That meant we had to keep the ball for long periods and pass it around more because it was too hot to chase it. In the Championship there is more hustle and bustle and, as I tell my centre-halves, "Head it and kick it, I don't want you to be [Franz] Beckenbauer at this level." I just want them to defend. In the top flight they would have to be comfortable receiving it but if you take two touches in the Championship someone piles into you and you're left on the floor pole-axed.3. In the Premiership you can give a player the ball any time and 99 per cent of the players are comfortable receiving it. I must admit I'm envious of Kevin Blackwell who was with me almost 17 years.
Last year when he had to change the club around with no money he was at least used to doing that with me and he did a reasonable job. But in his wildest dreams he could not have imagined Ken Bates would fly in on his magic carpet and give him the best part of £5m. I don't think I've spent that in 20 years in management.It's taken me that time to get someone to hand me £1.3m, which I've spent this season on Paul Ifill and Danny Webber, and I've recouped £1.15m. So we're only £150,000 down, which is not bad for the position we're in.2.
And have you noticed how Wigan and West Ham are doing?Whilst the Premiership and the Championship are at different levels I do believe Alan Pardew and Paul Jewell, along with, to some extent, Mick McCarthy, have all shown you can go up and try and win games, you do not have to be totally defensive in attitude against the better clubs.The big difference I feel is the first touch. We all have the odd defeat and Mr Journalist says the bubble has burst when we do, but Luton and ourselves keep picking ourselves up while Reading have not lost since the first game of the season.I think the promoted clubs will come from the ones I've mentioned, plus Leeds who have had superb backing from Ken Bates. Last season nobody expected them to win games so a defeat did not get much publicity. This season the expectation from fans and directors is that all three clubs will be promoted. That type of pressure does create problems.I still think they will have an influence on promotion and that Wolves will not be far away but who's to say Reading and Luton, and indeed ourselves, can't keep up the pace. That Palace result showed that the three relegated clubs, themselves, Norwich and Southampton, have found it tougher going than many people expected. I think that is possibly due to the fact that it is a different type of pressure this season, for the players and for the manager. You'd expect me to say this, since my Sheffield United team are top, but I think the Championship this season has been a cracking division.
