72+ EFL Pod: Fuchs fighting & Leicester’s ‘last chance’

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Hello, everybody. Welcome.

Long to 72 plus the EFL pod from Five Livesport with time ticking down

on another football league campaign alongside me

to go through the nuts and bolts of everything.

Joby McEnough back from Spain, rejuvenated, reinvigorated.

You look absolutely gorgeous.

Oh, thank you very much.

Not often I get compliments from you.

So the sun for a few days is obviously,

yeah, it's gone down well.

A little bit of a power up quite literally.

I'm ready for a massive, massive running.

You plan a lot of Padel lately.

Yeah, get it into it. I've got to say.

I'm going to go paddle.

Very London.

Massimo Longo, Mill midfielder, is with us right now.

Mass, you know what it is with jokes.

You know he is on holiday.

He gets very influenced.

Oh, you have the old top-plus picture of him in Padel.

Well, the top-plus video of him is on batting a ball away.

I wish.

I wish. I'm not quite.

What was it?

It was the top-plus picture.

The top-plus video of the other day of him.

I was in a distance.

In kick-ups.

Oh, yeah, nice.

Kick-ups.

Yeah, my holiday.

Little two touches.

Boy, Mass, how are you?

Yeah, good.

Yeah, very good.

I feel in, I was a leg.

Feeling good.

Feeling strong.

Positive things.

Good stuff.

Yeah, just slow process, but it goes.

Yeah, fantastic.

Well, it's great to have you with us.

Mill will play it on Friday.

What's your weekend being like?

What were you being up to?

Enjoyed my weekend?

We had weekend off.

Because we got big running now.

So, Gaffa gave us the weekend off.

Injured boys included.

So, we, um,

Yeah, just out in London.

Few drinks.

Did you get the invite as?

No, no, okay.

Did I get the invite?

Why would I get the invite?

Well, because you're tight with, obviously,

Mass, a few of the Mill will.

Massive, do you know what I mean?

Yeah, sorry, lad.

No, no.

It was a spontaneous thing.

So, it was a bit last minute.

Well, if you do have an invite.

Yeah, we'll do a well with that.

Okay, well, I was graphed in, mate.

Yeah, true.

A lot of time to go on a mid-season holiday.

Like you, you know,

flandering away my time.

I was out there graphed in, mate.

He was.

I was in the white hot heat of oxygenated.

Yeah, it was cold, man.

It was really cold.

Like, I mean, I absolutely had a mate.

No, it was cold as well.

Spend shots, but then the wind's just whipping through it.

Oh, yeah.

Chop is an understanding.

It's like, you know, the wall for Wall Street

where they said, there's going to be chop.

We can handle the chop.

And bang the boat goes overboard.

That's exactly what it was.

Yeah.

My barnet was all over the shop.

It was terrible.

I had an absolute mare.

Before we get into it, congratulations to Liam Walsh

and Luton Town.

He fell trophy winners at Wembley last week.

And so nice of Liam to give us some time

on last week's episode of 72 plus after everything

himself and his partner,

I missy bokehrens of being through

in their personal life recently.

You can find that episode on BBC Sounds.

We also spoke to Lincoln's promotion

winning captain, Tenday Dorequa.

Apparently they're off to Vegas.

It's a celebration you've been with.

I had two opportunities to go

and my visa didn't get accepted.

No.

No way.

It's because you have to get an ester,

you have to apply for an ester.

And obviously, I'm not going to go

do my homework and book it in advance

and try to get the proper visa.

Well, I'm the first one.

Did you not sort of think, right?

Yeah, but I didn't want to jinx it.

Everyone's like, why don't you get it done ages ago?

I said, well, we only got promoted on the last day.

So I didn't want to jinx it one and two.

Because with the national team,

I've been to countries like in the Middle East

and so that you could declare everything.

Okay.

And they just declined it straight away.

Oh god.

See, I miss two.

Two Vegas.

It's a very touchy subject.

Oh my gosh.

And mate, was that one with Ipswich?

Both with Ipswich, yeah.

Can you imagine that?

That everyone's coming back.

And for, you know, someone who's been

before they got to be on one or two of those

and then group chat.

I wasn't like, you get it straight away.

I don't want to hear anything.

They talk about the free visa.

Yeah.

Oh, man.

Do you remember this?

It's like four masses just sat there.

Is it like, you know, when you're at school

and like you're the one kid who doesn't go

on the school trip of the two kids

and you're in the training ground on your own?

It's you, the chef who puts on like a special freezer dinner

for you know, chicken.

Don't worry, Matt, we'll put some chicken on it.

Just to make you feel a bit special, Matt.

It's one heck of an idiot.

Who else would be there?

I mean, any of you.

The older lads.

I think the few of the older lads sort of didn't go

because probably got kids and stuff like that.

And that was my one opportunity.

And I think my one pass I could really go.

Mrs said, yeah, go, do it.

And I couldn't do it.

One question.

Yeah.

Have you got your rest assorted for this year, mate?

Because there's a big chance.

Matt's come on, mate.

No, I'm not doing any of it.

If I miss out on this out, it would rather much go up

than pre-plant a Vegas trip.

Oh, I might go by myself if I do.

Let's talk championship and start with the race

of the Premier League.

Who saw this coming?

Portsmouth upsetting it, switch Tuesday night,

two Nellett, Frank Park.

The script was written for it,

which Portsmouth ripped it up.

It's which is no match on beat and run done.

All the hype from the Derby win deflated.

I don't want to be that guy, but it's a tough place to go.

Frank Park, but it is.

It is.

Portsmouth for great.

I love them.

I thought they were fantastic.

Yeah, covered the game.

And I've got a first and foremost,

give them an enormous amount of credit.

Exactly what you need when you're in the situation.

They're in a relegation scrap.

Every single player, whether started or came on,

giving absolutely 100% thought for everything.

But that wasn't it.

Real quality as well.

Millie Ali was a fantastic outlet on the left hand side.

And you know, I just felt the atmosphere,

the club is together.

And that is such a powerful thing at this stage of the season.

And I think it's which just ran into that last night.

Didn't quite have the same drive

and desire really at times, if I'm being really honest.

And that's the thing.

I think would have really disappointed Kiran

because regardless of, yes,

Portsmouth in a relegation fight,

you're in a promotion scrap.

You need to show the fight, the same fight and desire.

And then the quality should come out.

And I don't think they showed enough of that last night.

And I think for Ipswich town fans,

it was a little bit of some the season up.

Yes, they've had a really good run,

but there's still been inconsistent, you know,

and I think that came out last night in the performance

and ultimately they weren't good enough.

And when you look at the players at their disposal,

you know, bringing on Mehmeti, Atpom, Egelli, you know,

it is just ridiculous,

but I'm not seeing what I should be

given the quality they've got in the squad.

Are there too many options?

I mean, Matt, I always draw comparisons to the SUGU involved.

Yeah.

And for me, that was one of the most joyous footballing teams

to watch because you had players that were brought in

to level up the squad from League One.

You had players in there that had fought in League One.

I'm talking Wesley Burns.

What a player by the way.

Where's his fantastic?

And it's such a shame that he keeps struggling with injuries.

Where's Connor Chaplin, Sam Morsey,

ultimate leader, the whole back line as well.

I feel that whole identity's gone,

that identity of the style of play,

of the way we're going to do things, you know,

it feels like it's kind of just become a bit sterile.

And, you know, very methodical in what they do

and very follow the process, and that's it.

Yeah, but they brought in so many individual talents,

like Philogen, Jack Clarke,

they like championship cheat codes

and you're going to try and make them play in a structured way,

which they have to play in,

but they're not going to do that.

You know, they're too good to do that.

So it's coming from our team.

Everyone's just brought into it from League One

and we did it religiously every day for almost two seasons.

Matt's just on that.

How important was it?

Listen, obviously we know Squads play a huge role

and he would use substitutes to come out,

but I would probably sit here today

and be able to name 9, 10, really like regular week in week out,

players that are going to start.

Now listen, you've got to go out and perform.

Of course you do.

And I don't think at times, some of those it's

which time players have performed at the level

to maybe say into Kiran, I need to start week in week out.

But how much do you think this season,

that's been a big difference.

And last season a little bit in terms of the injection of players

into that squad where you had that consistency

because you're playing every week.

I know him again.

Well, yeah, and I know that squad

and he values a good squad and a good lad

and keeping everyone happy.

So he's probably struggling with that at the moment.

He wants to give people, goes, give people 30 minutes,

60 minutes here and there.

Hey, comparing, but when we did it,

there was a structured 9, 10 players that were starting every week.

Jack Taylor now would come in for me

when I needed a rest in midweek.

Wes Burns might miss a game.

Colin Chappell might miss a game.

Ultimately, there was a good 9.

At the moment, he's mixing it up.

I think he's probably under putting himself

under a little bit of pressure to play certain players.

That he's fought to get in.

And if they're not performing,

he's given them probably more of a chance

than the boys that have been there before.

I've been in that situation in the prime season.

But yeah, that's probably his battle at the moment.

And what clouds a little bit, he's all their second

and they're getting the halts.

So it's like, it's not a crisis for me.

Yeah, but it's not a crisis, but mass.

They haven't been great.

No, they haven't.

They haven't been great because they're so under,

but they're so underwhelming.

As a group, if I got promoted like that,

I'll be like, oh, great.

Yeah.

No, you wouldn't.

If you get promoted, you don't care how you get promoted.

No, no, I mean, don't give me what,

obviously I'm jumping in swimming pool

and like all that, we're going to the Premier League.

So not being funny, if I got the Premier League

and I got a bat five next year,

and I'm Jaden Philadelphia and I'm like, eh, what am I doing?

Because that's what happened.

It was weird going to a five.

What was it like for you?

At what point does Kevin McKenna said to you,

by the way, by the way, you know,

this all action, high octane, you know,

edgy a seat football that we've been playing this year

and you know, we've smashed up the division, yeah.

Well, we're not going to do it next year.

We're going to have a bat five.

It wasn't like that at all.

It was, it was almost, all right,

now you're going to track your fallback or all the way back

and suddenly we're defending in a back five.

Yeah.

And then we relied on them to get back up high

and it was a big job for that right, Winger.

And yeah, it may have hindered us in other areas,

but it was on, we didn't practice it.

It wasn't like, oh, we're a back five here.

No, we're an aggressive, different game.

Yeah.

You're stepping up against the best players in the world

and you can't play the same all the time.

You just can't.

No, you know, but he wouldn't communicate like that, right?

He would almost give us that belief of like,

no, we're going to play like this.

Okay.

And then maybe go to Wes Burns,

no, you need to track all the way back.

Right.

And when we're defending our box, you're in a back five.

And that was his language,

but his language changed game to game,

but you sort of went, oh, are we playing a back five here?

And if you sort of questioned it, no, no, no, no.

I'm just asking a wide manager,

just track back all the way back.

Absolutely.

Doggie's that season of that in the Premier.

And it's time.

Yeah, especially when, you know,

we want to get on the ball transitions,

you're way out for your, the highest match.

You're asking a wide attacking player

to be an outlet from a positive point of view

that you're having to come back again.

I was playing in front of Ian Hart

at the time who was unbelievable, left for

and, you know, could do anything with a ball.

But in terms of his athletic ability

and his, you know, covering and pace was, was gone at that.

You trying to say he was doing his running?

Absolutely.

I mean, I did game once,

where I don't know who it was.

It was a game might have been spurs, man.

And I had Karl Walker and Aaron,

and then I'm right on the right.

And I'm like, oh, my gosh.

It's going to be a long, long, 90 minutes.

The gaffer pulls me in before the game.

Is that right?

Got to look after party today, like, you know, just do.

And obviously, I'm captain, I'm team player,

whatever is needed to try and get a result.

I'm going to do it.

And he went, don't worry too much about getting forward today.

So it's a kind of conversation, like,

you might as well just play me at left wing back.

Yeah, yeah, you know what I mean?

And it's like, when you go up to that level,

there is, and I mean, Karl Walker was doing stuff

that I had never come across on a pitch before,

in terms of the types of runs,

because he knew they could dominate us.

Of course he wasn't just doing an overlap.

So naturally, as a winger, you're getting right,

I'll take him, don't worry.

And, you know, he's then got a deal with Aaron Lennon,

but he needed a 2v1 against him.

Karl Walker sees that, and then he just starts running

inside of me, right down the middle of the pitch, like,

you're sad there, you seem in the mirror, you're like,

what?

Where is he going for us?

I think the midfielders are all overloaded.

Yeah, hundreds of blinds.

And then it is literally like, what is this?

And if you haven't got a plan for it,

and we took too long to adjust to those differences,

then being in the championship,

and going, actually, we fancy ourselves against anyone,

we're going to leave our forward a little bit higher,

that sort of cheating sort of role.

And we'll beat you, because we're better than you.

You cannot just go and do that in a remit.

It's a different story.

And I just think they haven't quite adjusted to that,

coming back down, and almost found that way of doing it,

like they did before.

Do you think they got up automatically?

Before last night, I would have said, yes, absolutely.

Same, yeah.

Saf Ampton's result, which I know will come on to,

they are flying.

And the fact they've got a play each other,

the second last game of the season, oh my gosh,

that could be it.

I mean, you know, it's like...

Showdown.

They should be.

I think this is the thing with it,

which, like, even at this point,

they should be in a much better position,

given the squad they've got.

It's still in their hands, of course it is.

I've gone for them.

I'm going to stick.

I don't like twisting now, because one result,

or I just feel they've still got enough.

Yeah.

But they can't afford any more slip up.

Oh, I just look at that.

I just look at that squad, and I'm like,

okay, you go to the Premier League.

You've loaded a squad full of really good championship players.

How are you removing from that squad

and going, right?

Yeah, you're not part of it.

All these players come back from loans, by the way.

Like, loads of loans, players out on loan.

How do you start balancing things up

and actually get yourself a crux again?

Because what it felt like is that the club had a core.

There was a real, real stable core of a team

that went from league one, went to the championship.

Yeah, went early, went early, 100%.

And then you left with players who aren't enough

to Premier League, good enough to the championship,

must have been league one.

Yeah.

But how do you then decide for this squad

they got right now?

I have no idea.

I think he's got in him, especially him and Mark Ashton

to be absolutely ruthless,

because they've done it in the past, that's the word.

Yeah, they will have to be, and they're happy to do it.

And they almost probably think,

oh, we've given you this contract.

We've got you to Premier League.

We're giving this opportunity.

You shouldn't feel too bad

because we've done this for you.

So they can just go bang.

And then whether they spend another, however much

they spend again, I don't know.

So I think the fact they've tried that approach already,

and it clearly didn't work.

We looked at that at the time with a lot of the recruitment,

and it was almost like the championship dream team,

wasn't it right?

Who's the best centre-up at the championship?

Who's the best forward?

We're going to get him.

Actually, we're going to get another one.

Yeah, go on.

And you think that would pay back coming back down

to the championship, but we've seen it before

with a loot, and when they go up,

not with a squad full of Premier League players,

by any means, and come back down

and can't adjust back to the level,

which I find absolutely crazy,

because you haven't been a Premier League player.

You've been in the championship.

You've got an opportunity to come play.

But, Joby, you go to that division,

and you lose any of it from what I didn't see.

You've got, how many clubs go up, come back down,

and you can say, yeah, you know what?

They're still who they are.

Yeah, but that is genuinely the bit I don't get.

I really don't, because again, if you were a Premier League player,

let's say Newcastle, I'm going to go about a long time ago

when they came down, they kept a big bulk of their squad

who were Premier League players.

I would get it in that scenario,

because they've been around the Premier League.

Like, a lot of these players that Ipswich bore have a...

So, your mentality shouldn't be all of a sudden,

because you've played a season,

and got relegated, by the way.

So, the bottom line is whatever anybody thinks,

we weren't good enough.

That's the fact when you get relegated, right?

So, it's then a restart, right?

And what it should be is that,

I want to get, I'm desperate to get back there,

because I've had a taste,

and you should be better off the next time you go,

but clearly not everyone can be taken with you.

And I think, from Ipswich Towns Point of view,

they can almost use that to say,

listen, lads, we gave you an opportunity.

We weren't good enough, collectively, for whatever reason,

we're going to have to change things up,

we're going to have to go a different route

with our recruitment,

if we are going to want to stay in the Premier League.

You have to, you look at Sunderland,

Bimbrilliant, you know, in terms of leads,

when you look at the profile of what they've gone out

and added to that route that was so good in the championship,

you have to improve, you have to be different,

and you have to be a bit better quality,

than even some of the good championship players.

You can't take a whole squad of championship players,

you can take a few, that's got the ability to go up the level,

but you do need a little bit extra,

a lot extra, as we've seen.

Just on Mill, I mean, look, obviously,

all eyes on that Pompey game yesterday,

what was the group chat going a bit?

No, no, no, no.

I think I'm really, I promise you now,

everyone underestimates what goes on that Mill will change in.

We, we are a very laid back group.

I think the loss to Norwich, if you saw at the end of the game,

I don't like it, a few boys are on the ground,

holding their heads like, oh, we've messed it up, you know what I mean?

And then the realization of the draw against West Brom

was like, all right, we're going to go through playoffs.

Right, okay.

And no one's really speaking about it.

I think come Thursday, everyone's going to go in,

be like, wow, what a result.

Still only two points though, after that.

Oh, I feel your last night.

I would have been like a little bit more like,

or getting next time you're in, you know, actually.

And that's why it's just an amazing time of the season,

because you can't have those couple of results when you think,

that's it done if we switched with last night.

Yeah, probably are.

And we were expecting it.

But Sam Morse text me saying, right,

you guys are doing all right.

Well, you said, what about you all captain with your hair cut?

You know, I said, coupes is epitomizes what and how

our Millwall change room is like, we are so laid back.

And you know, we don't care to an extent.

We really want to do a well for a thing,

but we won't go too low and we won't go too high.

And coupes is, is that man?

Yeah.

And he was like, well, probably the most consistent

championship player, whatever they are.

He is amazing.

Unbelievable.

It's so important, Aaron, it's such an important topic

in terms of just the culture,

particularly when you've had such a successful spell.

That's how culture is, you know,

and it's one of the best changes I've been in.

But is that cause, is that cause of the gaffer as well?

I mean, anytime you switch Alex Neil, like,

he's a great man, but he's one of the most frustrating

interviews you could do ever.

Your time, Alex, brilliant, blah, blah, blah, blah.

He will not give you anything.

Yeah, yeah, we'll just keep it out.

We'll keep it out to the ground, blah, you know, we're fine.

And I'm like, mate, give me something.

And there was a game, a few weeks ago, I did it.

And it was a really good result.

Alex, you know, like, for a neutral, this is great.

Cause mate, for a neutral, it's great.

Cause look at me, I'm losing my head.

I've got none left to lose.

Like, it's stressful for us.

And I'm like, okay, interesting.

Like, he feels it.

He knows what it's like to get out of this division.

Yeah.

He trusts, surprisingly, I've had a Kira McKenna's really

conscious of the change room.

And he wants to influence it from the outside, but really

influence it where Alex Neil, and he said it to me, because I

let you guys deal with the change room.

Right.

Okay.

And he hopefully, I don't know what he's had in the past, but

he trusts our change room that we can deal with it.

And he's spoken to me about Coops, Ryan Leonard, Joe Brian,

the older players in there that are policing that change room.

Not even policing it.

It's just something that our wish managers could look at more.

It's gone out of the game.

There's 100%.

You know, and again, a lot of that comes with the age.

So again, rather than looking at, right, what can Massimo give us?

Not just on the pitch.

And I'm not expecting to be given handed out contracts for no

contribution whatsoever.

Yeah.

But at this point, value now is just seen as a transfer fee, or what

can we get for a better money rather than actually value in and

around the dressing?

All the things that people don't see.

100%.

You know, so I'll just say Middlesbrough, as at the moment, hit an

absolute brick wall.

It's not because I've got footballers or they're not dominating

games that they're not able to get over the line.

And what is that intangible, you know, the thing that we can't

measure with a stat or how much somebody's earning, you know,

it's characters, it's leaders, it's group dynamics, you know,

and you need people as a manager to be able to run up.

You look around, you've got people that have been there and

done it and know how to get promoted.

And maybe on the pitch more that you will carry the team and

go, yeah, I'll carry us clutch moments, you know, just

things that you just need and you look around going, ah, well,

no, we're not like we had a Murray Hutchinson, yeah,

Murray's going to win us this game and you just knew it.

And I would say it's probably, we don't have enough of that at

Millwall around the training ground, around starting 11 and

the subs coming on and relying on maybe one or two players

a little bit too much.

But in dressing, yeah, we've got loads of it, yeah.

Do you know who else has got loads of it, Southampton?

Absolutely motoring, I mean, very much in the mix for the top

two. What have you made of what's under it?

It's done there. It feels like, you know, that Arsenal game, I

reckon that that sort of week, 10 days, absolutely, it was like

the, um, sort of like a battery pack on them.

It's just fired up the engine and bang their motoring, flying.

Like I'm trying to sit here and think and I was part of a

really good run that were nowhere and ended up getting I can't

believe it was anywhere near as bad as where Southampton

were. If they are to go and get into second place, this would

be one of the stories ever in the EFL to, yes, they've got

a great squad, but they were down and out, you know, and

watching them, they were just gone as a group.

It wasn't playing well and for him to come in and have the

impact he's had. And I think that Arsenal game, what was

really impressive with that Aaron, we all know you can get up

for a big game, FA Cup, you know, playing against one, you

know, biggest teams in the country. It's what happens after

that and they can normally be a dip, whether it's emotionally,

physically, goes and changes. I think it was five players.

And then they go and absolutely put rexam to bed.

Does it again last night off the back of a really good

performance, come back, goes and changes four or five, you've

got lots of larynx coming in, Cienza on the bench, who I'm

looking at that line up last night again, if there's anyone who

needs to be in the team is Cienza. Even if you try and get

yourself in the lead, then whip him off for half an hour.

But he's got the confidence in that squad now. And when

you're on that run, why they're so dangerous as is because

they're going at it from where they were, not even expecting

to get in the playoffs. Now they're in the playoffs and they're

still on outside of really and rightfully so to get in the top

two because where they've come from. So they can just go and attack

every single game with freedom. They're the freest team in those

playoff places. Mill will have been up there. You know, don't

want to fall out of it. Middlesbrough can't get going at the

moment. It's which I've got second now should get it wrapped

up. Harlow, Bennington, Southampton are just coming up.

Forget all that. We're the ones that are coming through. And

that's what makes them so dangerous. Form is is incredible.

Their form is is I don't think when was last time they lost

January, yeah, 17, 18 games. Yeah. So let's say they don't go

up. Automatic. Oh, to have a team like that playing the

playoffs, you're going to play in the ice. Yeah. Let alone once

the playoff. So unique thing, man. But still coming into it.

Yeah, the moment the ones that you don't have. That's why now

the table momentum and they got the quality of in their team.

Yeah, where it looks so so not for so long in terms of who's

going to be finishing where that all right, yeah, six has

always been the one that we feel somewhere. But now that's not

even locked out because I've come from nowhere, you know, and

then now Southampton, if they end up in third. So again, between

you and Southampton, where you finish because then who you're

going to have to be playing, you know, and that's where this

stage of the season, it's incredible. Whoever beats Southampton

in the playoffs, if they stay in the playoffs, you're going to

be suffering. If they do, they got to go, they got to play it

switch as well. Yeah, I'm just going to say something quickly.

I like, I like thing. I always say like things can be written

sometimes. And when I went up with Ipswich and League one, we had

a gaming hand on the last week of the season, when we went up

the championship, we had a gaming hand play in the last week of

the season. Once again, they got a game and hand to play.

It's saying good vibration through it. I'm just saying it, it

happened. But that game in hand is against it. Yeah, no, no,

no, you couldn't write. I mean, I'm at the game on Ipswich

Middlesbrough, which again is just going to be so they're run

and you know, Ipswich away from I haven't been great this season

another picked up a couple of results, other than ports of late,

but I mean, what again, that's coming off the back of man's

city as well. So is that going to have an impact on team

selection and maybe, you know, but that's where at the moment

by keeping it fresh and being able to make those changes,

they're in in such a good position.

BBC Radio 5 live. Patrick Kilsey, stumble in your way and

decide any mornings with great guests. Good morning, Jimmy Nez,

but good morning, the party.

You're terrible. Kids taking down commentators, you've wiped

the floor with our commentator, Kate. How does it feel?

It feels nice.

Football chance from the gods.

Thank you, Paul. I did well.

The last set of it, the host better Patrick Kilsey Saturdays

from nine. Listen on BBC sounds.

And Doug, there's nowhere I wouldn't go to help someone

customise and save on car insurance with Liberty Mutual,

even if it means sitting front row at a comedy show.

Hey, everyone, check out this guy and his bird.

What is this your first date?

Oh, no, we help people customise and save on car insurance

with Liberty Mutual together. We're married.

Ah, need a human, him to a bird.

Yeah, the bird looks out of your league anyways.

Only pay for what you need at Liberty Mutual.com.

Liberty, Liberty, Liberty, Liberty, Liberty.

72 plus the EFL podcast with Aaron Paul and Joby McEnough.

Let's just touch on medication.

I mean, it just gets worse for Leicester City, doesn't it?

Now, five points from safety. Four games to go.

Both Pompi and Oxford picking up wings.

Leicester lost 1-0 to Swansea at the weekend,

with that ridiculous goal conceded from their own free kick.

Let's hear from Gary Rout.

The 10 games I've had if has felt like 40,

because of the way we've given goals away

and given teams a lift in a time where they haven't really

had to go and earn it.

I mean, it's a ridiculous decision to try and play a short free kick

where the box is open.

You know, we've got everybody loaded up in the box.

For me, we just have to be more basic

and put balls in the box and test the opposition that way.

We kind of just fizzled out, really.

And I think we, you know, as our reaction from that goal

that I felt as though was the poorest thing

and we seem to have a habit of giving away

just elementary goals, you know, to go a whole season

and only have, I think, three clean sheets.

It's quite a sad indictment, really,

on how we've defended as a team.

So, yeah, I spoke to the lads in there, said,

listen, the final few games of the season

are going to have a massive impact on a lot of people.

It might not be you.

It might not be some of the stuff,

but it might be a lot of people around the football club.

And I think what we've got to do is we've

got to show some sort of responsibility to go and fight.

And we've got to go to ports.

We've got to win the game, simple as that.

We don't win the game.

My belief is that that's our last chance.

Do you know what, I mean, that's damning.

Wow.

Damning.

Do you know what the difference between them and ports

with an Oxford is that, is that ports were far together,

the fact that they're together.

Oh, absolutely.

I was there, they're together.

And for Matt Bloomfield, it was about the culture

and the club.

Garage gone in there.

He's left Oxford and, you know,

walked straight from the frying pan in, right into the flames.

I mean, my word, this is a baffling situation.

But there's so much negativity around the place.

It kind of feels like they're doing the grim reapers there.

He might be the grim reaper.

Well, judging by that interview, I mean, that would worry me.

As a list of city fan, as a player,

and listen, I think there's one thing saying

that inside the dressing room, that we need to win this game

otherwise we are in deep, deep trouble.

Then to come out and say it because they are a team

that haven't dealt with that pressure at all this season.

Times where they've had to win games,

haven't been able to do it, you know,

goals they're conceding, a lack of togetherness, a lack of fight.

All the things that, as a player, they would hurt me, you know,

when you've ever been on a pitch and you've come off

and you get it every now and again,

oh, he doesn't care, he doesn't.

And, you know, that should never ever be able to be leveled.

I might have got to a point where I wasn't good enough on the day

in terms of what I wanted to try and do.

That's what I can live with that because long as I've given everything

on a football pitch, and that is what I see when I see Leicester

because they are not giving everything.

And I'm always reluctant to come and give players a stick for that

because I know that is the sort of worst thing you can almost say about someone,

but it looks like that.

I look at sportsmen if they care, they care for their club,

they care for their teammates, they care for the fans,

because you can see it.

It's effort, you know, Oxford United, exactly the same.

West Brom, what they've done, Blackburn.

I don't see that at Leicester City.

They might not be technically good teams.

Like, look at sports, I mean, Colby Bishop, there's a mad staff.

That's his second goal in a 40 games or something like that.

He has scored no goals this season.

But you know what, they back him and they back him

and he works hard and the fans don't get on his back.

Oxford Saturday, they're a chance after chance after chance

they created, they're not great in terms of what they do,

the ability, you know what, they stick with him.

Contrast that with the atmosphere inside Leicester City.

Oh, mate.

So it's an opposing player and that's the other thing.

These are all the factors of staying up.

So go into Fratton Park on a Tuesday night as it switched town.

That's a tough game because of the atmosphere.

It's tight.

You got to get yourself in a different state of mind.

You go into Leicester now and you're like,

easy work, man.

It's going to be a nice afternoon, the crowd are against them.

You know, go in there 10 minutes, the crowd are get on their back.

They'll do something silly.

Then we can just take over.

And that is what's going on at the moment.

Of course, one to watch is West Brom with a report in the telegraph,

saying they could face a points deduction

for an alleged breach of financial rules.

The clubs say they have fully complied with those rules.

But if found guilty, they face a points deduction,

which would be applied this season.

And potentially mean they drop into the relegation zone,

West Brom just 2 points above the bottom three, as it stands.

Do you know what?

I just want to bring you one line from Matt Piper on the Leicester City

podcast when you're smiling on BBC Sounds.

Not smiling at the moment, but the players are not fit to wear the shirt.

I don't recognise this club at the minute.

I don't think most of the players want to be here.

And when they go, it will be good riddance.

How many of those players are just thinking,

yeah, I don't care, I won't be in the next season.

That's the sad thing, and it must be that.

And again, we've had a lot of similarities

with the Tottenham situation.

And West Brom will be in that dressing room.

There will be some going, if we get relegated, I'll get a move.

You know if you have to be sold.

If you're on a certain amount of wages or over whatever,

you know that this club cannot keep me

if we're going under league one.

So that gets in your head.

You've got what your agent's saying, like, don't worry.

Just hope he's not saying it.

But just try and get play well, try and score some goals.

You know, next year, not getting injured,

not getting injured, look after yourself.

Oh, that's the worst shot in football.

Look after yourself. Don't worry about anyone else.

Desperate time.

So let's just sit here elsewhere.

And we will totally one at a moment,

but in league two, probably can still promotion.

If they beat Cambridge on Thursday night,

looking forward to watching that one.

And what a win for Christian Fooks

and Newport County against relegation rivals.

Harrogate, Newport now outside the drop zone,

by point, and boss Christian Fooks is with us.

Christian, how are you?

Very well. Thank you very much.

I can't imagine what that was like listening to us talk

about your beloved Leicester City.

They're 10 years after winning the Premier League.

I mean, on the verge of league one,

I don't know if you want to share some thoughts

on what you're seeing.

Yeah, it obviously hurts you.

I turn into a fan of Leicester City, to be very honest.

And seeing the development over the last couple of years,

I'm really painful to see without honestly knowing

too much of the ins and outs, but obviously,

things are not right there at the moment.

And also with them now being in a drop zone

and with four games to go, five points from safety,

it doesn't look good at the moment.

You're on your own quest for safety.

Talk to us about life at Newport County.

Listen, I really quite enjoyed.

It's been, I do, I do.

And then try me and simply comes from the players' attitude

and how committed they are.

And I think they've done brilliantly, right?

When I came in at the end of November,

there were four points of drift, bottom of the table.

And there were a lot of voices out there

that already said that Newport has been really relegated.

And I believed in them.

I saw very quickly, you know, first of all,

the attitude, which was the most important to me, right?

Also actually being a decent side, decent players.

For me, it was all about, you know, establishing

more confidence in them.

Because I don't blame them, you know,

the start of the season was really not good for them,

having lost too many games.

And it can really kill your confidence.

And that was my approach, right?

To show them actually how good they are

and what they have now done over the last four, five months

has been incredible from, you know, being cold.

Number one, team to relegate to having in your own hands

and being out of the relegation.

So not only since last week and but for the last four weeks

has been a tremendous effort.

I would have been one of those voices

that were saying Newport were doomed.

And actually we had a conversation about you going in.

And I thought you were absolutely crazy

for that to be your first coaching job

because I looked at the group of players.

I looked at the situation the club was in.

Maybe the recruitment over the last couple of years.

And that was such a tough, tough gig.

What was it about, I know you spoken about what you've done since

but that decision to go and start that journey for you

at Newport, such a tough assignment to start with?

Well, there's two things that are driving me, right?

One is proving people wrong.

Which has been a topic for my whole personal career as well.

Right, I've never been the best player.

I've just been a very hard worker

and I hope I can prove you wrong as well

at the end of the season.

We did a good job of making me look very, very silly

but you crack home with that.

I completely understand where your point is

and where you're coming from.

But again, I like a good challenge

and I think that came with how I was brought up

and how I started my own journey, right?

Always being told, you cannot achieve things

but then this being the challenge of driving force

to get me going and that defined my whole career

and that's something that maybe call me crazy.

I really don't care because at the end of the day,

if I can make this happen and I 100% believe in that

and the boys give me all the confidence even more

at the end of the day when we can achieve our goal

then it's a very good story to tell.

When you went into the club,

you spoke about wanting to dominate the ball,

high possession, lots of passes.

Have you found that you've had to adjust

and how quickly if you have done to maybe a different style

to get results for what is needed right now

in terms of the short term and survival?

Of course, you have your own ideas of how you want to play

and they're very much legitimate, right?

But I think a big strength and I've learned this

throughout my career from many other managers,

a big strength from a coach is to be adaptable

and to understand what you have available,

the players that you have available

and also what the situation requires, right?

And at times, we had games where we were dominant

but we didn't get the result.

And history showed us then.

In fact, when we had less possession

and we were at times more direct,

we were even more successful, we got more points.

So that was a lesson for me and I'm happy to learn

and I hold my hands up first when I make a mistake

because that just means that now I've learned this

and I can make my team even better.

I have to adapt 100%, I have to adapt

to the style of playing in League 2

and it's like I said, it's been a great journey for me

together with the team

because they gave me so much joy

and now it's three more games to go

and obviously we're approaching every game

as it would be the FA Cup final.

Wanna be a manager, you got any advice for me?

Trying to get into the managing gigs or coaching role

when the time of your comes would be mine.

You have to get yourself out there.

Don't assume that anything will happen by itself.

I went through several interviews

until I finally got picked up by Newport

and it's just when you have an opportunity to take it.

Even if it's in a lower division,

there's a lot of craft that you learn from the daily work

and just appreciate it, just embrace it

because everything that you do now

even if it's on a lower level,

will help you then later to understand

what the staff is doing and how everything works.

I'm very much hands-on.

I like to understand every role,

but also then once you build trust with coaches,

being able and to delegate,

otherwise everything will just fall on your shoulders

and it will feel like a big burden

and you hardly find room to breathe.

Just jump in there.

Just get in there, get your feet wet

and jump into a coaching role.

Jump in the deep end.

Cheers mate, thank you.

Exactly what you've done, Christian.

We love it.

Thank you so much for joining us.

Really appreciate your time.

Thank you.

Good luck.

Best of luck with the journey forward.

Christian Fuchs of Newport County.

His side just above the drop zone

in League 237 points in 22nd.

The teams blow bar on 36.

Harrogre on 33 and two others,

Crawley and Trammy,

who are above on goal difference only.

This is 72 plus the home of the NFL

from Five Live Sport.

Just while we're in League 2,

what about these reports?

John Terry set to take over.

Colchester's part of a consortium.

JT was at Colchester's game on Tuesday night.

The sun as reported that the group

has submitted a 14 million pound offer for the club.

His nephew Frankie plays for Colchester.

I don't know what that means.

I don't know if it means anything.

This is a football club that is in dire need

of a takeover.

Royal Royal dire need of a takeover.

Our governor at Five Live is a massive Colu fan

and I know it's given him grey hairs.

Toby, he's not quite your level yet.

Oh, come on, that's a low blue.

I get mine cut out.

I get mine cut out.

So that's what it is.

What do you make of it?

I'm always a little bit nervous about

prospective owners rolling into clubs

before it's done.

That's my first sort of gun feeling.

Maybe he was there to watch his nephew.

What were after all the noise that's coming out?

I would just be a little bit more

have a tendency to just sit back.

Let's get it all done and then roll up.

That was just my first feeling.

In terms of actually John Terry being involved

in a prospective takeover that all goes through.

Great.

I mean, profile, someone who is a winner,

who's been there, done it.

I see so many of these consortiums rolling into town

and owners who have no idea about football.

About the day-to-day reality, about actually

what does a winning dressing room look like?

What does a competitive budget look like in that league?

Where is obviously John Terry and everything?

Not just what he's done, but his contacts in the game.

He's been coaching recently.

I just think he can have a real positive impact.

I say a club that needs the lift financially.

Obviously, the owner has been trying to keep things

ticking over as best as he can.

It's obviously been up for sale.

So if it does all get done, hopefully some real positive times

ahead for Colchester's DNA.

Did Ed Sheeran have a positive impact on the episode?

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

I've found everyone talking about Ed Sheeran

and Ed Sheeran was around.

Just like everyone talks about Rex and everyone.

Hopefully we'll talk about Colchester

and put John Terry's name to it.

Yeah, fingers crossed.

Managed Danny Cowley said,

it felt like such a big night for the players first and foremost,

but also the club we genuinely believe.

The club has such high potential.

We just need a springboard to push on from.

And that is what we hope is on its way.

I believe there are really exciting times ahead.

I'll be counting as confirmed that detailed discussions are ongoing,

but said he was not in a position to comment on any specific individuals

or companies involved in league one.

Rather, I mean, I did are relegated up to a miserable season.

Port Vellan, Northampton set to follow two.

I mean, Matt Andrew, given far too long,

the recruitment hasn't been great.

Nothing's really been great.

Well, how do you even know?

Yeah, it just kept off a really disappointing few years, isn't it?

Really, I think we look at sometimes a relegation might be the result

of one season or one window or a bad managerial appointment.

This is the accumulation over a good few years now of some strange decisions,

I think, you know, in terms of they were the archetypal Yo-Yo team,

weren't they from league one up, you know, the poor one era,

and then obviously he goes and then haven't really...

I think they stayed up the first year, actually, didn't they?

Matt Taylor did a great job, but then he loses his job.

And again, next one of those of the expectations,

I think, of a football club, just because you've just five, one year,

but you haven't invested necessarily to the level to compete and stay up.

He loses his job.

And then it's...

Liam Richardson goes in there for a bit.

That doesn't quite work out.

I forgot about that either.

It's crazy.

And then Steve Evans, who was the one I did think could get things going again,

you know, he looked what he stood in at Bristol Rovers.

So actually...

Jackson, dirt, Johnson, Clark, Harris, didn't they?

Yeah, which again, I think you look at maybe the recruitment there

where they did have a bit of a bash, which you know Steve Evans is only going in

if he's going to have a good opportunity to get some players.

And obviously that didn't work.

They've posted some worrying financial losses.

So yeah, all in all, it's a really tough situation for everyone at the club.

And it's a shame because it was one that was always there what they were about.

I hate bringing up quotes like this, but I've got to.

And there's a reason why.

Chairman Tony Stewart in 2016 said,

I've known that that rather than the next few years, three years or five

will be in the Premier League.

I assure you of that, they will play in the fourth tier next season

for the first time since 2013.

And it's interesting because this morning I interviewed KSI

who's taken over at Dagon & Redbridge.

And I asked him what his plan was and I was hoping he'd say,

oh yeah, well, you know, getting to the Football League.

No, Premier League and I was like...

One step at a time, fella.

Yeah.

Again, I think everyone just sees the rectum thing.

Yeah.

Goes right, that's it.

But there's so much more that goes behind the scenes of that.

And a little bit of caution.

Yes, optimism, excitement, I think fans want to hear that.

But that didn't age very well.

Did it as in terms of where they are now.

Not anywhere near the Premier League.

Do you think at that level, if you just chuck money on it, that's enough?

No.

No.

I think you have to be strategic with it.

And I think that's one thing.

I speak a lot about rexerm and it'll be a load of people.

I'd have bought the way up the leagues, of course.

I've had unbelievable...

They've attracted better players.

Same investment.

Yeah.

But then you have to get the right types.

You have to get the right characters.

There's so many clubs.

Again, I'll go back to my time at Layton Orient.

The guy comes in, I've got a budget that we can go and get some

championship caliber proper players.

If they're not the right types.

The dynamic isn't right in that dressing room.

It isn't going to work no matter how much you throw at it.

So you look at a Lincoln on the flip side of that.

In a monster of a league with some of the teams around them.

And they can do it.

You know, because they've got good people.

They've got a plan that a whole club's aligned and a strategy

that can be successful.

So I don't think money is the build and end all.

You still got to get that recruitment.

I agree.

The higher you go.

But at the lower level, you're attracting players that are far better.

Again, I'm playing in the national league for a couple of years.

And some of the figures you hear banded about at that level

will start out ranges.

And that was a long time ago.

I don't know.

And it didn't always equate to a team getting promoted.

So again, you have to be sensible with who you're getting in

and make sure that the right type.

Not just a good player.

Let's finish with this.

72 plus.

72 minus.

On the football daily.

Yeah.

Time for Joe B to give us his best and worst moment of the week

from across the EFL.

Come on, jokes.

Well, I've got to start with the beleaguered Leicester City

and you will not see a worst goal to concede than this.

They've got an attacking free kick.

All you have to do, the boxes loaded, deliver it with a bit of quality.

No, they try and play a short one.

Gets intercepted.

Q Swansea City and Ian running the length of the pitch to set up a winning goal.

Fox's fans, this clip is 18 seconds.

Now.

Poor free kick from Leicester City as the set-piece coach Andy Hughes

just walks away.

Luke Thomas can't catch on.

He's still driving forward.

Jason Arm still has it.

Losing up inside the area.

The Pontnick.

Enough the bar.

And from one end to another.

That is a devastating counterattack from Swansea City.

If you are a set-piece coach and that happens,

you do what a politician does.

You tend to your resignation.

But did you not hear Gary Rowell actually spoke about?

He said, I don't know why the players did that.

And that is the bit for me where I'm going.

Man, if you've got a set-piece coach,

he's clearly got a way of doing this set-piece

and the players just making up their own thing off the cuff.

Set-piece coach is trying to get the clipboard out.

Or the final factor or whatever.

He's got a lever right on him to do.

He had the wrong slide up.

This is a problem.

We're trying to be too complex.

Stick it in the mixer mate.

Exactly.

That's important.

Right in their bang.

Back.

Bish.

A bit of positivity and a real nice good news story

for Luton Town and the EFL trophy final against Stopport.

And Naki Wells, who hasn't had the easiest times

at the Football Club, comes up Trump,

shows his quality with an absolutely sublime touch

and finish that turned the game on its head.

Here it is.

Good spell of pressure from Luton.

Ball whacked up.

Wells in with a chance.

Wells is going to score.

He brought it down brilliantly.

Looked across the lines, man.

There's no flag.

And Naki Wells has scored for Jack Walsh's side.

Yeah, he started his career at the Dandy Town Hornets.

Love that.

And Bermuda.

The Dandy Town, then the Bermuda Hogs.

Then Eccles Hill United, Carlo United, Bradford City.

How does field town work?

Mass water's yours.

Give us a name.

Start it out.

Playing.

On me.

Oh, you wouldn't know it.

Go on.

That's why I want to hear it.

Arpea like Heart Tigers.

What?

Arpea.

Like Heart Tigers.

Incidentally.

Little shout out to them, mate.

Here we go.

You did start at Sputters.

Yeah.

What you thought?

So I was actually a Tottenham's...

Well, technically I was a Tottenham supporter from Australia.

So I come over.

Signed for the club that I was supporting.

Wow.

As a scholar.

Yeah.

When you're there, you're gunning for the first team player's spots.

So you kind of want them to not do so well.

What era was that who would have been in that?

Yeah, I read that.

And Shell brought me food.

I mean, how are you feeling about this season?

Oh, they're not great to watch.

I've always liked to put stuff I suppose on,

because you're getting an intense game.

But yeah, it is a hard watch with them.

Are they going down?

And you kind of...

Are they going down?

Ask them again.

Intimidating.

Just a yes or no.

I don't want...

Oh, I can't see Sputters.

That's my normal stock answer.

Yes.

Okay.

And one more thing before we go.

Just in a picture of Justin Bieber and social media preparing

for his Coachella performance.

We're in a 2007 Swindon Town Thirds shirt.

I mean, retro.

Where'd you reckon they'd get them?

Do you reckon they'd just see them?

Yeah, that was cool.

That was cool.

Yeah.

There's got to be a link here.

Oh, that is top.

That is great.

And there's a maple leaf on it as a sponsor.

I'm telling you, it's Nambos from Swindon.

I've got a lovely chip shop around there,

right by the ground as well.

So it's Nanna.

Bieber's fish and chips, yeah.

Bieber!

Where's everyone this weekend, jokes?

I am a big one this weekend.

Actually, Blackburn.

So, a commentary city will be hoping

that they can get the point,

although they're pretty much...

They're down on it.

They'll be honest, but just to confirm it all,

I'm back down the road for a bit of co-coms,

actually, Five Live on Saturday, Brentford.

And then back on the road, Sunday,

Ipswich, Massive Game Against Middlesbrough.

And then Sunday Nights.

Sunday Nights.

Oh, the NFL award.

Yeah, well, I mean, I've got the old dickie bow ready

and everything else.

Yeah, a good one.

James Bond time.

That'd be good.

Joe's a turn up looking like a million dollars, mate.

I'll be there, like, you know, just running around the gaffer

like doing some work.

They're always good nights, don't they?

No, we are working.

So we're on Best Pay, right?

We were going to grab.

You're never on Best Pay.

Come on.

We're going to grab some hopeful winners,

maybe some people still in relegation

and promotion battles and get some good content.

Joe, you're going down to the post sheet.

You're going down there.

You're going down there.

Joe, we've come back in ten minutes here.

Five and a half an hour late.

I'm running around.

Joe, come on.

Let's go.

Anyway, Matt.

I've moved out my starters and main and thingy

to make sure I've got enough time to do this training.

You're a reunion for you, innit?

But we've got a QPR this weekend.

Just split allegiances, then.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I've got a sauce bottle for QPR.

I always will.

It's at the den, which will be a big game, Massive Game.

That's it.

Thanks for having me.

Absolutely, Joey.

Joey.

See you Sunday.

Yes, mate.

You're forward to it.

Have a special episode of the pod coming to you

from the EFL awards.

We'll be chatting to the great and the good of the football league.

Well, hopefully going like just grab people along the way.

Richie Wellens telling my hands and he looks

Uncle Barry Fry as well.

That's Barry Willens.

He'll be there.

Yeah, we'll go and see our barrington.

And just yeah, go and enjoy it.

It will be good.

Remember, you can listen to the latest news and views

from every EFL club on the BBC Sounds app.

Just search your club's name and make sure to subscribe

so you get notified whenever something new drops.

As for us here on 72 plus, the home of the EFL

from Fireblives book will be back next week.

Catch you there.

You know what he does?

He coughs.

That's what he does.

He coughs champagne.

Just coughs.

No, mate.

I'm not liking this description of me here.

I'm Rich Hall.

And this is Sports Strangest Crimes Presents

Confessions of a Super Bowl Strieker.

What people ask me what I do?

I say to them, well, by day or by night?

The story of one man's mission to conquer

the holy grail of Strieking.

The Super Bowl.

Mark troubles us too largely for this body.

He's just like the entertainer.

Mark pushes the boundaries of what is socially acceptable.

No, John's Texas.

It's really strict.

But then the more I falls about here, the more I fall behind him.

What are you about?

Sports Strangest Crimes Presents

Confessions of a Super Bowl Strieker.

Listen on BBC Sound.

And Doug.

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