. So, it then boils down to
23:17 they have to make the right choice. But as I say, you know, everything that Leon's just
23:22 said about Grant McCann, I think the same applies to Liam Resigna. They've got a good
23:26 manager there. They've got to hold the nerve and address things. But as I say, it is getting
23:34 to the stage where it can't simply be brushed off as bad luck.
23:38 Yeah, I mean, they've got issues at both ends of the picture at the minute, haven't they?
23:44 Which is never ideal. They seem to be conceding too many goals, certainly away from home.
23:51 And, you know, it's just a matter of the success. He's making the right decisions in both boxes,
23:58 isn't it, really? And, you know, they're getting punished at the minute. You know, you look
24:03 at a lot of the teams in the mix for probably the final two playoff spots in the championship
24:09 and they've all had to contend with bumps in their road periods where things haven't
24:17 gone that well. You look at Sunderland, Middlesbrough, for example, a few others as well. Bristol
24:23 City, Watford, this world. I mean, it could be that the teams that sort of cope with the
24:32 bad spells best and get out of them, they potentially could be the ones rewarded at
24:37 the end of the season. I mean, I've seen bits and bats of Paul that I think the big, obviously
24:44 Philly genes, you know, he is a match winner and a class player on his day, but I really
24:50 think that they're going to miss Liam Dillard. He offers, he chips in with goals, but he's
24:59 such a willing runner. He's such a selfless worker. There's so much for the team, he can
25:06 move out wide as well. I think that's a huge for Hull personally and obviously they've
25:12 brought in Billy Sharper, welcome forward acquisition. I just wonder if they try and
25:20 bring somebody else in up top as well. I mean, in that sort of role that Dillard played,
25:26 4-2-3-1, you know, he leads the line, competes with defenders, chips in with goals. For me,
25:33 he's been massive in Hull, so all the good aspects of Hull in the opening half of the
25:39 season. It looks like he's not going to be back until well into the spring. So, yeah,
25:47 I think that if I was in the corridors of power at Hull, I'd be looking to bring someone
25:53 in to hopefully cover that. But yeah, it's a test for a senior. It's a good test as well.
25:59 He got some plaudits last season and it's gone pretty well since. Obviously got concerns
26:08 at the New Year and that's management, that's championship life. But he's a good operator
26:16 and hopefully he can get through. But I do think they'll have a decision to make in terms
26:20 of bringing someone in to step in for De Lapps. I think he's a massive player for Hull. You
26:25 look at Aaron Connolly as well, he's had some injury issues and he's out at the minute as
26:30 well. So, from a Hull perspective, I'd hope they can bring somebody in in that regard.
26:38 Obviously, missing a couple of lads on the African Cup of Nations as well at the minute.
26:42 I mean, the thing about De Lapp is I genuinely don't think you can buy a player that good
26:48 in the championship. I think not only are they out of your price range, but actually
26:53 persuading a player to move permanently to the championship of that calibre is so difficult.
26:59 I mean, Jayne Fillingen was a bit of a coup to be able to sign him, so I suppose that
27:05 gives some optimism. But I feel like De Lapp's even another level up. The clubs that have
27:12 young players of that quality just aren't prepared to sell them and only loan them out.
27:15 So, you really need to be able to use your contacts well. And the good thing about Rossignol
27:20 is he does seem to have a reputation in Premier League circles as a good coach and a good
27:27 club to send your players to because they'll play football the right way, they'll be coached
27:31 the right way and all that sort of thing. So, that's in Hull's favour.
27:35 I was a bit disappointed with them in midweek, to be honest, about the fact that they made
27:40 11 changes for the FA Cup tie. We get this a lot with clubs, it's by no means a Hull
27:47 issue, but I just think when you're in the sort of form you're in, there are only points
27:52 outside the playoffs, but it's that sequence of results. You just need to get a win and
27:57 not worry too much about, "Oh, we've got a game in three or four days' time," or whatever
28:02 it is. So, I was a bit disappointed to see them make so many changes for that FA Cup
28:07 replay. I think a win of any nature would have done more good than the harm of 90 minutes
28:16 or even 120 minutes in their legs getting it would have done. So, that disappointed
28:22 me. But as I say, the big picture is, for all that they are in this bad room, they are
28:27 only a point outside the playoffs. And as I say, I think the Hull supporters do believe
28:34 in the direction that club's going in and things can certainly be set right there.
28:41 Yeah, I mean, they have got a bit of a break haven't they? They've obviously got a huge
28:45 game against Sunderland, but you sort of look at the games after and with respect, they'll
28:52 be hoping to get points. They've obviously got a couple of home games, Millwall and Swansea,
28:57 and they go to Rotherham and Huddersfield. So, what I would say is, I think if Hull don't
29:04 get a half decent amount of points from those games, with respect, I would start to be a
29:10 little bit concerned.
29:12 And Rotherham United is our next stop, who have only claimed one win from five games
29:18 and find themselves eight points adrift at the foot of the table. Now, with a game against
29:23 promotion chasing Middlesbrough next on the cards, what do the Millers have to do to try
29:29 and close that gap between themselves and safety, Leon?
29:33 Well, I think at the minute, their only real port of call is just to keep chipping away
29:39 really. I made a point in my match report on the other day that lost at home to Stoke.
29:49 I don't know what Stuart thinks, but at the minute I look at Rotherham and the only way
29:54 you can see them winning is just by nicking a win, which is obviously an important skill
30:02 to have aside fighting for their lives. You take a win any which way it comes. You look
30:13 at some of the wins that Sheffield Wednesday have had, for instance. I look at Rotherham
30:19 and to a lesser extent, Huddersfield. At the minute, they just need so much to go right
30:27 for them, the opposition, to have an off day and hopefully Rotherham can pilfer something
30:35 if you like. To be fair, it happened against Middlesbrough on Boxing Day. He's come in,
30:43 Liam Richardson, and you can understand he's looked at it and thought, let's make Rotherham
30:48 part of the team as the first part of his brief. I think he's done that in the main.
30:57 They had a decent Christmas to beat Borough, they got a draw against Sunderland, a draw
31:02 against Blackburn as well. It was pretty much a game of fine margins against Stoke. Stoke
31:10 were in control aspects of the game, but it wasn't free-flowing and chances here and everywhere
31:19 that they won the game were a very good free kick in the end. My fear for Rotherham is
31:25 they don't have enough players to change the narrative going forward. Match winners, that's
31:34 my concern. They didn't really lay a glove on Stoke. I thought at the back they were
31:39 a side you could have got at. That was disappointing and a bit worrying. I think the issue in the
31:51 bracket for Richardson is that type of player that Rotherham need, that player who can make
31:58 a difference at Championship level and come in and provide the assists and the goals.
32:03 They don't come cheap and they're difficult to get at this time of year. There's probably
32:11 a lot of clubs chasing them as well. I think they're going to have to come up with something
32:17 now at the end of the window. The injuries haven't helped them this season. You look
32:24 at the games that are coming up, they've got some, I suppose they're all tough games for
32:30 Rotherham. The run that they're about to embark on looks really tough. They've got to play
32:36 Buller, they've got to play Southampton, Leeds, Hull, Watford, Ipswich. Teams with varying
32:43 levels of promotion aspirations there. They've just got to try and stay in the fight. My
32:51 worry is how they're going to get those wins to keep in touch. As much as we speak about
33:04 the New York Stadium getting the points there, this, that and the other, they've only won
33:10 three games there this season. You just hope that from Rotherham's perspective they can
33:18 give themselves some hope after those tough games. They've got one or two teams around
33:23 them after that end of February, start of the first half of March. I'm not quite sure
33:29 of the order but I know they've got to play QPR, Wednesday and Huddersfield. I think looking
33:35 at it, they've just got to try and do enough in this next block of games to be in touch
33:41 for those games against teams around them. It's not easy.
33:44 Hard to beat is good but it doesn't cut it when you're eight points adrift. You look
33:53 at the games coming up, Middlesbrough, they've obviously got that 1-0 over Christmas. Southampton,
33:59 Leeds, Hull, Watford, Ipswich, these are all the next games. They're all the sort of games
34:04 you could see Rotherham, well certainly the home ones, digging in and getting a real backs
34:11 to the wall point from quite a few of those games. But backs to the wall points just aren't
34:16 enough. It really rammed it home for me when I read Leon's match report and he just spelled
34:21 it out there, three wins this season. Three wins in half a season, that doesn't get you
34:28 out of relegation trouble I'm afraid. The spirit there is great. They are having to
34:38 consistently punch above their weight, that's the reality of where they are. But they just
34:44 need something extra. As Leon says, it's hard to see where they're going to get it. They
34:49 gambled last year to bring in someone with that bit of je ne sais quoi. We saw Kuehne
34:55 manage to do in flashes at Barnsley before but it just didn't work. Most of the players
35:03 they signed in that situation, there's going to be that massive gamble element to it for
35:10 them to be within Rotherham's price budget.
35:14 They sort of try and, to be fair to Sane, he's tried with two up front. Nombé and Jordan
35:25 Hugo, they're both up top against Stowe but they're just struggling to gain players but
35:33 struggling to make an impression. The other players, that element of doing things off
35:41 the club, that bit of devilment, that bit of poise, they're just sort of lacking in
35:47 that aspect. I think I put as well, there's 59 shots they've had on target all season.
35:53 I've sort of had a little bit of them. The next one, lowest to that, I think it was something
35:59 like 80, 81. So they've, look at it in their statistics, that's 21 shots that they've had,
36:07 less than any of the rivals this season. On target shots, that's a fair number. The statistics
36:16 aren't looking particularly great for Rotherham but they do have those qualities that we admire
36:27 and associate with them over the years. That organisation, that togetherness and that resolve.
36:32 They've got plenty of those sorts of players. They've got proud players who've been around
36:39 the block and are good professionals. The lead Peltiers of this world, Sean Morrison.
36:45 They've got the sort of Nelson leadership experience. It's just that next bridge, that
36:52 next step. Those real quality players and enough maximum winners to make the difference.
36:59 Let's be straight, certainly at home, we're not talking about players underperforming
37:06 here like we are in some of the other clubs. We're talking about players giving their all
37:10 and we're not talking about 11 donkeys every week either. They've got players like Rathbone
37:16 and Carrefour who can produce those little moments. But in the whole picture, when you
37:23 look at things, it just doesn't look like there's enough there. It's a real challenge
37:28 for them to put that right in January on the budget they're working on. We don't want them
37:34 to suspend themselves into oblivion trying to sort it out and they won't anyway, regardless
37:39 of what we want. It's difficult to see them coming out of the transfer window with a squad
37:46 that has enough quality to make up the gap. I really hope they do, obviously. But right
37:54 now, it looks like a real uphill struggle for them and for Liam Richardson to sort this
37:59 out.
38:00 They're going to need a bonus ball, aren't they, I think, in the next few weeks. To be
38:05 fair, they've got them against things working against Borough on Boxing Day. You take it
38:11 down here, they're definitely going to need another one, if not a couple of those. You
38:16 sort of mind goes back to Huddersfield last season, under Warnock, they were in a bit
38:22 of a grim position. Did they go to Millwall? Nobody expected them to win there. Then they
38:27 went to Watford. But rather, they're in desperate need of a couple of those from somewhere.
38:33 And Huddersfield Town is where our attention turns to now, who due to claiming just one
38:40 win from the last five games, find themselves just four points clear of the relegation places.
38:45 Now, I saw another one of your articles, Stuart, in which you said that the Darren Moore and
38:51 Huddersfield Town connection is like a marriage that is still in need of a spark. Now, where
38:57 do you think that spark could come from? And can we expect to see much change to the squad
39:02 during the rest of the transfer window?
39:05 Well, I'd be interested to hear Liam's view on this, because he's seen more of Huddersfield
39:10 than I have this season. But I think there's similar problems to what we're talking about
39:15 with Rotherham United. But in all fairness, I feel there is a bit more quality in that
39:21 Huddersfield squad. And I feel that the problem is that they're just on too tight a leash.
39:26 They feel too passive to me in the same way that Rotherham do. Hard to beat. I saw them
39:32 against Manchester City and nobody expected them to win. They lost the game 5-0. But in
39:37 those situations, when it's back to the wall and they have to defend, and you bear in mind
39:41 this is a squad with defenders of the quality of Helic and Lees and Pearson when he's fit
39:48 and Nakayama when he's back from the Asian Cup, they seem to be comfortable when they
39:53 don't have to force the pace. But when they do, I saw them on Saturday, draw 1-1 against
39:59 Plymouth Argyle. That was a team that they needed to beat and really drag into the relegation
40:04 battle. There just wasn't enough there. It wasn't that they didn't try to attack. It
40:09 just felt like that handbrake was on and it feels like they've never really been released
40:16 under Darren Moore this season. I think there might be a few Sheffield Wednesday fans thinking
40:21 that sounds a bit familiar of his time there. Just a bit too reserved. They were unfortunate
40:27 on Saturday in the sense that they obviously identified that they needed a number 9 to
40:33 give them that bitter bump. They'd gone out and signed one who looks on paper quite a
40:39 decent one and then he got a minor muscle injury and he was unable to play on Saturday.
40:45 That clearly made a big difference to them. But that's one player. The rest of the team,
40:50 I just didn't see that intent to really go at a team, really get the crowd on your side
40:57 and try to do something to actively win games, not just not lose them. As I say, Leon's seen
41:05 more of them than I have this season. I'm interested to know what you think about that.
41:10 I totally agree with you, Stuart. It just seems, the minute we're approaching the crucial
41:19 time in Huddersfield's season on so many levels, they need more options in the final third.
41:29 They've obviously brought Vardar Lukovic in, unfortunately with him getting that injury.
41:34 By all accounts, they've been heavily linked with the lad at Watford as well. Hopefully
41:40 he may come in and bring something else as well. But you look at the games, Plymouth,
41:45 that's one that's left them on the page for a few weeks. To be fair to Huddersfield,
41:51 we're wanting to see the callers being, "Let's see Darren Moore, we can try and eke out results."
41:57 What about the identity and the personality of his side? To be fair, they showed that
42:03 against Blackburn over Christmas. They showed that against Middlesbrough as well and they
42:08 were very unlucky to lose that game. Okay, they'd obviously lost in the Cup at City and
42:16 the game at Leicester, but you can't really gauge Huddersfield. The games that you can
42:22 gauge them on are the games against the likes of Plymouth and Blackburn. That's why it was
42:27 so disappointing for me to hear the fact that everything had gone so flat again. With the
42:36 fixtures as well, they've got to go back to Blackburn and they've really had fun. They've
42:40 really fallen off the cliff. QPR and Sheffield Wednesday, huge games in the context of the
42:44 season, the context of Darren Moore's reign as well. If they don't get a win or two there,
42:50 he's going to run out of friends in the stands and you wonder which way it will go. But at
42:59 the minute, they're just playing a little bit too much with the handbrake, isn't it?
43:06 Let it go a little bit over Christmas. That was a really disappointing result. I don't
43:15 know what Stuart thinks about the comments of Kevin Nagel. He obviously wears his heart
43:21 on his sleeve and he's the owner and he's got every right to do what he wants. I suppose
43:28 he pays the bills. I just don't see afterwards going on social media in a fitted peak or
43:36 whatever, announcing to the world 'not good enough'. I see that as grandstanding in some
43:47 respects. I've got to be quite honest. It may resonate well with the supporters. But
43:53 I just think the players, when they see that... One thing I'll say about Huddersfield is that
44:00 they're not the best squad of players in the Championship. But the players who give their
44:09 all, they're good professionals. You can't accuse them of a lack of effort and advocating
44:15 them. If I was a player, things didn't go their way against Plymouth and it was disappointing.
44:22 It gave them a target to win. But then the players will be on the phones afterwards and
44:28 then somebody alerts them to that or they see it. They'll say what they want but they've
44:33 given everything. I would have just preferred it if the chairman, he obviously has concerns
44:39 with the form. Why can't he do that in private, behind closed doors, have a meet? You don't
44:44 have to just go on to social media and tell everyone. Do it in front of the players, have
44:50 a meet in the next week. I didn't particularly like what the chairman did there. It's not
44:59 the first time this season. I just don't think it's helpful in the current position that
45:05 Huddersfield Town are in.
45:07 I'd agree with that. But in all honesty, I don't think it's going to change.
45:12 No.
45:14 I think what was more frustrating was the fact that the previous one, which was shortly
45:20 before Neil Warnock left and you don't need to join the Dots to work out the relationship
45:28 between those. That was done from California. This time he was in the stadium. He could
45:32 have just bitten his lip for five minutes, he could have gone down to the dressing room,
45:36 he could have said it to the manager's face first. Even if he tweeted it after having
45:41 said it to the manager. The first time I knew about it was when we told him in the press
45:45 conference. That puts him in an awkward and embarrassing position. He said on his video
45:53 diary later that night that he was going to have a conversation with the players about
45:58 not passing backwards and sideways so much. I think that's a little bit of a simplistic
46:03 view of football, but fair enough, that is his view.
46:07 But again, it's one thing to say them in public, but it would be nice to say them first in
46:12 person when you are on the ground. I understand his frustrations and I think most of the supporters
46:20 share his frustrations. It's not even that I disagree with what he's saying, it's just
46:25 how he's doing it and when he's doing it. But as I say, it's not going to change. What
46:30 I really hope is that the players feel hurt enough by that that we just see a bit more
46:37 of them. If it takes that to kick them up the backside, and as I say, it's not that
46:41 they're not trying hard enough, Leon's absolutely right. It's just that they're not throwing
46:45 enough punches. They had most of the ball against Plymouth, they created some chances,
46:51 but they didn't create enough. There just didn't seem to be enough gung-ho about them.
46:57 You can't be reckless, obviously. I don't want them to start playing with seven up front
47:04 and disregard defending or anything like that, but they just feel too reserved for me. I
47:09 say, Rotherham do as well, but scared of losing, exactly. Rotherham do as well, but it feels
47:16 like in Rotherham it's slightly more excusable because you look at what they're working with.
47:21 Huddersfield, with the greatest of respect to Rotherham, I think have a bit more to work
47:25 with. I don't think they've got a wonderful squad that should be in the top half of the
47:30 table, but again, there's players there. There's people like Sorba Thomas and Josh
47:37 Koroma, and obviously Bergzorg's injured at the moment, Radulevic was missing, but there's
47:42 enough there to just show a bit more intent. If they lose a game or two playing that way,
47:51 I guess you've just got to suck it up. Nine draws in 21 matches, again, as I said about
47:57 Rotherham, that's not going to take you anywhere. They are above the dotted line, but they're
48:02 above a Sheffield Wednesday side who are showing a lot more momentum. They're setting a pace
48:08 that Huddersfield have to respond to. I think it's as much psychological as it is about
48:15 personnel. I need to show, not a reckless, but a more positive mindset. If they did that,
48:23 I think they could persuade these fans who have not been sold on him that there is something
48:31 to get behind there. But right now, it just feels like, as I say, a marriage without a
48:36 spark. It feels like two parties who've been put together slightly reluctantly, and the
48:43 Huddersfield fans haven't seen anything yet in Darren Moore to get excited about and have
48:48 belief about. We saw under Neil Warnock what a difference it made to that stadium to have
48:55 that belief and have that support from the stands. Then it snowballs, then you get the
48:59 results and the belief builds and so on and so forth. It just doesn't seem to be there
49:03 at the moment. It feels too apathetic, too not believing in what's in front of them.
49:14 They have to change that and they have to do it themselves. It's not about signings.
49:18 It's not about anything other than them as a group saying, "Look, we just need to be
49:23 more positive about this."
49:24 I think they did show little bits of that, didn't they? Certainly against Blackburn
49:34 and then Mendelssohn, it was more front-foot proactive. It is within them somewhere, isn't
49:43 it? I just look at those games, Blackburn certainly to a much larger degree, QPR and
49:51 Sheffield Wednesday. Those six pointers, it could be a case of which team is the more
49:57 brave and proactive. There will be a lot of psychology going into those games. You just
50:03 hope from a Huddersfield perspective they can summon something up because they're huge
50:08 games in the context of the season.
50:10 We all know the maths aren't difficult. You'd better win one, lose one, then draw,
50:14 draw, draw. Nine draws and only three wins in 21 games. They're stuck in the mud while
50:21 Sheffield Wednesday are just building momentum behind them. It won't be long before they
50:27 swap places unless Huddersfield can just get that extra oomph behind them.
50:34 That cautious approach is okay still, isn't it? You could have more wins, haven't you?
50:39 Yes, or you've got to be doing it from a tenth place or whatever. They don't have that margin
50:49 for error now. They did have, but once Sheffield Wednesday got their act in order, they need
50:55 to respond to that.
50:57 Certainly with the option, hopefully the serving striker will be seen soon. There will be a
51:04 couple of other signings as well. To be fair, back in late autumn, early winter, more could
51:11 only play one way, couldn't it? The injury count was, we're not talking five or six,
51:17 we're talking 11, 12, sometimes in some cases higher. The way he played was dictated by
51:26 who he has available. He's cleared up a little bit since, so there's less excuses. Obviously
51:32 brought in a couple of new players, maybe more to come. That sort of approach won't
51:42 wash will it, because you've got more hands on deck. Big time for Huddersfield.
51:48 Finally for this week, we turn over to Stuart for his Team of the Week before looking to
51:54 his player of the week. Stuart, who has caught your eye this week?
51:58 There were a couple of contenders. I think Middlesbrough are coming from behind to beat
52:04 Millwall on the back of their cup exploits, certainly was in my thinking. Another good
52:11 win for Harrogate Town, who are just keeping that momentum going. I think this week I'd
52:16 go for Leeds United. Potentially difficult start to the year with a fake up third round
52:24 and away to Cardiff City. They've responded with three 3-0 wins when you took the Birmingham
52:30 game on New Year's Day. We've said this a few times already, they were one of those
52:35 teams that were having that wobble. They kept the nerve and they've really responded well.
52:41 I think massive credit to them, massive credit to Patrick Bamford who scored again. I think
52:47 they're my Team of the Week.
52:48 I think Stuart's stolen my thunder a little bit there, but it's fair enough. Looking at
52:56 the players, you mentioned one or two of the teams I've been looking at as well, Stuart.
53:01 I look at Middlesbrough, Dan Velasco, I think he's in a good vein of form. He was good against
53:10 Villa and Chelsea and by all accounts he was at the heart of the second half. Revival and
53:19 win at Millwall, that was a big win for Borough to be fair, coming back off the Chelsea game.
53:25 It could have gone flat after that, but I thought that was a good win. Dale Frye as
53:29 well, he's been in sterling form. I mentioned Harrogate, they're a little unheralded success
53:39 story at the minute, aren't they? The players are stepping up there and Avery Modder, he
53:45 had another good week and a goal. I'm drawn towards Patrick Bamford as well, Stuart. We
53:52 spoke last week, I thought it was really shrewd from Daniel Farquhar, I think he got the timing
54:00 spot on. In terms of looking at the game, when to bring Bamford in against Birmingham,
54:06 the timing, taking Pirrell out of the fray, having a look at Bamford, he's reeked of
54:13 harvest, hasn't he? Obviously, a brilliant goal against Peterborough, followed up from
54:20 his goal against Birmingham. A bread and butter game against Cardiff away, he led the
54:29 line well and showed his knows, he's skilled by all accounts. He scored a striker's goal,
54:37 a million miles away from the spectacular goal he scored against Peterborough, but a
54:45 stocking in trade goal for a striker. That's 3-3. What a start for the 2024 for Bamford.
54:55 You compare it with the previous year, when Lee's got relegated, he'd come in for a fair
55:04 amount of stick from supporters, penalty misses, this, that and the other. All this talk about
55:12 his fitness and injuries, he's dusted himself down and he's packing a punch this year.
55:20 He looks to be a really important player again for Leeds.
55:24 Yorkshire Post.co.uk
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