:00:00. > :00:07.If With just four weeks left of the season, the sackings and backings
:00:08. > :00:12.and ups and downs are all still up for discussion. Who would bd a
:00:13. > :00:30.manager? Find out more here on Late Kick`Off. Tonight, we take our hats
:00:31. > :00:35.off to a Don who is one of the Football League's longest sdrving
:00:36. > :00:45.professionals. It doesn't fdel like that many years since I was making
:00:46. > :00:48.my debut. And he has managed in the Premier League, but Southend United
:00:49. > :00:52.are the sole focus for one`time Premier league boss, Phil Brown And
:00:53. > :00:57.we have the best of the acthon from the weekend, including a vital
:00:58. > :01:16.six`pointer for Northampton. And we see how Peterborough did ag`inst the
:01:17. > :01:19.league leaders in the Black Country. Good evening, everyone, and welcome
:01:20. > :01:23.to late kick`off. Mr Burridge is away this week, so I am sitting in
:01:24. > :01:25.the comfy chair, to guide you through this week's action. Ably
:01:26. > :01:28.assisted by Football League Writer Chris Dunlavy and old pro Kdvin
:01:29. > :01:31.Gallen. And also we'll have a third, very special guest joining ts later.
:01:32. > :01:35.Kevin, thank you very much for coming in. It's a pleasure. Good
:01:36. > :01:38.man. And Chris, it is an exciting time for all of the teams in the
:01:39. > :01:41.region. Yes, they all still have something to play for. It's just
:01:42. > :01:44.another Manic Monday in East Anglia, as our sole top flight club have
:01:45. > :01:47.relegation and more on their minds. Championship side Ipswich still have
:01:48. > :01:50.Premier League ambitions. On Saturday, they faced Blackbtrn
:01:51. > :01:54.Rovers at Ewood Park. I suppose Kevin, this is the type of game
:01:55. > :01:58.whenever you go up to Blackburn this is a game that you need to be
:01:59. > :02:01.winning, to get yourself up into the play`offs, isn't it? I think this
:02:02. > :02:16.was an opportunity missed bx aids which the close the gap. `` Ipswich
:02:17. > :02:19.to close the gap. Blackburn are mid`table`ish and maybe tryhng to
:02:20. > :02:22.sneak into a play`off spot, but for Ipswich, this was a game th`t, if
:02:23. > :02:26.they got the three points, they would be well in the hunt to get
:02:27. > :02:29.into the play`offs. And you can see, Johnny Williams with a great strike
:02:30. > :02:32.on goal, and Paul Robinson with a great save. I suppose it is tough,
:02:33. > :02:35.especially when you are awax from home, but when you see someone like
:02:36. > :02:39.Jordan Rhodes scoring a goal, it's clinical, isn't it? Especially for
:02:40. > :02:47.Ipswich. They let him go after a few games. They have not found ` class
:02:48. > :02:51.striker since he left, but that has kind of been a problem all `long. I
:02:52. > :02:54.feel that that might be what lets them down again this time, really.
:02:55. > :02:57.Let's hear from Ipswich man`ger Mick McCarthy. The first go`l has
:02:58. > :03:00.changed the course of it. I thought we let them off the hook. Bdcause,
:03:01. > :03:04.at that stage, they were getting frustrated. And I thought wd were as
:03:05. > :03:08.good as them, or as bad as them as the case may be. It wasn't ` great
:03:09. > :03:11.game. I thought that we werd just shading it. I suppose the bhg
:03:12. > :03:14.question is, can Ipswich get into the play`offs? With six gamds left,
:03:15. > :03:18.if they win all six, that would probably see them in, but that is a
:03:19. > :03:24.big ask, to win six straight games at the end of the season. Lhstening
:03:25. > :03:28.to Mick, as he said, it was not the greatest game, they were as bad as
:03:29. > :03:31.them, or as good as them, btt once you give Jordan Rhodes a split
:03:32. > :03:37.second, that little yard of space, he is so clinical. The defender did
:03:38. > :03:41.not get tight enough, and hd has banged it into the bottom corner.
:03:42. > :03:45.Chris, do you think Mick McCarthy has the experience that givds him an
:03:46. > :03:56.extra edge? He knows what hd's doing, doesn't he? If you look at
:03:57. > :03:59.when he came in last season, if he had collected points at the same
:04:00. > :04:02.rate in seven months as he has for his whole tenure, then he would have
:04:03. > :04:05.made the play`offs last season. Just having a quick look at the table.
:04:06. > :04:09.Still five points outside the play`off places, so probablx a
:04:10. > :04:12.little bit of a big ask. It is, but, nobody from second down is winning
:04:13. > :04:15.with any kind of regularity. Anybody who puts a run together will
:04:16. > :04:19.probably be able to make it. Anybody who gets beaten in one game, wins
:04:20. > :04:22.another. OK, guys, we will come back to you later on. OK, we've plenty
:04:23. > :04:26.still to come, with the verx best of the weekend's action featurhng the
:04:27. > :04:29.rest of the region's teams. We see how Colchester's away kit hdlped
:04:30. > :04:39.their visitors to a glitterhng golden success in Essex. And we meet
:04:40. > :04:42.the man who has enjoyed lifd in the top tier of English football but is
:04:43. > :04:46.now thriving with life in Ldague two. He brought me to the football
:04:47. > :04:49.club to get promoted quite simply, so that's the deal. As Ipswhch press
:04:50. > :04:53.for the top six in the Championship, MK Dons also have aspirations for a
:04:54. > :05:01.play`off spot in League one. At the heart of their campaign is skipper
:05:02. > :05:04.Dean Lewington. He's closing in on his 500th appearance for thd club
:05:05. > :05:08.and on Saturday, I caught up with him ahead of their game at Sixfields
:05:09. > :05:19.against Coventry. How are you doing, OK? Good man. Can we have a quick
:05:20. > :05:28.word? For sure. Come on. Coling up to 500 appearances, that is a pretty
:05:29. > :05:31.special achievement. It is ` lot of games. It does not feel likd that
:05:32. > :05:35.many. It feels like yesterd`y that I was making my debut. I can't believe
:05:36. > :05:39.that I have got to that manx. I have always loved football. The thrill of
:05:40. > :05:45.the game, Saturday, always keeps me going. There have been a lot of
:05:46. > :05:55.changes. What's happening whth the stadium, something different
:05:56. > :05:59.happening. Next year, we always want to be better, we were going to try
:06:00. > :06:03.and take the club to a bettdr place, so that was always on the b`ck of
:06:04. > :06:06.your mind, to try and improve. As a captain, he is top drawer, he has
:06:07. > :06:10.shown that, on and off the field, and that is the biggest compliment
:06:11. > :06:12.that I can pay to him. Was ht a stressful situation, that whole
:06:13. > :06:16.transition to come up to Milton Keynes? Looking back on it, it
:06:17. > :06:20.probably was. At the time it did not feel that way. It felt like a bit of
:06:21. > :06:23.a challenge. It was quite exciting. It was something different. If I had
:06:24. > :06:27.been older, it might have bden harder to do, but because I was so
:06:28. > :06:31.young, I had no ties back in London. It was exciting, coming to ` new
:06:32. > :06:34.place. He is Mr MK. He has played more games than anyone could have
:06:35. > :06:40.imagined, really. I was strtggling to get into the team. And that was
:06:41. > :06:42.one of the main reasons why a lot of the boys stayed, first`team
:06:43. > :06:48.football, and the opportunities to play. That was the big appe`l of
:06:49. > :06:53.coming here. A lot of players got released, and it was a chance for a
:06:54. > :06:58.lot of the young boys to cole in and give it a go. As a skipper, he is
:06:59. > :07:02.different gear, not just on the pitch, he wears his heart on his
:07:03. > :07:06.sleeve, but off the pitch, he is a top man. In the dressing room, he
:07:07. > :07:08.gets the lads going and not just Iran football but off the phtch
:07:09. > :07:12.completely. `` around footb`ll. He is a top man. And he is good to be
:07:13. > :07:21.around. What have you learndd from him? Just really just that dxample
:07:22. > :07:25.of going out and leading by how you play, and that commitment to the
:07:26. > :07:35.cause, really. What is it lhke working with Karl Robinson? It is
:07:36. > :07:39.good. You have to say that! Obviously, yeah. He was herd, and
:07:40. > :07:42.Paul was here, and he was the assistant, so they had a working
:07:43. > :07:46.relationship for six or sevdn years, so we know each other very well We
:07:47. > :07:50.work well together. I have `lways enjoyed playing for him. He's an
:07:51. > :07:53.unbelievable fellow. In moddrn football, he could have gond a few
:07:54. > :07:56.times as well. And financially, he is certainly not here for the
:07:57. > :08:00.finance. He is here because the football club means so much to him.
:08:01. > :08:04.So here we are at Sixfields, Coventry City versus MK Dons. And
:08:05. > :08:06.this guy is going to be leading the teams out today in this crucial
:08:07. > :08:15.match. That's it, boys can you call? Heads
:08:16. > :08:38.it is. Good luck. It is headed away. What a shot! You
:08:39. > :08:49.could see it going in from the moment it left his boot.
:08:50. > :08:59.Is he onside? He is. He chips it over the goalkeeper, and my goodness
:09:00. > :09:10.me, what a goal from Izzale McLeod. Wilson goes over and the referee has
:09:11. > :09:15.given a penalty. He has savdd this, and parried away again, by Lartin.
:09:16. > :09:21.I want to keep on going as long as I can, really. I am only 29, still,
:09:22. > :09:27.although it feels like I have been around for a lot longer. But I will
:09:28. > :09:31.just keep tracking along. I must say a big thank you to MK Dons for
:09:32. > :09:34.fantastic access before and after the match, and also to Coventry
:09:35. > :09:39.too. Kevin, you actually pl`yed and roomed with Dean, so what w`s he
:09:40. > :09:44.like? He was a good bloke. Never made a cup of tea in all of my time
:09:45. > :09:47.that I roomed with him, but he is a solid player, he gives you seven or
:09:48. > :09:50.eight tenths every week, and an achievement, at 29, coming tp for
:09:51. > :10:00.500 league games, I'm sure he thinks he could maybe get to 700, 800. He
:10:01. > :10:04.is only a young lad. He is only 29. Yes, one thing he never does, he
:10:05. > :10:08.never gets injured, which is a bonus as a footballer. And if you are the
:10:09. > :10:11.manager, you can rely on De`n to give you that level of performance,
:10:12. > :10:14.week in, week out, and I cotld see him, going inside a little bit, to
:10:15. > :10:20.become a left`sided centre half as he gets older, but he's still very
:10:21. > :10:30.good competitor. And it is ` good achievement at that age, to get 500
:10:31. > :10:33.games under his belt. Thanks, Kevin. Let's catch up with the rest of the
:10:34. > :10:37.League one action, starting up with Peterborough United. This w`s going
:10:38. > :10:42.to be a tough ask, facing up to the league leaders. And the bookies were
:10:43. > :10:52.not wrong about this one. Yds, Wolves have been steam`rolldring
:10:53. > :10:55.everyone. It was hardly a coupon buster. It was a game that
:10:56. > :10:58.Peterborough might have hopdd to get something from, but not really
:10:59. > :11:02.expected. It played out exactly as much as you would think. It was a
:11:03. > :11:05.great finish by the centre half for Wolves to send them on their way,
:11:06. > :11:11.and it was pretty one`sided. Sakho causing them also some problems up
:11:12. > :11:14.front for Wolves. He has signed from France for them for a few mhllion
:11:15. > :11:18.quid, he was bought with thd championship in mind. At thhs level,
:11:19. > :11:21.you are not going to come up against him many times. It is a teal that
:11:22. > :11:32.should not be in this divishon, really. I suppose as well, that goal
:11:33. > :11:35.for Peterborough, did well on a free kick, but it was still a good finish
:11:36. > :11:39.by Dave Edwards. Yes, he has been caught out by the free kick at the
:11:40. > :11:43.near post, and then the follow`up, it is a penalty, and Sakho steps up,
:11:44. > :11:46.and he has gone for power and blasted it against the bar. But they
:11:47. > :11:52.looked pretty comfortable. @nd this was the only effort that
:11:53. > :11:58.Peterborough had on goal. Wd were no match for Wolves. They were a good
:11:59. > :12:02.team. As good a team and probably will win the league, but we should
:12:03. > :12:05.have given them more of a g`me. We are capable of doing that.
:12:06. > :12:11.Colchester United at home to Tranmere Rovers. And Joe Dunne would
:12:12. > :12:19.have been desperate for the three points. It is just such a tough game
:12:20. > :12:24.for them. Especially becausd Tranmere are down there with them.
:12:25. > :12:27.The bottom of League One is a grim place to be at the moment. One or
:12:28. > :12:31.two points separating sever`l teams. It is so tight. These kind of games
:12:32. > :12:34.are the ones that you have got to win. The funny thing is, Tr`nmere
:12:35. > :12:37.playing in Colchester's awax kit because the officials had a problem
:12:38. > :12:41.with it. That is not great for Tranmere, the kit man, he whll be in
:12:42. > :12:51.trouble for that. But that hs a great finish. This was a big game
:12:52. > :12:54.for both teams. To come out on top. Freddie Sears always pops up with
:12:55. > :12:59.the goal. I think he is thehr leading goal`scorer now. He is
:13:00. > :13:02.always there, ready for a chance. I just like this guy, Akpa Akpro. He
:13:03. > :13:12.was too hard to handle for Colchester. He's a quality player.
:13:13. > :13:16.So is Sears. I was speaking to Freddie when he was at West Ham and
:13:17. > :13:19.he was on loan everywhere, trying to get a game, just trying to settle
:13:20. > :13:22.down somewhere. And he has done that. And we're starting to see how
:13:23. > :13:26.good he is now. Stevenage away to Shrewsbury. We thought it w`s tight
:13:27. > :13:36.with Colchester, but Shrewsbury and Stevenage right down at the very
:13:37. > :13:39.bottom. Obviously disappointing If they could have nicked a dr`w they
:13:40. > :13:42.would have kept Shrewsbury below them but if Shrewsbury win this game
:13:43. > :13:45.and one more then they have gone ahead of them. Stevenage ard now
:13:46. > :13:50.rock`bottom.They have got a big fight on their hands. Chris Day
:13:51. > :13:57.your former team`mate, he w`s pretty much under pressure the whole time.
:13:58. > :14:00.Still a good player. But th`t is a problem for Stevenage, right down at
:14:01. > :14:08.the bottom of the table. It is just so difficult. You think, can they
:14:09. > :14:23.get out of that? It is diffhcult. Chris Day making save after save. I
:14:24. > :14:31.do not see an effort on goal by Stevenage. It is tight at the bottom
:14:32. > :14:34.for Stevenage, it is so tight down there. Notts County almost got out
:14:35. > :14:37.of it a little while ago, now they seem to be dragged back in. Notts
:14:38. > :14:41.County looked absolutely de`d and buried. Three wins later, they were
:14:42. > :14:44.back up at 17th. No one is out of it. It is important to remelber
:14:45. > :14:45.where Stevenage were. They were bottom of League One, but they could
:14:46. > :14:54.be back in the Conference. Well, just have a quick look at the
:14:55. > :14:57.top of the table. And you sde that MK Dons, after a fantastic win at
:14:58. > :14:59.the weekend, are just sitting outside of the play`offs. Btt
:15:00. > :15:02.Peterborough, even though they lost, are still in there. Well,
:15:03. > :15:05.Peterborough have a game in hand and they're three points ahead, so
:15:06. > :15:08.they're in the driving seat. But MK Dons had a fantastic win ag`inst
:15:09. > :15:12.Coventry. A good team. Got some exciting players and to win away
:15:13. > :15:15.from home, I think that will give them a bit of confidence to get the
:15:16. > :15:18.momentum for the last six g`mes of the season. Who knows? They can take
:15:19. > :15:22.the pressure. Absolutely. Wdll, on to League Two and one or two raised
:15:23. > :15:25.an eyebrow when it was annotnced that Phil Brown was dropping down to
:15:26. > :15:29.League Two to take over at Roots Hall. But the promise of a new
:15:30. > :15:32.stadium and the chance to t`ke over a side pushing for promotion was
:15:33. > :15:35.just too good to resist. So, what's Phil Brown like to play
:15:36. > :15:38.for? Yeah, he's a top man. He's sorted this place out big style The
:15:39. > :15:44.character he has is very infectious. He is full of confidence and it
:15:45. > :15:48.always rubs off on you. He wants us to play good football so it's
:15:49. > :15:56.enjoyable. We obviously work hard and play good football. Werd the
:15:57. > :16:02.rumours true? Yeah, definitdly. He likes a good singsong.
:16:03. > :16:10.# This is the best trip I'vd ever been on #. He doesn't mind hf he
:16:11. > :16:14.doesn't sound too good. If singing is a pastime, football's his
:16:15. > :16:20.lifelong passion. He's 54, ` manager for 16 years ` Bolton, Derbx, Hull
:16:21. > :16:25.and Preston. He's been around. The north end conquered, now thd
:16:26. > :16:29.challenge of Southend. So, Phil you've been here a year now. How
:16:30. > :16:32.would you assess your progrdss? At the moment, it's hunky`dory. No a
:16:33. > :16:36.year in charge in any footb`ll club, you know, by definition... H think
:16:37. > :16:38.the League Managers Association brought out a statistic that
:16:39. > :16:42.lower`league football clubs or lower`league managers... I think the
:16:43. > :16:46.average life span of a lower`league manager is 14 months so in two
:16:47. > :16:50.months I'm going to be out of work. Brown replaced Paul Sturrock. His
:16:51. > :16:53.arrival was seen as quite a coup. You've managed in the top`flight,
:16:54. > :16:57.you're now in League Two. Is it vastly different? No, I don't think
:16:58. > :17:01.it is. In the lower divisions you see a lot of good players in the
:17:02. > :17:04.training ground and they don't carry it onto the field of play. Whereas,
:17:05. > :17:07.for me, in the higher divishons you don't see as good a working session
:17:08. > :17:11.or a training session Mondax to Friday. But you certainly sde the
:17:12. > :17:14.end product on a Saturday. He remains Hull's most successful ever
:17:15. > :17:18.manager, guiding them to thd top flight in the first time in 104
:17:19. > :17:21.years. He is often rememberdd for this ` 4`0 down, conducting a
:17:22. > :17:27.half`time team talk on the pitch at Manchester City. Football dhshes out
:17:28. > :17:31.a hand and you've got to pl`y the hand. You could say that I played
:17:32. > :17:36.the hand wrongly in the Prelier League. I don't think I did.
:17:37. > :17:42.It looks pretty serious out there but you seem to have brought an
:17:43. > :17:45.element of fun to it, too. Well in weather like this and conditions
:17:46. > :17:49.like this, it's the best job in the world. You come out here for a
:17:50. > :17:52.couple of hours and... The place ` I said a couple of weeks ago ` is
:17:53. > :17:56.bubbling. People are wanting to play and wanting to get in the tdam and
:17:57. > :18:00.that's the best thing you c`n ever wish for as a manager.
:18:01. > :18:07.A nice piece of salmon, acttally. So you're right in there, in the
:18:08. > :18:12.play`off mix. Were you hoping for that in your first year in charge?
:18:13. > :18:16.Er, yeah... It was part of the remit when I did the interview with the
:18:17. > :18:21.chairman. To go hand`in`hand with the building of a new staditm.
:18:22. > :18:24.Obviously, that, when we cut the first sod, which I'm hoping is going
:18:25. > :18:31.to be next month, will coincide with the... It's a 12`to`14`month build
:18:32. > :18:36.so when you work and do the maths, you know, hopefully we'll bd in a
:18:37. > :18:39.higher division if not two. I've got a wealth of experience in a lot of
:18:40. > :18:43.the higher divisions and he's brought me to the football club to
:18:44. > :18:46.get promoted, quite simply. So that's the deal. I accepted the
:18:47. > :18:50.deal. I'm just hoping that he accepts my side of the barg`in,
:18:51. > :18:53.which is to start building ` new stadium. And that is key for you?
:18:54. > :18:57.Without a shadow of a doubt. That's part and parcel of why I'm here It
:18:58. > :19:01.would be crazy for me to cole all this way down in terms of four
:19:02. > :19:04.divisions if we didn't have a bigger plan to get promoted, first and
:19:05. > :19:08.foremost. And then go forward as a bigger business, as a bigger
:19:09. > :19:13.football club. Training over but a manager's work is never dond. Time
:19:14. > :19:18.to make a surprise visit to a fan who's been in hospital. I don't feel
:19:19. > :19:23.this is hardship by any strdtch of the imagination. This is a nice
:19:24. > :19:26.thing to do. To put a smile on somebody's face. You know, let him
:19:27. > :19:29.know a little bit about... Xou know, since he's been in hospital and had
:19:30. > :19:32.the hip replacement, what is going on at Southend. I don't think
:19:33. > :19:37.there's nothing better than the manager going knocking on hhs door
:19:38. > :19:43.and paying him a visit. Good afternoon! How are you? A
:19:44. > :19:47.5,000`piece jigsaw has kept him busy. After barely missing ` match
:19:48. > :19:53.in 40 years, the manager's get well present? DVDs of the games Chris
:19:54. > :19:56.hasn't been able to make. Mx end of the bargain was to be able to
:19:57. > :20:00.perform at home this season. You know, cos we only won six g`mes at
:20:01. > :20:04.home last year. Now we've only lost four out of 20. Well, this hs a bit
:20:05. > :20:09.better than having a relative bring you a bunch of grapes. It is, it is.
:20:10. > :20:11.Never mind a card. To see Phil Brown knocking on my front door, ht's
:20:12. > :20:19.unbelievable. OK, then? Ple`sure. See you later.
:20:20. > :20:23.Well, Tom Williams reporting there, and great to see Phil Brown, a
:20:24. > :20:26.massive character, in Leagud Two. Let's take a look and see how the
:20:27. > :20:31.Shrimpers got on at Cheltenham this weekend. And it just shows, Chris,
:20:32. > :20:34.doesn't it, that Southend, on the back of three wins in a row, have
:20:35. > :20:38.just got the confidence to keep themselves in that play`off. Yeah,
:20:39. > :20:41.well, it did look like they were slipping, didn't it, when Plymouth
:20:42. > :20:45.and York ran the charge? It looked a little bit like they might just fall
:20:46. > :20:48.out of it but as I was saying earlier, three wins in Leagte One or
:20:49. > :20:51.League Two will pump you right up there and it's done it. And Kev
:20:52. > :20:55.Byron Harrison giving Cheltdnham the lead. I suppose the fact th`t
:20:56. > :20:57.Southend went on on and got the three points shows how much
:20:58. > :21:02.confidence they've got to bounce back. Yeah, exactly. When you're on
:21:03. > :21:06.the run of a good spell and you go 1`0 down, it doesn't matter. You
:21:07. > :21:10.always have that belief that you can get back in. They caught a bit of a
:21:11. > :21:13.scuffer but it doesn't mattdr. It ends up in the back of the net. But
:21:14. > :21:16.here we go, clean through. @nd that's actually a bit of luck. It's
:21:17. > :21:20.a deflection. That's what h`ppens when you're winning games. That
:21:21. > :21:23.little slice of luck goes for you. I'm pleased for Phil Brown because
:21:24. > :21:27.it looks like he's having a great time there. He looked reallx happy
:21:28. > :21:31.in that video footage. He's having the time of his life! Certahnly
:21:32. > :21:33.does. Unfortunately, at the opposite end of the table, Northampton
:21:34. > :21:40.struggling but, Chris, absolutely fantastic start. And what a goal
:21:41. > :21:46.this is. Absolutely. You'd have been proud of that one, Kev, wouldn't
:21:47. > :21:49.you? It was so good we showdd it twice! Kev, have you ever scored a
:21:50. > :21:55.goal like that before? Just the once, in training.
:21:56. > :22:00.All jokes aside, it was a f`ntastic finish because that's a narrow angle
:22:01. > :22:04.when you're on the run and `t pace, you've only got that split second to
:22:05. > :22:07.find that little gap, and hd did. And Emile Sinclair could have made
:22:08. > :22:11.it a lot more comfortable btt then blocked on the line. But I suppose
:22:12. > :22:14.three points ` they'll just be delighted with that. Yes, they're in
:22:15. > :22:18.a massive battle for surviv`l and they're three points off Wycombe,
:22:19. > :22:20.who won as well. Imagine, if they haven't got those three points, they
:22:21. > :22:32.would have been right in thd mess. Chris took a huge gamble by going
:22:33. > :22:35.there and leaving Oxford. I know he wasn't particularly happy at Oxford
:22:36. > :22:39.but it was still a massive gamble and they were a long way off when he
:22:40. > :22:43.took over. I hope for his s`ke that they do do it. Let's see thd very
:22:44. > :22:46.top of the league cos for Phil Brown, the three wins in a row has
:22:47. > :22:49.really cemented their play`off position. Yeah, Oxford lost again,
:22:50. > :22:54.as well so that's giving thdm that extra three points. But looking at
:22:55. > :22:57.the footage, the team look happy, the manager looks happy, and when
:22:58. > :23:00.you've got a happy camp, thhngs can happen. So if they get into the
:23:01. > :23:03.play`offs and they can maintain that form and team spirit... Is ht Phil
:23:04. > :23:07.Brown's experience? The fact that he's had the experience before in
:23:08. > :23:10.the play`offs? Does that help Southend? Well, yeah, and the other
:23:11. > :23:14.experiences had as well. He insists that he didn't do anything wrong in
:23:15. > :23:20.the Premiership but I think there's certainly people who think he did. I
:23:21. > :23:29.think it would admit he's mdllowed a bit. `` I think he would adlit he's
:23:30. > :23:32.mellowed. He's not the char`cter he was with Hull. So I think kdeping a
:23:33. > :23:38.happy camp and keeping everxone .. It has the got the confidence going.
:23:39. > :23:41.Welcome I'm delighted to sax that Ewan Roberts has joined us here in
:23:42. > :23:44.the studio. So, Ewan, thanks very much for coming in. Chris Htghton,
:23:45. > :23:46.the big news in the Premier League yesterday ` Chris Hughton s`cked.
:23:47. > :23:51.Were you surprised? Certainly livened up my Sunday night `nyway!
:23:52. > :23:54.Not really. I think it's bedn coming for a while. I'm probably strprised
:23:55. > :23:58.that the club have decided to do it now with five games to go. H think
:23:59. > :24:01.they could have come to this decision a lot earlier. When they
:24:02. > :24:04.lost 7`0 at Man City. Or thdre was a period in December, beginning of
:24:05. > :24:08.January, when the club didn't win a game in eight. I think that would
:24:09. > :24:12.have been a good time to have done it. I was looking at the cltb's
:24:13. > :24:15.results over the last few ydars And I think since December 22, 2012
:24:16. > :24:18.they've only won 12 out of 44 games. That simply isn't good
:24:19. > :24:22.enough. And Chris knows... We all know he's such a nice man and we
:24:23. > :24:26.wanted him to do well but at the end of the day, it's about results. I
:24:27. > :24:29.suppose that result at the weekend, losing 1`0 to West Brom, just shows
:24:30. > :24:34.what a dire position they are in, just sitting above relegation. And I
:24:35. > :24:44.think the atmosphere was quhte poisonous at Carr Road. I w`sn't
:24:45. > :24:47.there but it's the worst atlosphere there's been down there for many
:24:48. > :24:50.years. I was at Swansea the week before. The performance wasn't good
:24:51. > :24:53.enough. They've lost their last six away performances and lost them
:24:54. > :24:56.heavily. Only scored 15 goals at home. People have thrown, "he is
:24:57. > :25:01.negative, he's defensive". Xou can't be like that at home, I don't think.
:25:02. > :25:04.Away from home, that's fine. But if you're going to be defensivd at
:25:05. > :25:13.home, you can't then concedd five at Liverpool, seven at man citx, for at
:25:14. > :25:15.Arsenal, Manchester United. `` four at Arsenal. Southampton, Sw`nsea...
:25:16. > :25:18.Just haven't been good enough, I'm afraid. What about Neil Adals?
:25:19. > :25:21.Obviously you know him very, very well. And the fact that he's gone
:25:22. > :25:24.from being... Baptism of fire or what! The fact that he's gone from
:25:25. > :25:26.being a BBC commentator to suddenly a Premier League manager... Let s
:25:27. > :25:38.have a look at Neil Adams in action. Gary Doherty's coming in on it. It's
:25:39. > :25:43.there! 2`1. Norwich City have turned the game around with two go`ls in
:25:44. > :25:47.the space of four minutes. H suppose it shows just how much passhon he
:25:48. > :25:51.has. I'm not having that ` he knew the camera was on him! He w`s here
:25:52. > :25:55.when I signed in 1997. Been a great servant for the club. He's done a
:25:56. > :26:05.tremendous job with the unddr`1 s, won the FA Youth Cup last ydar. He's
:26:06. > :26:08.got a tough job. He really, really has. Fulham on Saturday. Haven't
:26:09. > :26:12.beaten Fulham in the last 14 games. That I was going to say, Kevin. With
:26:13. > :26:14.Neil Adams coming in, he's got no first` team managerial experience. I
:26:15. > :26:18.just think from listening to Iwan about the poisonous atmosphdre. .
:26:19. > :26:21.Once the crowd turns on a m`nager, the people upstairs make a decision.
:26:22. > :26:24.He'll get the crowd back onside because he's a Norwich man. They'll
:26:25. > :26:28.love him and he'll get the passion back as well. Well, Chris, do you
:26:29. > :26:34.think the fans have a big role to play at the end of the season? They
:26:35. > :26:38.do, yeah. It's well documented that if you sack a manager, results go up
:26:39. > :26:41.for six games, go back down and you eventually end up where you were.
:26:42. > :26:45.But when you've got six gamds left, that counts. One win could do it.
:26:46. > :26:48.That could be all they need. You wonder if they've gone... Thought of
:26:49. > :26:51.the 60 million quid you get for staying in the Premier Leagte and
:26:52. > :26:55.thought, "Well, tear up his contract and off we go". We've seen what Dave
:26:56. > :26:58.McNally said in a press conference earlier and really he's just saying
:26:59. > :27:02.it's over to Neil Adams. If he does well and keep them up, he pretty
:27:03. > :27:05.much could have the job. Th`t is interesting because I think three or
:27:06. > :27:08.four weeks ago, David McNally came out and said, "Yeah, the cltb's got
:27:09. > :27:12.a plan B if things go wrong for Chris". This must be the pl`n B he
:27:13. > :27:16.was talking about, which dods surprise me, I have to say. If Neil
:27:17. > :27:19.goes in and he wins a coupld of games and keeps the club in the
:27:20. > :27:23.Premier League, then the cltb have got a big decision to make. But I do
:27:24. > :27:27.think they've got someone in the background. So do you think if they
:27:28. > :27:29.aren't in the Premier Leagud but in the Championship, they'll h`ve a
:27:30. > :27:32.different manager? It's a tough one for me. I think if they're hn the
:27:33. > :27:38.championship, they probably will give Neil a chance full`timd.
:27:39. > :27:41.Because it's not such an attractive proposition for, say, a Steve
:27:42. > :27:50.Clarke, a Di Matteo, a Malkx Mackay or a Neil Lennon to come in and be a
:27:51. > :27:53.manager of a Championship club. It's a much better situation if the
:27:54. > :27:56.club's in the Premier Leagud. OK, well, should be a fascinating end to
:27:57. > :27:59.the season for the Canaries. Well, don't forget that two our
:28:00. > :28:03.Football League clubs are in action on Tuesday night. As mentioned
:28:04. > :28:05.earlier in the show, Ipswich travel to West Yorkshire to face
:28:06. > :28:08.Huddersfield Town in another crucial game for the Ttractor Boys. While in
:28:09. > :28:22.League One, Trophy winners Peterborough united entertahn
:28:23. > :28:24.Chillingham at London Road. `` Gillingham. Both games are ` 7. 5
:28:25. > :28:28.kick`off. Well, there's still an awful lot to
:28:29. > :28:31.be decided in the next four weeks. There may be tears of happiness or
:28:32. > :28:34.tears of despair but, rest `ssured, you can keep up with your tdam's
:28:35. > :28:38.progress with us here on Late Kick Off. Thanks very much to my guests.
:28:39. > :28:44.Thanks very much, guys, for coming in. We'll be back next Mond`y with
:28:45. > :28:48.James back in the hot seat. But that's all for now. Good night.