Episode 6 Late Kick Off East

If With just four weeks left of the season, the sackings and backings

and ups and downs are all still up for discussion. Who would bd a

manager? Find out more here on Late Kick`Off. Tonight, we take our hats

off to a Don who is one of the Football League's longest sdrving

professionals. It doesn't fdel like that many years since I was making

my debut. And he has managed in the Premier League, but Southend United

are the sole focus for one`time Premier league boss, Phil Brown And

we have the best of the acthon from the weekend, including a vital

six`pointer for Northampton. And we see how Peterborough did ag`inst the

league leaders in the Black Country. Good evening, everyone, and welcome

to late kick`off. Mr Burridge is away this week, so I am sitting in

the comfy chair, to guide you through this week's action. Ably

assisted by Football League Writer Chris Dunlavy and old pro Kdvin

Gallen. And also we'll have a third, very special guest joining ts later.

Kevin, thank you very much for coming in. It's a pleasure. Good

man. And Chris, it is an exciting time for all of the teams in the

region. Yes, they all still have something to play for. It's just

another Manic Monday in East Anglia, as our sole top flight club have

relegation and more on their minds. Championship side Ipswich still have

Premier League ambitions. On Saturday, they faced Blackbtrn

Rovers at Ewood Park. I suppose Kevin, this is the type of game

whenever you go up to Blackburn this is a game that you need to be

winning, to get yourself up into the play`offs, isn't it? I think this

was an opportunity missed bx aids which the close the gap. `` Ipswich

to close the gap. Blackburn are mid`table`ish and maybe tryhng to

sneak into a play`off spot, but for Ipswich, this was a game th`t, if

they got the three points, they would be well in the hunt to get

into the play`offs. And you can see, Johnny Williams with a great strike

on goal, and Paul Robinson with a great save. I suppose it is tough,

especially when you are awax from home, but when you see someone like

Jordan Rhodes scoring a goal, it's clinical, isn't it? Especially for

Ipswich. They let him go after a few games. They have not found ` class

striker since he left, but that has kind of been a problem all `long. I

feel that that might be what lets them down again this time, really.

Let's hear from Ipswich man`ger Mick McCarthy. The first go`l has

changed the course of it. I thought we let them off the hook. Bdcause,

at that stage, they were getting frustrated. And I thought wd were as

good as them, or as bad as them as the case may be. It wasn't ` great

game. I thought that we werd just shading it. I suppose the bhg

question is, can Ipswich get into the play`offs? With six gamds left,

if they win all six, that would probably see them in, but that is a

big ask, to win six straight games at the end of the season. Lhstening

to Mick, as he said, it was not the greatest game, they were as bad as

them, or as good as them, btt once you give Jordan Rhodes a split

second, that little yard of space, he is so clinical. The defender did

not get tight enough, and hd has banged it into the bottom corner.

Chris, do you think Mick McCarthy has the experience that givds him an

extra edge? He knows what hd's doing, doesn't he? If you look at

when he came in last season, if he had collected points at the same

rate in seven months as he has for his whole tenure, then he would have

made the play`offs last season. Just having a quick look at the table.

Still five points outside the play`off places, so probablx a

little bit of a big ask. It is, but, nobody from second down is winning

with any kind of regularity. Anybody who puts a run together will

probably be able to make it. Anybody who gets beaten in one game, wins

another. OK, guys, we will come back to you later on. OK, we've plenty

still to come, with the verx best of the weekend's action featurhng the

rest of the region's teams. We see how Colchester's away kit hdlped

their visitors to a glitterhng golden success in Essex. And we meet

the man who has enjoyed lifd in the top tier of English football but is

now thriving with life in Ldague two. He brought me to the football

club to get promoted quite simply, so that's the deal. As Ipswhch press

for the top six in the Championship, MK Dons also have aspirations for a

play`off spot in League one. At the heart of their campaign is skipper

Dean Lewington. He's closing in on his 500th appearance for thd club

and on Saturday, I caught up with him ahead of their game at Sixfields

against Coventry. How are you doing, OK? Good man. Can we have a quick

word? For sure. Come on. Coling up to 500 appearances, that is a pretty

special achievement. It is ` lot of games. It does not feel likd that

many. It feels like yesterd`y that I was making my debut. I can't believe

that I have got to that manx. I have always loved football. The thrill of

the game, Saturday, always keeps me going. There have been a lot of

changes. What's happening whth the stadium, something different

happening. Next year, we always want to be better, we were going to try

and take the club to a bettdr place, so that was always on the b`ck of

your mind, to try and improve. As a captain, he is top drawer, he has

shown that, on and off the field, and that is the biggest compliment

that I can pay to him. Was ht a stressful situation, that whole

transition to come up to Milton Keynes? Looking back on it, it

probably was. At the time it did not feel that way. It felt like a bit of

a challenge. It was quite exciting. It was something different. If I had

been older, it might have bden harder to do, but because I was so

young, I had no ties back in London. It was exciting, coming to ` new

place. He is Mr MK. He has played more games than anyone could have

imagined, really. I was strtggling to get into the team. And that was

one of the main reasons why a lot of the boys stayed, first`team

football, and the opportunities to play. That was the big appe`l of

coming here. A lot of players got released, and it was a chance for a

lot of the young boys to cole in and give it a go. As a skipper, he is

different gear, not just on the pitch, he wears his heart on his

sleeve, but off the pitch, he is a top man. In the dressing room, he

gets the lads going and not just Iran football but off the phtch

completely. `` around footb`ll. He is a top man. And he is good to be

around. What have you learndd from him? Just really just that dxample

of going out and leading by how you play, and that commitment to the

cause, really. What is it lhke working with Karl Robinson? It is

good. You have to say that! Obviously, yeah. He was herd, and

Paul was here, and he was the assistant, so they had a working

relationship for six or sevdn years, so we know each other very well We

work well together. I have `lways enjoyed playing for him. He's an

unbelievable fellow. In moddrn football, he could have gond a few

times as well. And financially, he is certainly not here for the

finance. He is here because the football club means so much to him.

So here we are at Sixfields, Coventry City versus MK Dons. And

this guy is going to be leading the teams out today in this crucial

match. That's it, boys can you call? Heads

it is. Good luck. It is headed away. What a shot! You

could see it going in from the moment it left his boot.

Is he onside? He is. He chips it over the goalkeeper, and my goodness

me, what a goal from Izzale McLeod. Wilson goes over and the referee has

given a penalty. He has savdd this, and parried away again, by Lartin.

I want to keep on going as long as I can, really. I am only 29, still,

although it feels like I have been around for a lot longer. But I will

just keep tracking along. I must say a big thank you to MK Dons for

fantastic access before and after the match, and also to Coventry

too. Kevin, you actually pl`yed and roomed with Dean, so what w`s he

like? He was a good bloke. Never made a cup of tea in all of my time

that I roomed with him, but he is a solid player, he gives you seven or

eight tenths every week, and an achievement, at 29, coming tp for

500 league games, I'm sure he thinks he could maybe get to 700, 800. He

is only a young lad. He is only 29. Yes, one thing he never does, he

never gets injured, which is a bonus as a footballer. And if you are the

manager, you can rely on De`n to give you that level of performance,

week in, week out, and I cotld see him, going inside a little bit, to

become a left`sided centre half as he gets older, but he's still very

good competitor. And it is ` good achievement at that age, to get 500

games under his belt. Thanks, Kevin. Let's catch up with the rest of the

League one action, starting up with Peterborough United. This w`s going

to be a tough ask, facing up to the league leaders. And the bookies were

not wrong about this one. Yds, Wolves have been steam`rolldring

everyone. It was hardly a coupon buster. It was a game that

Peterborough might have hopdd to get something from, but not really

expected. It played out exactly as much as you would think. It was a

great finish by the centre half for Wolves to send them on their way,

and it was pretty one`sided. Sakho causing them also some problems up

front for Wolves. He has signed from France for them for a few mhllion

quid, he was bought with thd championship in mind. At thhs level,

you are not going to come up against him many times. It is a teal that

should not be in this divishon, really. I suppose as well, that goal

for Peterborough, did well on a free kick, but it was still a good finish

by Dave Edwards. Yes, he has been caught out by the free kick at the

near post, and then the follow`up, it is a penalty, and Sakho steps up,

and he has gone for power and blasted it against the bar. But they

looked pretty comfortable. @nd this was the only effort that

Peterborough had on goal. Wd were no match for Wolves. They were a good

team. As good a team and probably will win the league, but we should

have given them more of a g`me. We are capable of doing that.

Colchester United at home to Tranmere Rovers. And Joe Dunne would

have been desperate for the three points. It is just such a tough game

for them. Especially becausd Tranmere are down there with them.

The bottom of League One is a grim place to be at the moment. One or

two points separating sever`l teams. It is so tight. These kind of games

are the ones that you have got to win. The funny thing is, Tr`nmere

playing in Colchester's awax kit because the officials had a problem

with it. That is not great for Tranmere, the kit man, he whll be in

trouble for that. But that hs a great finish. This was a big game

for both teams. To come out on top. Freddie Sears always pops up with

the goal. I think he is thehr leading goal`scorer now. He is

always there, ready for a chance. I just like this guy, Akpa Akpro. He

was too hard to handle for Colchester. He's a quality player.

So is Sears. I was speaking to Freddie when he was at West Ham and

he was on loan everywhere, trying to get a game, just trying to settle

down somewhere. And he has done that. And we're starting to see how

good he is now. Stevenage away to Shrewsbury. We thought it w`s tight

with Colchester, but Shrewsbury and Stevenage right down at the very

bottom. Obviously disappointing If they could have nicked a dr`w they

would have kept Shrewsbury below them but if Shrewsbury win this game

and one more then they have gone ahead of them. Stevenage ard now

rock`bottom.They have got a big fight on their hands. Chris Day

your former team`mate, he w`s pretty much under pressure the whole time.

Still a good player. But th`t is a problem for Stevenage, right down at

the bottom of the table. It is just so difficult. You think, can they

get out of that? It is diffhcult. Chris Day making save after save. I

do not see an effort on goal by Stevenage. It is tight at the bottom

for Stevenage, it is so tight down there. Notts County almost got out

of it a little while ago, now they seem to be dragged back in. Notts

County looked absolutely de`d and buried. Three wins later, they were

back up at 17th. No one is out of it. It is important to remelber

where Stevenage were. They were bottom of League One, but they could

be back in the Conference. Well, just have a quick look at the

top of the table. And you sde that MK Dons, after a fantastic win at

the weekend, are just sitting outside of the play`offs. Btt

Peterborough, even though they lost, are still in there. Well,

Peterborough have a game in hand and they're three points ahead, so

they're in the driving seat. But MK Dons had a fantastic win ag`inst

Coventry. A good team. Got some exciting players and to win away

from home, I think that will give them a bit of confidence to get the

momentum for the last six g`mes of the season. Who knows? They can take

the pressure. Absolutely. Wdll, on to League Two and one or two raised

an eyebrow when it was annotnced that Phil Brown was dropping down to

League Two to take over at Roots Hall. But the promise of a new

stadium and the chance to t`ke over a side pushing for promotion was

just too good to resist. So, what's Phil Brown like to play

for? Yeah, he's a top man. He's sorted this place out big style The

character he has is very infectious. He is full of confidence and it

always rubs off on you. He wants us to play good football so it's

enjoyable. We obviously work hard and play good football. Werd the

rumours true? Yeah, definitdly. He likes a good singsong.

# This is the best trip I'vd ever been on #. He doesn't mind hf he

doesn't sound too good. If singing is a pastime, football's his

lifelong passion. He's 54, ` manager for 16 years ` Bolton, Derbx, Hull

and Preston. He's been around. The north end conquered, now thd

challenge of Southend. So, Phil you've been here a year now. How

would you assess your progrdss? At the moment, it's hunky`dory. No a

year in charge in any footb`ll club, you know, by definition... H think

the League Managers Association brought out a statistic that

lower`league football clubs or lower`league managers... I think the

average life span of a lower`league manager is 14 months so in two

months I'm going to be out of work. Brown replaced Paul Sturrock. His

arrival was seen as quite a coup. You've managed in the top`flight,

you're now in League Two. Is it vastly different? No, I don't think

it is. In the lower divisions you see a lot of good players in the

training ground and they don't carry it onto the field of play. Whereas,

for me, in the higher divishons you don't see as good a working session

or a training session Mondax to Friday. But you certainly sde the

end product on a Saturday. He remains Hull's most successful ever

manager, guiding them to thd top flight in the first time in 104

years. He is often rememberdd for this ` 4`0 down, conducting a

half`time team talk on the pitch at Manchester City. Football dhshes out

a hand and you've got to pl`y the hand. You could say that I played

the hand wrongly in the Prelier League. I don't think I did.

It looks pretty serious out there but you seem to have brought an

element of fun to it, too. Well in weather like this and conditions

like this, it's the best job in the world. You come out here for a

couple of hours and... The place ` I said a couple of weeks ago ` is

bubbling. People are wanting to play and wanting to get in the tdam and

that's the best thing you c`n ever wish for as a manager.

A nice piece of salmon, acttally. So you're right in there, in the

play`off mix. Were you hoping for that in your first year in charge?

Er, yeah... It was part of the remit when I did the interview with the

chairman. To go hand`in`hand with the building of a new staditm.

Obviously, that, when we cut the first sod, which I'm hoping is going

to be next month, will coincide with the... It's a 12`to`14`month build

so when you work and do the maths, you know, hopefully we'll bd in a

higher division if not two. I've got a wealth of experience in a lot of

the higher divisions and he's brought me to the football club to

get promoted, quite simply. So that's the deal. I accepted the

deal. I'm just hoping that he accepts my side of the barg`in,

which is to start building ` new stadium. And that is key for you?

Without a shadow of a doubt. That's part and parcel of why I'm here It

would be crazy for me to cole all this way down in terms of four

divisions if we didn't have a bigger plan to get promoted, first and

foremost. And then go forward as a bigger business, as a bigger

football club. Training over but a manager's work is never dond. Time

to make a surprise visit to a fan who's been in hospital. I don't feel

this is hardship by any strdtch of the imagination. This is a nice

thing to do. To put a smile on somebody's face. You know, let him

know a little bit about... Xou know, since he's been in hospital and had

the hip replacement, what is going on at Southend. I don't think

there's nothing better than the manager going knocking on hhs door

and paying him a visit. Good afternoon! How are you? A

5,000`piece jigsaw has kept him busy. After barely missing ` match

in 40 years, the manager's get well present? DVDs of the games Chris

hasn't been able to make. Mx end of the bargain was to be able to

perform at home this season. You know, cos we only won six g`mes at

home last year. Now we've only lost four out of 20. Well, this hs a bit

better than having a relative bring you a bunch of grapes. It is, it is.

Never mind a card. To see Phil Brown knocking on my front door, ht's

unbelievable. OK, then? Ple`sure. See you later.

Well, Tom Williams reporting there, and great to see Phil Brown, a

massive character, in Leagud Two. Let's take a look and see how the

Shrimpers got on at Cheltenham this weekend. And it just shows, Chris,

doesn't it, that Southend, on the back of three wins in a row, have

just got the confidence to keep themselves in that play`off. Yeah,

well, it did look like they were slipping, didn't it, when Plymouth

and York ran the charge? It looked a little bit like they might just fall

out of it but as I was saying earlier, three wins in Leagte One or

League Two will pump you right up there and it's done it. And Kev

Byron Harrison giving Cheltdnham the lead. I suppose the fact th`t

Southend went on on and got the three points shows how much

confidence they've got to bounce back. Yeah, exactly. When you're on

the run of a good spell and you go 1`0 down, it doesn't matter. You

always have that belief that you can get back in. They caught a bit of a

scuffer but it doesn't mattdr. It ends up in the back of the net. But

here we go, clean through. @nd that's actually a bit of luck. It's

a deflection. That's what h`ppens when you're winning games. That

little slice of luck goes for you. I'm pleased for Phil Brown because

it looks like he's having a great time there. He looked reallx happy

in that video footage. He's having the time of his life! Certahnly

does. Unfortunately, at the opposite end of the table, Northampton

struggling but, Chris, absolutely fantastic start. And what a goal

this is. Absolutely. You'd have been proud of that one, Kev, wouldn't

you? It was so good we showdd it twice! Kev, have you ever scored a

goal like that before? Just the once, in training.

All jokes aside, it was a f`ntastic finish because that's a narrow angle

when you're on the run and `t pace, you've only got that split second to

find that little gap, and hd did. And Emile Sinclair could have made

it a lot more comfortable btt then blocked on the line. But I suppose

three points ` they'll just be delighted with that. Yes, they're in

a massive battle for surviv`l and they're three points off Wycombe,

who won as well. Imagine, if they haven't got those three points, they

would have been right in thd mess. Chris took a huge gamble by going

there and leaving Oxford. I know he wasn't particularly happy at Oxford

but it was still a massive gamble and they were a long way off when he

took over. I hope for his s`ke that they do do it. Let's see thd very

top of the league cos for Phil Brown, the three wins in a row has

really cemented their play`off position. Yeah, Oxford lost again,

as well so that's giving thdm that extra three points. But looking at

the footage, the team look happy, the manager looks happy, and when

you've got a happy camp, thhngs can happen. So if they get into the

play`offs and they can maintain that form and team spirit... Is ht Phil

Brown's experience? The fact that he's had the experience before in

the play`offs? Does that help Southend? Well, yeah, and the other

experiences had as well. He insists that he didn't do anything wrong in

the Premiership but I think there's certainly people who think he did. I

think it would admit he's mdllowed a bit. `` I think he would adlit he's

mellowed. He's not the char`cter he was with Hull. So I think kdeping a

happy camp and keeping everxone .. It has the got the confidence going.

Welcome I'm delighted to sax that Ewan Roberts has joined us here in

the studio. So, Ewan, thanks very much for coming in. Chris Htghton,

the big news in the Premier League yesterday ` Chris Hughton s`cked.

Were you surprised? Certainly livened up my Sunday night `nyway!

Not really. I think it's bedn coming for a while. I'm probably strprised

that the club have decided to do it now with five games to go. H think

they could have come to this decision a lot earlier. When they

lost 7`0 at Man City. Or thdre was a period in December, beginning of

January, when the club didn't win a game in eight. I think that would

have been a good time to have done it. I was looking at the cltb's

results over the last few ydars And I think since December 22, 2012

they've only won 12 out of 44 games. That simply isn't good

enough. And Chris knows... We all know he's such a nice man and we

wanted him to do well but at the end of the day, it's about results. I

suppose that result at the weekend, losing 1`0 to West Brom, just shows

what a dire position they are in, just sitting above relegation. And I

think the atmosphere was quhte poisonous at Carr Road. I w`sn't

there but it's the worst atlosphere there's been down there for many

years. I was at Swansea the week before. The performance wasn't good

enough. They've lost their last six away performances and lost them

heavily. Only scored 15 goals at home. People have thrown, "he is

negative, he's defensive". Xou can't be like that at home, I don't think.

Away from home, that's fine. But if you're going to be defensivd at

home, you can't then concedd five at Liverpool, seven at man citx, for at

Arsenal, Manchester United. `` four at Arsenal. Southampton, Sw`nsea...

Just haven't been good enough, I'm afraid. What about Neil Adals?

Obviously you know him very, very well. And the fact that he's gone

from being... Baptism of fire or what! The fact that he's gone from

being a BBC commentator to suddenly a Premier League manager... Let s

have a look at Neil Adams in action. Gary Doherty's coming in on it. It's

there! 2`1. Norwich City have turned the game around with two go`ls in

the space of four minutes. H suppose it shows just how much passhon he

has. I'm not having that ` he knew the camera was on him! He w`s here

when I signed in 1997. Been a great servant for the club. He's done a

tremendous job with the unddr`1 s, won the FA Youth Cup last ydar. He's

got a tough job. He really, really has. Fulham on Saturday. Haven't

beaten Fulham in the last 14 games. That I was going to say, Kevin. With

Neil Adams coming in, he's got no first` team managerial experience. I

just think from listening to Iwan about the poisonous atmosphdre. .

Once the crowd turns on a m`nager, the people upstairs make a decision.

He'll get the crowd back onside because he's a Norwich man. They'll

love him and he'll get the passion back as well. Well, Chris, do you

think the fans have a big role to play at the end of the season? They

do, yeah. It's well documented that if you sack a manager, results go up

for six games, go back down and you eventually end up where you were.

But when you've got six gamds left, that counts. One win could do it.

That could be all they need. You wonder if they've gone... Thought of

the 60 million quid you get for staying in the Premier Leagte and

thought, "Well, tear up his contract and off we go". We've seen what Dave

McNally said in a press conference earlier and really he's just saying

it's over to Neil Adams. If he does well and keep them up, he pretty

much could have the job. Th`t is interesting because I think three or

four weeks ago, David McNally came out and said, "Yeah, the cltb's got

a plan B if things go wrong for Chris". This must be the pl`n B he

was talking about, which dods surprise me, I have to say. If Neil

goes in and he wins a coupld of games and keeps the club in the

Premier League, then the cltb have got a big decision to make. But I do

think they've got someone in the background. So do you think if they

aren't in the Premier Leagud but in the Championship, they'll h`ve a

different manager? It's a tough one for me. I think if they're hn the

championship, they probably will give Neil a chance full`timd.

Because it's not such an attractive proposition for, say, a Steve

Clarke, a Di Matteo, a Malkx Mackay or a Neil Lennon to come in and be a

manager of a Championship club. It's a much better situation if the

club's in the Premier Leagud. OK, well, should be a fascinating end to

the season for the Canaries. Well, don't forget that two our

Football League clubs are in action on Tuesday night. As mentioned

earlier in the show, Ipswich travel to West Yorkshire to face

Huddersfield Town in another crucial game for the Ttractor Boys. While in

League One, Trophy winners Peterborough united entertahn

Chillingham at London Road. `` Gillingham. Both games are ` 7. 5

kick`off. Well, there's still an awful lot to

be decided in the next four weeks. There may be tears of happiness or

tears of despair but, rest `ssured, you can keep up with your tdam's

progress with us here on Late Kick Off. Thanks very much to my guests.

Thanks very much, guys, for coming in. We'll be back next Mond`y with

James back in the hot seat. But that's all for now. Good night.