🦁 MILLWALL MANAGER! | EFL Podcast

[Applause] hello there and a very warm welcome to the official efl podcast Johnny me this week is a man that’s traversed all three of our efl divisions just this season and is now back in the most familiar of territory Neil Harris is of course a

Milw legend and is back at the Den to lead the Lions to safety when mil will come calling for me and my relationship with the club and also my relationship and Promises to to um John barison who obviously sadly passed away and the Jim jimy running in the club you know to

Come back and work with jimmmy you know was very difficult for me to say no Juliet fingon is back with us to help Grill the Lion’s boss and to give us ha take on all of the latest news and head of Youth Development at the efl is

Darren wasle he drops by to talk us through just how important the pyramid is for the progression of our brightest young talents please press the follow button on Apple or Spotify or wherever you get your podcast from so that you never miss an episode or you can watch

The show on YouTube every single week welcome one welcome all to the official podcast Okie doie let’s get cracking Jules you’re back how are you I’m good I’m good it’s a little bit of an international break but we’re building up we’re building up for the big Easter

Bonanza of gon be chaos it’s gonna be chaos it’s going to be brilliant and this is this is a time of year isn’t it when we kind of work out what we think is going to happen but it usually there’s always a Twist in the tail very

True and to predict it now now would be Madness someone who’s going to be right involved in all of that is a man for all seasons a man for all divisions this year beginning in League 2 then League one now in the championship and at the point of recording could possibly

Squeeze in a very quick Prem job to cover all four before the season is out it’s milal boss Neil Harris Neil hello how are you I’m good thank you pratz Jes I’m I’m good yes not that’s good to see you back as well well there you go what

A what a way to start you’re back on your old pumping ground um it’s gone swimmingly so far beating Southampton Watford jwy Blackburn you beat Birmingham lost the leads unfortunately on the road at Ellen road but 16th for Clear of the Drop Zone um Talk us through how it’s been for these few

Weeks well apart from getting beat by your old M prats at the weekend it’s been a fantastic period we had a first three weeks of wh wind absolutely as I’ve been very honest in in my press um when I took the job is comes a huge

Surprise com the blue really um had a really enjoyable job at kanbridge like to leave behind um but but the football club and the players responded immediately um to start like we did at Southampton was was terrific buil belief and confidence and and just got got the

Group going again and and it has it’s just been really positive since even Sunday’s defeat leads you know we did it in the right Manner and had a bit of a go um at the right times and then ultimately disappoint to lose but it’s been good the lads have been fantastic

And Tim just tried to Galvanize it a little bit and and give us a foot footh hold and a platform to play from and and the players have delivered it you know they’ve been very very good what did you have to do then Neil to get them back

Going again well George you end up with a job as a manager because either somebody’s left the previous job well left the job behind because they they’ve gone on past’s new because he’s gone really well or or you come in where the club’s been in a bit of a sticky

Position it’s not quite you know for whatever reason um you know it’s been a disappointing run so I took over in the latter um where the results just hadn’t come so all I’ve just come in and just try to s be myself try and bring my personality and my character to it

Positivity um just change shape um just to try and do something different with the players to give them a different mindset you know show the fans something slightly different um but then just build that confidence really quickly and and you you try and do your best uh prep

And your best guess as a manager but then you do have to rely on your players as well and and like I said try to Galvanize the fans to get behind the team trying to give the fans a team that they’re proud of and they can identify

With um and then hope for a little bit of Fortune along the way and um you know the fortune has been the consistency the players in the performance different players obviously um to a certain degree but you go back into the training ground which is we can see where you are now

Where you talking to us from is it the traditional everyone there is the saying the groundsman the chef everyone that sorts the kit out I mean because players come and go managers come and go but those real kind of emotional bricks and mortars those personalities they always

Kind of remain don’t they at training grounds and football clubs yeah there’s a lot of you know a lot of samess I’d say PRS to it in the sense of it’s the same venue it’s still the same building uh yes the groundsman here and there’s a

Lot of Staff behind the scenes um you know Club SEC Etc things like that so there’s a lot of familiarity to it which is nice um you know when you walk in on day one you know a lot a lot of people um but there’s also Chang as well you

Know the club structure wise infrastructure wise has developed you know as a bigger playing budget um so a turnover players as well um so there’s been development as well in my five years since I’ve left um and it’s nice to see the one thing I wanted to ask you

When you went back to milw you said you wanted to bring the milw worldness to the club milw worldness what what’s millness then know it’s a lovely way of putting it but is it’s like it’s like what what does what does that kind of mean or is that

Just more you rather than the team yeah you know what Jo ultimately it’s hard to explain yeah part partly is me and my character and my affiliation with the club um you know it’s a comment there that’s sort of gone a bit viral at times into sort of people asking the question

And Randomness to it um what what is MIL us what is a m like team what’s a Neil Harris team look like Pro probably the same thing as a m like team is what my team should optimize me um you know we have to be difficult to

Play against hard to beat you know we have to be a a strong mentality side um we have to be a team at the Den that doesn’t get outrun out fault um that can competes the best ability players that that don’t always play well as an

Individual but play with a lot of heart and desire um because ultimately we have got a hugely passionate fan base that demand um but they demand in a different way they don’t demand a thousand passes in their own half they demand they demand a team and an individual that

That gives their all for the badge um and and all I’ve done is try and sort of enable the players to understand that and um you know feel what that should look like at the den and sometimes you do it with with system and and and then

Try to pick the right individuals that that can deliver that you seen a difference across the divisions I mentioned it slightly Tong and cheek at the top with regards to how um broad your experience has been this season talk us through because we we love the pyramid we love what each and every

Division stands for we love the ups and the downs and what It ultimately does pushing teams towards the Premier League tell us on the ground is there much difference in game in Play in the atmospheres yeah you just just look at Ellen Road at the weekend you know

35,000 there the atmosphere as you know from playing in is is is Mega um and and the level of player now in the championship is you know is escalated again Five Years on from when I left it um at milw and certainly two and a half

Years on or three years on from when I left Cardiff um you know has gone forward again um the the pace of the level the quality of player the quality of squad the level of coaching um and and and ultimately that is the football pyramid you know people play at

Different levels for different reasons um and ultimately the football Peri the best players play in the Premier League and and so on down down the levels and then walking in and having seen leads live having played at Southampton played Watford at home and the quality they

Possess when when they’re on it um you know is a different level you know watching Sam modik got 20 goals this season playing right in the struggling Blackburn side but he’s a class player that should be playing in the Premier League next year so is just another level and there there’s definitely a

Difference between the leagues and obviously I’ve lived that myself this this season when you talked about it being a whirlwind at the start is it a whirlwind because everything has just gone so well in such a short space of time in the four weeks that you’ve has

It been better than what you thought it would be um I think I think George if you said to me the day I took over you could have 10 points from the five games with the fact again I’ll go back that you know we had three away games in that

Um and and not it’s any old away games Blackburn’s tough on its day as we know but but but lead and Southampton in particular with their form this year then we have snapped your hand off you know for the 10 points um and obviously the form that that was in before taking

Over um so it’s gone well well wind I think was more more sense i’ come off the back of a Saturday Tuesday Saturday Tuesday Saturday Tuesday time frame playing matches for Cambridge um went into Mill very very quickly over sort of a sort of 36 to 48 hour window a

First Contact onwards um and then had to prepare for Southampton away so I think the well wind was really sort of finishing Matena at Cambridge then taking over at milw um with what what it means to me and my family as a football club and press speculation as well Etc

But also just the quickness to turn around a football matches I think the Whirlwind was was that more than anything I mean this is slightly hypothetical but if it had been anyone else but mil wall would it have been a move that you might have thought twice

About and because it was mil wall was it a fairly with the greatest respect to Cambridge of course is it was it a fairly straightforward decision for you to make um yeah obviously hypothetic Al speaking it’s very difficult to sort of second guess it PR isn’t it until you s

You live that moment but when M will come calling for me and my relationship with the club and also my relationship and Promises to to um John Barson who obviously sadly passed away jimy Jimmy’s running the club you know to come back and work with Jimmy you know was very

Difficult for me to say no obviously I leave left Cambridge with a hugely heavy heart because it’s a wonderful football club and unbelievably good people um that even in my 11we tenure we know we move the club forward forward so quickly um and with some success so that that

Was difficult would I have gone anywhere else at the level you you never know but the lure of milw was too strong um um so yeah it certainly would would have been a lot tougher to leave Cambridge to go anywhere else just going back to that game against Leeds I’m just fascinated

Because a obviously they won that game but they are on this incredible winning run at the moment um they’ve turned a 17p point deficit on Leicester around to go top how as a football coach how do you do that like you you you you’ve turned mil

Wall’s fortunes around in a in a short space of time and obviously leads are competing at the top to be promoted but does it just make you think and how to me that’s that’s incredible to turn such a big Point Gap around to go above the team you’re competing with for

Automatic promotion that’s crazy yeah so you know talk talking to Daniel pregame postmatch Daniel far you know sort of he’s he’s got a really good squad of players he knows that um you know just got really talented players but sometimes momentum and consistency and continuity they key in football and you

You you see it a lot we see Man City go and win sort of 12 14 games in a row you know competitions to or in Premier League in particular to win Premier League titles it is it is doable when you you get on that on that uh role and

That’s what leads on at the moment using a core of sort of 14 or 15 players just to freshen it up now and again but all players that are playing the top of their level top of their game and ultimately at the level are better than most other players in the division so

They’ve got really good players but Daniel just just carried momentum you know you win one pick the same team you win the second and so on and so want and soon takes you where you can and that’s what we try to be here is consistent with our messages at milw in a smaller

Sort of sample of it leads have done that now for three months and it just shows that that when you have that confidence and belief that man management key Daniel and I’m sure he’s you know he’s givv the players you know a lot a lot of Praise um and confidence

In their own performances and you know results speak for themselves so when you talk about striving to do that with what you’re trying to do obviously in a different position at the other end of the table do you take do you take heart and momentum from

What you’ve done so far and you can feel you can go and and do that julge to that I’d say the players have shown their capabilities and their qualities and not just in performance and result but on the training pitch and leadership in the changer room so you know I I don’t look

At why I’m here or what’s happened for I look at purely from February the 22nd when I walked in the building that what the players have shown me and they shown qualities as a good team good individually um but some some dealing with adversity as well and quality

Moments so you know fair fair play to them and characteristics leads are showing good quality you know with the ball but they’re showing leadership off the pitch they stood up to us at the weekend and they have done in other games and they’ve dealt with adversity when they went behind against Leicester

You know sort of they and they’re behind late in the game and they come back you know we we’ve had to do the same so you know you can look at Le and use them as an example but the other end of the table slightly different for us um you

Know we know limitations as well but we we’ve shown qualities as individually and as a group that can certainly help us continue to good form we’re in that’s well that’s the Wonder wonderful thing about the championship from us as Outsiders looking in NE because you’ve

Got some big old teams duking out at the top then there’s the race for the playoffs and then you look down towards the bottom of the division some big names down there are you surprised by some of the teams that are down there not I got surpris no not in the championship

Because that is Championship life isn’t it you know we’ve seen we’ve seen the big clubs you look at look at League one now with just Derby and Shon to name a couple in League one still and you know it happen shev W just came up last year

You know it’s difficult and if you don’t get it right on the pitch and off the pitch is very difficult as we see we reading at the moment you know as an next Premier League club not so long ago so um right run running the business properly um and sustaining it you know

Is is important and that’s that’s where M W’s had its stability over the last nine years since I took over it initially you know to have that stability is what obviously we’re craving again at the moment did you ever think you’d go back to milneil after

Leaving five years ago now do do you ever get like a second do you ever feel as always going to be a a second chance to do something again um I think again I’ve always been honest Jules in the sense of going back to Mill I think was probably neit at

Some stage in what capacity you know I don’t know I had no preconceived ideas when I walked say when I walked out when I resigned five years ago just under five years ago um it was the right decision for me at the time it was the right decision for the football club you

Know made that abundantly clear to the owner and The Bard at the time and making the best decision for all parties you know you need to change of Direction now change of leadership um but the decision when to go back wasn’t just on me to go back you know last month that

To be decision of the football club as well and the fans play a huge part in that they ready to have me back um so timing had to be key um only time was tell as the right moment but I think coming back to work within the football club was inevitable

At some stage just in what capacity I had know divine right or or expectation to think he was going to be as a head coach or manager um it might been a completely different role um just to pick up on what you just said about the

If the fans were ready for you to come back was there a little bit of fear that they they wouldn’t or the reception that you’d get uh no wouldn’t I wouldn’t say fear I think um I think any Reon to say that is because when I left it was the right

Time to leave it was sort of nature took it C the world moved so fast Jo let alone football Society moves so fast that football like football just races along as well as we know um and and I think just in my first job 4 and a half

Years was some stint in my first job you know I needed a change the club needed a change it it was just right so I think the fans needed a change or some some of the fan base so in in the modern world you always get I call it the 8020 split

Sometimes it’s 95 5% 99 1% wherever it is so I I look at it and say there always be the doubters out there and go oh it’s not the right time or oh is he the right person I understand that do I did I have to worry about it’s only because I care

About the football club my my thought process was more is it the right time for me and my family but is it the right time for the club as well for me to come back um we were aligned you know The Bard you know you know myself you know I think

99.9% of the fan base aligned um only time will tell the longevity in it it must be nice though really now you’ve got like you’re not doing a Saturday Tuesday Saturday Tuesday now you’re back in the in the championship we got a whole like 10 days sound it to Perfection I know it’s

Brilliant What you gonna do I go the other way I go the other way I need to focus I love the games you know the day the days of like turning up and and doing a lighter session and a five side I’m like I like I like game structure I

Like watching oppon opponent yeah I do I need that PR I I like the game plan I like I like the sort of the function and the phases of play in the 11 v1s I’m into that now as a player I hated it I wanted the five

S so now now I’ve gone completely full circle well it’s really like I spoke to Vincent company at the weekend after they beat brenford um obviously that was a big win for Burnley and what they’re trying to achieve in the Premier League so I said to him I said oh now you can

Just relax and recover International break no way they’re in they’re in there’s no break no letup they’re back on the yeah same same same for us that’s We we played Sunday and what what I did was gave the boys 48 Hours recovery time um

You know some some of the lads we we got four or five Lads away on International Duty as well so you know they they were going to meet up with their respective uh countries um so we’ve had a couple of days off we’re in for a period Then they

Have another day off before getting back into work next week and and and and ultimately what’s best for the group sometimes an extended break of four five six days is important for the group to rest and recuperate sometimes is trying to keep it Rhythm we’ve gone down the

Route trying to keep a rhythm um you know I think it’s important they do get family time couple of the lads like Z Fleming you know you know he’s Dutch and Casper dor from Belgium know they want to get back um B pilowsky family is in

Spain for example so they they they want they want to see their families you know naturally so understand that so A couple of days you know it’s important for them to you know just to re recharge and and and a family time really that’s important mentally as well as anything

Physical but then we’ve got to have a mindset of you know we’re in a battle here we’ve done brilliant but we’ve not achieved anything yet so we know any thought process of that I’m going to give the players five or six days off to go off to Bar anything that’s that’s not

Happened that’s not happening for me not not at the moment categorically they’re not in Dubai I love that sunam and we all burn easily especially as Northerners right just off the point of you talking about mil wellness and it’s only because I don’t keep this here

For any of the for anything and it’s just literally just jog my memory and this won’t work if you’re not watching on YouTube but I’ll describe it in a second right the sense of what mil wallness is J look look how scared you are Jo it’s fine I’m just thinking what

You’re going to show what is is is to make people like this feel really welcome at the Den yeah he yeah I remember that I remember really popular yeah so that is if you’re listening that’s me with SH the lther playing for leads at the 10

That’s you which uh yeah that is and that’s real look look how shocked you are that’s that’s real her Joes oh my goodness what happened a couple of chants AED your way wasn’t there but you can you can discuss with right you’re right yeah and I I

Thought I made a loot of friends that day obviously not I think they were waving but I can’t remember but you know I set you up that I set you up for that perfectly didn’t I we didn’t even like it’s almost like I keep a picture of

Myself long here I don’t I promise you I don’t it was used for else came in the post of anth I don’t know what sign it for me and send it dear wish you I’ll send it via Chopper and he can put his name on it as well or I might put

Something very explicit anyway Neil uh we I know we’re keeping you a bit of Team togetherness bonding is going to get you over the line I’m sure youve got your own ways of doing that between now and the end of the season but we’re going to keep a key ey because it’s

Going to be one hell of a battle at the bottom isn’t it it yeah is and and it’s crazy isn’t it to think we won at Southampton we beat Watford and the Gap to the team blowers didn’t get any bigger anything I just credit credit to

The the teams around us credit to the coaches for for delivering results um is is crazy um if you look back at the last s 25 years in the championship that I think you’ve only once needed 49 points you once needed 50 points to stay up I think

In sort of like 35 year period but this year you might need 50 points to stay in the division um so but all I look at it is yes of course you can get locked at the league table and you can look at other teams fixtures and whatever but

Ultimately you just got to do your own job and it’s the easiest way for me to look at it is just to look at who we’ve got next then who we got after that and so on and just trying to mass as many points as we can and that’s all we can

Focus on so that’s that’s that’s ultimately what I’m trying to get the group to do well if there’s any man to Le to safety it will be Neil Harris mil wall Legend of course Neil thank you so much for your time mate pleasure PR Jo love speak you both lovely to see you

Enjoy your team bonding I’m sure you’ll have fun thank you very much yes exactly mate that’s one thing I’ve always known you’ve been able to have is fun see you in a very short while Jules you can take a little break because now we’re going

To hear from Darren wasle who is head of the efl’s youth development it’s Youth Development week in the efl March 18th to the 24th and it highlights the best young players in the game and the efl clubs that have developed them so this is my chat with Darren coming up now

Right then from March the 18th to the 24th the efl’s youth development week highlights the best young players in the game and the efl clubs that have developed them I’m delighted to say Darren wasle the head of Youth Development at the efl joins me now Darren and it’s just such a wonderful

Thing to do obviously to highlight it over the course of a week but it really does reference and highlight just how well the efl does in producing and nurturing young talent doesn’t it yeah most definitely yeah and I think it’s it’s apt that this week uh in international week that we celebrating

You know the efl yd week when there’s so many young players from from our clubs are representing their countries uh you know in the coming days so you know that the efl plays a massive part in in developing young players um both you know domestically and internationally so

Yeah it’s it’s a great thing to celebrate we should be really proud of it absolutely I me and the the chat with regards to what we as the efl are rightly proud about is the strength of the pyramid the power of the pyramid and the way that interacts with the Premier

League and and it’s of course it’s efl clubs developing their own players as they progress potentially it’s the efl clubs helping with the development of Premier League players and as we’ve seen most recent squads of World Cups and and European championships have been filled with players who really have cut the

Teeth in our glorious pyramid yeah that’s true and um I think you know the stats that go around is the the way to get into the Premier League You’ you’ve got your your very own Premier League acmis that the said Phil F fod and go straight through into the first team but

They’re few and far between um and the efl provide a platform for the young Premier League players to come and apply their trade get experience and go back to their parents Club parent clubs and and and make their debut in the Premier League so whether it’s players that are

Developed inmy at the efl that eventually make their way into the Premier League or players from the Premier League coming down to almost like a finishing school in the efl whether that’s Championship division one or division two just epitomizes how how important the efl is to the ecosystem and the pyramid

Like you say key thing about it that I took from uh reading some wonderful stats and and information about it the efl is always working alongside the league football education as well to ensure that these players reach their potential off the pitch because obviously having been in youth football

Myself and your extensive experience at Derby County yeah the football can be all-encompassing can’t it but we’re talking about young players is young men people that might not make the grade so we need to also produce well-rounded individuals that can operate both on and

Off a pitch don’t we 100% And I think as e p has evolved whether that’s cat one cat two three or four I think everybody the consensus has has been that you know we’re not as academies we’re not only here to develop young footballers which is obviously very very important but

We’re here to develop or help develop the player and as you say well-rounded individuals who even if don’t make it in the sport um are much better for the experience that they’ve had by you know being in an academy whether that’s efl or premier league and from the point of

View of that broader sense of the looking after if you like of these um young players having known you for a while and covered your teams and and and chatted to in various guyses across your career so far it strikes me as a strand of the game that you are absolutely

Passionate about yeah 100% yeah I think you know we have a duty of care to all our young people uh in our care and you know I think the the the Improvement in standards across all categories in terms of how we deal with young people has been tremendous over the last you know

Six seven eight years and it’s getting better all the time and I think the fact that it’s on the agenda um is is really uh a great Plus for for everybody involved in Youth Development and I think we we definitely more Akin now to making sure that you know our young

People are looked after and we’ve always said when I was at Darby even that you know put your your mom or dad hat on and how would you like your your child to be treated and I think you know if you if you have that as your Mantra you can’t

Go too far wrong and is is there an evolution to that where where men of a certain age that have been through football and seen what it’s like firsthand that evolution of the the duty of care the um the uh relationships that developed and fostered has that evolved

With the times in your opinion yeah most definitely yeah I mean as you just alluded to I don’t think um you know if we compare our apprenticeship Journeys I don’t think there’ be a lot of things that would be allowed now so you know we we’ve matured as a game and we

Understand you know the the you know we in a really privileged position in terms of like developing young people and we have to make sure as we’ve just said that we we’re developing players and people in equal measure just a couple of figures here 100 that’s the number of

Players who made their debut in the caraba cup cup or Bristol Street Motors trophy I mean that’s another vital Avenue isn’t it those tangible games with something really to play for where these players get proper minutes under the belt don’t they yeah 100% and uh you

Know the efl trophy has been a huge success for the under 21 teams that have have competed in it um and and like we’ve said anything that we can get as close to the game or first team as possible is is a good thing for our

Young players and you know like we just said before 200 players from the Premier League young players from the Premier League are getting experience in the efl not just in the efl trophy but actually in the championship league one and League two and you know the more that we

Can give experiences to to the particularly at the top end at the PDP where they’re playing against men well obviously it’s proven that it’s uh a really uh important part of their transition into first team of course like I said it’s 18 to the 24th it’s the

Efl’s youth development week and that is specifically flagged up and highlighted to show just exactly what the efl’s approach is to that but this is every day for you isn’t it Darren it’s it’s it’s every waking minute of every day that you’re dedicated to this yeah it is

I mean it’s uh it’s a great role um and I’m working with some great people at the efl um and you know as you say it’s it’s it’s it’s you’re absorbed into it every day there’s something different going on we’ve got 72 League clubs that we you know we’re supporting through our

Regional managers as well who are out there on the in the field every day so yeah it’s all Inc comforting but it’s a really you know satisfying rooll well as I said it’s highlighted this week but all I can say for myself Darren is keep up the good work thanks for joining us

Thanks brce pleasure a fascinating chat there with Darren given the impact that the football league has of course further up the pyramid along way that continue a nice chat with Neil Harris as well back on familiar stomping ground as is someone else Jules Gary roward back

In at Blues With A Bullet yeah I think that with the form that Birmingham have been in since Tony mry Ste aside for for health reasons and we hope that he does get better soon and we see him back in the Dugout I think it’s just a sensible

Decision and also Gary rowt had so much support at Birmingham when he was there the first time in a way you could put birmingham’s problems since he left if you remember back in 2016 they replaced him with Jean francoa it’s never really had that stability since and it’s a

Really good opportunity for Gary row just to get back in as well keep Birmingham in the championship because the position that they find themselves in and the form that they’ve been on has pushed them down in those places where they really don’t want to be and maybe

Obviously a point to prove for Gary rowt as well in the manner which he left all those years ago because it very much wasn’t on his own terms um and he now gets back in into football and and hopefully you know they’re going to pick up more points than they have done while

Mark Venus has been in charge as well because just one point they’ve picked up since Tony mry you know stepped aside for health reasons you kind of think it’s a little bit of Crisis management yeah as far as Birmingham concerned but but Gary rowt obviously knows the club obviously has a

Strong Affinity with the club having been a player there as well um fingers crossed it will work out well for him and for burningham City too and another pundit or manager in between jobs that we’ve got back into a job at skyports I’m not saying that I want any

Recognition or a kick in fact no I’d rather a kickback than recognition I’ll be brutally honest but he comes on to he show they show that everybody how well they can do and we give them a touch screen and there you go back in a jail

Yeah I mean he’s on a lot of clubs hasn’t he in a short space of time as well he’s been another one where as we know that the the the the lifespan of a manager in the championship or in the efl across all the all leagues in the

Efl isn’t that long so some have been you know decisions that he probably wouldn’t have liked to have happened some you could understand why they did happen um but yeah a real just an opportunity and and like I said maybe a point to prove to to you know Birmingham

City as well and to himself because he’s been out of management for for quite some time yes indeed um we were chatting just before we came back of course and off the back of speaking to Neil and his quest to get milw War safe we’ spoken about Birmingham they’re currently just

Outside the bottom three on goal difference and between me you and our lovely producer we were just trying to work out at what state AG do you cut off in the division about who’s not involved in potentially being in the bottom three any thoughts it’s how far do you want to

Go up but then you’re going up so far that you’ve got teams that could creep into the playoff places as well I touched on Swansea I think I went as far as I went as far as Swansea a couple of weeks ago but but I may have to go a

Little bit higher yeah the the weekend just gone we’ve got to um really give props to a couple of teams that had really Stellar weekends let’s go we’ll go to the league leaders first and leads uh beating of course Neil Harris’s mil wall by those two goals which sent them

To the top to the top of the championship Leicester do have that game in hand however just on leads and Big Ups to Daniel farker and the team as well because as we mentioned to Neil they were 17 points behind Leicester at one point and they’ve managed to move

Above them now orbe it level on points but they’ve moved above them to go top and I think they’ve done that in one of the shortest um time frames possible I can’t remember off the top of my head how many days that is but I think on Us’s day

They were 17 well barking you got the dog that’s do you want to come back in one back for for just one back well done yes correct but no it’s just it’s like I think there was I think there were 17 points behind leester on New Year’s Day

So since New Year’s Day to where we are now and they’ve overturned that to to put them in a really really strong position now obviously lesla have that game in hand but I think it’s going to be a real battle as you know it’s just

Going to be it’s it’s who wins the title isn’t it and then who goes up and it’s you want to win that title absolutely so we’ll see what happens that’s leads then uh centry City who we’ve got a soft spot for in particular Robbins you were texting me over the course of the

Weekend CU working on different games you didn’t know being fully focused fully focused you didn’t know I just think the text was just commentary exclamation exclamation thinking all right yeah they were of course an FA Cup action um but them getting through to the semi-finals is only part of the

Story or a really rubbish way of describing what happened against W yeah it was a little bit crazy you have those moments you have that emotion you have that rawness and you know maybe do you do things that you you kind of regret as well um but you don’t notice because

It’s all you just live in the moment don’t you you live in the moment and that feeling to score in the manner in which they did so late on in which they did um to be a Premier League team as well um I just think that could do

Wonders for commentary season with what they’re trying to do to it I mean if they get to the FA Cup Final it may not do wonders for the efl in terms of you know dates timelines play finals yeah but just to live in that moment and what

It could do and the momentum that it would give those group of players because they are still trying to get you know into those one of those playoff positions in the top six not quite there yet and it’s going to be ultra competitive as well to get in there but

That could that could really be a push um in the in the final stage of the season for them but it’s just brilliant it was it’s just brilliant and it’s just one of those stories when I message you and go centry and you’ve gone what have they done what what have the been

Sc- what been and it was I mean talk about scenes at the end of the game and you’re absolutely right Jo eyes on that eyes on the playoff places they’re currently eighth Hall City seventh they’re away in Turkey this week enjoying themselves with their owner and

And and and bit of glad hand they got a bit of sunshine haven’t they theyve got a bit of vitamin D and sunshine like the same vitamin D on the banks of the river Humber that’s bad and Norwich City we’ve got to mention currently occupying sixth

Spot that’s right at the top of League one pompy their charge continues it really is looking of a case of when not if they get themselves back in the championship there was a big game between Derby and Bolton with Derby beating Bolton and Derby next away at Northampton at the weekend even though

It’s quite a quite weekend from League one’s point of view um they’re now Four Points clear of Bolton they’ve played the same games peterb just a little bit back in fourth on 71 points is that firming up for you potentially those automatic spots in League one potentially what you said about EAS good

Days and bad days yeah I I I think so but I I just think having having watched Balton um and I was reporting on their game against Oxford uh a couple of weeks ago now they were very good they were very good that night um it was always

Going to be pretty tense against Derby which I thought it would be um it was another late goal and just the one goal as well so there was a lot of edginess involved it’s still not over I don’t think for Balton four points off um with the weekend coming and think about Ian

EV he just remains calm that’s what I got from talking to him he doesn’t get too high doesn’t get too low sort of that belief in themselves as well but it’s crazy to think that they have been in the top three for absolutely ages Bolton but

I I just feel that Derby Derby you you feel that Derby yeah are a championship side and I think that is what will pull them through um and surely that also has to be one of the biggest wins for Derby too that game that’s just gone psychologically to to keep them at arms

Length so um yeah Giants steep back for for Derby towards the championship but I still think it will go all the way to the last day time will tell right let me talk you through this a team that’s been unbeaten since the 13th of January

They’ve won nine of the last 10 10 in the last three games they have scored 16 goals and conceded one they currently sit in seventh uh spot in League one they are two points off Oxford United in sixth level with stevenage what on Earth is going on at Lincoln City they’re

Making a late charge that’s what they’re doing they’re making a late charge the charge is to charge your ways Char I know it’s absolutely fantastic they’re making a late charge for the playoffs that’s what they’re doing but where where has that come from where has that come from 12 games unbeaten

Um five or more goals for the third game running I think Fulham I read Fulham were the last team to do that a couple of years ago to score five or more in the last three goodness knows what’s going on at sinor bank but it seems to

Be providing a lot of Joy a lot of entertainment a lot of people going what um yeah just another five just give us another just just give us another five give me five I mean it’s terrific job isn’t it that Michael scabal is do it and

Within yeah five alive five star um and with it there you go With do you remember that one we showing our age now come on come on people rain and shine allegedly Banger that’s it You’ you’ve salvaged it by calling it a banger um in that run of games they beat Cambridge United 6-0 and we discussed yes scary monk coming back

His first few weeks back in English management have been testing to say the least they are four points above the relegation places chelton town are the ones that currently occupy 21st they’ve got a game in hand on Cambridge um to say it’s a testing time for a man

That’s been out with English game for four years is an understatement I just think is it a case of getting over the line getting the season done and dusted with them safe I like the way you said they put six past past his team and and yeah they’ve

Only scored one and that six was part of a glut of goals as you just mentioned how many teams fre scoring against Gary Mon’s team but I think he came in for a reason I think they brought him in for a reason I think he’s probably learned a lot of the

Players that he has um they’re still above the drop zone so I think is something um but it’s one of those I imagine that he would like to sort out pretty soon the fact they’ve only scored one goal is is is worrying more so um but it I he’s probably gone in there

He’s probably seen what he’s got seeing what they’ve done working on th those sort of areas but I also think there’s still enough he’s still got enough within that team to avoid relegation and I think that will just be as you say just just get them over just get it done

And then go again next season start again in preseason course we’re going to jump from the bottom end of League one to the bottom end the League 2 forest green beating Sutton um they are now level on points with Colchester Grimsby have that little cushion between themselves uh and

Coester and forest green of six points they do have games in hand though around the teams in that particular situation um I mean how worried would you be if you were a cester United fan they made a change Danny cowy came in of course to try and get them towards safety it’s

Always been a football club that’s been synonymous with efl status hasn’t it so this must be a really testing time and just Testament of course to what we thought Steve cotell would do with forest green given a bit of time well Steve cotell has always said isn’t it

There’s still life in the team he still believed they could get he could get them out of that they beat Bradford as well big big win against Bradford in midweek it was just needing that time I guess needing that calmness taking that pressure off the players which we spoke

About when took on the job um and allowing them to do what their best doing and and Steve crell dealing with all the other the noise and everything else that goes on with it um it’s really tasty down there isn’t it when you look at that their teams down there trying to

Avoid relegation I had a little look about it last night they’ve got their next game against I think it’s donc cter so that you you you could suggest forest green they would look about look look to that winning that game certainly taking some points but it’s it’s Stockport

After that um I think and we all know what Stockport are trying are trying to achieve but little by little step by step they are sort of steering them themselves and navigating themselves away Forest Green from the danger that they were in when he he took over I still think they’ve got enough

Time to do it just just a memory jog there for retro hits and step by step was New Kids on the Block wasn’t it that was I don’t remember that one you have a different music toast than I do obviously that’s not me saying for one

Second that I was a fan but maybe it was and it was the well how come you remember it how come you remember it something’s just sticking your mind anyway moving to let let’s look at the top end of the table Mansfield top Stockport you just mentioned austr Rex

In third the team that’s level on points with rexon are MK Don now Mike Williamson came into MK Dons after four wonderful years at Gates head yeah National League ironically Mike was a younger player when I was at Sanson a lifetime ago um did you have long hair

Then as you I didn’t decided to cut that off by that yeah and um and I’m not saying for one second just because I was I was on the same training pitch as Mike for a couple of seconds that he became a good manager that’s not the segue at all

But it just goes to show you a how quickly time flies B um the way that he’s worked his through a professional career of course a very respectable professional career as a player and then done some serious ground work at Gates head and got the chance in League 2 and

He’s doing a cracking job in League 2 with MK Dons isn’t he he only came in Autumn time wasn’t it so to have turned that one around as well um with Mike I think what what he does really well um and he’s spoken about it is that he develops the person first he

Likes to develop the person before developing them as a player yeah um so I guess if if if you if you develop the person and you’re a good person then obviously you not always the case but then you can develop the player and you can express yourself more

And and play with more freedom and and everything and I quite like that I like the psychology of it all because they always say isn’t it if if you’re not happy with in yourself you can’t be happy amongst other people so I suppose it’s it’s developing the person maturing

Helping them develop mature um Express themselves and then they go on and apply that in a game of football I’m not saying that’s the reason why they’re level on points with rexon but it’s a very different way of of actually talking about it yeah and you you you

Must have seen that you you’ve spoken to and spent many a Time chatting before games during games after games and you must you must feel the mentality the emotional states of players and managers before games and I would presume if someone seems relatively happy and straightforward they might go on to have

A good game more often than not is that a bit too is that a bit too straightforward a thing to say I wouldn’t suppose so I suppose if you’re not in a very good mood or you’re not in a very good place on that you know in that

Moment in time that could impact how you perform on a pitch so yeah he seems very much in the whole person rather than the player htic yeah holistic approach organic but it’s it’s interesting that he’s he he he doesn’t speak yeah it’s interesting that he he talks about that more about the person

Rather than the player rather than you often hear coaches and managers talk about players and you kind of you think them players I suppose it’s sometimes fans could look and they just see you as robots and players and you know you can speak to them how you want to speak

To them whether that be digitally socially or actually to your face um in the world that we live in the society that we live in now so I quite like that no I like it I think that’s quite a nice way to wrap this up we’ve gone from Mil worldness to

I couldn’t say of looking after I mean and knowing NE like a do KN NE like we we both do I mean would he ever CH the word holistic in I don’t think so I don’t think mean that that’s me just being fous but he he was a tough

Opponent he was he was one that was he’s he’s not a shy person as you probably gathered listening to what he’s got to say there and he I think he’s the right man to lead him towards safety so as a person we’re rooting for him aren’t we

We are we we we we we we like people who come on this podcast and then they become our friends yes and then we do root for them we do look out for their results and we do wish them well and we just hope that they have success in what

They’re trying to achieve with those teams this season Amen to all that Jules has been a pleasure very holistic so that’s it a big thank you to Neil for bringing the mil wallness holistic Jews for the empathy and Darren wasle and his Keen Eye on the future get following and

F is all the usual play wherever you get your podcast from or you can watch it all on YouTube my name is David pron and I’ll see you same time next week for another episode of the official efl [Applause] podcast