:04:08. > :04:16.Thank you once again. What do you think about Our Midlands clubs at
:04:16. > :04:26.the moment? What is your take on Birmingham City? They are doing a
:04:26. > :04:28.
:04:29. > :04:31.great job. They have a huge chance to reach the play-offs.
:04:31. > :04:37.Nottingham Forest, having been surprised about how badly things
:04:37. > :04:42.have gone -- have the been surprised? It was very sad that the
:04:42. > :04:47.owner passed away, I'm very sorry about that. They are struggling,
:04:47. > :04:52.and didn't expect that before the season started. You expected them
:04:52. > :04:57.to fight on the other side of the table. You really hope they will
:04:57. > :05:03.stay in the division at least. having been surprised by Derby
:05:03. > :05:08.County's progress? Yes, they're doing well. The manager is doing a
:05:08. > :05:12.great job. Are you pleased to see Notts County doing well after the
:05:12. > :05:21.difficulties they have had? It will be great if they go up to the
:05:21. > :05:28.championship. I hope for them. what now for a Sven Goran Eriksson
:05:28. > :05:36.quiz man what is the feature? feel too young to go intention so I
:05:36. > :05:42.want to come back to football, probably not now, so next season.
:05:42. > :05:48.We do come back to the Midlands? Yes, of course. Good quality of
:05:48. > :05:58.football, nice place to live, that is for sure. I would come back, but
:05:58. > :06:01.
:06:01. > :06:09.I have nothing programmed or planned for now. We will see.
:06:09. > :06:13.Goran Eriksson left them shy of the play-offs. It is two different
:06:13. > :06:23.directions. You want to grow a club-like Norwich North Wednesday
:06:23. > :06:23.
:06:23. > :06:29.and have longevity or you want to get the quick hit. Relatively new
:06:29. > :06:34.owners in the game. Nigel Pearson, he been it -- he bemoans the
:06:34. > :06:38.inconsistency they have had, but they have got a great fan base and
:06:38. > :06:44.some very good players. If it doesn't happen this season, they
:06:45. > :06:49.will have a good run next season. What do you think lies behind the
:06:50. > :06:55.inconsistency at Leicester this season? They can't seem to put a
:06:56. > :07:00.run together whereby there winning week in week out. I don't know if
:07:00. > :07:06.they are performing at the top of their ability. Nine points off the
:07:06. > :07:14.play-offs, with 11 games to go. Is that it for the play-offs?
:07:14. > :07:20.three games back to back, it is notoriously... Reading have grave -
:07:20. > :07:25.- gone on a fantastic run. West Ham have struggled at home at the top
:07:25. > :07:35.of the championship, so it is possible. But from the owners
:07:35. > :07:38.
:07:38. > :07:41.perspective, it is keeping the core of Leicester City players. Still to
:07:41. > :07:50.come: Cheltenham miss out at the top of League Two but their manager
:07:50. > :07:52.is defiant. We are the best team in the league. Two teams with very
:07:52. > :07:54.different ambitions met in the Championship on Saturday.
:07:55. > :08:02.Birmingham have promotion on their minds but for the home team
:08:02. > :08:05.Coventry, it's a scrap for survival. Marlon King returned to the Ricoh
:08:05. > :08:08.Arena for the first time since deciding to leave Coventry for
:08:08. > :08:18.Birmingham last summer but it was his old club who took the lead with
:08:18. > :08:24.
:08:24. > :08:28.The last refrains of the Sky Blue song had barely faded away before
:08:28. > :08:31.King marked his return with the equaliser. Coventry might have
:08:32. > :08:38.grabbed an invaluable win late on through Ollie Norwood but a draw
:08:38. > :08:41.was probably a fair reflection on the game. Coventry remain in the
:08:41. > :08:51.bottom 3 and are now five points behind Nottingham Forest who beat
:08:51. > :09:18.
:09:18. > :09:21.And almost impossible angle! He shoots himself, magnificent goal!
:09:21. > :09:24.Leicester's hopes of gatecrashing the play-offs are now slimmer after
:09:24. > :09:26.Mickaele Leigertwood set Reading on their way to a three-one victory at
:09:26. > :09:28.the Madjeski Stadium. Jason Roberts and then Simon Church confirmed
:09:28. > :09:38.Reading's superiority before Neil Danns provided scant consolation
:09:38. > :09:45.
:09:45. > :09:55.Not a great afternoon for the Foxes. Coventry have claimed a piece of
:09:55. > :09:56.
:09:57. > :10:03.silverware. Gael Bigirimana made his debut this season after he was
:10:03. > :10:11.spotted by scouts. I was running and they called me. They must have
:10:11. > :10:13.seen something so they called me back. Very well done to him. Next
:10:13. > :10:16.at this time last season Derby County were hovering above the
:10:16. > :10:19.bottom three and fighting the threat of relegation. Now the Rams
:10:19. > :10:22.are mid table, seventeen points better off and making a welcome and
:10:22. > :10:32.healthy improvement after all the troubles at the cub. So on Saturday
:10:32. > :10:36.
:10:36. > :10:41.It is a three and a half years since Nigel Clough and the dynasty
:10:41. > :10:45.rolled back into Derby. What do you think of the job he's done?
:10:45. > :10:49.Fantastic. Well I think he is a very good man manager. He has
:10:49. > :10:58.brought in some great young players on low wages. He has cut the wage
:10:58. > :11:02.bill. I would not change him. I love him to bits. Behind the scenes
:11:02. > :11:11.he's reduced the average age of the squad and cut the wage bill from 17
:11:11. > :11:15.million to 9. Nigel had had 6 transfer windows and in that time
:11:15. > :11:25.he has got rid of 41 players - that is quite an average over the 6
:11:25. > :11:29.
:11:29. > :11:37.windows to do that and keep The fans are largely patient
:11:37. > :11:41.because there are green shoots of recovering and stronger foundations.
:11:41. > :11:51.We would like to get into the top 12 as a next step after that the
:11:51. > :11:51.
:11:51. > :11:56.top 10 but if we do make a late run then that would be great. We really
:11:56. > :11:59.do believe we can build and next season move forward. And it's a
:11:59. > :12:07.real privilege to lead the teams out today because if Derby get
:12:07. > :12:10.three points. Be equal their points total for the whole of last season.
:12:10. > :12:16.And with eleven games to go that would shown real progress under
:12:16. > :12:21.Clough. But Watford ruined the script. Sean Murray caught the Rams
:12:21. > :12:31.napping! And within 15 minutes Derby were two down - Troy Deeney's
:12:31. > :12:31.
:12:31. > :12:35.deflected shot beating Frank Fielding. Last season though Derby
:12:35. > :12:40.would have capitulated but Ben Davies got them back in the game.
:12:40. > :12:47.And they dominated the last hour. But it wasn't good enough for a
:12:47. > :12:57.manager working hard for change. wasn't good enough today but
:12:57. > :12:58.
:12:58. > :13:01.overall we are much better as a club and higher up the table. We
:13:01. > :13:11.had a real opportunity to get higher up the table but it didn't
:13:11. > :13:16.
:13:16. > :13:23.We saw from Gael Bigirimana, picking up his award. For Coventry,
:13:23. > :13:30.they rely on younger players. and Alex Mendy. It's an incredible
:13:30. > :13:37.story, he was running down the road. Hopefully now he can take on. He
:13:37. > :13:44.seems level-headed and at Coventry City he would give youth
:13:44. > :13:52.opportunity. Derby, a slow process of evolution under Nigel Clough. He
:13:52. > :13:58.has time on his side and the fans he he is a patient manager. He lent
:13:58. > :14:05.his trade at Burton. He knows the game inside out. -- learned his
:14:05. > :14:15.trade. Putting his own stamp on it. He thinks he will go to Scotland,
:14:15. > :14:15.
:14:15. > :14:22.the players are more honest! stereotype! I played with him and a
:14:22. > :14:30.name like Clough, he is a patient manager. Will the ball be patient
:14:30. > :14:35.with him? Paul Lambert, Brendan Rodgers, small budgets this to the
:14:35. > :14:45.fans might be patients but will the board? Interesting. And a great win
:14:45. > :14:46.
:14:46. > :14:51.for Forest. A wonder of the left foot. The last time I was at the
:14:51. > :14:55.Baseball Ground we won it 2-0. Fingers crossed. We'd love to hear
:14:55. > :14:58.from you here on Late Kick Off. We're open for business seven days
:14:58. > :15:01.a week on Facebook, and you can continue the conversation right now
:15:01. > :15:04.on Twitter by using the hashtag LKO mids, In League One, Walsall remain
:15:04. > :15:11.just outside the relegation zone after a goalless draw at home to
:15:11. > :15:13.Hartlepool. The Saddlers are now unbeaten in six games but
:15:13. > :15:18.Saturday's result could have been better if on-loan Sam Mantom hadn't
:15:18. > :15:22.fluffed a late chance. Walsall are three points above the bottom four
:15:22. > :15:25.with a better goal difference and a game in hand. But the team of the
:15:25. > :15:29.moment in League One is Notts County. Since Keith Curle became
:15:29. > :15:39.manager, Notts have won five games out of six. And Saturday's win at
:15:39. > :15:43.
:15:43. > :15:48.the runaway leaders Charlton was However promising a team's form, a
:15:48. > :15:58.trip to the league litres is a reality check. Not the Notts County
:15:58. > :16:00.
:16:00. > :16:10.as they brushed aside Charlton. Notts County have the lead! Edge of
:16:10. > :16:20.
:16:20. > :16:25.the area, squares the ball in! The would you believe it? Jonathan
:16:25. > :16:34.Forte! Charlton responded after half-time with two quick goals but
:16:34. > :16:41.this emphatically was Notts County's game. 16 points from a
:16:41. > :16:46.possible 18. Have you surprised yourself? Yes! What has been the
:16:46. > :16:49.secret? What have you said to the players? A few people have asked
:16:49. > :16:55.what you brought into the changing them, it was already there, the
:16:55. > :17:03.ability and freedom, I asked the players took trust themselves. I
:17:03. > :17:05.had one training session with the players. Everything has been about
:17:05. > :17:11.the professionals expressing themselves when they get on the
:17:11. > :17:15.pitch, the freedom to play Abbate see it. Would you agree you needed
:17:15. > :17:22.a good start, there were a few doubters on your appointment and
:17:22. > :17:27.clearly you will be winning them over. I think I knew the results
:17:27. > :17:33.would the extra important. The chairman's wife said I hope to a
:17:33. > :17:39.good because you need to be. There was grumbling on the side of the
:17:40. > :17:43.pitch. I know Martin was a crowd favourite. The performance levels,
:17:43. > :17:48.the crowd needed to be entertained and see the players were playing
:17:48. > :17:53.with passion and pride and a flair there would excite them. You are in
:17:53. > :18:01.the top six, what is your ambition? At the moment, Fifth. Right from
:18:01. > :18:06.day one, we want to chase the team in front of us. And if you turned
:18:06. > :18:11.over Charlton, Sheffield United and Wednesday, it's a formality. They
:18:11. > :18:18.are big teams and big games. That is what we want to bring. Packed
:18:18. > :18:25.houses, two exciting games. Sheffield Wednesday, the manager in
:18:25. > :18:31.place. He has made an excellent start. Fantastic, we talked about
:18:31. > :18:40.players like Jonathan Ford and Alan Judge, creative and let them
:18:40. > :18:42.Now, across the football league there are over eight and a half
:18:42. > :18:45.thousand youngsters on the books of academies, and needless to say
:18:45. > :18:48.competition is tough. With the introduction then of the Elite
:18:48. > :18:51.Player Performance Plan - the "E" Triple "P" next season -
:18:51. > :18:54.competition is set to become intense. It means Premier League
:18:54. > :18:57.clubs can scout for the top players at academies anywhere in the
:18:57. > :18:59.country. Laura May McMullan has been back to Birmingham City where
:18:59. > :19:08.their academy is successfully producing youngsters for the first
:19:08. > :19:14.team. Last time on Late Kick Off. It would be a dream come true. It
:19:14. > :19:24.is everything you work towards. Last year, eight were kept on, five
:19:24. > :19:29.
:19:29. > :19:34.Almost 150 players are on the books of Birmingham City's academy. Each
:19:34. > :19:44.one of them striving to impress at every opportunity. These youngsters
:19:44. > :19:44.
:19:44. > :19:51.are first and second year scholars. Their aim - a professional contract.
:19:51. > :19:57.18 year-old Will has already earned his contract. He says that's when
:19:57. > :20:01.the hard work really starts. have not made it when you get the
:20:01. > :20:06.first contract, that's when the work kicks off. You have to give
:20:06. > :20:10.yourself the best chance to get into the team. And it's the likes
:20:10. > :20:12.of 20 year old Jordan Mutch and 17 year old Nathan Redmond who are
:20:12. > :20:15.providing the inspiration. They've worked their way up through the
:20:15. > :20:23.academy ranks and are now part of Birmingham's promotion pushing
:20:23. > :20:27.Goalkeeper Jack Butland is also a precocious talent. Premier League
:20:27. > :20:29.scouts are flocking to watch him. Not only is he enjoying a
:20:29. > :20:39.successful spell on loan at Cheltenham, he's currently
:20:39. > :20:40.
:20:40. > :20:45.England's Under 21's goalkeeper. It's been a roller-coaster ride so
:20:45. > :20:51.far. Luckily, it's going up at the minute. I have really enjoyed every
:20:51. > :20:56.minute of it. It has gone from not expecting anything to do beyond
:20:56. > :21:02.where I could imagine. A 17-year- old Nicholas has been with Burnley
:21:02. > :21:12.and since he was eight. Jacques success has been a revelation.
:21:12. > :21:15.say he is a great role model for me. He has sacrificed so much. Youth
:21:15. > :21:19.development is one of the game's success stories with more and more
:21:19. > :21:25.young players making the grade at first-team level. It's also a hot
:21:25. > :21:33.topic at the moment. The elite player performance plant will be
:21:33. > :21:38.introduced next season -- plan. have to bowl with it before we see
:21:38. > :21:41.what it will deter us. Hopefully not too much. I think like all
:21:42. > :21:46.clubs you are concerned about losing players. We like to think we
:21:46. > :21:50.put on a good product but the players want to stay. Some clubs
:21:50. > :21:54.argue it's bad for the game, premier-league clubs will now be
:21:54. > :21:59.able to have the pick of top youngsters at smaller clubs will be
:21:59. > :22:04.entitled to less in compensation. 22 of the 72 league clubs have
:22:04. > :22:11.voted against the plan. The effect on the players, an even higher
:22:11. > :22:16.competitive environment. That could be damaging in the long run. Yes,
:22:16. > :22:25.and the proof is in the pudding. There's a lot of competition around
:22:25. > :22:30.the area we were akin. With the other clubs and we all know players
:22:30. > :22:34.heads are turned by the Premier League. More than 90% of young
:22:34. > :22:39.players who join it Premier League academies will fail to make it into
:22:39. > :22:44.the first teams. Most will not become professional footballers.
:22:44. > :22:47.Statistics suggest one or two of these players will have full
:22:47. > :22:50.professional careers. In two months' time the second year
:22:50. > :22:57.scholars will know if they will be taking the next step with
:22:57. > :23:03.Birmingham. Good luck to the kids at Birmingham City. 144 players in
:23:03. > :23:13.the academy, sounds a lot. It is a lot. With the new rules coming in,
:23:13. > :23:18.say you get �150,000 for a player, how is that supposed to fund those
:23:18. > :23:23.hundred and 44 kids? The old fulls -- rules were fined. If Wayne
:23:23. > :23:27.Rooney comes through Birmingham City, you can pay two or three in
:23:27. > :23:30.terms of compensation and that money goes into funding of the
:23:30. > :23:35.others they develop and come through Birmingham City's team.
:23:35. > :23:41.It's wrong and will not help Football League clubs. And that's
:23:41. > :23:47.not the financial situation at St Andrew's. What about the E PPP? Do
:23:47. > :23:51.you welcome the changes? No, with my interview with the chairman,
:23:51. > :23:57.part of the remit was to produce the next generation of players
:23:57. > :24:01.coming through the system. With new legislation it will be difficult
:24:01. > :24:07.because of players being cherry- picked at different age groups.
:24:07. > :24:13.This favours the clubs in the top flight? Definitely. Some people are
:24:13. > :24:19.trying to find a way of getting the players to another country where
:24:19. > :24:23.they cannot get picked out of the season -- system. Kids they just
:24:23. > :24:27.did with Swedish clubs or anywhere in Europe, if you are Chelsea or
:24:27. > :24:32.Manchester City you can develop players for peanuts relative to
:24:32. > :24:35.what comes through. And let them go and they can say we've given the
:24:35. > :24:45.Football League fantastic talent but it doesn't work the other way
:24:45. > :24:49.
:24:49. > :24:51.round. It's a poor decision. A one- way street. Ssional football has
:24:51. > :24:55.been honoured with the Football League's Contribution to League
:24:55. > :24:58.Football Award. His career began as a player with Wrexham in 1964
:24:58. > :25:01.before moving to Chester and then Shrewsbury. His time as a manager
:25:01. > :25:04.began there and also took in Aston Villa and Wolves. He managed - and
:25:04. > :25:06.chaired the board of directors - at Hereford before returning to
:25:06. > :25:11.Shrewsbury. He's won five promotions and the Football League
:25:11. > :25:18.Trophy in 1988. It is a super nights to have had an award of this
:25:18. > :25:23.nature on a night like this. It is touching. It's a big honour. Well I
:25:24. > :25:27.look at the company I am in, the other recipients, I feel really
:25:27. > :25:30.proud of my achievements. Well, Graham Turner's Shrewsbury Town are
:25:30. > :25:40.now the Midlands leading team in League 2. They equalled a club
:25:40. > :25:41.
:25:41. > :25:45.record of 26 games without a home defeat by edging out Burton one-nil.
:25:45. > :25:50.Graham Turner conceded this was not a vintage performance but they were
:25:50. > :26:00.too strong for Burton. Malkin gave him the lead but after half-time
:26:00. > :26:04.
:26:04. > :26:08.shops did. -- Sharps. A Cheltenham slip out of
:26:08. > :26:16.the top three after a missed penalty.
:26:16. > :26:23.Paul Benson was the match-winner. We are the best team in League. We
:26:23. > :26:27.play great football. 10 more performances like that and we are
:26:27. > :26:33.where we want to be. Don't let anyone say supporting Port Vale is
:26:33. > :26:39.a mug's game. The deduction has ended all hopes of promotion. Vale
:26:39. > :26:47.fans are resilient. It was administration or insolvency. We
:26:47. > :26:52.have a lot to thank Stoke council four. More through the gates,
:26:52. > :26:57.raising funds. It will work out for the best, a bright future on the
:26:57. > :27:07.horizon. Despite taking the lead, Vale could not provide Bonfield
:27:07. > :27:23.
:27:23. > :27:29.Herefords fight to stay in the lead continues with their new manager.
:27:29. > :27:37.Lyle Taylor was the match-winner at Morecambe. Well done, Richard
:27:37. > :27:44.O'Kelly. Graham Turner, walking the say about a man who has done almost
:27:44. > :27:47.everything in football? A gentleman, first and foremost. He is very
:27:47. > :27:57.pleasant and well mannered and loves his football. Managed over
:27:57. > :27:59.
:27:59. > :28:06.1,500 games. It's incredible. the only gripe was letting the game.
:28:06. > :28:12.Nor bitter! When I was at Wolves, he club bills, he did it at
:28:12. > :28:16.Hereford. He built the club and took them two promotions and stuck
:28:16. > :28:21.around with each club he's been at and left it in a better position
:28:21. > :28:26.than when he came. It wasn't revolution evolution. Unbeaten at
:28:26. > :28:32.home in 26 games, that's the previous record he set over 20
:28:32. > :28:37.years ago. Things coming full circle. Phenomenal. He is a
:28:37. > :28:42.fantastic manager. He is obviously tipped into the directorship and
:28:42. > :28:45.chairman and that angle, in terms of nuts-and-bolts manager, you do
:28:45. > :28:48.not manage that many games if you're not very good. Well, that's
:28:48. > :28:51.it for this evening. And don't forget all seven of the Late Kick