On this week's show YP football writers Stuart Rayner and Leon Wobschall discuss the sacking of Darren Moore by Huddersfield just two days before the closing of the January Transfer Window.
They also cast an eye over whether Sheffield United are good enough to pull themselves out of the relegation hole they find themselve in in the Premier League and how Leeds United are possibly making life harder for themselves than is necessary in their quest to secure an instant return to the top-flight.
The EFL Trophy clash between Bradford City and Doncaster Rovers is also covered and how the result leaves each team’s respective campaign.
PLUS our panel pick their Team of the Week and Player of the Week ...
They also cast an eye over whether Sheffield United are good enough to pull themselves out of the relegation hole they find themselve in in the Premier League and how Leeds United are possibly making life harder for themselves than is necessary in their quest to secure an instant return to the top-flight.
The EFL Trophy clash between Bradford City and Doncaster Rovers is also covered and how the result leaves each team’s respective campaign.
PLUS our panel pick their Team of the Week and Player of the Week ...
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SportsTranscript
00:00 [Music]
00:11 Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Football Talk from the Yorkshire Post, where we will be discussing some of the latest talking points from the world of football with members of our football writing team.
00:19 On this week's episode we're joined by Chief Football Writer for the Yorkshire Post, Stuart Rayner, and Football Writer for the Yorkshire Post, Bjorn Walshall, to discuss all of the latest developments affecting our local clubs.
00:29 Don't forget you can keep up to date with all the football news across Yorkshire and beyond by logging onto our website at yp.sport@nationalworld.com, as well as checking out our various Twitter feeds, the main one being @ypsport.
00:42 If you search for Yorkshire Post Sport, Yorkshire Post Football, or even Sheffield Sport on Facebook, you can find us there as well.
00:48 And if you have any questions for our writers, you can get in touch using those various Twitter or Facebook pages, or email us directly with a subject matter at the Football Talk podcast at yp.sport@nationalworld.com.
00:59 YorkshirePost.co.uk
01:02 As mentioned earlier in the intro, this week we're joined by Chief Football Writer for the Yorkshire Post, Stuart Rayner, and Football Writer for the Yorkshire Post, Leon Walshall. Good morning guys.
01:10 Morning.
01:11 Morning.
01:12 Right, this week we had a mix of FA Cup, EFL Trophy and League action, with Sheffield Wednesday earning a replay with Coventry City after a 1-1 draw at Hillsborough.
01:27 In the Championship, Huddersfield Town had to settle for a point in their 1-1 draw with Queens Park Rangers, and we'll be covering the latest developments in this week's podcast.
01:37 Barnsley fell to a 2-1 defeat when they hosted Exeter City in League 1, and in League 2 Doncaster Rovers fell to a 5-1 defeat when they hosted Stockport County, and Bradford City fell to a 2-0 defeat when they visited Swindon Town.
01:51 Now, we'll be covering both Bradford City and Doncaster Rovers later on in this week's episode.
01:57 However, before that, as I mentioned earlier, we're going to be covering the developments following Huddersfield Town's 1-1 draw with Queens Park Rangers, which is that following that result, news came out from the club that Darren Moore had been relieved of his duties as head coach after just seven months of being in that position.
02:17 Now, Stuart, just last week we mentioned an article that you wrote in which you described the relationship between Huddersfield Town and Darren Moore as a marriage which was in need of a spark.
02:29 Unfortunately, here we are a week later and it just hasn't worked out for them. What do you make of the club's decision, and have there been any names connected with taking the role?
02:43 Well, yeah, as I sort of alluded to in that article and in that podcast, the writing had been on the wall for a while in terms of, I remember covering a horrendous week where they conceded 4 against Cardiff and 4 against Leeds, and writing then that even then it felt like Darren Moore was sort of almost fighting for his job.
03:07 I think it was the Leeds game, it was only his seventh game in charge. But that said, there's been plenty of managers in the past who've started badly and turned it around. So I think Huddersfield were right to give him a bit of time to do something about it.
03:31 As I said as recently as that Plymouth game, there just wasn't that impetus, that attacking intent about the team. But I just think the timing of the decision was wrong. I think you can go one of two ways, and they've managed to fall between the two.
03:49 They've backed Darren Moore with quite a significant outlay by their standards in the transfer market this season, this window. And they either needed to give him a chance to show what he could do with that, particularly given the injuries he's had.
04:09 Or if they didn't believe he was the right man, they needed to make the decision earlier so that the new man could have actually had some say in where that money was spent. Because now we're in a situation where there won't be a new manager in until the transfer window's shut.
04:23 And it may be that he looks at some of these expensive signings and says, "I don't fancy that player. That player doesn't fit into the way I want to play." So whichever way you want to go, in terms of they should have sacked him earlier or they should have given him more time, to fall in the middle of that and to sack someone on 29th January, I think it was, to me just did not make sense.
04:47 Whatever you think of the decision, I think you've really got to question the timing. I mean, Leon wrote the other day, I think it's fair to say Leon, that you're firmly in the camp, that he should have been given more time. And to be honest, I'm always inclined that way too.
05:09 Yeah, I wouldn't say he's firmly in the camp. I just think he just seems sensible just to give him a little bit more time. I totally agree with what you said, Stuart. I mean, he's obviously sanctioned two or three big money deals.
05:27 Obviously, the Bulks come in, the Dutch defend, the two lads up front. In the press releases announcing the signings, there was quite a few quotes from Darren Moore and he's certainly had an input there.
05:43 I just think, I mentioned in the comment piece, I think it's Huddersfield's prerogative to do what they want to do and they're obviously worried three wins in 23 is pretty poor. I think there's quite a lot of mitigating circumstances.
06:01 There's the stick to be more with in regards to attacking football. I get that on some levels, but I think he was just forced into a certain way of playing with the horrendous injuries that they had in mid to late autumn.
06:21 I'm talking double figure counts. As we know, Stuart, it's a hell of a league, the Championship, and it's no forgiver of reputations. Every point's a scrap, especially when you're low down on numbers. I think he was forced into play that way.
06:39 I've got to talk beforehand about addressing it in January. They've done that, then obviously had a minor injury to Raduljkovic, which was unfortunate. I just think a little bit more time to try and bed these signings in.
06:55 Two, three, four games maybe, and then with one or two players back, if it's still not happening for Huddersfield and Moore, then I think it would have been a fairer time to judge.
07:09 That said, me or you were not sat in the chair, we're not looking at three wins in 23, looking over our shoulders into the relegation zone. I think Huddersfield were right to make the call, but personally I would have given him a little bit more time, but time will tell.
07:29 I do think as well, we're not talking about a young and experienced manager, but nevertheless, I do think there's quite a bit Darren Moore can learn from this experience. I think he talked a lot about front foot football, but we saw very little of it.
07:47 I think in his next job, he needs to throw off the shackles a little bit and be a bit more positive. It might not actually earn him any more points than the way he's got about things at the moment, but it might buy him a bit more time and a bit more sympathy on the terraces.
08:06 You just got the impression at Huddersfield that anyone following Neil Warnock was going to have a tough job because Warnock was so popular and there was no clamour for him to go and he did. It was only a little bit like when Marcelo Bielsa went to Leeds, in the sense that it's very rare to see a manager sacked when the fans aren't actually calling for his head.
08:31 That said, I don't think Moore did enough to win over the supporters. Ultimately, it is the supporters' club. You should at least be trying to play the way the supporters want.
08:44 I remember that Cardiff game I mentioned earlier, about 10 minutes before kick-off, it just felt so flat. It was almost as if you turned upon the wrong day. There was so little enthusiasm about a relatively new manager and his team.
09:02 I think the new man who comes in has got to stir that up in the supporters in the way that Warnock did last February. However he goes about it, just get people enthused about their football again because that seemed to be the biggest issue out of Darren Moore's time.
09:18 I say Moore did struggle in the same way that Warnock did at the start of the season for a lack of investment in the summer. The new man's got these new bodies in. The question is whether these bodies actually fit in with the way he wants to play.
09:33 Hopefully somebody can come in, we can see a bit of that new manager bounce, we can see a bit of positivity and things pick up. There have been a few names mentioned, familiar names to us like Paul Heckingbottom and Michael Duff.
09:49 There have been a few names who have managed in the Premier League have been mentioned. I'm not sure if some of those are wishful thinking or not. I think whoever it is needs to learn from the mistakes of the Darren Moore reign and just come in with a bit more positivity.
10:04 It might even be a bit naive at times, but just to have a bit more impetus about them than unfortunately Darren Moore did.
10:15 He just didn't connect with the Huddersfield fans did he Stuart? For one reason or another. I personally think, thinking about the QPR game, you could have a bit of sympathy for him and his coaching staff there.
10:34 It was just the fine lines wasn't it? It was a scruffy, gratuitous goal for the QPR. How different it could have been if they'd held on to that. Speaking to Darren in his pre-match for the QPR, I spoke to him and he was talking about just one catalyst, one good result, three points, things can turn.
10:57 Maybe that might have been it if they'd gone and got that win. Obviously they didn't. Looking at the Plymouth performance, I know you went to that game. Plymouth have still not won away from home all season.
11:14 That's the one that if Moore does look back, he'll probably lament the result of performance in that particular game. I think on a human level, a lot of Huddersfield fans agree with the move to get rid of Moore and that's fair enough.
11:35 But I think in terms of the powers that be above, I think the good show, in my opinion, a little bit of a lack of class towards the head. We've spoken about Kevin Nagy, he wears his top on his sleeve. He's interacted with the fans and it's refreshing on some levels.
11:54 I personally think it was a time and a place for making statements on social media as a chairman. It really did ratchet the pressure up, talking about a must-win game openly. Did he really need to do that?
12:12 I thought it was pretty distasteful as well, pretty much after the match, when he was speaking about the result and the performance and having a little dig for claiming hanging on for a draw. I thought it showed a little bit of a lack of courtesy to Darren and his team there and it wasn't particularly professional.
12:38 I fully respect Huddersfield's prerogative to make the call. No problem with that, it's just some of the elements of the way it's done didn't sit well with me.
12:51 I think part of the problem as well was a bit of inconsistency because at the same time as he was saying it was a must-win game, there was a lot of talk in January about the managers not going right now. Obviously, it hangs on your definition of right now.
13:06 To be honest, when he said that after the Plymouth game, those two words sort of leapt out at me. Nevertheless, he was quite strong, quite frequent about saying that he was going to stick with the manager. He sort of put himself into a position where whatever he did after the QPR game, he looked like he contradicted himself a bit.
13:26 So again, I don't mean this patronisingly, but Kevin Nagle's quite new to English football, there's things for him to learn about this. Nobody at any age reaches the point where they should stop learning. I think all sides have got something to take from this.
13:47 Hopefully, much as I'm unhappy with the timing of it, this can just draw a line under things and we can get a much more buoyant, much more positive John Smith Stadium, as we saw this time last year or thereabouts, for the run into the season.
14:06 Because they are going to need it. They have been drifting along quite worryingly for quite a long time and they do need that kick wherever it comes from.
14:17 Yes, they certainly need that short-term pity, if you like, Stuart, don't they? Obviously, they spoke in the leaving statement about addressing the short-term and talk of a tight-minded footballer. I think in the here and now, they are in a reasonably similar situation.
14:34 Probably not quite as bad as they were when Neil Warnock took over from Mark Fodringham. There were correlations really. I remember I did the last two games of the Fodringham era and they obviously considered the late goal to Blackpool, I remember.
14:53 A little bit of links with what happened with Moore at QPR. Fundamentally, they need to get some results reasonably sharpish, don't they? I think the philosophy and all that side of it can be part of the initial...
15:11 It's about Huddersfield getting out of trouble. Moore, he never quite got that conundrum between pragmatic and getting results with a little bit of style. He didn't quite get the balance right. He just hoped his successor can do that.
15:30 It's still a reasonably attractive job, isn't it? If they did manage to get Paul Heckingbottom, that would be a pretty shrewd appointment. He lives reasonably locally. From what I can gather, he's eager to get back in with the right opportunity, whether it's now or further down the line in the summer.
15:54 You'd think he could well be attracted to him. John Hughes is another interesting candidate. On the Midlands scene, I dare say he's pretty well known to Mark Cartwright, the sporting director, who's got a lot of links in that part of the world.
16:11 Other candidates too. You just hope for Huddersfield to make the right appointment and get that little bit of sugar rush of early results to buy them a bit of time, a bit more confidence and surety about the league position.
16:29 If they have a good start with their successor, then they can bring in the stuff about attacking football, this and that. First and foremost, the Championship. When you're in Huddersfield's position, it's about staying on.
16:43 That's the other strange thing about the timing. The game against Huntershedfield on Saturday just leaps out at you. It's such a massive game. To go into that with a caretaker manager… I'm not saying by any means that I fancy there are chances with Darren Moore in charge, the way things are going right now.
17:01 But to go in with a caretaker manager just seems almost reckless. It does mean that the new manager's first games… Assuming he comes in quickly off the back of that, you're looking at Southampton away, Sunderland at home, Hull at home, Watford away, Leeds away. That is not an easy start for the new guy.
17:22 When Leon talks about Sugar Rush, they are definitely going to need that. The flip side of it is, with such difficult games, if you can pull a result out of one of those from nowhere, however you do it, the boost it gives you is that much greater. That's been quite negative about them so far. That's the positive side about it.
17:45 I don't think there will be much attack man in football at Southampton, to be quite honest.
17:49 I would hope not, to be honest. It could be quite messy.
17:52 Yes, I would certainly be pragmatic in that game. I suppose the beauty of the Championship is, I'm not necessarily thinking about that game, because I think Huddersfield will do really well to get a point, but I think one or two of the others mentioned, being the Championship, you wouldn't disregard Huddersfield getting a few results from somewhere.
18:17 I think one thing I would say, I agree with what Stuart said about the game on Saturday, such a huge game. A little bit of a risk to go in with a caretaker manager.
18:30 But, if you look at it on the other side of the coin, John Worthington is a Huddersfield man as such. He's from the Spen Valley area, played for Town as a teenager in that side that came through.
18:48 After the administration times in the noughties, he's got a big feel for the club. Local and popular player. We all wish him well in that regard and I'm sure the supporters will get behind him.
19:04 Next we turn our attention to Sheffield United, who fell out of the FA Cup after a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Brighton and Hove Albion, which was then followed up by their 3-2 defeat against Crystal Palace.
19:16 What did you make of their performances and what could we expect in their game against Aston Villa, Leon?
19:23 We've talked about it many times, Stuart's seen a fair bit more of Sheffield United than myself. It's just getting that defensive consistency. They didn't play particularly bad against Brighton on Saturday.
19:39 But at the end of the day, they still conceded five goals and they've gone to Crystal Palace in a bigger game in the greater scheme of things. They've obviously taken the lead twice and seen Palace come back on two occasions and then go on to get a winner.
19:59 Chris Wilder is a big crowd before the deadline on Thursday, he's made no bones about it. He's brought in a new goalkeeper, bringing another option on the right-hand side of central defence, which will be without John Egan and Chris Bashun, two very experienced players.
20:21 We've spoken consistently about the soft goals and the preventable goals that they've conceded. I just think it goes to show that in the Premier League, you've just got to be so on point.
20:36 Any little error will be punished and you've just got to be right on the money in terms of the way you mark someone, your distances and your concentration level. In the Championship you can get away with more things.
20:54 In the big league, even against modest sides in Crystal Palace, they will have enough quality to punish you. You hope from Wilder's perspective and Sheffield United, they can address that by the time the window shuts.
21:14 It must have been linked to a few players in that regard. Joe Worrell, who's not having a good time of it. Nottingham Forest, one or two of those Chris Metham mentioned. They could really do for me another senior defensive option.
21:29 He's certainly got, going forward, a bit more of the mojo back. He's been a decent start for Ben Britten, Diaz, James McTee. He's a quality player and Wilder's getting a bit of a tune out of him.
21:50 But it's more defensive in my concerns.
21:54 I think it's just a sobering reminder of where Sheffield United are. We're not talking about the Derby County team of years ago who were so far out of their depth.
22:06 But they're consistently not up to it on those little defensive details that make such a big difference. I think the playing staff and the football staff can't be too realistic about it.
22:20 They've got to keep up the fight. But I think the rest of us, in judging the job Chris Wilder's doing, judging the job the players are doing, we've got to have that realism in mind and not judge them too harshly.
22:35 I think when the story of this season is written, we'll look back and say what a big blow losing John Egan was. I'm not saying that they would have stayed up with John Egan in the side because they're not sure he could cover all of those deficiencies.
22:48 But I think it certainly would have made them a lot more competitive. But to be honest, lots of teams in the division have that sort of story.
22:59 Manchester City have had half a season without Kevin De Bruyne for goodness sake.
23:03 Obviously, the lower down the league you go generally, the less resources you have to deal with those things. That's the issue.
23:12 I do feel that Sheffield United are better for Chris Wilder coming in, in that they are more competitive in matches, but ultimately not competitive enough to stay up.
23:27 I hope that this defensive signing comes here, it flicks a switch and it makes a difference.
23:34 But as I said about Egan, it's a big ask for one player to come in and make that difference.
23:39 But they've just got to keep fighting. They've just got to keep carrying on regardless.
23:45 They have picked up a few results in this time, not enough, but they've just got to plug at it and hope for some luck.
23:53 I hope that, I don't know, not wanting to wish it on them, but Luton have a stroke of bad luck like that.
24:01 I hope that all these FFP investigations suddenly throw things up in the air for Forrest and Everton.
24:10 Just hope something falls into place. But it does feel like hope against hope already at this stage of the season, rather than a realistic belief that they can stay up.
24:20 Yeah, I think to be fair, the support of Stuart, I think they're quite realistic as well.
24:25 I do, yeah.
24:26 They're quite pragmatic about it.
24:28 But what they won't tolerate is not seeing a Sheffield United side who show those characteristics that we've spoken about, that we associate.
24:37 You know, the sort of heart-resolve, organisation, intensity, aggression, that sort of thing.
24:48 To be fair to Wilder, they've looked a bit more at it in that regard, haven't they?
24:55 I think I mentioned that last week as well. People have got to realise that his job is pretty much twofold, isn't it?
25:02 Obviously, in an ideal world, he'll be another great escape like he had when he was a player all those years ago.
25:10 But I think the bigger picture is about looking to Bill for next season, trying to have a look at some of these young players.
25:18 Which he has done, to be fair. Andre Brooks looks like he's early days, but looks like the Sheffield United have certainly unearthed the talent there.
25:26 Willer Silva as well. He's a bit raw from what I've seen of him, don't get me wrong.
25:31 But he has got something about him. He's a big, strong lad with a yard of pace.
25:37 He obviously got another FA Cup goal on Saturday. I think that's as much part of Wilder's brief as well.
25:45 Obviously, he'll be trying to keep the club up. That goes without saying.
25:50 But trying to get some, if they do go down, which I think if you were a betting man, you'd probably go that way, wouldn't you?
26:00 To look for some hope for next season, some players who he can build on and use hopefully next season in their tilt for promotion.
26:09 But as Stuart said, they've still got something to try for and they've got a journey on.
26:16 Yeah, and they're human beings. We saw them ground down towards the end of Paul Hecubotham's time.
26:22 But ultimately, even if they're thinking selfishly, they've got things to play for themselves.
26:27 Some of those players will want to prove that when Sheffield United go down, they should stay in the Premier League.
26:34 Some of them have got contracts to play for, whether that be at Bramall Lane or elsewhere.
26:39 And some of them should just be looking at it thinking, I want to be part of this Chris Wilder promotion push next season.
26:47 So I think they've all got to show professionalism and fight. And as Leon says, that has been the really encouraging characteristic of Chris Wilder's time in charge.
27:00 And I think if that disappears, you can maybe forgive it in the last couple of weeks, but if that disappears too easily, or too quickly I should say,
27:09 I think that will have a big bearing on that rebuild. So it's really important that they pay back those supporters who, as Leon said, have been really supportive and really tried to get behind them.
27:21 Pay them back with at least some courageous performances and then there's something to work with in this rebuild, which even if they were to stay up, is going to be needed.
27:34 And if they just want something in the area now, quickly, they just have to look at Luton. I know they probably don't want to and that result the other night when they hammered Brighton 4-0,
27:45 certainly didn't need that, but it does show what can be achieved, doesn't it?
27:51 Absolutely. We talk about Sheffield United having so little resources and all that sort of thing, but it's not like Luton are chucking money around.
27:58 They're not this season's Nottingham Forest, so yeah, it should be a really good inspiration to them, you're right there.
28:05 And next we turn our attention to Leeds United, who will have to face a replay with Plymouth Argyle after playing out a 1-1 draw in the first leg at Ellon Road,
28:14 which saw Jadon Anthony put the Whites ahead after 31 minutes before the visitors scored their equaliser in the 73rd minute of the game.
28:22 Now, what was your assessment of the game and turning to their league duties, how do you look at their upcoming game away at Bristol City, Stuart?
28:31 Well, they're certainly making things harder for themselves, aren't they, Mark? I mean, they already had a difficult February as it is, and they've lined up another trip to Plymouth Argyle.
28:40 So, you know, they've got a month where they've got two trips to Plymouth, one to Bristol City, one to Swansea. If they win the Plymouth FA Cup tie, they've got a trip to Chelsea or Aston Villa.
28:53 And even their home games, they've got a Yorkshire derby against Rotherham. Obviously, Rotherham won't make that easy for them. We saw that in the reverse fixture.
29:00 And a game against Leicester City, River has it quite decent as well. So, it's a heck of a month for them.
29:06 So, it's a real test. But I think the thing they need to take from that, and even to a degree the Norwich game on the previous Wednesday, which they got away with, is that they need to be more ruthless when they're on top.
29:20 If you'd said to me in the first half, 'Leeds aren't going to win this', I'd have struggled to believe you.
29:28 Once it gets to half-time, there's that thought in your mind about, 'They've been so good and they're only 1-0 up, they could chuck this away'.
29:34 But nevertheless, if you just looked at the football, they were so much better.
29:38 Jorginho Ruta was excellent for them and loads of good attacking play created a lot more chances than they did with the possession against Norwich.
29:47 So, that was a step forward. But as I say, they let Plymouth off the hook.
29:53 I think Plymouth only had two shots on target all day and scored one of them.
29:57 But that happens sometimes. If you tempt fate like that, you can't complain when it comes back to bite you.
30:05 It's like we were talking about with Sheffield United. It's a detail rather than a big fundamental problem that they've got.
30:17 But it's just something they need to sharpen up on.
30:20 I'd say the net result of it is that this month, which was already difficult, is going to be a real test of their squad strength and their character.
30:31 I believe they can come through it. I didn't come away from that game with worries so much as just frustrations that they're making life harder for themselves.
30:43 The way Southampton are playing at the moment, plus the way Leicester are playing, you can't afford to be that charitable if you want to avoid the playoffs.
30:55 Any Leeds United fan with all their bad memories of playoff football, you'd really rather go up automatically.
31:03 I think it's going to test the dressing room this month. Sometimes these little spells of games where there's a few long trips almost concentrated into each other can make it even stronger.
31:19 This time of year as well, if you can chisel a few results, how it all adds to the pot and the camaraderie.
31:29 I think the little bit of a disappointing thing wasn't that the game and you were there was a good chance for Joe Perrault.
31:38 He's obviously had the big fillip of the penalty in the game against Preston relatively recently.
31:45 He needed that boost and he provided that with himself. A chance to kick on and really get a confidence rush.
31:55 When I saw him by all accounts, he was pretty disappointing against Plymouth. That was a little bit of a letdown.
32:02 I think it's a very good point, Leon, and those are precisely the two individuals I point to.
32:22 I'm not going to talk about the squad that they have. It's OK on paper, but those players have to perform like Joe Perrault and Willy Nonto.
32:31 Nonto was absolutely convinced in August that he was a Premier League player and should be playing Premier League football.
32:37 When you get a chance like Saturday, you really have to prove it. I'm sure Perrault in particular will come good at some point.
32:46 He's just going through a difficult patch, but nevertheless it must be annoying as a manager when presumably you've had these guys knocking on your door saying,
32:54 "Why am I not playing?" You give them the chance to make their case and they don't take it.
33:00 The flip side was he didn't have an outstanding performance, but Jadon Antony scored an outstanding goal.
33:06 He at least did underline his credentials a bit. Some of those guys who have not been ticking over as they'd like, not had the opportunities,
33:16 they are going to have to step up to the plate because with all these games and particularly the travel added in, they are going to need to rotate the squad.
33:25 As we speak now, their leads are in the market for a lot of similar defenders to Sheffield United.
33:34 You do just feel they would really benefit from just adding a full-back.
33:40 Because of Sam Byron's versatility, it almost doesn't matter whether they're a left or a right back.
33:46 Just one extra full-back into the mix would give you that bit of reassurance.
33:52 It seems pretty clear that from the way things have gone so far, as per usual, leads aren't going to do things the easy way.
34:02 What they have been good at so far is just making the most of what they've got and getting on with it.
34:07 I think that's going to be the story of February.
34:10 As I hinted at the beginning of the podcast, we now turn to Bradford City, who overcame Doncaster Rovers with a 1-0 victory in the quarter-finals of the Bristol Street Motors Trophy.
34:21 This now sees them through to the semi-finals of the competition, while Doncaster Rovers will turn their attention back to the league.
34:29 What were your thoughts on the game and what can both teams take from their performances, Leon?
34:35 Bradford are keeping their competitive juices going for another season.
34:44 They've got into the semi-final of the competition for the first time.
34:48 Yes, we've spoken about it many times. It's a much-reliant competition.
34:52 It offers a day out at Wembley.
34:56 Graeme McCann has been quick enough to point that out on a number of occasions.
35:01 He won it with Peter. It was timely from a bad perspective.
35:06 They'd won one in eight games before and then came into it on the back of a lousy performance against Swindon.
35:16 There were some good individual highlights as well.
35:20 Our first goal of the season from Harry Chapman.
35:23 A well-struck free kick. It was good to see Jake run get a run out.
35:31 His first at Ballot Parade for almost a year and a half or just under.
35:37 He had his moments. A couple of good runs in from the left and a decent early chance.
35:44 He got a decent reception when he made way at the end as well.
35:48 It's good to see all the brouhaha around him and Carlisle and his future.
35:54 Hopefully Park because he can be an important player for Bradford in this run to the end of the season.
36:01 He does offer something different.
36:05 So good on that level from a Bradford perspective.
36:10 Less so with what I thought was a silly dismissal from Andy Cook.
36:15 An experienced pro, he should know better.
36:19 He got into a bit of a tangle with a couple of Doncaster defenders, both North East lads like himself.
36:28 He got a book in each of the challenges and he could have no complaints really.
36:34 You could see in his face when he got dismissed.
36:39 That was the downside. For Doncaster, it was an even more rotten run than Bradford.
36:47 One winning in ten. It was a big game for both clubs.
36:52 Looking at the wider perspective of the league table, it's probably a bigger one for Bradford.
36:58 You can talk about Wembley this, that and the other.
37:01 Rovers look really... I'm starting to get pretty worried about them. They're too close to the bottom of the table for comfort.
37:11 The only good thing about Tuesday night was that Harrod did them a favour by beating Sutton.
37:17 Obviously, Rovers go to Sutton, third bottom against second front bottom.
37:22 I think there's a gap of seven points but if Rovers lose that game, the alarm bells will be really reverberating for me.
37:33 Factoring as well, they lost at Bradford but it looks like a few more additions to a treatment room which has really been pretty packed all season.
37:44 Connor Carty, the loan he came off just before half-time. Luke Molineux is the sort of player who can create something at his best.
37:55 He produced game-turning moments. He was injured beforehand.
38:01 Doncaster were waiting on the prognosis of both of them. He didn't look in a particularly good way.
38:06 Carty, when he was helped off just before half-time.
38:09 That was exacerbated by what happened at the end. Ben Close, who I thought was Doncaster's best player on the night, was stretched off.
38:20 It just never rains but pours when you're at the bottom.
38:26 They're sort of low on confidence, low on numbers again. Aside from the result with Harrington beating Sutton, the only other bright spot for me was seeing Richard Wood come back.
38:47 He's obviously had a lot of problems with his calf. He's not played since the end of September/November.
38:56 In the position they're in, they've conceded all manner of poor goals in his absence.
39:02 Five from crosses against Stophort on Saturday. They've conceded five at home not so long against Morecambe. They're in desperate need of his leadership, organisation, skills, character.
39:17 Call it what you want. If they can just get a dozen games out of him between now and the end of the season, hopefully that will drive them to safety.
39:27 I think he could be a massive figure for Doncaster in the weeks to come.
39:34 I worry about them as well as goalkeepers. Ian Lawler is out with a pretty serious injury.
39:45 There's a lot on the shoulders of Lewis Jones. Without wanting to pick on him, he's had some struggles. I just wonder if the clock's ticking before the window.
39:59 They'll be trying to get another goalkeeping option maybe. We'll just have to wait and see in that regard. I think the alarm bells are ringing.
40:12 They've got a huge game at Sutton and you just hope for Doncaster's sake that they can wrap Richard Wood up in cotton wool and get him out there ordering and organising the troops.
40:23 They can somehow get a result because they do look vulnerable to me at the minute.
40:26 I think this has to be a kick for both of these teams. From Bradford's perspective, it's another well-placed season in league terms.
40:40 It's another year they're going to be stuck in League 2. They've been down there since 2019 and they really shouldn't be down there consistently considering what they've got to work with.
40:52 Same as we were talking about Sheffield United, the rebuild doesn't wait until the summer. How you finish this season, showing a bit of fight, showing a bit of positivity, I think is a big part of it.
41:08 Obviously, if they can get to Wembley and win the thing, it's not beyond them by any means. There's your positivity straight away. They've got to really find something to give supporters to cling to, especially when we get around to season ticket renewal times.
41:28 We know how big a factor the Bradford crowd is. You want those people renewing their season tickets and coming back for next year. You've got to be producing football and giving them something they want to come back for.
41:44 That's how Bradford have got to use this. Doncaster, I couldn't agree more. Just before Leon started talking, I'm looking closely at the bottom of that league table because Doncaster do not half-kneed it, kick up the back side.
42:00 To be in the spot above the relegation zone in a season that we started with talk about competing for promotion, it's just not good enough. We were saying late last season that the demise Doncaster were on, this downward spiral could drag them to relegation.
42:24 It's genuinely becoming a worrying prospect now. A seven-point gap with a game in hand, that should be reasonably comfortable. But as Leon points out, the fact that they're playing Sutton next, that could easily be down to four points.
42:42 Then you're into really twitchy territory because not only are you reducing the gap, you're obviously giving Sutton some hope as well. This really needs to be a wake-up call for them.
42:54 Hopefully, as Leon says, Richard Wood's organisation does make that big difference for them because I'm sure he's been a really big risk this season. We know what he's capable of and to be fair, what he's not capable of at this stage of the career.
43:10 I'd be more comfortable if they could build a back three around them and protect them a little bit. But it needs those other individuals. There's too many individuals in that squad.
43:22 Leon's right about the injuries. They've been brutal for Doncaster this season. But nevertheless, there's not enough people in that dressing room, not by a long way, who can look themselves in the mirror and say, "I played to my full capabilities this season."
43:37 They need to start doing that. Again, as I said, with Sheffield United, even just from a selfish perspective, whether it be to earn themselves a move away or a new contract or whatever, professional pride is the most important thing.
43:53 These lads are not doing what they're capable of. Doncaster Rovers, for all the faults they have as a club, for all the difficulties they've had this season, they still should not be 22nd in League 2. Individuals have got to look hard at themselves and ask, "Am I doing enough? Can I raise my game?"
44:13 I think more often than not, the answer should be, "Yes, I can."
44:17 I think they've got to realise in the hearing now, Stuart, that they've got to be in the trenches, haven't they? I know it sounds a bit corny, but just roll up the sleeves. They're in a battle.
44:28 I can't remember the exact date of the season. It was the season that went down to League 2 under Darren Ferguson. It was probably six or seven years ago. They just sort of dripped into the relegation positions.
44:45 It was starting to drop about this time of year and then they fell into it in March. There was a feeling that, "Well, we've got enough. We'll be okay."
45:00 They didn't. They fell into it and went down. I just hope that they don't make the same mistakes at that time. They're in dangerous waters at the minute.
45:15 That's where you hope that the senior professionals such as Richard Ward and a few others, the Joe Ironsides of this world, can be figures that others can rally around because as it stands, they're in a bit of trouble.
45:34 They need to accept that, don't they, Liam? We've seen in numerous leagues in many, many seasons teams thinking that they're safe and just slowly sleepwalking down the table.
45:50 It's that sort of feeling that we're okay. We're not having a great season but we've got enough of a cushion that we're going to be fine. It doesn't always work like that.
46:04 Seven points sounds a lot on paper but when you think about it, it's only two wins and a draw. It's a week, exactly. There needs to be some real, honest conversations in that Doncaster dressing room.
46:20 As I say, players need to start performing to their ability because at the moment, they're letting themselves down as much as anyone else.
46:30 I think it would be interesting to see Grant McCann's take on it as well. Do you see the shield of players or do you say, 'Look, we're in a fight here. You've got to roll up your sleeves or else there's a chance we could go down'?
46:39 That's another part of it, isn't it? That psychology of it.
46:43 Absolutely. Of course, he may say one thing out in public and one behind closed doors. We shouldn't necessarily be too critical if he's coming out saying things that sound a little naive or deluded to us so long as he is actually laying down the law to them behind closed doors.
47:02 Finally for this week, we look to Stuart for his Player of the Week before turning to Leon for his Team of the Week. Stuart, who has caught your eye this week?
47:12 I think I'm going to go for Jack Muldoon this week after his two goals on Tuesday. Harrigar have had an absolutely tremendous time.
47:23 They're one point outside the playoff places as we speak. They've made no new additions in January. They've made James Belshaw's emergency loan permanent, so you could count that in.
47:39 When you think that they've lost Luke Armstrong and that Josh Marsh has obviously had his injury problems, Jack Muldoon has just stepped forward and done what he's done so many times over the years for Harrogate Town.
47:55 He's got the goals and kicked them on. As Leon says, we've got double reason to be pleased with Harrogate's victory at Sutton because of the help it's done to Don Castorova's team.
48:13 That's three in his last two games. He's got five goals since Christmas. Great to see one of the stalwarts of Harrogate's rise up through the leagues, continuing to produce and may it continue.
48:30 Leon, which team has caught your eye?
48:33 Stuart for the second week in a row. It wasn't a particularly good week, let's be honest, when we looked at the results on the weekend.
48:47 Everyone wasn't playing. It's got to be Harrogate Town, hasn't it? At the start of the season we're talking about Harrogate, Don Castor and Bradford. Without being disrespectful to Harrogate, not too many people would have had Harrogate Town as a team that would be right in the play-off mix and having a tilt for potentially getting promoted.
49:11 All power to Harrogate. They've had some sticky-ish times in the last couple of seasons. They've tested the mettle and character and have gone through it. They're having a bit more fun now. They've won three in a row, six wins in eight.
49:31 In the past they've had issues with home form and they seem to have overcome that. They're having some fun pushing for the play-offs and long may it continue. They've only been beaten once in the league since the end of November. That's consistent form.
49:53 They've obviously got some unity and confidence there. Some goalscores as well, as Stuart has mentioned, in Muldoon. It's a happy ship at Harrogate. Fair play to them.
50:08 Great to see in a division where you've got Stockport throwing money around like there's no tomorrow. We all know about the Wrexham story. Notts County are only a point above Harrogate Town. You've got the Class of '92 and all the profile that brings Salford.
50:26 You've got Bradford's crowds. It's great to see a club which doesn't attract big crowds, can't throw big money around, having success just through good coaching and good player identification. That's what it should be all about in League Two. Whenever we see a team doing that, it's really good to see.
50:48 There's always a chance in that division. You can easily have a modest first half of the season but with the way the league is structured, you can still finish in that seven spot and get promoted.
51:06 You look back just before Christmas, Bradford had won five or six in a row in all competitions. There was talk of them if they could maintain that form, they could be the ones who could have a march towards the top seven potentially. But in the event, it's Harrogate.
51:25 yorkshirepost.co.uk
51:38 Many thanks to Stuart Rayner and Leon Wobbshall who will doubtless join us again soon for more discussions on the Yorkshire football scene.
51:43 But don't forget you can keep up to date with all the football news across Yorkshire and beyond by logging onto our website at yp.sport@nationalworld.com
51:51 or if you search for Yorkshire Post Sport, Yorkshire Post Football or even Sheffield Sport on Facebook, you can find us there as well.
51:57 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 football talk podcast at yp.sport@nationalworld.com
52:08 As ever, many thanks for listening, look after yourselves and bye for now.
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