:00:40. > :00:43.We have a power half hour for you today as World Cup
:00:44. > :00:49.qualifying takes centre stage on this week's Football Focus.
:00:50. > :00:51.After the Big Sam fiasco, can tempoary boss Southgate
:00:52. > :00:58.They were stars of the summer - Eidur Gudjohnsen on
:00:59. > :01:11.I reflect with pride, not only have the team performed. It was more how
:01:12. > :01:17.we represented our country. We examine the pros
:01:18. > :01:25.and cons of the EFL Trophy. A lender with two clubs at Wembley
:01:26. > :01:31.and that's the chance we've got to go to Wembley.
:01:32. > :01:34.I'm delighted to say that the former England defender Matthew Upson joins
:01:35. > :01:37.All four home nations have two matches in the latest
:01:38. > :01:40.Wales drew against Austria on Thursday.
:01:41. > :01:44.Tonight, Northern Ireland are at home to San Marino.
:01:45. > :01:45.The views of Michael O'Neill to come.
:01:46. > :01:47.In Group F, Scotland are home to Lithuania
:01:48. > :01:50.at Hampden Park this evening, before that, at Wembley,
:01:51. > :01:53.Gareth Southgate will be in charge of England as they take on Malta.
:01:54. > :01:55.The game should be straightforward, but the build up
:01:56. > :02:07.I've been reflecting on what an honour it is to lead the team. There
:02:08. > :02:10.is no question I'm a proud unpatriotic Englishman and I'm
:02:11. > :02:14.looking forward to the challenge. I'm excited by it. I've talked to
:02:15. > :02:18.the young players that I work with about the journey they're going to
:02:19. > :02:21.go on in terms of highs and lows. I showed them a page of things that
:02:22. > :02:27.had gone really well in big matches I played in and things I'd won, and
:02:28. > :02:31.then there's another page of being sacked, of missing the penalty, all
:02:32. > :02:35.the bits and pieces. You are a combination of all those experiences
:02:36. > :02:38.but what those experiences give you is, at moments like this, a lot to
:02:39. > :02:44.fall back on and the realisation that leadership at moments like this
:02:45. > :02:49.is really crucial. It's a fresh start for all the players, starting
:02:50. > :02:53.from today, the first training session, so I'm sure everyone will
:02:54. > :02:57.be ready and trying to impress him. If I was comparing it to when I took
:02:58. > :03:01.over at Middlesbrough, where everything that was thrown at me in
:03:02. > :03:04.that short period of time was new, this has been far calmer. I've been
:03:05. > :03:08.able to enjoy it a lot more and look forward with a lot more excitement,
:03:09. > :03:14.rather than the trepidation I was feeling ten years ago. Gareth now
:03:15. > :03:17.brings a great calmness to the group and he's always talking to every
:03:18. > :03:20.player individually. I think the lads really appreciate it when he
:03:21. > :03:26.speaks to you one-on-one, gives you advice on good and bad things, which
:03:27. > :03:31.we all know we've got to improve. I was at Aston Villa and he was there
:03:32. > :03:36.so I watched him many times their growing up but I'm familiar with his
:03:37. > :03:39.career and especially his career with England. I'm looking forward to
:03:40. > :03:45.working under him and taking his ideas on board. When I came in here
:03:46. > :03:49.Tuesday morning, I didn't expect to be in charge of the team at 60
:03:50. > :03:54.might. When you are in football you get used to that sort speed of the
:03:55. > :03:58.way things happen. I had to put myself forward as the leader of this
:03:59. > :04:03.group and I was looking at how this may play out for the team. I was the
:04:04. > :04:06.best position to take them forward for these matches. His message
:04:07. > :04:10.yesterday was all about England being brave on the ball Malta in the
:04:11. > :04:13.games is going to be in charge of. What have you made of the way Gareth
:04:14. > :04:18.Southgate has conducted himself in what's been a difficult few weeks
:04:19. > :04:23.for England? I think his conducted himself very well. He's come across
:04:24. > :04:26.as very in control, very positive. I actually made my England debut
:04:27. > :04:30.alongside him and he was a very calming influence and I think he's
:04:31. > :04:33.shown that in the way he's spoken to the press and the players this week.
:04:34. > :04:38.It's probably something that group of young players needs right now.
:04:39. > :04:42.Use a group of young players. Let's look at the probable starting XI.
:04:43. > :04:45.Positionally it could be different to this but it is a real
:04:46. > :04:50.opportunity, isn't it, for youth to have a chance and Gareth Southgate?
:04:51. > :04:56.He's thrown in Dele Alli, Theo Walcott. I think you left him out of
:04:57. > :04:59.the Euros but he is back in. Marcus Rashford, who everyone is shouting
:05:00. > :05:03.for to play because he's done exceptionally well at united.
:05:04. > :05:06.Personally, I would but Willie as a number nine where storage is and I
:05:07. > :05:10.would put storage where Rooney is. If you are going to play Rooney, I
:05:11. > :05:17.think you will get the best out of him as that number nine. He has not
:05:18. > :05:20.scored. He is a natural player in front of the gold. He will get you
:05:21. > :05:25.goals if given the service and I would play him up the middle of the
:05:26. > :05:30.park. To go back to the manager, temporary manager at the moment, we
:05:31. > :05:33.know. He didn't want the job when Roy Hodgson left and Bouley feels
:05:34. > :05:39.that it's the right time to go for it. What is your reading of that, as
:05:40. > :05:43.a man who knows him well? Is a destiny? I think not a lot has
:05:44. > :05:48.changed in that period of time for Gareth as a coach or manager. He
:05:49. > :05:51.would honestly be developing all the time but we are talking about a
:05:52. > :05:56.short space of time. It is almost like the job is hunting him to a
:05:57. > :06:00.degree, and he gets to a point where you think, is this fate? Am I meant
:06:01. > :06:04.to take it? I think this might be how he is thinking and I think you
:06:05. > :06:07.should take it, he has taken it and who is to know when you are ever
:06:08. > :06:13.ready to take the England manager's job? It is a great opportunity for
:06:14. > :06:17.him. A big opportunity. Four games in charge, the three World Cup
:06:18. > :06:19.qualifiers and the friendly against Spain.
:06:20. > :06:22.Scotland are in the same group as England and Malta
:06:23. > :06:25.and they are currently top of Group F after beating the Maltese
:06:26. > :06:31.Tonight their first home game of qualifying is against Lithuania.
:06:32. > :06:39.Great first game, scored five goals away. Croatia was one goal. We've
:06:40. > :06:46.got a bit of luck at the right time but we were prepared for that. Luck
:06:47. > :06:51.is when preparation meets opportunity and that's what we did,
:06:52. > :06:55.we prepared for that. So we take it on from there, feel good about
:06:56. > :06:58.ourselves but we don't look at the task, we just look of the results
:06:59. > :07:02.around Europe and think, nobody goes away smashing people all over the
:07:03. > :07:07.place. It is very close in all the games last night. Gordon Strachan
:07:08. > :07:11.saying the game is very close but they should be OK against Lithuania.
:07:12. > :07:16.A terrible record of late. But it is those games coming up, Slovakia
:07:17. > :07:24.away, huge, and England on November the 11th. That's what makes the game
:07:25. > :07:29.against Lithuania at Hampden Park, home, more important, that they get
:07:30. > :07:33.the three points. Slovakia away and England away, you'd properly take a
:07:34. > :07:40.couple of drawers if you can. Difficult games. As I said, the
:07:41. > :07:45.importance of the whole game -- home game is massive. These games are
:07:46. > :07:49.difficult, aren't they? They won 5-1 against Malta but it was one I
:07:50. > :07:53.half-time and then Scotland started a freebie score goals. Lithuania
:07:54. > :07:59.will come to Hampden Park and they will defend for their lives. In some
:08:00. > :08:02.ways, the games at home against those teams can be harder than the
:08:03. > :08:07.ones away. They are going to come, they are going to sit back, not
:08:08. > :08:10.allow a lot of space in between the lines and Scotland are going to have
:08:11. > :08:14.to be a bit clever and work hard to break them down. That's what they'll
:08:15. > :08:15.be working on in training. Let's see if they can put that into practice
:08:16. > :08:18.tonight. Time to look at one of the success
:08:19. > :08:21.stories of this summer, Iceland. They shocked the football world
:08:22. > :08:23.and particularly England by reaching A game watched by 99.8%
:08:24. > :08:26.of the population. They've started their World Cup
:08:27. > :08:30.qualifying campaign in similar form and even without the newly retired
:08:31. > :08:41.striker Eidur Gudjohnsen. Since I was a young boy I've always
:08:42. > :08:45.dreamt of going to a major tournament with the national team.
:08:46. > :08:51.Iceland are introduced to international football at its peak.
:08:52. > :08:55.I reflect with pride not only how the team performed, it's more how we
:08:56. > :08:59.represented our country. And there's a goal for Iceland! People who
:09:00. > :09:05.followed the Euros, I have a sense that they got to know us a bit
:09:06. > :09:10.better. Our fans were amazing. They transmitted this atmosphere. The
:09:11. > :09:17.only regret, I would say, is that I was 37 and not 27. Just a moment
:09:18. > :09:27.that I had was very fulfilling. Take us back to Nice. What was the
:09:28. > :09:32.atmosphere like? I think we had already achieved something that took
:09:33. > :09:36.all the pressure off us. I don't think many people expected us to
:09:37. > :09:39.qualify from the group. We certainly have the belief, especially after
:09:40. > :09:44.the way we started the tournament. We were playing against a team full
:09:45. > :09:50.of players that we probably, I suppose, watch on Saturday but we
:09:51. > :09:57.were very aware of... And this is one thing that Lars Lagerback
:09:58. > :10:00.pointed out to us that in recent years we were playing against the
:10:01. > :10:05.most overrated national team side. He said that to us. It is true, the
:10:06. > :10:09.expectations are always so high and there is so much pressure for
:10:10. > :10:12.England to do well in a major championship and they haven't
:10:13. > :10:17.managed to do that for a long long time. So we went into the game
:10:18. > :10:24.fairly confident and we got what we deserved, I think. And it is helped
:10:25. > :10:29.across. Goal! And I found level. I can say without playing well, we
:10:30. > :10:35.played better than the rest of the teams but we had more character and
:10:36. > :10:42.showed a greater togetherness. Iceland have turned it round! That's
:10:43. > :10:46.where we ended up. You've had a long and illustrious playing career.
:10:47. > :10:52.Where does the experience of France ranked? It's a bit of a dream come
:10:53. > :10:55.true. Played for Iceland over a 20 year period. Just making the steps
:10:56. > :10:59.onto the field in a major championship is fulfilling something
:11:00. > :11:05.that I worked hard for and it was almost like winning a small trophy.
:11:06. > :11:11.What is the longer term impact of the success of the Euros for
:11:12. > :11:15.Icelandic football? We have a lot of talented players in Iceland is. The
:11:16. > :11:20.generation that we see in our first team squad now is the first
:11:21. > :11:25.generation who grew up with the better facilities, with better
:11:26. > :11:29.coaching, and it's the first time that the full national team is
:11:30. > :11:32.reaping the benefits from not only things that are going on on the
:11:33. > :11:36.pitch but off the pitch. Anyone you would pick out as someone who is
:11:37. > :11:45.going to make a real impact? I wouldn't mind younger Johnson making
:11:46. > :11:50.an impact! Does playing and coaching lie ahead? I can see myself going in
:11:51. > :11:53.that direction. I will definitely be involved in football in one way or
:11:54. > :11:56.another. And the story continues.
:11:57. > :12:02.On Thursday night they beat Finland 3-2 with two goals in added time,
:12:03. > :12:08.So the fairy tale just continues to be added to. They've got great
:12:09. > :12:13.spirit, great character. To miss a penalty and still win 3-2, coming
:12:14. > :12:16.off a fantastic Euros, it is important to keep up the momentum
:12:17. > :12:20.and carry on getting the results, similar to what Wales need to do, so
:12:21. > :12:25.people don't just think it is a one-off. They beat England at the
:12:26. > :12:29.Euros, they beat Austria. Fantastic tournament, losing in the
:12:30. > :12:33.quarterfinal. Such a small country but huge hearts and huge character.
:12:34. > :12:44.I told you he would get Wales into every answer! He dropped a little
:12:45. > :12:46.Wales bomb! On the issue of Gudjohnsen, they built the
:12:47. > :12:49.infrastructure, and we did a piece of last season, looking at the way
:12:50. > :12:52.they've looked at the coaching and indoor football to make sure they've
:12:53. > :12:57.got this next generation of players and it's going to continue.
:12:58. > :13:01.Absolutely. It's something I think England can look at because it shows
:13:02. > :13:06.you what a clear plan of philosophy and the can build, whether it is
:13:07. > :13:10.elite playing or long ball or whatever style you want to play, if
:13:11. > :13:12.you rely on it and you lay the foundations, you can achieve
:13:13. > :13:23.something. Following the Icelandic model! On the Gudjohnsens, we saw
:13:24. > :13:27.his son Sveinn. He is playing in Iceland, he has another son playing
:13:28. > :13:29.at Espanol and another son is at Barcelona so the generations of
:13:30. > :13:32.Gudjohnsens are continuing! Wales were one of the other teams
:13:33. > :13:35.who really made a name Their World Cup qualifying campaign
:13:36. > :13:39.hasn't started too badly either. On Thursday night they got
:13:40. > :13:41.a 2-2 draw in Austria, who haven't lost a competitive game
:13:42. > :13:44.at home in four years. Joe Allen gave the Welsh the lead
:13:45. > :13:47.with a great half volley and a Kevin Wimmer own-goal put them
:13:48. > :13:49.ahead again, but both times they were pegged back by goals
:13:50. > :14:01.from Marko Arnautovic. In terms of Wales, the Joe Allen
:14:02. > :14:05.great goal against Austria, but the fact that he's not going to be
:14:06. > :14:10.available this weekend, how big a blow is that? It is a big blow
:14:11. > :14:12.because I've always recognised his talent but he left Liverpool because
:14:13. > :14:20.he couldn't quite become a regular. He's had a good move to Stoke, he's
:14:21. > :14:23.adding goals to his game. He's comfortable on the ball. He
:14:24. > :14:28.manipulates a certain situations. He works so hard to. Works out, break
:14:29. > :14:32.things down, anticipates where the ball is going to drop and he's
:14:33. > :14:37.turned into a real fine player so I think he'll be a big miss. He is a
:14:38. > :14:42.huge player for Wales. And also Aaron Ramsey. You give someone else
:14:43. > :14:45.an opportunity. We have got a decent squad. David Edwards may come in,
:14:46. > :14:50.Chris may play the two strikers upfront and play Gareth Bale on the
:14:51. > :14:53.left, he may play folks and Hal Robson-Kanu. It will be interesting
:14:54. > :15:00.to see how he sets up. He might go to four at the back. Deductible game
:15:01. > :15:04.at home to Georgia. They have played well in their first two games, they
:15:05. > :15:09.lost at home to Austria and are played very well. They will think a
:15:10. > :15:13.win gets them back in the group but we will be favourites at home in
:15:14. > :15:16.Cardiff. It shows you how things have changed, that Wales are
:15:17. > :15:21.favourites to win. Georgia is a big game but it is the Republic of
:15:22. > :15:24.Ireland and Serbia in the next away games. The pick-up point their -
:15:25. > :15:28.here we go again. It could be a World Cup. They are flying on
:15:29. > :15:33.belief. They really do believe they could win matches, which is a huge
:15:34. > :15:42.contrast from 18 months, two years ago.
:15:43. > :15:45.A new manager appointed this week at one of Chris Coleman's old clubs
:15:46. > :15:46.with Swansea sacking Francesco Guidolin
:15:47. > :15:49.Francesco and bringing in Bob Bradley - the first American
:15:50. > :15:57.Swansea City have a busy day after sacking their manager, Francesco
:15:58. > :16:02.Guidolin. The struggling Premier League side replaced him with former
:16:03. > :16:07.USA boss Bob Bradley. Well, first i I'm honoured to be at Swansea City
:16:08. > :16:12.Football Club, that's first, but this bit about pioneer and all the
:16:13. > :16:16.rest, I'm not an American manager or football manager. Man, I'm here to
:16:17. > :16:22.give everything I have for the fans, for the club, and I couldn't be more
:16:23. > :16:26.excited about the chance. No matter what your name is, if you
:16:27. > :16:33.come to the Premier League, you still have to earn respect. OK. It
:16:34. > :16:38.is not given to you. As new American owners, just like anybody else, they
:16:39. > :16:42.have a learning curve and I don't think that they would have gotten to
:16:43. > :16:49.where they are by making decisions with their heart. It will increase
:16:50. > :16:53.the profile in the US. Swansea City Football Club has gained a bunch of
:16:54. > :16:58.supporters this week and I'm not coming in with a new book on
:16:59. > :17:01.football, but we've got to find a way to restore some confidence, we
:17:02. > :17:09.have got to be honest that certain things need to be better again. So I
:17:10. > :17:17.think it's normal work. Wales have got a home game against
:17:18. > :17:22.Serbia. You're not happy with the way that
:17:23. > :17:27.Swansea dealt with the sacking of Francesco Guidolin and the
:17:28. > :17:32.appointment of Bob Bradley. That's what upset the Swansea City football
:17:33. > :17:37.fans it is not the appointment of Bob Bradley, it is the way it was
:17:38. > :17:42.done. A lot of them would have liked to see Francesco Guidolin get a few
:17:43. > :17:45.more games. They played Liverpool, they play Arsenal next and Man City,
:17:46. > :17:50.Chelsea and they have been to Leicester and they've got games now
:17:51. > :17:55.of teams in and around them. They play the likes of Watford at home.
:17:56. > :18:01.Crystal Palace and West Ham. Opportunities there. Opportunities
:18:02. > :18:07.and I think even Swansea, they are 21% owned by the fans and it is a
:18:08. > :18:10.case of they weren't consulted about the appointment, the fact this they
:18:11. > :18:14.sacked Francesco Guidolin on his birthday. It is what it is now and
:18:15. > :18:19.ultimately the American owners had a big say. They own 60% of the
:18:20. > :18:23.football club. They are the ones who brought in an American manager. We
:18:24. > :18:27.can talk about Giggs and other candidates, but Bob Bradley has got
:18:28. > :18:33.the job and the fans will get behind him now and he is the manager now.
:18:34. > :18:39.Francesco Guidolin was at the same hotel as that press Conference as
:18:40. > :18:41.Bob Bradley. This is yesterday. I know, it is uncomfortable and
:18:42. > :18:46.nothing they can take control of, but it was just another painful
:18:47. > :18:50.element of the appointment of Bob Bradley and when you look at the
:18:51. > :18:53.managers they have had, we used to talk about Swansea as a club that
:18:54. > :18:57.forward planned and were careful about the way they went about
:18:58. > :19:01.things, but no manager has stayed there longer than two years, it is
:19:02. > :19:07.hard to find stability when you keep changing the boss like that? It was
:19:08. > :19:10.the key to their success. They had a clear philosophy and a foundation of
:19:11. > :19:13.A, how they were going to play and they maintained that over a long
:19:14. > :19:16.period of time which gave a manager enough time to establish that
:19:17. > :19:20.philosophy. Recently we have had so many changes of manager that all of
:19:21. > :19:23.a sudden the identity of Swansea has changed and at the moment, you
:19:24. > :19:30.probably couldn't really say how they do want to play.
:19:31. > :19:37.Neil Warnock has taken over at Cardiff, promoted seven times. He is
:19:38. > :19:41.proven, isn't he, Neil? Exactly. Graham west lee taking over at
:19:42. > :19:45.Newport County. Mr Bradley first game in the Premier League will be
:19:46. > :19:50.next weekend against Arsenal and I'm sure he will enjoy a spot of this.
:19:51. > :19:54.We do a lot of agility work, a lot of diving, I'm hoping I might be
:19:55. > :19:57.able to offer something. We want to see everything that you've got
:19:58. > :20:02.today. Swag it up Tom. Over the shoulder. What a play. Oh my
:20:03. > :20:11.goodness, did you see that? That is also available
:20:12. > :20:13.on the iPlayer as is You can download it
:20:14. > :20:16.from midnight tonight. Plenty of 5 live commentaries
:20:17. > :20:18.to enjoy this weekend, starting with the England game
:20:19. > :20:22.at 5pm this afternoon. Let's turn our attention to Group C,
:20:23. > :20:25.where Northern Ireland face the extremes of qualifying over
:20:26. > :20:28.the next couple of days. Tonight they face San Marino
:20:29. > :20:36.in Belfast, before travelling to Hannover to face world champions
:20:37. > :20:39.Germany on Tuesday. It's what they can do
:20:40. > :20:41.at Windsor Park, though, which will be the key
:20:42. > :20:47.to their campaign. We have had 11 points from 15 in the
:20:48. > :20:51.previous campaign and you know we need that again, if not more and if
:20:52. > :20:57.you're going to get that kind of total from your home games then you
:20:58. > :21:02.have to beat San Marino and Azerbaijan. These are games that we
:21:03. > :21:06.have to capitalise and take the three points otherwise going to the
:21:07. > :21:10.Czech Republic and getting a positive result it is nullified if
:21:11. > :21:13.you don't concentrate on the home fixtures particularly against the
:21:14. > :21:16.perceived smaller nations in the group. It is imperative that we win
:21:17. > :21:18.the game on Saturday night and take three points. He's right with that
:21:19. > :21:31.as well. The stadium will be jam-packed and
:21:32. > :21:35.it can make a difference? I remember that evening well. Not for the right
:21:36. > :21:38.reasons probably, but it was a fabulous atmosphere. I'm not
:21:39. > :21:43.thinking that was because they won 1-0. Right from the off, it was just
:21:44. > :21:47.absolutely bouncing. You know, if they have maintained some of that
:21:48. > :21:50.atmosphere in the new stadium and kept, you know, that real feel to
:21:51. > :21:54.it, I think it would be a tough place to go and play. That
:21:55. > :21:58.intimidation, it can work, can't? As Michael was saying it did in the
:21:59. > :22:03.last campaign. Unbeaten and 11 points from 15? Well, they create an
:22:04. > :22:07.unbelievable atmosphere at Windsor Park, the Northern Ireland fans, I
:22:08. > :22:12.played there and missed a penalty for Wales and it was like going back
:22:13. > :22:17.to Ibrox! Yes, it can be noisy there and they work off that crowd as
:22:18. > :22:26.well, the team. They get a huge lift from the crowd and they had a
:22:27. > :22:30.wonderful campaign in the Euros and I fancy them to take care of
:22:31. > :22:35.business against San Marino. A difficult one... Next Tuesday.
:22:36. > :22:38.Against Germany away. Michael McGovern, who can forget his
:22:39. > :22:43.performance. They lost to Germany, but he was outstanding, wasn't he?
:22:44. > :22:48.He could do with another one of those in goal.
:22:49. > :22:51.Six games in League 1 this afternoon and a full programme in League 2
:22:52. > :22:54.and this week many of those clubs have been in action in the EFL
:22:55. > :23:00.New name, new format with 16 under 23 academy sides from Premier League
:23:01. > :23:03.and Championship clubs now taking on the lower league sides.
:23:04. > :23:11.Mark Clemmitt went to Hartlepool to see how it's working.
:23:12. > :23:22.The EFL Trophy. In Group F... The idea is to give young talent a
:23:23. > :23:26.chance to revitalise an ailing competition and improve prize money.
:23:27. > :23:30.We have had a tweak to the format. There is an initial group stage and
:23:31. > :23:37.it is fair to say those changes have had a mixed reaction.
:23:38. > :23:40.From academy sides point of view, it bridges a gap that we have been
:23:41. > :23:44.missing for a few years. The challenge for our players is mostly
:23:45. > :23:48.on the physical side of the game. I don't think our defenders would have
:23:49. > :23:52.defended as many cross balls into the box. Is David Moyes showing an
:23:53. > :23:58.interest in this? Is it filtering down the whole club set-up? Working
:23:59. > :24:02.with David, he wants the messages to get through to the boys here.
:24:03. > :24:08.Playing against men that are playing Football League week in and week
:24:09. > :24:12.out. Give me a prospective on the competition from the EFL point of
:24:13. > :24:15.view? It can be a hindrance. I have certain rules. I have to play five
:24:16. > :24:19.players who started the game on Saturday or five players who are my
:24:20. > :24:24.top 11 appearance makers, but when you got two away on international
:24:25. > :24:27.duty, and one suspended from a competition, I've got to select five
:24:28. > :24:33.from eight. OK, but there is ?10,000 at stake tonight. I don't know if
:24:34. > :24:38.your owner told you that, but these the prize money? What's that going
:24:39. > :24:42.to get me? It is an incentive. Of course, it is. It is a good
:24:43. > :24:46.incentive, but the be all and end all is I do right by the football
:24:47. > :24:51.club. No benefits to your players as you see it? No, the benefits should
:24:52. > :24:56.be for the younger players and the players who are on the fringe and I
:24:57. > :25:00.can't do that. What were you thinking when you went to your
:25:01. > :25:05.member clubs and said, "We want to introduce the academy teams?" Two
:25:06. > :25:09.years ago Greg Dyke spoke to our clubs about what the English game
:25:10. > :25:12.really needed to do to create more and better home-grown players and
:25:13. > :25:16.this was an ideal opportunity to try and bridge that gap between academy
:25:17. > :25:20.football, the first team football. What wouldn't have worked is if our
:25:21. > :25:25.clubs, the EFL clubs, actually fielded teams that were full of
:25:26. > :25:31.younger players as well. Effectively what we would then have is U21
:25:32. > :25:35.football in a first team setting. It is an important part to see what the
:25:36. > :25:39.EFL can contribute to football in this country.
:25:40. > :25:43.The objection, what people don't like is the fact... The Premiership
:25:44. > :25:48.is hijacking our competition and it will end up with two Premiership
:25:49. > :25:51.clubs at Wembley and that's the chance that we've got to go to
:25:52. > :25:57.Wembley. I mean, that's the only chance we've got really.
:25:58. > :26:01.It is great for the U21s because they're getting experience, but it
:26:02. > :26:06.is stifling my young players The proof will be in the pudding to look
:26:07. > :26:12.back and say has it worked for Craig's team? Has it worked for
:26:13. > :26:18.ours? If not, why not, can and can we change it going forward? If you
:26:19. > :26:23.can change it and make it fairer and more League two football friendly
:26:24. > :26:30.then I'm all for that. It is an interesting debate.
:26:31. > :26:32.You've been doing a bit of work with West Ham under-23s,
:26:33. > :26:43.It is a fabulous opportunity for 17, 18, 19, 20-year-old players to go
:26:44. > :26:47.and play what I would describe as real football, men's football. I
:26:48. > :26:51.mean, our 18-year-old centre-back played on Tuesday night. He would
:26:52. > :26:56.never get a challenge like that playing in Premier League 2 or under
:26:57. > :27:01.23 football. So what an experience and from a Premier League manager's
:27:02. > :27:03.point of view I would rather go and see my 19-year-old centre-back
:27:04. > :27:08.playing that game than playing a game that's all about how many
:27:09. > :27:12.passes you're making. You find out something different about young
:27:13. > :27:16.players which is important. What about the Hartlepool fan that's
:27:17. > :27:20.making the point, Barnsley, Peterborough had the chance to go to
:27:21. > :27:27.Wembley and do well and that may not be the case and this was their
:27:28. > :27:31.trophy, John? I agree with Matt. A young footballer, you want to give
:27:32. > :27:36.him the best experience and the most competitive experience and if you
:27:37. > :27:41.can go in and play senior football at 18, 19, rather than playing U21s
:27:42. > :27:44.football in front of 25 people on a Wednesday afternoon now you're going
:27:45. > :27:48.to play in front of big crowds. You're getting that experience and
:27:49. > :27:53.that would benefit the young players going on in the future.
:27:54. > :27:56.Thank you very much. More from John and Matt on our Focus
:27:57. > :28:03.Forum on the website. Plenty more from John
:28:04. > :28:05.and Matt on the Focus Forums on the website during the week,
:28:06. > :28:07.the Premier League Show is on BBC Two on Wednesday night
:28:08. > :28:11.and we'll be back at 12 next We leave you with a tribute
:28:12. > :28:34.to all things American Oh and that's number two.
:28:35. > :28:45.He has slipped. He's up and he scores!
:28:46. > :28:58.He scores his 50th Premier League goal.
:28:59. > :29:05.It has been a disappointing day for Brad Friedel.