Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
This podcast is part of the Sports Social Podcast Network. Hello, welcome. Special edition at the time of this, we believe, at Barry Bannon is travelling to Millwall for his medical. I'm with James. I'll let him introduce himself in a sec for you. He is a fellow member of a championship group I belong to by default to a degree. I took over from a...
a Reading fan who started it many, many, many years ago now, but we're keeping it going on the pre-sense that he will be back in charge of it soon.
Chapter 2: What are the initial thoughts on Barry Bannan's transfer to Millwall?
But we have conversations here and there, and I believe that he's probably the best person we could get on board to tell us all about Barry Bannon. So, yeah, James, you might as well introduce yourself in case people want to watch your content going forward, mate.
Yeah.
Yes, I'm James from the Wednesday Till I Die podcast. So yeah, you can find us on all the major podcasting platforms on YouTube as well. Just search for either at WTID pod or the Wednesday Till I Die podcast. And yeah, you can find us there. And a very glowing intro there, mate. Did me good there.
to be fair mate we've known each other for probably what three four years now i think it is roughly and we we've had numerous amounts of conversations about this that and everything else um you know i mean you started there you've had your ups and downs we've we've been there as support and been there as um brain busting you know creating on ideas and stuff like that and listen this i think it's um it's a nice little group we got there's a good bunch of lads on there so um
Yeah, I'm just hoping I don't get kicked out, because obviously it is called the Championship Chat, and yeah, we're not going to be in the Championship for much longer, as I'm sure we might get onto in a bit, but obviously, yeah, we're here to talk about our legend, which is Barry Bannon, of course.
477 games for you, a one-club man as such. I've said plenty of times, he's the greatest Millwall-type player who doesn't play for Millwall. Do you understand what I mean by that? And does he fit that criteria, do you think?
Yeah, I mean, I suppose I've not really thought about that because all I've thought about is Barry Bannon playing for Sheffield Wednesday. I've not really thought that he would have. I thought he would have retired at Sheffield Wednesday, to be honest, but obviously circumstances have changed somewhat. But yeah, I know what you mean.
I do a segment on our podcast where I delve into the comments from the other clubs on the message boards and stuff. And my God, I did not realise how many... Other fan bases hated Barry Bannon so much. I mean, you see it anyway, just in, you know, when teams come to Hillsborough, I don't manage to get to many away games, but, you know, the away fans just singing about Barry Bannon.
I'm like, wait a minute. I mean, we don't even sing about him as much as what other fans do. You know, you've got Derby fans. Obviously, Derby seemed to take a dislike to him. You've got... Birmingham, obviously, with his links to Aston Villa. You clearly got Sheffield United who don't like him.
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Chapter 3: How does Barry Bannan fit into Millwall's tactical setup?
I think also I take him for granted. I think, yeah, There's been occasions where I've said, oh, I won't mind him moving on, but I'd be interested to see what Sheffield Wednesday would look like without Barry Bannon in. And then he obviously doesn't go and he plays that season. And I think actually now maybe I'm wrong. It's a bit of a banner dependency, isn't it?
It's Barry and he'll do the rest.
Chapter 4: What are Barry Bannan's strengths as a midfielder?
Yeah, exactly. And I think that just comes down to the fact that the past three, four, five seasons, he has been by far the best player at the football club. It's probably been a bit, from my point of view, a bit selfish in that, you know, I feel like he shouldn't be the best player for so long at Sheffield Wednesday Football Club. We should move on from him. He's such a good player.
His 7 out of 10 is someone else's 10 out of 10. That is just how good he is for Sheffield Wednesday. So when he has a bit of an off day, like I just said, that's the same as someone else's best performance that they've ever had. And you do, and I do, take him for granted. He'll play a few passes that are misplaced and you'll get on his back. But then you'll just realise that
Or in the next breath, he'll pull a pass out that you're thinking, wow, that is unbelievable. So, yeah.
So when do you think it's best for us to get the best out of him to play? Do you think it's more like maybe a number six and orchestrating the play, setting up? Or do you think best that we push him further forward and put him in like a 10 role behind the strikers? To be honest...
The best you get out of Barry Bannon, just let him do whatever he wants. Just let him roam around. I feel like if you give him a bit of a free reign, he does play a lot better further forward. Again, it's difficult because the team that we've had has been pretty poor. So he's better in every single position. Again, I don't really know the Millwall side.
I don't know where your strengths and your weaknesses are, but I think obviously you haven't got many games left and there's what, 18 games left in the season. That's not a long time to kind of find out where he's best going to fit. But I think when he is further forward, he can create a lot of good chances and create a lot of good opportunities for your strikers. But equally, he can play him.
He's primarily played in a two just in front of the you know the back three well we have we almost feel like a back three and then it's four in front you know with wing backs and Bannon's kind of part of that you know central defensive midfielder or although he will he will go forward he does seem to have a free reign at Sheffield Wednesday certainly this season but again
He's in a poor side, so he can pretty much do whatever he wants, which does fall down a little bit. He should be a little bit more structured. But no, to get the best out of him, for me personally, playing further forward, get him on the edge of the box, get him threading balls through. But again, I'm not really sure how Millwall play.
If you play on the counter or if you're camped in their half... Like I said, getting further forward, if you're playing on the counter, he can play some fantastic passes. I mean, another one for people to look at is, incidentally, our last goal, which came on Boxing Day, believe it or not. It was a fantastic pass from Barry Bannon up to Bailey Kadamartri when he put it away.
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Chapter 5: How has Barry Bannan's fitness impacted his performance at 36?
Yeah, I've mentioned it before, he runs and runs and runs. He doesn't stop. I'm amazed at how many games he plays. I've mentioned the number of games he plays each year. Yeah, you don't need anything like that. You wouldn't think that he's 36 years old with the way that he plays. So, no, he gets stuck in defensively. He will pick up a few yellow cards. He will have a go at the referee, no doubt.
No doubt. He just loves football. You know, whether that's scoring goals, tackles, having to go to the ref, having to go to other players, whatever he wants to do. That's just his game. He's so different off the pitch to what he is on the pitch. Totally different person. But when he's on it, he just wants to win. And yeah, just a fantastic footballer all around, to be fair.
How much of the Alex Neil factor? Obviously, Alex Neil demands high energy. Bannon has obviously shown that he can still press high on the pitch. You mentioned, obviously, the quarterback role, which he doesn't really necessarily want to do, and we don't necessarily want him in there. But, I mean, the Alex Neil factor must have... some draw to him.
A manager who succeeded in playoffs with numerous clubs, a fellow Scot, and someone that if anyone can get him into the potential of being picked for Scotland, I don't think there's many managers out there better than Alex Neil to be able to potentially make that happen.
Yeah, and I think Alex Neil's been an admirer of Barry Bannans for quite some time. I think it goes back to 2022 when Sunderland beat Sheffield Wednesday in the League One play-off semi-final, you know, last-minute goal at Hillsborough. I think it kind of probably started there.
And I think also the fact that Millwall were interested in the summer and they're still interested now, I think goes a long way, really, that, you know...
Me personally, if someone's interested in me six months ago and it doesn't happen and they're still there six months down the line, then yeah, I think that goes quite a long way really in thinking actually, yeah, Alex Neil does want me and does value me as a player. He's not just moved on, still thinks I can do a job in that Millwall squad.
I've got two final questions, both sort of around him to a degree, and then we'll find out what your final thoughts on negativities or positives regarding him. I suppose we're known for high energy, especially this season, given it all on the pitch. Obviously, we know that Banner State is 6th. There are fans out there that will worry that he can't hack the press.
The 90-minute question, we know he's got the quality, but at 36, is he going to be able to still handle the championship grind week in, week out, sometimes three games a week? Or do you think he's someone we need to manage and maybe play him for 60 minutes, 70 minutes, and sort of
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