S4 EP20: Pitch Problems

Peterborough United Chairman Darragh MacAnthony & Bradford City fan Philip Ideson are back with Episode 2️⃣0️⃣ from season ➃ of the “Hard Truth: Inside The Football Industry Podcast” talking about all the hot topics from the world of football, giving insight + opinion and as always 💯 pure 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵 👊🎙⚽️

00:00:00 Intro
00:18 Bad seven days for Posh
02:22 Change in Style & Identity
04:09 Best front 4 in EFL
06:02 Backing Nicholas Bilokapic
07:18 Fabulous season so far for Peterborough United
10:03 Port Vale postponement & pitch problems
12:29 EFL support for groundworks
15:42 Right back narrative
17:31 No quit in young group
18:21 Signing Vontae Daley-Campbell
20:08 No panic at all
22:37 Blackpool double header
23:50 Bradford vs Wycombe styles matching
24:51 Peterborough cycle for next few years
25:32 Big wins for Bradford
32:15 Sutton United banana skin
33:24 EFL Trophy financial gains
34:49 West Ham capitulation vs Arsenal & discontent amongst fans
37:05 Motivation for mid-table Premier League teams
39:15 Premier League relegation: 2 gone, 1 spot left?
40:05 Worry for Crystal Palace
40:42 Championship promotion race: 4 teams going for top 2
41:39 Championship relegation candidates
42:27 Jon Dahl Tomasson leaving Blackburn & John Eustace coming in
43:14 Ireland need to cap Sammie Szmodics ASAP!
44:20 New Port Vale manager Darren Moore + clubs open letter to fans
46:25 Fans pay their money so allowed to criticise
47:50 Players should stay off social media if mental health impacted
48:06 Darragh on social media
50:20 Mansfield hammering Harrogate!
50:41 Previous big wins for Peterborough United
51:32 Wrexham could fall into the playoffs
54:25 Notts County running out of gas?
55:02 Accrington Stanley an outside bet for promotion
56:08 Success of Darren Ferguson and the relationship
1:00:38 Do managers care about financial constraints?
1:06:03 Outro

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Hi everybody Welcome to season 4 episode 20 of the hard truth inside the football iny podcast with me Philip hson and our mcanthony chairman and owner of PB United and it’s been a week or so but a couple of games since we last connected and um not is burning so good

Result I think you know everyone’s saying the wheels are falling off now and I’m sure that it goes from one extreme to the other doesn’t it um yeah yeah since we last talked you lost 2-1 away at exitor 52 at Wickham and then you had the match called off yesterday against P

Bell yeah so we we a bad seven days um on the on the football field so we spoke about Wigan last week you know again game we should have won comfortably I think they four shots through 26 we went to exor uh I thought we were very good

Against exor we had another I think across exor and Wigan we had 56 shots so um we played exor mil’s the better team one n up um young we then obviously get sent off for the second yellow card in the second half and you could see it

Coming um you know and I I guess my only narc about the whole thing would be hey we probably should have hooked him earlier but my managers admitted to that uh so again no salacious Headlines by the way for anyone listening to this Swan I don’t want salacious headlines I

Don’t want voter conference uh chairman digs out the manager Chairman’s I’ve been go with the players I’m not doing that in this episode I won’t do that this season I said I wouldn’t do that I’m riding it all the way to the end I love the team I’ve got I love the squad

I’ve got of players I love my staff the bits I’m absolutely all in [ __ ] regardless of bad seven days or whatever I give a [ __ ] so that’s really clear and important for everyone to know um we um we then in obviously went down to 10 men

You know they had two shots they scored from two chances you know again you know again we had chances to win the game um even with 10 men um and you come away and you go okay you’ve had two bad results and you’ve had 50 shots and

You’ve had six shots against you in those two games so yeah you know and it’s one of them where I I spoke to the manager he was on the bus at like two in the morning or whatever and it’s just like listen this happens like you know

In the summer we were never going to be a mid-table team like people said or relegates and we were never going to win a league title by January when we started playing well and that’s where people like can get carried away and people can be a little bit too critical

For me it was it was never going to be one of the other we knew you know there a whole I’m going to use the word process there was a whole thing we were doing this season we were going to change our style our identity our recruitment lots of stuff at the

Football club we were going to do the academy involved everything right through you know you go through to our 21s to our 18s to our 16s and 15s they play the same formation the same style our players have been thought to mirror Eon Mason Clark to mirror puu to miror

Randall to miror the pressing Striker the central midfielders in our Academy are mirroring how we play in the middle of the park and possession from the back deep in our round box so everything’s been mirrored and that’s you know we led the flag down we’re playing that way so

You know it was a case up to the manager look it’s happen then obviously Tommy Efron obviously you know was struggling you know we didn’t have any Wingers and then kind of one I knew on Friday the way we were setting up on Saturday I

Kind of didn’t want to watch the game um it was kind of like know SL Back to the Future in comes the target man you know uh formation change um yeah I I there was part of me wasn’t going to watch on Saturday it was almost

Like oh this is like the one team that you know they seem to have our number regardless and you know I kind of sensed I sensed something wasn’t good wasn’t going to happen on Saturday I I even said the Barry don’t go to the game you

Know kind of thing you know and as as per whatever else it just it wasn’t us it wasn’t us and the only message I have to the manager that coaches the players is just be us just be us like no matter what no matter you lose what no baby out

With a B water just be us we’ve got the best fun four in the efl in my opinion and when they play together I I don’t think I think they’ve been beaten once and that was the first time they ever played together against portsman away and then the next 20 yard games they

Play together we’ve not been beaten like if we can keep our players fit and our front four can play we’ll win 90% of our games you know that’s you know as long as their fit so Saturday was just bad in all ways and and by the way we’re 30-0

Down and yeah the young goalkeeper for the last three goals of the nightmare but you still conceded two shitty goals earlier which wasn’t a goalkeeper’s fault and you’re thinking to yourself okay let’s get away from this three back crap and playing with wing but let’s

Just go back to what we are 42 31 and the manager did it in around a 68 minute and we scored two quick goals and to be fair Malik Malik play Malik came on and played an efon position David pushed up to what would be puu’s position we took

Clark Harris off Ricky played as the pressing nine and suddenly we scored two quick goals and we could have got a third and suddenly they were wavering and you’re like okay this is us this is us and I love this teams they never die you know like 3-0 down [ __ ] it you know

608 minute we’re 3-2 we got 30 minutes left we’re gonna [ __ ] win this game and they get like in an uous corner and the corner goes over and to be fair to our goalie I’d rather our any go goal keeper we have come for a ball and if

They make mistake live with that mistake because at least they’ve come rather than stand on their [ __ ] line as much as he’s correct he’s come for it and I think voges has just come on and to be fair to our goalie I blame I think it was Ronnie I blame the

Defender more than the goalie because even though the goalie’s missed it from the angle attack we have a Defender there and I can’t remember it was but they shouldn’t be letting folks [ __ ] get ahead on that you know you got to be all over him and whatever and they score

And he’s just like a it’s a good Punch Yeah and and then at that point that momentum was gone and then they scor two [ __ ] goals from two mistakes that we’ve made from you know I’m not going to criticize the goalie you know he was fabulous against exitor he’s made a you

Know he’s just had a bad second half you know against um Wickham and it’s exasperated and uh you know this is a goalie you had 10 Clean sheet to 19 odd League games before he got injured and then we brought another goalie in and whatever else so we know what we have in

Nick and and I fully support Nick and and you know because young goal is going to make mistakes anyway so it was just a bad day at the office and the manager knew when I spoke to him you know it’s just like you and I like it’s a bad day

At the office you know you can’t say three bad defeats in seven days because that’s not correct you know what I mean we we should have beaten Wigan we should have beaten EXC and then we were just awful against [ __ ] Wickam for periods of the game and you know and by the way

The two Best Wingers in the league weren’t playing either yeah you know eone wasn’t playing you know and then Rick’s playing suddenly with a Target man and it just didn’t look right and it just I hated that I hated going back to that you know I don’t pick the team you

Know people someone think I pick the team I don’t I don’t pick the team I let my coaches and managers management staff get on with it because I fully trust him but I won’t say they get it right or get it wrong but they’re not perfect either

We’re all human beings and it was just a bad seven days and and you know and worse is that Wickam did it to us so you know you you pick your asss up I know on Sunday I think the players all got together I don’t think they need you

Know motivational videos and to get together we’ve had a fabulous season we’ve had a [ __ ] seven days so you know it is what it is there you you know the good news is now Efron’s fit kwami paku is now fit you know um you know I think

Last night for that game there were a few changes because players were tired but now in hindsight actually they’re all fully fit you know touch wood for Saturday you like to see our ront four get a run together again the last time they played together was Charan and we

[ __ ] destroyed Charan and won 2-1 so you know God willing they all stay fif for the running because if they stay fif for the run in we’ve got a great chance you know and that that that was always going to like be the thing in the summer

When we when we when we drew it up and designed it we were like we can we can afford wages for this really strong 13 players 14 players and then we have to fill gaps with some younger players maybe some Lan players and players from the academy because unfortunately with

Financial fair play and the the income we receive on and again not slightly on fans if I drew a picture for you and said I can spend I’m allowed to spend five million in wages or whatever else to keep your eons to keep your pus to

Keep the Rams to keep players like Josh these players are earning good money really good money by League one standards yeah but unfortunately I I can’t get a like for like for Efron if Efron’s not fit to come in on the same wages because I can’t make it work in

The in in the cap I just can’t do it you know it’s not physically possible to do that you know particularly with the drag over from the experienced players that moved on and we were still paying some salaries or contracts until certain point in time so I’m trying to make it

Design it all up at once and people well sign that Player sign that player there might be half the player puu is or half the player Ron is so it it’s trying to make them can we get them to 60 70% and they can fill in when needed and you can

Scratch out wins and you can do what you got to do and that’s always the challenge you know what I mean with a with a squad you know so particularly with higher wages from the championship coming down you know that that that won’t be as bad in the summer because

You have you know jando will go on the summer most likely you know yeah he’s he’s not cheap you’ll have a couple of others and you’re not going to have those four and a half five grand week you have my younger ones coming in who

Are on right right so so I I I can yes to give a little bit of insight if it’s League one saying we’re hoping it’s plan a and it’s a champ but say it’s League one if you lose a five it’s four and a half Grand or five grander a week and

You can go right okay I can I can get a really top quality player on three and I can get a backup on two who’ll be at 70% you know what I mean as as opposed to I’ve got a really good player on five but the backups on maybe 15500 and and

They’re a player that’s not quite ready yet or not you know but they they’ll help but maybe when the chips are down it won’t help as much and so I’m not throwing players under the bus that’s just trying to work out the Dynamics of getting everything into the squad so

That’s hurt us you know obviously last night the game not been on we were gutted we wanted the game on you know you want to play games and whatever else but look the rain came down everyone knows our pitches have problems you know this year and we had a ref come in and

It was just like listen it’s unplayable right now you know it rained all [ __ ] day it was sunny up until then and then just I got a phone call at five o’clock UK time going [ __ ] it’s rained all day the forecast is rain till 10 o’clock

Tonight even if we start the game this would be just a [ __ ] nightmare and worse than that we we’ got a lot of work into the pitch over the last 10 days now you’re going to completely be [ __ ] destroyed even if by some miracle you

Got 45 minutes out of the game you know and whatever else it’s just going to be and people are having to go to pitches and whatever else and just to give a bit of background and insight into that you know we had the company that we five

Years ago spent a lot of money on Pitch at the main stadium the training ground it was a special design pitch um I want to say mixto patch so they were like high six figure patches the company we use maintain them whatever else for whatever reason they dropped out of the

Maintenance business a few months ago we still had time left on the contract they kind of left it to it you know the pitch was running its cycle it’s fiveyear cycle or whatever it might be we knew at the end of the season we would have to

Replace but we didn’t think we would give up on us [ __ ] halfway through the season we brought in a new company and and I don’t want to get them getting any criticism they only came on board late December you know it was around the Oxford game which pretty much when we

Lost the pitch is when this new company came on board who basically have come in and gone look we’ll take everything over we’ve got the equipment we got this we got that we’re working with them on next season and what we but you know the reality is we’re going to have to spend

A lot of money on getting and we’re probably going to try and go to deso rude if we can make the numbers work for the main stadium um and we probably gonna have to do another pitch at the training ground because we’d spent a lot of money on two pitches at the training

Ground and one of them probably not fit for a purpose either because the weather has been so [ __ ] extreme so we have spent this budget cashier 12 months from last July until the end of June coming up more money than ever we’ve ever spent on pitches and we’ve had the worst

Season for pitchers so this isn’t a criticism that’s that’s allowed on the football club because we have invested and spent the money we even spent extra money in August September and October and next another pitch at the training ground we’ve spent a tremendous amount of money it’s just been a [ __ ]

Unmitigated disaster again and we have to go down a different route and it’s probably going to be the desert route which is a bit longer than five years I think but it’s going to be a lot more money if we can get a deal over time

Because we ain’t got the money to do it one go and this this goes back to where I argue about it would be great if the efl put a fund together you know that basically teams could borrow from in patches and then pay out of their TV

Money over five years so that you got better pitches throughout the efl so say the efl put 20 million together and let’s say a new pitch is 500 Grand 600 Grand I don’t know what the price is going to be every season you’re not going to have all 72 clubs particularly

In League one and League two I would do this for you’re not going to have 40 clubs needing a new pitch every year it would be every other third year so you probably have to do maybe 10 12 a year which is probably five six seven million

Quid would need to be loaned you could charge interest on it the close up pay it back out of their money and then you would have clubs who would have good you know and this is these are the little things I wish we could do when I put my

Procurement hat on surely there could be a efl wide deal with a provider or a couple of providers where you’re pulling all that money together and suddenly it’s not a five or a $600,000 project it’s a 300,000 or a $400,000 project or whatever Sterling it ain’t dollar way Sterling

I’ve been been in the states for too long so you know but you’re right you’re right you’re rightl go and they go we’re gonna advertise this brand this brand is gonna be a sponsor and part of the sponsorship is we’re gonna do a deal we’re going to buy and bulk x amount of

Pitches because we can we can see League one League two for sa because they got a lot less money than the champ we can see over the next two years Bradford peterb swind and those we’ll do a little survey they’re all going to need new pitches so

We’re going to have 15 next year 12 the following year and then year three we’re going to have these and so on and so on and so on we’re going to do a deal with this company get them for a cheaper price and we the efl are going to pay

The tab and then we’re going to take it out of your TV money and we’re going to charge you 5% so we can make it a profitable Enterprise but it gives everyone that capability because not all League one and League two clubs can just whack out five six whatever Mone put new

Pictures it’s it’s a massive amount of money and and what I’ve certainly seen from Brad because we we struggle mly you know with yeah the pitch and it’s a lot about the drainage and under soil and around the sun and the elevation of the stands and where the

Sun sets and what gets there’s so many different variables that go into 100% you know the quality of the pitch or not and and how to maintain that pitch we’ve spent so much money on buls this year to dry it and patches to do it whatever so

The key for us now is is we need it needs to be rolls it needs to be flattened because the other thing as well is is we play a certain style and when the ball’s bouncing and there’s certain issues with the pitch it doesn’t help so so we now what we really

Desperately need that our ground just till the end of the season there’s not a lot can be done is a lot of sun we need a lot of sun so the only positive I’m hoping this is a positive is I think we have nine home games and we have six

Away and I’m hoping the mass majority of those home games are going to be in March and April when the sun’s out you know the the the the the pitch isn’t getting hammered so much you know it’s getting you get a chance to get a bit of

Work into it and it’ll help play our best football and we’re playing those teams obviously with tired legs at home so so that’s something that you’re hoping that comes off and then we I’m working on right now big thing this week been sent to me a presentation of four

Different options for what we’re doing for the pitch next season so again not a financial thing we’re doing what we can do you know whatever and the other thing I’d say as well is there are people going on about like having a right back is why we lost three biggest load of

Bollocks if you have 56 shots in two games how’s it the right how’s it about having a right [ __ ] back but away well those two games the numbers are with you so you know that by the law of averages you carry on doing that for the rest the season you’ll were fine and

Then you’re winning games just you know learn from the mistakes and W wck Wickham was just a low Point Wickam was we lost our heads do you know what I mean like starting to finish you know it wasn’t us it wasn’t the way we like to

Play you know like I said to you we’re playing with a Target man it just it wasn’t us it’s not what we want to do and it’s like flag in the sand we can’t keep going back to that we have to just move on now and yeah you know and we had

Fans screaming out for that during the week after the two losses bring in the double goal do this do it’s not a slight on him but we’ve moved on like you know it’s not how we play and to be fair we young pmy make his debut from the 21s

And you know our Academy and he was great for five minutes you know we’ve got a lot of good things happening we can’t keep looking backwards you know we can’t obsess about right backs and whatever jadel has done a great job God bless him he’s had a couple of games

With kwami puu and we’ve won all those games kwami gets injured then he gets David who’s come in David hasn’t been at his best but David’s honest and he works really hard you know what I mean he’s probably more of an impact player player at the moment the way we play and then

We got a brenford boys com in God bless him he’s 19 he’s at a game you know half a game I think was against Wigan done okay then he’s obviously had a bit of a disaster against exor God bless him he’s going to learn that’s all perfectly un

Alone you know and and jidell is playing behind this and and he’s had no fluidity he’s had a couple of games with kwami won them and you okay get kwami back fit kwami was playing last night you know that was the beauty but I guess now with

A game off it gave kwami and Efron a few more days to rest their bones you know you know that kind of thing so it is what it is look we know who we are we know what we are we just need to be awesome we’ll be okay we’ll do really

Well you know we got a lot of games coming up and they’re going to be fast and furious you know in back to back and this young group are they’re not like previous groups there is no quitting them even against wiky say well you quit no we didn’t quit we were three2 down

And then there were three erors that just [ __ ] knocked the [ __ ] out of us but we still didn’t quit in a in an alien formation for the way we’ve been playing most of the season and and you know there was no quitting those players they’re not like that they’re not like

Previous groups so you know the majority of fans are with them but there’s always that little click you just oh any chance now of a bad run or a blip we’re just going to stick the knife in and we’re going to do this this this and we didn’t

Recruit well and we had a [ __ ] transfer window no we kept every player with a great transfer window the biggest thing about the transfer window wasn’t what you were signing it’s what you were keeping so don’t want to hear that we didn’t sign a right back we got a right

Back and we also have a young right back who’s [ __ ] phenomenal by the way and won’t be with us very long but we brought in a new right back today so you know I’ve Bo always got a bit of pedigree but it’s not a worker from at

Various places so he a bit of a punt we’ve given him a chance to the end of the season let’s see but again that wasn’t a panic deal that was something who been in the for 10 days the manager’s been working on that one and I approved that about five days ago so

He’s gonna play with our 21s and get fit vonte Dy Campbell um yes correct correct he’s been training with you hasn’t he for a week or two yes he’s been training with us for a week um you know we we’ve got we spoke to Josh we spoke to some of

Our players in Mel you know he’s had a bit of a stigma attached to him where he’s previously been he been at Arsenal he been at Leicester Brendan Rogers loved him at Leicester he left there he went to Cardiff um you know he’s 22 you think with that man of clubs you know

Whatever but look that’s down to the player now what we can only do is give someone an opportunity so that player is probably looking in the mirror gone how many more opportunities do I get so sometimes they have to go go go backwards to go forwards so you know the

Manager likes him there’s a player in there he’s not at the moment as regards to the intensity that we play couple of 21 games and he’d be good to go so we just felt it was it was an add-on that maybe would help us and you know what if

He does really well then we’ll look at something bigger because obviously next season we will need to sign a permanent right back to compete with James denelli so this gives this lad a few months to settle in and prove that he deserves you know a bit more of a longer term thing

So we were okay about that we were open we had the space to do it in the end we had a couple of young ones go out on loan which freed up the wages for us to do it in the C I think Charlie went to kitster and young Gabe went to Peter

Sports so the minute we had that cap space we could do something you know what I mean so we’re here go but everyone needs to like just relax it’s like you know I hate people say blip or people say this whatever else I’m okay like I’m okay I’m I’m I’m I’m loving

What we’re doing yeah you didn’t turn into a bad team in a week did you no no no no no you know a week ago we were getting applauded since day but I was never like we’re man city of league one like let’s calm down I saw some of our

Fans arguing with other clubs gone we’re playing it and and I’m happy they can do that but sometimes I think you got you got to be careful you know because you you you don’t go a whole season on on beating for like seven months in League

One usually you know we’ve got a lot of big team you know people last night we’re g on about we’re done now and automatic promotion’s gone and did it did it no you you’re wrong there’s 15 games to go the chase is on so I don’t

Even table watch but all I know is is we get back winning we get back to being off I know four or five games to go we’re going to be there so they the things we have to do I remember last time you got promoted you had a spell

Roundabout this time I think it was and maybe there was a couple of other games that you had and all of a sudden everyone does You Know What’s happen yeah everyone does you know it’s just one one of the certainties of football is where there’s highs there will be

Lows and every promotion season I I’ve had every promotion season you’ve had just like you know a few bad games or sticky patch or you know uh it just happens in football it’s very rare a team just dominates from start to finish it’s very rare you get like I think it’s

Mansfield you know lose two games in 40 [ __ ] games you know but mansvi could argue they’ve been building to this for the last two seasons with the previous disappointment so you know Plymouth I remember a few years ago were up there and then they you know fell away but

Then they came back with a [ __ ] you know Vengeance the following year to win the league so just sometimes it’s just the way it is and this is nothing to do with age trust me you know you go and stand and dressing room you talk to these young Lads and whatever else this

Isn’t a b they don’t fear anybody you know and and but the thing is they’re not always going to be perfect and you know [ __ ] happens it goes against you you play wig and they score [ __ ] three goals and four chances you know so we have to clean up certain stuff you

Know exit the red card the little things and we just have to clean up we clean up and we keep having 25 chances a game we win a lot those 15 games left you know so here’s what it is you know we got Blackpool this week we got black pool on

Tuesday you know you got you know people will be like season Define it’s not season defining you know at the end of the day there’s a long way to go you know and and and this isn’t like previous years you know it’s it’s a group I enjoy watching when you’ve got

The same team in close proximity I think Saturday and Tuesday for you Blackpool at home in the league Blackpool away in the efl trophy semi-final does it change the way you prepare like for the first of those two games because you don’t want to necessarily give you give a hand

Or no I think I think our manager will player strongest team on Saturday as will they and I think probably even though you’re one step from Wembley because the amount of games in proximity now if we don’t get to make four or five changes in a game you know and people

Are going to get tired you know a lot of our game is based on you know possession and pace and power and whatever and you just can’t you just can’t do that like every 72 hours you know what I mean at that level so I you know I couldn’t tell

You what a manager will do on Tuesday you know what I mean at the end I would imagine he’ll probably make changes you know so I don’t think Saturday will affect what you’ll do on Tuesday right whenn lose draw I think he’d probably like mix and match a bit you know what I

Mean so I don’t know you know but there’s a lot of games coming so we all have a chance we both have a chance to go to Wembley let’s see what happens do you know what I mean and you know it’s fun and and that was always the target

At the end of the season you’re one game from your target it’ll be great to get there but it won’t be life changing if you don’t so you know and this is the first time we’ve ever got to the semi-finals of in whatever Incarnation this competition has been sure so we’ve got Wickam

Um so no easy games yep Weck him at home you never so you know I think I think wi peterb play efl trophy final at this race yeah I I am yeah obviously they’re are bogey team but on at Wembley I think it would be different but um I I think

You do okay against Wick because of styles styles will probably match each other in a good way and I just think look you know give me Wickam three weeks ago after Charleston with fully fit team with not lose 52 at Wickam yeah so um yeah you know and that’s no slight on

Wickam you know at the end of the day they beat us fair and square on Saturday and you know we made a lot of mistakes and it just it was it was just made it look worse you know so here what it is you know I mean I don’t want to talk

About them anymore so do your best against them anyway and we’ll do our best so anyway enough about Peter enough about you know whatever else because I’m I’m you know again like I said to you I’ve been like this all seasons you know what I mean it’s like Win Lose or Draw

You know people want to panic people want to do whatever else we’re a really good team and and just I’ve been saying this you know we’re about to start selling season tickets if you like what you see this is what we’re going to do for the next few years you know we’re

Going to go through a really good cycle um yeah you’ll always lose players and bring but we’re going to go through a cycle where your identity is really clean and clear is going to be a style you’re going to like and we’re not going

To move on that you know we moved on a little bit against Wick but I don’t think you’re going to see that happen again we’re we’re going this way um we probably get younger so like get on board with it hopefully the pitch would be like Wembley next

Year for it that’s just the way it goes so let’s talk Branford because obviously you got a couple of exciting results let’s go back to obviously you know right back after the last podcast give me the juice yeah isn’t it funny that uh you know we’ve F we’ve got a couple of

Wins under our belt as you go through a couple of defeats it’s we seem to be very opposite of each other this season couple big wins couple of big so we we beat uh rexam one- nil on Saturday at the race course and that was uh you know pretty

Unexpected um Rex some how many people how many people have beaten them at the race course I think it was their second defeat of the season and the first defeat of the well we actually beat them in the League Cup in the first round of

The league there as well yeah but in the league they lost to MK Dons and Graeme Alexander on the first day of the season and that’s that’s right you’re their BBY team so you’ve G so did you deserve to win that game or did you just stay in

The game until late in the game and then frustrate them and then nicker the latter you know we stayed in it defense was strong we didn’t really look like we were going to score and then five minutes from the end we got a penalty and you think okay you know we kind of

Got lucky we got a penalty here penalty was saved and you think well you know crap that was our chance and then five minutes later um really out of nowhere Andy cook popped up and one nil and uh you know it was a bit of a

Smashing yeah um and it was the first time since November 2021 won at home that they hadn’t scored which is 51 games wow wow so wow and you know and I think there was it shows a difference in expectations there’s a lot of pressure on Phil Parkinson it was the first time

He’d lost four in the row and people were already calling for his head they lost four in a row yeah they won at uh they won yesterday but in a row against us Jesus wow um so so we came away from there you know unexpectedly with a win

And then we had MK Dons yesterday and MK Dons is probably the team that has um that that’s played the best against us all season we played them at their place I know it’s October time frame and I can’t if it was 3-0 or it was 4-0 but it should have been 10-

Nil yeah it was just one of those and um we been 4-0 last night um we had 20 28% yeah we did it with 28% possession so it was basically I think uh you know strong at the back uh disciplined uh pressing you know we didn’t really give

Them much time when they had the ball you know they kept the ball from most of the game but they didn’t really get much chance to do much with it and for once in a while we took our chances I think we had six shots and scored four um

Which you know previously we’ve been doing our right on the shots we just haven’t been converting them so it was one of those games where it all kind of came together and you know you’re kind of questioning yourself like who kidnapped the real Bradford City and

Replaced it with these players um it was one of those but maybe that’s the start of a run you know with rexam and with MK Dons two very difficult games you’re four points from the playoffs and that’s that’s crazy uh I know we’ve played a game or two more than others around us

But points on the board um I wouldn’t have thought that a week ago you know when we’re looking below us rather than above us what’s changed um what’s changed like what’s what’s the ingredient um maybe it just needed a bit of look and a bit of a spark and a bit of belief

That we got from rexam um I think that they’ve really shed up at the back so we’ve been pretty strong defensively and honestly you know you look back at the Run we hadn’t won in eight before rexam or maybe it was even nine in the league but there was a

Lot of draws a lot of nil nil a lot of one-1 draws so I think the problem defens defensely it’s not like we’ve been losing every week we just haven’t been winning so far too many draws that could have should have been converted to wins

And we just couldn’t do that um so maybe a bit a look um like I say a little bit of belief I think Kevin McDonald has come into back into the middle after he had some time out when he became caretaker manager um and he’s had some

Time out you know to get his Fitness back and while he’s not a 90 minutes a game player from a fitness perspective yeah yeah he and he can just run the game and orchestrator exactly so and and then you know when you need the quality pass he’s got the quality pass that a

Lot of the others don’t so it’s been interesting kind of seeing him and Richie Smallwood together almost like Richie Smallwood needed somebody else alongside him who could um be the partner in crime rather than Richie Smallwood thinking that the whole world is on his shoulders and trying to

Dictate everything in the middle I think maybe that’s helped a little bit um well this is good news because you keep this up you got season ticket sales on the horizon so it’s great timing really for we definitely need that because you know we talked I forget the game um

Where there was probably seven or eight thousand it looked like there I’d say that there was maybe 10,000 there just by looking at the the footage yesterday you hit seventh you got in seventh place and suddenly you’re be getting 17 18 19,000 again so it’ll aw awaken the

Natives they’ll be all like we’re back it’s it’s interesting with i for because there’s a lot of people that I know who are season ticket holders but that are paying to stay at home and watch it on I follow because cold it’s been miserable the football’s not been great and it’s

Like you don’t want to miss it and so it’s actually from a revenue perspective for the club probably a good thing because they’re getting the revenue twice you’re getting the season ticket money and get the iall money yeah I do think that I follow has an effect on midweek attendances especially when

You’re not playing very well yeah no I get that I mean wor about the star sell season tickets Chris came to me with his you know Chris runs all that now with his presentation on it whatever and I said look this is your decision if you

Think that’s the right way you know a few changes here in there meet with the supporters groups which they did explain to them go through the process will everyone be happy no will most people be happy yes you know for the football that’s on display I still think it’s

Good value we haven’t really put them up like price-wise you know a lot of people still have weird like a three year freeze after Co because of the lack of refunds on original you know whatever this is the final year of that you know and and yeah we feel like you know we’re

Doing right by the fans so you know I think we we’ll do well from it you know and I’m sure who have you got your next few games you’ve got obviously Tuesday night you’ve got obvious or Wednesday night you’ve obviously got Wickam but who have you got so this is the most

Bradford City banana skin that you can possibly have after two great wins at home so on Saturday then we got the Wickam game and then we got Barrow away the Saturday okay okay okay so yeah listen if if your players are there turning the corner and winning is infectious you know hopefully

That’ll you know listen we need to we need the Bradford Posh win doubles that’s what we need we need that to happen all the way through we need a we need a week where we’ll be very excited you know about the potentials of Wembley in the heart tro final it would be nice

If we can take a take some amum into that Wickam game because if we got momentum into that Wickam game then anything’s possible yeah I I I actually see them you know I I think Cup games are just different from the league and particularly when you’re one game from

The final regardless whether you win 10-0 on Saturday whatever else you know you you you just it’s a oneoff game you know it’s it’s like the winner goes through to the final and then you’re like you’re there you’re at Wembley so it’d be really interesting to see so

Let’s let’s see we need the Posh win double how much is the efl trophy final worth financially it’s really funny because the last round you got 40 Grand you only get 50 grand for winning the next round and then I think the prize money is like

90 grand or something like that for the final and then you obviously split the gate after the fa or the NFL take their splits so you know we have bonuses in our players contracts so really there’s not a really lot of net money for the club yeah where we’ll do well will be

You sell some shirts you sell whatever as but the line share of the majority you win that cup you’re better off losing the Cup Final because you actually make more money because you paid your bonuses out not that I would you know endorse that I I would rather basically make nothing out

Of it and get the trophy so right but yeah the reality is you know you can in theory winning that cup everything else in it going through all the rounds yeah you’re talking five 600 Grand that’s not to be sniffed at you know for League one

And League two clubs that’s why I always laugh that people slag the cup off it’s actually a lucrative cup you know cry won it when they got relegated to Lee 2 a few years ago you know and they would have made probably more than that because the size so you know it’s um

It’s a great trophy so anyone would be proud to win us it is a new pitch you’re absolutely right but I still have to put that [ __ ] thing in anyway so like yeah you know more things that add to the to the out outgo column course-wise

You know what I mean so is what it is but all good well let’s let’s go around the leagues a little bit um so starting in the Premier League um I don’t think we can avoid talking about West Ham and Arsenal so West Ham obviously L lost 60

At Arsenal and a lot of discontent which feels from a distance unfair I think at West Ham I mean they’re ninth sorry eighth yeah I I think Moyes has done tremendous and I think you know there’s obviously new no new contract on the horizon and I think some fans you got to

Be careful what you wish for and I think this happened last time Ed Moyes he comfortably kept him in the Premier League he went and then they struggled and you know he’s won a European trophy they’re still in a European trophy you know they’ve had a semi-decent season I

Mean what are your expectations I guess you know if you’re the owners of West Ham top six top seven you’ve got clubs now that suddenly are Brighton or like a you know a force in the Premier League you’ve got clubs like that you know outside of your Spurs United’s arsenals

Liverpool Chelsea were coming good again like I said they would it’s very difficult to compete and get into that top record and you know the one thing I’ll say about West Ham and Moyes and whatever else they’ve never had a prolific number nine they’ve never had a

20 season goal scorer you know for for example put Ivan Tony and the David Moyes team in West Ham I think they’ probably be vying for top four in the Premier League so because they’ve got a lot of other good pieces around and they they they’ve built a good squad so I

Don’t know where it stands with their fans why they’re so disillusioned and there’s such outcry look losing six0 to anyone’s never a good thing ask Harry with fans after M beat them nine2 so you know the reality is it’s it’s that should never happen maybe arsenal were

Just too good maybe West Ham just had a really off day but Moyes is a really experienced manager I think they’ll still have a good Strong finish to season I wouldn’t discount them for [ __ ] going deep I think they’re in Europe still yeah um you know so he

Definitely won’t be short of a job offer in the summer he’s he’s done a really good job there U and I’d be very very surprised if they don’t keep him because I don’t you know who who would West Ham go and get like right who’s gonna take

Them to the next level well yeah I mean that’s the question I mean like Liverpool have got that conundrum in the summer you know and you know who who you getting I just I just don’t know you know what I mean like you know you’re an

Po the cogo aren’t available so um I don’t know so look their owners they’ve got their own way of dealing with that and they will in time I guess that middle of the Premier League table is a is a is an interesting kind of place to

Be as a football club isn’t it because you probably there because there are just Gulf Gulfs financially between making it any further but there’s not necessarily a lot to celebrate as a football like I always wonder what motivates you as a support of a mid mid middleof the road Premier League team

Where you know maybe the motivation is let’s see if we can win a Cup this year but it’s not necessarily you know you’re not really going to get relegated you’re not really going to go into the top four yeah so you know what’s the it goes back

To what you said about what’s the expectations I didn’t even mention Aston Villa Newcastle I mean yeah you know those clubs now are like going by some of the richest people in the world so you know you add Villa Newcastle to Spurs and then your usual top four or

Five big clubs in Chelsea on their way back you know what does a Brighton and a West Ham set out to do every year now you know what what what’s the goals here is it is look let’s just finish top eight if you finish top eight that’s pretty good in

The best league in the world so I I don’t know you know does moy’s face not fit with their fans but if you say to their fans every year you’re gonna finish top eight you’re gonna go deep in Europe or cup is that enough for them I

Don’t know what the I don’t know what the expectations are I know they play now in one of the biggest stadiums in the Premier League they’re not sure of the dollar I know the rer likes to get value for money because obviously I’ve doubt with I’m trying to buy Ronnie

Edwards but I I I don’t out you know so at the end of the day but you know I’ve always liked West Ham um you know and and I just think yeah Moyes and the staff I just think they they do a great job every time um you know is he a fash

Manager probably not but that doesn’t mean he’s not a great manager um same you would say about Sean D you know and you know take the points away that ever have been deducted and he’s a [ __ ] good manager so you know what else in the Premier League Man City 10 points

Clear yet they will be soon man I was going to bring up Everton but of course they played Man City away and so you can’t really blame them for losing that because that puts them back into the bottom three um and they haven’t won at

Least I can only see the last five games based on what I’m looking at but they haven’t won in five so they’re struggling again um yeah they’ll come good again yeah and so who’s going so we got Sheffield United on 13 points we got Burnley on 13 points

Who Liverpool beat um who’s who’s going to be the third relegated team this year if you had to put some money on it right now hopefully not Luton but I think it might be Lon yeah you know I I that was a blow losing to Sheffield United the

Other day that was a bad one you know because Luton had been really good at home um you know losing to those are the ones you got to win yeah they’re the ones they got to win and I because I like you know the people who run loot I

Love mck Harford you I want them to stay up but I just I haven’t looked at their fixtures I haven’t looked at the running I don’t know how many at home away or whatever else but I think D and Everton will will come strong again I think they

Might win some of the points back if they’re appealing that decision I I you know who else is down there struggling who’s who else is just outside of that the one I worried about Palace yeah Forest on 21 points and then Palace 24 yeah um forus could be the one you

Know get Dragged In but I’m not sure they will get Dragged In look you know I hope L win the next few games as long as we not playing Liverpool but you know it’s uh it’s an interesting one I think bery and sheffeld United are gone

So you you know really it’s that one spot um which again just shows how Bloody difficult and competitive that league is um you know and the three that come up or the three that could go down right well as the Gap gets wider yeah yeah unfortunately what about the champ

I believe Southampton lost for the first time since the yeah TW first in 25 I think it was um they lost last night against Bristol city um Leeds continue their run of form so leads moved up into to Second um now on 66 points so it looks like it’s leads Southampton and it

Switched six points off the pace so I think that they’re still within um you know a couple of wins and a couple of others stumbling of being in there but I think it looks like between those four for the top two yeah I mean Leicester have come good again and they seem to

Now have just put the the afterburners on haven’t they so they’re gonna fly away with it so yeah it’s going to be an interesting run in there um you know who else isn’t West Brom are still doing well fair play today doing well they got they’re eight points

Behind IP switch and uh 14 behind leads maybe a little bit too much of a gap to make up there yeah and then who’s who’s going down from the championship well the moment you got RAM on 19 um shefford Wednesday on 26 QPR on 29 Huddersfield on 31 Stoke 32 milal 33

Birmingham 35 so again rotheram looks pretty difficult 12 points already a drift um Sheffield Wednesday unless they can get a um you know one of these Miracle runs at the end of the season put together it’s going to be tough and then it’s really I

Mean you look at it it can be anywhere from 15th down for that last spot okay so that makes it interesting for the running let’s not talk about League one so not that much fun to talk well in the championship we had um John D Thomasson leaving black uh leaving

Blackburn which I think was it’s been on the cards for a week or two but interesting that John eustus came in which I think is good for we talked about him being go it’s a good move but it’s a real change in style because DOL Thomas and Thomasson played a real style of

Football was useless isn’t reallyy into that style so he’ll definitely keep him safe um I think John do said in the summer they pull the strings financially from what they wanted to do so but look you know owners have problems they pay their bills so I know Blackburn owners

Will get a lot of flack but at the end of the day they did good business in the window they sold a young player you fill the Gap you run itself um it’s a well-run club but they’re just you know but listen Samy’s sami’s flying in the

Goal scoring charts have the top scorer if if arand don’t cap him and the next International [ __ ] thing everyone in the Irish football team need to be lined up and [ __ ] you know slapped in the face so I need he needs to get his cap

And there’s no doubt he’ll be in Team of the Year and hopefully he’ll win the golden Booth so at least that’s one positive them to Li it’s interesting because you know you see the scars and you see Adam Armstrong it looks like he scars every week but sami’s got one more

Still than Adam Armstrong at Southampton so far which shows what season he’s had incredible incredible he’s just he’s maturing he’s turning into a top top Championship player fair play to the kid you know I mean it’s a great message to everyone out there you know when you you

Start a bit lower down and you get a move it doesn’t work and then you come back lower down to Petra and then you go again so fair play to him you know he’s done that himself and yes of course Thomasson and people around him have help but he’s done that himself he’s

Just he’s he’s mred reliable for Blackburn and you know he’s um you know hopefully get a a good multi-million pound move in the summer um into League two well touching on League one very briefly you know second week in a row that we can talk about Darren MO we

Talked about him leaving Huddersfield heille yeah um it was interesting I think both interesting and probably irrelevant to see that he was given a contract to 2029 um yeah that that’s a long-term deal fair play to him getting a chance after hutsfield you know he’s obviously shown he’s a good League one manager

He’s won promotion Huddersfield for whatever reason didn’t work out and I touched upon this that you know he deserved to get the sack but he’s a good manager he did well at donc cter he did well at Sheffield Wednesday do well at Portville hopefully not against us but

He’ll do well and I read a a letter from um the owners at Portville to the fans basically backing up their football infrastructure and you know telling fans to lay off a little bit like this is the way we’re going to do things these are

The reasons why we do the things that we are again a little bit of trust a process I think but you know just don’t be overly critical of um uh I know that results on the field aren’t going the way that we want them to but we’re not

Just only going to throw out the baby with the bath water I’m glad they did that because it’s good to be transparent when things aren’t going well just as well you know you’re transparent if things are going well and I just think you know that’s important I think Carol

And the people in Port F they’re good owners you know it’s the first little bump they’ve had and you know they’ve had a bit of a shitty run but you know it’s a good club it’s well run and sometimes you need to say to the fans

Look you know we’ll still show up we’ll still pay the bills we still want to do it this way and you know if this way doesn’t work okay fine you can come at us you know with the pitch for works and the criticism and the vitol and the

Toxicity and whatever that goes we’ve seen it with me over the years do you know what I mean it’s like you know you’re you’re winning promotions you’re you’re a hero for two minutes you’re getting relegated you’re the villain you know you you get in a club with smaller

Gates always veering for promotion you know you’re you should be doing this better and doing that better you know whatever else but sometimes like fans need to look around and go there’s a million football clubs that would love to be in your position a million football clubs they’re always him with a

Chance always him with a chance so look fans P their money you know it’s very difficult to tell fans Not to criticize but you can’t at the end of the day fans going to buy their ticket it’s it’s freedom of speech you are allowed criticize a football team you do you I I

Don’t want to hear it personally but you do you if you want to criticize players you want to have a pop you want to do whatever you’re within your right to do that try not to get personal try and take a player’s age into account because I just think the younger generation now

Aren’t buil like we were 25 years ago if I was a 22y old rugby player and I I was a good rugby player and I was getting it whatever El and give a [ __ ] drive me on but that’s me 25 years ago it’s different if I was brought up in this

Environment I was 25 nowadays and 22 I might think differently just people are did made differently now it’s just different it’s like managing you you managed Mourinho managed players 20 years ago we could say certain things he could do certain things he had leaders he does those things 20 years later he’s

Not the same manager it’s just seems times have changed right he’s not a bully but he seems a bully because that’s what everyone goes to so just times change you know I brought my kids up different where you know they’re not like that you know if somebody criticizes my children they’re going to

Be fine because I’ve brought them up to be a little bit harder so you know maybe parents out there need to do a little bit of the same but you know each to their own you know I just want my kids to know this is the real world and I

Also know what they’re going up against that they should win every week because these youngsters just just not built the same and I just think nowadays stay off social media they talking about mental health and everything else you know when L A draw [ __ ] just if you’re going to

Go on it for a win you’ve got to be able to take it when you lose you know or just stay off like you’re a professional athlete you don’t [ __ ] need it you know whatever else like you know I go on social media you know at the end of the

Day I know what’s out and to be fair to our fans they weren’t even after the Wickam tring they weren’t that bad you know what I mean like you know you know I got ners off fans all the time and they weren’t that bad but I think you

Know you you enjoy the the crack of that as well sometimes the interaction and you know that comes with it so you you get um energy from that in some way whereas you know a 19y old kid who at the end of the day even though they’re a footballer they’re probably not earning

A ton of money as a footballer they’re still it’s not like you know their life has been made because they’ve got their first professional contract and they’re getting all this abuse from everybody correct I laugh like I’ve got a guy all the time who just Tommy his name is you

Know two years ago he was coming at me on social media going it’s time for you to go and hand over to Jason and Randy that was his great big advice now he’s at me because he works in grass and Lawn Care pay whatever they want this pitch

Painting this company pay them whatever they want yeah because we’re like you know we’re the Saudi Arabia in League one Club pay whatever people want pay them whatever they want because like you know he’s run a million businesses and it’s always like a demand do this do

That do whatever else it’s like [ __ ] off I don’t work for anybody St telling me what to do stop telling me to suck [ __ ] eggs yeah with all due respect back in your box okay however that’s your prerogative you want to keep coming at me with [ __ ] and whatever else if I

Come back at you and put you in your [ __ ] box expect it sometimes I’ll be like I just laugh and I’m just like [ __ ] it now the beauty as well with Twitter you can you can take yourself out of a conversation yeah so when somebody comes out with stuff and you’re constantly

Looped in by 15 people argue you go you know what I’ll press this button and I’ll come out of this is [ __ ] just filling up my timeline I got bigger [ __ ] going on you know what I mean so it’s like [ __ ] you you know everything that’s happened to me over the last two

And a half years has thought me there’s bigger stuff going on than a bad pitch or a bad result or whatever else you know I mean and and my only focus is is is my club doing better growing in every possible way and fixing issues mistakes problems but unfortunately you can’t do

Them all in the day philli you know it’s h it does take time you know so what else we got we got any questions we got any good stuff as well we got uh briefly in League two we we Ted on earlier about Mansfield and putting nine pass uh de

And Stockport are really are really gone aren’t they it then you got got third place re yeah Stockport lost at home to crew yesterday um so it’s there’s only one point in it with Mansfield and Stockport um but that 92 I I think I saw swanie may have just tweeted something

Beforehand saying that the last nine goals in the efl was Posh back in the was it 90s in the late 90s Barnet was it oh no [ __ ] that what talking about I’m pretty sure I’m pretty sure under me we beat brenford 91 yeah and we also beat

Aan Stanley 82 but I’m pretty sure we beat brenford 91 on me so I’m not sure he’s right about that I was gonna ask you what was Terry butcher was the manager of brenford and we beat him eight or nine one and then we obviously did aking an

82 we we’ve had some like big scores you know I think a couple of years ago we did akan Stanley 70 um you know and don’t be surprised see some of those scores I’d like to see that happen again you know because I like the goals um but

Yeah I mean that was like listen the top of League 2 is fascinating because I still think rexon will will get up as regards to automatic I’m not sure they’re gonna win the title by 10 points anymore but I still think they’ll get up but if for some reason Rex are end rexim

Ended up falling into the playoffs [ __ ] hell those playoffs are going to be like I mean ESPN and the atletic are going to like to be a jizz Fest everywhere if they end up in the playoffs like oh rex on TV it’s gonna be like can you

Imagine it’s gonna be like sky sky be like [ __ ] League one playoffs [ __ ] the championship plays we’ve got we’ve got the the Hollywood superstars on TV and be just like you know Jesus Christ I can only imagine so one Rex F’s gonna love me saying that he’s gonna be like oh

Here you go again I just do it to wind him up we’ll give stford a buy as well to get into them as well and no to to be fair like sord of the jilted girlfriend now Sky they’re kind of like you’re done you’re done we got we got the hey we got

We got the hot news Shag in town like you’re you’re [ __ ] yesterday’s news there ain’t no going back to you by the way no matter how well Carl Robbinson has done there but um you know uh yeah it’d be really fascinating I mean I’d love I I still think rexon will go top

Three but if crew and Stockport and Mansville end up beating rexon and not County to automatic promotion fantastic that’s a heck of a performance I mean you look at the team and it’s ridiculous really for League two you know when we played them at the weekend when you’ve

Got Jack marott coming on as a sub you got Ole Palmer that wasn’t even in the the um the wasn’t even on the bench uh Fletcher up front um you got Mullen who really should be a league one Championship player but but you’re just saying there it’s like dad’s [ __ ]

Army isn’t it about some of players yeah there is that for sure it’s certainly not a spritely bunch but um but they their experience they’re listen Ole Lee I mean they’ve got some [ __ ] very very good players I mean like you said they’re Mullen as well even the

2930 part two at the end of the day look you you can say they go out and sign all the best players but listen they they’ve done some good business you know I think Mar was only a couple of hundred grand great signing for League two they

Actually rang my manager to get a reference on Jackie and obviously you know the gaffer gave Jackie Glo reference so um you know again yeah I mean look he he was a very good signing I still think they should have signed Clark Harris because I think when you’ve

Got Palmer and you got Fletcher who are like gone up in years you know you want the next next Best in Class do you know what I mean like for a Target man because that’s what he likes to play with um but no they they’ve got some

Very very good players there at Rex him so like I said to you I still think in the running the heat of the battle the squeaky ARS time you know it’ll be interesting to see how your Crews you know your mans field Stockport spent a lot of money haven’t they like they

They’re well St I think they’re they’ve got like four four and a half million deficit or something like that I the other day yeah well they’ve got a they’ve got a rich owner so they can afford to do that so yeah some good team so interesting not County are still

Trying to hang in there aren’t they as well so yeah they’ve struggled since they lost the manager although I think they would say it’s not just because they lost the manager that maybe they were starting to run out of a little bit of gas um before he left but yeah it

Gonna happen but still a big Club Min count is a very big Club so it’ be really really interesting you know what I mean so that’s going to be a fascinating League to watch in the running very yeah I mean you look at the points difference

There’s yeah yeah right down to 15th I saw this four five points separating by nine teams just all much of a muchness yeah but so it’s well and because there’s not really been you know there’ll be a team that comes into form here and then but everyone truly has

Been beating everybody this season so I think it’s still I agree Open Season there’s still a third of the Season left to go I think outside that AK and sty to make a run later what is it about experienced manager being there done that not a nice place to go to um

Style of football you know physical team um you think 15 games to go don’t write them off um if they got hot and they catch on fire I think they did they beat Wimbleton last night they a good win um you know so yeah Akon there I think four

Or five points out of us it’s just that’s the team you don’t want to be playing um you know and and fair play to their staff and everything that’s gone on off the pitch with their manager and his contract and this that whatever so wouldn’t surprise me to see them gay Crush at

All all right well it’s going to be an interesting uh few weeks Let’s uh see if we have as I shuffle paper around some questions um let’s see we have Peter on email has said Darren has been the manager for the majority of your time as owner uh is the first managerial hire

That you made um he thinks if his memory is right and he’s asking what is it specifically about Darren that has made him successful and made the relationship with you so successful he’s a top manager um top top top even when he was younger top manager wants to play a certain way loves

Scoring goals has a style of football uh over the years it’s got easier because you know each other’s e idiosyncrasies good and bad habits you know you know what makes you tick you know after a loss so you can talk things out it doesn’t become heated um you know

He’s just he’s got the package and what I love about him is he’s open to staff changes he’s you know I don’t know if people know this but he’s won promotion with multiple different number twos a lot of managers always have the same number two and I think what that tells

You is because you can give a lot of credit to a number two you know and what I tells you about Darron is doesn’t matter who his number two is he’s still a good manager and a good coach and um he’s um as he’s got older and more

Experienced and now you know I’m teaching him more the other side of the game the financial aspects of it the the cash flow the the budget the the disc can we do this can we do that we do whatever else you know what I mean and you know talking through those honest

Things where it’s like I want to give you this but I can’t give you this and you know getting more involved like he’s been more involved the last couple of months with the pitch companies you know the the whole infrastructure of the club you know I I’d love him you know yeah I

I don’t want someone else stealing them I want him to do well you know but I you know I even said to him buy 1% of the club become your director of the club you know I’d love things that have to happen because I don’t think he’s ever

Going to leave the area I think him and his wife are very settled and I just think you know I’d love to give him one big run you know a run to get to the champ to to really shut up the doubters to keep a club our size you know doing

Really well in the champ and pulling off you know serious Underdog stuff and I just think he deserves it for the career he’s had you know because five promotions Cup wins you know great win ratio you know regardless he’s he’s a top top manager you know he’ll

Definitely go on the efl Hall of Fame if you talk efl managers and promotions yeah yeah absolutely and he doesn’t get the credit and then you add all the players that have been sold for millions of pounds that have come under him you know again doesn’t get the credit you

Know so I’m always going to beat the drum I’m always going to be his biggest fan bar we play W and and I just um I just yeah I just think he’s very under Raiders and I think it’s just always about why he’s [ __ ] in the championship

And so no Peter B [ __ ] in the championship or you know whatever Club you have the resources to yeah yes it’s it’s very difficult so we got to do a completely different way and it’s just unfair like give him you know half of the clubs Gary monk managed yeah give

You know give him a couple of the clubs Lee Johnson managed you know we’re talking some big clubs you know these are managers that haven’t won anything I’ve just mentioned so give him those you know and and and see what he’d do so I I you know listen ideally he’d stay

With us forever he probably won’t um but you know I think I think this year has given him a real Renaissance about what we’re doing and the excitement of what we’re doing and even now like I’m working today on plan a plan B next summer recruitment contracts people out

Of contract and if they don’t sign we got to replace we got to do this we got to do that we got to find the new Efron we got to you know we’re selling Ronnie we find the new Ronnie all those little things and it gets exciting you know

What I mean and it’s like you’re starting to piece together what you want to do so you and he’s pretty calm even like the three losses do you know what I mean whatever else he’s like you know he’s been here so many times he’s got really good people around him so what

Makes him different to everyone else you know he’s a grownup a lot of other managers come in they [ __ ] lie about how they want to play they lie about that they’re going to do with the club way and they go a different way they [ __ ] don’t take criticism well they

You know managers can be [ __ ] babies sometimes and you know in the modern world you have to have a collaboration with the people who actually own things and pay the bills and you know there’s a director of football and there’s a Youth Academy you have to have collaboration

You going to speak to our Academy director you’re going to speak to anyone in the academy away from the first team and they would say the collaboration between our staff and their staff is like BL so that’s really important so yeah you talked about giving getting him

More involved in the financial side of the club and an an understanding of all the financial side reminded when you say that about you know the tales you would tell of Steve Evans who just wanted another 10 players you know every transfer window how many managers really care about the constraints within or

Understand about the constraints within which you’re operating are always trying to you know REM like a kid who always is never quite happy and always wants something else and always wants the next thing I it’s difficult because I think a lot of managers don’t have to comt say

Daren does where he’s got my respect he’s got my patience he’s got time he’s not under a immense amount of pressure you know whereas a lot of new managers are like Jesus you lose three in a row you lose whatever you’re you’re you know everyone’s at you and did did so so in

Respect of that I would give new managers you know who who come in and it’s the first gig or second gig the benefit of the doubt that they’re not fing interested in cash flow they’re not interested in balance sheets all they’re interested is can I have another player

To help me win can I do this can I do that whatever so football’s a bit [ __ ] stupid like that you know where people get nine months in a job six months in a job and you know what I’m trying to do is I want my manager in the

Vault top to bottom like this is how we operate this is what we do and if we’re going to paint this picture how do I get the paints how do I get the ingredients can I afford the top paint can I afford that and we’re limited to what we can do

But you know what if if the product’s really good and our gates go from seven to nine that might give you an extra 300 Grand next year and then might get you an extra two players to help your squad be better and and by the way if I sell

That player and we develop him and sell him you’re going to benefit I’m going to make sure that happens but also we’re going to take money from there to go and do new pitches in the academy which where your players are coming from I’m going to give you this for the first

Team and I’m going to this for the facilities and I’m I’m explaining the whole process like top to bottom I’m going to say to him like I’ve got debts like I told him when I was doing this deal and I was buying back the club and

And you know charting to come in for him and all he wanted to know was are you going to be the majority owner are you going to be the driving force I’m like absolutely and I’ve got these debts and this is like he you know when I turned

There in the Eon deal I could have made an extra 700 odd Grand and let him go there and then you know even though we’re not in a good place financially debt wise and whatever you know he understood if I have to do it I have to

Do it because he’s always known from day one look there’s I want to drag this number down bring this down you know I mean I want to make us a really really well-run Club I want to make us I want money in the bank I want have assets all

Over the pitch I want to have like crowds growing all that stuff I want to do it’s not gonna happen in a month but here’s the road to doing it here’s what we might have to do he knows so and I think as long as you make your manager

Aware get them involved in that process and look after him and a staff like make sure they’re paid well make sure they all have good good good packages you know what I mean that they’ll all buy into it if they all buy into it that’s half well I think it’s a difference

Between long-term versus shortterm so what I mean by that is Darren knows that he he if he if he desires um you know the likelihood is that he can be around for a long time and build something over a long period of time you know with you

Um and he sees the big picture whereas you know a manager who’s coming in who’s just results based and is afraid that he’s gonna get sacked if he loses five on the spin doesn’t really care about that because all they care about is you know what the next three months look

Like and how can they make sure they have job security win five on a spin lose three on a spin whatever else it doesn’t matter that’s that’s what we’re doing we’re sticking to that you know the other thing I’d say as well as is that he’d be one of the best paid

Managers in the league and rightly so so I’m not I’m not worried about somebody in League one stealing them unless it’s it’s a Derby County with 40,000 fans you know what I mean like whatever else Char’s a bigger Club than us but I I didn’t worry about losing them to them

Because I didn’t think it was like a Derby County it wasn’t a Sunderland it wasn’t you know that kind of thing and you know I just think transparency and honesty is best with all of them and I and I and I sat all my staff down in the

Summer and you know my Sport Science staff my physio we need this and we need this we need I’m like I can’t give you all of that but I can give you this as best I can and we sell a player I’ll get you some an extra tool I’ll whatever

Else but don’t worry you’re well looked after I’m going to make sure you got bonuses I’m going to make sure and you know sometimes when you give your staff that comfort and that openness they’re not coming to work worrying every day but they also know is is like drive us

On the more we win the more players we produce and sell I’m going to make your life better I’m GNA give you better Tools around you I’m GNA make your life better coming to work and when you got home so they’re all the things you want

To like work on do you know what I mean so I think we’re all pretty much together on that yeah everyone’s in it together essentially yeah absolutely absolutely and and my staff now I’ve got their back like stick to what we’re doing I’ve got your back don’t stick to what we’re doing

I yeah exactly just just just go to work improve our players stick to what you’re doing put out a pretty product try and win games let’s try and score goals let’s try and sell a couple of players every year to [ __ ] offset losses and make sure we can get better facilities

And [ __ ] get better more players let’s do things as simple as we can as best we can we won’t always get it right but if we give ourselves a chance [ __ ] great that’s what we want that’s what a PW United with seven 8,000 crowds

Get you know I mean the best way to be run if you get me nine and 10,000 crowds I might run a little bit differently do you know what I mean so but we’re growing there as well so you know lots of good things happening so what we need

Now is a posh a posh Bradford onbe till [ __ ] till May that’s what we need well one of us will have if that’s the case one of us will have to lose at the efl final no because you lose on penalties as you’re still on beating there you go draw perfect take

That I tell you right now dear me let’s leave it there for this week and let’s come back after the the semi-finals next week so um yeah yeah yeah let’s do that exactly yeah Thursday next week or whatever else so let’s do it then so you know let’s let’s hope we

Get everything we deserve and you know football you like to think that majority of the time you do things the right way you get what you deserve so let’s let’s do this create your own luck correct all right well thanks a lot everybody for joining us today just a reminder as well

Um if you’re listening to this through your podcast app you can actually watch all the episodes on YouTube as well they usually go live on YouTube a couple of days after the uh uh the main podcast goes live but Henry did want me to throw that out there and mention of course

Keep those questions coming we’ll ask as many as we can when we can and uh until next week uh we will speak to you all soon take care thanks Everyone