155: Hot, cross and done

[Music] What the EFL? It's the Football League podcast taking a deep breath after that bumper bag holiday of EFL action. Coming up, it's our annual Easter Egg Stravaganza as we tell you who had a cracking one and who's hot cross and done. Power by Quimba. This is what the EFL. And we're back with you, reflecting on that huge and always significant pair of fixtures across the championship league one and league two. I've got my two chaps with me who've been right in the thick of it, Adrian Clark, freshish from you would park, how you doing? Yeah, I'm alright. Alright, just a second found out that I was also hurt at the same game as Sam from Friday, Oxford, but yeah, he kept his distance from me and I enjoyed hot cross and done. Thank you, never heard that one, but yeah, that was good. Yeah, I thought I needed to pick it up a bit after Egg Stravaganza, which is just completely root one. And yeah, there was right to not be any applause for that particular pun. Sam Parking, you've been busy too. Have you had a nice weekend? Yeah, I have, yeah. The Easter Egg hunting to have been going on for an eternity. I think I'm into about four now. Wasn't the thing in our day, wasn't it? Not really. My son's taking to my oldest son's taking to just following the distributor of the eggs around. The thing was some random bloke at a crazy golf course that my other half took into yesterday and he just followed him as he distributed. So not really the essence, is it? No, it's true. You could call it cheating or you could call it resourceful. I think the problem will go with the latter. All I would say is, and I absolutely love Bluey, but that Easter Egg hunt episode has done us. We had to replicate it almost exactly on my wife's dead. And it was hard work for little reward of them. The fact that you can eat your children's Easter eggs when they're not looking. But anyway, Easter is done. And in some cases, so is the promotion race. We're going to talk about Lincoln City soon. But first, let me remind you that our partners, Quimbet, have an offer. You can get 50% back up to 25 pounds. If your account has sportsbook losses, at the end of your first day's betting, Quimbet will refund 50% of your losses as a free bet up to 25 pounds. Minimum three bets. Even if your accounts are, you guarantee the five pound free bet. Provide as you place at least one bet of 10 pounds or greater at the minimum odds. TCC supply. It's 18 plus for new UK customers only. Visit Gambleweather all information on responsible gambling. You'll find a link to that and a link to the offer in the show notes. All right, let's get cracking them. And we've got to start with the fabulous Lincoln City who secured promotion to the championship over the Easter weekend after wins against Wimbledon and Redding. So they're in tier two for the first time in 65 years. They've done it with five games to spare. Well, I liked about this. Clark, he was only needed a point to get the job done against Redding. But you want that release moment, right? They nearly got it against Wimbledon, but Results didn't go their way to secure it. He'd be done it with the draw. Yeah, fine, great with promoted. But a 96 minute winner just gives you that double reason to celebrate and that amazing season. Yeah, I'm right in front of the traveling support as well, which was super. Was it about 3000 of them and lovely piece of play as well? Wasn't it Conor McGrand, McGrandos who I've been bigging up? Brilliant bit of jinky play in midfield and a through ball for Moilon. He almost looked like he was going to muck it out, didn't he with the finish, but then it was a really nice little lofted finish over the keepers. So yeah, now it's great scenes. They deserved it. I mean, what a round. They're in loss since the 22nd of November. Quite remarkable, really. We know that they've got a relatively low budget. It's definitely bottom half. They're the data defiers, aren't they? I mean, optos expected. So obviously they're very good at defending the best defensive record in the league, super well organised. Still, and they scored the most goals, but still optos has them second for expected points, 20 points less than they've got. So, you know, they've been super efficient at both ends of the pitch. Really, really good. I'm beating against top 10 teams. I mean, how have funs that happened in the season? Not to numb, and they've lost five. You two of those have been to the bottom four, but against top 10 teams or current top 10 teams, unbeaten, yeah, really, really good team. Good in the air. School loads of goals from outside the box, brilliant on the counter. Yeah, they won't be easy to play against in the championship. Yeah, it's a brilliant story. Yeah, wish them all the best. It's, yeah, what sort of intrigue me when the players and the manager interviewed afterwards was everyone was sort of saying, "You couldn't have thought about this in your wildest dreams." They're like, "Yeah, no, we thought we'd go up." So, you know, they don't think it's any kind of fairy tale, but I think the rest of us are very, very impressed. Gotta be impressed with the, well, everything, Sam, obviously, but the manager in particular, Michael Scubala, this great journey that he's been on from being a foot-sale coach to taking a team into the championship. It's not the data to worry about how they might fare in the championship next year, is it, but certainly one thing that's massively in their favour is the manager. Yeah, absolutely. It's been an amazing rise, I suppose. And I think it just fits, doesn't it, because Lincoln, I think, about to Danny Cowley's tenure there. They seem to be quite patient, even to the supporters as well, I think, and given an opportunity to grow as Danny and Nikki Cowley did so wonderfully well a few years ago. And regular listeners to the podcast will know, this is one of my teams. If Clarky has the whole of East Anglia, you know, along with QPR, Swindon, St Niren, Fiorantina, so it's less than an hour from my door, can I have them as well? Dunn firmly enough, let it, but Lincoln City is the place of my old man's birth, and he's a big Lincoln City fan. Obviously, a doctor QPR, when he moved to London in the 60s or 70s, or whatever it was, but you always look out for Lincoln's results, and yeah, it's been a remarkable story. And Clarky laid down a few of the stats there, and I almost hope it's the end of people discussing teams not having the ball, blah, blah, blah, blah. Different ways to win football matches, and they're a great example of that. Experience boys. What I like as well is there's not been that reliance on one or two goal scorers, nobody in double figures in the league. Moil and actually, it was quite fitting that he got the goal. He's got eight since the turn of the year. He had a kind of breakthrough season, maybe in the year, a few years ago, and kind of plateaued, and a little bit indifferent, certainly in terms of goal scoring and assists in the first half of this season. So fitting that, he kept it. And I think, I think that teams, when I was playing, maybe coached the United when they got into the championship, there could be something similar to that, you know, the surprise element, the physicality, the experience that they've got as well in in a number of positions. I think it's one of the, I'd imagine it's one of the oldest levens in the in a division, and they've won out against one of the youngest in Cardiff. So it's been a brilliant battle between those two, but there's only been one winner, significant winner, Lincoln have overpowered them across the last couple of months, and we'll see how Cardiff can knuckle down now and secure that second position, because you know, a couple of indifferent results for them over Easter, not suggesting anyone's going to catch them, but you know, they need to refocus and get their job finished. They sure do. Lincoln 90 points, so 12 clear of Cardiff, and their next job is to wrap up the title, and they will start their quest to do that when they host late Noreen in the weekend, boy, that's going to be a party isn't it? Okay, well they are bound for the championship, and that's where we're going to go next. So we got too good, too bad for the championship, not the old match the day, two feature, but some teams who we think have done well, and not lucky, you're going to kick us off with a good, it's Blackburn Rovers, you saw them live and in living colour on Bank Holiday, and I can't imagine it was the best game you've seen all season, but it was certainly a good Easter for them. No, it wasn't the best game. No, it was not, not a great watch, and they didn't have a shot on target, but I am still going to put them as having a good Easter because in a sieve draws at the bottom end of the table, they get that big win, didn't they at Birmingham, and that coupled with the draw against Westbrommerjab, in which they deserve, they deserved at least a point, and actually say that in the second half they were the stronger team against Westbrom. Those four points are really massive, aren't they? If they hadn't, they got them, they'd be really in trouble, but as it stands now, you're starting to think one more win, and they should be okay, and I think that's a good, pretty good job done from Michael O'Neill, because it's not a great squad, it really isn't, and on the Birmingham game, they really should have won it by more, Biddle in goal for Birmingham, producer Love Heroics, lovely winner, wasn't it, where Mauritita to Camwellie sort of swept it home. Mauritita's a good player, don't mind him, sort of in that right ten role. What I saw in the Westbrom game was O'Neill's flexibility so I started with a back five, and thought it was a bit of a nothing first half, and he was like, "No, let's go four four two, let's go for it, put Jorgensen on, the two tens went out wide, and they were all over them really, and we're quite unlucky not to score." And the keeper made one of the saves of the season, I don't know if you've seen this from Heggabo. Heggabo is like, "I would say he's on the six yard box line, middle of the goal, hit it on the volley as hard as you like, and he tips it onto the crossbow, that's absolutely magnificent." So they looked that they're not a brilliant team, they're not that entertaining, but they are solid, Black Bum Rovers, I mean, Rexham, Derby and Hall of Conceited More. than Blackburn this season and they're all in the hunt for the Premier League. So yeah, good Easter for them and one more win. And I think they'll be playing championship football next year. Six points clear of trouble. As Clarke says, good defense and that Mike Loneal appointment, all of a sudden looking inspired in the lessy support Northern Ireland, I suppose. Let's go for your good, Sam Bristol city. I mean, back to backwinds under Roy the boys, just an excuse to talk about Roy Hodgson and his sunglasses, large, isn't it? Is yeah, I wouldn't say we mock the appointment. I think far from it. I think we were all, um, we scratched our heads. I think it would be fair to say. So it came from left field. I think, you know, any other, I, how old is Roy? Um, 104. Sorry, that's me. I think you 78. Any other 78 year old, we, we maybe would have poured score on it, but I think because it's Roy, we all quite enjoyed it. And, um, yeah, six points over the two games. I mean, they're absolutely battered in the second half against cheerful United, played some really good stuff in the, in the first half. I think Jason Knight played right back and him and Mike Mark Sykes combined quite nicely. He's got a back four out there, which has been problematic. I think there's been a lack of center half. So actually it probably makes sense. I think Borges played the left side of the, um, central defensive duo. Yesterday, um, Scott Twine in the 10, not sure those kind of dual number tens have been working brilliantly this season under Gail Hardstuber. So there's been a few tactical changes, um, but the older gratitude of debt to their goalkeeper yesterday. I think in that game against Shepherd United after Chris Wilder tried something in the first half. He made multiple changes and they absolutely kept at the city goal. Seven saves. He made so much so that Roy Hodgson has said postmaps that Vitech looks like he's got everything in his, um, his armory to be a premierly goalkeeper. So we'll wait and see on on that one. But yeah, two very, very good victories. One at the Valley, obviously, Scott Twine scoring a lovely goal. In that one, the second was, um, hideous. If you haven't seen that going up, look at the amazing Bristol City, um, second goal. But yeah, just, um, just a great return, isn't it? I suppose after there would have been a lot of question marks us to what they were doing with that, with that appointment. So, um, a brilliant few days and all of a sudden the Bristol City fans feeling a little bit more optimistic for your stay on. I was just going to say with seven points off the playoffs, aren't they? I mean, if he gets them in the playoffs and that would be incredible, but, um, yeah, I've just worked it out. He is 45 years older than Tom Durekert. Um, I'm surprised that you didn't pick Southampton for your championship good team, actually, Clarky, but maybe that's maybe that's maybe that was very good. And they were very, very good. Yeah, given that. All right, we can't put Arsenal in the bad category, but we can put Middlesbrough Adrian, dropped at the place on goal difference, if such above them, but have two games in hand, a damaging defeat and then a draw that really needed to be a win. Yeah, miserable. Easter, wasn't it for, for Barra really? Um, again, the numbers are crazy. They got over three expected goals in both games, um, didn't win. E, they obviously got one point. 29 shots against Swansea 32 against Milwell. So, you know, but five big chances in each game, um, that's 12% of their seasons entire big chance count across two games, but I have hate. So, you know, they'll be feeling we're not playing that bad. You know, we're doing a lot, a lot of good things here. And they kind of are considering they're missing the magic of, of Whitaker and the magic of Hayden Hackney. I think that's a big miss. I think if they're going to. Re your lip switch in and I don't think it's over because it's which you've got, you know, I think five of their last seven are away. So it's kind of doable, but I think they'll need those two, but those two back in the team, um, that the reason they've had a bad Easter is really the, the, the, they've not made good decisions at the back. So you remember that winner, um, from, from Milwell, Melinda, really terrible passing, which would lose as it, and they give it to Cobain. And he's still got a lot to do, but Luke, look, I wasn't a great defender. I was a winger that in one V1's was, was not great, um, defending them. Um, but Ailing did, got it all wrong. Um, didn't do anything really to, to stock open, just curling it into the far corner. So two bad decisions there. And anyway, always you get Bangura, who's scored, makes a ridiculous challenge inside the box, completely out of control, definite pen. And then the goalie, Soulbrin, don't know why he's coming out to the, to the side of the box, really. And even though I'm not, not convinced it was a foul, it was, um, you know, gave the, gave the referee decision to make, didn't they say? Yeah, some, some sort of bad decision-making from defenders has been really, really costly. This Easter, I don't think they're out of it, especially if Hackney and Whittaker do return, but it's going to take some serious character now, because they, you know, their, their bellies must be, you know, they must be, um, or their jeans are on the floor. Uh, speaking of bad decisions, Ipswich down, they made one of those a couple of weeks ago, didn't they, with that PR gap, they play Middlesbrough in a couple of weeks, Sam, at Portman Road. You saw Ipswich play Birmingham on bank holiday Monday. Clarkley says Burr aren't out of it. Uh, uh, Ripswich firm favourites now for you to nab that second automatic spot. Oh, I think they are. Yeah. But whether they deserve that victory yesterday, um, I'll leave it that up to the, to the listeners who saw the game, um, obviously the big moment I heard Clarkley talking about this, actually, on the, on the radio, on the, on the way home from the, from the game. Um, Osmond came on for, for Birmingham. Had a really great impact aside from the contentious moment. But yeah, I thought commentating on the game live that the ball was in play, gets to the byline, cuts it back and Darryl Shade turns into his own net and, uh, the referee on the near side, but the opposite side to the play flags for the ball going out of play. And there was kind of hopeful, um, please from, I think it was Jacob Grieves, but Oshaiding even really appealed that the ball had gone out. So very fortuitous, um, Middlesbrough, um, Mill, rightly, will feel slightly hard done by this morning, um, maybe switch, but I would say far and away the better side in the first half. It was a little bit, a little bit scrappy. I think there's, there is tension in the air at Paul Monroe, but that's because they've drawn three of the last four. You can even go back to around about six weeks ago when they drew at home to press an orphan, conceding quite late. So it's not been perfect, but I said it multiple times on the commentary yesterday. Yes, the squads brilliant, got loads of depth, but I don't think it's been a vintage season. It's definitely not in comparison to the last time they got promoted if indeed they, they do so, but they get in the job done. Um, it's not wonderfully free throwing, um, across the piece, but I think a part of that is, you know, they are the ones to be shot at now, um, a bit like maybe some of the other teams in recent times that have come down and expected to go back up every week as a massive game in the championship for their opposition, go into Paul Monroe, taking them on at a home ground and they've certainly struggled on the road. I think six of their seven defeats have been away from Paul Monroe. So it's just been about getting the job done. McAteer was probably the picker, the bunch yesterday, got his first goal for Ipswich, missed another one and one in the first half, but he was pretty good. But Birmingham has come on to in a few moments, um, gave a good account of themselves. Multiple changes for them and a much better display, but Ipswich ahead of the Derby, which again, we'll speak about a bit later, much needed three points. Doesn't matter how you play and that was the sentiment at full time, kind of big celebrations, curing McKenna punching the air. Um, it felt like a, it felt like a real big three points. So on the other side of the ledger in that particular game were Birmingham. You've picked for your bad team. Clark, he's been campaigning for Chris Davis to get the boot all season. Well, he's definitely going to get it though. Isn't he in the summer? I think we, you know, be supportive. He doesn't. Well, that's what I was going to say, Sam, presumably they keep fated him for the rest of the campaign because, because why wouldn't you? But 16th was not where they wanted to be at this stage of this season. No, I just thought it was worth, you know, having a little chat about and this morning, I know there's probably more meaningful results across Easter. But, you know, I think it is quite a big story that's been developing there. And yet, despite them being on the wrong end of a really poor decision, I heard his, his interview on the radio and it's kind of all he spoke about, you know, given where they are in the table. Yes, it's a contentious decision. It should have gone their way. But I think there's bigger issues, bigger problems. But yeah, I'll focus in on what I saw yesterday and he made seven changes. And I think a lot of these changes doing my reading pre-match were ones that the support was desired. Solace coming back into midfield, Neumann coming back into the heart of defence alongside Clara, who's far and away that been their best player this season, which tells the story, the big centre half has been the most consistent of the lot. You had Priska, who they'd not seen much of, leading the line Vicente on the right hand side, who gets the goal. And yeah, the performance was better. I thought the structure of the team was actually pretty good in the first half without landing too many blows on the pitch, which is goal. And in the second half, especially after the introduction of Osmond, they had a little bit more in terms of creativity and firepower going the other way. So I believe from, again, listening to the sentiment from all the Birmingham fans going into the game that this was a much better performance because they had been a really low-edb. But yeah, unless they string, I would say, results together in the remainder of the season, it feels like a change is in the off end. That would have done some good yesterday, Chris Davis, but the manner of the Derby defeat, the line up that he went with, which I think got a lot of criticism. And then the display against Blackburn, which, a clocky reference, I think, has put him in a really good position. difficult spot. I said it yesterday during the commentary as well. I'm not sure how helpful those comments were. I can't remember exactly where they came from, but that promotion is the aim this season. I think it was even automatic promotion is the ambition. If we get out via the playoffs then brilliant, but not show those comments have done the world good, especially when the supporters are kind of buying into that sentiment as well. And a mid-table finished this year in my eyes isn't the end of the world. I'm going to spend a lot of money on that in the summer, but a tough run in. Rexham Hall, City, Preston Hame, I guess that might be there. They're Win, Bristol City, and then finish Pompi. Okay, let's head into League One next. And we'll start with the bad selection. Because you have no from me for a while, Adrian. You've gone for Wickham. I saw them on Friday at Stockport. I mean, they created quite a few chances in the game, but they looked a bit ropey at the back. Michael Duff said before the Easter fixtures, if they win both, they're banging the hunt for promotion. If we lose both, we're out of it. Well, I'm afraid Michael. It's not looking good. Yeah, they're out. Look, they've played 42 as well now. So they've only got four games left and they're five points off the playoffs. So, yeah, it was, you know, the Easter weekends pivotal for so many clubs. And for them, it really was. And they didn't deliver. Obviously, two hard games. Stockport away in Bramford at home. It isn't easy, but desperately disappointed that they lost both. If they'd won those games, they would have been sat in sixth instead of Steven Edge, iron up a playoff sort of run. And they would have damaged the two teams that were playing, right? That's why it was such a good opportunity for them. Exactly. Now they're 11th and really it's kind of done. The Bramford game, the most recent one, they led early on. It was a really good goal. Lovely, lovely move and a great finish from, from Vidagout and a lot of the ball. But then, yeah, some bad goals given away. I mean, the, the, the Bradford's equalizer. It was a high line and then Connitala. It's not the most mobile centreback and they knock it over his head and lace. He's got a baritone. He's back because he's trying to, trying to get catch up with the striker who scores and and it was a similar story in the game that you saw on the Friday, the last goal. Quite a high line again. Knocked over the top. Taylor's absolutely no, he's no chance of catching, catching the striker and the keeper comes out. Doesn't he, Maurice? Go around him and, and score. So that's a problem. You'll see that he's par and he's sent a back par. I didn't have a very good Eastry, the Taylor Allen. I always think Taylor Allen is better as a left side centreback in a three or even a left back. He played, he's playing centreback at the moment and, um, he did the best Ben White impression. There you go. That's a reference to Southampton to win against Arsenal. What understant? Um, yeah, exactly that wasn't it. The ball comes in. He misjudges the flight of the cross. Jumps completely misses it in the left face scores. So yeah, look, it's, they face 10 shots on target at Stockport on Friday. So be it loose really. We had the ball and, and for that reason, Wiccom's seasons kind of done and dust in there. I think that will be, and I know that Duff sort of has really improved them and got them dreaming after a really bad start to this season. But really, I think, given the money they've spent, given the changes they made in January, I think the club will be really fed up and disappointed not to have, um, not to be in the playoff this season, if, if indeed, that happens. Yeah, he was at pains to point out and it's a pre-stop point to view. Yeah, look at the form since I took over repeatedly. So it was season started in September after I'd come in. Maybe a bit sad watching Nathan Lois. I look pretty diminished from last season. That going back to Stoke really did for him. Didn't it? Unfortunately. Uh, let's cheer things up a bit, Sam, by talking about another good league one story. We mentioned Lincoln already also in the hunt for promotion. Our Bradford city. Maybe you've left it too late to really threaten Cardiff, but they will have been pleased to have gotten that away win in that game at Wiccom that we reference. Because that's where they've struggled. Certainly since the turn of the year, isn't it? Oh, yeah, absolutely. I only Lincoln have got more points at home across the whole 92 this season. So they've been formidable as we would have maybe anticipated in front of their own supporters having got that upturn under Graham Alexander, maybe a year or two ago, getting it right in front of the home fan. So made hard work of it on on Friday. Northampton actually had a couple of opportunities in that, in that 1-0 victory, Stephen Humphrey's with the only goal. And then again, not the not the prettiest, I don't think Adam's Park, which is a bit what Bradford are. They get the job done. Don't know, I don't think they're going to be as easy on the eye as some other teams, but the second half, their substitutes had an impact, Metcalf, Powell, Caden Jackson's back now, having not played since the end of February, one of the January new recruits. So I think they're in a good place to go into the to the end of the season. And I just wanted to highlight them because, you know, they'd lost at Wigan, they'd lost against Burton in the previous then one in three going into these two games. So they've given themselves a pretty much there. They are going to be in the playoffs. We'll send some purposes. Three home games against Stephen Edge, Plymouth Argyle and Bolton all promotion hopefuls go to Barnsley and Exeter. So I think, you know, a couple of wins and they're going to be assured probably of their position. They're not going to catch Cardiff. I would presume who I did want to mention because two draws, obviously they're the full guys from the weekend in terms of, you know, the drop-off and Lincoln get promoted. And what have you? 55 shots across the two draws. Cardiff City said that is not in keeping with maybe what has hindered them in this pursuit of the title. I don't know what has. So yeah, they drop off, I think, in front of goal illustrated by, yeah, not just having that final element of their play at the weekend. But if you haven't seen it as well, the assist, the pre-assist from Harrison Ashby for Bradford's first goal. It's a little nutmeg on about the halfway line and a little arc to pass to set Humphreys free. He doesn't finish points and gets the goal, but beautiful football from a player who counts QPR Swansea, West Ham United and now Newcastle, United where he's permanently a Newcastle player as his former employer. So not really caught fire yet. He's career despite, you know, high pedigree of business and big clubs. This was a wonderful piece of play from him. All I would say is there's an old school infuse, yes, as I've you marked for. That's the second podcast in as many days I've done with you where you've mentioned a pre-assist. So maybe things on the turn. Oh yeah, but I'm, I have a look at this and Clark, he can go back and leave a general hat-o pass for the Estavale goal and I can let him make his own wind up because it's more impressive than the one that actually gets the assist. You change, aren't you? No, pre-assist. Well, say what about? No, no, no, just go and watch them both. I've got loads of those, yeah. We could easily have had Port Vale in our band for League 1. But if anything, if anything, I'd rather that guy got the assist. Do you know what I mean? Okay, well, we'll see what we can do. I'll mention it to the boys at the NFL and Optor and get back to you. Well, you mentioned it to Gordon Kelly. Okay, you will do. Graham Kelly. Graham Kelly. Sorry, yeah. Yeah, delete that. He's not going to delete it. Yeah, probably not. Let's finish off in League 2 then with that with our good and bad Adrian. You've gone for a team. We went back to back games to NIL over the Easter weekend and they are in sconce now in a playoff place with a two-point buffer between they and the team immediately chasing them. Tell us more. Yeah, well, I should really probably be talking about Bristol Rovers here. Eight wins from 10, two more at Easter. They've won five on the spin, but I'll manage by Steve Evans on this. I'm not going to. I'm going to talk about Chester Field instead. They're the team with the back to back one NIL wins and three one NIL wins in a row. If you take it to their previous game as well against Akwington Stanley, so they grind in their way into the playoff picture. Now we talked about Wicca. Good old bad Easter would maybe define where they might end up. It was the same for Chester Field. Chester Field had had a bad Easter. They'd been marooned very much in mid-table. They'd be way off it and they've been way off it for quite a lot of this season. But something about Paul Cook's team. They always seem to come on strong right towards the end of the season. I remember them doing it last year or the year before. I think it might have been last year. It looks like they're going to do it again. Part of that's probably because they've got a really big squad and a good squad. In both games over Easter, the subs came on and made a real difference. They beat Chelanam at home. Very dominant really. I think they hit the post four times so they could easily have won by more than one goal. The game at Barrow was as you probably would have expected if they had a real grind. They get a decent goal. They go and press the keeper. They fall some mistake and score. Then they see it out. There was a weird incident with a penalty where they concede a penalty. The referee appeared to. The ref blows his whistle and then he pauses and doesn't actually point to the spot. Clearly changes his mind and then gives a drop ball which was really, really bizarre. They kind of got away with that. The truth is in both games they didn't give much away. They faced one shot on target against Chelanam. One shot on target at Barrow and they won both games one-neil. Chesterford, the grinders in with a shout now. Getting into the playoffs. Given that the experience of the manager and the players that they've got. If they get into the playoffs, they won't be easy opponents. Well, this is almost like we planned this because their next opponent are Tramir at home. And Tramir is the team that Sam has picked out as his league to bad. Sam, it's been arrogant this, Barrow that Newport County, the other in terms of the battle to survive, maybe a little bit of crawly here and there as well. But maybe we've been sleeping on Tramir over as my goodness, the vibes of bad them. Once in Valentine's Day, they've lost all at one game they've played since. Remember that takeover that was going to happen about two years ago with ASAP Rocky involved? I mean, goodness me. Talk about down on you. Look, they are spiraling. Yeah, four points from a possible 51. I think I've done the maths correctly. One other draw to add to that victory over Crawley against Fleetwood, which was Pete Wilde's first game, which I think we talked up. Didn't we already predicted because obviously he was going back to his former club. That was the first of his five games and not scored since Pete Wilde's taken charge. Three, one, the little defeats on the spin. They played okay. I thought I'd also go against Swindon. Maybe warranted some points from that game, but since then regressed, lost against Shrewsbury, of course, who had a few poor results after initially really picking up obviously under Gavin Cowan and to lose at home to Colchester, which was their first winning six is a really poor result. Started okay. I think when you're in these situations, you just need to get the first goal in games and obviously they can't score for love and money at the moment. So that's easier said than done, but getting a goal gives you something to defend because as soon as the ball goes in, they're there. They just lose their confidence, haven't got the ability to get back on the front foot. And that's exactly what happened at the weekend. It was a whore Edward's who came on to create the golfer for Jack Payne and Trammy didn't look like getting back in it. Pete Wilde had a bit of a set two with a support of full time. He actually referenced it first up in his post-match interview. It actually hasn't gone down too badly with the bits and pieces that I've read, but they are at an incredible low-ed. The only grace they've got is that new poor play, Harrogate next. So nothing's going to be decided. In fact, they're not going to get dragged further too drastically into it because that's a massive six-pointer, but you raised the fact that they play Chesterfield at home next then. Sorry, as it were, as it were, to Chesterfield. And then they play Bristol Rovers who have won five in a row. Yeah. Probably should have been in our picks today. It's not going to get any easier for them. I think there's a game against Cheltenham around the corner as well, but you know, if any side across all the divisions is sleepwalking or spiraling into inevitability of the relegation, then it's trunmated. This is desperate, desperate time for them. You can't see where they're going to get their next goal from. I think Joe Einstein scored in that crawly game. That's his last goal. They've got a Maori Patrick still, but this is a team that's not finished in their opportunities and look in desperate trouble. Yeah, their last two, just the round off the fixtures. MK Don's away, Grimsby, her home. So they both might still have something to play for as well. I'm not looking good for Trammy at all. All right, we are nearly done for today. Let's do some predictions, though, shall we? Not a vintage week. I think it's fair to say last week, me one point, Adrian one point, Sam no points. So not a great deal of movement in the title. It's like that little grin on your face, Clarky, because you've extended every point down. Yeah, it was. How has been on, say, how has been great for me? As of you. So, yeah, I'm pleased I wasn't the only one that was rubbish. Yeah, last week, I think it was crawly that got me that point. I've got a back, a back new gaffer, didn't I, to win at Newport, and he did so nicely. Yep. I've picked some big games this week. Good as me. We have got to start with the old farm, Derby, Norwich against IBSWitch. Go on, then Sam, you can have first goes. It's one of your old teams. Yeah, and I know that I was at the club the last time I switched one at Carra Road, I believe. I was injured and I wasn't actually at the game. I think I was, yeah, I think I don't think I was in a great place during my recovery, because I remember watching on with Envy from London, when and why deputies Danny Haynes, I think scored the winning goal. Do you remember Danny Haynes? When on, they had a good career at Charlton, and Alan Lee might have got the other. Can't recall who was my big mucker, but there's been a lot of one-ones I've noticed in recent times, and I think that's not the worst outcome for both. I think Norwich would happily take that to keep them rolling, and it's rich as well. Massive game, I think one-ones probably quite likely. Okay, one-one for Sam. I'm going to go for, I'm going to go three-one to Norwich, the quadruversially, Adrian. I think it's controversial. I think Norwich, I mean brilliant form, aren't they? Brilliant, a superb win. Obviously they drop points at home to Pompey, but great win at Millwall, and they would love to scupper Eepswyth's town's automatic promotion bid one day. This is going to be a very, very, because Norwich I think still believes they might even sneak into the playoffs, which would just be absolutely nuts. So I think the atmosphere is going to be electric here, it's going to be hell for the tractor boys. Obviously the team I supported as a young boy, as a junior blue. So I'm going to back again, so I think Norwich will win two-one. Okay, I was six points off the playoffs at the time of recording. In league one, Cardiff and Bolton, another big one in terms of two promotion chasing size, which reckon Adrian? Can't trust Bolton away, Ken, and obviously Bradford have gone above them. Cardiff, obviously two draws are decent, not great, but yeah, at home they tend to. And I think it's been a nice game, good quality football match to excellent football team's. It might suit Cardiff. Cardiff three, Bolton won. There's none for me, Sam. Yeah, I'm just going to go with what I scribbled down on about 45 minutes ago, I'm going to go to one home win. I don't know why, I just think Cardiff big game may suit them. You know, this stage of the season when they've been a little bit indifferent, big crowd. I'd back them to get it right and find their scoring boots. Let's finish with the top two tussle in league two. The McDonne's hosting Bromley. Bromley are clear at the top by four points and they've got a game in hand, and I'm not sure you can trust MK Donne's overly. So I'm going to give Bromley a one-nil victory year. What about you, Sam? I'll flip it happily. Just repeat what I said a few moments ago. Big game loads on it. Paul wants to get his game plan spot on one-nil hosts. All right, so you should probably go for a draw then, Clarky. Yeah, I'm 100% going for a draw. I did have one one-nil scribbled down, but I'm going to sit in the middle. It's going to be low scoring. I'm pretty sure that MK Donne's one, Bromley one. Okay, we shall see we'll update you next week on how we get on with that. Before we go, let me remind you that our partners, Quimbert, have an offer where you can get 50% back up to 25 pounds. If your account has sportsbook losses at the end of your first day's betting, Quimbert will refund 50% of your losses as a free bet up to 25 pounds minimum three bet. Even if your account's up, you guarantee you the five pound free bet provided you place at least one bet of 10 pounds or greater at the minimum mods. TCCs apply to 18 plus for new UK customers only. Visit Camp Law ed.org information on responsible gambling. All that info and a link to the sign up page is available in the show notes. If you'd like to leave us a nice review Apple Podcast, Spotify or Abigate, your BODS all helps us grow the show. We thank you to everybody who has done that. You will know if you're a regular here that we always finish with a tweet of the week. This one comes from Ackrington Stanley's Tyler Walton who has a picture of him brooding and applauding the supporters post game. Not keen on the shirt. Don't like a color on a football shirt, but that's a debate for another day. Tyler says first start in 20 weeks buzzing to be back out there with the boys. What a result. Flames emoji. Clayton then rocking. Applauses emojis. Bagged himself 87 likes for this one. Sam, I quite like it. I always like it when somebody makes a comeback from a log injury. He's done gets bonus points for mentioning a stand. It's good stuff. He gets bonus points for doing it in weeks. I reckon as well 20 weeks. We call ourselves EFL experts. Well, maybe a portion of this team does. Clayton and Rockington. You won't know what the home stand at Stephenish was called. I certainly did not. I know there's a burger king near the ground. A Stephenish. I was going to say you call yourself an EFL expert. The guy plays for Ackrington Stanley Stephen Marens himself there. Over to you, Garky. Nothing. The more needs to be said. That's what you mean best clip of the season so far. As standing as standing. Obviously, there's no Clayton in there because it's an ackee. He's only got three replies. I think that's a bit harsh. And the first reply from cost ass says you've regressed badly, mate. If you are a cost ass, cost ass 14830152. You are everything that is wrong with social media and society today. You're not giving your proper name. You've got a picture of Mohammed Salah as you profile pick. Why are you commenting on something from Ackrington then? And you've had a pop at somebody who's been out injured for nearly half of the year. Have a look at yourself and think about what you're posting. You absolutely whopper. Anything else, Adrian? No, no, that's perfect. Yeah. All right. Well, I'm that happy note. That's what we should your Lieb things today. Sam's off to study which stands or at which grounds before next. So he's so much frift I give to your little tweet of the way, doesn't he? I'll just basically look to the shirt. It was red and white. He looks quite, he looked quite Steven-y G in my defense. Did you know what? Do you know what? I can see how you've made that mistake, but it's still funny. Well, Pierre Gianni, doesn't he? So that's what I've gone in. Sorry, that was really bad. Literally got Ackrington written across the front of the shirt as the sponsor, but nevermind. Well, even, thank you to Adrian and Sam for that expertise, by and large, and to you for listening. We'll be back with another show next week for now. It's goodbye.