It is still early August — or at least it feels that way — yet the EFL is already serving up enough drama to fill a whole season's worth of pub debate. The latest episode of the BBC's 72+ EFL Podcast brings together Aaron Paul, Jobi McAnuff and Tranmere Rovers manager Darrell Clarke, and between them they rattle through a set of storylines that range from the genuinely alarming to the outright farcical.

A Defender Between the Sticks

Darrell Clarke is not a man who tends to deal in excuses, and he arrives on the podcast with a tale that sums up the unpredictable nature of lower-league football. His defender Bobby Faulkner ended up pulling on the goalkeeper's jersey during a Tranmere fixture — the kind of moment that lodges in the memory of every fan who has ever stood on an open terrace in the wind and rain. Clarke explains the circumstances candidly, and it is a reminder that, however polished the Premier League product has become, the EFL still has a raw, unscripted quality that is almost impossible to manufacture.

Kamwa's Adebayor Moment

Bristol Rovers striker Bobby Kamwa has already given the season one of its talking points. His celebration against Newport County — his former club — drew immediate comparisons with Emmanuel Adebayor's famous sprint the length of the pitch at the Etihad back in 2009. The panel enjoy the moment, and rightly so. A player running towards the away end to milk the reaction from supporters who once cheered his name is the sort of theatre that belongs entirely to football. Whether Kamwa wins any popularity contests in Newport is another matter entirely.

The Championship's Early Movers

Up a division, the panel identify three clubs who have hit the ground running. Millwall are setting the early Championship pace, which will surprise nobody who watched them grind out results in the second half of last season. West Brom are impressing too, despite what the podcast describes as a significant summer of change at The Hawthorns. But perhaps the most intriguing early story belongs to Charlton Athletic, who McAnuff and Clarke discuss as a potential surprise package. The Addicks have the fanbase and the stadium to be genuine players in this division; whether the squad can sustain a challenge across ten months is the question that only March will truly answer.

Russell Martin's Leicester Problem

The section of the episode that will generate the most reaction concerns Leicester City. Relegated from the Premier League and then from the Championship in successive seasons, the Foxes find themselves in League One and, according to the panel, already struggling. Russell Martin has taken charge, but the discussion centres on a question every Leicester supporter will be asking: will he be given the time and space to implement his ideas, or will the size of the club and the weight of expectation make patience an unaffordable luxury?

It is a genuinely difficult call. Martin's style of play requires buy-in from a squad, and squads take time to absorb new ideas. Leicester's resources in League One ought to give them an edge on paper, but football has a habit of making a mockery of paper. The market has already taken notice of their uncertain start, and the fan forums will be considerably louder than the podcast by the time the international break arrives.

There is also, the show notes promise, a Puskas Award contender somewhere in the Championship and a pantomime moment down in League Two. Sixty-seven clubs, one podcast, and quite enough going on already. The EFL never really does quiet.

Frequently asked

Why are Leicester struggling in League One?
According to the 72+ EFL Podcast, Leicester City have made a difficult start to the League One season under Russell Martin. The panel discuss whether Martin will be given sufficient time to turn results around at a club with high expectations following back-to-back relegations.
Who are the early Championship leaders this season?
Millwall, Charlton Athletic and West Brom are highlighted as the early pace-setters in the Championship, based on discussion in the BBC's 72+ EFL Podcast episode released in late August.
What happened with a Tranmere defender playing in goal?
Tranmere Rovers defender Bobby Faulkner was put in goal during a fixture this season. Manager Darrell Clarke explained the circumstances on the 72+ EFL Podcast, describing it as one of those unpredictable lower-league moments.