Weekend Notes: "building up, cooling down & bubbling over..."

The second round of EFL fixtures are broken down in 5iveLights, TopLines and your Letters.

Ali Maxwell

It’s week two in the EFL. We’ve seen confidence building up, some pre-season narratives cooling down, and for certain players and managers, events seem to be bubbling over. But let’s remember… it’s only week two in the EFL.

Whether it’s an immediate reversal of fortunes or the second hat-trick of the season, we've got you covered with a bumper breakdown of the weekend that was. In-store, as usual, are 5iveLights, Top Lines and your Letters. And this week, Weekend Notes is *FREE* for all subscribers.

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1. Callum’s Curler Caps Comeback

2. Tufan’s Treble

3. Saints and Norwich Go Goal Crazy

4. Lock, Bostock…And One Smoking Barrel

5. New Look Newport Go Nuclear Againt Donny

Championship

Huw Davies

We should’ve known Southampton v Norwich would be chaos when Kenny McLean was booked after 13 seconds. From that first-minute caution to Adam Armstrong’s 97th-minute equaliser, it was a 4-4 in the truest sense: bonkers.

Even by the end of the first half, Norwich had taken the lead, lost it, fallen behind, equalised and taken the lead back again. Gabriel Sara scored a howitzer, Adam Armstrong converted two penalties, and everybody had a really nice time. Well, everybody apart from Norwich’s Dimitrios Giannoulis, who looked ready to commit GBH when Saints’ stoppage-time spot-kick was harshly given against him.

We threw down the gauntlet for Hull last week. They picked it up and slapped us around the face with it. Ozan ‘too fun’ Tufan hit a hat-trick as the Tigers mauled Sheffield Wednesday 4-2, peaking with an unstoppable second goal that started outside the post and curled into the net as if pulled by some celestial body. 

Liam Rosenior preaches positivity and this is what confidence can do; Tufan is 28 but has scored a third of his club career goals with Hull, having joined them only a year ago. His technique isn’t in doubt. With Regan Slater and Jean Michael Seri behind him, Tufan will continue to score goals from midfield.

Hull didn’t have to work too hard for their goals, though – especially the fourth, as substitute Aaron Connolly pounced on a defensive mix-up. Wednesday’s press isn’t working and they seem incapable of stopping teams in their own half. Their fans’ once-sunny disposition is closer to Wednesday Addams’ right now.

It’s grim up north-east, too, as last season’s play-off pair of Middlesbrough and Sunderland each sit on zero points from two games. Boro are the only Championship team yet to score. 

Neither need panic. Sunderland, and especially Patrick Roberts, deserved better from their efforts against Preston than a 2-1 defeat, while Boro’s spurning of several great chances meant Coventry’s 3-0 win wasn’t an accurate reflection of the game. Well, all right, it was an accurate reflection of how many goals went in. There is that. Cov played with freedom and flow, Ben Sheaf exuding confidence, and doing that while bringing in £35m for two players soon out of contract is very much making the best of a bad situation. No Hamer, no drama. Or is it: No Hamer, no danger?

‘No drama’ must be Boro’s motto now. Selling Chuba Akpom isn’t the worst thing financially, especially as they’ve quietly spread nearly £10m over half a dozen signings, and Morgan Rogers is looking very bright indeed. They just look a few weeks behind schedule. 

That definitely applies to Leeds, who are still keeping an eye on the exit to see who’s inching towards it. Somehow losing 1-0 to a stubborn Birmingham in the 0-0iest 0-0 that ever 0-0ed was the last thing they needed. In the dying minutes, they gave defender Joe Rodon his debut. Up front.

Millwall were also a little flat, although that was understandable amid the touching tributes paid to beloved former chairman John Berylson, who passed away last month. Bristol City were respectful guests, at least until Matty James scored a 94th-minute winner. Shameful behaviour. Excellent finish, mind, from a man who doesn’t score often. 

Elsewhere, specifically Suffolk, Ipswich beat Stoke 2-0. Kieran McKenna declared that the day “couldn’t have been much better”, but then he also claimed he didn’t know Ipswich were top of the league, the big fibber. 

McKenna’s Tractor Boys were their usual relentless selves, though the match-winners weren’t the usual suspects. Vaclav Hladky, the forgotten man, performed well between the sticks and their goals came from Luke Woolfenden and substitute Kayden Jackson, who’s so under-the-radar that Ben Wilmot forgot he was marking him. Adding useful depth to their regular front four’s slick interplay makes Ipswich a serious proposition. 

Leicester got the job done at Huddersfield, despite actively trying to lose in the first half. Trying to pass out from the back is one thing, but asking your fifth-choice goalkeeper to do it (Jakub Stolarczyk, relegated from League Two with Hartlepool last season) is just showing off how many players you have. The message to Danny Ward, Daniel Iversen and Alex Smithies is clear: go away, and go away now.

The Foxes stirred once Michael Helik had missed a near-open goal from six yards, but Stolarczyk was still tested several times before Stephy Mavididi shot through Lee Nicholls’ legs. Their narrow 3-box-3 still looks a bit sterile without the right personnel to fill it, and they needed a goalkeeping error for the win. As for Huddersfield, Neil Warnock said he enjoyed it, and that’s the main thing.

Gareth Ainsworth definitely enjoyed QPR’s shock win at Cardiff. Let’s face it: in their current state, any QPR win is a shock win. Starting 20-year-old Sinclair Armstrong inspired the improvement from last week’s bed-soiling against Watford. In the week that Cardiff loaned out left-back Joel Bagan, Callum ‘still not a left-back’ O’Dowda had his pants pulled down by Paul Smyth, who crossed for Armstrong to score his first R’s goal, and then Armstrong did for Dimitrios Goutas before setting up Kenneth Paal. Armstrong was electric, Smyth outstanding, the three points invaluable.

While it was a nightmare result for the Bluebirds, their performance was just a little lacking. Aaron Ramsey hit the bar on his emotional home return, as did Mark McGuinness, and the Welshman created Ike Ugbo’s goal by making a divine chipped pass with his wrong foot. They’re not a million miles away. 

Swansea also came close in a 3-2 defeat at The Hawthorns, as West Bromwich Albion showed they don’t need strikers – not when they can bounce the ball back off the bar and in off the bonce of the goalkeeper. Swansea themselves scored from two corners, but only after Albion had notched from a throw-in, a corner and a penalty. Points for variety. 

And oh, those referees, eh? With their new rules? Grrrrr! That was Rotherham’s takeaway from their draw with Blackburn, having seen 2-0 turn to 2-2 following Fred Onyedinma’s red card, and it’s easy to understand their frustration. In the space of three minutes, Onyedinma scored, was booked and then sent off without attempting a single challenge, which demonstrates the slippery slope beneath the tightrope that players now walk. The first yellow looked harsh and possibly unfair (was Onyedinma really celebrating in the crowd?); the second was harsh but fair (if you wave an imaginary card at the referee, he will wave a real one back at you). Rules is rules.

More worrying for Rotherham is that Blackburn’s comeback felt inevitable. Sammie Szmodics completed his narrative arc – a missed penalty and catastrophic pass across defence in the first half; two quickfire goals in the second – as Rovers racked up 77% possession. Lovely first-time pass from 19-year-old Adam Wharton for the first goal, by the way. Lovely.

And that’s yer lot. Oh wait – there was one more match. Somehow, in a 37-goal day of Championship action, what looked to be the goaliest game of them all finished Watford 0, Plymouth 0. Hands up who saw that coming. Now can we have a whip-round to buy Vakoun Bayo some shooting boots?

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League One

Ali Maxwell

Let’s start in East London, and a fizzing Portsmouth away end that celebrated two goals in each half and a 4-0 victory. John Mousinho felt his team were ‘off it’ in the first half, but Marlon Pack and Colby Bishop scored Pompey’s first two shots on target. Australian striker Kusini Yengi scored another injury-time goal, that’s two league goals in 12 minutes of action, as well as a brace in the Carabao Cup. Strewth. Omar Beckles shanking a clearance into the top corner summed up Leyton Orient’s day—it’s been a poor start to the season for last year’s League Two champions.

Three teams won 3-0. Bolton Wanderers had complete control against Cheltenham, dominating the match in every aspect and seeing it out on cruise control. Dion Charles’ movement and finishing was too much for the home side. Six goals, two clean sheets, maximum points… it’s been a sensational start to the season for Ian Evatt’s ever-progressing Trotters. (Say that five times fast.)

Derby County were clinical rather than dominant in their win at Burton. The beautiful left foot of Conor Hourihane set up James Collins for an early set piece goal and then curled home the doubler. Conor Washington’s first Rams goal made it comfortable. Dino Maamria’s side are goalless in their three games this season.

Lincoln City cancelled out their 0-3 Opening Day defeat with a win by the same scoreline against Wycombe at Sincil Bank. We wondered whether or not Wycombe’s shambolic defending against Exeter was just an off-day or a sign of something more concerning. After this, it’s hard not to lean towards the latter. Reeco Hackett-Fairchild, Teddy Bishop and star man Danny Mandroiu made hay in the second half.

It’s maximum points for Stevenage after their home win against Shrewsbury. Aaron Pressley passes the eye test for a Steve Evans striker—he grabbed his first Stevenage goal with a deflected shot, and Jamie Reid tapped in to seal it. In classic Steve Evans fashion, he’s signed half a new team (six of the 11 starters were summer additions) but managed to avoid any ‘teething issues’ - they’ve flown out the traps. For new look Shrewsbury, these match stats are somewhat concerning.

For Wigan Athletic, maximum points mean a running total of -2. A negative points tally, a wholly positive outlook. Both Callum McManaman’s winning goal - and Sam Hoskins’ freekick - were straight out of the top drawer. McManaman’s story is remarkable. Last in the EFL seen at League Two level, the 2013 FA Cup Final MOTM spent a whole season without a club after release by Tranmere in the summer of 2022. His former team-mate Shaun Maloney let him train with Wigan at the start of the year and saw enough to give him a contract. McManaman is repaying the faith. Friendship, eh? A beautiful thing.

“At times I thought my career was over, to be honest. So to come back and not take anything for granted, everything feels a lot bigger and better. It has been hard and tough at times but that moment is definitely the best moment of my career.”

Oxford United’s season is up and running. It took a while for them to break down Carlisle, but academy starlet Tyler Goodrham came on and immediately flicked a perfect ball over the top for Mark Harris, whose finish was either a mishit dink or the most composed, nonchalant finish of the weekend. You decide.

Port Vale also enjoyed a 1-0 home win, beating Reading. Last season, Connor Ripley saved a remarkable five of nine penalties faced, and he was at it again with a brilliant diving stop to thwart Andy Carroll at 0-0. Vale’s winning goal from Ben Garrity was… confusing! After multiple viewings, I’m still not entirely sure how the ball ended up looping over Button and in off the post. But the win was seen out with comfort, exactly what Andy Crosby needed after the 7-0 thumping at Oakwell to start the season. As for Reading, the positive energy brought about by the 4-0 cup win at Millwall didn’t carry over into league action.

Cambridge United are enjoying 2023/24 very much indeed. Winning games 2-0 is a lovely habit to develop. Their opening goal against Fleetwood Town was a carbon copy of their first against Oxford: quick transition attack, powerful shot by Janneh, rebound tapped in. Another recurring theme from the season is Gassan Ahadme being a proper handful, his second thumping header of the season rounded off a cracking win. This feels like Bonner’s Cambridge 3.0 after the departure of key players over the summer, and it appears that he’s seen an opportunity for growth rather than cause for concern.

Peterborough are on maximum points after another 1-0 win. The winning goal against Charlton was one of my favourites of the weekend - Joel Randell’s pass to Hector Kyprianou wasn’t flash, but it showed quick thinking and good awareness. Posh are off to a great start, with a seriously fun team full of youth and skill. If clean sheets can become a habit, they will be difficult to stop. For Charlton, a loose touch from Panutche Camara was summarily punished, but it was fantastic to see him complete 90 minutes in a league game for the first time in 16 months.

Bristol Rovers played well against Barnsley and more than deserved their late equaliser. Scott Sinclair racing clear to cancel out Nicky Cadden’s powerful strike. Blackpool and Exeter are still yet to concede in the league, playing out a 0-0 draw that was low on goalmouth action—Matty Virtue missing a huge chance at the death.

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51. The EFL Newsletter is to The Monday Pod what _ _ _ is to the Betting Show (3).

In The Long Shot, George Elek, Ali Maxwell and Nick Goff seek out value in the EFL season-long markets, posting only bets that will settle at the end of the season, using the prices from major bookmakers. It could be anything from an Outright selection to a treble across the leagues. If you’re over 18 and you like the Betting Show, then why not check out TLS?

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League Two

Huw Davies

After two games apiece, League Two’s three title favourites have won one between them – and they had to come from behind twice to do it. 

As well as Grimsby played, Notts County gave them some help. Defender Connell Rawlinson was so angry about Aaron Nemane’s loose pass, he decided that giving constructive feedback was more important than stopping Danny Rose from scoring. Nemane made up for it going forward (maybe just trying to get as far away from Rawlinson as possible) and set up John Bostock with a superb chest-and-volley, but County were soon behind again thanks to Toby Mullarkey’s sublime lifted pass and Harry Clifton being played onside by – ah – Connell Rawlinson. Awkward. 

Luke Williams’ side recovered to win through a freak own goal and Dan ‘the Demon’ Crowley, heading in Charles Vernam’s excellent cross. With seven goals conceded in two games, though, it’s Notts been a totally convincing start.

Still, that’s only one more goal conceded than Wrexham, whose 1-1 draw at Wimbledon left Phil Parkinson frustrated with his players, the officials and, uh, long grass. Karma, perhaps, for Wrexham’s starting XI featuring only two players wearing 1 to 11. Besides, Wimbledon’s Boca-esque home kit should give them a one-goal headstart by default. Steamy.

But Wimbledon did deserve their point, even if they needed two penalties to secure it. When the visitors were punished for a set piece stramash in their six-yard box, Ali Al Hamadi took the first spot-kick and had it saved by Ben Foster, who also denied the Iraqi international a preposterous solo goal. Poor AAH: penalties saved in consecutive games, after he expressly told George that he isn’t meant to take them.

James Tilley did the honours second time around, and although Wrexham’s Sam Dalby missed from two yards, Wimbledon generally kept the division’s favourites (with the bookies, if not the neutrals) to few chances outside of long throws and their deflected first-half goal.

As for Stockport, is it too soon to worry about another slow start? Yes, because it’s mid-August. Anyway, they’ve been unlucky to come away with two defeats. Walsall twice exploited hesitant defending; for their first goal, Freddie Draper won possession and put in a delicious cross for Danny Johnson’s opener. He’s only just turned 19. Draper, that is, not Johnson. Walsall won 2-1 but Stockport, and Wrexham, and Notts County, will surely fly up the table soon enough.

In the here and now, performance of the week goes to… Newport? Yep: the supposed strugglers beat ambitious Doncaster 4-0. Graham Coughlan deserves so much credit that we’ll forgive him for saying, “We could’ve scored five or six goals in the first half”. 

The first was smoothness itself, Aaron Wildig playing a one-two-three-four with Bryn Morris and setting up Seb Palmer-Houlden. The teenage Bristol City loanee showed strength and composure to hold off Joseph Olowu and scoop home his first senior goal. But the fact that goals 2, 3 and 4 came in turn from a goalkeeping error, some defensive slapstick and even a foul throw shows how Newport’s high press had completely rattled Donny. Even Grant McCann’s deckhair-rearranging double substitution after half an hour couldn’t keep his 24th-placed team off the ocean floor. 

Mansfield were every bit as good as Newport. Facing Morecambe, they had most of the ball (like a gibbous moon, perhaps) and almost all of the chances. If anything, the 3-0 defeat flattered Morecambe: Lucas Akins scored two, should’ve had three and could’ve had four. And yet it would’ve been goalless at half-time if the Shrimps hadn’t been so surprised by there being just one minute of stoppage time that they went and conceded in it. 

For the victors, Davis Keillor-Dunn scored, assisted and impressed again; for the vanquished, Stuart Moore made one brilliant save from Rhys Oates. Who needs Connor Ripley? Oh right, the answer’s still Morecambe.

Bradford’s own star goalkeeper, Harry Lewis, was unlucky that the person controlling him went to make a sandwich and forgot to pause the game. We can’t be sure what Lewis was waiting for as Joe Taylor gradually closed him down – the rapture, perhaps, or a convincing Bantams promotion bid – but Taylor, the Luton loanee who had a goal disallowed in last season’s Championship Play-off Final, interrupted his reverie to give Colchester the lead.

Clarke Oduor was Bradford’s saviour, heading in their equaliser and creating Alex Pattison’s winner with a delightful touch, and Lewis redeemed himself with a smart stop late on.

Wantaway Luke Armstrong – which should really be the name of a 1920s blues singer – returned to Harrogate action, in League Two’s only away win. Sadly, Harrogate were at home. With Tyrese Omotoye showing fleet feet and Matt Stevens a smart head, Forest Green scored the decisive goal as pink beat yellow in a game that could’ve been played at night without floodlights.

This was Forest Green’s first away win since July… 2022. Back then, beating Bristol Rovers at the Mem gave FGR a dream start to life in League One; some 378 days, five Chelsea managers, three Prime Ministers, two monarchs and one relegation later, they’ve finally tasted victory on the road again. Harrogate look great fun, though, with Sam Folarin and Abraham Odoh breaking land speed records but working the goalkeeper as well.

There was just one goal in Milton Keynes, too. After Mo Eisa’s early strike, MK Dons played chicken for an hour and a half, daring Tranmere to score. They didn’t: substitute Connor Jennings missed two headers from the penalty spot (neither of them were penalties, just to be clear) and Luke Norris hit the bar unmarked from nine yards. Winning through a seventh-minute goal and a total xG of 0.27 may scream ‘game state’, but there’s a quieter voice telling MK, ‘you got lucky’. 

In another 1-0 win (booooo), Gillingham needed just four touches to beat Accrington – only three of them by Gills players. Big kick upfield from Jake Turner; entertaining mistake by Accy’s Jay Rich-Baghuelou; cushioned first-time through ball by Tom Nichols; composed finish from Ashley Nadesan. Football’s a simple game.

Just look at what you’re missing, eh, Crawley? You had Nichols and Nadesan this time last year. You must feel daft! Crawley! Crawley? Look, it’s hard to deride your transfer business when you’re too busy playing well. 

Crawley beating Bradford and now drawing 1-1 away at Salford piques our interest, and unlike an NFT, they were good value. Scott Lindsey’s lads took 16 shots to Salford’s seven, and that doesn’t include their goal, which Luke Garbutt put into his own net. Really, Crawley should’ve won: Adam Campbell hit the post, Liam Kelly hit the bar, and Danilo Orsi hit the post and then the bar, seemingly from a distance of minus a yard. Unfortunately, they also left Conor McAleny in hectares of space at the back post. Silly.

Speaking of silly, what is Sutton’s Harry Smith up to? Last week, he waved in the face of a sent-off Notts County keeper; now he’s stamping on a Barrow player after barely 10 minutes (and duly waved off by the hosts’ Niall Canavan). Sutton did take the lead after that but Barrow’s 75% possession eventually told: 2-1 and thanks for the help, Smudge.

Finally, Swindon fluffed a two-goal lead at home to draw 2-2 with Crewe, whose defenders have scored five goals in two games. Nothing from their team-mates yet. Jake Young’s rocket for the Robins deserved three points, but still the EFL refuse our request to score games in this way, and Crewe made them pay after Charlie Austin bleached a simple header wide.

He’ll never get anywhere in this game.

Matthew on Coventry 3-0 Middlesbrough

Pretty dispiriting start to the season from Boro. There are plenty of caveats to be made about why current situation isn't as bad as results suggest: - scoreline yesterday was flattering, with two goals due to big deflections - couple of players due to come back from injury soon, Howson will make a difference and either of the RBs would be better than McNair doing a job there - new LB (Engel) and CF (Latte Lath) likely to be in place before next week - probably another 3 or 4 on top of that by end of the month. I do think it will get better & it's far too early to panic. But it would be too simplistic to say current issues are just down to awkward timing of transfer window. This is the first sticky spell of Carrick's management and confidence has definitely taken a hit. The possession remains high but the ball is moving slower and sideways more than it dad last season. Akpom's ability to retain possession in tight spaces and win free kicks has been missed almost as much as his goals. There's arguably £45-50m worth of talent (Akpom / Archer / Ramsey) missing from last season's attack, and it shows. Finally, even with the limitations of current squad, hard to understand why McGree and Forss started on bench.

David S on Cambridge 2-0 Fleetwood

Cambridge United on track to win every league game 2-0 this season, going up with a record breaking 138 points and Ahadme bagging 46 goals. Jokes aside, a seriously impressive away performance at Fleetwood, probably one of our best since being at League 1 level. Assured at the back, Stevens with a crucial save when called upon at 1-0, but going forward is where we look exciting on the break and dangerous from set pieces. Testament to Bonner, his back room team and the players for gelling so quickly - especially with so many new faces at the club. Let’s hope it’s more than that though and we are seeing the early signs of a well-drilled, tough but exciting Us team this season. A team that after two games looks as a whole, far more than the sum of its parts. Maybe other teams will catch up after slower starts, we probably have tougher fixtures coming up, perhaps the small squad could still be ravaged by injuries, but so far so good...

Will Rook on Bradford 2-1 Colchester

Without wanting to jump to conclusions so early on, yesterday felt like a time when Bradford City were finally able to channel the big home crowd for good. We only won about seven points from losing positions all last season, and we've already managed three now. Clarke Oduor has been a real shining light alongside Alex Pattison. That the two players who carried us last season (Harry Lewis and Andy Cook) had poor games and we still won says a lot.

Thanks for reading, and… Go well!