Is it something you can do over 46 games at this level and get success from?

I think it is.

The one thing I would say about Russell, I've always had great conversations with Russell.

He's always very generous with his time and I enjoy his company.

That's the first thing.

The second thing is, I think he's a good manager, but he needs time.

And in football at the moment, you don't always get time.

They've had a couple of absolute batterings, and obviously the home record's gone as well that they were so proud of, and they're really, really struggling to adapt to this league early on, aren't they?

former fans and they weren't particularly pleased about it but yeah so as we said Bristol Rovers started really well it shows how close this league is that we've got to four games in no one's in double figures for points yet so we'll move on and talk obviously Bristol Rovers on nine Barnett on eight two wins two draws to start the season Stowley kicked on really well from last season though just missed out on the playoffs last time but looked very strong this time around obviously they were newly promoted last season but have really really built and they look like they're going to go again this season

Yeah, absolutely.

I mean, first of all, before I go heavy on Barnett there, what you said there about the division is absolutely right.

This division, and I feel like the Championship to an extent as well, is going to be a division where a lot of teams take points off each other and therefore it tightens up.

I think League Two is going to be quite difficult to call and Barnett will be another side who are certainly going to have high hopes of doing things.

It's interesting to...

To see the game last night against Exeter City was one of frustration for Dean Brennan, I think, in the end.

I was there, you know, 2010 and I think it didn't get much better really from a pretty mediocre time in their history to when Matt took over and gave them a tilt of promotion so they can believe that this is going to be their year, I believe.

Yeah.

And having seen very early on in, in his career, uh, uh, at Manchester United and things like that, seeing the work that he put in, seeing the way he was with people, uh, you could see he was destined to go higher and higher and higher, um, in terms of sort of, you know, individual rankings in the world and, and trophies and things because of the work he put in.

And I think sometimes people now forget how hard he's worked to become what he's become, and he's become something incredible.

And w- And, and generations after us will talk about Ronaldo and Messi, uh, just like people talk about Pelé and, and Maradona and, and players like that who, um, we've not necessarily seen, you know, as much of.

But, uh, I think it's just you, you've just got to enjoy those players rather than, rather than sort of some have reveled in the downfall of, of players or not...

Or, or, or just the fact that, you know, age catches up with all of us.

It certainly has catches up with me at times.

Mm.

Stowley, Russell Martin, does he have doubters to prove wrong after the way things went at Rangers and the way things ended at Southampton?

Well, I mean, I think what Russell has is a style that you have to adopt quickly and you have to work hard to get that into your psyche from the off with him.

And if you do, then you'll have great success.

We've seen that in the past.

I mean, people focus on the negatives, perhaps the spells that haven't gone right for Russell.

But when things click for him and his side and they get the ball moving the way he wants them to move it, as quickly as he wants them to move it in the right style, his teams are very difficult to live with.

And I think that's what, having watched a few clips of training and sort of seeing him getting his message across, it's clear that he wants them to adopt this very quickly.

Yeah, as you kind of touched upon, it's an interesting appointment, isn't it, Alex Bruce? But a good opportunity for him to really cut his teeth in EFL management obviously comes from fine managerial stock himself, and I'm sure his dad will never be too far away from the phone if he needs some advice.

[laughs]

But I mean, briefly, on, on Beckham, of course, the irony is that, that one of Martin Paterson's early coaching jobs was for Da- uh, Sir David Beckham's Inter Miami, of course, where he coached Romeo Beckham and, um, worked with Phil Neville while he was out in the States.

There were kind of links between Paterson and Salford City, which, which kind of were, were ironic in a sense.

In terms of Carl Robinson, fair play.

I mean, I think Carl Robinson's been terrific this year with the way he's handled everything, with the way he's, uh, tried to get the best out of this Salford City squad.

He's changed his sort of mindset a little bit.

He's dropped down to League Two to, to try and get this, this particular job done.

Maybe n- if not a Bradford then, but certainly not do what Port Vale have done this season and actually be able to, to make a real fight for it in League 1 next season?

So this, this one, um, pretty much goes down to, down to Stally and what he thinks of how he sees things at the bottom between, uh, between these two sides and who might end up in the bottom four by the end of the day.

Well, I, I mean, I think this is fascinating because as you, as you rightly said in your permutations there, if, if Exeter City were to win, and they must win at all costs to have any jeopardy here for Leyton Orient.

But if Exeter were to win and Leyton Orient were to draw, then Exeter would stay up on goal difference, and that would be quite something.

Um, at, at, uh, St James Park, the atmosphere would be incredible if that were to happen.

The, the interesting thing with this is, and I, I always think you can moan about a result, maybe a, maybe a, a, a referee didn't give you something that you sho- thought you should've had or the pitch wasn't great or whatever, you know, injury, suspensions.

You, you can always moan about a game in isolation.

But when you get down to 45 games played, teams are in the position they're in because they're either really good or, or, or not so good.

Uh, Stally, can you see things being any different, or are you, um, all, all aboard the Neil Harris Cambridge train for promotion?