Coventry return to Premier League and relegation looms for Leicester – Football Weekly podcast

Summary

Football Weekly – Coventry Return to Premier League & Relegation Looms for Leicester

The Guardian Football Weekly | April 21, 2026
Host: Max Rushden
Panel: Barry Glendenning, George Elek, Sanny Rudravagula

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Episode Overview

This action-packed episode captures the high drama at both ends of the Premier League and throughout the EFL. The panel reflects on Coventry’s remarkable return to the top flight, the precarious relegation battles, and captivating stories from the Football League’s promotion and relegation races. The conversation is full of Football Weekly’s trademark wit, deep pundit insight, and a flurry of memorable moments—especially for supporters living through the tension of the season’s business end.

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1. Premier League Bottom: Spurs & West Ham's Nerve-racking Scrap

[02:34 – 09:36]

• Spoils shared at Selhurst Park: Crystal Palace 0, West Ham 0.
  • Result relegates Wolves; intensifies the fight for survival.
  • Barry Glendenning: “I think [West Ham]’ll be happier with a point than they would be without any points.” [02:59]
  • Both sides had chances; Mavropanos' late header the highlight.
• Fixture Run-ins (West Ham & Spurs):
  • Spurs: Wolves (A), Villa (A), Leeds (H), Chelsea (A), Everton (H)
  • West Ham: Everton (H), Brentford (A), Arsenal (H), Newcastle (A), Leeds (H)
  • Spurs’ perilous position dissected. Notable running joke: everyone (except Spurs fans) finds their jeopardy amusing.
• Will Spurs go down?
  • Sanny: “Most listeners … are invested in the hilarity of Spurs being in the Championship ... It would be objectively funny.” [06:25]
  • Debate over team motivations and preferences; Palace unlikely to have been thinking about who they’d rather face next season.
• Watching the drama unfold:
  • Max: “The game I just can’t wait for is ... Chelsea-Spurs … with Chelsea possibly having the chance to relegate Tottenham ... it just seems like incredible drama no matter what happens.” [08:45]

Notable Quotes

• “I still think teams with little or nothing to play for will try harder against Spurs than they would against West Ham. I honestly believe everyone is invested in sending them down because it would be objectively funny.”
  — Barry Glendenning [06:25]

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2. Coventry Restoration: A True Football Odyssey

[13:40 – 18:44]

• Coventry City promoted to the Premier League.
  • Overcame administration, points deductions, homelessness, and poor ownership.
  • Listener “Pudzy”: “Beats any Disney millions-backed fairytale into a cocked hat.”
  • George Elek: “This is an absolutely incredible story … Mark Robins [did] one of the most impressive one team jobs that a manager’s done in the last couple of decades.” [14:49]
  • Credit for slow, sustainable growth and savvy recruitment.
  • Transition from Mark Robins to Frank Lampard as manager; initial skepticism, now accepted as inspired.
  • Players allowed to settle and improve season-on-season.
  • Lampard in tears after securing promotion.

Notable Quotes

• “Players like Efren Mason-Clark, Ellis Sims … they improve season on season and they’re given the opportunity to do it. This is a way to achieve success through incremental strides forward.”
  — George Elek [17:43]
• “I'm delighted for their fans that they're back where they believe that they belong—and where lots of football fans think Coventry City should be.”
  — George Elek [18:44]

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3. Championship Automatic & Playoff Race: Tight as Ever

[18:44 – 24:59]

• Race for the top two (Ipswich, Millwall, Southampton, Middlesbrough):
  • Ipswich with the points advantage but Millwall and Southampton in the mix.
  • Southampton’s squad depth and recent form impress.
  • Ipswich's performance: good, but not as strong as past promoted teams.
  • Millwall’s “favourable” fixture list noted.
• Playoff Push:
  • Hull, Wrexham, Derby contesting sixth.
  • George: Hull favourites but don’t count out Wrexham or Derby.

Notable Quotes

• “I actually do think Southampton will do it ... But the maths and the logic might point that Ipswich are still the likelier.”
  — Sanny Rudravagula [19:27]
• “Millwall Premier League could well happen.”
  — Sanny Rudravagula [23:35]

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4. Leicester’s Collapse: Premier League Champions to League One?

[24:59 – 31:27]

• Leicester’s crisis:
  • Points deduction; just outside (or in) the relegation zone even without it.
  • Damning culture and recruitment mistakes; player and fan disconnect.
  • Poor managerial fit for squad strengths; tactic misalignment.
  • George Elek: “Leicester’s squad ... one of the best three squads in the division ... what are you doing appointing [managers] whose style of football … is ‘we’re not going to give you any freedom on the ball’?”
  • Fan culture at breaking point; club’s massive technical facility a sore contrast to fortunes.

Notable Quotes

• “It's just too many moving parts… Some of them just don't want to be there. That’s my kind of look from the outside in.”
  — Sanny Rudravagula [25:36]
• “This whole situation is entirely of the making of the hierarchy above them.”
  — Sanny Rudravagula [30:00]

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5. League One: Promotion & Playoff Picture + Goalkeeper Heroics

[35:53 – 40:40]

• Lincoln champions; Cardiff promoted: Jack Bycroft, Exeter keeper, scores in the 96th minute [36:14].
  • Sanny: “My favorite thing in football—goalkeepers coming up for corners. And then the goalkeeper scoring. The best thing ever.”
• Playoff Race:
  • Bolton, Bradford, Stockport almost secure; Stevenage, Plymouth, Luton, Huddersfield in contention for the final spot.
  • Stevenage praised for defensive solidity; Huddersfield’s horrid luck noted.

Notable Quotes

• “The goalkeeper scoring. The best thing ever. The fact that Exeter had someone filming it from a perfect angle … just an amazing moment.”
  — Sanny Rudravagula [36:14]

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6. League One & Two: Relegation Drama

[40:40 – 47:24]

• Bottom of League One: Paul Vale, Northampton down or almost down; bunfight for survival.
  • Rotherham: player absenteeism, sickies, and a culture in disarray.
• League Two’s great escape:
  • Five teams fighting to avoid the drop after Harrogate’s 99th min winner.
  • Tranmere’s abysmal form discussed; panel predicts possible relegation.

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7. League Two: Bromley’s Rise and National League Tension

[44:07 – 50:47]

• Bromley promoted in style; their physical, direct style praised for maximizing resources.
  • “An amazing achievement ... They recruit to play that system.” — George Elek [44:27]
• Title race with MK Dons and Cambridge continues.
• National League thriller:
  • York and Rochdale reach final day with over 100 points apiece, but only one goes up automatically.
  • Consensus: more promotion spots from the National League needed.
  • York need a draw, Rochdale must win. Attack-minded teams promise a wild finale.
  • Evidence cited: promoted National League teams never go straight back down.

Notable Quotes

• “It’s going to be sensational. I’m looking forward to it on Saturday afternoon.”
  — George Elek, on Rochdale-York promotion decider [52:19]

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8. Memorable & Light-hearted Moments

• Buffon Interview Preview:
  • Barry shares a tale of meeting Gigi Buffon, musing on his charisma and sense of style. [09:36]
  • “He can pull off wearing shades indoors in a manner I could only dream of.” [10:25]
• Corrections & Listener Mailbag:
  • Panel corrects a Barney Ronay “Etihad left/right” error [53:55]
  • Classic Football Weekly banter: “Any time he’s wrong is a little win for us all. See also Jonathan Wilson.” — Barry Glendenning [54:36]

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Key Timestamps for Reference

• 02:34 – Premier League bottom half & relegation permutations
• 13:40 – Coventry’s promotion story
• 18:44 – Championship automatic & playoff race
• 24:59 – Leicester’s crisis analysed
• 35:53 – League One: Promotions & goalkeeper goal
• 40:40 – League One/Two relegation battles
• 44:07 – League Two: Bromley’s achievement & National League drama
• 53:55 – Listener mailbag & factual correction

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Conclusion

This episode flickers between moments of high drama (Coventry’s return, last-minute survival goals, final day showdowns) and humorous, self-deprecating insight into fans’ emotional turbulence at season’s end. The Guardian Football Weekly captures both the heartbreak and hilarity of football, from the upper echelons of the Premier League to the hard-fought dogfights of the Football League.

Essential listening for anyone who wants to understand why football, for all its stress, is so gripping at this time of year.

Transcript

[A]

This is the Guardian. Howdy, howdy ho, and welcome to Fantasy Fan Fellas. I'm Hayden, producer of the Fantasy Fan Girls podcast and your resident lover of all things Sanderson.

[B]

And I'm Stephen, your bookish Internet goofball, but you can call me the Smash Daddy.

[A]

And we are currently deep diving Brandon Sanderson's fantasy epic Mistborn. But here's the catch. Steven here has not read Mistborn before.

[B]

That's right. Hei, hei. So each week you'll get my unfiltered raw reactions to every single chapter.

[A]

And along the way we'll do character deep dives, magic explainers, and Steven will even try to guess what's next.

[C]

Spoiler alert.

[A]

He'll be wrong.

[C]

News flash, I'm never wrong.

[B]

Episodes come out every Wednesday and you can find Fantasy fanfellas wherever you get your podcasts. Hello and welcome to the Guardian Football Weekly. So many fans up and down the leagues just staring at remaining fixtures. Podcasters saying permutations a lot and just general anxiety at the top and the bottom. We'll begin at Selhurst park palace nil. West Ham nil. Is that a good point for the Hammers or an opportunity missed? Palace weren't as hungover as spurs fans feared. Both had chances, but it means it's still very tight at the bottom. And then to the EFL cover up Ipswich, Millwall and Saint. All with a chance to join them to playoffs for the other along with Middlesbrough and one of Derby, Wrexham or Hull. League one pretty much sorted barring a final playoff place and a big old bunt fight to avoid the final relegation spot. Exeter's keeper with a last minute equaliser to keep them in touch in League 2. I'm too nervous to talk about it. Bromley are up. Mk Dontcher join them. It's in Cambridge's hands too. While at the bottom, a 99th minute winner for Harrogate means five teams fighting it out. There's the wild final winner takes all game between York and Rochdale in the national league. Just the 212 points between them going into the final game. There's some exciting Timo Werner news, a staggering Barney Ronnie error to correct from yesterday and some excited New Yorkers. All that plus your questions. And that's today's Guardian Football Weekly. On the panel today, Barry Glendinning. Welcome.

[D]

What you call me?

[B]

I think I called you what your talk sport jingle is. Barry Glendinning. But I'll start again if you want.

[D]

No, it's all right. Been called a lot worse. Max.

[B]

Yeah, whoever you are, whatever you. I don't know what you're doing here today, but welcome.

[D]

I. I'm just hopeful that this Barry Glenn Dinning you speak of knows more about the EFL than his new namesake.

[B]

Barry Glenn Denning from not the top 20, George Ellick. Hello.

[A]

Hello, Max.

[B]

And welcome Sani Rudravagula.

[C]

Hello, Max.

[B]

Let's begin then. At the bottom of the Premier League, Crystal palace nil. West Ham nil. That point means that Wolves are relegated. But. But in the final relegation spot, Tottenham have 31 from 33, West Ham 33 from 33, Forest 36 from 33 and Leeds should be saved 39 from 33. It wasn't a classic, Barry. Do you think West Ham will be happy with a point or not?

[D]

I think they'll be happier with a point than they would be without any points.

[B]

But good, good insight to that.

[D]

Players seem quite upset after the game that they hadn't taken all three. I thought a draw was probably fair enough. Agent Brendan Johnson did his bit for Nottingham Forest. He had a couple of good chances that, that he didn't put away. Spurs will look at and go, well, it could have been worse. It's one of very few things that went well for them over the course of the weekend's fixtures. It wasn't a great game, but the, the, the result is what everyone's going to be talking about and what everyone's going to talk about is what it means for Spurs. So it means spurs are not in as awful a position as they could be, but they are still very much in a bad position.

[B]

I've never been so invested as when Jeff Jefferson Lermoth slipped over. I've never thought about whether Jefferson Lerma could slip over or not. I think Tati was running through and I was like, oh, no, please don't do that. Ah. And I suppose George, like, what's the moment for West Ham? Like that, that Mavropanos header, that. That's the moment. I think it was a West Ham fan, I'd be like, oh, just like half a foot either side.

[D]

It was like the Havertz header the day before the. For Arsenal, you know.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

I mean, for sure, if you're a West Ham fan, it's one of those weird ones where the point is obviously decent, but you look at the, the way that the game went, there's obviously the disallowed goal as well. Correctly disallowed, but it could have been a pretty damaging defeat. So you come away with a point, but wondering if it could have been more than that, but a two point gap after, you know, I think for West Ham, they're in a, in a decent position now and it's up to spurs to serve it up to them. So not a great MNF addition, it's fair to say. I think most of those people who tuned in to watch as neutrals probably regretted their decisions. But yeah, probably West Ham coming away with it with a kind of frustrated but, you know, knowing that a point's not the worst thing, it could be

[B]

the shortest part one ever of Football Weekly. Sani West Ham's fixtures. We can go to the fixtures. West Ham have Everton at home. Brentford away Arsenal at home. Newcastle away. Leeds at home. And Tottenham have Wolves away. Villa away. Leeds at home. Chelsea away Everton at home. And I know just as we go through this pod, like so many of just here are the remaining fixtures and it's always, you know, you never know how the oppo are going to play. But what do you reckon?

[C]

It's hard to give an answer that's completely unbiased because yeah, like most listeners to the pod, I'm invested in the hilarity of spurs being in the, in the, the championship. And of course with an EFL hat on, that would be a curious thought experiment that will soon maybe become reality. So, you know, West Ham having Arsenal, that one jumps out. But then West Ham facing Leeds when Leeds likely are safe and also Brentford in there as well means. Well, yeah, there's some points that could certainly be won there. I mean that final Leeds game, they'll be pretty happy, won't they? The only thing I would add on the actual game itself was my highlights was my colleagues at Sky Sports Premier League describing the Dean Henderson as Jordan Henderson with a, with a fine save. That was probably the, the only. That was the most entertaining thing of that game, I think. Yeah, I suppose Chelsea still have a lot to go for that penultimate game for spurs and that's a big, big derby, isn't it as well? So, yeah, it's very hard, very hard to tell. I could see what a puzzled look in your face. You're like, I mean, that's all of us, isn't it?

[D]

I still think teams with little or nothing to play for will try harder against spurs than they would against West Ham. I just, I, I honestly believe everyone is invested in, in sending them down because it would be objectively funny. Obviously not funny for spurs, but funny for everyone else.

[B]

Yeah. But I also did wonder, George, you know, would Crystal palace go into last night's game thinking it would be better next season for West Ham to be in the Premier League than a, a rejuvenated Tottenham. Like, is that, is that an extra place or is that thinking far too much into it?

[A]

I think it's, it's always so difficult this time of the season to work out who's motivated and who isn't motivated and how much impact that has on things. I think it's got to be a bit of a leap for palace to be looking ahead to next season thinking who's going to be a better opposition for them in terms of what they want to be doing. I'll be impressed if they manage that. Especially with, you know, they'd have been looking at the league table and thinking, if we can win both of our games in hand, then suddenly we're going to be within touching distance of the European places, which has to be the main motivation. So, yeah, you know, I can't really see that being the case. I think with, you know, spurs have got Wolves next, which on paper looks a, you know, the game that you would want if you had to have a, you know, an away game coming up. But, you know, despite the fact that Wolves, their relegation has been mathematically confirmed, they've known this for a long time. And my hunch is that the way they're playing and the fact that they're closing this gap on Burnley means they're going to be pretty motivated not to finish bottom. So, yeah, I kind of agree. No, no easy games, but I'd be surprised if that came into play. Reason why last night's showing was, was pretty poor.

[B]

Yeah, it's probably just my brain working overtime on this interesting point that Nuno has managed four of the bottom five. Forest go to Sunderland, then go to Chelsea, then have Newcastle at home, then go to Man United and play Bournemouth at home. So like, they're like, then they're not. Apart from Newcastle, who are on terrible form and Chelsea, who are on terrible form. Okay. They're fine, aren't they? I, I, I. You just don't know, do you? And like, if, if they have a bad weekend, then suddenly they're dragged back into it. Brighton play Chelsea tonight in, I guess the race for the Europa League spots, which could be quite Fun on your 6th and 7th screens on the final day of the Premier League season, There is just three points between 6th and 12th and a Brighton win takes them above Chelsea in the table. So look, we can talk about that on Thursday.

[A]

The game that I just can't wait for is the Sunday 17th of May, 3 o', clock, the Chelsea spurs game. It just feels like it's going to be incredible soap opera drama, no matter what happens. With Chelsea possibly having the. The chance to relegate Tottenham with Chelsea's ridiculous situation at that club at the moment where imagine if spurs managed to get a result at Stamford Bridge that kept them up and what that would do like, it just seems like incredible drama, no matter what happens.

[B]

It's all so terrifying, isn't it? It's just so much easier in the middle of the season when none of it seems to really matter. Before we end Part one, Baz, you and Nikki interviewed Gigi Buffon the other day. Football Weekly's Instagram account has been putting out pixelated photos which are obviously Gigi Buffon for quite a while. But why did he talk to you and what did you talk about?

[D]

The reason Gigi spoke to us and other people is because he has a sort of autobiography slash memoir slash musing on the meaning of life book out called Saved. I think it was published in Italy last year. It's been translated into English, I think. Our old pal James Horncastle does the audiobook. He was just in England to do a bit of publicity for it and he was interviewed by Donald McCrae, but myself and Nicky softened them up ahead of his interrogation. With Don, he was, or he presumably still is, a very nice man, very charming, very Italian, very good looking. He can pull off wearing shades indoors in a manner I could only dream of. I managed Crowbar in the fact that I had done a half marathon two days previously and he gave me a pat on the shoulder, having first sort of looked me up and down and pointedly paused when his gaze fell upon my beer belly and. And congratulated me. So I've made a friend for life there. He's probably forgotten who I am already. But yeah, it was a really interesting chat and Nikki did most of the heavy lifting, to be honest. And Gigi, he speaks quite good English, but he isn't confident enough in his English to do an interview in English. So we did it with the help of a translator. Watching her in action was something else as well. Wow. And. But I. I suspect once it's all been sliced and diced by our top editing team, it will make for a very good video.

[B]

Yeah. On the Guardians Football Weekly's YouTube channel. And while you're there, like. And subscribe, of course. And that'll do for part one, Part two. We'll get into the championship.

[C]

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[A]

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[C]

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[A]

I'm gonna ask that man for directions.

[C]

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Welcome to Part two of the Guardian Football Weekly. So Coventry are up and you all want to know what Richard Keys thinks. In a rare moment where I agree with him, he says it's 3:19am this is one of the great nights of my life. I remember 1967 so well. Isn't it daft what football means to us? Don't anybody ever, anywhere underestimate that. And yes, I've had a couple three champagne bottle emojis three blue hearts.

[A]

Did you see what came before that? He tweeted three identical photos of a glass of red wine held up in front of the TV with a bare leg in shot as well. So there you go.

[B]

Right, okay, I've missed the good stuff, clearly. But it did take me to a great film of the 1967 promotion and like that was the last time they were promoted to the top flight because they stayed in the top flight for so long to oh one, you know, kids carried over their heads and sat on the touchline for that game. Jimmy Hill was the manager. And fast forward to Friday and it was a Bobby Thomas header in the 84th minute at Ewood Park. And this from Pudzy says. Can you please give the commentary Story due prominence. Administration points deduction, Homelessness twice down to League two. Shit owners now back in the Premier League. A lot of it on a shoestring budget. Beats any Disney millions backed fairytale into a cocked hat. And that is fair, George, isn't it?

[A]

Yeah, yeah. I mean this is an absolutely incredible story because, you know, you mentioned the key points there. But Coventry City were a mainstay of the top flight for a long time. Football's generally cyclical teams who teams generally, when they have a slide, will return back to where they've come from. But it's normally a bit quicker and it's less dramatic than this because there was a time where Coventry's existence was kind of shrouded in uncertainty. They dropped all the way down to League 2. An incredible story in terms of what Mark Robbins did at the club, which has to be one of the most impressive one team jobs that a manager's done in the last couple of decades. To take over a club in that situation, as you say, had to crowd, had to ground share with Northampton Town, had to ground share with Birmingham City even when they moved into their new stadium. That wasn't simple because the club didn't own it and there were big issues with the owners at the time. Sisu. So even though this isn't a case of a big club falling down the leagues and then, you know, a wealthy businessman coming in and buying the club and pumping money and, you know, Mark Robbins had to work in a really difficult environment with a fan base who were consistently clashing with the ownership group and understandably so. And even in recent times, like Coventry's recent history since returning back to the championship has been littered with heartbreak, really, you know that. Think back to that dramatic championship playoff final when Luton went up in the most unbelievable of circumstances after Tom Lockyer collapsed on the pitch and they won on penal penalties. You think back to that FA cup semi final against Manchester United where they thought they'd won it at the death only for Var to intervene and they lost on penalties there. You think about to last season against Sunderland in the, in the championship playoff semi finals where they were beaten again in heartbreaking late circumstances by Sunderland, as Barry will remember. You know, it's been. Hasn't been easy and every time I was at the EFL Awards on Sunday night and Frank Lampard won championship manager of the. Of the season and what was great is that he really didn't make it about himself. He basically made it about everyone apart from himself. In terms of. He. One of the first people he mentioned up on stage was Mark Robbins and the job that Robbins had done, which is a real touch of class really, when you consider that how rare that is for managers to basically praise the work of those that came before them. And you know, he was in tears on the pitch when, when, you know, when, when interviewed after the game at Blackburn which sealed their, their promotion with a late goal from Bobby Thomas to draw the game 1 0. I think the enormity of the history of what he has achieved, you know, he feels that quite clearly and even referenced his, his achievements as a player at Chelsea to say that this really did kind of mean a similar amount to him as that. So it's an incredible story. It's come through some really good decision making. Have to give huge credit to their owner Doug King, who brought them a couple of years ago, made the incredibly difficult decision to sack a manager in. Mark Robbins, who was so popular at the club and achieved so much, made the decision with his staff to appoint Frank Lampard at a time where, you know, neutrals, EFL podcasters, you know, scoffed and said, what is he doing?

[D]

Guardian Football Weekly Podcasters Honestly, the only

[A]

recent managerial appointment I can think of that was met with such derision was Wayne Rooney at Plymouth Argyle. And obviously that went terribly. But this, in this case, it like it just couldn't have gone any better. He took over last season at a time where they were threatened by relegation, led them into the playoffs and this time around they've gone and won the league and done so by improving the players they have at the club. The recruitment has always been spot, but crucially they give players time to settle. You know, so many clubs bring in a player, if they don't do it in six months, they're out the door again in the next window. But at Coventry, players like Efren Mason Clark and Ellis Sims and Milan Van Oek, you know, they improve season on season and they're given the opportunity to do it. So yes, this is, you know, a way to achieve success through incremental strides forward building as a club season on season. It shows what a good owner can do. And yeah, we're going to miss them in the, in the EFL because they've been a mainstay but delighted for their fans that they're back where. Where they, where they believe that they belong and where, you know, lots of football fans think that the commentary Coventry City should be.

[B]

So they are top of the league. They're not quite champions yet because Ipswich could win all their games, they could lose all their games, but they've got 86 points. Then Sanny, we look at the automatic. So Ipswich have 76 points from 42. Milwau 76 from 43. Southampton on this incredible run, 75 and 43. And it would be a stretch now for Middlesbrough to do it. They're on 73 from 43. Ipswich drew with Middlesbrough two.

[D]

Two.

[B]

Got a late. I've seen them not given penalties to get a draw there. Kim Helberg, the Middlesbrough manager, saying Ipswich are good at getting penalties. They've had four more than anyone else in the championship, nine penalties. But they are in the box seat. Ipswich three games in six days. Charlton away, West Brom away, then Southampton at home, which is enormous. Do you think they will do it?

[C]

Right, so. So without delving into the. The fixtures other than that Southampton game. Having seen southampton demolish wrexham5 1, I was like blown away with how good they were. Like, absolutely. That's the depth that they've got considering the fighting on. On the front of the FA cup as well. And that's an extra complication. But yeah, the fact they got the Ipswich. I. So I kind of like intuitively feel Southampton going to take it just. He was so good. And I think if they were. If they were like that since the start of the season, they'd be up. But then like the maths and the logic and George is the more logical man than me, I think might point out that the maths are against it. I suppose the fact that they've got this FA cup semi, like, again, like, logically you'd say, right, well that's. That's too much to have to deal with as well. However, they comfortably swapped out half the team for that Wrexham game from the. From the FA cup game and get dispatched Wrexham quite, quite easily. So I actually do think Southampton will do it. Now whether that's, that's actually mathematically realistic I don't know. But based on what I've seen and based on how they play because you know Leo Sienza gets, gets the headlines and Tom Fellows as well like an old fashioned right right midfielder beating a man and all the rest of it. But like you know, someone like Flynn Downs playing in the middle although he hasn't played much in the last two games, it's been integral since he came back in defensively mopping things up, getting things going, popping up with some goals as well across the park. They've got a whole team like that. Albeit the goalkeeper situation continues to be a strange one. And so based on that I, I really do think they could go up and about what six weeks ago, eight weeks ago we were saying Middlesbrough are all but. All but up and that, that feels like a really stupid kind of call between us. But yeah, their drop off has been something else. So yeah, I know Ipswich have this game in hand but I do think well Southampton had a chance to take some points off him. I think Southampton will do it.

[B]

So you've got Southampton then and Ipswich and Millwall. The other side George, which is Stoke away Leicester away Oxford at your Oxford at home. You know, Leicester fighting for their lives as well. So are you with Sanny? Do you think it will be Southampton or. It's just impossible to tell.

[A]

It's funny because there seems to be this kind of idea that it's going to be stamped in but you know if you look at the, the bookies odds for example, which are normally a pretty good unbiased look at what is likely and have a much kind of more accurate chance rather than us and what we feel less recency bias. You know, Ipswich are still heavy odds on favorites to finish in the top two. That's not to say it will happen but it's to say that they are still the likeliest to happen. And, and I do think even though you Sampton were obviously brilliant in that game against Rexam off the back of the Arsenal game, whatever happens against Manchester City in that FA cup semi final is going to have to have an impact ahead of what is a huge game next Tuesday night against Ipswich. So you know I'm, I haven't been overly impressed. I've got in trouble for saying this the other day after the old farm derby. I've been overly impressed by Ipswich that you know, they look to me to be a solid team that are nowhere near as good as the team that came up a couple of years ago despite probably having better players and maybe that's just because of the high standards set by Ipswich and they were good against, against Borough despite the fact that it was a pretty controversial penalty that yielded the point. You know, they were the best team certainly at nil. Nil before Boris scored against run of play. So Ipswich most likely. But it definitely feels like it's all to play for and it's going to be an exciting finish. And that that Tuesday night game next week is going to be appointment viewing

[C]

just we will get cancelled by Millwall fans if we don't explicitly say that Mill do actually have the same number of points as Ipswich and are above Southampton. And interestingly this is where I think it gets really good because Millwall's fixtures are pretty conducive to them getting second place because they go to Stoke and then they've got a trip to Leicester which will obviously be pretty toxic. And then another side, George's Oxford at home. So they're playing Stoker on the beach and two sides, you know, battling relegation. So in theory there's nothing stopping them getting nine points. Southampton, Ipswich take some points off each other and Millwall finished second. And so the fixture list and the fixture calendar has completely set it up for Millwall. Albeit Millwall have been at their best when they've been playing games kind of against the rivals. Like we saw the victory against Middlesbrough but it is in a way kind of falls right into their hands. Millwall Premier League could well happen.

[B]

It is fun to watch these. I watched the highlights of Southampton's win late win at Swansea on the sort of local club TV and local commentators at this stage of the season are just absolutely, just totally partisan. Just everything is. They're just so much whatever, whatever side of his relegation promotion just so much fun. So you got the final playoff place George, which is Hull on 69, Wrexham 67, Derby 66. Who do you think is most likely to sneak in?

[A]

I mean Hull are still definitely in the driving seat but they're not playing particularly well. They go to Leicester this evening and could relegate them pending a West Brom point seduction if that comes. But I mean they look in the best position. I'm off to Oxford, Wrexham tonight which feels like a just a must win game for both teams and you know if Rex and win that and Hull drop points and they'll put themselves in a decent position albeit their fixtures are tricky between now and the end of the season. So tonight feels like a really big One for them and then. And Derby are kind of the team that won't go away really when they'll win over Oxford on Saturday with Hull dropping points kind of keeps them in the, in the conversation. And they travel to Norwich, who, you know, will feel like their defeat against Ipswich a couple of weeks ago kind of ended their slim hopes of a playoff push. But they beat Bristol City away on Saturday. So it's still very much, you know, that they haven't downed tools as of yet and have been so impressive since Philippe Clermont took over. So, yeah, Hull definitely the most likely. But it wouldn't surprise me at all if either Wrexham or Derby go on a run and managed to leapfrog them

[B]

at the bottom of the championship. Sheffield Wayne's obviously down. Leicester really look done, don't they? 41 points. They've always had a points deduction. 41 from 43o Oxford, 44 from 43. And then a bit of a jump.

[A]

Small jump, max.

[B]

A small jump. Okay, George, I'll be kind to you. And you have a game in. Hand over Blackburn. Blackburn have 49 for 44. West Brom 49 from 43. You know, you know, catching Charlton would be quite extraordinary. 50 from 43. The Leicester story, sunny, is interesting because they've had this points deduction, but even without that, right, they would be just one place above the relegation zone. Oh no, they'd be in it on 47 points. Forgive me. How have they been so bad? Because their squad isn't that bad, is it?

[C]

No, no, it isn't. And so then you've got to look at the, I guess the culture really. And I don't think that comes back to this season. This is subsequent seasons, isn't it? You know, Premier League now dropping into League one is, is quite dire. We've, we've seen process from the fans groups before about, you know, investment not put in the right place. Recruitment has been, has been bad. You know, every game now there, seemingly every game there are videos by the fans of interactions with the players. There was one at Sheffield Wednesday where, you know, the youngsters got the hands out wanting a high five or a low five or side five. And everyone's got their cans on the, on their ears walking past. A few have stopped, you know, a few of the, the ones who've been there a while maybe. And it contrasts with, you know, big stars, big teams, you know, making time for the kids because they know they're not big time Charlies. And I know that's kind of a kind of cheap dig But I think it is a bit symptomatic when you've got Harry Winks post match the other day getting, you know, stick on the sidelines at Portsmouth away, deservedly so. And he's telling the fans to f off like that's not a good look and that's not ever justifiable, regardless of where you kind of stand because the fans are the ones who pay you wages and all that, you know, post match at Pompey, fans are all telling not fit to wear the shirt. It's awful. I don't know how you come back from that, really. You know, I saw them at Stoke a while ago and that was Gary Rawat's first game and he's kind of the right, right man for this situation, but it's just too many moving parts. I feel like. I think he's, he's, he's trying to do something here with players. Some of them just don't want to be there. That's my kind of look from the outside in.

[A]

I, I definitely, I mean, I take what's he saying and I think, I think there is a warning here around manager fit and the way that people think of managers. Well, I would say, and I said it at the time, when he's a pointer, it's not just after timing like I think Raw it was is a manager that I have a lot of respect for. He managed my club, he kept up last season. But he's just completely the wrong profile of manager for this squad of players. Like, like Max, when you, when you said, you know, this is a good squad, like I would say that Leicester's squad in terms of actual talent is one of the best three squads in the whole division, let alone shouldn't be down there. Like you look at, you've got players like Abdul Fatawu and Jordan James, Steffi Mavididi, Harry Winks, you know, even like Pats and Dakar and Jordan, are you like, these are guys who belong in a completely different stratosphere to the bot. To the bottom end of a, of a championship table. Jordan James just won the championship young player of the season because he individually has had an amazing season. He will be a Premier League footballer or a top tier footballer very soon. He's a brilliant player. But if you've got a group of players who have a massive technical advantage to most of the opposition, what are you doing appointing two managers in Martisa Fuentes and Gary Rauer who basically play a style of football that says, yeah, it's all about obsession, shape. We're not going to give you any freedom on the ball. We're not going to have much of the ball. We're going to look to defend and, and score from set pieces. It doesn't make sense. And especially when you consider that two seasons ago loads of these players were in a team that won the championship playing for Enzo Maresca, whose style of football was like, like a heavy possession, aggressive possession, high press. Like what made them think that these were the right decisions? I can understand with Rabbit, the idea is like, oh God, we need a firefighter. Let's go and get someone who supposedly guarantees safety, but you know, you've got to look at squad fit and player profile fit. And it doesn't surprise me at all that these players who, you know, know they're not going to be playing in League one next season are looking at this and thinking, you know what, I don't really fancy this. Like, this isn't the way that we want to play and I'm not going to. It's not conducive to getting us to win games of football.

[D]

I was going to ask. I think it might be kind of a Spurs effect here in that these players are so good brackets up to a point that they do consider a relegation scrap in the championship to be way beneath them and, and they're not just not putting in the effort. I also, I noticed that they've announced an end of season charity match to mark the 10th anniversary of their Premier League title win. And a of their fans seem to have said that that's a bit tone deaf to be announcing that. 5,000 to 1 it's called, which is probably the odds against them staying up at the moment as well.

[C]

Just on ra. Yeah. I don't disagree with George on the, on his, on his tactical and kind of philosophical position as a, as a manager, but I think in a situation we've got players who aren't motivated or seemingly don't really seem to have pride in the shirt. Having an ex player who's kind of been there, done it, and I know that's a bit reductionist, maybe it's a bit beneath Guardian Football Weekly's highbrow thinking on this, but I do think there is something in that. I think there is something, especially when you need someone who's connect with the fans who can give you that impetus, at least to attempt to. And then it's down to the players. I mean, and clearly it hasn't worked. Obviously he's only won once. But that was, that was where I was thinking with this, like, yes, okay, supposed firefighter, but knows what it's like to be successful in a Leicester City shirt. Some of those players do as well. A lot of them actually don't and have spent a lot of their career losing in most recent seasons at least. And, you know, there's a couple of things going around on social media. Like Leicester had a new training complex this season, and it's like, huge. It's incredible. It's like, you know, because, you know, that's the sort of thing that's PSR free, right? You can invest in that. And it's an investment and all that. And, you know, it dwarfs most. Dwarfs it. Dwarves Bromley Stadium, you know, in the same division next season. But that goes to show you mismanagement, which is ultimately what it is on and off the pitch, leads to this situation. Some of those players shouldn't be there anymore, but then this whole situation is entirely of the making of the. The hierarchy above them have kind of sown all those seeds.

[B]

Do you give Oxford any hope? George, how are you feeling?

[A]

Yes, not great. Pretty nervous ahead of. Ahead of tonight. I mean, the thing is, because Blackburn played this extra game and because Blackburn play away at Sheffield United on Wednesday night, it basically means that Oxford can go into Wrexham tonight knowing that a defeat will. Will make it almost impossible. Not impossible, because we could win our last two games this season. If Blackburn loses both of theirs, then we will overtake them. But you know what I keep saying to Oxford fans who are telling me that it's over is that if we beat Wrexham tonight, a game for which Oxford are favorites to win, and then Blackburn don't beat Sheffield United tomorrow night, then we go into a home game against Sheffield Wednesday knowing that a win will take us out of the relegation zone going into final day. So it. It's not over, but it's. It's not looking great. But tonight is. It's huge. It's the first I've woken up on the day of a game which I'm going to feeling genuinely and genuinely quite sick because either I'm gonna go to bed.

[B]

Such a funny feeling, isn't it?

[A]

Delirious. Or I'm gonna be crying.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It's so funny, this thing that we do. It's not good for us, that pit of the stomach. And there'll be so many listeners supporting so many teams feeling like that.

[C]

Am I right in thinking that West Brom's points deduction has to be resolved before the end of this season? Is that right?

[A]

I think we'll find out relatively soon. It'll be a bit of a strange situation if Leicester are relegated tonight and then reprieved tomorrow.

[B]

But let's see, is their punishment likely to be. Do we know what points people are speculating of what it might be?

[A]

George I think the, the speculation, and this is purely speculation, is, is kind of two or maybe three or, or three.

[B]

Right.

[A]

With one suspended, so therefore being two, I don't think it's gonna make a big difference. They're playing incredibly well under James Morrison. I think there's probably an element here where the EFL just, you know, what they don't want to happen is for any relegated teams to feel harshly done by about, you know, when it's been implemented, especially given that Leicester have had, of course, a point seduction plenty this season. So I'd be really surprised if we don't get a in some way sooner rather than later. But I don't know anything.

[B]

Okay, that'll do for part two. Part three. We'll do Leagues one and League two. What makes a leader worth following?

[C]

What should you really care about in

[D]

your job as technology is changing so quickly?

[B]

Is it just about machines talking to other machines? I mean, should you quit your job and start something on your own? What would that take? What does success and risk look like when we're all at the starting gate together? These are the questions we answer each week on Lead Human with Jack Myers and Tim Spengler.

[D]

Join us each week and subscribe at your favorite podcast platform and YouTube.

[B]

We'll tell stories, we'll hear from some of the best, and we'll try to figure this out together. Welcome to Part three of the Guardian Football Weekly. We are live in New York on July 16 at the Bowery Ballroom, the guardian.com footballweeklylive if you'd like some tickets, apparently they are selling fast. Martin writes Max, Barry and gang my friend Victor, to whom Barry steadfastly refused to wish a happy birthday earlier this year. We're in such a rush to buy tickets to the live show in New York City. In a flurry of undelivered texts and Ticketmaster snafus, we ended up with four rather than our desired two tickets. We're now looking forward to implementing dynamic pricing on our remaining two tickets. Taking off is starting at $2,000 each. Hope you can advertise the availability in your upcoming million messages. Trying to sell out the Bowery Ballroom. There you go, Martin Alexander says Alex here from the Lower east side your go to for pastrami niches or knishes I really do not do myself any favors with the New York locals. New York City accents and attitudes. I'm thrilled to know you'll be in town this summer. I've already scooped up my tickets. Can't wait for you to be stateside. I've been listening for almost 20 years while I've joined you on precisely zero of your lives milestones. You've been with me for mine. Episodes of Football Weekly. Playing at my wedding, in the delivery room of my first son's birth, during my dad's funeral procession. No, I'm kidding. That's all rubbish. But I have been tuned in since before Barry. Was there a before Barry?

[D]

There is no before Barry. I was on the first episode.

[B]

Oh, there we go. Anyway, he says, I'm delighted that you'll be here. Thrilled to help in any way I can. Blow me, Alex. I don't know what you're offering for that, but, you know, fluffers for the. For the show. Anyway, do come along, everybody.

[D]

I'd say, Max, we might need buffers more than fluffers.

[B]

Yeah. Okay. Lincoln, champions of League One, 94 points. Cardiff up on 85 and confirmed Sanny because Stockport didn't beat Exeter. And what we all want to see was the Exeter keep us Jack Bycroft scoring in the 96th minute in a three all thriller. And it could be vital for Exeter. We'll get to that. But it does. It was a brilliant mobile, wasn't it?

[C]

Yeah. I'm delighted you've started this with that, because my wife hates sports. Right. She hates football. But if I ask her what's my favorite thing in football, she will say without hesitation. Goalkeepers coming up for corners. Just. Just the sight of. It's great. And then the goalkeeper scoring. Reconna. The best thing ever. The fact Exeter had like somebody filming from a perfect angle and they put it on the socials really, really soon afterwards. It looks so good. But the best bit about Exeter's equalizer was the fact that moments earlier, they'd won a corner. It came in, Bycroft won the header. The keeper pulled off an incredible save to tip it over the bar. It goes for another corner. And he scores from that corner.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

He'd already had it before, which was just absolutely. Because the first corner, the first header's great. And you think, wow. And then you see the second, you're like, get this guy up corners every week. You know, this guy's incredible. So, yeah, that was just an amazing moment. And yeah, Exeter. Yeah, we'll get to them. And yeah, it did all mean that Cardiff were up. It's weird as well because the touchline reporter for ITV talking to the Cardiff players afterwards is like, did you see what happened? The goalkeeper scored and we as fans will be like, what? We're promoted? Because the goalkeeper scored and they were like, all right, great, cheers.

[A]

Good for him.

[C]

No, come on, buy into this more. So, yeah, great for Cardiff, a wonderful way for it to happen for the neutral. And yeah, Brian Barry Murphy, he's completed the, the mission, right, which was coming to Cardiff, beleaguered with the players we've got bring in a load of youth and get the job done. And he's done it, you know, for a long time we, we were thinking they would win the league and you know, Skubala as less Lincoln have just, you know, blitzed, blitzed that. But yeah, fair play, well done. I suspect they might need a bit of improvement in the, in the, in the squad depth but as we've seen with the teams that are beleaguered in the championship that a well run club with a, a solid 11 can do very. So congratulations to Cardiff. Well done. Well done. Bbm. He's kind of, I, you know, I was on the fence a little bit from his last kind of managerial first team role which was, you know, watched a lot of him at Rochdale and that didn't particularly end well. You know, fair play to him.

[B]

The playoffs situation then George Bolton. Bradford and Stockport look pretty much there and then in Stevenage have 68 points, Plymouth 66, Luton 65, Huddersfield 64. So who do you think might nick that last one? Who's, I mean Plymouth have gone on this amazing run, right. Luton have picked up a bit I guess as well.

[A]

Yeah, I mean they won't thank me for saying it, but I'm not confirming Bradford's spot in the, in the top six quite yet just because they tonight they host Plymouth Argyle and if Argyle win that game, Bradford's next game after that is against Bolton and they travel to extra on final day who you know, could well be needing something from that in order to stay up. Obviously if, if Bradford beat Argyle tonight, it's done. They're in the top six and that sorted. But if they do get beaten this evening, then it's going to be very, very nervous for them. Stevenage will be incredibly frustrated that they conceded as late as they did against Lincoln. They were so good that day. Like Alex Ravel's doing an absolutely phenomenal job. You know, Lincoln are clearly the under underdog story in League one this season, but for Ravel to have them have Stevenage as consistent as they are so good defensively. And you know they've got a game against Barnsley this evening that if they can win that it'll put them in a pretty commanding position too. Luton will feel incredibly frustrated. They weren't able to. You know, they came back from two on down against Mansfield to draw two all, but had loads of chance in the last half an hour and couldn't quite get over the line. And then what about Huddersfield who in the last three games have been leading in injury time. They conceded a goal to make it three all in 90 plus 11 against a 10 man Bolton on the weekend. Prior to that they conceded a 95th minute equalizer and then prior to that it was another 90 plus 11 also to make it 3 or their last 3 games.

[B]

Not fair.

[A]

And if they hadn't considered any of those goals they'd be sixth. So you've got to feel for Huddersfield Town fans, any fans of theirs that leave the game early and don't check the results will probably think they're in the playoffs. So it's, it's really tight. I think Stevenage are so solid. So I think they will get over the line. But as I say, it wouldn't surprise me at all that you. If Argyle beat Bradford tonight, and that's a big if and a big ask, then it may be two spots available, not just one.

[B]

Bottom of it then Northampton are down. Paul Vale aren't down, but are basically down. They'd have to win all their games in Wimbledon, lose their remaining two. Rotherham are down despite being above Portvale because they played more games. And then you have the bun fight Exeter. That point means they're on 48, Wimbledon on 50, Leonor in 51, Burton and Peterborough 52. Are there any surprises down there, Sonny? I mean posh, it's nice to see them struggle but.

[C]

Well, can we just mention on Rotherham. So. So Lee Clark, when he was appointed, we were at an EFL pod and I, I held my tongue on the fact that he steered a club, my team Bury with a side designed to try and get into the championship to their worst ever finish and was sacked. But one of the things at the time is bemoaning was not having real men in the side and. But in his defense here at Rotherham, you know he said he'd come from South Sudan or I think, well Sudan. He'd come from the Sudanese league to Rotherham. He's come out and said that they've got players calling in sick like he said they Had a player call in sick, they made him come in and then ended up training. He's got players who genuinely don't want to be there and are not playing for the shirt whatsoever to the point where they're not even turning up. It's like an incredible situation. You know, he even said that the previous manager, Matt Hampshaw, who you might recall formerly assistant, is a Rotherham fan as well, was doing like Rotherham themed quizzes in lockdown over Zoom and stuff. He was, he mentioned, you know, that the previous manager got sacked because these players didn't play for him and he loved the club. And it's incredible that a club that, you know, traditionally are yo yoing between the Championship and League One seem to have amassed the set of players who literally won't turn up to play, which is just incredibly frustrating, whoever you are as manager. And it's Rotherham centenary celebrations this summer, you know, they've got a charity game they're going to be doing and all sorts and some of those players they're bringing back, you know, would be thinking, what the hell's going on here? You know, you've got the great New York, New York Stadium and all that and they're interleague two, which is, which is a mess.

[B]

You'd never conceive of a footballer taking a sickie like, like, of course it probably happens. It's just the image of it just, you know, putting on a voice and going, I feel a bit unwell, I'll work from home today. It just sort of got a funny image, isn't it?

[C]

It's probably a HR minefield, isn't it? You know, if you are actually poorly but you. One will believe you and you drag yourself in.

[B]

But yeah, interesting. So then how do you see it sunny then at the. I mean extra have a lot to do, right.

[C]

Still, they, they do and. But you, you feel like the momentum and also the fact the goal difference is 10 better than Wimbledon and it's a two point gap there that feels important. You know, Wimbledon, I think, you know, are everyone's second team in their heart somewhere, right? Give them the history. And they're doing so well to be where they are competing given they had what so many seasons before relegation, were just battling to stay up and you're like, come on, get relegated. Have some poss. Have some, have some positivity. And it's really hard because they're, they're welcoming new investment potentially in the future because there's only so far a fan owned model can take you and. But an Extra in that similar sort of situation. So it's. It's very tough. I feel like Leighton Orient, given the players they've got and Richie Wellens as manager, they've been so entertaining over the years. I feel like they should kind of stay up, especially where they were last season, how things kind of came awry unstuck for them, but yet no one's guaranteed a place in this division.

[B]

But I can't call it top of League Two then. Bromley are up 84 points from 44. MK Dons 82 from 44. The mighty U78 from 43. Salford 77 from 44. Knox County 76, Swindon 75. We've got Grimsby tonight, George. We should start with Bromley and how big an achievement this is for them to get over the line and get promoted.

[A]

Yeah, it's extraordinary. An amazing achievement for a club to come up in the way they did. You know, they came up through the National League playoffs. We're used to teams that come up through the National League who then get straight towards the top end of league two being, you know, effectively maximizing the looser spending rules that used to exist in the National League. But with Bromley, it's. That's not necessarily the case. They're just in Andy Woodman. They've got a manager who has a very clear style of play which is pretty attritional but very, very effective. Very good from set pie pieces, very direct. And they recruit to play that system. You know, they were written off by some as being, you know, possible relegation candidates before the season started. But Andy Woodman has always been steadfast in telling the fans and telling the players that this was a season where he. He wanted to get promoted. And they've achieved that amazing achievement by. By him. It's going to be interesting to see how they get on in league one next season. I always think teams that are punching above their weight but doing so playing that more kind of direct style, it's normally easier to do so because you are doing something that requires less kind of innate ability and is more focused on physical ability and being well drilled. And in Woodman, they've got a manager who clearly is very adept at doing that. So it wouldn't surprise me at all if they surprise a few people next season too. And now it's just a title race because they'll want to win the league. But they've got a really tough game against Salford coming up ahead of the weekend. And you know, Cambridge host Grimsby. Obviously, if. If you win that tonight, then you'll be in this title race as well. And MK Dons hosting Tranmere on Saturday should be an opportunity for them to win promotion. And it wouldn't surprise me at all if. If MK Dons do go on and win the league.

[B]

Yeah, they've got Trammer home, Fleetwood away, so they're nice and winnable. We drew up Bromley on Thursday. Had a couple of amazing chances in the first half, but, you know, they really came at us in the second. There was a Goldmouth scramble at injury time that had me basically vomiting with terror as it was happening.

[D]

These are all pal. Ryan Loft still at Cambridge?

[B]

No. Where did Lofty go? I think he went to Crawley, I think. Yeah, sure.

[A]

They've got 15, 000 strikers. Yeah, he is.

[B]

He's a crawling on your loan, though,

[A]

so you can always come back for next season.

[B]

Yeah. And actually Shane Lavery, who is way too good for League two, got pulled. He's got really bad hamstrings and he got injured in that game at Bromley. Northern Ireland International, and so that is a bit of a blow. But we've got Grimsby home tonight, Barrow at home at the weekend. The best home record in the division. Don't say it out loud, Max.

[A]

Don't.

[B]

Come on, boys, just. And at the bottom, like it is normally the bottom of League two, it's two sides are just done and it's kind of done, but it is extraordinary. Harrogate won one nil against Colchester with a 90 plus nine winner. Brilliantly scrappy League Two goal. And it means the bottom of League Two looks like this. Harrogate have 36 points, Barrow 36, Newport 37. Tranmere, who have a game in hand on everyone else, 37 and Crawley 38. And so just this pressure because it is hard to get out of the National League, which we'll get to in a second. It is just huge for these five teams.

[C]

Yeah, and it's crushing as well if you're. If you're a Tranmere player waking up every morning. I mean, they've only won two games this calendar year. They're on an absolutely horrendous run. And the weight of that, I don't know how much that must play on you because Tranmere have had such. Such battles when they, you know, to sustain the division and then they were relegated out and that was incredible to get back in. And, yeah, you know, George said earlier that football goes in cycles. I think Tranmere will go down, by the way. I think they've got, like, no momentum and again, a bit of a toxic sort of situation. But it's really upsetting. It's disappointing because again, like a fan own club and the Palios's who, you know, saved the club from the. The brink. Mark Palios ex chief exec of the the fa, and Nicola Palios. But then they've come in for a lot of criticism as well because there's only so far they can take the club. And bringing in other investment hasn't worked. Other plans to kind of modernize haven't come together. Christian Fuchs, the curious appointment at Newport County. You only need to get a couple of wins, right? And it's so, you know, you say that and then teams pull out wins out of nowhere. And then, and then Barrow was. It was an incredible performance at home to Oldham Athletic. And if you. You caught this one because oldham are winning one nil. And then Barrow equalised on 82, took the lead on 83. Oldham then equalised on 88 and then Barrow scored a winner in the 91st minute. And you think that's just crazy. But then they go on to lose the next game at Walsall. So it's the stakes and ladders. It could be anyone. I think Tranmere will go down and Crawley Town. I don't know if we mentioned that Colleen Kazim Richards, who again with my Berry hat on, the Coca Cola kid, if you recall, once upon a time you could win, win a footballer for your team if you got the right ring pull or something. A Brighton fan won it and he bought Berry's CKR colleague Kazim Richards. He went on for his. The career he had. He's. He's the manager of Crawley Town and is trying to do something now. They always want to see, we always want to see young, young man, young, young players that we know kind of have some success, don't we? But yeah, it could be anyone. Could be anyone.

[B]

Yeah. God, it's a long time since Friday nights at Princeton park with, you know, John Aldridge and Chris Malkin scoring buckets of goals for TR there to the National League. Then you might have seen York City players waiting for the Rochdale game to finish at the weekend. 98 minutes, York are promoted. It's one all between Braintree and Rochdale. 99th minute, Rochdale score a winner means it's a showdown on the last game of the season. Rochdale at home to York. And it is just absolutely extraordinary and you know, such a case for more than one team needs to get automatic promotion because York City have 107 points and Rochdale have 105 points and yet it is Not a guarantee that they'll both go up. So Rochdale are at home, they need to win. A draw is good enough for York, obviously because they have 107 points, but they also have a goal difference of plus 73, which is mad, but not that it's relevant. I don't know how much you talk about this on the top 20, George, but you know the EFL will never vote for more teams to go up from the National League, will they? They just never will do it. It's, you know, you don't vote for what's not good for you but. But actually it feels quite short term is because if it's easier to get up from the National League, it's not such a big deal to be relegated to the National League.

[A]

Yeah, I would agree. I think it's, it's pretty obvious. And also the fact that whenever we see National League teams come up out of the National League, no nationally promoted team has ever been relegated straight back to from where it's come. Which shows you that, you know, the top half or the top eight of the, of the National League is, is comfortably mid table in League two or maybe even better. And Barnett, the latest team who still have a chance of getting into the playoffs this season and you look at Oldham who only just lost their chance, they promoter teams. You look at how Bromley have got on. Like even teams who, who do end up returning relatively soon afterwards. Sutton United for example, recently or Hartlepool, they have a couple of seasons where they do. Okay, so from a, you know, from a fairness perspective it obviously makes sense. I mean there are other nuances and you know, there are people who feel very strongly against this too. It's worth pointing out, but this is going to be incredible. I mean this is a proper, you know, playoff final within a league season with Rochdale needing a win win. They're the hosts. York going into it knowing that they're basically 1 nil up before the game starts because a draw means that they will, will win automatic promotion. Two teams who play relentlessly attacking football. You know, you mentioned the points tallies there, but even if you look at the, the goal scored, 113 goals scored by York in, in 45 games, 87 goals scored by Rochester, 45 games. The way that this is set up with Rochdale basically needing to attack from the very first whistle in order to get a win, I mean it feels like this is. Isn't going to be one of those KG playoff finals. This could be a really, really attacking end to end fair with behind needing to get A goal to win promotion. It's going to be sensational. I'm looking forward to it on Saturday afternoon.

[B]

Yeah, actually a bit harsh on Carlisle and Bournemouth got 92 and 87 points respectively. And they're not, you know, you know, they're just sneaking into the playoffs, aren't they?

[A]

But, but also, but, but there's a wider issue to this. Which is. Which is the fact that, you know, because only two teams come up, it means you get this glut of teams at the top end. And it means that, you know, we talk about the Premier League being a huge, huge disparity between the top end and the bottom end, but. And the championship too, to be fair. But like the National League's crazy where you've got the top team. York on 107 points, Truro on 31 points, at the bottom. Like it's, it's fast.

[B]

Rob says, do you think he'll finally score buckets? He is referring to Timo Werner who scored his first goal in MLS yesterday for the San Jose Earthquakes. Let the floodgates open. A 41 win against Los Angeles there. So well done. Timo Alistair emailed in to say on the subject of John Bruins Arsenal analogy, he was saying about a last day shootout in Scottish football where Rangers and Celtic were going at it. Who could score the most. He missed the killer fact. The injury time winner scored for Rangers was scored by Mikel Arteta. And I was there. He says, yeah, they beat down Vermin 61 to win the title. They were 51 up as the match entered the last few minutes, Celtic were 4 nil up at Rugby park park and then Arteta scored a penalty and that settled the nerves, I think. So, you know, it wasn't quite as decisive, but good to see Mikel has form here. He knows how, how it's done.

[D]

Max. The only, the only reason I've hung around to this bit is because you highlighted a barony Ronnie error in your introduction. Yeah, have at it please.

[B]

Alex Hatch the subject matter. Huge error made in today's episode. Hi all. I'm just writing to point out a huge error made in Today's episode. At 4 minutes 40, Barney Ronne states that his train driver announces the following over the PA system. On your left you'll see the Etihad stadium. I'd just like to point out that on arrival to Manchester Piccadilly, this is not possible. If you are arriving into Piccadilly from the orientation east, where the Etihad is visible, the Etihad will always be on the right of the train. I sincerely hope you can correct the error at a later date. Regards, Alex. Are you happy with that correction and Ronne suitably admonished, or were you hoping for a little bit more?

[D]

No, that's fine. Just any time he's wrong is a little win for us all. See also Jonathan Wilson.

[B]

Well, absolutely. All right, that'll do for today. Thanks everybody. Thank you, Baz.

[D]

Thank you.

[B]

Cheers, George.

[A]

Thanks, Max.

[B]

Thank you, Sonny.

[C]

Cheers. Thank you.

[B]

Football Weekly is produced by Taya Papula are executive hey Breeze. It is Joel Grove and we'll be back on Thursday.

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