In this episode, we unpack the rollercoaster of emotions from the recent game. Joe, still buzzing from the result, describes a sense of excitement and newfound hope around the club. We discuss the departure of former manager Steve, reflecting on the timing and its impact on the team. The conversation then shifts to the match itself, with a deep dive into the starting lineup under the new management of John and Sean.
Mike Dowling
01:12 - 01:22
Hello and welcome to another episode of Sutton United Talk Time on podcast. It's the Sutton podcast in association with Lucky Star Gin. If you're a regular listener, thanks once again for coming back to me. I love you sharing your time with me.
Mike Dowling
01:23 - 01:33
If you're a new listener, hi, hello. I hope it meets your expectations. probably won't, but I hope it does. I'm your host, Mike, and with me today we have Joe.
Mike Dowling
01:33 - 01:48
Joe's last one for a little while, I think, but we'll explain a bit more. We love hearing from you. Join the conversations, stay connected, share, retweet, comment, all the regular stuff on socials with at Sutton Podcast. I really do appreciate it.
Mike Dowling
01:48 - 01:56
It does boost my ego because it just needs to be boosted more and more and more. Joe, how are you?
Joe
01:58 - 02:03
I am excellent, Mike. I'm all the better for seeing us get a very valiant point away at Woking last night.
Mike Dowling
02:04 - 02:05
Absolutely.
Joe
02:05 - 02:40
I'm tired and I've got a lot of things on my mind from this list who have not followed the the Joe O'Connor coffee trilogy over the last few years. I am off to university on Friday morning, so it is, oh you can't see, but I'm surrounded by boxes. and trying to pack and let's just say it's not the easiest job in the world to kind of decide what to take away and what not because you never know what you're going to need. But I think we've got everything now ready to be packed, just actually finding a place to put it is a different question.
Joe
02:40 - 03:00
Just sleep on the boxes mate, you'll be all right. Yeah, fine. So, but yeah, that's an exciting thing coming and probably won't be on for a few months, but hopefully over Christmas I'll be back home and at a certain game I can rejoin Mike and his troublesome endeavours.
Mike Dowling
03:02 - 03:10
Well, we'll get an address, so we'll get people to post you packets of noodles and stuff like that when you're starving. Yeah, yeah. Food packs.
Joe
03:11 - 03:18
Get some noodles through the post. Any donations to the Jericho Coffee Universe? They only take above £20.
Mike Dowling
03:21 - 03:41
Right. I did a briefing with Mark the other day on the Steve situation behind the company. I'm not going to go into my thoughts again, but what was your thoughts on it and thoughts since? Was it the right time, the right decision, too early, too late?
Mike Dowling
03:41 - 03:48
What are your thoughts? I mean, you've had a week or so now to kind of get used to the idea, so it's not quite as raw.
Joe
03:48 - 04:31
I think it was the right decision entirely. I think Steve really wanted it to work and it got to the point where he didn't have much, he didn't know what to do because I think he tried a lot and maybe it didn't look like it but I could, yeah, I think he was and it got to him, you could see in interviews and I just think at that point it's not conducive for the manager nor the club nor the players to continue a relationship where it just seems just not to be clicking and I think there'll be things which we'll miss in him. I think there are qualities which maybe aren't as obvious but they're kind of There are some qualities which I really think we want to have that he's got in our next coach.
Joe
04:32 - 05:32
But yeah, I think overall, looking back on his appointment, it was always a very going to be a tough act to follow from Matt and very different character to Matt, very different approach to football than that. And there were ups, there were downs, but I think at that point, you know, knowing where the ambitions were after pre-season and knowing what his ambitions being a two-year project after last season to be sat 23rd is not really in the relegation zone comfortably. It's not really the plan and the longer we held on for maybe Sutton's sake for not wanting to sack managers and obviously not being here too long, I think the more damage it could have done to not only the relationship between him and the players but the relationship between him and the fans which let's just say, was not the peachiest, but you know, right call, right time, obviously Kiri's gone as well, he was with Steve's, one of his Steve's Met guys who he brought in, but now it's the John and Sean show, and you know,
Joe
05:32 - 05:35
it's not been too bad so far, good, good, good showing last night.
Mike Dowling
05:35 - 05:51
Yeah, yeah, I mean, it's clearly a stressful job, but Yeah, I mean, you're right, there was a lot in the interviews. You could revisit them now, you're getting progressively more and more frustrated and angry. But I just,
Speaker 1
05:52 - 05:52
I know it
Mike Dowling
05:52 - 06:14
doesn't help, but in another universe, in a parallel world, we score against Colchester and we don't concede that last minute penalty against Doncaster and we're safe in League Two. But anyway, hey ho, we are where we are. Onto the match. So going into it, we've had a run of losses.
Speaker 1
06:16 - 06:16
What were your,
Mike Dowling
06:17 - 06:18
I think it's seven, I don't know.
Speaker 1
06:18 - 06:18
What
Joe
06:18 - 06:18
were
Mike Dowling
06:18 - 06:23
your expectations and what did you think of the lineup?
Joe
06:24 - 06:45
Well, you know, John, kind of allude to the fact, you know, he was a bit restricted with his line-up on Saturday due to the National League Cup rules from the Tuesday prior, which obviously wasn't under his jurisdiction, Steve's last game. So it was going to be more of a John Meaney line-up. I think we saw that on tactics. Saturday felt a bit makeshift.
Joe
06:45 - 07:02
4-4-2 didn't really seem to work, seemed very disjointed. I would say that was actually one of our worst performances of the season. I think we've been bad, maybe the scoreline has you know, not flattered. Scorlaio made it seem maybe less close than it was.
Joe
07:02 - 07:28
Forrest Green 4-0 was harsh. I don't think Fulham was, but I think Brackley, we were lucky to only go down 1-0 because we were very poor and we team who had just lost their manager, lost and just kind of been cobbled together with whatever could happen and that, you know, is not John's buck. But I was excited to see the team on Tuesday, see what approach he'd take, see who'd come in, see if anyone, you know, is it a fresh slate, some players who maybe haven't got minutes.
Joe
07:30 - 07:48
But yeah, no, I thought it was good. I liked Phipps being given the break, it had been a bit of a, he gave me a little bit of a, he started off the season really well and just seemed really comfortable but the last few games he just seemed tired and just some, a few just uncomfortable mistakes. He reminded me a bit of Maguire at United.
Joe
07:48 - 08:16
He started off so well and then it just, it just started to be a bit all over the place and then it just becomes part of a defensive mishap. So I think it was good to give him a break. Was happy to see obviously Charlie in there because I think he was good uh last week at uh against Brighton uh and you know very highly rated from the academy and uh had an inkling when he wasn't in the game uh team against Dagenham uh on monday um oh yeah the academy played Dagenham
Mike Dowling
08:16 - 08:16
oh sorry
Joe
08:17 - 08:49
sorry i know we haven't played Dagenham no i'll get you i'll get you yeah um uh and i was Happy to see, just yeah, it looked like a change in shape. Happy to see Jonesy back in. I think he is a real leader and I think he hasn't really been given the chance to show it yet. But I think there were very clear moments last night where the difference between him and Tyler French became very apparent.
Joe
08:49 - 08:56
And if we just start to get things right, maybe under a new manager, that captaincy can become a real linchpin and connection with the fans. Because
Speaker 1
08:56 - 08:57
there have been
Joe
08:57 - 09:17
efforts this season, I mean, you know, videos, trying to come over to the fans, trying to show the support, but it's very difficult when you're losing to try and get the players or the manager. So, you know, it's a good feeling around the club. Something new is coming and that's good. And I thought the team kind of reflected that as well.
Joe
09:17 - 09:26
I think, you know, the trust of the kind of, not the old firm, but the likes of Simper and Addison to still be in there to prove themselves. I think that was a positive as well.
Mike Dowling
09:28 - 09:37
So on lineups, there was some familiar faces on the Woking team. We had three,
Joe
09:37 - 09:37
was it?
Mike Dowling
09:37 - 09:38
There was
Joe
09:38 - 09:39
obviously
Mike Dowling
09:39 - 09:39
Harry.
Joe
09:40 - 09:41
One on the bench.
Mike Dowling
09:42 - 09:45
Right, so there's Harry, Aidan, Chin,
Joe
09:45 - 09:45
and...
Mike Dowling
09:45 - 09:58
Chin, Oliver, Sanderson. Right, yeah, yeah, okay. Were you a little bit nervous? Because all of them can score, one of them did.
Mike Dowling
09:58 - 09:59
Not
Speaker 1
09:59 - 09:59
the one
Mike Dowling
09:59 - 10:09
you think would score. Not the one you thought would score, but one of them did. Players always seem to come back and haunt their old clubs. How were you kind of feeling?
Mike Dowling
10:10 - 10:15
Were you nervous that they were going to have a stormer or was it just another team? It's
Joe
10:15 - 10:28
another team. I don't think they needed the win as much as they do. They're only a few places above us and they haven't had the best start to the season. They had one big, similar to us, they've had two wins to our one, but they had one massive result.
Joe
10:28 - 10:50
Ours was Carlisle, theirs was Gateshead. They will beat Gateshead 5-0, massively out of character for the rest of their season so far. And, yeah, I wasn't nervous. I knew, out of all of them, if there's anyone I was most worried about, it'd be Akoli, because I just know, like, he was, he got really praised for his performance in that Woking game last year.
Joe
10:50 - 10:54
He scored against us in, or not? What do you mean?
Mike Dowling
10:56 - 11:00
Last year, did he score against us last year? No, he's playing for us. Oh, sorry.
Joe
11:01 - 11:01
Who did he score?
Mike Dowling
11:01 - 11:03
Oh, never mind. Never mind. Carry on.
Joe
11:04 - 11:07
Who was he playing for? Yeah, it was Woking. No, he didn't. But he was...
Joe
11:08 - 11:15
Yeah, I knew how good he was. And, you know, it was right after Muller got injured last season. Just kind of... I knew he could be a real pain.
Joe
11:15 - 11:18
And we didn't really have that target forward.
Speaker 1
11:18 - 11:19
Nadas
Joe
11:19 - 11:30
can... But he's such a dominant figure at the back. I just was a bit worried that, you know, let's say we started Najoku. That battle, again, is a very physical mismatch.
Joe
11:30 - 11:54
I actually thought Nojoku did better than Nadesan. When Nadesan went out wide, we started to get some traction because it was almost like he was being played as if what Will did last season and you can't play Nadesan in that role. He's not the same striker and you're shoehorning a player who's much better at the runs and the kind of grafting on the right. And then Nojoku was almost It's going to sound weird, but too small for him to be barged off the ball.
Joe
11:54 - 12:15
And he was able to shield himself. That's what Beautyman used to do. And you think of just players who have done that well. I just remember that first game of the relegation season, Scott Cashkitt did it really well against those not defenders, won the red card.
Joe
12:15 - 12:22
Just even he played like 60 minutes, I just remember that game, it just was so small that it was almost impossible. If you were going to barge him off the ball,
Speaker 1
12:22 - 12:23
you'd
Joe
12:23 - 12:37
be f***ed. So, you know, that might that might be a strategy means my employer over the next few weeks. But if there was anyone to be a Coley, but I think for any of them, I think it's just another game. You know, none of them, apart from Buttes, were here that long.
Mike Dowling
12:40 - 12:48
you could you could argue obviously forever but um you could sort of go well Aidan and Steve I don't think saw eye to eye um
Joe
12:48 - 12:49
so they could have been
Mike Dowling
12:49 - 12:49
they could have
Joe
12:49 - 12:50
been a
Mike Dowling
12:50 - 12:50
little uh
Joe
12:51 - 12:51
I went back so
Mike Dowling
12:52 - 13:12
yeah a little bit of like like to get one over on him but then he's not here so it's like oh that's gone uh but But Butes, we'll talk about him first of all before we go on to others. Penalty. So I didn't see it because I was out elsewhere. Was it a save or was it a miss?
Mike Dowling
13:14 - 13:15
Both. Okay, fair enough.
Joe
13:16 - 13:33
I was commenting. He never looked confident. There are some penalties that you see, let's say in the Euros or the World Cup, you just look at the penalty taker, he never looked like the assured beauts penalty taker that we've seen. He just, he's shaped to go that way from the moment he started running.
Joe
13:33 - 13:47
And I think, it might have been Ryan, I looked behind me and I said, he's going, he's going. He's going to Simms' right, because his body was already moving that way. And I was like, well, Simms is pretty darn good at saving penalties. It was a good big hand from Simms to get it away.
Joe
13:48 - 13:52
So it was a good save, but it was nowhere near the corner and it was at a perfect height. So I
Speaker 1
13:53 - 13:53
think it was a
Joe
13:53 - 14:04
poor penalty, very well saved because he didn't allow any scraps to come of it and properly pushed it behind for a corner. But I think, yeah, it's by no means anywhere near his best.
Mike Dowling
14:05 - 14:13
So I think that's penalty six this season, and the first one we've saved.
Speaker 1
14:15 - 14:18
Six? Outrageous. I know,
Mike Dowling
14:18 - 14:21
we've had 10 league games and two cup games,
Joe
14:21 - 14:21
and
Mike Dowling
14:21 - 14:23
it's one every two games we've continued to win
Joe
14:24 - 14:28
it. Where else? What's the other ones?
Mike Dowling
14:29 - 14:33
Oh, I don't know. There's too many. There's too many to count. That needs
Joe
14:33 - 14:34
to be fixed. It's in the
Mike Dowling
14:34 - 14:38
box. I mean, over a season, you'd think six is quite a lot.
Joe
14:39 - 14:40
We've had one.
Mike Dowling
14:40 - 14:58
Yeah, we should have had one. I mean, I've had varying different things, but most comments are basically saying and we were going to talk about some of them in a bit. Most of them saying, well, the penalty we were denied was more nailed on than the penalty they got. Yeah.
Joe
14:59 - 15:10
Well, I think theirs is soft. Charlie Bell's leg is out and he's not trying to block anyone. He's running to go the other way because he thinks that's where the ball is going. And Kelly, or I think it's Kelly, trips over his leg.
Joe
15:11 - 15:19
It's not like he's left his leg out there deliberately. He's literally just running past him. And I don't think, I don't think Bell can believe it. He was like, I'm literally running the other way.
Joe
15:19 - 15:28
I'm like, how is this a foul? I can believe it. Like that, I thought was penalty. But the pen that I could see, because I was on the doing the commentaries on the far side to where the Sutton fans were.
Joe
15:29 - 15:45
That Wadham one was a pen. Like, it was, I mean, referee's not going to know this. Jack Wadham, firstly, isn't a diver. If there's any player on that pitch who's not going to dive, firstly, he didn't need to because Jeske Linehan hit his leg.
Joe
15:46 - 15:56
But if any better player is not going to dive, if there's any person I'd put no money on getting a yellow card for simulation, even the bookies, it would not be Jack Modern, just because he's not the player he is.
Mike Dowling
15:57 - 16:02
Yeah, I mean, you said it before you said that though, refs can't possibly
Joe
16:02 - 16:08
get there and judge all that. Yeah, I know, but knowing I... Yeah, no. Mind you, if it's Warwick, it's probably not going to be...
Joe
16:09 - 16:09
No,
Mike Dowling
16:10 - 16:21
yeah. I mean, you mentioned him a couple of times now. Birthday boy. It's his birthday today, I don't know how old he is, I think he's like 13 or something.
Mike Dowling
16:21 - 16:47
But Charlie, well, the penalty, he must have been thinking, what a great debut this is, thanks a lot. But, I mean, seeing him into the side, you mentioned he played well the other night, you thought he was going to be at least involved. How much of a lift do you think it gives the team? I mean, Meanie said he's well liked, he's really supported with the whole group.
Mike Dowling
16:48 - 16:53
So how much of a lift does it give the team and the fans to see an academy graduate come through?
Joe
16:53 - 17:06
Massive. Massive. I love the chant to ring my bell, Charlie Bell. I absolutely love that chant and I hope I hear it a lot more when I come back and when I'm hopefully still inside.
Joe
17:06 - 17:36
He's an excellent player and I think he actually, like, I genuinely do believe that when he's out, I would start him. This is the thing with academy players, they have a point to prove. You've been put a load of trust in a young player to play in a big game against people who are basically all five, almost 10 years older than you, especially a working side, which is quite maybe an older side. And the energy he just brought in that midfield, yes, maybe he's not technically as good as Simp or Wadham.
Joe
17:37 - 17:50
And yes, he lost the ball, maybe missed passes and made bad decisions. But the one thing you never see him do, he never stopped running. And I think that's something which, again, we need. Even in that first half, I think we could be said to be guilty of a lack of work rate, not in the second.
Joe
17:50 - 18:05
And throughout the season, a lack of work rate is maybe another one, just tracking back. He reminded me of Eastie a little bit, at his best. Just committed. If he lost the ball, just to kind of straight on it, like it's closing down.
Joe
18:05 - 18:18
Commitment, playing as an attacking midfielder and a defensive midfielder and a centre-back and a striker. Like, it was a real joy to see. He just looked like he was having fun. And I think that's something which, you know, John's always said it.
Joe
18:18 - 18:43
He's like, you've got to remember why you enjoy the game and that will help you to help you on the pitch. And I can see why I picked him because he does just look like he's enjoying playing and that's why the goal. came. Simp had a similar opportunity and went for some sort of Cirque du Soleil acrobatic impression, whereas Charlie Milne got a bit fortuitous with the stranding of the keeper.
Joe
18:43 - 19:08
But still, just a very well taken finish and just mature beyond his years. I hope he's in action at Boston because I think he's an important bit in the side, especially while there's uncertainty around the managerial situation. Uncertainty about results and the fans and all sorts of other things. So yeah, really, really, really good performance and a really, really exciting thing for the fans to see because you know, you've had Eccleston and you've
Speaker 1
19:08 - 19:08
got
Joe
19:08 - 19:28
Reid. There's something less sexy about a defender. Do you know what I mean? Like a midfielder or an attacking midfielder, someone, you know, getting in on that, you know, if we had Academy number nine or Academy attacking midfielder, something a bit more exciting about that.
Joe
19:28 - 19:28
Yeah,
Mike Dowling
19:28 - 19:51
yeah, no, I get it. But it is, it is one of those, and I've said it before, it's just a really strange thing how football fans everywhere, their Academy player comes in, you said it in your little thing there, they'll make mistakes and you just forgive them. you're like, nope, it's fine, no problem. But then someone that you brought brings in, even if they're only a year or two old and they make a mistake, you know, it's like, oh, for fuck's sake.
Mike Dowling
19:52 - 20:19
It's just that we forgive the academy players so much more. But yeah, I mean, you said it, recent years we've had Jack Taylor come through, we've had Junior come through, a couple of years before we had Killian come through, and now we've seen possibly two could be involved by the end of the season, regularly, not just bits and pieces. So it certainly is showing that the academy is playing brilliant dividends.
Mike Dowling
20:20 - 20:24
Oh, and the other guy as well, I've forgotten, the striker.
Joe
20:25 - 20:25
Fenello?
Mike Dowling
20:26 - 20:29
No. Say again?
Joe
20:29 - 20:30
Alim? Yeah,
Mike Dowling
20:31 - 20:31
yeah,
Joe
20:31 - 20:35
yeah. He injured the other day. Did he? Yeah,
Mike Dowling
20:35 - 20:55
but he may well come through as well. So I think he's sort of the under-19s, not the academy process. So yeah, we talked through Charlie's goal. I mean, he went, it looked like he was having a little dream going for something spectacular and it kind of didn't
Speaker 1
20:55 - 20:56
quite.
Mike Dowling
20:57 - 21:03
Come on, let's not go as harsh as scuffed it. It's his birthday. Come on. Yeah,
Joe
21:06 - 21:10
it was not a pretty finish, but it did the job. I don't think anyone will care.
Mike Dowling
21:10 - 21:10
Yeah.
Joe
21:11 - 21:14
It's the balls in the net. We need goals. There's no
Mike Dowling
21:14 - 21:16
such thing as a bad goal you score.
Joe
21:16 - 21:24
No, exactly. And it was really, really well taken. I mean, players all around him. He picked it up from, I think, ball into the box from Simps.
Joe
21:25 - 21:58
Those two work really well together. I mean, taken off the cramp, he literally ran himself into the ground. Yeah, he was a really good goal and the connection with the fans afterwards, Jonesy getting really pumped and hyped, it was reminiscent of early points of last season. just bit like, or not even altering them, but like, even when we didn't have, we had a bad few games, we had a great start at the start of last season, but Jadon Harris pumping up the fans there, you know, there was that, you know, new season, new
Joe
21:58 - 22:17
league, you know, bit of an expectation on us, but a little bit inconsistent. There was a really nice feel around the club. And it felt like that yesterday, there's something to build on. I think means it's really big on the mental side of the game and the impact that can have on the pitch.
Joe
22:18 - 22:34
I think if we're going by that, there are three players who should be starting every game and they are Eden Pruetty, Jadon Harris and Aaron Jones. Because, what was it yesterday? Tizard came on and made his first tackle, but kind of just tentatively put it out. And it didn't really didn't do that.
Joe
22:34 - 22:46
Harris comes running over about 20 yards and say, go, go effing through him, go effing through him, Tiz. And then screams and runs off. And Prewt just starts clapping. And I'm just like, I'm so...
Joe
22:47 - 23:19
cinema and crews just get like roaring, Jones winding up the Woking fan, Sidney's taking his time and Nader's kind of shithousing at the end. It was that last half an hour. Again, with the away performance, there was some real character in that side, the kind of celebrations for Charlie's goal. It felt like there was a real just buzz and it just felt like maybe yesterday could have been a bit of a tipping point.
Joe
23:19 - 23:21
Hopefully. We'll see at Boston.
Mike Dowling
23:22 - 23:36
John did say the penalty save could be one of those moments, not just in the game. It could lead on to more things. But what do you think so far? I mean, that's John's second game in charge.
Mike Dowling
23:36 - 23:59
You've already sort of touched on the first one. He was slightly hamstrung with rules. How do you think the differences are? I mean, I'm loving some of his interviews where he's getting into his full David Brink, and don't worry, he said it himself before, where he's going on all these little technical things, but how are you feeling about the changes in tactics, or is there a change in mood,
Mike Dowling
24:00 - 24:02
or is it more of the same?
Joe
24:03 - 24:24
I think there was this mood I'm talking about, this buzz was there at the start of the season, but it drains out just as loss comes on loss and the manager starts to get more frustrated. A fresh set of eyes and a different tactic and a different approach is good. I heard people talking about last night, maybe Means will be the man to lead. I don't know.
Joe
24:25 - 24:51
I think he could do it. I think there are massive benefits to having him as an assistant and as a coach, because I think it just gives him a bit more freedom to kind of be the way he is. And also, I don't think it would harm anyone. having someone, a complete outsider, someone who doesn't know the club as well, but knows the club and has the values of the club as essential to what they do.
Joe
24:51 - 25:11
And that being community and kind of close relationship with the fans and wanting to play entertaining football. But I think the risk is you keep remnants of what happens before that could potentially poison what he's trying to do. And I think what he's trying to do is excellent. I really like the way he's doing it.
Joe
25:11 - 25:45
And I think the energy he brings to it is something which is a bit of a change from the last two months, which have been so draining. And it was draining on the players and the fans and Steve that if, let's say, I mean, when Jason took over after Matt, There was, I mean, we won at Wimbledon, but that felt like a real player's performance. It didn't feel massively kind of driven by the new change. And I never really felt like, yeah, he's our man to be that.
Joe
25:45 - 25:58
I don't think any, many people did thinking he'd come up and do that. It felt like he was close. Means feels a bit closer to that, feels like, yeah, he is a step away from it and he's trying to make that break. But you know, you never know.
Joe
25:58 - 26:10
And I think he'll, I think the fans can see it in the attitude amongst the fans. There will always be fans that will grumble and they were grumbling at halftime last night. But I didn't think we were too bad in that first half. I thought Woking played well.
Joe
26:10 - 26:19
I think we struggled to get into the game. I think that's another thing that we need to change. I think our mentality or mental fortitude at the start of games needs to be tougher. And I think, who was I talking with last night?
Joe
26:19 - 26:35
I can't remember who it was. But I think we just both agreed that the one thing we need is just a bit of grit. And I think it's in there. It's very difficult to use it when you bring it out and it just doesn't do anything for you.
Joe
26:36 - 26:53
So I think that's the key. I think we saw a Tamworth equalizing from 2-0 down and then just kind of collapsing again 40 seconds later. And I think that's the thing that means he's trying to instill. You can see it in his interview, see it in the clips from training.
Joe
26:53 - 27:04
It's all about trying to turn those losses into not being like, oh, well, I've lost the ball. I've lost the ball. How can I change that? And that had been the end of Steve.
Mike Dowling
27:07 - 27:33
I haven't really kind of considered it much, so I might be talking a load of rubbish. Obviously, it means getting the job. I don't know if he even wants it. It's the first thing he might well be saying, not at all, because I would be devastated if he got a top job that he kind of felt he had to take, and then it kind of sucked all that enthusiasm and life out of him.
Mike Dowling
27:33 - 28:03
It would be like, no, we've killed a very, very great great thing. So, that would be my kind of worry is whether, because it does take a different type of thing to go, right, I'm taking these decisions, because some people can make the decisions and be quite happy, but some people it will just churn and churn and churn over. So, I say I've not spoken to him, I've not done anything, I've just sort of been there thinking, I don't know if he'd even want it or not. But yeah, it'd be definitely a popular choice, I know that.
Mike Dowling
28:07 - 28:19
taking all emotion out of it. It's football, you can't do that. Was this a point earned or two points dropped? Point earned.
Mike Dowling
28:19 - 28:25
Excellent. Good point on the road. Everyone always says you've got to respect it. That's been said for years.
Mike Dowling
28:28 - 28:45
How do you think it's going to affect us going into the weekend? It stopped the rot of losses. Do you think we should now be going, right, let's continue with stopping the rot and just keep everything tight? Or do you think we should be going in, like you just said a minute ago, from minute one, we're going to win this?
Joe
28:47 - 29:08
I think minute one, we're going to put everything out there. We're going to win this won't work because that risks overconfidence. And I think the mental Not stability, but mental toughness of the squad has to be a little bit in question. I think it is there.
Joe
29:09 - 29:25
If you keep losing, it's going to take a knock, of course, to all players who are trying. So many players have played so many minutes and it's just not going to plan. But the one thing to be right, that last 30 minutes was good. Let's try and do that for another 30.
Joe
29:26 - 29:51
And then we take a break and we have drinks and let's do that for another 15 get to halftime. Let's do that for another 45 and try to take because I think that's another thing means all about small steps and breaking things down rather than, you know, I think the one thing that we as a fan base and also even myself, we kept being like, Oh, well, how long till Steve if we keep losing and we kept looking at great games of two or three. It's very difficult.
Joe
29:51 - 30:09
If we keep winning games of two or three, that's nine points. That could be the margin. And if you just throw away three games and you just have to play it game by game, ear by ear, try and figure out what's going on. And I think minute one and that first 15 really sets the impetus because I do think we will be in the game.
Joe
30:09 - 30:20
I think Boston are a difficult side. They have had a very good end to last season. They made some shrewd pickups in the closed season. But I think we've got a point to prove.
Joe
30:20 - 30:30
And so has John, and so has the players, and so the players will want to continue what they did in the latter minutes of yesterday's game.
Mike Dowling
30:32 - 30:39
end of the day, pretty much all of those players have joined us, sold on the idea that we're going to be a springboard for
Speaker 1
30:39 - 30:39
them
Mike Dowling
30:40 - 30:40
to move on.
Speaker 1
30:41 - 30:41
It's
Mike Dowling
30:41 - 30:51
not a secret, they've come here to showcase, so they're going to want to showcase what they can do, so they're not here to settle and go okay, they're not here for the wages, I can tell you that much, I know that for
Joe
30:51 - 30:51
a fact,
Mike Dowling
30:52 - 31:23
so they're here to prove themselves. I just want a quick word on the, I know you said you're on the opposite side, but the crowd, be it gutting, as someone's already said, I think it was young Harry Penta said, if this was a Saturday, it would have been such a much better performance, much better atmosphere. But how important, I mean, they say it and you kind of think, oh, they're just saying it to pay lip service, but
Speaker 1
31:23 - 31:23
they
Mike Dowling
31:23 - 31:31
say it. But you saw their reaction with the crowd. What was it like with the crowd yesterday? Lots of noise, lots of engagement.
Mike Dowling
31:32 - 31:33
How important do you think it is? I
Joe
31:34 - 31:57
thought it was lovely to see just those last half an hour. It felt like It felt a bit like the start of Steve where there was really good support. It was almost like there were so many people resigned to the fact that we were basically down and we battled back and it was such a good atmosphere. I think I agree with Pento.
Joe
31:58 - 32:16
Saturday you get another 150, 200 people there because it's so close. But I think our fans really did everything they could. Those last 30 minutes, they were unbelievable. First 45, they were very much on par with the working lot and if not, I've sung them.
Joe
32:17 - 32:28
So yeah, I do think it means a lot. And I think it means a lot to this group. And I think it means a lot to younger players. You know, you can have all the older players, and there are older players on this team, but I think the older players genuinely do appreciate it.
Joe
32:28 - 32:39
And younger players, it's a real driving force. You're not just showing off your talents to the scouts and to the manager and to your other teammates. You're showing off to the people that care about your club. And I do think this is...
Mike Dowling
32:39 - 32:40
I've paid money.
Joe
32:41 - 32:58
Yeah, there's no, there's no distance. There is a distance and there has been a distance between the fans and the players. I don't think this group does want that. And I think that is something with right appointment or right continuation of means or whatever, whatever the kind of how it pans out.
Joe
32:59 - 33:13
I think that should be one of the top priorities to keep maintaining because I do, I really do think that it has a massive impact on the on the players, performers and the fans' perception of the club off the pitch, which makes everyone, everyone's job on and off the pitch a lot easier. Was
Mike Dowling
33:13 - 33:17
it that crazy Leeds manager, what he did with the, I
Speaker 1
33:18 - 33:18
can't
Joe
33:18 - 33:18
remember
Mike Dowling
33:20 - 33:45
who it was now, He basically found out the average wage in Leeds, the cost of a season ticket, and he dragged all the players out to do litter picking for eight hours, or whatever it was, going, this is what those fans have paid to see you play. And this is how much work they put in to see you play that game of football. So he's made them do the actual work that people would do just
Joe
33:45 - 33:47
to be able to see him.
Mike Dowling
33:47 - 34:00
That's the one. What a weird book, very Brian Clough-esque idea. We'll start the process now. Okay, you've hinted at some of this already.
Mike Dowling
34:02 - 34:25
We're looking for the first win since end of August. We need at least one win a month. Who's going to step up and what do we need to do tactic-wise? I know you want us to be on it from the first, break it down into sort of smaller chunks of game, but what do we need to do?
Mike Dowling
34:25 - 34:35
Do we need to be going in attacking? Do we need to keep it tight? Who wants to step up for you? That's a little about 20 questions in one there, go on.
Mike Dowling
34:36 - 34:37
Answer whichever one of them you want, Joe.
Joe
34:39 - 35:11
Who needs to step up? I think um everyone but like it that's a it's a bit of a cop-out i think there are there's one player who's just stood out to me yesterday as just being like no matter what doing his absolute most to try and encourage pruti really impressed me yesterday i was really just like driven it was like He's sick of this. He can't, like, he's basically played, it feels like, every minute this season.
Joe
35:11 - 35:28
He's had a game or two off, but, like, he's massively involved. And I think there is a really good player in there. But he can't, you know, there's so much pressure on sometimes, playing kind of a progressive centre-back coming forward and playing a left-back for a bit of the game. And I hope he steps up.
Joe
35:28 - 36:00
And I think, you know, when Woody's back, there'll be a massive boost. Jonesy, You've got to think Simpa and Addison have been here for one of the longest times here now that they've got a kind of lead by example for the likes of Bell and N'Joku and El Bono and De Silva because I feel De Silva's a little lost at the moment. I think, you know, we saw him against him last season but against him last night where he got past his man but just, you know, instilling that to run with pace at defenders, which we've seen it and we've seen it in previous clubs, he can do it.
Joe
36:00 - 36:23
It's just not easy when your confidence isn't that high. And I think tactically, look, I think whether it's long ball, whether it's possession-based, whether it's counter-attack, as long as we commit to it and it's not just kind of a bit wishy-washy, kind of general, this is how I'd like you to play, try and play in this kind of style. If there's a plan, stick to the plan.
Joe
36:23 - 36:42
There's a reason the plan's been made. And I think the plan should not involve... I think we do play better at a full-back. we have that extra man going forward and even that extra man in midfield where it does feel like at points this season we've had a defence and an attack and the kind of people in the middle are a bit caught and Simpa and Wadham and Woodin and Tidge
Joe
36:42 - 37:05
just don't really know where to be and then we've been outnumbered. So yeah, I think a plan where we work hard, run hard and also just kind of it's a team from Sims to up top, that is the priority because it doesn't feel like, it didn't feel like that bits yesterday and hasn't felt like that for a lot of this season so far.
Mike Dowling
37:07 - 37:18
Did I? Very much tongue-in-cheek, but I'm still not sure if I'm cross with Pruty or not, because of his goal against Boreham Wood,
Speaker 1
37:18 - 37:19
where
Mike Dowling
37:19 - 37:27
he literally just strolled forward and smacked it, and kind of turned around and walked back in. I'm like, if it's that easy, could you do it a few more times, please?
Speaker 1
37:27 - 37:28
Could you do it
Mike Dowling
37:28 - 37:30
next to me? I
Speaker 1
37:30 - 37:30
mean, that was a
Mike Dowling
37:30 - 37:39
bit casual, just give me the ball, walk, walk, walk, bang, right, come on. Come on. Go again. Yeah, and more, more.
Mike Dowling
37:40 - 38:04
Right, I will tell you the predictions before I get yours. So, Google Gemini, who is top of the prediction league, has said it's tough because of both teams' recent form, or lack thereof. Fucking bitch. Home form has been a concern and we need to be more clinical in front of goal.
Mike Dowling
38:05 - 38:07
However, Boston's away record isn't exactly intimidating. I
Speaker 1
38:07 - 38:07
haven't
Mike Dowling
38:07 - 38:26
checked any of this, by the way. It feels like a game where the first goal is going to be critical and it's going to be a scrappy, hard-fought, 1-0 win with an own goal. It's like, okay, we've had a tough time finding that and sometimes you need a slice of luck to get going. So, it's gone with 1-0 to Sutton and an own goal.
Mike Dowling
38:26 - 38:32
I'm going 2-1 with Jadon scoring. What do you think?
Joe
38:33 - 38:46
I'm going to go 3-2 to Sutton with Nadder, Pruitt and Jadon scoring. Oh my god, you got all of them. You need to
Mike Dowling
38:46 - 38:46
choose the first one.
Joe
38:48 - 39:10
Well, to be fair, Boston 21st, two wins, two draws, five losses, eight goals. So they're not a goal. They have scored the second least goals in the division behind Truro, who are looking further and further likely to take up that bottom position. But, you know, that's not the best thing in the world.
Joe
39:10 - 39:17
I mean, we haven't had great form. I think they've still got their manager. I'm not wrong. So do you know what?
Joe
39:17 - 39:17
It's
Mike Dowling
39:17 - 39:19
eight seconds recently. I haven't got a clue who's gone.
Joe
39:20 - 39:21
I mean, one
Mike Dowling
39:21 - 39:23
of them lasted a day, a week.
Joe
39:23 - 39:24
Yeah. Yeah. Graham. Yeah.
Mike Dowling
39:31 - 39:50
But yeah, and if Pruti does score and he walks up casually and smashes it again, I definitely will be cross. That's it. And I'll tell him when he's sitting down, obviously, I'll tell him it's cross. So again, you just tell him celebrate, please.
Mike Dowling
39:51 - 39:58
I don't care about a celebration. You can do what you like with a celebration. It's just the casual walking up and slapping it. It's like, if it's that easy.
Mike Dowling
40:00 - 40:05
Yeah, go again, again. Right. We're going to wrap this up. Joe, do you want to say it?
Mike Dowling
40:06 - 40:07
Thank everyone.
Joe
40:07 - 40:19
Okay. Oh, it's a lot of pressure now. Thank you for watching this episode of the listening to this episode of the Saturday Night Talk Tale on podcast. We thank you for your attention.
Joe
40:19 - 40:33
Yes. And we hope, well, I wish you a wonderful autumn and I'm sure you'll be. missing me intensely at Gander Green Lane on the PA. And with my salient insights such as support, support, support.
Joe
40:34 - 40:38
Shout out to you, Seb White. So, yeah. What was it? Goal, more
Mike Dowling
40:39 - 40:41
onward. No,
Joe
40:41 - 40:46
right, right. I'm going to stand by this. I don't think... When we...
Joe
40:46 - 40:54
Against Fulham, I am not going to... When we're 6-0 down and we've just conceded a power, I'm not going to go on the thing. Go for Fulham! Another one!
Mike Dowling
40:55 - 40:58
and another one take your pick i don't care
Speaker 1
40:59 - 41:04
Seventh goal! And guess who the goal is for? It's not for seven! It's coming in!
Mike Dowling
41:06 - 41:19
Right. Thank you for doing the attention thing, Joe. Don't forget you can subscribe on your preferred platforms and you can give it a little thumbs up on YouTube. Leave us a review anywhere you like and thank you our sponsors Lucky Star Gin.
Mike Dowling
41:19 - 41:30
Big thank you to Joe for a few months. Best of luck at uni. If you want to fill the gap that's going to be left by Joe, as if it's possible.
Speaker 1
41:30 - 41:30
But if
Mike Dowling
41:30 - 41:41
you want to try and fill the gap that's left by Joe, drop me a line. I would say to every single person knows there's no point talking to me because I'll forget within about five minutes. So drop me an email and I'll probably forget that
Speaker 1
41:41 - 41:41
too,
Mike Dowling
41:41 - 41:48
but there's less chance. Thanks to you for listening. Hope you've enjoyed this episode of Sutton Podcast. Take care and we'll catch up soon.
Mike Dowling
41:48 - 41:49
Bye bye. Have a good one.
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