Don Goodman Exclusive

Don Goodman: Sheffield United favourites for play-off final – but Sunderland won’t care, Evan Ferguson could make emotional move to Celtic this summer, Matheus Cunha ‘would improve’ Real Madrid, Barcelona or PS

Speaking to Fruity King, Sky Sports pundit and ex-Sunderland, West Brom and Wolves striker Don Goodman offered his reaction to the drama of the Championship play-offs, suggested Evan Ferguson could join his boyhood team Celtic this summer and claimed that Manchester United-linked Matheus Cunha would improve Real Madrid, Barcelona or PSG.

Q: Reaction to play-offs?

DG – “The play-offs are the greatest invention in football. We should all be used to the fact that the teams who come third or fourth won’t always be the ones getting promoted, although one of them will this season. 

“But it was an incredible game and quite the opposite to Sheffield United vs Bristol City, where it was one-way traffic from the moment Rob Dickie was sent off in the first-leg at Ashton Gate.

“We saw late drama at the CBS Arena, but it was even later drama at the Stadium of Light. It was a play-off moment that can arguably only be bettered by Troy Deeney’s goal for Watford against Leicester in 2013. But my heart goes out to Coventry City because they were the better team. But that’s not what counts.

“Sunderland are a team with a place in my heart, so I’m buzzing for them. I think they were stuck between a rock and a hard place because I don’t think for the life of me, Sunderland would have gone about their business in such a way if the tie was level or if they were behind when the second-leg kicked off. You could feel it in the crowd that Coventry were dominating. There were groans when Sunderland lost the ball easily on a regular basis and Coventry would come again with another attack.

“I don’t think it’s the way Regis Le Bris wanted to play, but he suggested afterwards that they were nervous, which might explain it. They found a way to win and you have to give them credit for that. It’s about winning on these occasions, that’s all that matters, even if the best team doesn’t always win. 

“Coventry can be proud of their performances and the way they went about their business but Sunderland can also take great pride in the fact they knuckled down to overcome adversity and get the job done.

Q:Thoughts on Sheffield United vs Sunderland final?

DG – “I can’t see the points gap being reflected in the final at all. 

“Sunderland have been in the top four all season and, despite having a terrible finish, they showed a level of consistency for two-thirds of the league season. They put in two really strong performances against Sheffield United earlier in the season, too, losing1-0 at Bramall Lane having missed a penalty in a game that saw a player from each team sent off. You could argue they didn’t deserve to lose that game before beating Sheffield United at the Stadium of Light, where it was roles reversed and Kieffer Moore missed a penalty before Sunderland took the lead.

“Sheffield United are going about their game in a different way than they did for around 85-90% of their season by playing with two strikers. Both teams will experience very different games from their semi-finals as Sheffield United won’t be desperate to dominate possession like Coventry and Sunderland will pose more of a goal scoring threat than Bristol City were able to.

“It’s tough to call. Most wouldn’t have expected Sunderland to beat Coventry after enduring a horrendous end to the season. It will be a fascinating battle between two smart managers. I’d say Sheffield United are favourites but no one at Sunderland will be offended or bothered by that. Logic would tell you, though, that a team with 92 points will be promoted but the flip side to that argument is could it be written in the stars for Sunderland to be promoted after the way the tie went against Coventry?!”

Q: Do you fear Coventry could be in danger of losing Frank Lampard in the summer, or should they be confident he is committed?

DG – “What happened against Sunderland will provide Frank Lampard, Doug King and the whole of Coventry City with incredible motivation for next season.

“The plans for next season will have already been in place before the play-offs and I think Frank Lampard will be backed in pre-season. He’ll be given a chance to mould the team into how he wants it to look, which is what we probably saw over the two legs in terms of controlling games. City were probably an in-form striker away from getting to Wembley.

“They’ve got the foundations of a really good Championship team who, I have no doubts, will be challenging at the top end of the Championship table next season.”

Q: Do you expect Kieran McKenna to have options to leave Ipswich Town this summer? How confident %-wise are you that he stays?

DG – “Kieran McKenna will look at the Ipswich Town squad and next season’s Championship and think he will have another excellent opportunity to win automatic promotion again.

“I can’t see him getting offered a Premier League job in the summer and, therefore, he’s in the best place possible to progress his career. It might be a different situation if an offer comes in from abroad but Ipswich Town are well set to make another push for automatic promotion and I would imagine Kieran McKenna will want to lead that.”

Q: Aside from Liam Delap, which players could Ipswich Town lose any other players this summer? 

DG – “Apart from Liam Delap, I can’t see Ipswich having to sell any players in the summer. I don’t think any of the rest of their squad did enough consistently to warrant other Premier League teams making offers for them.

“The players will back themselves to win promotion again and will be better for the experience they’ve had in the Premier League. They will have seen and learned what the required levels are. There is lot of good stuff that has come out of Ipswich Town this season despite relegation.

“I would imagine the only player they will lose in the summer, that they’d want to keep, is Liam Delap.”

Q: Can you see a rumoured move to Leeds United happening for Aaron Ramsdale? If so, does it make sense?

DG – “Aaron Ramsdale has suffered a third relegation on his CV but with respect to his clubs, his performances weren’t the reason for that. He would have gone into Southampton and known it would have been a relegation battle and tough for them to survive.

“What all clubs look at in this day and age, is the data. Whilst he was the most exposed goalkeeper in the Premier League, only three goalkeepers had a lower save ratio and he conceded the most goals in the Premier League. To me, it shows he had just an ‘ok’ season.

“If you could guarantee that you’re getting Aaron Ramsdale at the top of his game, then a move would be a no-brainer for Leeds United. Given the season he’s just had, however, I suppose it would be a bit of a gamble.

“I would love to see him get back to the level that we know he is capable of, as I think there’s a great goalkeeper but we haven’t seen those levels consistently enough in recent times.”

Q: Leeds have also been linked to Beto, can you see this happening?

DG – “I think Beto would be a brilliant addition for Leeds United based on what I’ve seen throughout the second half of this season. He’s an absolute handful and really seems to have found some form.

“But, based on the fact that Everton’s problem across the last couple of years has been scoring goals, I’d be shocked if they are happy to let him leave. He’s the top scorer at Everton with eight goals despite only 13 starts, which cannot be overlooked. From an Everton perspective, I’d be shocked if they allowed him to leave.

“But for Leeds United it would be brilliant. He’s quick, powerful and now has confidence because he’s been scoring goals. He reminds me of Jean-Philippe Mateta a little bit who took time to settle in the Premier League but you look at him now and think ‘What a handful!”

Q: Should Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney build a statue of Phil Parkinson outside the Racecourse ground?

DG – “If he gets them promoted to the Premier League, then maybe Phil Parkinson does deserve a statue at Wrexham. I don’t think he’d expect one just yet. I don’t want to disrespect Phil because what he’s achieved is nothing short of phenomenal.

“Mark Robins hasn’t got one outside Coventry yet. So, with respect, I think you probably need to achieve just a little bit more for a statue.”

Q: Jonny Evans has been linked with a move to Wrexham, your thoughts?

DG – “Jonny Evans is 37 years old, has only started three Premier League games all season and hasn’t played since November. Could his body handle the rigours of Championship football?

“He may be able to as a centre-half, and he’s had an amazing career, but I’d be surprised if that’s a move which happens. I couldn’t see him playing week in, week out, despite him being a big name which would go well with the current glitz and glamour at Wrexham. All in all, I’m not sure it would be the best move for all parties involved. “

Q: Do you think Wrexham’s promotion to the Championship could spell the end for Paul Mullin’s time at the club?

DG – “I would love to think that Wrexham will give Paul Mullin the opportunity to decide whether he wants to move on or not.

“Some people see the number three at the beginning of an age and think ‘That player is finished’ but it’s not the case. At 30, I was in my physical prime and had the benefit from the experience of playing for a long time, so Paul Mullin shouldn’t be on the decline.

“He’ll want to play first-team football but it’s very doubtful he’ll get that at Wrexham in the Champoionship after starting just nine League One games last year.

“Paul has a choice to make and I just hope Wrexham give him the opportunity to make it himself.”

Q: Wrexham have been linked with a move for Callum Robinson? Do you think he should make the move or consider staying at Cardiff City?

DG – “There are a lot of factors for Callum Robinson to consider regarding a move to Wrexham and a rivalry Cardiff may have with Wrexham is one of them.

“There might also be clubs that are further along in their journey who come in for Callum, who had a good season despite it just petering out towards the end.

“There will be plenty of options for Wrexham, while Callum Robinson himself is bound to have plenty of options on the table to discuss with his representatives this summer.”

Q: Harry Darling and Kwame Poku have been strongly linked to Birmingham City. Do they have as much pulling power as the relegated teams?

DG – “There is no doubt about Birmingham City’s ambitions. Any movements in the transfer market this summer for players that should improve them will be based on the ambitious project and whether they can sell it. 

“From the perspective of Birmingham City, I think Harry Darling and Kwame Poku would be really good additions. From the perspective of the players however, is Harry Darling going to choose Birmingham City if he has an offer from, let’s say as an example, Sheffield United?

“There’s no doubt about it that their plans are big and that Birmingham City will have more pulling power than they did this time last year. They’re an attractive proposition and those two players would be great additions.”

Q: Who would you like to see as Norwich’s next manager with Jack Wilshere out of the running?

DG – “West Brom, QPR, probably Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich City will all be looking for new managers this summer. The hierarchy at all those will be under huge pressure to make the right call.

“This appointment is absolutely huge for Ben Knapper. They finished 13th this season, got battered last season in the play-offs after a 6th placed finish and finished 13th the year before, all whilst having a distinct advantage over the majority of their opponents via parachute payments. It’s not been good enough, the decisions have not been good enough and recruitment has not been good enough either. 

“Norwich City will likely lose more of their best players this summer and, as I say, West Brom, QPR, and, most likely, Sheffield Wednesday will probably all be in competition for the same candidates. 

“Do they go down the foreign route? That didn’t go well with Johannes Hoff Thorup but they’ve also decided Jack Wilshere doesn’t have the required experience. Do they look at another up-and-coming young coach? 

“The pressure to get this right for Norwich City must be enormous after a period where they’ve got so much wrong.”

Q: Do you expect Middlesbrough to make a move to sign Mark Travers permanently this summer?

DG – “If I were in Middlesbrough’s shoes, I’d absolutely go all-out for Mark Travers this summer. He really improved their defensive efficiency but it was just a shame that his arrival coincided with the injury of Ben Doak and the sale of Emmanuel Latte Lath, which meant they went off the boil in attack.

“While he was shoring them up, the forwards stopped scoring and that prevented them from getting over the line and forcing their way into the play-offs. 

“It’s a no-brainer for me.  If you’ve got the opportunity to sign Mark Travers following such an impressive loan spell, you’ve got to go for it.”

Q: Are Boro in a tricky position having signed so many loan players?

DG – “The only time you face a problem with loan players is when they are a success and you have a team full of them. At Middlesbrough, the only loan player in attack who impressed was Ben Doak. Middlesbrough don’t have that problem as Doak and Travers were the only success stories.

“I’m unsure on what the picture looks like at Middlesbrough this summer in terms of FFP and how much they’ll have available to spend. I do look at their squad and think it needs an overhaul.”

Q: Having played just one full season of professional football, do you think Tyler Dibling could benefit from staying at Southampton in the Championship?

DG – “There is no doubt about Tyler Dibling’s talent. He was thrown into deep water this season and was asked to shine. Understandably, it was hard for him to do that week in, week out while playing for such a poor side.

“There is also no doubt that there will be offers. Do Southampton take the money and reinvest it or say ‘This is the lad who will fire us straight back to the Premier League.’ He will be keen to test himself at the highest level after a full season of Premier League football, but, for me, a season of Championship football for Tyler Dibling wouldn’t be a disaster and could benefit him.

“Tom Fellows is an example of a player who broke through but has excelled by playing another season in the Championship. It probably does depend on who comes in for him, what the offer is and if Tyler can see himself developing at that club. There is still a lot of development in store for him.”

Q: Are you surprised that Stoke City have released Lynden Gooch, Jordan Thompson, Michael Rose and Enda Stevens? Or is a refresh what they need?

DG – “It’s been a really poor season for Stoke City and none of the players that they have released really made a massive positive contribution.

“Enda Stevens made just 13 starts, Michael Rose made just 13 starts, Jordan Thompson made just 13 starts and Lynden Gooch just 12. Those players have played either 12 or 13 games out of 46 and then you look at their ages of 34, 29, 28 and 29 respectively. You get the feeling Stoke will bring in younger and more dynamic players who can develop and improve.

“It’s a model that quite a few clubs are now adopting and Stoke could use Sunderland, who are on their way to Wembley, as an example. They made it no secret across the last three or four years that signing young players, developing them and selling them on after helping the club make their way up the food chain is the way they want to operate.

“The released players are experienced professionals who didn’t make much of a contribution in a team that did not perform very well. So, I’m not surprised to see them all go.”

Q: What are the chances of Hull City signing Joe Gelhardt on a permanent deal this summer? What do City need this summer?

DG – “It’s been a while since Joe Gelhardt broke through as a very young talented player at Wigan Athletic and got a big move to Leeds United. He’s 23 now. My assessment of his loan spells at Sunderland and Hull City are that he’s been okay.

“Hull have had a really poor season, so how do you measure his five goals in 22 games? Is it enough for Hull City to fork out a fee for his services and pay his wages? I’m not sure, as I’d imagine he’s on decent money at Leeds.

“Hull struggled in two areas during what was a poor season. Their home form was the worst in the Championship with just 23 points, while they were the lowest scorers by managing only 44 goals. Their defensive stats aren’t too bad, only seven teams conceded fewer than their 54 goals. The goalkeeper and defenders were probably the best players.

“So, they need attacking and creative players to kick on and Joe Gelhardt does fall under that category. I’m not sure what type of fee Leeds will ask for, which is a hugely important part of the scenario.

“This will be a big summer for Hull City. They have an ambitious owner who has made mistakes but must get their recruitment of attacking players spot on.”

Q: Stephen Robinson has been linked with the Cardiff City job. Your thoughts on this?

DG – “I know Stephen Robinson was at Motherwell, went to Morecambe for a period which went horribly, and has gone back to Scotland with St Mirren.

“I’ve heard that Cardiff City have put together a committee with football experience to appoint their new manager. I can’t imagine they will know too much about Stephen Robinson, which means they will have had to dig deep to analyse his stints at Motherwell and St Mirren. Will have looked at his teams style of play and whether the players they have got would fit that style and give them a better chance of an immediate promotion.

“Some of the great managers have been appointed out of nowhere, look at Arsene Wenger as an example, so despite him being relatively unknown it England, you never know!”

Q: You previously suggested that Matheus Cunha could play for some of Europe’s top teams? If you could pick one club, where would you like to see him play next season?

“I’d like to see Matheus Cunha stay at Wolves this summer with my Wolves hat on but I understand that’s highly unlikely to happen.

“I think he’d fit the system at any club in Europe he’s so versatile. Would he be able to fit in Liverpool’s front three? Yes. Could he be the answer to Arsenal as a striker? Yes. Could he improve Manchester City? Yes. I also include Barcelona, Real Madrid and PSG in that conversation. He would improve any of them and I don’t think his ceiling has been reached yet.

“The only problem he has is when he occasionally sees red mist and loses his head. I would like to think he has learned from that, however. I can’t say where I would like to see him as for me, he could play for any club in Europe.”

Q: Danny Rohl to Rangers is being rumoured, your thoughts on that and if you can see him managing in Scotland? Could he do better?

DG – “It seems like Danny Rohl has a good reputation all over Europe. He came across really well when he was a pundit at the Euros last summer. He’s young and has done an okay job at Sheffield Wednesday under challenging circumstances.

“But there are a couple of things which come into play. He has a buyout clause which I believe to be around the £2-£3 million mark. That’s relatively high for a manager who has just finished midtable in the Championship and it could restrict the possibilities for him. Will Rangers pay £2-£3 million to get Danny Rohl out of Sheffield Wednesday? That’s one matter.

“The other thing is that, while Rangers are an absolutely massive football club and there is no getting away from that, they are also miles behind Celtic. Last season the gap between the two teams was eight points but this season, with two games to go, it’s 17 points. The enormous gap is getting bigger. Will he have the resources to bridge that gap? If not, he’ll have to think twice about going there, as failure will tarnish his reputation.

“Phillipe Clement arrived with a really promising reputation but he was quickly sacked because he couldn’t bridge the gap. If Danny Rohl goes to Rangers, he’ll back himself to do it and I’d like to think he would close the gap.”

Q: Having suffered an underwhelming loan spell at West Ham, do you think a move to Celtic could be right for boyhood fan Evan Ferguson?

DG – “I was shocked looking into Evan Ferguson’s season. He only started a combined three Premier League games for both Brighton and West Ham. To me, it looks like his confidence is on the floor.

“I thought in January, and this is no disrespect to the Scottish Premiership, that Evan Ferguson should aim higher. But given what’s happened, a move to Celtic wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world.

“If he goes to Celtic, he would be guaranteed goals which would only boost his confidence and help bring out the player that we saw break through at Brighton.”Evan Ferguson just needs to play football. If a move to Celtic means he can do that, then I understand why he would do it.”

Q: Plymouth Argyle have appointed Tom Randle as Head of Recruitment. Having previously been at Club Brugge with Miron Muslic, does this tell you Muslic is extremely likely to stay?

DG – “I would say the appointment of Tom Randle of Head of Recruitment means that Miron Muslic is now almost certain to stay at Plymouth Argyle this summer.

“I heard an interview where Miron Muslic was almost taking a dig at the hierarchy and explaining that he has had to do pretty much everything on his own at Argyle. Initially, I thought he could have been doing that to engineer an exit but everything has now become a little clearer.

“It seems that the link between him and the new Head of Recruitment is not a coincidence and that, actually, Miron Muslic has played a role in the appointments as part of a reason for him to stay.

“I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t stay at Home Park now, which means have done one of the two things they needed too this summer. The second thing is keeping their squad together because it’s good enough for them to compete at the very top of League One next season.”

Q: Reading look to have been taken over by Rob Couhig, your reaction?

DG – “The fact that the EFL have made statement’s and have continued to provide time for Rob Couhig to complete his takeover shows how serious he is about it. They wouldn’t have done all that if they weren’t just about 100% certain that the deal will get completed.

“There will be one of the biggest party ever when it is all officially done. It’s been a horrific last couple of years and I’ve, genuinely, felt all the pain that their fans have been suffering. There have been a few clubs over the last few years like Wigan, Bolton and Blackpool where this horrible off the field stuff has put the clubs in jeopardy.

“It’s a credit to the Reading fans as their protests have no doubt helped force the issue. It’s always nice to now see positivity as the fans suffering is almost at an end.”

Q: Having appointed Darell Clarke, where do you think Bristol Rovers need to strengthen this summer?

DG – “When you look at the stats, it tells me that Darrell Clarke needs to oversee a complete rebuild at Bristol Rovers.

“They scored 43 goals, with only three teams scoring fewer, while only three teams conceded more than their 76 goals. It was a disastrous season all-round and things clearly weren’t working at both ends of the pitch. Their home record was okay but could have been a little better.

“The reason they got relegated, though, was the fact they just won three of 23 away games. This tells me that there was a lack of fighting spirit and the first thing Darrell Clarke will have to instill into his new group is pride to play for Rovers and fighting spirit.

“They can take it from there but that needs to be the foundations.

Q:Thoughts on Paul Warne to MK Dons?

DG – ” Appointing Paul Warne tells you that MK Dons are going a completely different direction when it comes to style of play.

“We know that Paul Warne will be very different when compared to the way previous managers Mike Williamson and Scott Lindsay went about things. He won’t be obsessed with possession and will make his team solid and organised which leads to winning games.

“When you look at the four games he oversaw at the end of the season one thing jumps out. They kept four clean sheets and that will be the foundation going into next season.

“I can’t imagine anything but success following that appointment. When MK Dons are in League Two, they have to be pushing for promotion.”