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72 Plus, the EFL podcast with Aaron Paul.

Hello and welcome to 72 plus, the home of the NFL on the Football Daily podcast.

Plenty to get into on this episode and pleased to say, joining us on the pod this week,

Reading CEO Joe Jacobson.

Joe, it's your first time on since you've started your new role. How has it been having a bird's eye view over the club? Yeah, it's very different to play and that's for sure. It makes you realise actually that when you're in your footballer, you actually haven't done a day's work in your life until you take a step into the other side. But I've loved it. It's intense. It's stressful. You know, there's a lot more pressure on it, but I'm absolutely loving it and very thankful to Rob Kuir for bringing me in. Great to have you with us. Hello, Chelmsford Strike a lot, Taylor. Hello, Aaron. How are you? You good? I'm good, thank you. I'm good. It's good to have you with us. It's good to see you back up and about and looking pretty fit.

I'm good, thank you. I'm good. It's good to have you with us. It's good to see you back up and about and looking pretty fit. I'm almost there. I'm almost there. I've got one more box to tick on Thursday, and from that point, I should be back. I feel infinitely better than I did 18 and a half weeks ago. I'll tell you that for sure. Great stuff. No time to waste. Let's reflect on some of the results which have just come out of Leagues 1 and 2. We're going to be hearing from plenty of managers coming up and we can start by speaking to Connor Harrahann. After his Barnsley side got a big win on the road against Peterborough in League 1. Conner, congratulations, big win. Yeah, thank you. Hard fought in the end. Could have made it a little bit more comfortable in the second half with the chances that we created, but good to get to win in the end. This side of yours, I mean, they love scoring goals, don't they? I think as you've scored in your last 14 games, I believe it is, back to back. What's the secret?

I'm very fortunate to have some very good players up to the top end of the pitch, if I'm

being honest. You know, you've got David McGoldrick, obviously, who scores, it scores

goals all his career in the EFL, Davis Keller, done, very talented footballer. You know,

you got Adam Phillips, Kaelan Vickers, who were playing on the wing, who obviously got a goal tonight. So, yeah, just very lucky to have some really good footballers up at the top end of the pitch, really. Yeah, and you mentioned there about the goal scoring, but at the other end, keeping a clean sheet for the first game in 10 games, I think it is now. That must have been really impressive for you to that. Yeah, that's the most pleasing aspect of tonight, for sure, without doubt. We've done so, so much work over the course of preseason with the back four and as a staff. You know, in terms of keeping clean sheets, sometimes you know, put your chances away. You know what it's like. You get pressure at the end. You have to, you know,

block shots and whatever. But keeping clean sheets is key at this level, at all levels.

And it was a big positive for us tonight for sure. How much fun are you having at Barnsley as head coach?

It's very much your club. You're loved by the supporters. But how much are you enjoying your spell in charge? Yeah, obviously, look, I'm really, really enjoying it. You know, it's a pleasure to be head coach at a football club. You know, the staff and the players that I've, you know, that I've got working with every single day. It's a joy to come to work. You know, I'm obsessed with winning games of football. you know, the hours that mean the staff put in to make sure everything's right for the players, you know, is endless. And, you know, to get rewards like wins at the end of it then makes it extra more pleasing. But, you know, very, very lucky to be in the role that I'm in and just, you know, it's a pleasure to manage these lads every day. Well, congratulations. Thanks for joining us.

Okay, lads, cheers. Appreciate it.

Connor, Horan, Barnsley, boss, are with us.

We're going to head now into League 2.

Crew, Alexandra, four wins from four, sitting pretty at the top of the League 2 table.

Their boss, Lee Bell, is with us.

Well, Lee, great to talk to you. Congratulations. Flying start to the season.

Yep. Half decent start, isn't it? And yeah, thanks for having me.

No, great to have you on with us. Talk to me about that performance tonight.

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