Can remember leaving early at the Coventry game. Probably only Time I’ve ever left a home game early. I often wander what would have happened if we had have stayed up. Although Paul merson should never have been manager. Unfortunately he couldn’t manage himself
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I genuinely cannot think of any man more unfit for a management position than Merson. That includes all 92 league clubs (ever)
A gambling addict who’s idea of team bonding was getting wasted with his players and trying to off load those that didn’t buy into his drivel. All of this while he wasn’t in rehab or smacking his Mrs about ………. Bonser for all his faults was an astute business man, he dropped a bollock on this one big time
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The grimmest day. We could have lost by ten we were so useless. Brilliance from Jimmy kept the score respectable.
That unfair pelanty at Palace was so costly though. We had played well enough to deserve a point, it not only screwed us but it allowed Palace to sneak into sixth place and they won the play offs.
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I didn’t think conceding goals was significant - or is it only okay if Sadler is the manager ?
My original point was in relation to the 2003-04 where conceding unnecessary goals did in fact lead us to being relegated.
Whilst conceding goals and especially unnecessary goals is obviously to be avoided if possible, a fact which I’m sure Matt Sadler is aware, it didn’t actually lead to relegation last season, so the situations aren’t comparable.
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The name Tommy Black just came to mind. Now I have call my therapist again.
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My Daughter was born on the Good Friday. I think it was Millwall at home we played on the Saturday 1-1, I had to miss that one, a very rare missed game for me, especially at home. I spent the afternoon texting my Dad for score updates and trying to sing my Daughter to sleep to she wore a yellow ribbon (didn’t work)
I had to promise all sorts to get to go to Gillingham. The earache I got the next day, no understanding of the pain!
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Hey all,
Thanks for all the feedback on the episode. We have part two coming out next Monday and are working on lining up other guests too.
If you can, if you are able to leave a review (preferably 5-star) it helps us massively with growing the pod and also when reaching out to guests.
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Football was different then.
Two years before coming here Aranalde was a first choice for Sevilla in La Liga. He played more regularly at a far higher level in Spain than Matias did.
Imagine in two years time signing whoever the first choice at Granada is (would look it up but sure Belph would fill me in on who it is from his second team… 
)
Just wouldn’t happen now but as I’ve said many times I loved the transfer policy in the late 90s/early 2000s. Was the odd dud but pretty much a conveyor belt of exotic and excellent players from overseas. Certainly more interesting than signing Zak Mills and Rory Gaffney.
Will certainly listen to this over the weekend. I presume the final part was touching on his coaching career and being regular assistant to Javi Gracia.
I assume Zigor is getting to the point where he wants to be a number one unless he’s ruled that out? I’d genuinely consider him if he applied in the future for this job.
From the right part of the World as Basque country has ridiculous level of top class managers in vogue, Arteta, Emery, Xabi Alonso and Lopetegui all born within about 50 miles of each other I think.
I think relegation would’ve just happened the season after. Gillingham just stayed up of course and then went down in similar circumstances on GD in 2004/05.
Merson would’ve still been the manager staying up just as he was going down. Guess only hope would’ve been getting in decent loan signings like he did with Joachim the next season but would’ve needed every single one to work to stay up.
Best case would’ve coming a Rotherham type in last decade, constant yo yo ing between championship/league one which is exciting at least.
Four seasons out of five in division one was an extraordinary effort and can’t see it being repeated in my lifetime but you never know given what ahem Bournemouth, Brentford and Luton have done in last 15 years.
Well that would be telling wouldn’t it 
But yes, part two is his coaching, his Walsall XI and listener questions. We do also ask him about the No.1 job and his future
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Good podcast guys. Asked all the questions those of us who were around at the time would have done. Fantastic.
Shame Zigor has such a bad memory.
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we did keep trying!