Don Goodman Exclusive Interview with NewBettingSites.uk

Exclusive interview with Don Goodman: Alexandre Pato should make a documentary if he takes over Colchester United - he can learn from Ryan Reynolds, I was wrong about Wrexham and think they should splash the cash for promotion, I’m ‘less certain’ about Coventry City’s promotion prospects

In an exclusive interview with NewBettingSites.uk, Sky Sports EFL expert Don Goodman suggested that former Brazil and AC Milan star Alexandre Pato should make a documentary amid rumours he is set to complete a takeover of Colchester United. Former West Brom, Wolves and Sunderland striker Goodman also offered his views on Wrexham’s promotion prospects, Coventry City’s recent blip and why he thinks Everton could qualify for Europe.

Q: Your reaction to Alexandre Pato’s potential takeover at Colchester United. Could it be a welcome boost to Danny Cowley?

DG - “Well, it’s definitely a positive. In terms of the interest itself, there’s obviously not an awful lot of detail. It says that he’s part of a consortium, but is that a consortium with football experience behind it? What are the reasons? What are the ambitions? And obviously, Robbie Cowling has been a really good owner for Colchester United.

“From what I read, he said selling the club would be like handing over one of his children for adoption, so he’s got to make sure it’s absolutely the right fit. I think there’s still an awful lot of water to go under the bridge on this one. This is a club that’s been in the doldrums for so long. I think it’s been 10 years now in League Two. When they got relegated from League One 10 years ago, we all expected a bit of a reaction and a bounce back, but they’ve only really been close to getting back once, maybe twice. They’re up there again now, though, so there’s positivity around the place.

“As I said, it’s really hard to have an opinion based on the information we’ve got. I mean, he was some player, wasn’t he? Ten goals in 27 caps for Brazil, what he did with AC Milan, and everything else. That would certainly get the Colchester United fans’ juices flowing.

“But in terms of the actual takeover, the interest, ambition, and plans, it would be great if we could get more details. I’m sure Robbie Cowling will ensure that happens, as he has the best interests of Colchester United at heart.”

Q: What can Pato learn from the work of Rob and Ryan at Wrexham?

DG - “Allow cameras in! Make a good documentary about your football club. Do it properly and involve yourself. It’s been a money generator, hasn’t it? That’s why Wrexham have suddenly been able to compete, even at Championship level, where there are more financial restrictions than in League One. They’ve still been able to spend because they’re operating within their means, thanks to self-generated revenue.

“It’s been a masterstroke from Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds in how they’ve taken the club by the scruff of the neck. They’ve shown ambition, been visible for the fans, become part of it, turning up to games, getting involved, and lifting not just the club but the entire region as well. They literally haven’t put a foot wrong. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from it. They’ve invested wisely, kept faith in their manager, and done things the right way.

“In Colchester United’s case, they now have a very experienced and ambitious manager at the helm, so the pieces of the jigsaw are there and in place. But, that said, history shows it’s not always as straightforward as Wrexham have made it look. There are plenty of examples where it hasn’t gone quite so swimmingly. So, you know, fingers crossed for everyone at Colchester.”

Q: How do view the position of Coventry City having lost to Norwich City last night?

DG - “Last midweek, I looked at the next six fixtures for Middlesbrough, Coventry, and Ipswich. Despite how well Hull and Millwall have been doing, I still think it’s two from those three. What jumped out at me was that Middlesbrough had four of their next six games at home, while Coventry and Ipswich had four of their next six away.

“Then you look at Coventry and Ipswich’s recent away form, and it really isn’t good. Coventry haven’t won an away game in six. Ipswich have won one in six, ironically at Coventry, where they were brilliant. I pointed that out in commentary and said this could be a really pivotal six-game block that might have a massive bearing on what happens.

“Ipswich lost to Sheffield United at the weekend, which on paper was a tricky game. Then last night, Coventry were beaten despite taking the lead.

“My concerns about Coventry have never been about whether they can score goals. My concern has always been defensively. They’re have essentially the same defence as last season, when they conceded 58 goals, with the exception of a new goalkeeper. I was a little surprised by that. They brought in a couple of defenders in the summer, Luke Woolfenden and of course Kaine Kesler-Hayden, because they thought Milan van Ewijk was leaving, but neither has been able to break into the team.

“So in essence, apart from the goalkeeper, it’s the same back four, the same midfielders and it was the same forwards until this January window, when Romain Esse came in. So the reality is, it’s the same Coventry team as last season, albeit with an upgraded goalkeeper. That was a concern coming into the season, it was alleviated in the early part of the season but now it’s a concern again!

“So to analyse that statistically, after 12 games, my biggest surprise about Coventry was that they’d only conceded nine goals and kept six clean sheets with the same back four. They were defending really well. But when you look at the last 17 games, they’ve kept just three clean sheets in that period and conceded goals at a faster rate.

“When you look at the goals they’re giving up, they’ve made things very difficult for themselves. I just wonder whether defensive reinforcements will come in, or whether they’ll trust and stick with what they have. I’m not saying it’s a poor defence, but when you compare it to Burnley last season, who conceded 16 goals, and Leeds last season, who conceded 30, Coventry have already conceded 33, and we’re only 29 games in.

“That’s a massive difference there. Teams that win automatic promotion usually have one of the best defensive records in the league. The rare exception was Ipswich a couple of seasons ago, when they conceded over 50 goals. It was the first time in years that a team finished in the top two with a defensive record like that.

“Coventry are going to have to shore things up and find a way. At this stage, I’m less certain than I was a month ago because the gap is coming down. Middlesbrough are a genuine threat, and the worry for Coventry is that Ipswich at home look unbelievable. The hope for Coventry is that Ipswich’s away form, like their own, continues to be a little bit sketchy.

“It’s going to be fascinating to watch these next few games.”

Q: While Coventry City and Ipswich have bigger names etc, are Middlesbrough just as capable of winning automatic promotion? If so, why?

DG - “Kim Hellberg is now 12 games in: eight wins, three losses, and a draw. Ironically, the draw came at home against Blackburn, and that was arguably the one game they deserved to lose, as Blackburn had chances at the Riverside. In contrast, the three games Boro actually lost were matches where they created plenty of opportunities, had lots of shots, missed chances, and were ultimately caught on the counter-attack or undone by sucker punches.

“For Kim Hellberg to come in, change systems, get instant buy-in from the players, get far more out of the attacking players at the club, and, crucially, pick up results has been hugely impressive. Especially in a season where managers have left football clubs because they haven’t been able to coach players to play the way they want them to.

“Rúben Amorim is the biggest example for me. When a coach has a squad full of international footballers at his disposal, he should be able to motivate and coach them to play in the manner he wants. That simply didn’t happen. Hellberg is proof that it can happen.

“If you want the best examples, you look at Pep Guardiola and what he did, or Jürgen Klopp. The very best coaches change things, get buy-in from players, and coach them to play the way they want them to play. I accept there are times when it’s not a perfect fit, but even then, you should still be able to coach professional, international footballers to play in a specific way.

“That’s what has really impressed me about him. Middlesbrough are a massive danger to Coventry City and Ipswich Town. I mentioned before we were looking at blocks of six games, so we’re down to five now. Since then, Coventry and Ipswich have both lost, while Middlesbrough won convincingly on Saturday.

“Middlesbrough play Coventry in a couple of games’ time, and that is going to be an absolute humdinger and one I wouldn’t want to miss. At the minute, everything Middlesbrough are doing with and without the ball is excellent. For me, that midfield pairing of Hayden Hackney and Aidan Morris is the best, most consistent duo in the league.

“They give the team a real platform. Between them, they do everything. They defend, recover the ball high up the pitch, stop opponents from attacking, break play up, and when they have the ball, they’re extremely creative with their passing. They’re brave, always looking to pass forward and play through the lines to hurt teams.

“Middlesbrough have put themselves right into the mix now. But the closer you get to the prize, the more the pressure ramps up, and pressure is a huge factor in the run-in, the final third of the season. The big question is how they cope with that.”

Q: Did you know have any suggestion Michael Carrick was going to have such a successful impact at Man United?

DG - “Yeah, look, it’s a very different scenario at Manchester United. I’ve already alluded to the fact that Rúben Amorim, with international players at his disposal, couldn’t get them to play the way he wanted. The cynic in me would say that wasn’t just down to ability, it may have been down to mentality as well.

“You would hope that Michael Carrick could inspire more intensity from the group, given his Manchester United connection and his passion for the club. But in all honesty, I don’t think anybody could have seen them taking six points from games at home to Manchester City and away at Arsenal. I don’t think anyone in their right mind could have predicted that.

“And in what world does a manager who is reluctantly sacked by a Championship club that finishes 10th then go on to be in charge of Manchester United? But fair play to him. He’s galvanised the players, he’s galvanised the fans, and he’s got the team playing with passion and pride, which is the starting point for anything.

“All of a sudden, they look like a completely different side. They look like a top-five team out of nowhere. Now, it’s one thing to do that over two games, but they have to sustain that level of effort, commitment, desire, and performance.

“Can Michael Carrick, along with Jonathan Woodgate and Steve Holland, keep that going? And by the way, the appointment of Steve Holland has been a masterstroke. Everyone knows his coaching calibre. I think that’s been a brilliant move by Michael Carrick and Manchester United.

“At the moment, what more can you say? They’ve been very, very impressive. I like Michael Carrick. I hope he can keep it going, and then we’ll see where the wind blows after that. There are plenty of people, Roy Keane included, who’ve made it abundantly clear they don’t think he’s the man to lead the club long-term, beyond this season.

“But even if Michael Carrick ultimately gets the ‘thank you and goodbye’ from Manchester United, if he keeps going the way he is, he’s going to land a very, very good job.”

Q: Was it inevitable that Ipswich Town were going to prove the force that they have recently proved to be? How confident are you that they will be promoted?

DG - “I think the pressure is on Ipswich Town now, because they’re the team we all expected to be there before a ball was even kicked. We looked at their squad, their recruitment, their manager, and how they performed the last time they were in the Championship, and we thought they were going to take some stopping.

“But by the same token, many of us also had Leicester City and Southampton comfortably in the top six, and look what’s happened there. The one thing all of this has done is make the Championship absolutely fascinating, largely because of the struggles the three relegated clubs have had.

“Ipswich are at home to Preston on Saturday. After that, from what I can see, they have four Championship away matches in a row. If they don’t pull their finger out, they could find themselves not just in third place, but third or even fourth with a gap opening up, and that’s the last thing they need.

“Psychology is such a massive thing in football both positive and negative! With Ipswich, you wonder whether the poor run of away form has become a bit of a psychological problem? It’s the type of worry a striker who hasn’t scored for weeks can have. The longer it goes on, the harder it becomes mentally. Sometimes it’s home form. With Ipswich, it’s their away form and the longer it drags on, the bigger the concern.

“The concern for me is that they were able to ‘get up’ the big game at Coventry City away, put in a brilliant performance, and batter them. But then what happens in the rest of those away games? Are they struggling to get themselves up for places like Oxford United and Preston away where they lost both games? That’s the concern.

“They’ve got Preston at home next, and with respect to Preston, you’d expect Ipswich to win that. But after that, it’s Portsmouth away, who are fighting for their lives, Derby away, who are pushing for a play-off spot, Wrexham away, also chasing the play-offs, and Watford away, who have one of the best home records in the league.

“Ipswich are going to have to turn up. If they don’t, they could find themselves six, seven, or eight points adrift and right up against it. I’m fascinated to see how it all unfolds over this next period.”

Q: What will be the biggest challenge Preston North End face in fighting for the top six?

DG - “They’ve clearly got a bit of a madman in the building in Milutin Osmajić, who just keeps getting himself suspended. He’s now been suspended for 20 games, and that doesn’t just disrupt him and his career, it disrupts the whole environment. As a teammate, you’re looking at him thinking, ‘What are you doing? Are you crazy?’ It inevitably has a negative impact.

“Then you add the injuries they’ve suffered, and Everton recalling Harrison Armstrong, and suddenly the whole picture at Deepdale looks pretty negative.

“All of that has led Preston to gravitate closer to where, in all honesty, most people probably expected them to be. Give them their dues, in the first half of the season, they were way ahead of expectation. In fact, earlier in the campaign, I would have nominated Paul Heckingbottom for Manager of the Season because they were massively overachieving, and they weren’t fluking results either. They were doing it in a really strong, convincing way.

“But now it feels like a bit of footballing reality setting in. There have been four, five, six, even seven clubs who’ve spent time in the top half, around the play-offs or even the top four, where we’ve all looked and thought, ‘We weren’t expecting that.’ Now, only a couple of the ‘surprise packages’ are still there. Hull, Wrexham and maybe Millwall to a slightly lesser extent.

“Slowly and surely, the table has taken a less surprising shape with the exception of some of the bigger clubs we all expected towards the top! it’s not just Preston, who’s form has dipped a little, it’s the likes of Stoke, Bristol City, maybe Watford, and QPR, who are all having little runs which mean they naturally drift back towards the part of the table where most probably expected them to be.

“Unfortunately for Preston, a 46-game season is a marathon, and sustaining that level over such a long period is incredibly difficult. I just hope they’re able to either get Harrison Armstrong back, or add to what’s now becoming a very threadbare squad that’s under real pressure from injuries and suspensions.”

Q: You’ve previously suggested that Wrexham should avoid spending big in January but following recent results and their current position, has your mind changed at all?

DG - “Yeah, look, I honestly didn’t think Wrexham had a genuine chance of a play-off spot this season. I still felt that way probably seven games ago. But five wins, a draw, and only one defeat, combined with the dip in form we’ve talked about from the likes of Bristol City, Watford, Preston, Stoke, and QPR, means they are absolutely in with a shout now.

“The issue is that they’re in with a shout with a lot of other teams. There’s a bit of a gap starting to open up, certainly between the top four and even the top five. It might already be the case that there’s only one play-off spot left for all of the chasers to target.

“And don’t rule out Sheffield United just yet. We’re getting close to the point where the gap might be too big to bridge but they are one of the best teams in the league who are just searching for consistency. As for Southampton, it can’t really get any worse for them, can it? They’ve already shown what they’re capable of when they put a winning run together earlier in the season. If they could repeat that, they’d be right back in it.

“So my point is, Wrexham are having a magnificent season. I really like Phil Parkinson. I played at West Bromwich Albion with Steve Parkin, his assistant, and I genuinely want them to do well. They’ve confounded my expectations. They’re doing brilliantly, and of all the clubs based on current form, they look like the ones who could go on and nick that sixth spot.

“With that in mind, I’d now totally understand investment in January, because there may never be a better opportunity. I’d say the same about Bristol City, Watford, Preston, Stoke, and QPR. This is a crazy season where the three relegated clubs have flattered to deceive, and Birmingham, who we expected more from, haven’t quite hit the heights. Although when you look at what Birmingham are doing in January, they clearly believe they can bridge the gap — they’re only five points off.

“It’s a massive scrap, and at this stage of the season, anyone who can string three or four wins together is going to give themselves a real opportunity.”

Q: They’ve been linked with a £19 million move for Sidiki Cherif despite Premier League opposition. Are you surprised to hear them touted with such a big-money move?

DG - “The biggest surprise of all is that Sidiki Cherif is only 19 years old. That’s not really a typical Phil Parkinson type, he usually prefers seasoned pros, lads with experience. This player is just 36 games into his senior career, with four goals in those 36 appearances.

“So I’m a little baffled by the reported £19 million price tag. That’s a huge sum for a 19-year-old who’s just starting out. There’s no doubt about his potential, but it would be a massive gamble. I’m not sure how I feel about it if the rumours are true. It’s an interesting dynamic.

“What it does show, if confirmed, is that Wrexham still have money to spend. They spent the most in the summer, and they’ve still got more if they can bring in the right players. Whether this particular lad is the right player, I don’t know, as I haven’t seen nearly enough of him to say.

“But let’s be honest: if you’re in sixth place and you’ve got £20 million to spend in the Championship in January, and you spend it wisely, you’re giving yourself one heck of a chance to remain in the top six.”

Q: James McClean has returned to Ireland. How did view him as a player across a distinguished and respectable career?

DG - “I actually first came across James McClean when he was playing for Derry City. I was covering a pre-season tournament in Dublin for Sky Sports that included Arsenal and a couple of other European big clubs, I can’t remember exactly which teams but I think it was the summer of 2011.

“When I got to Dublin, everyone was saying, ‘Oh, Derry’s star player is the left winger James McClean.’ I watched him with interest, and you could see he had a little something about him. Within a few weeks, he had signed for Sunderland.

“And the rest, as they say, is history. You don’t need me to go through his career. It’s a brilliant story, an incredible journey. Fans of Wigan, West Brom, Stoke, and Wrexham all benefited from having him. When you’ve got a player who gives everything every minute of every game, it rubs off on the other players. I’m pretty sure anyone who’s been in a dressing room with him would tell you the same.

“Fair play to him for going full circle and completing his journey back at the club where it all started. It’s a lovely story, and maybe one day he’ll make a film or write a book about it.”

Q: How would you assess the chance of Birmingham City finishing in the top-six as things stand?

DG - “Yeah, look, their away struggles still remain. That win against Sheffield Wednesday counts, of course, but almost everyone is going to Sheffield Wednesday and winning. The next block of away games is where we’ll see if they’ve really sorted it out.

“Chris Davies is a young, modern coach who wants to dominate possession, control games, and win football matches with the ball. He knew how tough the Championship would be, but he kept faith that his team from last season, plus some summer additions, could still play in that style and win games. Maybe not having 60% of the ball every game, but certainly more than the opposition and being effective with it.

“Earlier in the season, Birmingham City were having more possession than their opponents, but it wasn’t really threatening. They lacked goals, creativity, and clear-cut chances. Over the last five games in all competitions, though, you can see a shift.

“If you look at the numbers, the big change is in possession. They’re now closer to 50-50, sometimes even slightly less. Take the FA Cup win over Cambridge, for example. People would expect Birmingham to dominate possession, maybe 75%, but it was close to 50-50.

“Two things stand out. Over the last five games, where they’re unbeaten in all competitions, and specifically the last four Championship games, they’ve had less of the ball than before, but scored seven goals in four games. It took them the eight previous games to score the same amount of goals. In short, they’re having less possession, but are more threatening, scoring more goals.

“They’ll be buoyed by the fact that, despite their inconsistent form across the season, they’re only five points off a play-off spot. Looking at the January window, they clearly believe they can bridge that gap. There are even rumours that Carlos Vicente is turning down Ajax to join Birmingham City. Who would have thought a player would choose Birmingham over Ajax? Whether that’s true or not, we’ll see.

“Their fixtures look decent. The next four are against bottom-half teams, three of them struggling sides in Oxford United, Leicester City, and West Bromwich Albion. Now is the time for Blues to make a move if they’re going to.

“Credit to Chris Davies. In his ideal world, he’d want high-50s possession in every game, dominating opponents with the ball. But he’s recognised that this squad at this level can’t consistently do that, particularly away from home. So he’s slightly compromised his idealistic style to score more goals and give his team a chance to win more games.

“It’s clear they want to get to the Premier League and the pressure is on.”

Q: When we last spoke, you expected Southampton to, at the very least, maintain their position in and around the top six. How shocked are you to see them fall away recently?

DG - “Yeah, I’m really surprised by Southampton’s loss of form. When Tonda Eckert won his first four games in a row as interim manager, it was still a huge gamble, but you could understand why they went down that route. There had been a massive shift in every conceivable way. The way they were playing, the fan base was happy, the owners were happy, the players were happy.

“They won six of their first seven games under him, which moved them up to eighth, just one point off sixth. But now, one win in the last nine games tells a worrying story. There’s no sign of them producing the kind of performances that regularly get you wins. They’re 15th, seven points off the playoffs, and there’s a lot of traffic in between. Realistically, they’re probably only playing for sixth now, because the gap to fifth is just too big.

“Managers always take the brunt of criticism, but in this case, I think the problem lies with the players. This is a group that shouldn’t even need a manager at this level. Any 11 of them on the pitch should be able to win more often than they are in the Championship. That tells me something is fundamentally wrong with the attitude of the squad.

“I’m not sure how many of them can honestly look in the mirror and say they’re giving their best week in, week out. There are very few, if any, who could. That’s a sad indictment of the club. From the fans’ perspective, the players’ perspective, the owners’ perspective, it’s one of the unhappiest clubs in the Championship right now, and that unhappiness is holding them back.”

Q: Have you been impressed with the work of Vitor Matos at Swansea City so far?

DG - “There’s no doubt that Vitor Matos has improved things. He’s taken 19 points from 13 games, compared to just 17 from the previous 16. His team are scoring more goals, 17 in total, and conceding less. Everything looks positive, and they’ve given themselves a seven-point cushion over the relegation zone.

“But when I dug a little deeper, some alarm bells started ringing when I looked at who they’re getting their points from. It’s a straight split of teams below them versus teams above them. Against teams below them, they’ve played 11, winning nine, drawing one, and losing one. That’s really impressive.

“Against teams above them, though, they’ve played 18 and won just one. Just one win. That came in the Welsh Derby against Wrexham when they were right up for it, played really well, and fully deserved the victory. That’s the only game they’ve won against a team above them.

“Looking ahead, in the next seven games, they have only one match against a team below them in Sheffield Wednesday which is almost a gimme. The rest are all against teams above them. “So, if after those seven games they still have that seven-point cushion, Swansea fans can be fairly relieved. But if results don’t improve against the better sides, they could easily be dragged back into a difficult relegation battle.”

Q: What are your thoughts on the Josh Sargent situation at Norwich City?

DG - “Norwich City have shown they don’t need him!

“I really applaud the way Norwich have handled this. I think they’ve done brilliantly. Josh Sargent, on the other hand, hasn’t handled it brilliantly. He wants to move, fair enough. But what right does he have to expect Norwich to accept a fee below his value? As a player, you have no right to demand your club sell you cheaply just so you can leave. That’s ridiculous.

“If Toronto want him, they need to pay the going rate. Norwich hold all the cards. They don’t have to sell. From a financial perspective, they can even keep him away from the squad so he doesn’t disrupt the dressing room. I’m really glad they’re playing hardball.

I hated the Alexander Isak and Yoanne Wissa sagas in the summer. As a former player, I never got big moves to Premier League clubs, several bids were turned down but I accepted that I was under contract and never kicked up a fuss. I dislike seeing some modern players behave the way Isak and Wissa did.

“Contrast that with Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi, and Antoine Semenyo. They’re perfect examples of how a player should behave. Josh Sargent is a million miles from that at the moment. If I were him, I’d be encouraging Toronto to pay the going rate and apologising to the people at Norwich City Football Club, especially if he wants to play at the World Cup!”

Q: At this stage, have you seen enough from Pompey to think they’ll survive?

DG - “I mean, there are a lot of teams down there that you wouldn’t bet on surviving. You just can’t say for certain they’ll be okay. Portsmouth know they’re in a battle, but they must be feeling a lot better than they did eight games ago. They’ve won three, drawn four, and lost only one of the last eight.

“When that run started, they were in the bottom three, having lost seven of nine and taken just four points from those nine games. Credit to John Mousinho and the players, they’ve become competitive again, and that gives everyone hope and belief.

“This run has also had a knock-on effect, dragging a couple of other clubs into the mix. West Brom and Charlton are now desperately looking over their shoulders whereas eight games ago, I don’t think anyone at West Brom, and possibly Charlton, expected to be in this situation.

“I can’t say for certain that Portsmouth will survive, but what I can say is that recent performances and results have given them a much better chance.”

Q: What were your thoughts on Oxford replacing Gary Rowett with Matt Bloomfield? We recently said how Rowett is a safe pair of hands at this level.

DG - “It’s obviously a massive gamble from the Oxford United board. You’re taking a manager who’s had a brief shot in the Championship but, to be fair to Matt Bloomfield, it wasn’t really his fault that Luton Town ended up getting relegated. Then it didn’t start well for him in League One this season, and he ended up losing his job.

“But you can see why they might think he’s the right person following previous work at Wycombe and Luton. The fabric and scale of those clubs isn’t massively dissimilar to Oxford.

“He’s had a solid start, almost a Gary Rowett-esque start. They’re unbeaten in three, and the three teams they’ve played, Bristol City, QPR, and Leicester, are all potential play-off hopefuls, so it’s not like they’ve just been facing teams around the bottom. He’s tightened them up with two clean sheets in three games, conceding only one goal. For context, they hadn’t had a clean sheet in the previous 15 games prior to his arrival!

“If Oxford can maintain that resilience, making it hard for teams to break them down and score, they’ll give themselves a real fighting chance. It’s a gamble, yes, but one with the knowledge that if the worst happens and Oxford go down, they’ve got a manager who has traditionally done well at League One level and knows the league inside out.”

Q: Leam Richardson has his feet firmly under the table at Reading. Can he guide them to the play-offs following some transfer activity?

DG - “League One is even more bonkers than the Championship! You look at the table,, and then three games later, it’s almost upside down. Take Mansfield, Exeter City, and Plymouth as examples, the three teams that have taken the most points in the last four games, more than Cardiff, more than Lincoln, more than any of the top teams. Prior to that, they were all in relegation trouble. Now they’re on 36 points, seven points off the relegation zone and six off a playoff spot, all with lots of momentum.

“Peterborough United are another example. They were in massive trouble, Luke Williams comes in, and now they’re even closer to the play-offs. Reading have definitely picked up under Leam Richardson with 21 points in 12 games, the fifth most over his tenure. When he took over, they were just two points above the relegation zone. Now they’re on 36 points alongside four or five others and have positive momentum.

“It’s still a tall order because of the traffic at the top, but with the experience they’ve brought in during January, they’re in with a fighting chance.”

Q: What’s your view on the League Two promotion race?

DG - “If the season ended tomorrow, Andy Woodman would unequivocally be the manager of the season across all four divisions. I don’t care what anyone says, he’d deserve it. His team has a seven-point cushion, which is incredible. They’ve become a winning machine: eight wins and one draw in their last nine games. And you can’t really see that stopping anytime soon.

“All of that has piled pressure on the other promotion chasers. Swindon Town have had back-to-back defeats, while all the other top teams have taken at least four points. It’s created a six-point and four-point swing against their main competitors.

“Tonight’s game against Notts County is huge. After that, they have four winnable matches against Oldham Athletic and three others in the bottom six. They’ve already won all six of their previous games against the bottom-six teams, so there’s a real opportunity to regain momentum.

“As for MK Dons, they’ve got a squad full of experienced pros, but their form has been patchy. Their best winning streak was four in a row back in the autumn, and most of the time, it’s just been two consecutive wins. They’re on that two-win streak now and face Bristol Rovers at home tonight, so you’d expect them to make it three.

“However, they still have four away games against other top-six teams, and those could be decisive. So while MK Dons are strong, it’s far from a done deal. Like all of the leagues, League Two has absolutely intriguing situations and the battle for promotion is no different.”

Q: The SPL is at such an intriguing stage. Who would you make favourites at this point in time and why?

DG - “I was looking last night at current form, upcoming fixtures, and when teams play each other, and I realised something surprising. Rangers have only lost twice all season in the SPL I had no idea. But there are way too many draws in there against teams they really should be beating.

“Celtic have Martin O’Neill back, and Hearts are not going anywhere. They’re there to stay. Honestly, I’d love to say with certainty which team will win, but I have no idea. From a neutral’s perspective, and I don’t mean any disrespect to the Old Firm, it might be nice if Hearts could break the stranglehold of the Old Firm. The last team to do that, of course, was Sir Alex Ferguson with Aberdeen decades ago.

“Can they do it? I honestly don’t know. It’s an incredible race, and if you go back to the start of the season, many would have expected Hearts to have dropped away by now. But they’re still very much in the mix, and it’s going to go right down to the end.”

Q: What can young managers learn from Martin O’Neill? He may have different methods but they are working…

DG - “We’re in an era where there’s a big trend of giving young coaches lots of opportunities, and I’m all for that. But I was asked about this when Eric Ramsay was appointed at West Brom, and I quickly pointed out that last season in the Championship, the best four teams were managed by experienced men: Daniel Farke, 49, Chris Wilder, 57, Scott Parker, 45, and Regis Le Bris, 49. History shows that experience can count for something.

“Take Martin O’Neill, for example. He’s the most charming man, a true people person and man manager. He inspires his players and demands the basics of football and that foundation has underpinned all the successes he’s had. How much actual coaching he does now, I’m not so sure; I suspect a lot of that is handled by Sean Maloney.

“In my view, experience is probably undervalued at the moment. These young coaches getting jobs at 32, 33, 34 is all well and good but sometimes I think experience is overlooked. Celtic decided to go back to the tried and tested, and I think they’ve done so very wisely.”

Q: Is there any problem with Sunderland dreaming about finishing in a European spot? Is it a case of continuing what they have been doing?

DG - “It’s incredible, really. Sunderland fans, from my experience playing there, are very realistic. Of course, you should aim for the stars, but a European place is a tall order. Still, why wouldn’t they at least try? The key is that they’ve continued doing what’s got them this far. They’re generally very hard to play against.

“Regis Le Bris deserves huge credit. To take all those new players, mold them, and get them gelling into such a formidable team is incredible. I’ve seen plenty of clubs throw new players at a head coach, and cohesion doesn’t happen instantly but he’s made it work. The club also abandoned their previous policy of only signing 20 or 21-year-olds, bringing in players like Granit Xhaka and others from across Europe which have proven to be masterstrokes. The recruitment team deserves a massive pat on the back alongside Regis Le Bris.

“The remarkable part is, after Arsenal’s loss to Manchester United, Sunderland are the only team in the league that hasn’t lost a home game yet. Before the season started, who would have predicted that? They’re one point off seventh, which could get them into European competition.

“The only concern is their away form. They’ve lost their last two away games, 3-0 at Brentford and 3-1 at West Ham and have only scored six away goals all season. Away from home, it’s often been about trying to hold on, nick a point, or grab an odd win. Their last notable away win was at Chelsea. They haven’t won in six away games since.

“So, realistically, a European place might be unlikely, but everyone at the club should be immensely proud. It’s been an incredible effort from the players, coaching staff, and everyone involved.””

Q: Was last night’s game between Everton and Leeds United between two managers who ar both doing very underrated jobs?

DG - ““Yeah, I think in recent weeks, Daniel Farke might finally be getting the respect he deserves. I always felt he was unfairly judged in the Premier League after relegations with Norwich City. The truth is, he never really stood a chance there.

“The resources were limited, the recruitment was patchy, and he didn’t get the kind of support needed to succeed at PL level. To have been judged solely on those outcomes was, in my view, really unfair.

“At Leeds United, it’s a completely different scenario. He’s been given proper backing, time, and patience to navigate a difficult period, and the results speak for themselves. They’ve lost only one of their last ten games, a 4-3 loss to Newcastle, where they were actually winning going into the final minutes.

“Since the second half at Man City, everything has changed. You can see a real shift in their performances, both home and away. Farke has molded a team that’s competitive, resilient, and tactically sharp. It’s been impressive to watch, and he’s finally earning the recognition he deserves.

“Undervalued is the word I would use to describe David Moyes. He’s had such a long career at the highest level, and the he deserves huge credit for the consistency he’s shown. When he took over last season, they were just two points above the relegation zone. By the end of that campaign, they finished 23 points clear in 13th. This season, they’re looking strong again.

“They’re just four points off Chelsea in fifth, and I genuinely believe they could push for a European spot. While the Champions League might be out of reach, a place in the Europa League or the Conference League is very much attainable.”