Episode 12 Late Kick Off East

Less than three weeks to go, and still at least half of our teams do

not know which division they well be playing in next season. Exciting,

isn't it? Tonight, the art of management from

top to bottom with Aidy's take on the fight for survival. Coming to a

team at the bottom and struggling. I saw that as a massive challenge.

We are raiding the archives. How Paul Lambert was destined to become

a leader on and off the pitch. is the main man. He is in charge.

He talks in a huddle. He could make their hairs on the back of your

neck stand up. And what a great time to hit form, six of the best

to keep the Stevenage promotion dream alive and kicking.

Hello, good evening and welcome to Late Kick Off and welcome Perry.

Did you have a good Easter? And I have not been home! I am looking

forward to a feast of goals this evening. We also have the former

Norwich and Ireland manager Nigel. By still live here and enjoy it. We

stark with someone well-known to Nigel, who has tasted football

management at all levels. He is looking ahead to bring in good

times back to Sixfields. I have worked hard and I want to work more

because I want to be better. I am a better manager than I was when I

was 34 years old, leading wet -- what put into the Premier League.

He will be disappointed -- if you do not get into the top seven? I do

not think disappointed. He is someone who has managed in the

Premier League, and a possible England manager one day. No most

people were surprised you chose Northampton Town. May be, but I

think football management is changing now. For me to sit at home

and say I am a championship manager or Premiership manager, even though

I have done my work there, and League 1 with Colchester, I want to

manage. All most 300 games in club management, and the fires still

burning fiercely inside Aidy. What is he like? He is a professional in

everything he does and the way he deals with the media is always

professional. He does not let anyone get carried away, no matter

the result, he looks at the long game. What of the first thing he

sense was there was more humility about him now than at Watford and

perhaps he was a bright young thing people spoke about and perhaps he

allowed it to go to his head. Since he has been here, he has been down-

to-earth. My am a far better manager than I was when I was 34

years old -- I am. Leading what that into the Premier League and

coming up against Alex Ferguson, getting to FA Cup semi-finals. I am

a strange mix. I have the experience of an older guy but I am

young enough and have the energy to carry it through. I am happy that

is the most important thing. If you coaches get the chance to manage in

a Premier League, let alone in their early thirties, the journey

to the Premier League is a fairy tale. A distant memory from the

task of keeping the club in the league. Coming to a team at the

bottom and struggling he could go out of the league, I saw it as a

massive challenge but thought that if we can do this right and turn it

around, what a great job it would be and a great challenge you could

overcome to build something better than what you found it in. That is

what I try to do. It has not been plain sailing since he arrived,

inheriting a squad without character. It is finding the right

recipe and making sure we get together and organised.

At first they continued to slide. It is a nice one to build up. This

is a must-win game. He teen rock bottom at the media. Is this a low

point? I am fed up. The a showed determination and they dug in and

move towards safety. What is his manager like? Boy! He is a

meticulous manager. He knows what he wants. He came in and knew what

he wanted to implement. We did not see eye to eye head-first. He came

with his own game plan. I was not part of his immediate plans for the

first nine weeks, but I came back into his plans and it has benefited

both of us. Those around the training ground will tell you the

sessions are sharper and stock keeping players on his toes is one

of his strengths. -- on their toes. In a line, alphabetically. With the

squad bulging at the seams, he plans to reduce numbers and

increase quality next season. More attention will be paid to

supporting playing staff. I'm will be disappointed if we do not do

better. The chairman has said about being

towards the top six or seven teams. The if the budget is, we will look

to be in the top six or seven. Experience has taught him not to

give too much away. You do not expect him to settle for mid-table.

I mentioned that you know him well and you brought in to Norwich.

brought him from Peterborough to marriage and he progressed.

seems professional in everything he does. He is an organised and

thorough person in his professional manner. He likes to put that across

to the players. When I spoke to him before appointing him and Norwich,

it came across to me he is an and individual who wants to run before

he can walk, but that is not a bad thing. Pfitzner seems to be an

issue and he says he is bringing in a sports scientist -- fitness.

looks like he has got him fitter, in the interview, it looked like

they had a clash. He has the experience now. It did not go to

plan against Bradford. It was disappointing, you want to win your

home games. You had Nahki Wells getting in.

He accused the players have already been on the beach. You cannot

afford to be. You cannot afford to have that

thought process at this time of the season. It is an important time.

With a few games to go, and important games to be played, they

have to ensure they get over the line to be in the league.

line to be in the league. You think we have got the momentum,

this is straight from kick-off. It would mean the two defenders get

caught ball-watching. He completes a hat-trick and puts Bradford three

have a one up. How difficult is it have a one up. How difficult is it

to keep your team going at this to keep your team going at this

stage of the season? The if you are fighting for your

life you have to keep going at the end of the season. He will look at

the squad to see who will be there for next year and the character of

the players he can rely on. He will look to get things shaped up.

points clear of the bottom two. Hopefully, it is job done. The two

teams at the bottom, looking to win their games, they go to Hereford,

they could be down by then. I think they are safe. Tomorrow, they play

Crawley, which is their game in It is a tough game, with Steve

Coppell going, losing their manager. Crawley going well, Southend also.

It looks like they will be in the play-offs. They faced a tough game

against Torquay. But they kept a clean sheet. Their third in four

games. They have to make sure they come 5th, then you play the second

play-off game at home. They are probably needed to win against

Torquay to have any chance. It wouldn't be nice for them to win

on Saturday. -- it would have been. Hopefully they can do it in the

play-offs. Freddie was on the bench.

I think he was saving him. We can look at the top of the table.

If they had beaten to will K they would have been three points nearer.

-- been Torquay. Barnett to Macclesfield, two teams

at the bottom, scrapping for the Allies. Barnet have changed manager.

They are looking for Mark Allen to give them impotence to get their

football status secured. Plenty more to come this evening with a

case of great Scot by name and nature.

The pick of the action as Jason hits a corker for town. And put

your medals on the table, Paul Lambert the play.

It was one of these two. I used to sit here.

League 1, with interest in the promotion race. We start with MK

Dons. They had drawn the last four away games and they needed a

victory. Charlie McDonald turned into the provider. 103 goals in

competitions this season. 17 clean sheets for Martin, another club

record. They have done fantastically. I have watched them

this year and they played good football. They score lots of goals.

Darren Parker has signed a new deal. Karl Robinson describes him as one

of his Rolls Royces. I don't know why the fourth

official was getting involved. He backed into McKenzie. Normally, if

you elbows someone there is a double movement. He cannot believe

he was sent off. You wonder why the fourth official got involved.

Nobody else seemed to react. There is no reaction from the players,

which is the biggest thing of all from the official's point of view.

Williams, five in five games. took a decent bounce in front of

the goalkeeper. Mellor is also a target. He is a big, strong target

man. Wherever he has been he has done well. That would be a good

addition. Also in the promotion race, Stevenage. A good win at the

weekend. Contract. They have drawn a few games. 6-0 away at Yeovil, a

record defeat for them. Freeman puts them 1-0 up. It is a great

story, Stevenage. Back-to-back promotions and pushing for a third.

He it is unbelievable where they have come from. To score six goals

in any game is phenomenal. That was a sending off. A shocking tackle.

No option. That was a career wrecking tackle. Patrick on the

scoresheet. He is a physical presence. Stevenage like to get the

ball early. How difficult is it for Gary Smith? To come in as he did.

To carry it forward? He did well with the football club and for Gary

to come in and take it on was not easy. It is almost easier if

somebody has not done as well to get things going. It is a difficult

job. Overall, I think he has done Luke Freeman gives them a bit of

quality. I just want that there can be put impetus. After that FA cup-

tie against Tottenham they lost it a bit, but it looks that they're

opportunity to get into the top six? There is every chance. They do

play again, Stevenage, against Carlisle. That is a huge picture -

fixture. They are tough fixtures, Called Chester are pretty much out

of the play-offs. And draw was not enough for Wednesday, but a really

good 0.4 called Chester. teaching that celebration? It is

good to see that the celebrations have been changed after all these

years. He was a very enthusiastic kid when I hadn't, full of beans,

and it looks like he is just the same. The manager told us him to go

wide can be a pest, as that a fair assessment? That's about right!

They haven't won for 10 games, and the really need to get into the

play-offs, get the results. draws at homes - 12 draws at home.

Be just the back creativity in the final third. Nice to see a big

crowd there, over 6500. Fantastic. I don't know how many called

Chester supporters were there. When Wednesday travel to take a

fantastic amount of supporters. It is good for the First Division.

hope they will - I'm sure they'll be hoping to move up. This was at

this - disappointing result. don't think they have one in 10

away games. This was a great start from the young lad, the mule.

securing them saying that he could be the long-term successor to

George Boyd. It is always good for youngsters to be coming through and

for Darren to be giving youngsters the opportunity at this time of the

season. It is a big thing and credit to the Kade for taking it on.

Darren Ferguson has done a great job coming back there. He said last

year he wanted bigger, more physical players for the

championship and that is what he has learnt. Darren has from

Peterborough at fantastic job by keeping them in the championship

this year. If they were going to stay in the championship, I think

at the start of this season they would have said, job done. It helps

to attract players to the club. They lost Ryan Bennett's to

Norwich's well. I think they will lose other players, Joe louche -

Joe Lewis and so on. Her as long as the money the get for those players

are reinvested in good team. that's mean chicken by a more

players, it makes your job a lot easier. What do you make of your

friends from down the road in Suffolk? I have watched quite a bit

of Ipswich. I think everybody was expecting them to do a lot better.

Poll, in the last couple of months, there have been a lot of good

results. Given a few more efficient in the summer it will be helpful.

great performance from Jason Scotland at the weekend. Nathan

Klein does really well. What about more youngsters in the team now?

The fans would like to see more between now and the end of this

season, Carson, Byron Lawrence. would be surprised if it plays

against Birmingham because Birmingham are going great guns at

the minute. Millwall and Doncaster, he might put the young players in

them. They have had the same back four for the last 16 games. Earlier

on in this season they were letting in a lot of goals. Do you think

it's which could be promotion candidates next season? That is the

million-dollar question. It will depend to Paul add to the group

next summer. We don't know what this situation is. It is keeping

players that are already at the club. Jason Scotland, Tommy Smith,

and some of the youngsters, Josh Carson. By Paul Jewell will want to

know at the end of this week what players he is going to keep so we

can plan for next season. I think they said to grant, we want to know

by late today so Paul Jewell can With Ipswich, Marcus Evans has to

take a lot of credit. He stuck with his manager. That galvanised the

team. Begins tomorrow for the two clubs. Peterborough taking on

Southampton. But as a big game. A I think there is a time and place for

youngsters to come into the team at Ipswich versus Birmingham probably

isn't the right time. And not even off the bench? Maybe off the bench,

but managers want to win games and if you had too many youngsters in

and you use the games, it can go the other way for you. It's been an

extraordinary three seasons for Norwich City, rising from League

One, through the Championship and to the Premier League under the

Impressive managerial credentials are there for all to see, but what

Norwich supporters possibly don't appreciate is just how successful

Lambert was as a player. Kevin Piper reports.

Paul Lambert was a success from the beginning of his career. At 17 he

became one of the youngest players to win the Scottish Cup, in 1987. A

skilful milk - midfielder, he joined Motherwell in 1993, helping

them to be a Uefa Cup. This was a catching the eye of the door then

coach. When he was denied a modest pay rise by another wave - by

Motherwell he decided it was time for a bold move. There was a BBC

documentary about it. I was only looking for a small rise - he was

looking for a small rise, �50 or something. Motherwell didn't want

to meet that. He got offers to train with PSV Eindhoven and then

talk mint. It was surprised everybody that he was going to try

I knew people were going to say that I was kidding myself, but that

was the chance I had, not here in Scotland. The foreigners give me a

chance that people here didn't. took the chance, leaving Motherwell.

He was given a three-year deal by Dortmund and the rest is the stuff

of football fairy-tales. This was normally mind. One of these two.

The players that they played with were phenomenal. They were world

class players at the time. It was a great honour for me to play with

them, Crilly wolds. They found me on an enormous amount. What a time

I had you. It was fantastic. It is a fantastic club and I'm fortunate

enough to have played here. would be an extraordinary first

season in Germany,, mixing it with the Champions League final against

Juventus. It was his job to Mark Zinedine Zidane, arguably the best

player in the world. He was the main man. He was a massive threat.

He is probably one of the greatest players in the world. Things went

my way in that game. I had guys round about me she were helping me.

I knew I had to keep my alley on him. It was a great experience to

play against him. You don't realise how big it is until you're playing

in it. It is a massive thing. I am proud to have done that and lucky

to have won it as well. He decided to return home, joining Celtic and

helping to its end the Rangers' stranglehold on Scottish football.

He also became good friends with Ian Wright. He is the main man. He

talks in the huddle, their hairs on the back of your neck would stand

up because you could see the passion. It is weird because it is

a time of high emotion, it was quite a privileged moment for me to

be in a Celtic huddle. She was going on and on. I remember

thinking, this is amazing, deep stuff. Team spirit, a fundamental

team - a fundamental part of his football philosophy. He is

responsible for transforming the futures of Norwich City. Who knows,

maybe another European adventure down the line. What is it about

poll numbered that is making such a successful manager? As a player and

manager he is so understated. He plays everything down, doesn't

shout about himself. Looking at Norwich City and what they have

achieved, his teams do that. They're hard-working, well

organised and get fantastic results. He does seem very modest. Has

playing abroad helped him be a better manager? When you see the

players he has played with, not to have picked up some valuable

experience, that must be phenomenal to be in the same team. I'm sure he

has picked up a lot of things and taken up with them into his

management. What about your career. You resign from the Northern

Ireland job, what's the future? You're just waiting for somebody

else to lose their job, unfortunately, to get your

opportunity. I am in no real rush. You want to become a manager again?

And very much so. Very enthusiastic, full of dried and they want to do