In this week’s podcast, YP football writer Leon Wobschall joins host Mark Singleton to look over the latest news from the Yorkshire football scene.
They start at the top of the Championship where Leeds United and Sheffield United continue to slug it out – both hoping to secure an automatic promotion spot.
They then turn their attention to the Yorkshire derby between Barnsley and Huddersfield Town and compare the respective League One play-off hopes of both teams.
In League Two, meanwhile, Leon gives his take on Doncaster Rovers’ climb back into the automatic promotion spots after their “biggest win of the season” – according to manager Grant McCann – at Morecambe.
PLUS the duo pick out a player and a team of the week.
They start at the top of the Championship where Leeds United and Sheffield United continue to slug it out – both hoping to secure an automatic promotion spot.
They then turn their attention to the Yorkshire derby between Barnsley and Huddersfield Town and compare the respective League One play-off hopes of both teams.
In League Two, meanwhile, Leon gives his take on Doncaster Rovers’ climb back into the automatic promotion spots after their “biggest win of the season” – according to manager Grant McCann – at Morecambe.
PLUS the duo pick out a player and a team of the week.
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SportsTranscript
00:00Hello and welcome to the latest edition of Football Talk from the Yorkshire Post, where
00:10we will be discussing some of the latest talking points from the world of football with members
00:13of our football writing team. On this week's episode, we're joined by football writer
00:17for the Yorkshire Post, Leon Wobbshaw, to discuss all of the latest developments affecting
00:20our local clubs. Don't forget you can keep up to date with all the football news across
00:24Yorkshire and beyond by logging on to our website at yp.sport.nw.com, as well as checking
00:30out our various Twitter feeds, the main one being at ypsport. If you search for Yorkshire
00:35Post Sport, Yorkshire Post Football, or even Sheffield Sport on Facebook, you can find
00:38us there as well. If you have any questions for our writers, you can get in touch using
00:43those various Twitter or Facebook pages, or email us directly with a subject matter as
00:47footballtalkpodcast at yp.sport.nw.com.
00:54As mentioned earlier in the intro, this week we're joined by football writer for the Yorkshire
00:58Post, Leon Wobbshaw. Good morning, Leon.
01:00Morning, Mark.
01:01Morning. Right, this week in the Championship, we saw Sheffield Wednesday claim all three
01:05points over Swansea City in their 1-0 victory before falling to a 2-1 defeat when they hosted
01:10Coventry City, and Hull City fell to a 2-0 defeat when they visited Burnley before showing
01:15the points in their 1-1 draw with Norwich City. In League One, Rotherham United left
01:20their game against Reading empty-handed after suffering a 2-1 defeat, and in League Two,
01:25Bradford City maintained their position in the top three of the division with their 0-0
01:30draw when they welcomed Newport County before losing to Birmingham City in the semi-final
01:35of the EFL Trophy. Doncaster Rovers suffered a 2-1 defeat when they welcomed Groomsby Town,
01:42and we'll be covering them later on in the show, and Harrogate Town helped widen their
01:46gap above the drop zone with a 1-0 victory over Swindon Town. However, let's start this
01:52week by looking at Sheffield United, who first overcame Middlesbrough in a 3-1 victory before
01:57claiming a 1-0 victory over league strugglers Luton Town. This helped them return to the
02:04top of the table and turn the pressure on their nearest league rivals. Now, what did
02:09you make of the Blades' two performances, and how does Michael Carrick's men bounce
02:13from this defeat, Leon?
02:15Yeah, it's fair to say they were contrasting from a Sheffield United perspective, Mark.
02:22I covered the game against Middlesbrough, and they were excellent, Sheffield United.
02:27It was obviously on the back of the game against Portsmouth where, by all accounts, they'd
02:33burgled a bit of a win. I think Portsmouth had really surprised them with their intensity
02:38of the pressing and their approach, and they were very unlucky in that game, but it was
02:43a different story against Borough. They just out-fought, out-classed, out-fought them really,
02:51and obviously Middlesbrough are in a bit of a hole with it. I think they've got issues
02:56at both ends of the pitch, and they certainly don't look like a play-off candidate at the
03:02minute, but they were excellent, Sheffield United. Their big players came to the party.
03:08We know all about Gus Hamer. He again looked a class apart on the night. He was almost
03:16toying with Borough at times. He came off a little bit late on with a slight hamstring
03:24issue, and he wasn't missed in the game at Luton at the weekend. Obviously, Chris Wilder's
03:31looking ahead. There's a certain game with another Yorkshire side on the horizon in not
03:38too long, but what a mouth-watering one that is against Leeds United. I thought it was
03:48a bit of a statement against Middlesbrough. Obviously, Wilder's old club as well, and
03:53he targeted that game, wanting to win that. Obviously, Middlesbrough had won the reverse
03:57fixture at the Riverside as well and played well. They were excellent in that game. A
04:05bit of a trend for Sheffield United on the travels this year. They've not been that pleasing
04:15on the eye, but they're managing to do the job, aren't they? At this time of the season
04:19on the road, it's a really good trade to have, isn't it? They had to roll up their sleeves
04:24at Watford, and that was the game, wasn't it? Not so long back at Swansea, they were
04:29very poor in the first half, and they turned it around in the second. They won at Derby
04:36as well relatively recently, and they didn't crack any pots there either. They're showing
04:43this innate ability to do the job on the travels. Obviously, seven wins out of eight, and one
04:51or two questions asked, I suppose, weren't they, after that home defeat to Hull not too
04:57long back. But they're in a good place. Obviously, Hamer and Tom Cannon didn't play against Middlesbrough,
05:06but I mentioned they came off with little bits of issues. Nothing too bad, but Wilder's
05:14holding them back for the huge match in the context of not just the two Yorkshire teams,
05:20but I think in the Championship season against Leeds United. You'd expect Keith Amore to
05:27be around as well. We spoke, myself and Stuart, long and hard about the bench being an issue
05:34at Sheffield United in the first half of the season, with respect to a lot of the young
05:40players there. They've no experience at their Championship level. It's a totally different
05:45thing. You look at the bench now, and it's got some serious players there, hasn't it?
05:49They're going to need them against Leeds. But, yeah, Middlesbrough, it's a rough time
05:56for them, Mark, isn't it? I think they've won three in 14 and lost five of the last
06:02six. From what I've seen, they've got problems at both ends of the pitch. They're not looking
06:10convincing at the back, and they're looking susceptible. It just seems to me, if you play
06:16in Middlesbrough, whoever it is, if you're the opposing manager, you're sort of saying
06:20to your players, they'll always give you a chance this side. They do try and play out
06:25from the back, and I don't necessarily think they're actually good enough to do it, to
06:31be honest. They're creating their own problems in that regard. They've conceded a lot of
06:36poor goals, and a couple of them against Sheffield United were really soft. It's keeping in the
06:43theme of things for them. They did the same against Sunderland on the television. It wasn't
06:51necessarily brilliant play that they're getting undressed by. They're being the architects
06:57of their own downfall at the minute. Going forward, they just look a bit of a team of
07:06individuals at the minute, if I'm being quite honest. They've obviously lost Lattie Laff,
07:11which would be a blow to anyone, wouldn't it? He'd get him at the Championship sides.
07:17They brought in Iheanacho from Spanish football on loan. I thought he looked rusty against
07:22Sheffield United. They started Illing Junior on the wing. He was like a fish up a tree,
07:29I thought, in the first half, if I'm being brutally honest. I thought he really struggled.
07:36The only real person, I thought, who got a little bit of credit, I suppose, was Hayden
07:40Hackney. They've got Tommy Conway coming back off injury. I think they're going to
07:47be leaning on him a little bit. They've still got to assimilate Morgan Wickett into the
07:54side as well. They look a side with clear issues. Obviously, on Saturday, they lost
08:02to Watford at home. They weren't particularly great again. There was a lot of speculation
08:05about Michael Carrick potentially being replaced, given the run that they're on. One or two
08:14candidates being mooted, Steve Cooper and Rob Edwards, who got very close to the job
08:21when Carrick actually got it before he went to Luton. So, quite a bit of noise about that.
08:29It sounds like he's had a bit of a heart-to-heart with the Middlesbrough hierarchy, especially
08:34Steve Gibson. Fair play to Gibson. He's backing his man and he's backing his judgement, but
08:42I think time will tell on that. They've lost five out of six. They look like they've lost
08:47the mojo. Some of the players who were performing well early in the season, Pinas Zas, especially
08:53if they dropped off the boil. It's commendable that Gibson is backing his man, whether the
09:02Middlesbrough fans agree with it or otherwise, but I think the top and bottom of it, they've
09:07got to get some wins very quickly or else maybe there's not going to be much of an option
09:14to try and change things. The only thing you can really do is change a manager. In respect
09:21of Carrick, he has been in sticky runs before. I don't think they've been quite as bad as
09:24this one. He's turned it round. In his first full season, at the start of the 23-24 season,
09:34Borough had a horrendous start to the season. They were at the bottom of the table, questions
09:41being asked and he turned that round very well there. But he needs something of that
09:45magnitude again because for the investment they've put in and the attacking players they've
09:52got on paper, they should be doing better than they are. They're not just well behind
09:59the top four, they're adrift of the top six and that looked a minimum requirement really
10:06but they don't look like play-off candidates at the minute.
10:09I've just had a look at their upcoming fixtures and the last two fixtures for the month, one
10:17is Bristol City so a team that's in and around them and the other is Stoke City who, let's
10:22be honest, are far adrift of where they are. It just has that feeling of, well if you can't
10:31beat teams either around you or below you then what else can the High Rocky do?
10:38Yes, I think that's been a bit of a problem. It's obviously disappointing to lose the likes
10:45of Sheffield United and I covered the Leeds game earlier in the season, it was similar
10:52in that regard as well but I think Middlesbrough fans weren't going into those two games expecting
10:58to win were they really? I'm not saying they didn't have it in them to win but wins there
11:04would be really good results. But yes, you're right to point out, you look at the games,
11:08Bristol City away, they've got to go Stoke, they've got Derby at home and I think they've
11:15got to go up with Swansea as well, they've just lost the manager so all things being
11:21equal they're not two bad games on paper and if you're going to be serious about getting
11:25yourself back in your top six you've got to be winning those sort of games haven't you
11:28quite frankly? But I think that's another thing in Middlesbrough's season, they've struggled
11:37against some of the teams down the bottom, they took one point from six against Portsmouth,
11:46they lost at Derby as well in the reverse fixture so it just all doesn't point towards
11:53a successful playoff candidate at the minute but if they can get their act together, they
11:57showed it in November when there were cracking goals all over the place weren't they? They
12:03got quite a few at QPR and Oxford but they're just so inconsistent at the minute and they
12:12do look brickle at the back, I think that's the big issue I've sort of seen with them
12:20at the minute and you know Carey, he was saying that he was questioned about it at the end
12:26of the window, how you were sent half light and he said his response was really we're
12:31all right at the back sort of thing but they don't look convincing at all at the minute
12:36and I think there's some players who are struggling there.
12:40And we now turn our attention to Barnsley who clashed with Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield
12:45Town which saw the Terriers walk away with all three points with a 2-1 victory and helped
12:50strengthen their place in the playoff spots before recording a 1-0 win over Shrewsbury
12:54Town however on the flip side it now means that it's six games without a win for the
13:00Tykes. What did you make of the game from both teams but also what needs to change for
13:06Barnsley to get back into recording Winsley on?
13:10Yeah it is a little bit of a microcosm of the season Mark, I thought they played pretty
13:17well in the first half and you know some sort of crisp first time passing and they moved
13:25Huddersfield around the pitch and I don't think Huddersfield helped themselves, they
13:28kept sort of giving away the ball and coughing up possession but I thought in the circumstances
13:33it was a good, a pretty good performance from Barnsley but you know we've sort of been here
13:38before where they've looked decent in the first half and then it just sort of falls
13:43away in the second and you look at the statistics and it bears it out, I think they're third
13:50in the, I think they're third or fourth in the first half table, the 17th in the second
13:56half table so you don't have to be a rocket scientist to sort of deduce where the problems
14:02are and yeah I think it's an organisational thing a little bit, I think above all it's
14:09sort of a bit of a mentality issue really, they're not coping with big moments in games
14:16and like I say we've been here before so many times and it just looks, it looks a season
14:22that's not particularly going anywhere fast at the minute, they're adrift at the playoff
14:26places, there's teams around them who have hit form at the right time, you look at the
14:32likes of Leonore and you look at Bolton and they, I don't know about Middlesbrough, it
14:38just doesn't look right at Barnsley at the minute and you know they'd had a good Christmas
14:44start to the new year but now they're sort of sixth without a win and it just seems a
14:51little bit of a perfect storm sort of growing a little bit there, home form hasn't been
14:56good all season, they've one or two players out as well, they didn't have a good, particularly
15:04good January transfer window, it didn't, certainly didn't inspire confidence among the supporters,
15:11they were obviously scrambling around a bit towards the end and yeah there's the new music
15:20there, not particularly great, there were grumbles at the end, at the final whistle
15:25there was some chance of, you know sat the board and you know eventually people are going
15:32to be looking at Darryl Clarke's position as well, I mean he's obviously winless in
15:37six games and he's going to have to change that as well, turn that around as well and
15:42yeah for the second season running, I mean Barnsley got in the playoffs last season but
15:47they were poor in the last third of last season, they only won, I think they won two
15:51in twelve or thirteen so they hobbled over the line but I suppose the good thing from
15:56last year was that they'd already got enough points in the bank whereas now I can say they're
16:02stuck on something like mid-forties and you know they've got a lot of work to do, they're
16:10going to have to go on a pretty strong run to get back in the frame, they've got a big
16:15derby at Rotherham on, well all of it's big really, you can't really say it at the minute
16:20because they're both so out of form aren't they, you know and it's a game that probably
16:25should be bigger than what it is to be honest but I think for the loser, you know I mean
16:30Rotherham's season's, you know that's effectively over isn't it really and I think if Barnsley
16:37lose that then it's certainly another nail in the coffin and there's going to be all
16:42sorts of, you know even more sort of acrimony and angst again as there was on Saturday,
16:49obviously there's the local aspects as well, it's a derby game, you know you don't want
16:52to be losing two derbies in a row but yeah it's, at the minute it's a season that's going
17:02nowhere fast for quite a few reasons really, you know they didn't do much in the January
17:09transfer window, form's poor, there's issues with the mentality there, the manager's under
17:15a bit of growing pressure so there's a few, it's not a happy place and it's a bit of a
17:21negative environment at Barnsley and yeah a contrast at Huddersfield, it's funny I did
17:30this game Mark and they did the same fixture at Huddersfield and it's almost the exact
17:34same thing, both sides going into it on a lousy run, you're thinking what's going to
17:40happen here and a fair play to Huddersfield back in early October, they beat Barnsley
17:47and beat them well and they didn't get beat then did they until I think it was the end
17:54of January in the league wasn't it, 15, 16 games so they'll be hoping something like
18:00that can happen again and they're having to do it, they're having to dig deep Huddersfield,
18:06it's just been a common theme this season, I can't think of a club who've had as many
18:10injury problems in one season as Huddersfield, it literally is one thing after another, they've
18:18had the business with Matty Pearson, he hurt his calf last, it was before a Commonwealth
18:26game it was, it was before the Reading game, the home game so he's been sidelined for
18:31six weeks, Herbie Kane, he's picked up a knee injury in the game at Barnsley, he's going
18:36to be out for eight weeks so there's so much that Michael Duff's got to contend with, he's
18:42got a good squad but he's also got a full treatment room, the new signing we talk about
18:50Joe Taylor, he was the striker to get them goals to hopefully push them towards the top
18:57two, he's out with a hamstring injury, Rhys Healy's out for the rest of the season, another
19:02signing in January, Reuben Moosky, he's out for a spell with a knee injury, hopefully
19:08he will be back at some point but it literally is one thing after another and they're having
19:14to just, they're just having to dig so deep and it's not been exhilarating all the way
19:23but they're showing a lot of backbone I think in the circumstances, they're showing a lot
19:28of fight and spirit and togetherness and they did that on Tuesday night at Shrewsbury, obviously
19:35Josh Kuroma, he got an equaliser, he came on at half time for Dion Charles, he's fit
19:43but he's plainly struggling for form and so he got the nod up from Kuroma and got the
19:50winning goal at Shrewsbury so they're just having to dig deep and show a tremendous amount
20:00of character in the circumstances and fair play to them and the football might all the
20:06time not be everybody's cup of tea but no one can doubt the sort of culture that Duff's
20:10created there and he's turned it around, he's turned the dressing room around and there's
20:15no egos there and they are all, it's a cliche but they are all playing for each other and
20:20they've got each other's backs and all manner of things being thrown at them and they're
20:26showing a fairly strong jaw and they were good in the second half to be fair to them
20:31at Barnsley, I thought they played pretty well and dominated the second half and scored
20:38a couple of good goals, I thought Callum Marshall was excellent and the new lad they've
20:45got on the wing from Wolves, Tawanda Chiara, he looks a useful addition, he's a little
20:53bit off the cuff but yeah, so it's been a couple of good results for Huddersfield but
20:59if you're Michael Duffy you're sort of thinking well what's going to be next round the corner
21:02with the injuries unfortunately but they're handling it, in fairness to them they're coping
21:07with it just about and fair play to them and it looks like they're going to have to carry
21:16on doing that way for the rest of the season because they've not been able to feel a settled
21:24side but everyone in the squad there is going to be needed, I think it will affect players
21:32between now and the end of the season because it really is a true squad effort there at
21:36the minute.
21:37Exactly, all credit to Huddersfield Town for doing what they've been doing with what they've
21:41got left to be frank but just going back to Barnsley for a minute, just looking at how
21:49things have gone for them, it's almost very similar to Middlesbrough in some ways, I don't
21:57think they'll be best pleased if I compare them to Middlesbrough but for the next two
22:01games again like you said they've got Rotherham United so a team that's around them and then
22:06they follow that up with Northampton Town, again a team right at the bottom and you think
22:12you know if you don't get points against teams like that what's going to happen and as you
22:19said there's already rumbles in the stands, how long can this go on for sort of thing?
22:28Well yeah I mean I think the one thing is that Barnsley will be happy that they're actually
22:33on the road really because at least they've been a little bit better in sort of that regard
22:40Mark haven't they in fairness that their away form has been a touch more consistent, well
22:47it has been more consistent not a touch more, the home form's been it must be what 16, 17
22:54they've only won about four home games all season so it's probably not too bad a thing that they're
23:00going to be away from Oakwell if that you know there's obviously a bit of a bit of an atmosphere
23:05there at the minute probably rightly so really you know it's not going well and you know now
23:11is the time if they're going to close ranks and come together they've got a couple of away
23:15trips they've got a derby there they'll be a full away end at Rotherham it's just down the road to
23:21get some you know get a couple of wins or at least four points a bit of encouragement to just end
23:26this run really you know and it's on paper there's still a third of the season to go Daryl Clarke's
23:35sort of holding on to that at least but it does look a case of pretty much now or never this sort
23:42of run of games and you know the the end of February start of March if they're gonna have
23:47any snip at all of the playoffs they've got to they've just got to get some wins
23:51haven't they really really quickly or else it's gonna it is just gonna peter out into a
23:57into a mid-table sort of lower mid-table situation which isn't particularly good for anyone to be
24:04honest no no and next we head to Leeds United who pulled off a quite astonishing last-minute
24:10comeback victory to beat Sunderland 2-1 at Ellen Road this now sees them return to the top of the
24:16table and stretch their unbeaten run to 15 league games and they remain undefeated in front of their
24:22own fans since the 15th of September however it also saw Daniel Farquhar booked for his celebrations
24:28following the winning goal and what with it being his third caution of the season he will have to
24:33serve a touchline ban when the Whites travel to Sheffield United but with the exception of that
24:39just how good was Leeds United's spirit and determination Leon? Yeah it just seemed a moment
24:45for the for the ages didn't it really where you remember some some of the the sort of similar
24:51moments in seasons gone by everyone talks about the um Hernandez goal at um at the Swansea late
24:59in the promotion season it was a bit iconic wasn't it and uh you know you remember the home goals as
25:05well you know in the the Christmas wins when they the one at Villa and was it the one against
25:10Blackburn as well when they scored twice at the end and it was at Keemhara wasn't it and uh
25:16it just felt one of those one of those moments wasn't it you know sometimes they're the best
25:19wins aren't they when you're not playing particularly well against an a you know a
25:24direct opponent and you can just somehow summon up the uh the will the spirit to uh to get over
25:31the line you could just see how much it meant for everyone and um you know the smile of Pascal Stroik
25:38sort of lit up um the three quarters of the stadium apart from you know the
25:43Sunderland and then he just felt big didn't he just
25:47and you know fair play to Farquhar as well with his substitutions I mean
25:52at the time people think you know they're struggling to think of the
25:57of the reasoning behind it but he's he's he's still the calm he was the calmest cookie in
26:01in the building wasn't he and um you know he's getting he's paid to make those
26:06those decisions and um yeah what what what a moment I mean Stroik I think Stroik's got
26:12that in him hasn't he you know he's obviously confident in front of goal with his with his
26:16penalties but he's a sort of player who can always nick him a goal or two and then the
26:21quality of Rothwell as well you know he's he's had a really quietly effective and good season
26:27and I I always thought when when Leeds signed him on loan I mean I didn't some not the most
26:34glamorous signing but if you're looking for players who who've seen it and done it at this
26:38level and a proven operators he's he's certainly one of one of those so yeah all respect and all
26:45power to to Farquhar for keeping his calm and having that rational thought to you know to make
26:51those decisions and you know he certainly won the substitutes battled and the change the Sunderland
26:58were did they so it was uh yeah I say they can be like those wins where you really have to sort of
27:07dig deep and handle a bit of adversity and get over the line there they're massive aren't they
27:13I mean I suppose I think the thing with Leeds is for all the for all the importance of the win
27:19they've got to get back um on message pretty quickly they've got a a game that's just as
27:24big if not it's probably bigger isn't it you know arguably against Sheffield United so
27:29Farquhar's very grounded he'll be he'll be drumming that fact he'll be delighted that
27:34you know they got over the line but you know I think in private it'll it'll be addressing
27:39certain aspects of of the performance as well behind closed doors at Thorp Arch and uh I think
27:47the good thing I mean they're both in it should be a mouth-watering game they're both in great
27:52form aren't they Sheffield United and Leeds they're both at the top you look at the form
27:55tables over you know eight games ten games um 12 games they're they're both of them right at
28:01the top there you know Sheffield United won seven out of eight Leeds are unbeaten in 15 and uh I
28:08think the the um you know they're finding ways to win I think the really big thing for Leeds
28:14so they crunched a few a few of the numbers you look at the amount of away goals sorry late goals
28:19they've scored yeah and it's absolutely staggering they've scored 40 goals in the second half they've
28:25only conceded eight they've um they've scored 18 goals in the final in the final quarter of games
28:34only considered six and they've expelled just after the hour up to the 75 minute mark where
28:39they've scored 13 goals and they haven't conceded any which is staggering isn't it really you know
28:44and uh I mean that's the thing Leeds have got that to fall back on even if they're they're sort of
28:50um nil nil going sort of reasonably deep in a game they've got the substitutes on the bench to
28:56change it and I just think that they don't panic and they'll back themselves yeah and uh I think
29:03that I think that sort of that habit is a is a massive thing at this time of the season and um
29:11but yeah it's going to be fascinating game at um Bramall Lane Sheffield United have been
29:16they had their they had their little blip um against Hull and they got edged out in a game
29:21against uh Burnley did over Christmas but they've been very very strong at um at home they've got
29:29they've got big players I mentioned earlier the Hamers it'll be he'll be he'll be back on deck
29:33you can you can have no doubt about that Cannon will be around Keith for more and um yeah he's
29:40got the making of the map I wouldn't say that the Yorkshire match of the season probably the
29:44championship match of the of the season at uh at Bramall Lane on on on Monday night and uh
29:51isn't it great that two Yorkshire teams are going to be involved in it I mean we we've said this
29:55before I I genuinely think that this season it's just going to be a case of a massive slugfest
30:03between Sheffield United and Leeds and yeah there is one other group that I I think needs or deserves
30:11a lot of credit for that win against uh Sunderland and it it's got to be the supporters I mean oh yeah
30:19yeah yeah they showed just how important uh togetherness really is and Ellen Road you
30:27can't find a better 12th man can you no no I totally agree Mark I mean I think uh I think
30:33they've been here before haven't they several times um over and you think that'll that'll count um
30:40account for something and uh you know in the tight promotion race you're going to need that
30:46but it will I wouldn't underestimate Bramall Lane as well on on on uh on Monday night that
30:52that can be a bare pit as well and um obviously Sheffield United will have the
30:57have the lion's share of the supporters there so um yeah I mean it there's there's lots of variables
31:03at the top and um I think that uh that 12-man aspect you know it certainly could count for
31:09something and uh yeah um but you're right Mark when it when it is rocking Bramall um well both
31:15of them really but you know Ellen Road especially it's a it's a fearsome it's a fearsome place to go
31:21and uh yeah I think from a Leeds perspective Leeds can if they get a win there they're in an
31:27extremely strong position aren't they really they've they've you know they've just had a
31:31short period of games where they will have played obviously the Burnley game some London and
31:38Sheffield United but uh you know conversely as well for Sheffield United it'll be a massive you
31:43know massive boost for them in their um you know in their season if they can you know psychologically
31:50if they can get over the line there and then manage to perhaps do the same a little bit further
31:55on they've got the big um Steel City Derby at uh at Hillsborough two huge games in in their
32:02season which will take care of themselves and you know they'll be thinking from the Sheffield
32:06United's perspective they can get a couple of positive results there and then the wind is
32:11really in in their in their sails for the final third of the of the season yeah yeah and as I
32:18mentioned at the top of the episode we now turn to Doncaster Rovers who return to winning ways by
32:22recording a 1-0 victory over Morecambe and just one point off second place now what did you make
32:28of their performance and we've spoken about how important the February March period of the season
32:33can be do you think that if they maintain a good run of form around these next couple of months
32:41that they could look towards being in the automatic promotion spots come the end of
32:45come the end of the season Leon? Yeah I think so Mark I think that you know you've got to factor
32:51in a bit of history as well look you know look at the run that they had in the final third of
32:56last season there's still quite a few players who were still around who were involved in that you
33:00know winning it winning 10 in a row and you know it's incredible to think that um just over a year
33:06ago uh Doncaster weren't it I think they were sort of third from bottom weren't they in the in
33:12the the whole football league and you know it was astonishing what happened going from there
33:17into the playoff so they've sort of got that in there in the backpack haven't they really to
33:21to draw upon but um it felt a big win I went I went I went to Morecambe and I think for a lot of
33:27reasons um I've seen you know I haven't seen loads and loads of Doncasters this season I've seen a
33:33little bit but I just think in terms of ticking boxes it you know it felt big um the pitch was
33:39really difficult there was there was hardly any grass on it to be quite honest and uh you know I
33:45um I probably could have done with a few donkeys off Morecambe beach just up the road to be quite
33:51honest because there was it was more suited it was more suited for uh for donkey rides than football
33:57and um Grant McCann had a had a bit of a rueful look at it look at it before the game and he
34:03wasn't he wasn't particularly happy but you've got to you've got to deal with it haven't you
34:07you know and it's time it's the time of year where you know pictures across the country that
34:13you know they come to the end of winter and they're not the best and you've got to get over
34:18the line and obviously Doncaster has lost three in a row I know that they've got some credit from
34:22the cup game against um Crystal Palace but they've been well beaten at Chesterfield and they were
34:29well beaten by all accounts against Grimsby in a in another sort of locally localish sort of derby
34:35at the weekend so one or two questions were were being asked of Doncaster not in the best form
34:41league wise going to a difficult place and going to a side who had won at the weekend and they're
34:45showing some semblance of fighting their their own mission which is different you know it's got
34:50it's all about staying in the league isn't it and uh you know at the makings of a sort of you know
34:57an awkward night for a few reasons but it was they showed two sides of it for me Doncaster
35:02they started off really well and um Rob Street who got the goal they really struggled Morecambe
35:09with his with his pace and and running down the sides and his physicality and um athleticism
35:17and uh yeah they looked really good in the first 20 minutes and I think if they'd have
35:21if they've got that second goal which I don't think Morecambe could have grumbled about it
35:25would have been more of a straightforward night but um fair play to Morecambe they they came into
35:31it they had a six foot seven centre forward who um so it should come as no surprise that uh they
35:38were cutting out most of the pitch and trying to get the ball to him and playing off him and
35:42you know why wouldn't you really and it was um you know the game changed with 20 minutes from
35:48from time um Jack Senior got sent off for a for um a strong tackle in the
35:56um just just in front of centre field I'm I think in the old a few years ago he'd have
36:02probably got away with it but under the sort of new laws um there was only going to be one
36:08outcome and this is probably a bit of a question did he actually need to do it as well but um
36:12and that's by the by it changed the game and Rovers went down to 10 men and it just became
36:17all about digging in and hanging on then really and um they were they were forced back from
36:21Morecambe there was a lot of aerial stuff and uh you know it was a real test just to get over
36:26the line and um and and they did so they showed two two sides of it um yeah there were there
36:34were plenty of cheers in the away and at the end it felt yeah it felt a big win after what you know
36:39the previous two games the Chesterfield and the Grimsby game and a bonus as well Notts County
36:45had drawn so Rovers went up to into the automatic promotion position so they've had a good time of
36:50it in that part of the world Morecambe you know Lancashire the northwest they won twice at uh
36:57Barrow they'd also won well at Fleetwood and um I think it's really the old cliche Mark when you
37:05you know can you do it on a what is it to say a wet night in Stoke can you do it on a
37:09on a on a cold night in Morecambe when there's no grass on the pitch and dig out a one mil and um
37:15and and they did and um look there's a long way to go this season we've got we've got Bradford
37:19City were right in the thick of it as well and there's going to be some twists and turns there's
37:23some big games between promotion contenders between now and May but I think I'm probably
37:30safe in making the prediction that if if Rovers do get over the line they do finish in the top three
37:36they'll remember a night in Morecambe in mid-February yeah exactly I mean it's it's very
37:41much what um Daniel Farkas said a couple of months back basically saying yeah it's not so much
37:47champagne football but you know it's it's that full-blooded pint um it might not be pretty but
37:55as long as you get three points who cares absolutely Mark I mean it's a bit with with
38:01Farkas he's always been one of those as well he's he's what happened to McCann as well he's he'll
38:06have a point tally in his head in a ratio of how many games Leeds have played where they should be
38:12you know they come to you over it over it at the minute Leeds and uh I think you know McCann will
38:16be of a of a similar mindset he's he's a pretty experienced guy in lower division circles and
38:23he'll know what it takes and um you know you mentioned Leeds and you know you're right there
38:28as well that Leeds and Doncaster have shown that it's about winning in different ways isn't it
38:34really you know you've got to you've got to do it you've got to do it in all weathers haven't you
38:39really you know from from you know August August you've got the heavy pitches in the winter the
38:44pitches will probably be dry and a bit bobbly as we go into the spring and um that's what it's all
38:49about you know over it never changes sort of trends in footballs change styles change but
38:56the sort of um the composition of a season doesn't change you're always going to have to dig up
39:01dig out results at this time of year you know and uh I think even at the end of the season as well
39:08there's a lot of games at the end of the season where there's a lot on the line and there's not
39:13always that many goals and it's coming out on the right side and showing that
39:18that sort of nerve and backbone alongside moments of quality that really count and um
39:25you know that's what makes a successful you know promotion aspirant and um you touched on Leeds
39:32they've got it in abundance and Sheffield United have as well and you know luckily as well we've
39:37got others we've got others who have shown those qualities as well we've mentioned Huddersfield
39:41and we've mentioned Doncaster so um hopefully a successful season for them all exactly exactly
39:46and finally for this week I will look to you for both your team and player of the week nominations
39:52but before um you you sort of throw any nominations out I'd like to throw one name in uh
40:00that being Jadon Bogle primarily because of the performance that you put in against Sunderland
40:06I mean the way he just caused so many issues for Sunderland's um
40:11N'Delephi uh on that wing he just opened up so much space for the rest of the team
40:19yeah it's it's a really good call but I think he's to be fair Stuart he's seen a bit more of
40:25Leeds than I have but whenever I've sort of seen them Bogle's been he's been right up there at the
40:30top you know he's a real buccaneering modern style of full back who you know he can power forward
40:35he's got great stamina and uh and pace and obviously he had his little moment against
40:41Coventry and uh yeah N'Delephi he got uh he got all the bouquets like the recent game against
40:48Middlesbrough he you know in fairness he terrorized uh Luke Galen in that game and uh
40:54and it was a difficult night for the former Leeds man and uh
40:58yeah and going the other side it was um it was a difficult night for him against Bogle wasn't it
41:02so I think that's uh he uh it's a name I had written on my list Mark to be fair but uh so I'm
41:09glad you've come up with it because um you know the fuel as well Josh Kuromil mentioned him he
41:15got the nodded came on in the second half and um at Barnsley got his goal got rewarded by
41:23you know being given the shirt at Shrews being got another big goal as well um for um for Huddersfield
41:30Paul Huntingdon he's um Bradford went down to 10 men at Newport on Saturday pretty early in the
41:37piece as well and you know he had to organize that defense for a long period of that game and uh
41:44and they and uh they dug out a really good point in the circumstances and um it's difficult to
41:50look past Stroit though isn't it really I just think after what he did you know those you know
41:56it almost felt you know the old um I know Leeds won't like me mentioning you know Manchester United
42:01but you know the Steve Bruce thing when he got his two goals against um against Sheffield Wednesday
42:06and all that was a lot further in in the season and uh probably a little bit more fetid but it had
42:12it had sort of um undertones of that really didn't it just um you know really digging Leeds you know
42:20Leeds out of a of a bit of a spot and uh yeah it's you know if Leeds do go up I think
42:25I think everyone will remember that um they've got a hell of a chance now let's be honest and
42:31people will remember that night you know that night against Sunderland and um
42:36the scenes at the end with Farka and obviously uh you know Stroit smiled a little they put most of
42:42the uh most of the stadium so yeah I've got to got to sort of go with uh go with them I mean it's
42:50it's difficult for the team award as well really there's there's um we've picked up Leeds
42:57um Sheffield United go into a difficult place at Loon I know they're struggling at the minute but
43:03it's um it's a hard place a hard place to go to go to the fans are the fans are on top of the
43:11of the away team and they didn't play particularly well Sheffield United but they
43:14they dug out a big three points so and they're showing that sort of trend on the road consistently
43:20fair play to them there but I think in the circumstances I'm going to go for I'm going
43:25to go for Huddersfield Town they obviously came into the derby against Barnsley they were
43:29five without a win and we've spoken about all the injury issues that are happening all over the place
43:36so they've had a lot to contend with and they're not had too much luck to be quite honest and um
43:41I think in the circumstances to you know back to back away get away games a big trip a bit you know
43:48a fairly long midweek trip to Shrewsbury against the side fighting for their lives to get the three
43:53points there and um and there was a bit of pressure on the men at Barnsley as well there was a full
43:58away end they were booed off at half time it's the worst place you can go Barnsley and perform poorly
44:06in the first half or even in the second to be honest because you're gonna it's it's almost like
44:11a walk of shame you've got to walk into the uh into the tunnel to get back into the dressing
44:16room and if you've got a big away following they're all there they're gonna they're gonna
44:20absolutely hammer you and uh that's what happened at at half time a fair play to Huddersfield they
44:26showed uh they showed a strong jaw and they and they uh they played very well in the second half
44:31and uh yeah they've uh a timely boost i think in the season just to get those two
44:38two uh away wins in the circumstances with what's being thrown at them with
44:44with injuries and disruptions and all sorts of stuff yorkshirepost.co.uk
44:49you
44:58many thanks to leon who will doubtless join us again soon for more discussions on the yorkshire
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45:27thanks for listening and look after yourselves and bye for now