The STATE OF PLAY with 20 games to go in the Championship!

We’re down to the last twenty games in the EFL Championship, we won’t use the word run-in yet but things are about to get spicy. Sam Parkin join me as ever to go over all the stories and we’ll have a look back at the weekend’s FA Cup action too!

#EFL #Championship

Hello everybody Welcome to the championship checkin podcast on a Monday it’s our new day uh we hope you like it we hope you don’t miss your Thursdays too much but we think this is going to be really good Sam don’t we we can piggy back off the weekend um a

Little bit more although this weekend um an FA Cup weekend too um Sam how you doing I’m good I thought you gonna say a new dawn not not as bright though this one remember that not not as bright as my jumper on my background um let’s just get this up straight away France

Beckenbauer has died so um one of the alltime great so we will uh dedicate the show to probably the greatest Center back sweeper um ever to play the game and let’s jump straight into it Sam we will not stand on ceremony and go straight to Parkins pick feels like we’ve done this parkings

Pick 13 times already this season and there’s a reason for that M this could be a tough show you missed an office quote there straight off the bat from me there he missed it what was it a new dawn you know when he comes in the new

Ones there you know the uh the receptionist who’s taken over from the dawn yeah not as bright not as bright um we are talking three not one not two three new Gaffers can we cave at this kouth are gonna appear Sam in a segment later in

The show you don’t need to talk about Ian Foster and I’ve talked about Tony Mo already so we’ve got three new managers but I want to hear your take on um Luke Williams at Swansea and today Tony Mo at Birmingham we’ talked a lot about Birmingham you suggested it would fit a

Safe Pair of Hands but not someone too pragmatic this seems to be just about right doesn’t it MOA I think so yeah think of like that gradual progression that we all thought was sensible when the new owners came in and the noise started to reverse verberate around about this uh glossy

New type manager they were going to go for and then they did they went for Wayne Rooney but absolutely Tony MRE feels like a nice kind of in between and I thought Steve Cooper would be that as well if they could try and prize Steve Cooper into the into the championship

Someone who can be pragmatic at times but also kind of um unleashes the forward players so that’s what they’ be hoping for and above any of that the experience of being there and the experience of dealing with championship squads year after year so you would hope

That he’ll be able to strike the right tone at at both ends of the of the pitch so uh I said it already somewhere else today it is still a heck of a U-turn well it’s a U-turn I don’t it’s a heck of a U-turn but you know if they’ have

Gone for nil Warick let’s say I’d have been saying that would been a u-turn at PACE with a screech this is still quite an AM amusing U-turn given um the noises coming out of the the owners but again something I just thought of kind of latly today you think about what rexen

Did and I know we can’t compare the two in terms of the size of the clubs but that Phil Parkinson appointment was an appointment based on knowledge of others right so sounding board speaking to other people making a sensible decision to stabilize aut toate slow steady progressions and um I’m sure in

Time rexam if I can just stick with them for a moment will change and appoint someone who brings a bit more flare but for the moment he served them really well Phil Parkinson and the the other people around the club that they appointed so I see that as a similar

Appointment from you know owners from um over the uh the uh great big SE there so there are similarities and yeah I think he’s um I think he’s a good manager I think it was harsh for him to leave sundland I think it was probably a little bit results driven but I thought

A large portion was probably that he wasn’t singing from the same him sheep as the the decision makers at Sunderland so paid for his job there and he’s got back in a really good club with a a brilliant opportunity talk to me about Luke Williams then so it’s going to be known

To most people for well good re link actually for this absurd um national league title race last year with not County and rexon both scoring ungodly amounts of points and then Nots County ended up going through the playoffs known as a it’s a very Swansea higher

Actually isn’t it known for a sort of progressive style and a progressive Outlook um Swansea in terms of their power at Championship level you know parachute payments are gone rhen James um insert about five other big ticket sales are gone um how how you feeling about this and can you compare

It to how you felt when Russ Martin came into Swansea yeah I think there’s a level of um a level of risk attached because he’s he’s jumped a couple of levels and he’s never been you know in the hot seat per se but he was at the club before under under Russell Martin

And he’ll know what they crave and what they’ve strived to be I suppose um and they went away from it no question with the Michael Duff appointment and I was go as far to say I was astonished but I was really surprised that he I disagreed with you on that and you

Turned out to be right about that fit didn’t you um you were not smelling that from the start were you no I wasn’t and you know I’ve been really impressed with him at cheltonham previously of course and I thought barnesy did a really good job actually but I just think I covered

Loads of games at Swansea so I’ve done you know quite a lot of reading over the last five years or so on Swansea seen them copious amounts of times at home as well and I just knew that the fans just craved that return to the good days the

The kind of possession football and they got it to a degree under Russell Martin but it didn’t bring great results until the tail end of the season so I just felt that Squad the the Personnel within it some of the better players are built are designed to play with a team that

Wants to dominate the ball and have the ball on the deck and I think the likes of Grimes I mean I can go further back I think bashier Humphrey’s Harry darling two excellent ball play in Center halfs who are very capable of receiving it playing forward driving forward as well

Probably which we might see introduced um Grimes you know what I feel about Matt Grimes as a footballer I think he’s so underrated I think that he should have been a premier league player with the attributes that he’s got uh Patino Luke Williams has already spoke up over

The last um since the game at the weekend he wants to get more out of him that’ll be music to his ears um I mean they’ve got all these dominative little players so to play maybe a style where they were putting in loads of crosses or

Going back to front at times it just wasn’t suitable I know Luke a little bit obviously from his his time at Swindon as well so I did text him a few weeks ago but I think he’s changed his number that’s the story I’m telling anyway but

I think it’s a brilliant fit you know I’m not saying this is going to immediately mean they’re going to rack up the victories but I mean you know in terms of someone that was get getting headlines written about him um you know you’ve seen all the little he’s a bit of

A social media darling isn’t he at the moment the little Snippets we’ve seen of him in the dress was he was going against the big Hollywood Hollywood Juggernaut and for the most part beating them last season wasn’t he yeah and then you had the one on from the fans Forum

On Corner kicks I don’t know if you saw that this season yes I did see that yeah it was great yeah so all of that just and again I’m so reluctant because it’s it’s the kind of language I kind of detest at times but fdy Daddy but it is

The Swansea way to a degree you know all those managers they had and listen that is coming from my experience as well that the Liberty stadium was one of the worst fixtures of the season for me during that period when they had uh might have been Joe Allen but Mark go

Gary monk um you know they had these players that just used to get it off the goalkeeper and pop it about and you didn’t get a touch I used to absolutely hate Ashley Williams would have been there with with Gary mik I hated it they were all so comfortable on the ball and

Um I’m sure this is with um that in mind that they’ve gone to Luke Williams who in terms of some at the lower level has been playing that football to a te and in an Immaculate fashion um Plymouth fans we promise we are gonna get to talk um about you in

Just a second I’m just gonna put this up because Finn asks which was better Palmer or bamford’s goal let’s not name names but that’s quite a good tea up that actually let’s go to worldy of the week FA Cup um third round week you do get all the championship teams in that the

Rules are still the same let us know uh in the chat who by the way hello to all the people in the chat don’t said hello at the top of the show do hit the thumbs up button and keep the debate moving we need you now let us know what you

Thought listen carefully to my words now guys was the best goal uh scored by a championship player this week not the best goal scored by a player who plays for the team you support which tends to be the answer we normally get but I think we’ve got a clear winner um this

Week although you do want to give an honorable mention to Casey palmeran yeah to answer Finn’s question now I have a clear and concise answer to that uh in second place it’s Casey Palmer I’ll tell you for I’ll tell you for why because I’ve covered Casey Palmer Casey Palmer’s

Career since he was 1718 at Chelsea in the 23s and I will tell you for now that is even that is not even in his top 15 goals that he scored right he had a catalog at Chelsey before he’ even played a professional game that was so much better than that I’m talking

Individual goals little flicks volleys from distance ah he curers overheads honestly the array that boy had and I think my mate who I worked with at Chelsea TV Matt uh tweeted in a parallel universe somewhere Casey Palmer is the best player in the world do you know

What I mean he has got incredible ability so for that one pretty run-of-the-mill as amazing as it was in the context of football FA Cup third round but in terms of context where Casey Palmer’s concerned not even close oh fins had a go back at me um that

Isn’t the question no but still get the same answer anyway well I thought I thought it was a good strike I thought it was a great strike from 25 yards but it’s not in the same league as Patrick bamford’s that is an incredible goal and at the tail end of my

Career um I tended to take a lot of lot more balls on my chest partly because you could pin I know he took it in between two Center half so it was slight slightly different but in terms of getting the team up the pitch and and bringing others into play um I took

Loads more balls on my chest so I’ve always noticed that Patrick bamford’s actually very Adept at that but the angle that been doing the this morning on social media the movement on the ball as well yeah it’s a it’s an astonishing goal well I want to talk about two

Things I want to talk about the goal and then I just want to talk about Bamford in general because we can insert cliche much maligned there um on the goal first Sam as a professional football player as he so the ball comes diagonal to him it’s a brilliant chest because

He’s got both feet off the ground when he’s he leaps to chest it as that Ball’s coming down every bit of logic says you do not shoot the percentage of you know chance of you whipping that over your shoulder curling it away from the keeper into the corner if you’re playing the

Percentages that is not the right decision is there part of you as a footballer though that gets the chest control so perfect and the ball’s falling and you’re just in that Split Second think I don’t care I have to hit this even if I blast it out of the

Stadium um what’s your take on just the decision making um I think it’s a player that’s probably always had that in his Armory I mean the only one that jumps out to me right now is the one he scored in training that was when BSA runs over to yeah that was

Captured on video so people at home might be thinking I’m an idiot saying this or there may be some in banford back catalog but I think he does strike a nice clean ball on that left foot so I thought it was brilliant awareness because yeah the normal thing to do the

Obvious thing to do would to be let the ball drop and probably just set it or play it wide so I think it’s great awareness I think the touch does play a part that probably makes it too tempting not to take on but I think it I think a

Part of it is probably the the player having that in his Armory I’ll give you an example Rory Fallon who I played with at swinden who had a went to I switch laterally I think um had a really good career the best voler I ever saw in my

Career scored a goal against Bristol City for Swindon at the countyr scored an amazing goal in a Scottish Cup final he scored an amazing goal for Swansea at the Millennium I mean his catalog again was ridiculous but he did that taking the ball mid-flight on his chest and

Then volleying so I think you know you kind of got to have that in your yeah yeah in your makeup yeah in your kind of yeah football in DNA if you like I certainly didn’t but I think Bamford is a player that has it was a

Yeah I thought it was an amazing goal absolutely beautiful and yeah everything Sam as the way he plants his foot the way he hits the and then to curl it away from the keeper as well magnificent let’s just talk more about um Bamford in general because he’s a proper lightning

Rod and I don’t want to get into class debates and potential reasons why football supporters don’t don’t click with him um per se but he’s just one of these players who um it’s there’s there’s never a middle ground in terms of a sensible conversation about he’s either heavily praised or heavily

Criticized but he’s not been scoring any goals he’s a he’s an England Striker um I think he scored 17 or something in lead’s First Premier League season he scored one in the past year and he’s not been firing this season Sam and he missed that penalty didn’t he at at

Stoke and he’s been used Off the Bench and he’s going on a podcast and none of it’s really looking very good optic wise but we remember Daniel farker number nine number 10 ran and we know that Marcelo belela um who can probably outthink most people on football bought

Him as a lone sort of number nine player didn’t he um and he started the last two games and he scored in both of them is this a player that can make an impact in the promotion race yeah I think he’s going to have to play very well or probably be very

Reliant on a lot of form or an injury to get a long run in the team right now um I think the other two are very very good I think Joel perau has probably got quite a lot of similarities to Patrick Bamford actually left footed quite a

Language style um really good finisher I think Bamford I mean he’s always yeah divided opinion and I I would probably say that I’ve not always been a massive fan of him I’ve not always seen what he he contributes and I probably went a little bit with the the the the line that was

Being given when B Elsa was picking him every week because it was all about what he did without the ball his pressuring from the from the front and leading that attack in in that regard and I probably bought into that while deep down within me I I wasn’t too convinced about him as

A as a center forward a lead inside so yeah um brilliant for him brilliant for the club for Daniel farker that they’ve got that option but yeah I still think he’s probably going to be third playing third fiddle if that’s a phrase um to the other two of have been pretty good

Probably we probably expected more from them I know rout has been pretty good across the piece but I probably still as a two I thought they were going to be like streets ahead of anyone and there’s there’s been yeah there’s been examples of that but I think still the two of

Them can kick on to a greater extent in the second half of the Season nice thing to have though coming England Striker coming into the Reckoning um halfway through the season in a promotion race and what a goal for Pat Bamford let’s lower the tone now it’s time for cause for

Concern go with the caveats straight away as we always do with this of course we can is Plymouth this week and we did have Plymouth a couple of weeks ago but we wanted to talk about Plymouth um and get them in we wanted to give them a

Little bit of time because we now know who Steven Schumer’s replacement is and we now know that finaz is not going to be at Plymouth for the second half of the season and we now know that Luke kundle is not going to be at Ply for the

Second half of the season and may up may end up as a very unpopular fellow because he may end up at Stoke with um Steven schumacker but where are we now on Plymouth Sam because we’ve kind of been tracing this line of if schumac is there no problems they’re staying in the

Division fine we were wondering um depending on the identity of the of the new manager and it’s um so it’s Ian Foster who’s like a proper fa guy Sam won the Euros with the under 19s won the World Cup assistant to Steve Co with the under 17s managed the under 20s so all

It’s all very Steve Cooper isn’t it work with Phil Neville and the lionesses he’s been with Stevie Gerard in Saudi but it’s his first um solo job in club management um where is your Plymouth line in terms of that we did think they were definite to stop up and now we know

The identity and it’s Ian Foster yeah I think I think it’s still a concern isn’t it because he’s a a relative unknown in terms of coming in at the championship level that said it’s exactly the type of the appointment that I anticipated without a shadow of that I mean he’s

He’s even from the Northwest he’s even I think got a slight scous twang so I mean it’s very much in keeping he had a lower league career I think a non-league career and he’s obviously had some brilliant jobs during his coaching Journey so far I mean Steven Gerard’s

Tenure in Saudi Arabia is not going well but he’s chosen uh assistance and first team coaches pretty well to this point I would suggest in Neil critchley Mick Bal and now this chat uh if he goes on and and becomes a success so yeah I think a lot

Of it is probably gonna hinge on January on what they can do in the transfer market that now that they definitely need to improve just on that I just saw a question about um Ash Phillips coming on loan from from Tottenham yeah it’s a great signing and um you know they’re scoring goals

They’ve been scoring goals freely under the director of football in the last few games so tightening them up so they can still play attractive attacking expansive football would be you know high on his list of priorities um I don’t know if there’s anything in this but he’s worked with Morgan WIA before

As well so if they’re trying to keep him at the club and if they are going to have to rebuff offers then bringing someone in who he knows who’s going to who’s going to well Morgan Whit is going to enjoy work with him if it you know if

He’s going to remain at Aro he’s not going to probably be there long term if his career continues to uh be on an upward trajectory but to work with someone who knows him who can get the best out of him will be a positive um likewise with some other young players

There if that’s his if that’s his background um what I will say as well I noticed today and I think we touched on the fixtures about a month ago that were horrid for our or maybe slightly longer ago which they’ve navigated now they’ve played all of the top 11 away from home

Apart from Sunderland already wow I didn’t know that yeah so you know that away record is dismal at the moment but hopefully it can improve and home game seven of the top nine um they’ve still got a play and that’s their strong suit isn’t it so

They’ve got the tougher games um at home park but they start with Cardiff West bomy and comentry so three teams currently in the top nine um but irrelevant of that you can still see them taking points at home so yeah I think the next tw’s Huddersfield and Cardiff two good first

Games for him then it gets trickier but like I said all those tough away games out the way now so let’s look at that and let’s look at what they’ve achieved over the last 18 months and probably not get too bogged down in um in them having

To look over their shoulders we always look at um long-term stability as a good predictor of a you know if the club’s stable and the manager comes in um is that is that going to going to be the difference GNA you know that he’s coming into nice stable surroundings in a club

Essentially on an upward trajectory is that is that maybe a maybe a a helper or does that go out the window if he loses his first few games um no I think I think everyone’s like really unified there aren’t they and um you know I was at the Southampton game the other day

They they actually set up in a in a different manner there they actually came uh and camped in uh behind the ball um made it really difficult for Southampton so I think Neil ju niip and um the rest of the staff have been looking at probably different um ways of

Attacking games and taking points in the championship so maybe that will put them in good stead moving forward but no I think he comes into a club that’s fully uh United and I would imagine there’s been a lot of a lot of detail gone into making this decision I think the

Director of football is the link with Ian Foster from their time working in the age groups at England so it it feels very similar even though Ryan low probably had a a better playing career and had already had the job at Barry I see a lot of similarities to this

Appointment and it was exactly the way I thought it would go and I expect them to be fine there we go Ian fost is our third manager in um this round this week in between our two podcasts 13 managerial if you go back to Darren Moore in July Sam 13 managerial changes

In the championship and I think most of them are the bottom sort of eight or nine clubs where everybody has changed and we now have three managers for sheevy Wednesday this season and three managers for Birmingham um let’s move on before we start looking ahead um let’s have a look at our meltdown

Moment we were looking for a big cup upset probably it was probably stevenage losing to maidon rather than any championship team but we do still have a meltdown moment this week Sam and it’s good old Cardiff City yeah we could have we could have just beamed up a picture of Steve EV

Going ballistic there couldn’t we yeah uh we missed a trick didn’t we yeah we’re going to go for um cardiff’s capitulation at sheev Wednesday when I say capitulation in terms of the comedy value of the Miss pens the goal conceded the Sawyer’s own goal oh there was

Another one the one that I think Liam Palmer finished off it was beautifully teed up by they can’t clear it can they no beautiful setup from a couple of Cardiff Defenders who I failed to note their names down but yeah um it was do you know what it was

An incredibly open game and it no way was a 4-n I think Cardiff had in a region of 20 odd shots or something like that and yeah they were very open Wednesday as well so I don’t think firstly cardi fans if there’s any watching or watching back or listening I

Don’t think it reflected the game particularly well um the score line but yeah Ryan winell and Callum Robinson wasn’t it uh Missing penalties first 10 minutes two penalties missed inside the first 10 minutes k yeah incredible saves the first one especially the one that popped up in the

Air and dwson was able to save it um yeah ConEd in in in the opening two minutes as well didn’t they at the start of the game go draw is going on as we speak so keep us posted is that really true we just mentioned Maidstone United

They’re off to Portman Road um that is a no win situation draw if ever there was one Sam I’m sorry I I’ll Flash um stick the FA Cup draw as as we go up and we try and we try and keep Sam on on topic

But we’ll flash him up as we go does it do anything in terms of the league form or is it one that Erol Belo is just going to be able to park well I think they’ve had what seven points from the four games over the festive period so uh

They would have taken that I I would suggest so not too much to worry about um and yeah they got a tough game in the weekend hav they is it leads at the weekend I think but um right on Q leads against Plymouth in the FA Cup so no I think they’ve had

A they’ve had a pretty good um they’ve had a pretty good Christmas they’ve been able to blood some some younger players in this competition who did quite well so I wouldn’t be overly concerned especially you know the amount of chances they were able to create and spurn but for comedy value Cardiff over

Steve Evans getting beat by George elobe who used to play for Colchester did he not so hip switch cester that’d be a nice one to by managed by Mick McCarthy um with Wolves wasn’t he um yeah we’re not normally going to be clashing with the FA Cup um

Draw Leeds Plymouth is as Mali points out actually a home draw for Leeds and it’s our first all Championship draw so we’re not actually sponsored by the FA Cup draw we’re actually sponsored by match Bingo for the rest of the show because we’re gonna look ahead at the

Round 27 fixtures Sam we’re going to be into the last 20 um I’ll pop through them in just a second keep your FA Cup games coming up and we’ll try and keep our focus on this and um we are going to have a look at a mouthwatering [Applause]

Matchup so as I said round 26 um round 27 excuse me this coming week and back after the FA Cup break these are the fixtures let us know what you think your mouthwatering matchup is on Friday night it is hull versus norch it’s comentry versus Leicester which could be

Interesting if anyone can it’s nice to have Leicester playing away at one of the form teams in the division see if anyone can test them it’s Birmingham Swansea for two of our new managers there Mo versus Williams Cardiff Leeds is always a bit spicy off the pitch Sam

We’ll see what it’s like on it real big one there look at that Huddersfield versus Plymouth if you are Huddersfield you’ve got that one Circle to try and reel Argy in uh the George savil Derby is milw versus Middlesboro it’s Preston versus Bristol City Rotherham who have

Been decent under Liam Richardson at the New York they always seem to keep that um thing up whoever’s managing them rod and v Stoke it is in Southampton versus inform Sheffield Wednesday West Brom versus Blackburn at 5:30 is milot ipswitch versus Mick beels lot Sunderland and then we do have a Sunday

Game as well they always play a preseason friendly don’t they these through QPR versus Watford let us know your mouthwatering matchups in the chat um seeing any more Cup draws coming in I don’t think we are so we’ll try and keep focused on the job in hand Sam who have

We picked for this week’s mouthwatering matchup we’re going Samar sampton against Sheffer Wednesday so I hate to say this as an nip fan is is this where what’s that John lenon song where goes the dream is over is potentially we could get Southampton go past IP switch either temporarily or permanently if the

Results go if they win a niwi lose but Saints play 3:00 if play at um 5:30 so any kind of win for Southampton does make the overtaken for the first time they’ll be touched in second place how significant could that be Sam that that gap finally is then all of a sudden

Closed up with VP going on the TV against um suland yeah I think it’s uh another pivotal weekend I think ipswitch came through at AFC wion pretty comfortably in in the end um a few scares along the way but to get through without any injuries uh the opportunity to keep

Chaping for one Luongo wrapped up nice and warm I think wesb bur’s got five minutes or so if memory serves me right but it was a pretty good weekend for them um the striker issue is a problem no doubt I thought Broadhead was the best player on the on

The pitch forp switch on the day at the weekend so possibly he could be blooded down the middle but I think there are problems at ips switch that aren’t um aware that I’m not acutely aware of sampton sorry so they they come into this game again at the weekend you know

All the players pretty much available with players improving I think that’s the important Point whereas some of the ipswitch levels are maybe just Plateau or maybe some players are just slightly out of form the Southampton guys uh defend ly bner and um Howard Bellis are getting better and better and better I

Think they’ve pretty much played every game of this run maybe one of the defeats and then the subsequent run they’ve been in tandem at Center half so yeah they’ got loads of players in form scoring fre seven straight home wins thump waro in the cup and up against a

Shef Wednesday side who you know won six and 10 three straight wins under Danny R um I don’t think there’s many managers that have had this kind of impact at any club in the in the country this season um he’s getting so many plaudits for the way that they’re playing and undoubtedly

In my mind soon they’re going to be probably above Huddersfield or certainly level with Huddersfield it’s a matter of time in my opinion because there’s a there’s a huge contrast in the way the two teams are performing at the moment jef when Wednesday surely aren’t going

To go to Southampton and win though are they is this just a case of um can they leave with anything given um we know the hierarchy and the you know the financial disparity and the quality disparity they were two divisions apart last season for goodness sakes um surely if you’re a

Wednesday fan insert I fan leads fan as well you’re just hoping Wednesday can leave with a point aren’t you yeah I think their like their intensity could could hurt um Southampton the youthful nurse he injected real Pace obviously the the the starting Striker at times

Has been kadam Mary so yeah I I I think the kind of tactical battle will be really interesting I think there’s flexibility in in the way that Danny Rose sets his team up the way they go and and try and press teams I think he’ll he’ll have a go in this game I

Think we’ve seen enough from him to say that he’s not going to close down many matches I think he’ll go and have a go at some areas which should make it a should make it a good spectacle as well I just got that feeling Sam if you know on the

Formula 1 where they plan the overtake don’t they they they know the exact corner and the slipstream and where they need to be positioned because they know their car’s going faster than the other did do you feel that about Southampton n at the moment what is it one is it one win in

Five IP switch or no wins in five one well it depends if you’re just doing efl games there’s no wins in five um if it’s just efl games but obviously played Lester in leads in in that time but as as you said it does feel the trend is steeper upwards certainly for

Southampton nips at the moment doesn’t it yeah it does do but you know this is you know I saw them The Fringe players you know Come Away with a a good victory at the weekend I I think the day the games have been pretty tricky what we’ve

Got a derby in there it was the 2-2 with W with Leicester and this hasn’t been an easy run for it which we always envisaged it being a tough period for them so they’ve got through it still in the automatic positions orbe it below them uh Leeds have had some impressive

Victories and and Southampton has shown incredible consistency so again it’s going to be determined by a lot of it will be determined what what iwit can do in the in the transfer market I would presume yeah um and maybe we’ll talk about it in the um in the uh predictions

But we’re going to go to player to watch and that player to watch could have been leis Travis who’s got to possibly if he starts step straight into Sam morsey’s boots but he’s not our player to watch Sam because you’re about to announce That we love a narrative don’t we we love a return Sam who’s the player to watch this week we’re going uh Daryl DK darl DK how many times have you said to me you see West Brom are good they make lots of chances they just lack a

Clinical Striker a presence up there to finish them off Daryl DK returned for his first football since April um I think he started didn’t he they did it the other way around he started and scored um against older shot what sort of a difference for um a fifth placed West bromide

Can he’s not be fully fit straight away but can a contributing Daryl DK make towards the um end of this season s yeah well it’s a bit in the Josh Sergeant norch mold isn’t it I would say could be the missing piece of the jigsaw could

Really um propel them uh up the table so I’d be excited if I was a a baggies fan if you have been really forthright and really confident and being a bit out there I think you you would say it and say it consistently that West Brom have

So often missed the center forward and that you know has been glaringly obvious for so long for for so much of the last year 18 months so yeah hopefully he can hit the ground running I don’t think he’s probably an amazing Championship Striker I think he showed during that

Spell at barnesy that he’s a real handful he can he can finish um I’m not sure if he’s someone you’re going to play and be able to rely on 90 minute after 90 minute but they got other players that can do that role you think of Preston away this season and I

Thought it was the I think it was the first defeat Preston suffered they didn’t go with a striker they won 4-0 at Deep Dell so there’s different ways that Caris corbran will attack it but absolutely to have an Out andout Center forward probably capable of Starting

Games for 60 minutes maybe 70 minutes um give it everything and and take him off lovely option for him to have I actually watched a bit of him at Orlando um city I want to say before he he made the move over and um he was scoring goals freely

There he was very young at the time very raw but definitely had something and that finish the other day was was quite in keeping with what I’ve seen from him in the early um part of his career he likes thumping them in you know he’s a

Good kind of sixy box penalty spot type player put balls into areas he’ll attack him and he’ll smash him smash him gows and um I really like that finish No Nonsense in the roof of the net and I tell you what he absolutely loved it

Didn’t he which was a nice thing to see someone who’s been out a while yes it was all the shot in the cup but when you’re notching and you’ve got that uh hunger and that passion I’m all I’m all for that really nice how do you how do

You reintegrate a striker who’s been out for for so long versus wanting to play them very you know for a lot of minutes because they they because of all the things you you’ve just said have to be patient with it aren’t they yeah how I don’t know how long he played at the

Weekend but yeah back to first half possibly I’ll check that while you’re talking back toback games problematic um so I would imagine maybe in the championship he’d possibly be used as an impact player the next couple of games um this obviously coming when it did the FA Cup game was the perfect opportunity

To put him in against lower league opposition but yeah they’ll have to be careful we’ve seen you know with players that have been out for the season that are just coming back now invariably you’ll pick up other little knock on injuries um I think and kungu is suffering with

Chelsea at the moment isn’t he so you once you’re back it doesn’t mean you’re fit to play every game for the remainder of the Season you got you got to box clever uh and I’m sure Carlos cor Brown will because he’s he’s dealt with it for so long and they’re they’re well

Positioned well when you said clever there I’m sure that’s a word that gets put with Kos cor on um a fair amount doesn’t it right I think we are all the way up to the predictions now so get your pencils ready if you’re not too busy watching the FA Cup drawer and

Stick with us here because it is predictions Time right Sam our predictions are in association with match Bingo as ever I will show you my card for nor versus Hull Midway through this segment what’s the scores on the doors is it 4244 is that right that’s it mate yeah you you got a cushion of two 4442 after a

Thriller last time out where we were what three on the nose I think we had and you got a Bonus Point unbelievable Steen um so with all that being said you can start this week then Sam and it is hull versus Norwich on Friday night how

Do you see this one going I’m just going to let you know now if uh I’m in agreement you can give me your score line uh whenever you like and say I want my bonus point on this game and we can confir and I can agree or deny uh I’m

Gonna play my one1 very early here H norid um that was their scores in the FA Cup the other day Norwich continue to frustrate me I think they’re going to turn the corner and this corner is getting further and further away or Carballo to make his debut yes please

Yeah what a player um but again H little bit inconsistent still I think this could be a draw and I’m taking one one I’m gonna um go with my norch friends who were really grumpy after they drew with Bristol Rovers um in the cup at the weekend so I’m gonna back against norch

As I’m not necessarily back in Hull here but I’m back in norch to lose because Friday night away up at the mkm doesn’t necessar feel great I think the two tempos of the two teams are very different so I will add a goal onto your score Sam but I’m

Going to add the goal on to Hull and I’m gonna say um Hull two norid one and we’re going to move on to centry versus Leicester can we actually have leester dropping some points now maybe comentry are one defeat in 11 they’re very good defensively they seem to have finally

Mitigated the um absences of um harez and hmer who I thought we wouldn’t be mentioning by now but we still are um I wonder can they get themselves a little draw here Sam I think they might be able to so I’m G to take your score from the

First round you’re one- one and I’m going to shove it in here commentary one Leicester one Lester to actually drop some points Sam what do you think well they they spurned a lot of opportunities didn’t they at Leicester first game of the season could very yeah yeah uh Sims

Missed a few didn’t he Goden missed a few they they they’ really had some good chances I’m with you here commentary on a good little run thumping winning the cup uh I played golf in that kind of neck of the woods in the summer and I don’t think there’s much love loss

Between these two so that could be a good atmosphere uh I’m going to go for the 22 love it uh and let’s move you along Sam get your predictions in the comments by the way play along everybody uh who’s next Sam it’s Birmingham it’s Tony Mo’s Birmingham versus Luke Williams Swansea good luck

With that you got no form on either of them in the efl literally zero matches done between them in the efl yeah if anyone has been watching religiously throughout the the season now normally I expect that little upturn that performance just in that first one you know like stopping the rck neither of

These teams really need to stop the rock probably Birmingham more than Swansea certainly Birmingham more than Swansea but I’m gonna go for Tony Mo to get the plaudits I’m GNA go for a one- nil Birmingham win and you know kind of luk coming out we did some nice stuff but

You know we just missed that Finishing Touch today everyone relatively comfortable and and composed afterwards but buring him to the nickit I was going to say exactly the same thing Sam but I don’t want to double you up so I will instead put in a nice friendly 2-1 home

Win for Birmingham and we’ll rattle a few of these off in the comments help me out guys in the comments stick the um team names in there as well because obviously we’ got people comenting on different games here um they were a meltdown moment Cardiff um and they are

Facing leads leads who are really good but not really good away from home so I’m very conflicted here normally I’d be very confidently back in leads here but they do struggle away from home but I do still think they’re GNA have enough to beat Cardiff Sam uh so I gonna go Cardiff

Nil leads two what do you reckon yeah I’m same wavelength mate to be honest although I think that Cardiff will probably score uh given leeds’s woes on the road is it six defeats have I missed one there it certainly was last time I looked to up

Six away defeats um normally by the odd goal but I think they’ll be too strong here I am with Saint 194 Cardiff one leads three for me yeah the chat’s Fairly strong on leads there what so you were 31 31 we’re going to stick with you Sam and frankly could have been the

Mouthwatering matchup couldn’t it Huddersfield versus Plymouth and a real chance to reel in Plymouth the Huddersfield who did have that good um heavy home win over Blackburn didn’t they can they do it again Sam not according to my prediction and this is where this is where I’d like my

Bonus point and this is why I need some goals then get me some goals there’s no goals my friend oh Plymouth AR have not won I’m right in saying okay I’m going to go for a bit of a wretched game probably Ryan Hardy I’m going go

For one nil our go for my bonus point you happy with that uh yeah I think that’s worthy of a bonus point isn’t it um I don’t see it Sam I don’t see it I know you know more about football than me but new manager think Huddersfield

Will be a bit more um kind of confident so I’m gonna I’ll go against you then and I’ll the score lines and not for a bonus point I’ll go Huddersfield one Plymouth nil let me just stick a few of these up in the chat there you go a few

People have back Plymouth maybe I just don’t know what the hell I’m talking about Sam milw versus middleb and uh milw were our parkings pick last week um they full clean sheets on the Trot and three straight wins but they did lose in the FA Cup but they were playing

Leicester who win every week don’t they um smells like a draw to me Sam um being it’s not row anymore and it’s Joe Williams I’ll play my Desmond here then milw two middlesburg 2 yeah I mean this is going to be sandwiched in between middlesburough caribo cup semifinal leg Chelsea they

Played Chelsea that said I mean it’s a hell of a lot of Trav if they’re sorry they’re at home aren’t they they’re at home in the first leg tomorrow yeah yeah they’re at home but still I think that could come into play here and for that reason I was

Simultaneously um doing a game at the weekend while mil leester was going on it was mil leester wasn’t it I was at AFC wimon so I heard it coming down the line and you know mil had some good periods in that game I think they could

Nick this I’m going to go for midb to score because I like them going forward but I’m going to go for Mill to win 2-1 the Lions to keep up their great run we’re going to be keeping up with the predictions very soon but if you look

Above Sam Parkin head you’ll see our lovely friends at match bingo are sponsoring the back end of this podcast and indeed this segment and I have got my card Sam we’ll see what you make of this for hull versus Norwich you too can do the same it’s two pounds um there it

Is and on the left hand side oh sorry excuse me on the right hand side there I need a headed goal for Norwich and I can show you there Josh Sargeant has three of those Sam so he might be um my guy for that and what else do I need any

Goal awarded during the second 12 22 minute that actually happened in the last whole game but against them if you look there Josh windas scoring and got some lovely stuff as well on the other side um get involved match Bingo you can see there £75 worth in the prize pot there

Remember our friend Paul on the mega mega bonus won a th000 PS on this get involved over at matcho docomo your phone there use that QR code they’ll let you know we have sent you and we’re back into the predictions Sam whose go is it it’s you isn’t it and it’s Preston

Versus Bristol City what you thinking well I was at Chelsea on Saturday evening and I thought Preston’s game plan in the first half was actually pretty good um they set up in a kind of back five with a four Diamond uh with Keen at the top of the

Diamond and then in the first half it was as M introduced Ched Evans and Emil ree in the second half when they absolutely capitulated not to do with those two guys guys but they capitulated second half as soon as the first one went in they were absolutely

Disjointed and I think this could be one of those toxic afternoons at a football ground in this country the fans weren’t particularly enamored with the way Ryan L left the field after the game there was I think 6 7,000 there were certainly about 100 coaches because I walk past

All of them on the way to Imperial wolf station um they got a good Round of Applause the Preston North End players but I didn’t think they were particularly good in that second half um and I think Bristol City are finding that Rhythm under Liam Manning I’m going

To go for 2-1 Bristol City and a few heated heated feelings maybe displayed if it doesn’t go the way of North End know where you’re coming from yeah because the trend especially I think the Bristol City fans are quite High On That performance performance at

West Ham that was good wasn’t it in the in the cup they’re they’re a happy bunch and Preston are and might land the unhelpful draw then on this one Sam and I haven’t had one yet this week so I’m gonna go nil effing nil on this one and

We’ll see if it’s a durgy one sorry any Bristol City fans traveling all the way up there to no goals if that does indeed happen uh let’s move on get your predictions in via the comments for rotheram versus Stoke uh rotheram uh what were the two home games recently so

They beat middlesbor and Drew with sundland is that right and um some hope given there um have Stoke improved under shoer I guess they have he hasn’t lost has he um which is leading me down the draw road again but I’ve already had two draws so let’s do something very silly

And try and get a bonus point then I’ll go for a draw but I don’t want two goals Sam I don’t want four I want six I want a bonus point for this Sam Ram three Stoke three you granting a bonus point for that yes mate absolutely

Uh I was going to say I give you two bonus points but one sufficient rather him getting more than a goal it’s mad isn’t it because since you’ve said that I just like visualized it and I could see it I could see Stoke like 31 up and

Then getting bombarded you know what I mean worry it won’t happen does with me couple of set pieces uh I’m playing my nil nil here mate okay yeah yeah nil nil I think I think he’s had a couple of stal Mates is he not I think he had did

Have a nil nil against IP switch didn’t he schacker and a one-1 with Watford I’m gonna play my nil nil and we’re going to move you on to maling matchup Sam which is Southampton who will go second for um whatever length of time it takes that

Game to finish before it kickoff at half five if they beat Sheffield Wednesday yeah I’m going to go for sorry I got confused there um we scored two at Blackburn no he’s got confused you were talking about Stoke having stal mates he’s talking about Rotherham yeah yeah

Yeah indeed uh sson Che for Wednesday I think they’re gonna have a go Chef for Wednesday um I think it’d be good game I think they’ll both score but I think sampton will be far too strong in the end 3-1 yeah I’m going a similar way um I I

Can see this unbeaten run going and going looking at the fixtures so you’ve gone 3-1 that’s probably what I would have taken let’s go for a nice kushy 2-0 then so one less goal but same margin of Victory but Saints to win again and yeah look the chatter are all hot on

Southampton as you would imagine they would be after 18 games unbeaten and and seven consecutive efl home wins uh it’s me and it’s West Brom versus Blackburn oh um so yeah we we chatted to a Blackburn fan on Blue Monday um about LS Travis going and um I know they’ve

Brought in a couple of loans to replace but it does always feel like lot of deserting happens at Blackburn and then the managers required to just keep them moving um with it being at West Brom you’d make the baggies pretty strong favorites wouldn’t you Blackburn love a

Goal Sammy smic by the way hatrick in the FA Cup we love that that’s going to Pat his total a bit so we have Blackburn to score so the obvious one would be West Brom 2 Blackburn one Sam yeah I fancy um West Brom here

Strongly um I’ll go for a rare off day for Blackburn and their attack modic in particular I’ll go for two nil and you get to do your former club and the club I support Sam IP switch versus Sunderland I think if we went back over previous podcast I’d probably go for

This score line for every single IP switch home game um is it gonna be 3-2 it is going to be 3-2 there there is like a part of me that think you know this could get worse for rip switch and you know they could potentially lose

This you know one nil at home and you know everyone will be in despair I just think it’ll be really good fun I just think yeah I just think they’ll go at it these two go for a 3-2 I think sandland are GNA get something and I hate myself for saying

That I just think without Mory in central Midfield without Hurst um so I’m GNA do my second Desmond of the round I don’t know if that ever happens um in real life not in just the predictions so I’m going to go for sundland to I think

They might take the lead twice as well um IP switch two Sunderland 2 which would just by my predictions keep them in second position um but it sounds like it’s going to be a little bit scary um I need to flip the page for the last one

Sam it’s not preseason friendly it’s QPR your lot versus Watford oh and it’s me QPR versus Watford oh God can I pick a winner in this one um I could have get could have get a bonus point for this couldn’t I QPR GNA beat Watford Sam they’re not going to

Beat Watford are they they gonna get a point I don’t think they are sorry Sam I’ll back Watford QPR one Watford 2 scientific go yeah I mean that’s exactly what I had written down but um considering it’s Sunday and I might go 12:00 yeah Sunday yeah

Um stick me down for two one Rangers go on Sam you love to see it there we go so those are our predictions make sure you play along if you’re watching this as a clip later in the week you can come and play it’s going to be on Monday nights

Now live as we go but if you are on the clip on YouTube stick your score lines in give yourself a point if you get the right outcome give self three if you get the right score line and big mouth YouTuber with no credibility is beating ex-professional footballer by two points here Sam

Because the score is 44- 42 you confident of overtaking me this week not necessarily this week but I’ll win by a margin of 10 the long game I’m confident it’s like it was like City chasing down Arsenal last season I had neighbor who he’s an Arsenal fan and I was just sending him

Two word messages throughout the second half of the Season just six points and then when they were like you know struggling to overtake them City I was just like just decreasing it it’s it started about TW they win the league by 12 points by like a was like still Five

Points mate Five Points I don’t know what it was on the end but I was right and I’ll be right again here right we’re going to go to some uh Q&A if we get time we’re running a little bit behind so we’re going to have to move pretty

Quickly here um because Mr parin has some parenting um duties to do but let’s quickly do the week that was S right quiz time where do we lose all that time Sam we’re up the hour already um let’s do this quickly then Sam uh this is from fev um at fev’s football he provides our questions every week for the quiz Sam over the four game Christmas and New Year period who were

The top five scoring teams point for each uh okay if we’re playing each other oh uh Leeds than you a lot didn’t they Leeds yeah leads are in there it’s one um Southampton can’t lose Southampton yeah Southampton is two centry have form side centry centry are

Top of this table y three two more yeah y um uh Leicester of course if you get five for five I’m not even answering my question one more for the four house I mean you’ve won already but one more for the full house uh they’ve been good who

Battered them i s Anon B them didn’t they Swansea um what about I’ll go with my instinct I haven’t scored that many uh going to have to hurry hip switch it was Plymouth but that’s a bloody good show for four out of five Sam so you may have to well ask

Me my question but there’s no chance I’m pulling this one out of the bag no but I think that certainly I’ll go anyway it certainly Favored Me didn’t it um the five lowest scoring clubs let me just double check that’s what we’re after yeah over the four game exas exmas

Christmas and New Year period who were the lowest five scoring teams if switch correct one for one hopeless weren’t they um you know what because I got four I’ll give you seven to get your five I’ll give you seven guesses qpri yet Prest them are in rank form weren’t

They lock it in yeah yeah yeah three from three um two to get Watford incorrect they drew three three didn’t they with someone I’ll give you three I’ll give you three guesses to get the two am I allowed to look at the table Yeah you can look at the teams you

Can’t look at the table but well I’m just looking at teams Cardiff nope oh St nope one more guess for the ti gu for the tie West Brom correct I’ll give you a point what five answers yeah the one you didn’t get was Norwich who scored uh has

He done this to three I think yeah scored three there you go um I don’t know what the scores are on the do Sam’s winning the quiz Anyway by a fair amount right look we’re going to have to wrap up there so the first thing

We’re going to say is thank you um I know that people don’t like changing we’ve moved to Monday night I think you’re going to love it in the end because we can get some clips out during the week and we’re a little bit closer to the weekend we’ve already got the

Predictions out for the week which is fantastic and Sam we’re gonna be back at 7:30 next Monday night um no Q&A today we don’t have time apologies for that we’ll um talk faster next time uh last word from you Sam ahead of the um last 20 now as we return for around

27 um yeah as much as I love the FA Cup let’s get the championship back up and running uh caribo Cup tomorrow night for me is that a better competition than the FA Cup a colleague of mine said that the other day controversial but um I’m looking forward to seeing our middlesbor

Fair and uh we’ll be across the championship and looking forward to our new Monday slot next week speak them amen thank you everybody for watching listening if you’re watching after the fact come and join us on a Monday if you’re listening after the fact we appreciate you do leave us five star

Review on Spotify or wherever you get your podcast this has been the championship check In