:00:00. > :00:10.Take your pick, this programme has both the misery. And the madness of
:00:11. > :00:27.the end`of`season deciders. Welcome to Late Kick Off.
:00:28. > :00:32.Hello, I'm Tony Husband, this is the last programme of the series and
:00:33. > :00:40.it's also a defining one for so many of our clubs. Premier League dreams
:00:41. > :00:43.burn bright. We're at Brighton today. The celebrations have been
:00:44. > :00:48.just as rampant when survival is the name of the game. We also have the
:00:49. > :00:55.faces of failure, there's relegation catastrophe for an historic club.
:00:56. > :00:59.For Reading "what might have been" in the play offs is replaced tonight
:01:00. > :01:05.by "what will be". With a financial storm brewing. We didn't get the
:01:06. > :01:08.Manager of the Month trophy. But we have got the man himself, of course.
:01:09. > :01:14.Andy Awford's plans for Pompey coming up. These players are on
:01:15. > :01:24.their way to greatness. But who has guided their path? One of British
:01:25. > :01:27.soccer's ultimate footballing movers and shapers is here too. His name is
:01:28. > :01:31.Les Reed, he's Southampton's executive director. And he joins our
:01:32. > :01:35.own on the front bench. Only one team would progress. Just one place
:01:36. > :01:38.up for grabs on the final day of the regular season in the Championship.
:01:39. > :01:42.It was a straight shoot out between Reading and Brighton at the weekend.
:01:43. > :01:46.As we know, for Albion, their season now starts all over again. They're
:01:47. > :01:49.in to the playoffs with the right to play for the golden ticket in
:01:50. > :01:52.English football ` a place in the Premier League, with more than ?100
:01:53. > :01:55.million guaranteed in the next five years. Their semifinal opponents are
:01:56. > :01:58.third`placed Derby ` the first leg is at the Amex on Thursday. The
:01:59. > :02:01.return is Sunday. For cash`strapped Reading, it's a bitter blow, they
:02:02. > :02:04.miss out by just one point. Let's start with Brighton's build up to
:02:05. > :02:09.their date with Derby County. Jeremy Pearse has been at the Amex today.
:02:10. > :02:12.Now ready for the dogfight on Thursday. Keith Andrews is only too
:02:13. > :02:22.aware of just how close they came against Nottingham Forest. It
:02:23. > :02:26.doesn't get much bigger. We were a little bit unaware of the situation,
:02:27. > :02:33.it is hard to gauge on the pitch. Yeah, it was obviously a magical
:02:34. > :02:40.moment. That will live with everybody that was there. Brighton
:02:41. > :02:44.had fallen behind in the first half, after a horrendous mistake by Tomasz
:02:45. > :02:49.Kuszczak. Stephen Ward levelled it up early in the second half. But it
:02:50. > :02:52.wasn't until deep into injury time that Leonardo Ulloa got the goal
:02:53. > :02:59.that ensured brighter nudged ahead into sixth
:03:00. > :03:12.I don't go as mental as some of the younger lads. I'm just very content.
:03:13. > :03:15.It was a big reason the way I came here to achieve something, but still
:03:16. > :03:18.not as happy as we have unfinished business with two massive games
:03:19. > :03:21.coming up. Former Brighton defender Adam Virgo has happy memories of the
:03:22. > :03:24.play`offs. He was in the side that beat City 1`0 at the Millennium
:03:25. > :03:28.Stadium in 2005 to win promotion to the Championship. He believes that
:03:29. > :03:37.Brighton's defence, 19 clean sheets this season, will be a key factor in
:03:38. > :03:48.the bid to reach the Premier League. I think it helps playing in the home
:03:49. > :03:51.leg first. When they went to Palace last year, they just didn't adapt
:03:52. > :03:54.themselves, but this year if we are away first leg, I would be slightly
:03:55. > :03:58.concerned, but being at home first, I think it puts us in the driving
:03:59. > :04:01.seat and the pressure is all on Derby, because we just crawled over
:04:02. > :04:05.a last`minute goal at Forest and the pressure is on Derby for the season.
:04:06. > :04:08.The Brighton fans will be out in force at the Amex ` over 20,000
:04:09. > :04:12.tickets were sold today. Brighton have lost to Derby home and away
:04:13. > :04:18.this season and the fans are in a buoyant mood after that dramatic
:04:19. > :04:21.late winner at the City ground. It was the best moment I've ever
:04:22. > :04:25.watched in football in my life, it really was. I thought we played
:04:26. > :04:29.brilliantly. I think we can get to the Premier League, easy. Yeah, we
:04:30. > :04:40.can beat Derby. We beat QPR, we beat Leicester 4`1. I think we can beat
:04:41. > :04:45.Derby. We'll talk about Brighton in a
:04:46. > :04:52.moment, but not before reflecting on Reading. Their season ended with
:04:53. > :04:54.them out of the top six. It's all happened against a backdrop of
:04:55. > :04:58.uncertainty at the Madejski Stadium ` an absent majority owner, a club
:04:59. > :05:01.up for sale, a club needing a buyer. The only thing's that's certain is
:05:02. > :05:07.it's another season in the Championship.
:05:08. > :05:08.Quite simply, Reading need to win to be guaranteed a place in the
:05:09. > :05:19.play`offs. Handball. Into the box, own goal, they've put
:05:20. > :05:32.it in themselves! It's the captain who has created a
:05:33. > :05:37.little bit of magic. That could be a historic goal for Reading. There is
:05:38. > :05:45.euphoria at the Madejski Stadium. 1`1, fired home by Scott Arfield.
:05:46. > :05:56.The visitors gives him a shooting chance, scores for Burnley! 2`1 to
:05:57. > :05:59.Burnley. 27 minutes gone. What a hammer blow for Reading's chances of
:06:00. > :06:04.reaching the play`offs. Into the penalty box, here's McCleary, into
:06:05. > :06:12.the back of the net. That is the most extraordinary goal in the most
:06:13. > :06:20.extraordinary game. Bang, into the top corner. Off the line. That's
:06:21. > :06:28.good defence, here's McCleary, oh, the keeper has saved it. Reading
:06:29. > :06:29.must score from this corner. Morrison gets it cleared off the
:06:30. > :06:36.line, Burnley are clear. Reading have drawn 2`2, the
:06:37. > :06:43.situation quite simply is Brighton are in the play`offs, Reading finish
:06:44. > :06:47.the season seven. We are a good side and a good club, but sometimes we
:06:48. > :06:54.don't put it out there for 90 minutes. We live to fight another
:06:55. > :06:58.day. It's a bit hard to take in the last minute. Difficult to get so
:06:59. > :07:07.close, but not get there, but there is always next season.
:07:08. > :07:11.Wasn't it close? When we look at this season, is it a miracle they
:07:12. > :07:14.were even in the running? Or would that squad have underachieved? Bit
:07:15. > :07:18.of both, in all honesty. They have got a good squad, no doubt about
:07:19. > :07:21.that. They have got a good squad, they signed three decent players in
:07:22. > :07:24.the summer, good signings, big players, big wages, possibly, as
:07:25. > :07:27.well. But they have had a horrendous injury list. Williams, Guthrie,
:07:28. > :07:30.Wayne Bridge has been out for months, so, you know, it depends
:07:31. > :07:34.which side of the fence you sit, but for me Nigel Adkins ` top`class
:07:35. > :07:38.manager, he has a fantastic CV and I think if he had been given a few
:07:39. > :07:43.more quid or some funds to go out and spend, I think they would have
:07:44. > :07:45.done it. That's the question, isn't it? There's nothing from the
:07:46. > :07:49.ownership about the ownership, big problem. Well, it has been a big
:07:50. > :07:52.problem. It has been a big problem since well before Christmas. Because
:07:53. > :07:55.it has been public that we are looking for a new owner. The owners
:07:56. > :07:58.want to sell, the problem is we don't seem to attract any buyers. It
:07:59. > :08:01.is a fantastic football club, it really is. The youth is set up
:08:02. > :08:05.there, the academy, we're bringing players through. The foundation of
:08:06. > :08:09.the club is there, why we can't get a buyer, I'm not too sure. Right,
:08:10. > :08:13.Les, a manager now as the fans go off on their holiday, the manager
:08:14. > :08:18.says to work, what sort things way have to be getting in place now? I
:08:19. > :08:21.think the key issue is the club ownership and whether there are
:08:22. > :08:24.funds there and whether he can have them, because the difficulty now is
:08:25. > :08:28.everyone is already at work. If he does not know what he has to play
:08:29. > :08:31.with, he cannot really get down to work and the longer you leave it,
:08:32. > :08:34.targets get missed, other people get them. It is a similar situation if
:08:35. > :08:38.you are in the play`offs and everyone has started, but you don't
:08:39. > :08:41.know what leads you will be in and therefore he'll have his targets,
:08:42. > :08:42.he'll have his players, it is just whether someone will be there to
:08:43. > :08:49.press the button. Let's spin it around to Brighton.
:08:50. > :08:53.They go into it now with a bit of momentum. Yeah, I think they are the
:08:54. > :08:58.in`form team, in the end. They have come right into it. All those years
:08:59. > :09:06.ago, some fans may not thank me for saying it, but we finished third and
:09:07. > :09:10.Leicester came in and picked us. `` pipped. Having that momentum gives
:09:11. > :09:16.you that help, so I think Brighton could get it over the line. You set
:09:17. > :09:19.up that scenario. I mean, it is all there to fail the Derby. You know a
:09:20. > :09:23.bit about Steve McClaren. Tell us about the kind of qualities on the
:09:24. > :09:29.team. Steve is meticulous, he has a plan and organise, he won't have
:09:30. > :09:34.left anything to doubt. `` he is a planner and
:09:35. > :09:36.everything about Brighton. The difficult thing now between now and
:09:37. > :09:42.the play`offs is what do you do? Some teams choose to make a change,
:09:43. > :09:51.maybe have a break. When I was at Charlton, we just carried on X acted
:09:52. > :09:55.the same way. `` exactly the same. I think Steve will do the same. I
:09:56. > :09:59.think he will just plan and work it through to carry the momentum into
:10:00. > :10:04.the play`offs. Brighton going to go through, guys? What do we think?
:10:05. > :11:44.Fingers crossed. Going to Wembley? They've got a good chance.
:11:45. > :13:24.Words cannot describe. Obviously, devastated. I apologise to the
:13:25. > :13:27.supporters. I take responsibility, I picked the team for the last eight
:13:28. > :13:38.games, so I didn't get the points required. My heart goes out to the
:13:39. > :13:41.supporters. We'll talk about the consequences of
:13:42. > :13:44.Rovers' drop in a moment. But with the scenes of devastation fixed in
:13:45. > :13:47.our minds, let's just contrast it with the improbable success story in
:13:48. > :13:51.the League Two relegation battle. The bookies had Wycombe odds on to
:13:52. > :13:54.go down. Their 3`0 win at Torquay means they stay in the Football
:13:55. > :14:01.League by virtue of a mere three goals in goal difference. This is
:14:02. > :14:08.how they celebrated. Wycombe Wanderers have survived. These fans
:14:09. > :14:11.are going mad. They asked for a fairy tale, the manager, who
:14:12. > :14:17.supports rock 'n' roll football, has got his wish. And the fairy tale has
:14:18. > :14:22.come true, Wycombe stay up and stay in the Football League. Every ball
:14:23. > :14:27.we kicked all season has come to this moment. We have had a hell of a
:14:28. > :14:31.time, but Wycombe Wanderers stay in the Football League. This club has a
:14:32. > :14:34.great history, I'm so proud to be leader of another great upset,
:14:35. > :14:43.because everyone thought we were going. Not me. All smiles for
:14:44. > :14:46.Wycombe, they stay up. Amazing scenes. Rovers, watched by more than
:14:47. > :14:49.10,000 fans on Saturday, they go down. Their 94`year spell in the
:14:50. > :14:52.Football League is over. We said it was unthinkable last week with Adam
:14:53. > :14:55.Virgo, Andy, and I suppose in moments like this people have to
:14:56. > :14:59.shoulder the blame. Where is it going to be apportioned in Bristol
:15:00. > :15:01.Rovers? I think it'll have to be a collective when your football club
:15:02. > :15:07.gets relegated. The players, the staff, the board, everybody has to
:15:08. > :15:10.take full responsibility. I think it would be totally unfair to single
:15:11. > :15:16.out one particular person, one particular group. They have got to
:15:17. > :15:20.take that responsibility but they have also got to regroup to try and
:15:21. > :15:24.get themselves back into the Football League as quickly as they
:15:25. > :15:27.can. It will be a tough job, it is a hard league down in that conference.
:15:28. > :15:30.But I think it is a collective. I think over 46 games... Not enough?
:15:31. > :15:34.No, they didn't get relegated with one performance on Saturday, they
:15:35. > :15:37.got relegated over the season. Everybody takes responsibility right
:15:38. > :15:42.from the very first ball to the very last. You were there, what was it
:15:43. > :15:48.like? Amazing, really. Lots of emotions. I felt before the game, a
:15:49. > :15:51.lot of people did not see it coming. There was quite a carnival
:15:52. > :15:54.atmosphere, there was music. I don't think anybody thought they would not
:15:55. > :15:57.get a point. And I am not sure they thought Wycombe would win so
:15:58. > :16:01.emphatically. So, all in all, it kind of took them by surprise.
:16:02. > :16:03.Talking of taken by surprise, let's see what the Bristol Rovers chairman
:16:04. > :16:06.made of it all. How certain are you that Darrell
:16:07. > :16:09.Clarke will be manager of Bristol Rovers next season? Darrell has a
:16:10. > :16:14.contract to be manager of Bristol Rovers next season. That is as
:16:15. > :16:17.certain as anyone can be about anything at this point in time. Is
:16:18. > :16:21.the stadium still going to happen or is that now in doubt? The stadium
:16:22. > :16:24.and the playing side are not linked in any way. The plans for the
:16:25. > :16:27.stadium still continue. What we need to do is look at the situation with
:16:28. > :16:30.the football club going into the Conference and the effect it has on
:16:31. > :16:34.both playing and nonplaying staff, and backroom staff, we have to look
:16:35. > :16:47.at the whole club from top to bottom. In that context, we have to
:16:48. > :16:52.look at ourselves as well. What is coming their way in the
:16:53. > :16:55.Conference? It is very tough and the Conference because they will go in
:16:56. > :16:58.there as a big club, and they will carry on with the stadium, so
:16:59. > :17:02.that'll speak for itself, and so there will be a big scalp for people
:17:03. > :17:05.in the Conference. The Conference is a tough league. There are a lot of
:17:06. > :17:08.ex`Football League clubs in there all trying to get back into the
:17:09. > :17:12.Football League. It will not be easy and I agree with what Andy said,
:17:13. > :17:15.they have got to regroup, from the board and the chairman all the way
:17:16. > :17:19.through, make sure they have a plan. Don't think that they are a big club
:17:20. > :17:23.going in the Conference with a nice new stadium coming and they can get
:17:24. > :17:26.back in. They have got to get a plan together and work hard. They go to
:17:27. > :17:30.the likes of Eastleigh, Salisbury, all sorts next season. We shall see
:17:31. > :17:33.when and if Bristol Rovers are going to be back in the league. We're
:17:34. > :17:36.going to talk Portsmouth now. We talked about big scalps, Portsmouth
:17:37. > :17:39.have been a big scalp in League Two for many teams this season, and with
:17:40. > :17:42.Andy appointed manager full time last week, what a turnaround. Five
:17:43. > :17:46.wins, two draws. It meant the all south coast clash with Plymouth was
:17:47. > :17:49.not the final day of drama which many had predicted it might be. It
:17:50. > :17:52.was a six goal thriller, you had a Danny Holland hat`trick, and
:17:53. > :17:55.everyone kind of goes home happy at Fratton Park almost, don't they? We
:17:56. > :17:59.won the six goal thriller with a different result, obviously. We did
:18:00. > :18:02.not quite get it. But there was a great atmosphere within the ground,
:18:03. > :18:05.the support that we have had over, over the season, not just the last
:18:06. > :18:08.seven games I have been in charge, has been phenomenal. But we got it
:18:09. > :18:12.over the line, thankfully. We're really grateful for the supporters,
:18:13. > :18:15.and it was, I suppose, lots of goals on the last day is what everyone
:18:16. > :18:20.wants to see, so it was OK on Saturday. This fixture next season,
:18:21. > :18:23.from your perspective and perhaps John Sheridan's as well, two teams
:18:24. > :18:27.going for promotion? You would like to think so, we are not going to get
:18:28. > :18:31.carried away because we have been on a nice run. We finished 13th in the
:18:32. > :18:35.league, and like I just said about Bristol Rovers, the table does not
:18:36. > :18:38.lie. If we can improve on that next year it will be fantastic. Off the
:18:39. > :18:41.pitch we have done very well. As people know, the financial footing
:18:42. > :18:44.is a lot stronger now, which is credit to the board and the
:18:45. > :18:48.directors, so we're grateful for that. But a big job to do, we want
:18:49. > :18:51.to keep improving and nudging up that league as much as we can. Where
:18:52. > :18:54.is the target? The initial kind of target. I am not going to set top
:18:55. > :18:58.three, play`offs, anything like that. We need to be competitive. If
:18:59. > :19:01.we can improve on this year's performance, in terms of where we
:19:02. > :19:05.finish in the league, I think the plan at the start of the season was
:19:06. > :19:07.to flirt with the play`offs and maybe finish mid`table, people would
:19:08. > :19:10.have accepted that. Obviously we flirted with relegation and ended up
:19:11. > :19:14.mid`table, that is not the right way round that we wanted it. If we can
:19:15. > :19:18.be knocking on the door we will be happy. What about that message? What
:19:19. > :19:21.was behind all that? I just felt to get the players to relax a little
:19:22. > :19:25.bit they needed a leaf from me. That's some words I wrote up on the
:19:26. > :19:28.board before the players went out for the Newport game, which was
:19:29. > :19:33.probably the most important win of the lot to give us some belief. And
:19:34. > :19:38.I just wanted the players to be happy in doing their job. And yet
:19:39. > :19:43.they were in a scrap, you were down with Wycombe. We were third bottom
:19:44. > :19:46.when I took over, but I wanted them not just to enjoy the good things,
:19:47. > :19:49.they needed to enjoy the horrible side of football, working hard and
:19:50. > :19:56.tackling and defending, then smile when they do those horrible things
:19:57. > :20:00.well as well. Thankfully, being able to express themselves and the
:20:01. > :20:03.flowing football followed later. The Newport game was probably the
:20:04. > :20:08.hardest earned win of the lot. We had to dig in against Newport
:20:09. > :20:11.thatvery first game. We certainly enjoyed it afterwards, there were
:20:12. > :20:16.smiles on faces. Portsmouth is your club. Are you going to be managing
:20:17. > :20:19.it as your club? You have got everything in place that you want.
:20:20. > :20:23.You took a little bit of time before signing up last week. There was no
:20:24. > :20:26.conflict. Let me make that clear. That was me and the board having a
:20:27. > :20:29.chat about making sure that things could be in place. It will not
:20:30. > :20:33.happen overnight, we have still got debts to pay off and things like
:20:34. > :20:39.that next season, but it is in a much better place than it was a year
:20:40. > :20:43.ago, of course. We nearly didn't have a football club, let's not
:20:44. > :20:46.forget that. We are in a much better place, and it is my club, and I have
:20:47. > :20:50.been given a wonderful opportunity and I am grateful for that, to be
:20:51. > :20:54.able to help move the club forward and lead it. I want to play a major
:20:55. > :20:58.part in that and the board have given me every assurance that I can.
:20:59. > :21:01.We have got to take our time, we cannot run before we can walk. We
:21:02. > :21:04.will make sure that we rebuild carefully and plot it together to
:21:05. > :21:08.make sure that we get it right. We will make mistakes along the way,
:21:09. > :21:11.but we will be giving it our best. Let's dip into the games that may
:21:12. > :21:15.not have mattered, the rest of the action.
:21:16. > :21:18.How big an achievement is Bournemouth's 10th place finish? Top
:21:19. > :21:21.notch. Don't forget they were up against a Millwall team fighting for
:21:22. > :21:25.championship survival. The Lions went in front, and as you would
:21:26. > :21:29.expect from an Ian Holloway team, they defended for their lives. Just
:21:30. > :21:32.look how many blue shirts are in the penalty area. For Bournemouth, if
:21:33. > :21:35.you'd have offered them 10th place at the start of their campaign, I'm
:21:36. > :21:39.sure they would have been absolutely delighted. It is one of the success
:21:40. > :21:43.stories. The problem now is expectations. Yeovil's stay in the
:21:44. > :21:57.championship ended with a heavy defeat at home to Middlesbrough.
:21:58. > :21:59.Plenty of questions for Yeovil this summer. Most important is whether
:22:00. > :22:03.Gary Johnson remains. James Hayter scored Yeovil's goal, but how many
:22:04. > :22:06.times have we said this about Yeovil this season? One big punt, down the
:22:07. > :22:09.middle, the two centre halves miles apart, all over the place. The
:22:10. > :22:12.Middlesbrough player does well but not good enough from Yeovil. Again,
:22:13. > :22:15.another long hoof down the middle. Again, positioning of the Yeovil
:22:16. > :22:18.defenders needs to be addressed. Eight of the starting 11 against
:22:19. > :22:21.Middlesbrough played in the League One play`off final at year ago. They
:22:22. > :22:24.will not be up against the quality of the championship next season.
:22:25. > :22:28.Maybe the experience will do them good.
:22:29. > :22:31.Was Swindon's season a case of if only as they lost to Rotherham in
:22:32. > :22:36.their final match? Possibly. Swindon ended up the season in a top six
:22:37. > :22:39.finish. They beat Rotherham early in the season back in October, but it
:22:40. > :22:43.was always going to be difficult after conceding two goals. A soft
:22:44. > :22:48.penalty, but Michael Smith confidently stroked the ball home.
:22:49. > :22:51.The close season is always an interesting time, players coming in
:22:52. > :22:59.and leaving, Jay McEveley has played his last game for the Robins, almost
:23:00. > :23:02.departed in style. A mid`table finish the Bristol City
:23:03. > :23:05.who entered the season unbeaten in six games. When you think Bristol
:23:06. > :23:09.City were in the drop zone, to finish 12th is a decent turnaround.
:23:10. > :23:14.Crawley in front, their boss John Gregory extended his contract this
:23:15. > :23:17.weekend. As for City, they fought back with a great goal, good
:23:18. > :23:26.technique, head down, hits the target. A big season on the way for
:23:27. > :23:32.City. Exeter and Hartlepool, a round trip
:23:33. > :23:35.of 690 miles, well worth it. A super strike for Exeter put them in front.
:23:36. > :23:40.David Wheeler made it 2`0, sublime first touch. Plenty of home`grown
:23:41. > :23:47.young players on show for Exeter. A positive for the manager.
:23:48. > :23:50.Just a last word on Bristol City. They want to go top six next season.
:23:51. > :23:52.I think so, big club, passionate fans, different ball game next
:23:53. > :23:55.campaign. Well done to Bournemouth as well.
:23:56. > :23:57.Southampton end their season on Sunday, facing Manchester United
:23:58. > :24:00.knowing they already have a record haul of points in the Premier
:24:01. > :24:06.League. What a season for Mauricio Pochettino's side. What is in store
:24:07. > :24:09.for the summer? Les, all the fans obviously are wanting to hear the
:24:10. > :24:12.manager say, I am staying, I'm in for the long haul. Where are you
:24:13. > :24:17.with that discussion? Mauricio has made it clear. I brought it to the
:24:18. > :24:20.fore last week that as soon as that game is out of the way on Sunday we
:24:21. > :24:27.will sit down and continue discussions that we have been
:24:28. > :24:31.having. It is not that we have not been doing anything about it, but we
:24:32. > :24:34.respected the fact that he wanted to focus. He wanted to achieve these
:24:35. > :24:40.record points and focus on the games. He attracts attention,
:24:41. > :24:42.doesn't he? We know there are other clubs out there looking for
:24:43. > :24:47.managers, and his performance merits him to be part of the conversation?
:24:48. > :24:51.Yes. This is one of the issues of being successful. It is not just
:24:52. > :24:54.Mauricio, it is other coaches at the club, young players, players nowhere
:24:55. > :24:56.near the first`team yet, staff, everyone is attracting attention
:24:57. > :25:05.because everyone wants to know how we do it, and can rub off on them?
:25:06. > :25:09.As he said in his post`match interview, these rumours will always
:25:10. > :25:13.go about when you are successful. We just have to carry on doing what we
:25:14. > :25:16.are doing and not worry about it. I pick up a newspaper every day and
:25:17. > :25:29.Southampton fans must be fed up of it. Lallana going here, Shaw going
:25:30. > :25:33.here. Are in the you? It has been very easy to me because none of it
:25:34. > :25:42.is true. I have made that statement already, there are no deals being
:25:43. > :25:49.discussed. Not even informal deals? Absolutely nothing. I can clearly
:25:50. > :25:54.say that, I am not saying it is not going to happen, but at the moment
:25:55. > :25:59.nothing is being discussed. The World Cup for three or four players,
:26:00. > :26:05.maybe? Are they ready for that? I think so. All of the young ones have
:26:06. > :26:08.come through the system, they have played in the youth team and learned
:26:09. > :26:15.about international food all, they train every day with top Premier
:26:16. > :26:21.League players. I think they are all ready for that step up, Lambert has
:26:22. > :26:26.not come through that Pat, his path has been a very mature experience.
:26:27. > :26:32.He has got very special attributes and I do not see why he could not
:26:33. > :26:37.step up to that mark. What have Southampton got so right about
:26:38. > :26:44.academies? Two things. During the bad times, the period Portsmouth
:26:45. > :26:53.have been through, there was a focus on the use. The club carried on with
:26:54. > :26:57.its Academy, with its satellite Academy which has been very
:26:58. > :27:02.productive for us. And controversial at times. Category one can snaffle
:27:03. > :27:07.the best, that is what some people might be worried about? But we're
:27:08. > :27:12.back is situated, it is very difficult for young players to get
:27:13. > :27:22.access to category one coaching in that area. We provide a need and
:27:23. > :27:27.meter needs `` meet a need. There are other academies in the past.
:27:28. > :27:31.Other clubs chose to shut them down, Southampton kept funding it. Even
:27:32. > :27:37.during administration. We are reaping the benefits now. It is a
:27:38. > :27:42.very important factor for us. What are using to the other local league
:27:43. > :27:48.clubs who could be concerned? We have had chats with a couple of
:27:49. > :27:54.them. We were a league one club when it came out. We decided to invest in
:27:55. > :28:03.use, some of the others changed. We think it is very important that we
:28:04. > :28:07.provide exit routes for our players, even players who do not make it, to
:28:08. > :28:18.feed them back into the system, and we hope that all of the clubs around
:28:19. > :28:25.us can develop a relationship with us and benefit from our presence. So
:28:26. > :28:31.the game can benefit as a whole? Exactly, I would like to think so.
:28:32. > :28:38.It has been great to have you all in with us. I have enjoyed these last
:28:39. > :28:44.nine weeks. Great goal round`ups and we will keep a firm I on next
:28:45. > :28:48.season. Thank you for being with us these last few weeks. The play`offs
:28:49. > :29:15.will be live on the BBC. It is good night from us.
:29:16. > :29:17.and the grand final with me, Graham Norton.