Football Daily - 72+ EFL Pod: Boro bounce back & Jungle Jobi

Episode Date: December 3, 2025

Aaron Paul, Jobi McAnuff & Tommy Smith hear from new Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg. They look at the contenders chasing down Coventry – can Millwall make it to the Premier League? Everyone’s fearing for Swansea down the bottom. And what about strugglers Plymouth Argyle, Port Vale and Bristol Rovers? Plus, send us your EFL ‘hard man’ suggestions on WhatsApp to 08000 289 369.00:55 Middlesbrough continue to chase Coventry 08:45 Millwall up to third after beating Saints 17:00 Fearing for Swansea 21:10 Who makes the EFL ‘hard man’ XI? 25:00 Jobi in the jungle 27:25 Plymouth & Port Vale struggling 34:45 FA Cup coming at the right time for Vale & Bristol Rovers? 36:50 72PLUS 72MINUS 39:50 Jobi nearly signed for Hibs!5 Live / BBC Sounds Premier League commentaries: Sat 1500 Bournemouth v Chelsea, Sat 1500 Tottenham v Brentford on Sports Extra, Sat 1730 Leeds v Liverpool, Sun 1400 Brighton v West Ham, Sun 1400 Fulham v Crystal Palace.

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Football Daily is sponsored by Spring Hill Suites, part of Marriott Bonvoy, the official hotel partner of US Soccer. The next chapter for the US men's national team is about to unfold, and fans like you are part of the story. Make your travels unforgettable at Spring Hill Suites. Enjoy complimentary hot breakfast and spacious all-sweet accommodation for the whole team, with room for up to six guests.

Big journeys start with the Wrights Day. Visit springhill suites.marriott.com to find out more. 72 plus the EFL podcast with Aaron Paul and Jobby McEnough. Welcome to 72 plus the EFL pod from Five Life Sport with me, Aaron Paul, and him over there. Santa's little helper, Joby McEnough. I'm going to get straight into the Christmas chat. By the way, hello Tommy Smith, who's with us, former. Huddersfield, Middlesbrough fullback, now loan manager at Middlesbrough.

Great to have you with us. Are the Christmas decks up at Casa Smith? They absolutely are. They've been for a couple of weeks now. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. A couple of weeks. Yeah, to marinate. Yobi, we don't mess about a couple of weeks. No, go on, give me a deck. So we're talking mid-November? Precisely, yeah. Oh my gosh. That's early.

Two kids in the house, mate. You know the score. Anyway, let's get to the football chaps. Great to have you with us, Tom. We're talking last week about Coventry going 10 points clear at the summit of the championship. but what about their closest chases, Middlesbrough, Kim Helberg, getting his feet under the table was the new head coach. Tommy, I was very fortunate to have a chat with him. Funny guy, cool guy, very energetic, very dynamic.

Have you been in touch yet? Is he invited him for a light cup or something? Yeah, listen, I've been at the training ground. It's no secret that I've obviously got a job up there to do now. So I've been in around the training ground with him. Very polite, very pleasant fella, as you've just alluded to there. He's come in. he's obviously got to get straight down to work

the schedule is manic as it always is around the Christmas period I think Kim's come in with his eyes wide open to that he knows that the games come thick and fast I think it's obviously a massive result a massive performance against Derby

that will have really sort of settled him down a little bit and sort of got all the players on board for what he wants to do whenever a manager comes into a football club ultimately the first thing they need to do is get results and he's done that. It was a great start.

There's a couple of tough games now. A couple of tough away games that are coming up. But certainly as first results go, it was absolutely perfect. Do you see any changes? I watched the first game against Comptuary and they were absolutely brilliant. They played really, really well.

I know he wasn't in the dugout for that game, but obviously he was there. Do you feel there might be a slight change in terms of being a little bit more open and expansive? I know under Rob, you know, it was really defence first. and being solid and organised. I just feel like I've seen a slight shift in these last two games.

I think it's interesting to say that, Joe, but I tend to agree with you a little bit. I think Rob, when he first come into the club, I think it was a general belief of his that he wanted to try and show things up at the back. You would have to say that he did do that. But I think there was also an element of we need to sort of get the attacking players

really thriving at the top under the pitch as well. So, listen, I think Kim doesn't strike me as someone who is daft. You know, he's coming to the football club. He knows all the players. what's been good about the team from the start of the season he knows where there can be improvements and I think that is general remit

now to come in and sort of get them plays at the top end of the pitch as you've just said there Joby you know get them going get them a little bit more expansive while it's also keeping the back door shut you know what it's like in this championship it's all about balance you've got to have both things to be successful in the league

let's hear from the new Barrett Gaffer here he is after beating Darby at the Riverside on Saturday hours amazing one minute one nil rain pours down. Thank you very much, welcome to England. So that was special, but yeah, for them home time, just proud, happy. So proud of the lads, how they perform over 90 minutes, how they work very, very hard. What's this last two weeks being like for you? Now you can sort of bookend it with a win, a bit of a world win, I imagine.

Totally crazy. Totally crazy. It happened so much. Travel here, seeing the game. Meet the players, meet the staff, trying to see them, talk to them, meet all the good people that are welcomed me very, very good at Millsborough. On the training ground, they have been fantastic. Leaving the family a little bit for some months.

That's tough. having them at home. I did get a picture from them watching the game in Middlebury shirts so I sent some home to them with my father when he was going home so that was a proud moment so I would be good to just

come home in the evening and pour a glass of or maybe white wine if that is okay and then just enjoy it a bit. Glass of white wine on tea side pint a diesel oil that's what you need just to get the old engine going

on a real Real sign. You don't they drink, I? Sorry, don't they drink in Millsborough? What? Red wine with coke. Really? How about that?

Is that a thing? Oh, it's a thing, man. What's it called? We need a name for it, sure. Red wine with coke. That's what we drink. Fair enough. No, but you know, you might get like a white wine spritzer or, you know.

Oh, yeah. Well, I don't know what it's got. But I've sort of said after a game, like, I can have a small glass of red wine. And the weight is actually, or the barman by a lady we're going to call him. Do you want Coke with that? Mate. It's called a cali macho. Oh, there you go.

Really? Culli Much. It doesn't sound very... It doesn't sound very T-S. Does it? No, but that's what we do, red wine and Coke. All right. The weather was absolutely disgusting.

I've never... That was bad. I mean... It was... I've never seen rain like that. And then, again, I bring back a phrase, I coined about eight years ago on Five Live. You had all the sort of detritus from the game.

You had old pies, drinks, rappers, all sorts of bits and pieces flying around. And it was like, centrifugal effect when everyone disappeared. And so I'm stood there and you're getting hit by packets, hit by rubbish, there's all sorts of stuff flying around. It was disgusting.

Did you see the Gaffer's trousers though? I've seen them. After the game, I've seen them. I actually went to congratulate him after the game in the manager's office and his pants looked like he'd actually played himself. He had a pair of black sort of trainer shoes on that were absolutely caked in mud. It's just interesting hearing

a guy coming from Sweden where it's going to be absolutely freezing and the climate's not exactly. To somewhere worse? Yeah, but it's like, oh, the weather in England. I'm like, mate, if you come from, I don't know, the Caribbean or somewhere, I could get it, mate, but you know? Do I actually think, though, is sweet?

I might be speculating here, but I almost feel like Sweden's, like, cold, isn't it? Without the rain? Yeah, I think so. I might be wrong. But he's come to T-side, and it was battering down. The full game. I've never seen him like that. It was bad.

It was one of the worst drive homes of my life. Okay. I mean, to make things worse as well, it's his first game. He's obviously come over. he's desperate to do well, as I'm sure everyone else is at the football club. You've got 1-0 down after one minute against Derby, who, again, notorious for being hard to break down, hard to beat, set pieces.

You can imagine what's like a swirling rain at the riverside, corners coming in, one after another after another. Detritus? Yeah, that throw-ins one after another after another. And to be fair, you know, it was really good about the performance, though, is how the boys, the manager, the sort of whole set-up, stuck to the plan. And I thought in the second half, we tweaked a few little bits and pieces,

He got the substitution spot on and thoroughly deserve the two-one winning the end. Well, he himself, I asked him half-time, what did you say? And he goes, I said, you will get something out in this game. Keep doing what you're doing. You'll get something out of this game, guaranteed. And it felt like they kind of just wore them down. It was one of those ones, you know, you're sanding a team down. And for Derby to chase and to keep doing what they're doing, granted they had chances.

And the first half they did, I think the first half, you know, I think the key element in the game was, after you concede so early in a game, you know what it's like, don't concede again. Because I think when you go 2-0, you're really open-hill battle. I think the score was 1-0-5 time, so there was definitely that opportunity for us to just tweak a few little things, stick to the plan,

and as a player job, but you'll know it's so refreshing to come in and have that confidence from the manager to sort of say, stick to the plan, don't get frustrated, don't start rushing and doing things that are off-plan, stick to it, and you'll get what's coming, and then to actually get the result at the end of it,

it's a really... Well, the buying from the players there, because I think being so early in his tenure, if he gets that wrong and that's your message at halftime it doesn't quite get the result then even this early some players are going

but actually the fact that of course everything that he said came to fruition in that second half the amount of buying that those players will now be going well fair enough like you know whatever the gaffa said from day one though look at the state of the weather

you could go in there go one nil down go two no down and go yeah no I ain't having this you could oh and we see managers not off to get off to good starts it was bad and then it just never ever recovers So that first win in that first game is absolutely huge. It was a big one. Absolutely mega.

Let's push on and talk Millwall up to third. And Joby, I said earlier on in the season, this is a team that people should be watching out for. They're not going to set the world alight a la Coventry City. But that was a big win, a very, very big win. Well, beating the team who's been absolutely banging form and scoring goals for fun and they still scored a couple of goals. I think more sort of the nature of it really and digging out a performance or result. I think they're the types that, you know,

when you are in that situation, you do start just starting to believe, you know, that we could do something special this season. And I think the last two games in particular, obviously the Sheff of Wednesday one's always a tough one because everyone thinks you should just win that because of the situation there.

And what we've seen from them all season really is they are competitive. They're not going to roll over. Dig out a 1-0 there. Because prior to that, they had that little run, didn't they? They did concede a few goals. you know, against Portsmouth and Birmingham in particular, again, two against Oxford United.

And that's not what you do associate with an Alex Niel team, a team that is open and, you know, is leaking goals. But the fact they've went and found a late, late winner in that manner, I think certainly bodes well. And listen, and this is no way disrespectful to Millwall, you know what you're going to get from them. Every time they step onto a pitch, every time you go there, you know what are you going to have to do

to try and win a game of football. And, you know, his record, since he took over, I believe it's only Frank Lampard currently still in the championship that has got more points than Alex Neal at Millwall which is phenomenal you know and he's just doing

such a good job there They're trying to change things up though The way you I mean look Remember two managers ago Two managers to go with Joe Edwards They tried too hard to change things And it just it was bad

They almost went down It was very very bad With Alex Neal Has he gone and got the best Of what they had before And I'm looking at Jake Cooper and going, you've got an absolute unit of a player at the back who will head everything every single day of the week

and gone right, we'll build around him, we'll build around a Casper De Nore, who's a very good... He's come back in, and he's... I love Casper, he's such a good pass with the ball. He just does the basics so well, and he's great, but you've got that, and then you're slowly building forward, and you look at the players up front. Adomo Amaku, someone who everyone was like,

he was kind of in Romain, S.A., shadow a bit. He's coming down the left-hand side. He's like a whip it. He's so fast. But now he's starting to get that end product as well. And it's taking the pressure off of Femiazzi or Rice Bangor Williams. You know, you've got Camel Negli who's playing at 10. He hasn't been great.

It's taken the pressure off him, though. They could be one or two players away from Manning a challenge. Well, it's interesting you say that Casper de Noir does the basics very well. I think that's what Millwall do ever so well, the basics, the fundamentals, that some people, some teams, now they almost sort of neglect it a little bit. and it's really frustrating to see, certainly as an ex-player, then fundamentals and basics that can get you to be such a successful team. We all know what it's like being at Millwall at the Den

in terms of how hostile it can be. And it's a powerful place. It really is a powerful place if you're a Millwall fan or a Millwall player, the late goal that they scored against Southampton recently. They're doing great Millwall. The only thing I worry about with Millwall is their lack of goals. Now they're sitting third in the league, they're a minus three goal difference, which would, for me, be a slight concern.

I think they are very, very good at what they do. I think they're physical. I think they're direct. And I think the league has gone full circle. We're looking at a league now. I don't know whether you agree or disagree, but there's a lot more physical and a lot more direct. I think teams are sort of working out

that you have to be physical. You have to be directing this league to sort of overcome certain teams. And that's what Millwall are good at. So it's no surprise to me that they are where they are. Building on what you're saying, is it sustainable what they do? Well, again, we'll have to see. We'll have to see after Christmas. But I certainly think from the start of the season up until now,

it looks to me that the league has become a lot more physical and a lot more direct. As I say, if you look at the league table, you look at Preston. No disrespect to these teams either way. I think they're very, very good at what they do. They're effective of what they do. And it's not a case of being boring. It's not old school. It's not long ball. It's direct, but with purpose. I got absolutely rinsed by Paul Fletcher who works on Five Live. Big, big Preston Northam. One of the founders of 72 plus,

he asked me what I thought of Preston Northam the other day, and I said they're a Voxal Astro of a football team. They're dependable, they're solid, they'll get the job done. They're efficient. when they need to be they're not sexy they'll do their thing I feel like the league's turned as again I don't know

whether you agree or disagree but I feel like two three years ago there was an element of it or being playing out from the back and it was very very possession dominant I almost feel like now it's got to the point where being direct

and again I say this with respect because it's not an easy thing to do I think if you're direct with quality you can be effective you know people are labelling Arsenal now as direct physical but they do it with quality

and they do it with purpose what did I say Montaghan make long ball sexy well again I think that almost simplifies it too much and I think there's a difference between long ball

in the old traditional sense of just smashing it up there and there's a variation of let's play in the right areas and certainly when I look at me a wall I don't associate them with taking unnecessary risks at the back you know in terms of rolling it out

from the goalkeeper and yes if it's on to play and you've got time great but it is let's go and get it to what we have got now which is a brilliant crop of attacking play players. A bit of variation, lots of pace, lots of athleticism. And I'd actually agree with you, Tommy, in terms of probably that goal scoring would be the only thing I would look at over the course of a whole season when you look at, you know, the output of some of those players. Flemier Z is having a great season. But next up is your centre forward, Ivanovich. He's only got three goals this year. And again, as good as they've been. He could be a baller. He really could be a special player. But you can see the naivety in a lot of what he does sometimes. And the fact that he's a young. young player. He's a good play. He's a hustler. I think it's really unfortunate they lost

Josh Coburn. Yes. Really unfortunate. I like him. I know Josh very well. The way that they play. No, I know Josh very well. When he signed the Millwall, it was a, it's a perfect signing for that type of play. He's a good footballer Josh. He is a handful. He's a handful. Holds it up beautifully. Really, really, really well, I really like Josh Cobain and I feel bad for him. Do they go out and get forward in January? Okay, the board will spend money. James Berrelson is on a quest now. But no, Joby, he's on a quest to go and fulfil his dad's legacy of, you know, I want to take this club to the Premier League. Biggest question, who's going to sell you goals in January?

No one. That's the problem, isn't it? January is no too old. He's a tough window. It is a tough window, but I think that's why it's so important this run and between now and that window putting yourself in the best possible, because you're going up against every other club that needs a goal scorer. Now, if you are in that top six entrenched in there and you can say, look, we've been in

around it for the whole, that just gives you a better opportunity. to maybe a trap and it might be they've got look a little bit lower down the pyramid it might be a loan signing they've done it in McCauley Langstaff and it has worked well this is what that's going to be the big question how do they go about trying to get maybe a goal scorer or is it

for Millwall again maybe a little bit to do with the way that they play just getting a little bit more out of some of those wide players which I do think you know yes brilliantly talented players but I just feel you need a bit more output from those forwards in terms of the goals and again that creativity in the final

third. I'll give you a dream scenario. Go. Jed Wallace back on loan six months January. Plays up top, hates playing up top, hates it. Only wants to play on the right. Don't know why. Jed Wallace goes and plays off the shoulder. Yes. Yes. Jedwin Fernley Wallace returns to the den. Have you let Jed know he's playing centre forward? Because you do need to turn it up before you go and sign him. He doesn't like playing centre forward. He'll find out on the day. Listen, it's a good position to be and if they can if they can somehow navigate their way to January in that top bracket of clubs in the championship

I think they're in a really really good position and just a little one for you as well it is possible to be promoted on a negative goal difference I experienced that with Huddersfield the worst the worst team you know what Joe we always brings us up a bad of a team we got the job done

we did there you go with a negative goal difference there you got the worst efficient get the job done correct towards the bottom anyone else just a little bit worried about Swansea City, five defeats in a row, not only outside the relegation places on goal difference. How does Vito Matosch just arrest the slide, Jopes? Yeah, it's a tough job, isn't it? And I am very worried for them, I've got to say. I think when you look at the runner games that they're on now, and also we talk about teams pulling out results out of

nowhere and their belief that that can give you. But when you then throw away a two-goal lead and then lose the game free to, that does obviously the complete opposite where the energy and the belief can really drain out of a team. And if they just got absolutely bad, I do you think fair enough? But the fact that there was a little bit there

for them to go on and they weren't able to hold on I think is a tough one. You know, he hasn't quite got his staff in place yet. So again, coming into a new environment and maybe not being at full tilt for what you want from a coaching perspective, it is tough coming at this time of the season

and trying to implement new ideas and new ways of doing things when you've got very little time on the training ground, which is the big issue for any manager at this time of the season, is going to be very, very tough. So, yeah, they need a result very, very quickly. That is obviously goes without saying. It's interesting, is it, Joe, you talk about, we've just been touching upon the new manager in at Millersborough now

and he's coming and sort of the game against Derby at the weekend where at halftime you come in, stick to the plan, do this, and you get the result on the back of it and all the confidence that brings, and then you go on the flip side of it with Swansea and the two-nil up and they go and lose the game and it's the polar opposite, isn't it? It's the really opposite effect.

I do worry for Swansea a little bit myself, I'll be totally honest with you, and I think that element of schedule and games that are coming thick and fast, it's never easy, certainly when you're down the bottom and you are dropping points left, right and centre. You know, this next week is going to be absolutely huge for Swansea as, you know, the next two games

they've got Oxford and Portsmouth, which... Massive. I mean, can you call them six points at this stage of the season? Of course. They are two big. big, big games of football. I was going to say, I mean, look, we are picking two, aren't we? There's two more clubs Wednesday or Wednesday, and look, they've got minus 10 now,

and it's a perilous position they're in. But looking down the bottom, it's going to be two clubs, and it's taking a bit of shape. Pompey, Swansea, Oxford are the three immediately. You're like, I'm starting to worry about them. What was going to ask about them? Obviously, picking up a win under Philippe Clement over QPR. I don't think that's any barometer to, you know,

how successful are you going to be if you beat Queens Park Rangers. But they need to back in the new manager. They need to back in the result. Yes. And they were close. Obviously last time out as well. I'm saying beating QPR is not going to tell you whether you're going to stay up or not.

No, it's not going to tell you whether you're going to stay up. But you're looking for signs of life. You're looking for a way to get out of a situation and given what happened with Swansea, that looks even further away than it did maybe a couple of weeks ago because of the nature of that defeat, whereas when you can dig a result out with your new manager. And again, I think that's the big thing. When you're in a relegation scrap, and I've been in one or two, many than I would have liked to have wished in my career.

When you're losing against the teams, that is the real warning signs because you're thinking that we're obviously not a very good team because we're at the wrong end of the table. Really difficult to beat the better clubs that are doing well that season. But if we cannot pick up points against those around us, genuinely, what chance have we got? So that's why those, and it obviously then brings other teams into it and gives you a little bit of relief.

And that would be my worry for Swansea. That signs of relief is a way. win. That's what it is. It's three points. Give everyone a boost. And at the moment, you know, they are not looking like getting on. Hello, this is Matt Chorley's urgent questions. Your daily dose of political mayhem from the heart of Westminster. Order, order. I call Matt Cholley. I'm a supporter of flags. It turns out time is finite. Government doesn't want to be involved in this. I did not think the candidates are Phillips. Matt Cholley's urgent questions. Subscribe to the podcast and you'll get the best bit

Every day from around 5 o'clock. Listen on BBC Sounds. Football Daily is sponsored by Spring Hill Suites, part of Marriott Bonvoy, the official hotel partner of US soccer. The road ahead is full of surprises and unforgettable moments for the US men's national team. Make your next holiday a memorable one at Spring Hill Suites.

Enjoy complimentary hot breakfast and spacious all-sweet accommodation for the whole team, with room for up to six. guests. Big journeys start with the right stay. Visit springhill suites.marriot.com to find out more. 72 plus the EFL podcast with Aaron Paul and Jobie McEnough. We brainstormed it last week and this week we have put together an EFL Hardman 11. Well kind of. So far we've got Paddy Kenny as our goalkeeper right about Barry Fuller, centre halves, Chris Morgan, Paul Robinson and Kevin Muscat. By the way, before Tommy goes,

oh, that's not a right formation. This is just, this is just the squad. Just a draft. We just drafted at a minute. He's like, I swear there's too many players. In midfield, yeah, exactly. I think it was six up front, you know. No, there are five.

And they're hard men, so you won't want six hard men against. I'll wait until when I throw at you in a minute. Kevin McDonald. Okay. Michael Tongue and Michael Brownie, Brown Dog. Up top, John Akindynda, Adabarak in Fenwa,

Lucas Yukovitz, Darius Henderson, and Steve Morrison. Remember Nikolai Ziggich for Birmingham, right? Oh my lord, right? If I had a hundred quid for every time I felt him on my shoulder at a back stick, climbing above me to get a header in, I will be a millionaire. Because when I say he's one of the hardest, toughest players I've played against. Right, so is that a different conversation?

This is what I'm saying. I get it. I looked at Ackin Fenway, and I did think to myself, is he a hard man, or is he more just a physical nuisance? Yeah, okay. Ziggich is definitely making a sport. And that's been here, by the way. we've got a lot of teams I'm in office.

Giants 11? Yeah. The Harlem Globe Trots. Honestly. But I've seen Yukovic as well because they're in a time period. I'm sure they crossed at some point at the end of the year.

I'm talking like I'm a young right back at Huddersfield and I've got Ziggich from the start and then for the last half an hour I've got Yukkiewicz coming on and honestly it was tough. I'm telling you the pictures of him while he plays and sort of the way he looks it's unique.

If you put him in front of a kid, that didn't know better they'd tell you it's AI they'd tell you that's an AI he's a big boy he's a unit Did you ever play against me

Joey? Yeah Did you? You're a man marking big Yeah good one Yeah I think for hard men

We've got a go So we've got He's not a hard man He's not a hard man I think we've got I think maybe change it to just horrible How about that

Like again I throw Kevin Musk out in there Because genuinely not just a tough tackler You were practically jumping out of the way of these tackles Because you knew

If one caught you You were in big big trouble Ben Thatcher was another one The characteristic of player we need here is tough tackling. Yeah. Central, I'd say holding midfield, central midfield. Go on, go on for you. I'm going to throw one at you now, and you may not know loads about him.

Is it a hoagie? Hockey. I knew you were going to say that. Honestly, he's on my list here, right? He was the first one I thought of. As soon as I've seen it, can we put anyone in there? Because when I talk about intensity, aggression, will to win, in the trenches, all that sort of stuff. He is top of the list. The hog roast.

I love that. All right. Absolutely outstanding mental. I'd actually swap him for Michael Tongue. Again, I played with Tongy. No, no, no. What a fantastic footballer. Technician, unbelievable player. Never got the credit he deserved. We actually, a quick story for you. We went on a trip with David Wagner when he first joined Huddersfield to Sweden.

It was well documented. You probably heard me talking to you about it a few times. And it was a real like three, four days camping expedition. We were on canoes. Have you heard this story? No, it sounds great. Carry on, please. And it was like Hoggy, too, a tea.

No mobile phones, no beds, camping, tents, the fullet, fishing. Hoggy was like fishing. He was jumping in. He was eating fish raw and out. Eating raw. Is he like the bare grills of York? You know what? I'm amazed.

I swear, I'm amazed. He's not done celebrity, S-A-S. Amazed because he would absolutely breeze it. And I mean that. Do you know what? It's funny because I wanted to actually ask you this at top of the show, but I completely forgot. Obviously, Joby, you're a big fan of the jungle.

What shows would you do? Would you do the traitors? Would you do the jungle? You know what? And this is going to sound probably ridiculous and people are like, what, I've never really watched the traitors. I'm very late.

I know, I know there's going to be people gasping out there. So the jungle I would do, definitely. I love it. It's kind of our thing like wait for winter. You know, you know it's winter when that starts coming on and Christmas is rolling around.

So that's our little thing. Flip that on at 9 o'clock or whatever time it's on. And then I said race across the world is my thing. That I would love, there's a new series on it. What I want to know is what parts of an animal would you eat on TV? I'd do it all, mate. I'd do it all. And again, what I would never do, just in case,

and the off chance it ever came to actually pass and I got a call to be on, I'm a celebrity. You can't just throw out, I hate this or I hate that because you know that's what you're going to not getting stuck with. So I'd just do anything. All right, so there must be something that you watch when you start at home with the kids. I hate rats, mate.

Oh, mate. Just see him crawling around. I cannot stand. I will eat wichity grubs for days. Have you seen some of the kebabs I've eaten in my life? I will eat wichity grubs. I'll eat all sorts of snails, all that malag. But don't put me near any snakes or any crocodiles.

And in front of that. Snake, ugh, ugh. I want to do the challenges. I'll never get people that go on there and they genuinely don't ever want to do anything. I'm like, the whole point of going on is like to go in, you know, challenge yourself and get the meals, man. We've had a mayor boys. We should have done that I'm a celebrity 11.

I'll take Clinton Morrison straight away Clinton Morrison is going in the jungle me Do you know why? Just for the banter Just for the laugh Because I know when I've had a bad day When someone's made me like you know A kangaroo's testicle

Clinton Morrison had picked me up And he go It's all right ass Don't worry as you'll bring it up soon as Don't worry Would you be a good camp mate though I think you could be a bit catchy Oh I'd be grouch you wouldn't be it

He will be grouch I don't know I just think you've got that in you mate like I've just seen things get on your nerves a little bit mate you know what I mean like you like I could great on you 24 seven can you imagine literally day day 30

why rice and beats again you could just imagine that's down near the pond one of the little weight that he called just sat there on his head in his arms I've got it wrong I do the standard grandad pose I'll just be out arms while my back just looking I would love to do it

I think it would be a good crack mate to be fair so suggestions for our EFL half an 11 died two footed into our WhatsApps 08,000, 289, 369. Let's go into League 1. Just a point separating the top 4, Cardiff, Stevenage, Bradford and Lincoln. Port Vale Bottom, winless in League 1 since September. Just three points from possible 24.

And Plymouth, I'll call, five defeats in 6. The exception being a win against Darren Moore's Vale. And with Plymouth, it's really interesting. A lot of fan discontentment on social media this week. They had a meet the chairman with Simon Hallett, the owner. And I'll see it sent to Jobie earlier on when we were trying to try. driving over here, I was like, it's amazing to see a club that was in such a ascendancy. You think about under Ryan Lowe and Stephen Schumacher

and the owner could do no wrong and he's developing new training ground and they rebuilt the Mayflower stand and everything's good and life is good and everything's rosy. And now they seem in a total state of unrest. Well, nothing's a given in football, as we know this. You know, there's no, for any club that it's just come down from the championship to league one or whatever it is, the Premier League of the Championship, there's no given right that that club deserves to go straight. break back up. And I think Plymouth are experiencing that right now.

You know, I'm sure there was a lot of expectation at the start of the season that they were going to bounce back. And they found it tough ultimately. They had a big, big, big win against Port Vale. I was actually at that game. It wasn't pretty, to say the least, but they got the job done. A hard fought 1-0 victory, which will do them the world of good in terms of that confidence. Yes, they got beat last week by Northampton, which was a crushing blow in terms of their relegation sort of fight that they're in at the minute but they've got the opportunity on Saturday against Bradford which will be a tough game

to climb out the bottom four which again from a mental point of view will be pretty significant given that they've spent quite a few weeks now in that relegation zone Jobby talk to me about them bottom too because Port Vale again it's not good enough it isn't

there's no hiding from that there's no escaping that and you know of course like yourself love more road to bits and listen did a great joy and getting them promoted, obviously wasn't able to save them last time around, gets them promoted, and you are expecting that little bit of a kick on. You know, I look at their goal scoring in particular, 11 so far this season. I think Darren is certainly long enough in the tooth

and been around the game long enough to know that this cannot continue to happen. I mean, you think about the start that Peterbury United had this season and to see them, you know, a couple of points above them in the table and seemingly turning things around certainly when Luke Williams first came and I think that's the type of thing

that owners look at now isn't it? Like what can give us a kickstart and when they see a manager being replaced and have a club in and around them and they have a positive impact I think that starts planting the seeds

in owners' minds and I know Carol she will give Darren as much time as possible to turn that around but she believes she has a championship manager and that's why they gave them a long-term deal

she says that yeah we have a championship quality manager. But as in terms of the club, and I mean no disrespect whatsoever here, I'm just asking, in terms of the club, what are Port Vale?

Are they a League 1 team? Or are they a League 2 team? Yeah. Because there's levels, isn't there? Because there's levels, yes, this is my point. So in terms of the start of the season

when Port Vale were promoted, last season, sorry, promoted, done great in League 2, get promoted, they're now in League 1, what is the remit for Port Vale in League 1? Is it to try your best to sort of stay up?

Is it to really push John, because I'm looking at League 1 and it's a fascinating league, it really is. There are some big football clubs in that league and I'm talking like championship made football clubs in that league. So, Port Vale, are they not just out of the depth? Yeah, but then I would say

just to contrast that argument, which I would say is a fairly fair one, if I looked at some of the other teams that got promoted last year and everyone else is struggling. I look at a Bradford, and listen, Bradford is a big club. Big club. Resources. All right, maybe not the best example.

AFC Wimbledon, you know sitting up there, comfortable again one of those teams had a brilliant start almost carried that bounce up into this year and I know recently they had a little bit of a right, this is probably the level, you know, we're not going to be able to be here every single week

but we compete and we find a way to win some games of football. They have shown no signs of doing that this season and I think that would be the concern for me. Why can they do it on smaller budget possibly? We're quite realistically. On Wimbledon

I think heaps and heaps of praise need to go on and you know I mentioned his name or Craig Cope with Director of Football celebrating three years this week in charge a sort of director of football at Wimbledon to arrest a club slump that was so bad credit has to go to

Johnny Jackson but also credit to Craig Cope for putting a lot of organisation in place and I think the signings he's made have been very very effective credit also has to be heaped on Johnny Jackson because they're organised, they're disciplined. To go to Huddersfield, bear in mind, they'd been batted 5-0 by, by, by, by, by, who was it? Who was it? New manager. By Peter, bro. Look at the producer Nathan in the background. It was us. It was us. It was us. Batter 5-0 at Peter, bro. You get beat by Wiggin at home. And all of a sudden, you're going, well, all the good work of momentum we've got, we're about to kill this momentum. We're about to stick a pin in it. They got Huddersfield and get a 3-3. Not pretty. Ugly game of football, played in torrential rain. that's a really big point.

Then fine, they're going to put five past Cardiff's resies on Tuesday. And people go, oh, they're kids. You're playing the under 18s. You can only beat what's put in front of you. That's it. You've got a competition there. You want to win that competition. Suddenly, again, you're like, there could be some momentum in this.

And I take this all the way back to Peterborough United as well. And Jobes, you made the point about Luke Williams going in there. Sometimes you just need fresh ideas. And I wonder if Port Vale are in that place. but again, what calibre a manager, if you were to ask me, recruit manager of Port Vale, I go, I haven't got a clue.

I couldn't place someone in there because I don't know what style of football they want to play, how they want to do it, the squad has been really well assembled. You've got some big names in there for that division, some really good names.

George Byers is a champagne player in that division. The name itself, he's a really good player to have. Where do they go, Joby? Everyone is very functional in League 1. very functional bar one or two clubs very functional they get the job done what are port vale well at the moment not a very good football team capable of winning games i think that's the bottom line and i think that's the big question that the owner has to be asking is it the manager

have we got a squad capable because i'm with you and i think they've got a squad that is better than they're showing from a performance perspective and clearly something is not quite clicking and we've seen so many times in the past where i won't say the easiest decision but you can't replace the whole squad in January. You might be able to go and help a little bit and get one or two in. But sometimes it is the manager, unfortunately, that he's going to bear the responsibility for that. So again, listen, I don't think we're sitting in.

I can't imagine Darren Moore listening to this thinking we've said anything that he won't be thinking already. He knows what it's about, and he's the man who needs to turn it around. And I really do hope he can find a way to do it as. We love him to bits. And I know him, Carol, the Portvale guys, they listen to this. And look, you just want to see people do well. You really do.

What I don't want to watch is Port Vale Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup on Saturday. That is going to be the stinker of stinkers. You know what? It's really interesting, Newt you say that. And I've been in situations where I've been on horrendous runs in the league. And sometimes it can just be a bit of relief that you don't have that pressure of having to win three points. You are up against another team that is really struggling. And I've certainly been using the FA Cup, for example, to really kickstart a season.

you know, for us at the time years gone by would be sort of start a January, you know, new year. And I think there can be a little bit less pressure and we can really see teams in the past that have taken that on. So I'd look at it slightly differently and I think that it's a big opportunity for either of those teams

to really try and find something to sort of kickstart them and get a bit of feel good factor back in the club because certainly they're both desperately in need of it. I absolutely agree with you, but someone's got to lose. Yeah. So whilst there's that, looking at it from that,

outlook of... Because it's the car does it hurt as much? Because it's a cut game rather than a rival any loss, any loss. Certainly for Darrell Clark going back to Port Vale.

Yeah. And certainly for Port Vale from a club who were a league below. I think either way a win would be great to kickstart something but someone has to lose

and it's never nice to lose no matter what competition it's in. Can you imagine if there was no tie-breaking system? Teams playing about days just not scoring. Just looking at

the FA Cup round two, Richie Welland, heading back to Salford with Leighton-Norrent Friday night, looking forward to that. Lyle Taylor, our very own, looking to add to his FA Cup tally, currently top score in this season's competition, as Chelmsford play Western Supermare. A couple of live games here on the BBC, Sutton United, welcoming Shrewsbury Town down the Gander Green Lane. That's BBC 2 on Saturday evening at 515. And then Sunday, Borum Wood, Newport County, 230, BBC 2 and on the R player.

course on BBC Radio 5 Live, we'll have updates from our reporters up and down the country. Let's finish with this. 72 plus, 72 minus on the Football Daily. Yeah, it's time for Jobie's best and worst moments of the week from across the football league. Job's your 72 minus, please. Yeah, well, it's been another bad week for Bristol Rovers. A club record eighth straight league defeat was a 1-0 to Knott's County, who were even down

to 10 men from the first half. Bristol Rovers dominated the game but just could not find a finish. Ellis Harrison, certainly the worst offender lay on with a glaring, glaring miss. Let's be having it. Isaka, will he put it into the penalty area? Comes in on his right foot. Esaka still got it. Shot off the bar!

And then it hits Harrison and goes wide. I think with the speed that that ball was going on, Ellis doesn't have a clue what's going to literally hit him and gone just past the goal line for a goal kick for Knott's County. And Joby, you're 72 plus, please. Well, last week was a cracker from Wiggins, Harrison, Bitoni. This week is another worldie from a centre half, no less. Millwall's Caleb Taylor from fully 30 yards out.

Top bin in a crazy game versus Southampton, and it was so good. The normally reserved Alex Neal was running down the touchline, Marineo style to join the celebrations. Love to see it. Bring it on. Caleb Taylor, they wanted to shoot, and he suits, and it's an absolute screamer. It's a screamer from fully 25, 26 yards out, looks up and smashes that in the top of the net,

bending away from Bezulu, not a prayer for the goalkeeper. That's a goal good enough to win any game. 72 sort of minus minus this week, isn't it? Okay, right. Because you've got someone else who wants to tell a story. Tommy? Yeah, I didn't know whether Joe we wanted to mention this. I've mentioned it to him. He sort of said,

you can mention it. So being low, managing out of Middlesbray comes with swings in roundabouts, I suppose. You win some, you lose some. I was actually up in Scotland at the weekend as watching a player

who was on loan from Middlesbrough to Hibernian. I travelled up there three hours and he was on the bench. He got 12 minutes and I got in my car and I drove home. Six-hour round trip.

It was a good game. I enjoyed it. I'm trying to get out of it now about. I said to you, you're going to have to stay. Start texting the gaffers and find that. And you're like, mate,

he's started every game up till this point. Do you know what's great, though? When I text Job being told them that, I just received, you know, them crying laughing faces? Multiple crying laughing faces.

I'll be more sympathetic and go, did you stop at a nice service station on the way? Multiple service stations, yeah. Well, I was a good 12 months, yeah. There was a problem was. I left after two of them

to try and beat the traffic. The pros and cons, the pros and cons of it. But no, great, great game of football. it was actually Celtic Wonder Game 2-1 lovely place Edinburgh

really nice did you hear them sing Sunshine on Leaf I did beautiful great place I nearly signed for Hibbs actually

story yeah went up there before I signed for Stevenage I was a free agent had a friend of mine Marvin Bartley up there I had a little convoy with them with him

and then Neil Lennon was a manager so went up I had a proper chat with him they were in the Scottish first division at the time and he said look you love it up here no midweeks you know we only play on the saturdays could even swing you a monday off you know like if you need to get back down south and family and all this sort of stuff

and showed me around the training ground which is amazing hold on a hang on it what was a deal breaker mate was it the dough i would have said gaffer monday and tuesday off you got a deal oh yeah it weren't tuesday though as well you said that you can't afford me man that's what it was i was nearly there i thought i said but um yeah i heard what marvin bartley was on and i was nowhere near him i thought i can't sign for this then mate you know what i mean so So, yeah, went back down the road and had a brilliant year at Stevenage. Didn't have to move home. Listen, by the time I paid for accommodation at that stage of my career,

I wouldn't have anything left, mate. So I thought, you know what? I'm going to stay at home and just... Him sticking the holiday in. Good, no, mate, listen, I'm telling you, when you're knocking around for that money towards the end of your career, that stuff ain't getting thrown in, trust me. I'll tell you what, though. It's a beautiful place, lovely.

They won the lead that year. I love that. I love that. Just, yeah, lovely, lovely place. Guys, where are we? this weekend. Who's going where? I am in the studio for Lester. Lester Darby.

I'm going. There you go. Well, you're getting to experience it. A, big game for Lester, man. Big game. At least I'll turn up as much. Big game. I am at Hull Borough on Friday night.

Yeah. And I am at Sheffield United Stoke on Saturday. Stunning. Joby, Tommy, thank you so much. Thank you to you for listening. If you've got any players for our EFL Hard Man 11, drop us a message or voice notice on WhatsApp. 08,000, 289, 3,000.

That is it for this episode of 72 plus the EFL pod. We'll be back next week. I really wanted him to say we've got a lab playing in. He got a lab playing in Nepal. In Norway. And I'm going there. They're sending me by train

and I'm going. This winter cricket's oldest rivalry is reignited. England and Australia. do battle to compete for the Ashes. That is extraordinary. Hear live ball-by-ball commentary on Fife Sports Extra.

And get analysis and reaction of every day's play with the Test match special podcast. The stabs out of the ground. Test match special at the Ashes. Listen on BBC Sounds. Football Daily is sponsored by Spring Hill Suites, part of Marriott Bonvoy, the official hotel partner of U.S. soccer.

The next chapter for the U.S. men's national team is about to unfold and fans like you are part of the story. Make your travels unforgettable at Springhill Suites. Enjoy complimentary hot breakfast and spacious all-sweet accommodation for the whole team, with room for up to six guests. Big journeys start with the rights day. Visit springhillSuite.marriott.com to find out more.