In the last podcast of the 2023-24 campaign, YP football writers Leon Wobschall and Stuart Rayner get together with host Mark Singleton to discuss the final talking points of the season.
They start at Wembley and yet more play-off heartache for Leeds United who were edged out by Southampton in the Championship play-off final, missing out on an immediate return to the Premier League in the process.
The appointment of Darrell Clarke as Barnsley’s new boss also comes up for discussion, as does the best way for Sheffield Wednesday to keep head coach Danny Rohl sweet over the coming months after the two came to agreement on his future at Hillsborough.
Finally, they discuss what we can expect over the close season from our 11 EFL clubs – with no representative in the top-flight during 2024-25.
They start at Wembley and yet more play-off heartache for Leeds United who were edged out by Southampton in the Championship play-off final, missing out on an immediate return to the Premier League in the process.
The appointment of Darrell Clarke as Barnsley’s new boss also comes up for discussion, as does the best way for Sheffield Wednesday to keep head coach Danny Rohl sweet over the coming months after the two came to agreement on his future at Hillsborough.
Finally, they discuss what we can expect over the close season from our 11 EFL clubs – with no representative in the top-flight during 2024-25.
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SportsTranscript
00:00 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
00:21 Writer for the Yorkshire Post, Stuart Rayner, and Football Writer for the Yorkshire Post,
00:25 Leon Walshall, to discuss all of the latest developments affecting our local clubs. Don't
00:29 forget you can keep up to date with all the football news across Yorkshire and beyond
00:32 by logging 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
00:51 or Facebook pages, or email us directly with a subject matter as Football Talk Podcast
00:56 at yp.sport@nationalworld.com. YorkshirePost.co.uk.
01:02 As mentioned earlier in the intro, this week we're joined by Chief Football Writer for
01:05 the Yorkshire Post, Stuart Rayner, and Football Writer for the Yorkshire Post, Leon Walshall.
01:09 Good morning guys. Morning.
01:11 Right, so let's start this week with the news that Leeds United's playoff heartbreak
01:15 continues with the Whites set for at least one more season in the Championship. Now,
01:20 let's first look at what your impressions on the game were, and then we can look at
01:25 what this could mean for the club in terms of transfers in general, and the season ahead,
01:31 because there are apparently nine players out on loan who are due to return to the club.
01:36 So Stuart, would you like to start us off on your views of the game?
01:39 Yeah, well, I mean, the game was a big disappointment from a Leeds perspective. I actually thought
01:47 they started quite well. I think possibly the experience of Ellen Road in the second
01:53 leg of the semi-final put them in good stead, because it was an absolutely cracking atmosphere
02:00 from both sets of fans at the start, and Leeds seemed to rise to it the better. But as soon
02:07 as Southampton were in front, they were able to just control the game and keep Leeds at
02:13 arm's length. I think we talked the other week about how good Southampton are at keeping
02:18 the ball, so they're obviously a good sign when it comes to defending a lead. But I think
02:26 the biggest disappointment for Leeds, not just in this game, but if you look at the
02:30 last block of games, from the March international break onwards, is that some of their big players
02:36 just didn't really turn up. I mean, the fact that they were chasing an equaliser in a Wembley
02:43 final and they thought their chances were better, and they're probably right by the
02:46 way, but they thought their chances were better by bringing off the Championship Player of
02:51 the Year, Crescencio Somerville, and an Italy international in Willy Nonto, says a lot for
02:55 how those lads performed on the day, really. It was just frustrating, because I think whenever
03:05 your team plays in a cup final, I think the most important thing is you want to give the
03:10 best impression of yourself. And they really didn't do that. It wasn't just those two lads
03:16 as well, obviously. The goal was basically just a moment of defensive disorganisation,
03:23 where the defensive line turned into an absolute squiggle as Deacon Ampadu got dragged out.
03:31 Armstrong was able to run past Girod, he got on the back of the net. It was a mess at that
03:42 end as well. But when you look at it, Alex McCarthy made a really good save from Dan
03:46 James, I think in stoppage time, obviously James hit the post in the 87th minute. But
03:50 that apart, Leeds really weren't able to trouble the goalkeeper anywhere near enough. Neither
03:58 was Southampton with Melier, but because they were 1-0 up, it didn't matter. The thing that
04:03 sort of leapt out at me is it was a kind of defensive lapse that caused the goal that
04:11 you get put in for on a regular basis in the Premier League. Championship, you get away
04:16 with it more often than not. But the Premier League quality that Southampton had, bang,
04:21 that was it. It made you think that if this Leeds team had gone up, they didn't look to
04:28 me quite ready for Premier League level. So they've got another year to sharpen up. They
04:34 always talk about what a young side they've got. They'll be a year older, a year wiser
04:38 hopefully next season. But yeah, on the day it made you think, not that it was a good
04:46 thing or clutching at straws or anything like that, but that there would have been a lot
04:49 of work to do had they gone up because they just shorten those small margins that make
04:56 all the difference in the Premier League.
04:58 Yeah, I agree with what Stuart said. I do think Southampton were fantastic certainly
05:05 in the second half when they sat back and sulked a fair bit up. They probably did have
05:09 the best chance with a mistake from Rodon when he dozy got clear. I just think they
05:15 had enough players in the spine of the team, especially who were 7 out of 10 just to get
05:21 them through. Howard Bellison and Stephens were solid at the back. I actually thought
05:26 Smallbone was probably the man of the match really. He was the player in the middle of
05:31 the park who looked the most convinced and got hold of the game more than anyone. They
05:38 obviously had the game-breaker up front in Armstrong who dined out at Leeds' expense
05:44 again. He's had four goals now, he's had 24 goals for the season. It was a clinical,
05:48 clever finish, wasn't it? He held his line well, he was very aware of what was around
05:53 him. A mistake from Ampadu. That was the game. I've done one or two of these Leeds games
06:02 now and whether it's a mental thing, one or two threes, there is a hell of a lot of
06:07 expectation on a Leeds United player who plays in such a game. But quite a few good professionals
06:14 in there, if they consider themselves to be, will look at themselves a few days and think
06:20 'I didn't do enough there' to be quite honest. It's not just, Stuart's mentioned
06:24 the two, Somerville and Gonsal. There were others too, weren't there? Yes, definitely.
06:29 Who were good professionals there, I should think. I didn't really impose myself on a
06:36 huge game, not just for the club but in terms of my career. It's interesting the comments
06:43 from the Leeds chairman as well. He spoke all the stuff about finances, this and that.
06:47 He also spoke quite a bit about mentality, didn't he? Some of the signings that Leeds
06:53 hopefully bring in to take them forward and make the next step. I think, we might mention
06:59 this in a bit, Mait now bones about it, I think going up next season really is going
07:03 to be a non-negotiable for them, isn't it? If they can use this experience to get over
07:09 the line next year, it won't be a wasted one, will it? It's a massive season for Leeds
07:17 next year. They just fell short ultimately. It was always a 50-50 game. Southampton had
07:24 just that bit, a little more conviction and poise, I felt, and got the win. I think just
07:31 about deservedly so. It was just a shame that one or two players, Dan James had a really
07:37 good cameo from the front bench. He did make a difference. He was direct and he was posing
07:43 problems to Southampton, but Leeds just needed one or two more of those, didn't they?
07:49 Yeah, I mean, of course, the thing about this Leeds team is, you look at the main leaders
07:54 in that squad. Liam Cooper on the bench, the captain. Luke Ealing, who loaned out in January
08:02 and now joined Middlesbrough. Stuart Dallas forced to retire and Patrick Bamford injured.
08:07 It's not that there isn't experience in that club, but too much of it was off the field.
08:12 They do have leaders. Ethan Ampadu is only 23, but he's squeezing 50 Wales caps and a
08:18 heck of a lot of experience. So, it's not just a simple case of look at the birth certificate
08:23 to decide how experienced or how much of a leader people are. But you do feel, as Leon
08:29 alluded to, they need a bit more of that leadership, a bit more character injecting
08:35 into that squad next season. And again, as the chairman said, it might even be a case
08:40 of signing one or two players who on paper, frankly, don't have the same talent as some
08:47 of the players going out. But he's talking about being greater than the sum of their
08:52 parts. So, if you've got that better blend of just character, frankly, then that might
08:59 tip the balance. Because as I say, it was worrying. You don't want to hand these people
09:05 out to dry because they've had great seasons and they're really good players. But the real
09:10 mark of a top player is that you really step up on the big occasion. Sometimes you look
09:15 at the historically great players and they don't always step up in their first cup final
09:21 or their second cup final. Sometimes it takes them a bit of while to get used to it. So,
09:26 we certainly shouldn't be writing off some of those of this world and saying that they're
09:31 not up to it at that level. But it's maybe something that they've got to learn and other
09:36 people alongside them to help them in that process might not be the worst thing.
09:40 I think psychology. Don't get me wrong, it was a fantastic performance against Norwich.
09:46 But I think we mentioned this before that maybe a little bit loathing to a bit more
09:52 of a false sense of security because Norwich were desperately poor on the day, as good
09:56 as Leeds were. Maybe one or two psychologically thought, well, this is it, that's the sort
10:02 of thing. They should have maybe parked it a little bit more for the big game on Sunday.
10:08 But yeah, that's by the by. And then take a positive spin, Stuart. Sometimes it can take
10:12 this disappointment, can't it, to refocus. I mean, certainly the existing Leeds players
10:19 who really care for the club and it's impossible not to care, isn't it, with the support they've
10:26 had, which was different class on the day, wasn't it? They used that to drive them next
10:32 season. But yeah, I think, probably going to talk about this, I think they've got,
10:37 if certain things drop into place, they've got a good chance next year, certainly if
10:41 they start off well. The division doesn't look as strong, but it'll still be a tough
10:47 ask all the same. It's always in this division. Yeah, I mean, it's a strange situation in
10:52 terms of their preparations because you look at it at face value and always the playoff
10:57 losers are the team who are playing catch up because they find out last of all that
11:02 they're going to be in the division. But if you actually look at things, a) Paragon
11:06 are putting a spin on it and we're much further on than last year, but b) if you look at the
11:11 managerial situation at the moment, Burnley don't have a manager, Hull as we're speaking
11:17 don't have a manager, Norwich don't have a manager. There are other clubs that are
11:21 further behind and you wonder as well when things shake out higher up the tree, when,
11:28 for example, Leicester lose their manager, if they might take someone from lower down
11:31 and we might have all sorts of clubs starting again. Leicester is that foundation. The
11:37 kind of frustration is that because of the world we live in now with parachute payments
11:43 and the huge gap between the division, it's really difficult to maintain that continuity.
11:48 There have to be sales at Leeds United, not just because players are desperate to get
11:52 into the Premier League, but to balance the books because financial fair play is something
11:57 that the Leeds are taking seriously now. It's difficult to maintain that continuity and
12:03 to learn the lessons as an entire group going forward, just go with the same team again
12:10 and learn from it. There is going to be a bit of restructuring of the team at Leeds
12:16 United, but that's the way it is. That's the way it is for everyone else as well.
12:20 They've got to make the most of it and as I said, they're starting from a better foundation
12:25 than a lot of clubs are. It's just controlling the order of it, isn't it Stuart? There's
12:30 a lot of players that are coming back from these loans. They could go out on loan again,
12:35 some of them coming with a contract. Ideally, they'll sell a few of them nice and early.
12:39 It might not get exactly what they want, but they'll get a little bit. Then as the window
12:46 ticks on, if they sell Gonto and some of them, which I would think it would probably be like
12:52 somewhere down the line, they'd be the two stars that ultimately, if Leeds supporters
12:56 are going to lose a couple, they'd probably grit their teeth with Somerville a bit and
13:04 take it. If it meant that they kept Archie Gray, they'd ultimately take that, wouldn't
13:08 they? If you can get a bit of money for some of them who have come back off loan, get them
13:14 off the books early, that might be able to maximise what they get for the likes of Somerville
13:19 a bit further down the line. It's never as straightforward as that, is it?
13:22 Controlling the order, you can't really do it how you want it.
13:28 As you said earlier with regards to the final, if they were to lose the wide players,
13:32 well, they've got Dan James, they're well stocked in that area. That does make those
13:37 players, with the greatest of respects, a little bit more expendable. Again, that was
13:41 another frustration of the final. It was a great shot window for those players, if they
13:47 were going to leave, to really bump up their price and they didn't do that. But of course,
13:51 scouts don't look at one match, so they weren't really too much into that.
13:56 There's another thing with regards to financial fair play, which is a bit of an
14:00 oddity that confuses everything, and that's that it's all done on financial years. So,
14:05 from Leeds' perspective, they'll want as many people sold by June 30th as possible
14:10 to drop into that side, essentially. You look at Jack Harrison with Everton, for example,
14:15 Everton will be desperately hoping to not sign him before July 1st so that he's in next year's
14:19 budget. So, you've kind of got this standoff. You could even get to a position where, to an extent,
14:27 June 30th becomes a bit of a deadline day where clubs have a bit of a choice to take.
14:32 We can either sell, for argument's sake, Somerville tomorrow for a cut price, or we
14:41 can wait a couple of days later and get more money for him. But if we don't sell him, we might have
14:45 to find the cash elsewhere. It's become a really complicated situation, and Leeds' situation is
14:52 complicated by the fact that they've got £73.6 million of transfer instalments to play this
15:00 summer, so they can't just ignore that. They've got some money coming in as well, but not enough.
15:09 So, there is going to have to be a lot of book balancing and a lot of shrewd decisions.
15:16 They've at least known ever since the 49ers took over, and before, to be fair,
15:24 that this was coming over the horizon, and thought a lot about it. So, hopefully,
15:29 I think the 49ers, with their experience both in Leeds and in the business, show their shrewdness.
15:37 Daniel Farker does as well, and they make some good decisions.
15:41 I think that's what June's going to be taken up by, isn't it, really? More the players that
15:47 go out in their future. They have at least got Tommy Tuchton in his interview, didn't they?
15:53 The first part of the summer, they were waiting for the takeover to get through,
15:57 then they had to get a new manager in. They wanted to do the due diligence and a proper
16:04 process. That takes time. There was bringing in other people like Nick Hammond came in,
16:09 and various other key operational decisions and appointments behind the scenes. Now,
16:15 at least that's there, isn't it, in stone? They've got the manager. It's primarily just
16:21 going to be about the squad hopefully making the right decisions, so they can come out of
16:28 this first half of the window in a bit of credit and then ready to go on and focus on bringing
16:37 perhaps the players in the one to do by the time that the season starts.
16:41 You compare them to Sheffield United, for example. They're starting with a 90-point team.
16:48 They're not starting with a team that basically has to be ripped up and started again. They don't
16:53 have the situation last season where of all these release clauses or the situation at some other
16:58 clubs of huge numbers of players out of contract. They don't have any of that. They do have a good
17:02 foundation. It's not like they're starting from a position of weakness in that sense.
17:07 It's just finding the right pieces, doing the right juggling and making the numbers work, basically.
17:15 And next, let's turn our attention to Barnsley, who have appointed Darrell Clark as Neil Collins'
17:23 successor. Now, what do you make of his appointment and what type of football
17:27 could the Tykes fans expect from their new manager, Leon?
17:30 Well, it took a while, didn't it? A month and one day. But I saw the look at it and
17:37 they obviously spoke to quite a lot of other candidates as well. Michael Dau, Richie Wellens,
17:45 there's various others. Williamson at MK Dons and they obviously have the well-documented
17:51 thing with the Austrian lad that never got over the line straight away. But I think it's
17:56 in the round. I think all things considered, it's a decent, it's not a bad appointment. His football
18:02 style is front foot and pressing. He can be adaptable, but he's primarily a front foot
18:09 coach. He spoke about that quite a lot at his unveiling. And yeah, I think you look at his
18:17 track record, he's had five promotions as a manager or player manager. He's had some difficult
18:24 situations. He took over Bristol Rovers just before they, he couldn't prevent them getting
18:29 relegated from the Football League, but he managed to get them back up into the league
18:34 from the conference and then they went up again. Did okay at Port Vale as well and he got them
18:41 a promotion. There's a real hunger about him. I think he's in his mid to late 40s now and this is
18:49 an opportunity he's sort of craved for really. He's managed, comparable is the right word,
18:56 it probably is really, clubs of similar-ish stature in Bristol Rovers and Port Vale and
19:01 managed to get promotions but never managed to push on and try and go for the next step,
19:06 which is the championship. And he feels like he can do that at Barnsley, but it'll take a lot of
19:13 things to drop into place. They're going to lose some key players in the summer. There's Devante
19:20 Cole, Herbie Kane, Jordan Williams, Nicky Cairns, so there's obvious, and there's probably the lone
19:26 goalkeeper as well, Liam Roberts, McAteer as well. So when you look at who he's got to bring in,
19:31 it's going to be in those areas, isn't it? They're going to need a couple of forwards,
19:35 a goalkeeper, certainly a left wing back and maybe someone else in midfield as well.
19:41 So his hunger for the task was genuine. He really thinks that this is an opportunity. Finally,
19:50 he's obviously got a track record in the lower divisions, to do his level best to get to the
19:55 championship. And he's never played there as a manager as well. So, obviously a real big tick in
20:01 the box. There's an alignment there in terms of footballing styles. I think the criticism of
20:08 Neil Collins and certainly the feeling, not just among the fans, but in the corridors of power,
20:13 that his style was too lateral, a little bit too, not from footing, out of possession.
20:22 I think from what Clark and his successful teams, that he's more from foot and a bit more dynamic,
20:28 so that'd be a better fit. And he's made an impression with his personality as well. I
20:32 spoke about his hunger and everything. So, I think all things considered, given the criticism
20:38 that they'd had, it's not too bad an appointment. He nearly achieved a miracle at Cheltenham,
20:46 didn't he? I think he went there and not winning in the first 10, 11 games and not scored a goal.
20:51 It was only on the final day that they just missed out on staying up. So,
20:56 yes, I don't think it's a bad appointment in the end by Barnsley. He seems a good,
21:03 genuine guy and the opportunities come at the right time for him. I think it's a fair play
21:09 and I'm quite looking forward to seeing how it goes. What I like about him really is, to go back
21:15 to what we said about the Leeds players before, he's had 14 years of mistakes, he's had 14 years
21:21 of good decisions. I think there's a trend at the moment. You look at the new Bayern Munich
21:27 manager and who are expected to be the new Chelsea manager and all the interest of Kieran McKenna
21:33 to jump on the next bright young thing straight away. But I think there's a lot to be said for
21:39 waiting for someone to make their mistakes elsewhere and then you get the benefit of
21:43 having learned from them. And as Leon says, to have that hunger as well, it's that balance,
21:49 isn't it? You don't want somebody who's got so much experience that they've actually achieved
21:53 what they want to achieve and they're comfortable. As Leon's felt out, that CV just screams,
21:59 'I want to get to the Championship'. Obviously, it's something he brought up with the media
22:04 straight away. So, that looks like a really good balance to me. Someone who's experienced what it's
22:12 like to win promotions but also who inevitably has had a few tough times as well and will have
22:19 learned a lot from them. It's pleasing, again, to mention all the Championship clubs who haven't got
22:24 themselves sorted out yet and others who might have people poached from them. It did take a
22:30 long time for balances to get sorted. It took them a month. Not just with hindsight at the time,
22:36 the timing of the sacking of Neil Collins was abysmal really. But they've got a clock in before
22:43 pre-season. There's a lot to address, as Leon said, with all these players who are out of
22:50 contract, never mind others who might want to leave. But at least he's got the time to do it,
22:55 to plan pre-season and to really hit the ground running. I think there's lots of reasons for
23:02 cautious optimism for Balfour fans. There's so much work to do and it's such a tough decision
23:08 that it's certainly not an appointment which says, 'We've got this in the bag, everything's
23:12 going to be hunky-dory.' But it does suggest that they're in a position to really attack the work
23:20 that they need to do. Again, Leon's alluded to it, the style of play is clearly important because
23:28 ultimately that's what did for Neil Collins. The board had to learn from their mistakes and not
23:34 fall into that trap again. Fingers crossed. I feel quite positive about it. He came at most
23:41 one, he just didn't, to be fair, but he came across quite well in his first press conference.
23:45 If he can back up the things he's saying, I think it could be an interesting season to hope for.
23:52 Yeah, you just wonder, I've touched on the key players, some big players who are leaving,
23:57 getting a statement nice and early on the recruitment front as well to give the fans
24:03 some hope. I know they're still in for Connor Horahan, he's been heavily linked with a player
24:11 coaching role. That'll be interesting to see how that plays out. If that one gets over the line,
24:16 that would go down well with supporters I'm sure. He's only the first Flushing youth and
24:23 he's in the winter of his career but he's still got a real weapon from set plays, hasn't he?
24:30 Yeah, you would have thought. So, I'll be intrigued to see how that works out and also
24:35 how they address the other areas where there's some key recruitments that they need in certain
24:41 areas. They certainly need another goalkeeper, if it's not going to be Roberts, definitely a
24:46 goalkeeper. A couple of wing-backs as well. I think the board, I think after getting Clark over
24:55 the line, will probably be conscious, or they certainly should be, of making a little bit of
25:00 a statement as well on the transfer front because they've lost quite a few big players.
25:05 Yeah, I mean you'd think particularly replacing one of Devante Cold,
25:11 McAtee or Roberts would just put minds at rest, wouldn't it? You're quite right,
25:17 they definitely need wing-backs and what have you. Obviously, they need more than one striker
25:21 but just one signing early on in one of those glamorous high-profile positions would just set
25:28 a marker, not just to supporters but to other players looking to come to the club. You look at
25:33 what Rotherham United have done, as soon as Johnson Clark Harris is on board, that probably gives them
25:40 a more attractive air to other players. "Oh, well if he's going to Rotherham United and if Steve
25:46 Evans is there, maybe I should look more carefully at this offer." Barnsley could really do with
25:51 something like that early on but so could most clubs in the division. So, it's getting your
25:55 business done clear-headedly and well, isn't it? It's an obvious one, isn't it, up front as well?
26:00 At the minute, if Sam Cosgrove got injured, there's pretty much nothing there, is there really?
26:05 Getting the ones you want up front, they're the sort of marquee signings that a lot of teams want
26:14 but that's something that Barnsley must try and endeavour to do.
26:17 Next, we turn our attention to Sheffield Wednesday, who announced that manager Danny
26:23 Rowell has extended his stay at Hillsborough. What do you think could be top of his priorities
26:29 list for next season, Stuart? I think he'll have a very long priorities list but I think the good
26:36 thing is that I don't think he'd have signed the contract unless he'd had lots of reassurances
26:42 about that his list will be addressed, not just this summer but over time. Some of the things
26:50 that need addressing at Sheffield Wednesday, you're talking about major infrastructure things
26:54 in terms of the training ground. They're a big club in terms of history, they're a big club in
27:01 terms of fan base, they need to get up to that level in terms of some of the structure around
27:07 that place and to have the training ground that befits a club of that stature and that you can
27:12 walk new signings into and they say, 'Wow, I want to sign for this club'. So, I think that will have
27:19 figured prominently. Obviously, the more immediate side of the team, I think he'll want to make a lot
27:26 of signings. He was quite upfront about the fact that they weren't playing the way that he wanted
27:32 them to play last season. It was to his credit but they had to compromise on a lot of things,
27:37 which is kind of an unfashionable thing for managers to say these days but it's very necessary.
27:43 I think going down the line he wants to have a no-compromises team next season with more energy,
27:51 more ability to play, pressing football in your face to play out from the back more.
27:59 So, I think we could see a lot of change in the playing stuff. I think there's probably
28:06 an air of realism from him as well. I don't think he's expecting the chairman and the people behind
28:14 the scenes to solve all his problems in one transfer window. So, I don't think we'll see
28:19 in September, the Sheffield Wednesday that Danny Rowe won but I think we'll see them get a lot
28:27 closer. We talked then about attractive players to clubs and mentioned the training ground but
28:33 the sheer fact that one of the best managers in England last season has committed to that club for
28:40 another three years is a huge pull for players. I think his job title is manager, it's hard to
28:50 keep up with who's a manager and who's a coach but he is a coach. He's a man who makes players
28:56 better in their positions and if you're a footballer with anything about you,
29:00 that's the sort of person you want to work with. Not just him but his other staff as well.
29:05 I think it's tremendous news for Sheffield Wednesday. I think it's a real boost.
29:09 The pressure will now be on to actually deliver what's been promised to him.
29:15 Wednesday fans can't take that for granted. There will be close scrutiny from Danny Rowe to see if
29:24 that is the case but if they can make good on it, they've got a very bright future next season.
29:31 This is chance, there is chance isn't it, to try and get back in the good books but
29:37 in the respects of some supporters. He's got one of the brightest young managers in
29:46 not just English football but European head coaches in European football. Somebody who
29:53 would have had no problem whatsoever in getting a pretty good job if he didn't want to stay at
29:57 Sheffield Wednesday. Obviously Chancery, they've had the discussions and they've talked the talk
30:02 and now it's about walking the walk isn't it really. He's a young head coach who if anyone's
30:09 worthy of investing in, it's him isn't it. Not just in terms of the players he wants to bring in,
30:16 there's everything else. There will be the infrastructure around the club, the training
30:20 ground and I think by common consent Wednesday have to do quite a bit of work to shape up there
30:26 and if they are ultimately going to, which is what everybody wants there, to end this 20 odd year,
30:31 25 year, near enough time out of the Premier League, they've got to start getting ship shape
30:37 in all aspects of the club haven't they really, to give them a chance. If it does happen,
30:42 it's not going to be a ginormous culture shock for them. That's the big test for Chancery,
30:50 he's got the manager who was achieved last season, it was a bit airy but staying up for
30:55 Sheffield Wednesday was successful. Now they've got to go on to the next step and the next few
31:01 chapters and if this guy is supported and backed, they'll have a chance of doing that. Stewart said
31:07 he's a very amiable sort of figure but he'll be very ruthless and he'll not know what he wants
31:17 to do behind the scenes. He'll know that he's put a lot of these players on the journey, maybe
31:22 can he get to the next step with them, the majority of them possibly not. He needs a big
31:27 more of an injection of youth, like Stewart said, to get the team playing in his image for a start.
31:34 He was obviously pragmatic with his style last season because the first thing was getting
31:40 Sheffield Wednesday safe, which he managed to do, magnificent achievement, but that wasn't
31:46 really his side was it? He wants a side, rightly, in his next year. That'll take a turnaround of
31:53 players. It'll be a case of saying for some of them who've served them very well, thank you very
31:59 much but we're going to go a different way in one or two things next season. So yeah, the top and
32:07 bottom of it is over to Chancery and he's got to really back his man and give him what he wants
32:14 and hopefully stay in the background a bit more. Yes, and I think it's worth saying there's an
32:19 awful lot wrong at Sheffield Wednesday, which is why they're 25 years outside the Premier League
32:23 are coming up for, despite being such a big club. But the fact that Danny Royal wanted to stay
32:31 despite that, I think is a huge credit to the fan base of that football club because you could see
32:38 he really fell in love with them. I'll be honest, I wasn't 100% convinced at the end of the season
32:44 which way this would go in terms of him staying or going but you genuinely felt it was in the
32:48 balance because you felt there was that real affection towards the club that just needed to
32:53 be backed up by the practicality. So I think Sheffield Wednesday supporters can really take
32:59 a lot of pride from the fact that they are a huge reason why he's still here because I think without
33:05 that fan base, I don't think he'd have risked it. I think he'd have just walked. But the scenes,
33:12 I was fortunate enough to be at Blackburn and Sunderland and more so Blackburn simply because
33:19 the fans were closer to the pitch. The atmosphere they generated, the support they gave the team,
33:27 I'd say the sellouts we saw at Hillsborough as well, is a real lure for someone like Danny Royal
33:34 for ambitious footballers. So despite the problems, there is a lot going for that football club as
33:41 well. If this is the shot to Tansyri to realise that I really need to address some of these things
33:50 that I've just kicked down the road for many a year now, then it could be a real starting point
33:57 for this football club. But as Leon says, he's a ruthless guy. If it gets to, I don't know,
34:04 October and he's been let down in the transfer market and the work hasn't started that was
34:11 supposed to start, they will lose him at some point. So they really need to stay on their toes
34:17 as a football club to make sure that these are not empty promises.
34:22 Yeah. And finally for this week, this will be our last podcast before we go on hiatus for a few
34:31 weeks. But before we go, I just wanted to ask you both apart from the Euros being just around the
34:37 corner, what sort of things could we expect to see in the coming weeks whilst we're away, Leon?
34:43 I think a fair bit of business to be quite honest. One or two have been in the window,
34:49 doesn't officially open, doesn't it, until mid June, but quite a few deals have been announced.
34:56 As Stuart said, Rovan really had to do something, didn't he, after the desperate season they had
35:02 when they were making all sorts of headlines and having statistics thrown at them. They certainly
35:07 had the right person to do that in Steve Evans. I think he was always going to announce a few
35:13 deals pretty quickly, obviously things like season tickets as well, isn't it?
35:18 And getting fans back on board and getting them excited and they've done that, bringing in
35:24 Clark Harris and a couple of players from Portsmouth as well. One or two others,
35:28 even Doncaster have started to, they've got a couple of positive developments there,
35:34 Molyneux staying, signing a couple of other lads early on as well. I wouldn't be surprised if
35:39 something like that happens at Huddersfield as well and maybe Barnsley as well. So,
35:45 quite a few teams have been quick off the ground. Obviously Hull City, I think they've got a fair
35:52 bit there to do. They've got to get the head coaching sorted out with Tim Walters, the name
35:59 that's going around, getting that one over the line. And looking at their squad, they've got
36:04 quite a lot to do there, haven't they? There's quite a few players left at the end of the season,
36:10 they certainly look light on strikers especially. So, I think there'll be quite a bit of activity
36:15 there. Huddersfield, I think there's going to be a revamp there, it depends how quickly they can
36:23 maybe get out some of the players to bring in who they want. Leeds United, I think there's going to
36:32 be a spate of activity at quite a few of our clubs. Some are faced with big turnarounds,
36:40 Sheffield United, Stuart has touched on that, Huddersfield as well. So, I think it's going to
36:45 be a very busy summer at certain clubs. Others, it'll be a little bit more quieter and they'll
36:53 sort of go for bits of quality in certain areas. You look at Middlesbrough, they had a bit of a
37:01 revamp last summer, I don't think it'll be as intense as that. One or two other clubs as well,
37:08 Doncaster, I think they've made a couple of signings but it's not going to be the mass
37:12 turnover that it was last season and maybe the season before that. But, yes, I think it'll be
37:19 very exciting for fans and all Scribes as well writing about it all.
37:23 When you look at it, 11 clubs, three relegations and no promotions, there clearly is a lot of work
37:29 to do. Some of the clubs have had more positive seasons, Hull for all of them, Man United got
37:35 sacked for falling short. I think it was a big step forward. But as Leon says, they're heavily
37:40 dependent on loan players, they've got a lot of players leaving. Barnsley likewise, mate,
37:44 made the playoffs but again, they've lost a lot of players. So, I think as much as anything else,
37:50 what Rotherham and Doncaster in particular have done, and Sheffield Wednesday with the manager,
37:56 it's just set a really positive tone early on. Again, Leon mentioned season tickets,
38:01 something to get fans excited, to want them to be in the stadium for that first game of the season
38:07 rather than holding off a bit. Well, I'm not quite sure how this revamp is going to go. I'm not
38:14 fully on board with this now. They've really got to get people to buy in. I think we've seen some
38:19 good managerial choices. We discussed Michael Duff the other week, we've obviously discussed
38:25 Daryl Clarke here. I think they're people who should give supporters a bit of optimism.
38:31 But yeah, there is a lot of work to do at a lot of clubs. The lower down the pyramid you go,
38:38 the more players you've got out of contract. Even League 2 clubs have had good seasons,
38:44 like Harrogate obviously. We've seen a couple of significant changes for them with Addo going out
38:52 and Lauren signing a new contract. There will probably be even more churn there. But really,
39:00 it's just setting the tone I think because more and more clubs are forced, not even through their
39:06 own choice, to wait and wait and wait until late August until other people have done their business
39:11 before they can act. But those ones that can get in early, even if it's with free transfers or
39:16 whatever, with just signings that enthuse supporters, I think that's a really big deal.
39:23 And I say particularly when you've been relegated or you've had the disappointments that Leeds and
39:28 Doncaster have, you really don't want that disappointment to linger, do you? You want to
39:33 get the mood back up again and hopefully, say by the next time we do this podcast,
39:39 we're talking about most of our clubs being in that situation.
39:43 YorkshirePost.co.uk
39:45 –
39:56 Many thanks to Stuart Rayner and Leon Wobtrell, who will doubtless join us again soon for more
40:00 discussions on the Yorkshire football scene. But don't forget you can keep up to date with all the
40:04 football news across Yorkshire and beyond by logging on to our website at yp.sport@nationalworld.com,
40:10 or if you search for Yorkshire Post Sport, Yorkshire Post Football or even Sheffield Sport
40:13 on Facebook, you can find us there as well. If you have any questions for our writers,
40:18 you can get in touch using those various Twitter or Facebook pages, or email us directly with the
40:22 subject matter as Football Talk Podcast at yp.sport@nationalworld.com. As ever,
40:28 many thanks for listening, look after yourselves, and bye for now.
40:41 [Music]