While covering some of Cardiff’s games this season I was fortunate enough to see one of the future Arsenal stars in Jay Emmanuel-Thomas.
Emmanuel-Thomas is a 20 year old striker who was employed by Cardiff manager Dave Jones as a winger and the lad repaid him with two goals in seven starts.
Jones – who lost his job with the Bluebirds yesterday following a six year stint – certainly proved his eye for a player with 6’3” Emmanuel-Thomas who has a great touch for a big man and might save Arsene Wenge a few quid in the transfer market next season. I suspect that he won’t be a regular starter for the Gunners, but on the evidence I have seen, he is more than capable of being part of the back-up squad and making cameo appearances from the bench o in cup ties.
Emmanuel-Thomas has already had other loan spells at Blackpool (where he nodded one in on his full debut against Watford) and Doncaster. He went on to make twelve appearances in the 2009/10 season without adding to his tally for Ian Holloway’s side, but then completed the season at Donny and netted five more times in fourteen games.
Aside from his eye-catching first touch, he also possess the high degree of skill you’d expect from a kid coming out of Arsenal’s set up, but h has a good temperament as well. In the games I saw he took a couple of heavy challenges and shrugged them off – preferring to try and punish the opposition with the ball instead.
Off the pitch I only spoke to him once (initially to find out where Jay Bothroyd was!) and he came across as quite a shy lad. Then again, he may have just been wary of a reporter he didn’t know. Either way, he was pleasant enough.
I’d be interested to hear from any comments regular Arsenal watchers. How do you feel has he progressed over the years? A star in the making or did I sup one pre-match beer too many?
I've set up this blog (Monday-Friday) to give extra coverage to teams I cover for the national press. Any views and opinions are all my own. Best wishes, Jeff. Follow me on Twitter and I'll update you each time I blog. http://twitter.com/JeffTaplin P.S. During the summer break I reserve the right to ramble on about anything and everything!
Tuesday 31 May 2011
Swansea City 4 Reading 2
A very sad day for me as this result means that I will not be called on to make a five hour round trip to watch Swansea next season! As I only cover games in the Championship and Leagues One and Two I must do without the pleasure of trying to stay awake on the M4 after a trip to the white part of South Wales.
Joking aside, I’m delighted for the Jacks as during my few trips there this season I was made very welcome and the football they play deserves to be seen on the main stage.
Swansea also have a stadium fit to grace the Premier League, although it will be interesting to see how they manage to juggle the use of it by the football club with the Swansea Ospreys (not Dragons as I inadvertantly called them befor this edit!) rugby union side - and whether the surface holds up if we suffer a bad winter.
It appeared to be okay this season though and, of course, the Championship teams have many more games to play. However, given that Swansea like to play attractive football on the deck, it would damage their survival chances if the pitch couldn’t cope.
But what happened with Reading yesterday?
The Royals appeared punch drunk after Scott Sinclair’s double within the space of one minute and then Stephen Dobbie’s third ten minutes before the break looked to have buried them.
The sending off of substitute Jay Tabb and assistant manager Nigel Gibbs as they abused the officials going down the Wembley tunnel at half time then appeared to compound what was looking to be a miserable day for the Berkshire outfit.
But whatever Brian McDermott said in the dressing room at the break worked. Reading came out and had Swansea o the back foot immediately. A Joe Allen own goal and a header from skipper Matt Mills had Swansea reeling as the Royals looked set to overturn the deficit and get themselves back into the Premier League.
But man of the match Sinclair stepped up to slot his second penalty of the afternoon in the 80th minute to ensure Swansea would be the first Welsh side to be represented in the Premier League and keep my petrol costs down to a reasonable level next season. Well done lads – and thanks for saving me the fuel costs!
Joking aside, I’m delighted for the Jacks as during my few trips there this season I was made very welcome and the football they play deserves to be seen on the main stage.
Swansea also have a stadium fit to grace the Premier League, although it will be interesting to see how they manage to juggle the use of it by the football club with the Swansea Ospreys (not Dragons as I inadvertantly called them befor this edit!) rugby union side - and whether the surface holds up if we suffer a bad winter.
It appeared to be okay this season though and, of course, the Championship teams have many more games to play. However, given that Swansea like to play attractive football on the deck, it would damage their survival chances if the pitch couldn’t cope.
But what happened with Reading yesterday?
The Royals appeared punch drunk after Scott Sinclair’s double within the space of one minute and then Stephen Dobbie’s third ten minutes before the break looked to have buried them.
The sending off of substitute Jay Tabb and assistant manager Nigel Gibbs as they abused the officials going down the Wembley tunnel at half time then appeared to compound what was looking to be a miserable day for the Berkshire outfit.
But whatever Brian McDermott said in the dressing room at the break worked. Reading came out and had Swansea o the back foot immediately. A Joe Allen own goal and a header from skipper Matt Mills had Swansea reeling as the Royals looked set to overturn the deficit and get themselves back into the Premier League.
But man of the match Sinclair stepped up to slot his second penalty of the afternoon in the 80th minute to ensure Swansea would be the first Welsh side to be represented in the Premier League and keep my petrol costs down to a reasonable level next season. Well done lads – and thanks for saving me the fuel costs!
Monday 30 May 2011
Paul Buckle Appointed Bristol Rovers Boss
The worst kept secret in league football is now out in the open - Paul Buckle has left defeated League Two play-off finalists Torquay to take over the reins at Bristol Rovers.
Torquay lost to Stevenage for the right to play in League One next season, but all of the talk in the build up to the game had been of Buckle's impending switch to the Memorial Ground - something that couldn't have done the Gulls any favours.
Buckle, 40, played for ten clubs during his career before moving into a player-coaching role at Exeter under Paul Tisdale. He then became Tisdale's assistant, a job he held when Exeter lost the Conference play-off final to Morecambe in 2007.
In June of 2007 he left to become manager of Torguay where he lost in the Conference play-off semi finals to ... Exeter. He also took the Gulls to the FA Trophy Final where they lost to Ebbsfleet.
However, in 2009 he finally had some Wembley joy when he lead Torguay back into the Football League at the expense of Cambridge United.
He takes over a side that has recently released nine players and lost hot shot striker Wll Hoskins to League One champions Brighton and so will now need to put his summer holiday on the back burner while he re-builds the squad.
Torquay lost to Stevenage for the right to play in League One next season, but all of the talk in the build up to the game had been of Buckle's impending switch to the Memorial Ground - something that couldn't have done the Gulls any favours.
Buckle, 40, played for ten clubs during his career before moving into a player-coaching role at Exeter under Paul Tisdale. He then became Tisdale's assistant, a job he held when Exeter lost the Conference play-off final to Morecambe in 2007.
In June of 2007 he left to become manager of Torguay where he lost in the Conference play-off semi finals to ... Exeter. He also took the Gulls to the FA Trophy Final where they lost to Ebbsfleet.
However, in 2009 he finally had some Wembley joy when he lead Torguay back into the Football League at the expense of Cambridge United.
He takes over a side that has recently released nine players and lost hot shot striker Wll Hoskins to League One champions Brighton and so will now need to put his summer holiday on the back burner while he re-builds the squad.
Enough's enough Blatter - it's time to go!
If you found out that the guys running the local pub side - the same one you'd been paying your subs to - had been mis-managing the club's funds even or paying out a tenner here and there to keep friends sweet, you'd stop paying those subs pretty damned quickly and so you should.
So why do the English FA - and others around the world who are beyond reproach - continue to feed money into FIFA?
Don't get me wrong. If FIFA was ensuring that financial support was given to promoting the game in developing countries and making sure that the kids there had shirts, balls and football posts, then fine. But that doesn't seem to be solely the case. Some very rich men at the top of their respective associations appear to be getting even richer by pretending they are helping the less fortunate and if this proves to be correct then that is both sickening as well as corrupt.
You can't, of course, accuse someone of corruption without proof, I grant you, but FIFA's own Ethics Committee has suspended members and is investigating others and it now appears that yet more of the governing body's big wigs have question marks hanging over their behaviour. Surely there is enough uncertainty for those national associations who still care about the game to step in and demand a complete overhaul of FIFA?
Allowing FIFA's Ethics Committee to investigate their own President is a joke - it was set up by Sepp Blatter in the first place. The Court of Arbitration for Sport needs to be asked to investigate independently and while normally I don't like to governments involve themselves in sport, this situation is right up their street as it's really about politics and corruption.
I'd like to see the big football associations of Europe getting together and demanding a full investigation of FIFA - forensic accountants and all - and, if they don't get it, they should withdraw and set up on their own.
Blatter is now unopposed to run for President of FIFA for another term this week and says he will root out all corruption, but the football world is asking the questions "Were you involved yourself?" and "If you weren't involved, should you be standing for President knowing that so many dodgy dealings have taken place on your shift?" Enough is enough Blatter, we want our game back.
So why do the English FA - and others around the world who are beyond reproach - continue to feed money into FIFA?
Don't get me wrong. If FIFA was ensuring that financial support was given to promoting the game in developing countries and making sure that the kids there had shirts, balls and football posts, then fine. But that doesn't seem to be solely the case. Some very rich men at the top of their respective associations appear to be getting even richer by pretending they are helping the less fortunate and if this proves to be correct then that is both sickening as well as corrupt.
You can't, of course, accuse someone of corruption without proof, I grant you, but FIFA's own Ethics Committee has suspended members and is investigating others and it now appears that yet more of the governing body's big wigs have question marks hanging over their behaviour. Surely there is enough uncertainty for those national associations who still care about the game to step in and demand a complete overhaul of FIFA?
Allowing FIFA's Ethics Committee to investigate their own President is a joke - it was set up by Sepp Blatter in the first place. The Court of Arbitration for Sport needs to be asked to investigate independently and while normally I don't like to governments involve themselves in sport, this situation is right up their street as it's really about politics and corruption.
I'd like to see the big football associations of Europe getting together and demanding a full investigation of FIFA - forensic accountants and all - and, if they don't get it, they should withdraw and set up on their own.
Blatter is now unopposed to run for President of FIFA for another term this week and says he will root out all corruption, but the football world is asking the questions "Were you involved yourself?" and "If you weren't involved, should you be standing for President knowing that so many dodgy dealings have taken place on your shift?" Enough is enough Blatter, we want our game back.
Friday 27 May 2011
Reading, Swansea, Huddersfield, Peterborough, Stevenage and Torquay – best of luck
While there is a little kickabout planned for Wembley tomorrow evening, fans of the above clubs will be focused on more important things.
It’s play-off final weekend and it kicks off tomorrow afternoon at three when Stevenage take on Torquay for the right to play in League One next season.
Torquay boss Paul Buckle has been heavily tipped for a move to Bristol Rovers at the end of the season and I can’t help but feel that this could be a major distraction for the Gulls. Buckle is a very talented coach, but if Torquay fail to win this game - and he does indeed jump ship - he might go from hero to villain within days.
The story of Stevenage is a great one. Founded out of the ashes of the town’s previous club in 1976, they worked their way up the divisions and eventually won the Conference twenty years later. Sadly the FA ruled that the club’s infrastructure wasn’t up to scratch, but they kept plugging away and improved themselves both on and off the field before winning promotion to the league two years ago. They now have a stadium that wouldn’t necessarily look out of place in League One.
My prediction: Stevenage to win, Buckle to join Rovers.
On Sunday Huddersfield take on Posh and this should be a cracker.
Terriers boss Lee Clark has his side playing with the same verve as his old boss Kevin Keegan had Clark and Newcastle playing with in the mid-1990s. But Geordie Clark is a little more canny and is prepared to defend when he has to. A win for Huddersfield would look great on Clark’s CV and go some way to seeing his name mentioned the next time a vacancy comes up at his home town club – in a couple of months given Newcastle’s track record!
Nothing will set Darren Ferguson up for the summer more than taking Peterborough back up to the Championship and, in the process, replacing Preston who sacked him I December after less than a year in the job. Within two weeks he was back at Posh – the club he had parted company with one year before.
My prediction: Huddersfield to win, Ferguson to face Preston in the league next term.
The big game of the weekend wraps up the season on Monday and is worth an absolute fortune to the winners – well for at least one season anyway.
Both Reading and Swansea play great attacking football and are a real credit to the game.
Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers joined the club about six months after getting the boot from … Reading. At the time the Reading fans – who had been used to years of watching Steve Coppell’s sides – didn’t take to Rodgers style of football and the players seemingly felt the same way as they struggled to get the results they needed. Rodgers left the club “by mutual consent” in December 2009, six months after arriving. Last summer he hooked up with Swansea, but following his departure, was replaced at Reading by Brian McDermott. Since joining Swansea he has had them playing arguably the most attractive football in the Championship this season.
McDermott has been with the club since 2000 as a scout, youth and reserve team manager and while Rodgers couldn’t seem to get his message across to the Reading boys, McDermott clicked with them immediately … or as quickly as Rodgers seems to have done in South Wales.
I haven’t seen a lot of Reading 'live' this season so it's hard to comment on them fairly, but I have been to Swansea. Unfortunately they lost both games – to Cardiff in the league and Orient in the Cup. On both occasions they deserved something from the games though.
This one is too close to call, but I’ll give the nod to Swansea, with Reading coming up automatically next season if they manage to hold on to McDermott and most of their squad.
It’s play-off final weekend and it kicks off tomorrow afternoon at three when Stevenage take on Torquay for the right to play in League One next season.
Torquay boss Paul Buckle has been heavily tipped for a move to Bristol Rovers at the end of the season and I can’t help but feel that this could be a major distraction for the Gulls. Buckle is a very talented coach, but if Torquay fail to win this game - and he does indeed jump ship - he might go from hero to villain within days.
The story of Stevenage is a great one. Founded out of the ashes of the town’s previous club in 1976, they worked their way up the divisions and eventually won the Conference twenty years later. Sadly the FA ruled that the club’s infrastructure wasn’t up to scratch, but they kept plugging away and improved themselves both on and off the field before winning promotion to the league two years ago. They now have a stadium that wouldn’t necessarily look out of place in League One.
My prediction: Stevenage to win, Buckle to join Rovers.
On Sunday Huddersfield take on Posh and this should be a cracker.
Terriers boss Lee Clark has his side playing with the same verve as his old boss Kevin Keegan had Clark and Newcastle playing with in the mid-1990s. But Geordie Clark is a little more canny and is prepared to defend when he has to. A win for Huddersfield would look great on Clark’s CV and go some way to seeing his name mentioned the next time a vacancy comes up at his home town club – in a couple of months given Newcastle’s track record!
Nothing will set Darren Ferguson up for the summer more than taking Peterborough back up to the Championship and, in the process, replacing Preston who sacked him I December after less than a year in the job. Within two weeks he was back at Posh – the club he had parted company with one year before.
My prediction: Huddersfield to win, Ferguson to face Preston in the league next term.
The big game of the weekend wraps up the season on Monday and is worth an absolute fortune to the winners – well for at least one season anyway.
Both Reading and Swansea play great attacking football and are a real credit to the game.
Swansea boss Brendan Rodgers joined the club about six months after getting the boot from … Reading. At the time the Reading fans – who had been used to years of watching Steve Coppell’s sides – didn’t take to Rodgers style of football and the players seemingly felt the same way as they struggled to get the results they needed. Rodgers left the club “by mutual consent” in December 2009, six months after arriving. Last summer he hooked up with Swansea, but following his departure, was replaced at Reading by Brian McDermott. Since joining Swansea he has had them playing arguably the most attractive football in the Championship this season.
McDermott has been with the club since 2000 as a scout, youth and reserve team manager and while Rodgers couldn’t seem to get his message across to the Reading boys, McDermott clicked with them immediately … or as quickly as Rodgers seems to have done in South Wales.
I haven’t seen a lot of Reading 'live' this season so it's hard to comment on them fairly, but I have been to Swansea. Unfortunately they lost both games – to Cardiff in the league and Orient in the Cup. On both occasions they deserved something from the games though.
This one is too close to call, but I’ll give the nod to Swansea, with Reading coming up automatically next season if they manage to hold on to McDermott and most of their squad.
Thursday 26 May 2011
King’s Road to Nowhere?
Carlo Ancelotti’s sacking at the weekend didn’t just leave fans of other clubs perplexed, but from what my Chelsea supporting mates have said, it’s left them feeling a little uneasy as well.
Winning silverware since Roman Abramovich’s take over as owner has been great for the west end boys, but the fans know their team is still living in the shadows of Manchester United, Liverpool and even fellow Londoners, Arsenal.
Liverpool might not be having a great time of it at the moment, but they can point to the boot room dynasties overseen by Paisley and Shankly. Arsenal, despite a few 'trophyless' years, have been consistent and classy under Wenger. While Manchester United fans can point to the golden years under Busby and the current renaissance under Ferguson.
But what about Chelsea?
They have bought some wonderful footballers since Abramovich’s arrival – of that there’s no doubt. They’ve won titles and cups as well, but, for me, they aren’t yet a team you’ll look back on in twenty years and remember as one of the greatest. They haven’t got the footballing X-Factor.
Abramovich doesn’t seem intent on building a dynasty – he appears to be after glory quickly rather than creating the foundations for a footballing legacy and I think that’s a worry for a lot of Chelsea fans.
The Russian might have a pot load of readies, but he needs to appoint a manager and give him time. The same sort of time that Busby, Shankly, Paisley, Ferguson and Wenger have had. The manager of any really great club needs to have the unwavering support of its owner or its board and a lack of interference in footballing matters.
Abramovich apparently has an obsession with winning the Champions League. But what if the next manager fails to bring him what he craves? Will he be out of the door as quickly as Ancelotti or will winning the FA Cup be enough to give him another six months or so at the helm?
Of course the other question is: How much longer will Abramovich hang around if his dream fails to materialize? What then? Maybe the punters at Stamford Bridge are too afraid to be too vocally critical of the owner in case he up sticks and walks, taking his billions with him. And would there be another sugar daddy to take his place in these austere times? Sure, there’ll always be someone to step in and buy a club of Chelsea’s admitted stature, but someone with the same deep pockets?
I fear that until Abramovich learns a little patience and starts planning for the longer term instead of looking for instant success, the soap opera in the King’s Road is set to run for another season or two. Then again, someone who has the ability to turn himself into a multi-billionaire overnight (however it may have been done) may not feel patience is a virtue that suits him.
Winning silverware since Roman Abramovich’s take over as owner has been great for the west end boys, but the fans know their team is still living in the shadows of Manchester United, Liverpool and even fellow Londoners, Arsenal.
Liverpool might not be having a great time of it at the moment, but they can point to the boot room dynasties overseen by Paisley and Shankly. Arsenal, despite a few 'trophyless' years, have been consistent and classy under Wenger. While Manchester United fans can point to the golden years under Busby and the current renaissance under Ferguson.
But what about Chelsea?
They have bought some wonderful footballers since Abramovich’s arrival – of that there’s no doubt. They’ve won titles and cups as well, but, for me, they aren’t yet a team you’ll look back on in twenty years and remember as one of the greatest. They haven’t got the footballing X-Factor.
Abramovich doesn’t seem intent on building a dynasty – he appears to be after glory quickly rather than creating the foundations for a footballing legacy and I think that’s a worry for a lot of Chelsea fans.
The Russian might have a pot load of readies, but he needs to appoint a manager and give him time. The same sort of time that Busby, Shankly, Paisley, Ferguson and Wenger have had. The manager of any really great club needs to have the unwavering support of its owner or its board and a lack of interference in footballing matters.
Abramovich apparently has an obsession with winning the Champions League. But what if the next manager fails to bring him what he craves? Will he be out of the door as quickly as Ancelotti or will winning the FA Cup be enough to give him another six months or so at the helm?
Of course the other question is: How much longer will Abramovich hang around if his dream fails to materialize? What then? Maybe the punters at Stamford Bridge are too afraid to be too vocally critical of the owner in case he up sticks and walks, taking his billions with him. And would there be another sugar daddy to take his place in these austere times? Sure, there’ll always be someone to step in and buy a club of Chelsea’s admitted stature, but someone with the same deep pockets?
I fear that until Abramovich learns a little patience and starts planning for the longer term instead of looking for instant success, the soap opera in the King’s Road is set to run for another season or two. Then again, someone who has the ability to turn himself into a multi-billionaire overnight (however it may have been done) may not feel patience is a virtue that suits him.
Anyone But United
As Manchester United go head to head with the mighty Barcelona at Wembley on Saturday for the right to be crowned footballing kings of Europe, there will be many English fans willing on the Spaniards.
In particular, the followers of Manchester City and Liverpool would love to see United fall flat on their backsides and there are supporters of many other clubs who feel the same way, but not me.
I don’t care which English side makes it to the final of a European competition, I’ll cheer them on from the comfort of my armchair. In honour of the Mancs I might even get some cans of Boddingtons in!
We are very good in England at telling ourselves (and anyone else who will listen) that the Premier League is the best league in the world and so it’s nice now and again to be able to back up the claim with the top prize.
I do agree with several commentators that Barcelona are favourites on paper and, for once, Manchester United are underdogs, but the great thing about football is that you can never write off the underdog – and you’d be a fool to completely write off Fergie and his boys.
I think it is important for United is to take the game to Barca and let them worry about Rooney, et al., rather than try and contain them and hit them on the break. Arsenal tried this and were made to look average – something they most certainly aren’t (well they hadn't been up until that point inm the season!).
United have a good settled and experienced defensive back line who can cope with the brilliant Lionel Messi, especially if his teammates are trying to repel the red threat at the other end.
It promises to be an intriguing encounter and might well turn out to be a cracker, but whatever happens United are guaranteed of my full and unequivocal support – even if it is for one night only.
Note on Ryan Giggs:-
For what it’s worth I couldn’t give a toss what he or any other player gets up to in his personal life. f he’s made a mistake – so what? Who hasn’t? It’s something that he needs to sort out with his family behind closed doors.
I do think it was unwise to take out the super injunction at a time when the media in general have an agenda against this type of legal recourse (with good reason when you think about what politicians and the powerful could use them for). Bad timing by Giggsy and bad advice. I’m sure that if he’d just 'fronted up' to his missus and taken the tongue lashing and grief we’d all expect, it would be chip paper by now.
I’m also sure that there will be a few lawyers drinking better quality champagne in the Wembley hospitality boxes on Saturday because of this situation. I hope that this time when they get to raise their glasses in thanks to Giggs, it's because he's scored again … on the pitch.
In particular, the followers of Manchester City and Liverpool would love to see United fall flat on their backsides and there are supporters of many other clubs who feel the same way, but not me.
I don’t care which English side makes it to the final of a European competition, I’ll cheer them on from the comfort of my armchair. In honour of the Mancs I might even get some cans of Boddingtons in!
We are very good in England at telling ourselves (and anyone else who will listen) that the Premier League is the best league in the world and so it’s nice now and again to be able to back up the claim with the top prize.
I do agree with several commentators that Barcelona are favourites on paper and, for once, Manchester United are underdogs, but the great thing about football is that you can never write off the underdog – and you’d be a fool to completely write off Fergie and his boys.
I think it is important for United is to take the game to Barca and let them worry about Rooney, et al., rather than try and contain them and hit them on the break. Arsenal tried this and were made to look average – something they most certainly aren’t (well they hadn't been up until that point inm the season!).
United have a good settled and experienced defensive back line who can cope with the brilliant Lionel Messi, especially if his teammates are trying to repel the red threat at the other end.
It promises to be an intriguing encounter and might well turn out to be a cracker, but whatever happens United are guaranteed of my full and unequivocal support – even if it is for one night only.
Note on Ryan Giggs:-
For what it’s worth I couldn’t give a toss what he or any other player gets up to in his personal life. f he’s made a mistake – so what? Who hasn’t? It’s something that he needs to sort out with his family behind closed doors.
I do think it was unwise to take out the super injunction at a time when the media in general have an agenda against this type of legal recourse (with good reason when you think about what politicians and the powerful could use them for). Bad timing by Giggsy and bad advice. I’m sure that if he’d just 'fronted up' to his missus and taken the tongue lashing and grief we’d all expect, it would be chip paper by now.
I’m also sure that there will be a few lawyers drinking better quality champagne in the Wembley hospitality boxes on Saturday because of this situation. I hope that this time when they get to raise their glasses in thanks to Giggs, it's because he's scored again … on the pitch.
Wednesday 25 May 2011
Bristol City, Swindon Town, and Oxford United bits
Young Spurs central defender Steven Caulker is in demand again down Bristol way.
City chief Keith Millen told the Evening Post:
"I'd love to have him here next season. Tottenham know my feelings and I'll definitely be talking to them during the close season. I'm not sure what plans they have for Steven but I've already told them I'm interested if he is available. We'll wait and see in the summer. He's not going to be fit until July anyway, so it's not one I will get an answer on straight away."
The strong rumours coming out of the County Ground that midfielder David Prutton was on his way to Sheffield Wednesday after just one season at Swindon Town are true. Prutton, 29, has signed a two year deal at Hillsborough.
As nice a guy (and as good a player) as David is, I can’t help but feel that when he played alongside Jonathan Douglas this season, they got in each other’s way a little bit and maybe also cancelled each other out.
Meanwhile, Oxford have been linked with another veteran in the form of former Chelsea central defender Michael Duberry, 35, who is looking for a return to England after spending the last 18 months playing for St. Johnstone.
Midfielder Sam Deering has left the Kassam for Barnet and new boy Jon-Paul Pittman has told the media:
“I'm itching to play and help Oxford get to where I think they should be, which is a couple of leagues higher up than they are now. Hopefully I can settle in nice and quick and kick on and score some goals," he added.
I always thought this was a big club and I've spoken to former players and they always said how nice it is to play here, with the supporters and the nice pitch, so I'm just happy to be a part of that.”
In my experience of Pittman, he’s the sort of guy who will always say the right thing, but unlike some others he backs it up on the pitch.
City chief Keith Millen told the Evening Post:
"I'd love to have him here next season. Tottenham know my feelings and I'll definitely be talking to them during the close season. I'm not sure what plans they have for Steven but I've already told them I'm interested if he is available. We'll wait and see in the summer. He's not going to be fit until July anyway, so it's not one I will get an answer on straight away."
The strong rumours coming out of the County Ground that midfielder David Prutton was on his way to Sheffield Wednesday after just one season at Swindon Town are true. Prutton, 29, has signed a two year deal at Hillsborough.
As nice a guy (and as good a player) as David is, I can’t help but feel that when he played alongside Jonathan Douglas this season, they got in each other’s way a little bit and maybe also cancelled each other out.
Meanwhile, Oxford have been linked with another veteran in the form of former Chelsea central defender Michael Duberry, 35, who is looking for a return to England after spending the last 18 months playing for St. Johnstone.
Midfielder Sam Deering has left the Kassam for Barnet and new boy Jon-Paul Pittman has told the media:
“I'm itching to play and help Oxford get to where I think they should be, which is a couple of leagues higher up than they are now. Hopefully I can settle in nice and quick and kick on and score some goals," he added.
I always thought this was a big club and I've spoken to former players and they always said how nice it is to play here, with the supporters and the nice pitch, so I'm just happy to be a part of that.”
In my experience of Pittman, he’s the sort of guy who will always say the right thing, but unlike some others he backs it up on the pitch.
Tuesday 24 May 2011
Super Mario? Not quite yet
If you choose to play football for a living you need to have a good deal of self belief –arrogance even.
Unlike most of the players I have dealt with over the years who show a good deal of respect and humility off the pitch (even when talking to journalists who they may not have a great amount of time for), Mario Balotelli appears unable to leave this arrogance in the dressing room.
The Italian striker missed Manchester City’s parade of the FA Cup to the fans and also left for Italy rather than attend City’s end of season dinner with fans where they had hoped to present him with the Young Player of the Year award.
Balotelli is 20 years old, but needs to grow up fast and start taking on some of the responsibility that comes with the big money he earns. There’s no doubt that he is a talented guy, but the game’s history is littered with wasted talent and players who haven’t achieved what they are capable of purely because they let their egos get the better of them.
Football is a team game and the team extends beyond the eleven players on the pitch to the punters in the stands – or even armchairs – who pay for the exotic lifestyles. Successful teams are made up of individuals who work hard for, and respect, each other. This attitude is picked up by the fans who then give their full vocal backing. The combination is irresistible and the recipe for sustained success.
Unfortunately when you have a key player who appears to place himself above both the club and his teammates, it can, it turn, have a corrosive effect. There is a very real possibility that young Mario – despite all of his natural gifts – could damage City in the longer term rather than help them add to that great FA Cup Final win. Someone needs to take the lad to one side and spell out his responsibilities to him.
He has stated how much he respects his manager and so I can’t help, but feel that Roberto Mancini has missed a trick by reportedly giving Balotelli permission to miss City’s end of season celebrations to fly back to Italy. I can’t help but feel that the game’s great managers – Clough, Paisley, Shankly and, dare I say, Ferguson – would have forced him on to the open top bus or to the dinner table rather than give him his head.
I’ve enjoyed the rise and rise of City in recent years. The fans have deserved better than the treatment that saw them tumble down the divisions and, now that they are on the up, they need to make sure that no one individual undermines all the good work that has been done.
Unlike most of the players I have dealt with over the years who show a good deal of respect and humility off the pitch (even when talking to journalists who they may not have a great amount of time for), Mario Balotelli appears unable to leave this arrogance in the dressing room.
The Italian striker missed Manchester City’s parade of the FA Cup to the fans and also left for Italy rather than attend City’s end of season dinner with fans where they had hoped to present him with the Young Player of the Year award.
Balotelli is 20 years old, but needs to grow up fast and start taking on some of the responsibility that comes with the big money he earns. There’s no doubt that he is a talented guy, but the game’s history is littered with wasted talent and players who haven’t achieved what they are capable of purely because they let their egos get the better of them.
Football is a team game and the team extends beyond the eleven players on the pitch to the punters in the stands – or even armchairs – who pay for the exotic lifestyles. Successful teams are made up of individuals who work hard for, and respect, each other. This attitude is picked up by the fans who then give their full vocal backing. The combination is irresistible and the recipe for sustained success.
Unfortunately when you have a key player who appears to place himself above both the club and his teammates, it can, it turn, have a corrosive effect. There is a very real possibility that young Mario – despite all of his natural gifts – could damage City in the longer term rather than help them add to that great FA Cup Final win. Someone needs to take the lad to one side and spell out his responsibilities to him.
He has stated how much he respects his manager and so I can’t help, but feel that Roberto Mancini has missed a trick by reportedly giving Balotelli permission to miss City’s end of season celebrations to fly back to Italy. I can’t help but feel that the game’s great managers – Clough, Paisley, Shankly and, dare I say, Ferguson – would have forced him on to the open top bus or to the dinner table rather than give him his head.
I’ve enjoyed the rise and rise of City in recent years. The fans have deserved better than the treatment that saw them tumble down the divisions and, now that they are on the up, they need to make sure that no one individual undermines all the good work that has been done.
Monday 23 May 2011
Toon dilemma?
After last week’s blogs that looked at a couple of youngsters from London clubs, I allowed my thoughts to drift to the north east today …
Alan Pardew has to face up to yet another problem up at Newcastle – but this time it’s a nice one to have.
While he’s busy trying to prise the cash out of owner Mike Ashley’s wallet for new additions to his squad this summer, he’ll also have to make a decision on who his top two keepers are for next season.
At the moment he has three good stoppers at his disposal, but he’ll only be able to offer two of them regular first team action in either the league or the cups. One of the three isn’t going to be a happy bunny.
Steve Harper is the loyal and dependable number one at the moment. A local lad, he bided his time sitting on the bench behind Shay Given (and others) for years, but after the Toon’s Championship winning season in 2010, Alan Shearer even suggested that England could have done worse than to take him to the World Cup. Okay, Shearer and Harper are good mates, but the stats backed up his suggestion. Harper was exceptional during the campaign; he has big game and Champions League experience and is known to be a level headed fella. Unfortunately he’s now 36 years of age and so probably not the man the barcodes want to build a team around.
Dutch U21 keeper Tim Krul has been backing up Harper this term. The 23 year old has played 24 first team games (20 in the league including one sub appearance) and kept four clean sheets. He has also shown a great deal of loyalty to the club while other Premier League players of his age – and younger – are throwing their toys out of the pram on a regular basis. But he’s reached an age now when he must feel he has a real claim on the number one jersey.
Third in line this season (and the real reason for the this piece) was Fraser Forster,23, who spent his time out on loan at Celtic and won a Scottish Cup winners medal on Saturday after the Hoops beat Motherwell by three goals without reply. It was Forster’s 24th clean sheet of the season.
True, if you are playing behind Celtic’s defence in the SPL, you shouldn’t find yourself being bothered too much – unless you’re up against Rangers. However, Celtic is a massive club with high expectations and Forster has handled the pressure well according to sources north of the border. He even got his one and only red card in an ‘Old Firm’ game which probably entitles him to pints for life in the supporters’ bar.
In August 2009 I saw Forster play twice. He was on a one month loan at Bristol Rovers at the time (before moving to Norwich for the remainder of the season – at the end of which he won a League One Champions medal) and is a beast of a man at 6’7”. At the time he was only 21 years old and while most men of that age are still growing into their bodies and look slightly ungainly (especially if they are all), Forster looked to be well in proportion. I only spoke to him once, but he came across as a decent guy and I remember thinking I wouldn’t fancy going up against him for a corner – then again I probably would jump higher than his knees anyway.
Whisper it quietly, but if Forster continues improving the way he has in the last three years, we could well be talking about a future England keeper here.
I remember Paul Trollope being slightly miffed that – after the initial one month deal had expired -Newcastle accepted an offer from Norwich to take the lad on loan for the rest of the season.
Forster is also a local boy and would be given time to settle in by the Geordie faithful. However, if he gets the nod over Krul, expect to see the young Dutchman on his bike.
It’s going to be an interesting conundrum for Pardew to solve this summer and I suspect that Harper may well find himself edged out by one of the youngsters as next season progresses, although he’s old and wise enough not to throw a tantrum. He’s also respected enough on Tyneside to be offered a coaching role at the club.
At least Ashley can rest easy knowing he won’t have to splash out on a goalkeeper – it’s the other ten positions he needs to spend money on!
Alan Pardew has to face up to yet another problem up at Newcastle – but this time it’s a nice one to have.
While he’s busy trying to prise the cash out of owner Mike Ashley’s wallet for new additions to his squad this summer, he’ll also have to make a decision on who his top two keepers are for next season.
At the moment he has three good stoppers at his disposal, but he’ll only be able to offer two of them regular first team action in either the league or the cups. One of the three isn’t going to be a happy bunny.
Steve Harper is the loyal and dependable number one at the moment. A local lad, he bided his time sitting on the bench behind Shay Given (and others) for years, but after the Toon’s Championship winning season in 2010, Alan Shearer even suggested that England could have done worse than to take him to the World Cup. Okay, Shearer and Harper are good mates, but the stats backed up his suggestion. Harper was exceptional during the campaign; he has big game and Champions League experience and is known to be a level headed fella. Unfortunately he’s now 36 years of age and so probably not the man the barcodes want to build a team around.
Dutch U21 keeper Tim Krul has been backing up Harper this term. The 23 year old has played 24 first team games (20 in the league including one sub appearance) and kept four clean sheets. He has also shown a great deal of loyalty to the club while other Premier League players of his age – and younger – are throwing their toys out of the pram on a regular basis. But he’s reached an age now when he must feel he has a real claim on the number one jersey.
Third in line this season (and the real reason for the this piece) was Fraser Forster,23, who spent his time out on loan at Celtic and won a Scottish Cup winners medal on Saturday after the Hoops beat Motherwell by three goals without reply. It was Forster’s 24th clean sheet of the season.
True, if you are playing behind Celtic’s defence in the SPL, you shouldn’t find yourself being bothered too much – unless you’re up against Rangers. However, Celtic is a massive club with high expectations and Forster has handled the pressure well according to sources north of the border. He even got his one and only red card in an ‘Old Firm’ game which probably entitles him to pints for life in the supporters’ bar.
In August 2009 I saw Forster play twice. He was on a one month loan at Bristol Rovers at the time (before moving to Norwich for the remainder of the season – at the end of which he won a League One Champions medal) and is a beast of a man at 6’7”. At the time he was only 21 years old and while most men of that age are still growing into their bodies and look slightly ungainly (especially if they are all), Forster looked to be well in proportion. I only spoke to him once, but he came across as a decent guy and I remember thinking I wouldn’t fancy going up against him for a corner – then again I probably would jump higher than his knees anyway.
Whisper it quietly, but if Forster continues improving the way he has in the last three years, we could well be talking about a future England keeper here.
I remember Paul Trollope being slightly miffed that – after the initial one month deal had expired -Newcastle accepted an offer from Norwich to take the lad on loan for the rest of the season.
Forster is also a local boy and would be given time to settle in by the Geordie faithful. However, if he gets the nod over Krul, expect to see the young Dutchman on his bike.
It’s going to be an interesting conundrum for Pardew to solve this summer and I suspect that Harper may well find himself edged out by one of the youngsters as next season progresses, although he’s old and wise enough not to throw a tantrum. He’s also respected enough on Tyneside to be offered a coaching role at the club.
At least Ashley can rest easy knowing he won’t have to splash out on a goalkeeper – it’s the other ten positions he needs to spend money on!
Friday 20 May 2011
Hoskins goes to the seaside
Bristol Rovers striker Will Hoskins has completed his £500,000 move to Brighton.
Hoskins was top scorer in the side that were relegated from League One this season and was linked with a move to the Seagulls in January. He played for the Gas for just the one season after a free switch from Watford
Hoskins was top scorer in the side that were relegated from League One this season and was linked with a move to the Seagulls in January. He played for the Gas for just the one season after a free switch from Watford
Rovers Rejects
Bristol Rovers have announced the list of players they will be releasing now the season has ended. Presumably the new manager - who is rumoured to be named imminently – had a big say in which first team players stayed. Those set to leave are:
Jeff Hughes – a strange decision given the goals he contributes and his adaptability (full back, winger, striker).
Darryl Duffy – been out on loan and so no big surprise.
Carl Regan – as above
JP Kalala – busy midfielder who would have made an impact in League Two I feel.
Jerel Ifil – arrived too late in the day to make a positive impact, in fact he probably had the opposite effect on the fans.
Gavin Williams – he was growing on me, but again, no big surprise.
Danny Senda – looked comfortable and was one of the better players for the Gas in the second half of the season.
Mike Green – after the number of loan keepers he has seen brought in ahead of him in the last two seasons, I guess the writing was on the wall.
Nine youngsters have also been released.
Jeff Hughes – a strange decision given the goals he contributes and his adaptability (full back, winger, striker).
Darryl Duffy – been out on loan and so no big surprise.
Carl Regan – as above
JP Kalala – busy midfielder who would have made an impact in League Two I feel.
Jerel Ifil – arrived too late in the day to make a positive impact, in fact he probably had the opposite effect on the fans.
Gavin Williams – he was growing on me, but again, no big surprise.
Danny Senda – looked comfortable and was one of the better players for the Gas in the second half of the season.
Mike Green – after the number of loan keepers he has seen brought in ahead of him in the last two seasons, I guess the writing was on the wall.
Nine youngsters have also been released.
Salute the new boss? No chance
Paolo Di Canio has been appointed as the new manager of Swindon Town.
From a football point of view, the jury is obviously still out, but is the board really wise to appoint a self proclaimed fascist as their new manager?
Di Canio has given the fascist salute on a couple of occasions in front of the Lazio fans (who have ‘sweetly’ serenaded their counterparts at Roma with chants of “Team of Blacks, Crowd of Jews"), has been fined for doing so and is a fan of former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini who sided with Hitler during the Second World War. Mussolini was responsible for the deaths of over 400,000 Italians in the war and 30,000 Ethiopians who were executed during Italy's occupation of the country. What a nice guy!
What sort of message is the Swindon board trying to send out with this appointment? And what sort of message does it send out to Swindon's black players in particular if the Lazio fans (along with their objectionable views) are the people Di Canio salutes?
Swindon fans are desperate for some good news after a miserable season that saw them relegated to the bottom tier, but – should he be successful – are they prepared to turn a blind eye to his political views? How many points won in a football game is it worth selling your soul for these days?
In 1938 the England football team was forced to give the fascist salute at a game in Berlin. They said later that they were ashamed to do so. I wonder whether the people of Swindon will end up with the same sick feeling in the pit of their stomachs at some point in the near future.
Di Canio was a great player – if a little temperamental at times. During a game at Hillsborough while playing for Wednesday against Arsenal back in 1998, he pushed referee Paul Alcock to the ground after being shown the red card. He had a public row with Glenn Roeder while at West Ham as the club unsuccessfully fought against relegation.
On the plus side, he was awarded FIFA’s Fair Play Award in 2001 after catching a ball rather than sticking it in the net when he spotted Everton keeper Paul Gerrard writhing in agony – an act described by the governing body as "a special act of good sportsmanship."
He also scored nearly 140 goals in just over five hundred professional games for the likes of Juve, Celtic, AC Milan and others. His quality as a player was never in doubt.
Of course in football success is never guaranteed and should Di Canio not bring the good times back to the County Ground I wonder if he’ll get the same sort of send off his hero Mussolini got – hung up by his feet with piano wire at a local petrol station? I believe there’s one just around the corner at Tescos.
From a football point of view, the jury is obviously still out, but is the board really wise to appoint a self proclaimed fascist as their new manager?
Di Canio has given the fascist salute on a couple of occasions in front of the Lazio fans (who have ‘sweetly’ serenaded their counterparts at Roma with chants of “Team of Blacks, Crowd of Jews"), has been fined for doing so and is a fan of former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini who sided with Hitler during the Second World War. Mussolini was responsible for the deaths of over 400,000 Italians in the war and 30,000 Ethiopians who were executed during Italy's occupation of the country. What a nice guy!
What sort of message is the Swindon board trying to send out with this appointment? And what sort of message does it send out to Swindon's black players in particular if the Lazio fans (along with their objectionable views) are the people Di Canio salutes?
Swindon fans are desperate for some good news after a miserable season that saw them relegated to the bottom tier, but – should he be successful – are they prepared to turn a blind eye to his political views? How many points won in a football game is it worth selling your soul for these days?
In 1938 the England football team was forced to give the fascist salute at a game in Berlin. They said later that they were ashamed to do so. I wonder whether the people of Swindon will end up with the same sick feeling in the pit of their stomachs at some point in the near future.
Di Canio was a great player – if a little temperamental at times. During a game at Hillsborough while playing for Wednesday against Arsenal back in 1998, he pushed referee Paul Alcock to the ground after being shown the red card. He had a public row with Glenn Roeder while at West Ham as the club unsuccessfully fought against relegation.
On the plus side, he was awarded FIFA’s Fair Play Award in 2001 after catching a ball rather than sticking it in the net when he spotted Everton keeper Paul Gerrard writhing in agony – an act described by the governing body as "a special act of good sportsmanship."
He also scored nearly 140 goals in just over five hundred professional games for the likes of Juve, Celtic, AC Milan and others. His quality as a player was never in doubt.
Of course in football success is never guaranteed and should Di Canio not bring the good times back to the County Ground I wonder if he’ll get the same sort of send off his hero Mussolini got – hung up by his feet with piano wire at a local petrol station? I believe there’s one just around the corner at Tescos.
Going, going, Gooner
Arsenal ‘s Brazilian midfielder Denilson is quoted in papers today as wanting to get away from the club and is looking for a fresh start somewhere else after five ‘trophyless’ years. Fair enough. The guy has a right to leave if he wants to, but …
In the article is a direct quote from him claiming that he made his mind up “eight months ago”. If that’s the case it might be one small indicator as to why the North London club haven’t had that killer touch this season. No goals and seven bookings this term isn’t a great return for a player who cost £3.4 million as a teenager. Then again, maybe I’m being unfair as he’s never been prolific in front of goal – nine from 120 games if my math is correct.
There’s no doubt that the Arsenal have the ability - and in my view are one of the best footballing sides in Europe - but how many other players have, like Denilson, been playing with one eye on an end of season move?
If you’ve decided you’re going to leave a club just after the season’s begun, how committed to the cause are you going to be?
Perhaps I’m doing the lad a disservice, but I’d be interested to hear the thoughts of regular followers of Arsenal. Has he sweated blood for the Gooners this season? Indeed, are there other players who have looked like they have wanted away for much of the campaign?
Looking at Arsenal from the outside, the game that seemed to sum up – and maybe finish – their season, was the away game at St. James’ Park. When you are four goals to the good away from home and you allow the opposition to claw back a draw, there would appear to be a certain mental frailty to the group. This might just be down to youth. What do Gooners think?
Friends of mine who support Arsenal have been frustrated by the team in recent years and the lack of silverware. However, in my humble opinion, I think that Arsene Wenger will ultimately go down as one of the club’s best ever managers – up there with Herbert Chapman I’d venture.
Moving from Highbury to the new stadium will have been a strain on the club’s financial resources (even one as historically wealthy as Arsenal) and so to keep them in the hunt every year (and qualifying for the Champions League during that time) is no mean achievement.
There are ‘big’ clubs in English football (Everton, Newcastle, Liverpool, Leeds, Spurs, etc.) who would love to be as consistently ‘unsuccessful’ as Arsenal have been during the last five years.
Of course Gooners don’t really care how poorly the others are performing and understandably they are looking ‘up’ rather than ‘down’ and so maybe this summer is the time for Arsene to invest in a couple of experienced heads to supplement his exciting young squad.
As a neutral fan I’d love to see Wenger rewarded for his work and also for the way he likes his team to play football. Next season could prove to be make or break for the French master, but I don’t think the fans or the board should lose faith in him. I still believe he’s done enough for the club since 1996 to merit a little more time at the helm.
In the article is a direct quote from him claiming that he made his mind up “eight months ago”. If that’s the case it might be one small indicator as to why the North London club haven’t had that killer touch this season. No goals and seven bookings this term isn’t a great return for a player who cost £3.4 million as a teenager. Then again, maybe I’m being unfair as he’s never been prolific in front of goal – nine from 120 games if my math is correct.
There’s no doubt that the Arsenal have the ability - and in my view are one of the best footballing sides in Europe - but how many other players have, like Denilson, been playing with one eye on an end of season move?
If you’ve decided you’re going to leave a club just after the season’s begun, how committed to the cause are you going to be?
Perhaps I’m doing the lad a disservice, but I’d be interested to hear the thoughts of regular followers of Arsenal. Has he sweated blood for the Gooners this season? Indeed, are there other players who have looked like they have wanted away for much of the campaign?
Looking at Arsenal from the outside, the game that seemed to sum up – and maybe finish – their season, was the away game at St. James’ Park. When you are four goals to the good away from home and you allow the opposition to claw back a draw, there would appear to be a certain mental frailty to the group. This might just be down to youth. What do Gooners think?
Friends of mine who support Arsenal have been frustrated by the team in recent years and the lack of silverware. However, in my humble opinion, I think that Arsene Wenger will ultimately go down as one of the club’s best ever managers – up there with Herbert Chapman I’d venture.
Moving from Highbury to the new stadium will have been a strain on the club’s financial resources (even one as historically wealthy as Arsenal) and so to keep them in the hunt every year (and qualifying for the Champions League during that time) is no mean achievement.
There are ‘big’ clubs in English football (Everton, Newcastle, Liverpool, Leeds, Spurs, etc.) who would love to be as consistently ‘unsuccessful’ as Arsenal have been during the last five years.
Of course Gooners don’t really care how poorly the others are performing and understandably they are looking ‘up’ rather than ‘down’ and so maybe this summer is the time for Arsene to invest in a couple of experienced heads to supplement his exciting young squad.
As a neutral fan I’d love to see Wenger rewarded for his work and also for the way he likes his team to play football. Next season could prove to be make or break for the French master, but I don’t think the fans or the board should lose faith in him. I still believe he’s done enough for the club since 1996 to merit a little more time at the helm.
Thursday 19 May 2011
Round Up
Local press reports in Swindon are claiming that the announcement of the new managerial appointment will be made tomorrow. Former Germany international midfielder Didi Hamann is rapidly becoming the bookmaker’s favourite with talk of compensation deal negotiations with Leicester – where he is currently first team coach – holding things up.
Bristol City are reportedly checking out 23 year old left back Joel Lynch who is currently on Forest’s books, but who had to take a back seat after Paul Konchesky was signed on loan from Liverpool earlier in the season.
Former Cheltenham midfielder Martin Devaney is being tipped to return to Walsall where he spent a spell on loan this season. The 30 year old was recently released by Barnsley.
Rumours are also circulating that Oxford have signed former Wycombe striker Jon Paul Pittman who was released by the Chairboys following their promotion to League One. Oxford fans last saw 24 year old Pittman in April when he came on as a first half sub and was instrumental in grabbing a point with his fourth goal in an injury hit season.
Bristol City are reportedly checking out 23 year old left back Joel Lynch who is currently on Forest’s books, but who had to take a back seat after Paul Konchesky was signed on loan from Liverpool earlier in the season.
Former Cheltenham midfielder Martin Devaney is being tipped to return to Walsall where he spent a spell on loan this season. The 30 year old was recently released by Barnsley.
Rumours are also circulating that Oxford have signed former Wycombe striker Jon Paul Pittman who was released by the Chairboys following their promotion to League One. Oxford fans last saw 24 year old Pittman in April when he came on as a first half sub and was instrumental in grabbing a point with his fourth goal in an injury hit season.
What a Caulker!
Following on from yesterday’s blog in which I gave a brief ‘shout out’ to Jordan Spence, I thought I’d give a mention to another young player who I have watched make great strides this season – Steven Caulker of Tottenham.
At 6’3” Caulker already has the legs he needs to make great strides of course, but it was his all round ability that caught my eye.
Feltham-born Caulker, 19, is a central defender who I have seen quite a few times while on loan at Bristol City and I would have to say he’s the best young player I’ve seen this season. The lad came through the youth set up at Spurs and has already represented England at both under-19 and under-21 levels.
He spent last season on loan at Yeovil and played 44 games for them before making the step up to the Championship this time round and figured in 29 fixtures, scoring his first two professional goals.
His positioning is spot on when defending and he is a brave lad too – he certainly wasn’t afraid to mix it with some of the old lags in the Championship!
At his age he is hardly going to be the finished article of course, but I wouldn’t be surprised if ‘Arry decides to keep him closer to home next season.
Former England keeper David James is seeing out his career at Bristol City and described Caulker as one of the club’s best players. However, I remember one game in particular when Caulker kept rampaging through the middle of the field in support of the strikers - not something you often see from a centre half - and James let him know in no uncertain terms that he didn’t expect to see it from one of his defenders. He appears to be one of those lads who you can see learning steadily as each game goes by and, in my one and only conversation with him, he also came across as a level headed young man
Caulker suffered a cartilage injury in March that ruled him out for the end of the season, but if I were a Spurs fan I’d certainly be chuffed to know that players of his quality are coming through the ranks.
Fellow Spurs defender Danny Rose joined Caulker on loan at Ashton Gate and I know that Rose has made a big impression at the Lane, but for me Caulker is the better prospect.
Harry Redknapp has already made noises about bringing in more quality this summer to help Spurs back into the Champions League by the end of next season, but Chairman Daniel Levy will be delighted to know that, in Caulker, he might just be able to save a few quid in the defensive department.
At 6’3” Caulker already has the legs he needs to make great strides of course, but it was his all round ability that caught my eye.
Feltham-born Caulker, 19, is a central defender who I have seen quite a few times while on loan at Bristol City and I would have to say he’s the best young player I’ve seen this season. The lad came through the youth set up at Spurs and has already represented England at both under-19 and under-21 levels.
He spent last season on loan at Yeovil and played 44 games for them before making the step up to the Championship this time round and figured in 29 fixtures, scoring his first two professional goals.
His positioning is spot on when defending and he is a brave lad too – he certainly wasn’t afraid to mix it with some of the old lags in the Championship!
At his age he is hardly going to be the finished article of course, but I wouldn’t be surprised if ‘Arry decides to keep him closer to home next season.
Former England keeper David James is seeing out his career at Bristol City and described Caulker as one of the club’s best players. However, I remember one game in particular when Caulker kept rampaging through the middle of the field in support of the strikers - not something you often see from a centre half - and James let him know in no uncertain terms that he didn’t expect to see it from one of his defenders. He appears to be one of those lads who you can see learning steadily as each game goes by and, in my one and only conversation with him, he also came across as a level headed young man
Caulker suffered a cartilage injury in March that ruled him out for the end of the season, but if I were a Spurs fan I’d certainly be chuffed to know that players of his quality are coming through the ranks.
Fellow Spurs defender Danny Rose joined Caulker on loan at Ashton Gate and I know that Rose has made a big impression at the Lane, but for me Caulker is the better prospect.
Harry Redknapp has already made noises about bringing in more quality this summer to help Spurs back into the Champions League by the end of next season, but Chairman Daniel Levy will be delighted to know that, in Caulker, he might just be able to save a few quid in the defensive department.
Wednesday 18 May 2011
Andy Whinging his way to Oxford?
There are reports this afternoon that Chris Wilder has signed Orient defender Andy Whing on a two year deal.
Whing, 26, was the last player to score at Highfield Road for Coventry - the club he started out at as a trainee and eventually went on to make nearly one hundred appearances for.
He moved on top Brighton in 2006 and while it was initially a loan deal, he made the move permanent in January 2007 and played over one hundred games becoming a bit of a favourite in the process. Brief loan deals at Chesterfield and then Orient followed and Whing signed properly for the Os until the end of the season back in the transfer window.
I've seen the lad play on a number of occasions and he has a real talent and I suspect will add a little steel and experience to Wilder's side. However, Oxford fans should keep a close eye on city centre Italian restaurants while Andy is at the club and steer him well away from them. In 2005, he picked up an injury whilst eating a pasta dish. Coventry manager Micky Adams said at the time:
"Apparently he was eating a lasagna and somehow pulled a hamstring - it has to be a world first."
Whing, 26, was the last player to score at Highfield Road for Coventry - the club he started out at as a trainee and eventually went on to make nearly one hundred appearances for.
He moved on top Brighton in 2006 and while it was initially a loan deal, he made the move permanent in January 2007 and played over one hundred games becoming a bit of a favourite in the process. Brief loan deals at Chesterfield and then Orient followed and Whing signed properly for the Os until the end of the season back in the transfer window.
I've seen the lad play on a number of occasions and he has a real talent and I suspect will add a little steel and experience to Wilder's side. However, Oxford fans should keep a close eye on city centre Italian restaurants while Andy is at the club and steer him well away from them. In 2005, he picked up an injury whilst eating a pasta dish. Coventry manager Micky Adams said at the time:
"Apparently he was eating a lasagna and somehow pulled a hamstring - it has to be a world first."
Hammers loss could be City's gain
With the vultures hovering over the Boleyn Ground following West Ham's relegation from the top flight, Bristol City are hoping to be able to sign young defender Jordan Spence.
England U21 international defender Spence impressed during a loan spell this season and with the Hammers looking to slash their wage bill, Keith Millen will be hoping to take the youngster on a permanent deal.
Spence made his full debut for the 'eastenders' in last weekend's relegation defeat at Wigan, but turned out eleven times for the Robins as Millen's City went from strength to strength.
West Ham may though decide to keep hold of some of its lower earners though and much will depend on who replaces Avram Grant at the helm and what his plans are. However, should they decide to off-load Spence, his good showing at Ashton Gate will put City in pole position.
News from across the city at Rovers is that midfielder Chris Lines is being touted for a move to crystal Palace. Lines suffered more than most this season from several changes in managers and only really looked comfortable when Stuart Campbell took on the job.
Lines played numerous games out of position during the campaign and was also made a bit of a scapegoat by many of the fans when things were going badly. I wonder whether the abuse he got at that time will be a factor when it comes to him making a decision on his future?
England U21 international defender Spence impressed during a loan spell this season and with the Hammers looking to slash their wage bill, Keith Millen will be hoping to take the youngster on a permanent deal.
Spence made his full debut for the 'eastenders' in last weekend's relegation defeat at Wigan, but turned out eleven times for the Robins as Millen's City went from strength to strength.
West Ham may though decide to keep hold of some of its lower earners though and much will depend on who replaces Avram Grant at the helm and what his plans are. However, should they decide to off-load Spence, his good showing at Ashton Gate will put City in pole position.
News from across the city at Rovers is that midfielder Chris Lines is being touted for a move to crystal Palace. Lines suffered more than most this season from several changes in managers and only really looked comfortable when Stuart Campbell took on the job.
Lines played numerous games out of position during the campaign and was also made a bit of a scapegoat by many of the fans when things were going badly. I wonder whether the abuse he got at that time will be a factor when it comes to him making a decision on his future?
Tuesday 17 May 2011
Albert's Ghana play in the World Cup!
Bristol City’s flying winger Albert Adomah has indicated that he fancies playing for Ghana in the 2014 World Cup campaign.
Adomah, 23, was born in London and played for Barnet before moving to the Robins last summer and has dual nationality. Albert proved himself at Championship level last season and gave a number of defenders headaches when I saw him play. He’s still not the finished article, but has stacks of pace and trickery. From what I saw he still needs to improve on his final ball and decision making, but they are things that come with maturity.
Former Liverpool and Newcastle midfielder Didi Hamann has now been linked with the vacant manager’s job at Swindon. The former German international is currently employed in a coaching capacity at Leicester City and joins Paolo di Canio, Paul Buckle, George Burley, Paul Trollope, my mum and numerous others in the running for the job. Meanwhile defender Michael Rose looks to be off to Colchester. The 28 year old former Stockport defender joined from Stockport last summer and was fuming earlier in the season when Danny Wilson dropped him to the bench after the arrival of Alan Sheehan. He told me: “I didn’t come to Swindon to sit on the bench – not at my age.” It looks as though he won’t be hanging around for more of the same treatment.
Bristol Rovers are also in for Buckle once his play-off involvement with Torquay is over.
Oxford boss Chris Wilder has signed Eastbourne Town’s Ryan James, a 21 year old central defender. James played youth football for both Millwall and QPR. James combined playing for Eastbourne with work for the Nike Academy which helps young players join professional clubs. He has been given a six month deal.
Adomah, 23, was born in London and played for Barnet before moving to the Robins last summer and has dual nationality. Albert proved himself at Championship level last season and gave a number of defenders headaches when I saw him play. He’s still not the finished article, but has stacks of pace and trickery. From what I saw he still needs to improve on his final ball and decision making, but they are things that come with maturity.
Former Liverpool and Newcastle midfielder Didi Hamann has now been linked with the vacant manager’s job at Swindon. The former German international is currently employed in a coaching capacity at Leicester City and joins Paolo di Canio, Paul Buckle, George Burley, Paul Trollope, my mum and numerous others in the running for the job. Meanwhile defender Michael Rose looks to be off to Colchester. The 28 year old former Stockport defender joined from Stockport last summer and was fuming earlier in the season when Danny Wilson dropped him to the bench after the arrival of Alan Sheehan. He told me: “I didn’t come to Swindon to sit on the bench – not at my age.” It looks as though he won’t be hanging around for more of the same treatment.
Bristol Rovers are also in for Buckle once his play-off involvement with Torquay is over.
Oxford boss Chris Wilder has signed Eastbourne Town’s Ryan James, a 21 year old central defender. James played youth football for both Millwall and QPR. James combined playing for Eastbourne with work for the Nike Academy which helps young players join professional clubs. He has been given a six month deal.
Monday 16 May 2011
Tough Choice
Fans of several clubs are currently chewing on their fingernails as the play-offs start taking shape, but the fixture that has me intrigued is the tussle to get into League Two.
Luton were - in my humble opinion - harshly done to when they were docked thirty points a few seasons back and have struggled to get back out of the Blue Square Prem. As is usually the way when the FA hand down their punishments, it is the fans and the players who end up suffering for the mistakes made by the upper management of the club. On this level they have my sympathy.
Wimbledon was originally formed in 1889 and won the FA Cup against all of the odds by beating Liverpool in 1988. In 2003 the club was forced to move to Milton Keynes and then became MK Dons - against the wishes of the vast majority of fans - in 2004.
AFC Wimbledon is the team that grew out of the supporters' love of their club. The new Wombles were created by the fans in 2002 in response to the impending move to Milton Keynes and the team has gone from strength to strength - driven on by people who care about their football club and have a sense of history.
Luton were - in my humble opinion - harshly done to when they were docked thirty points a few seasons back and have struggled to get back out of the Blue Square Prem. As is usually the way when the FA hand down their punishments, it is the fans and the players who end up suffering for the mistakes made by the upper management of the club. On this level they have my sympathy.
Wimbledon was originally formed in 1889 and won the FA Cup against all of the odds by beating Liverpool in 1988. In 2003 the club was forced to move to Milton Keynes and then became MK Dons - against the wishes of the vast majority of fans - in 2004.
AFC Wimbledon is the team that grew out of the supporters' love of their club. The new Wombles were created by the fans in 2002 in response to the impending move to Milton Keynes and the team has gone from strength to strength - driven on by people who care about their football club and have a sense of history.
The rise and rise of the Dons (Found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFC_Wimbledon)
The club play their home games in Kingston Upon Thames which admittedly isn't Wimbledon, but then again, it's a lot closer than Milton Keynes.
While I feel for Luton's fans, I'm a bit of an old romantic as far as football is concerned and so I hope the Wombles manage to get back where they belong.
Thursday 12 May 2011
Round Up
Bristol Rovers look set to appoint Torquay boss Paul Buckle according to local press reports. Presumably this will happen once the Gulls have either won, or been knocked out of, the League Two play-off fixtures. They face Shrewsbury at home on Saturday before playing the return fixture the following Friday. Assuming they win the tie, they will then face either Stevenage or Accrington in the final at Old Trafford.
Buckle has been in charge of the south coast outfit since the summer of 2007 and steered them back into the football league in 2009. He has an excellent reputation within the game, although how this move would affect midfielder/club skipper/end-of-season player-manager Stuart Campbell is anyone’s guess. Campbell indicated he wanted the job on a permanent basis, but didn’t fancy making up the numbers in a new look management team. He also has one year left to run on his current playing deal.
Swindon Town are reportedly preparing to announce the name of their new boss next Wednesday with former West Ham striker and ‘referee-pusher’ Paolo Di Canio being strongly linked to the job.
There is a clear-out going on at the Bescott where Walsall manager Dean Smith has told club captain Darren Byfield along with Steve Jones, Paul Marshall, Clayton McDonald, Aaron Lescott, Tom Williams, Jonny Brain, Alex Hickman and Sean Geddes that they are all surplus to requirements. Either they have a bloody good youth team or expect to see a flurry of signings in the coming months.
Down at the Kassam, Oxford boss Chris Wilder is also wielding the axe. Jack Midson, Jimmy Sangare and Mitchell Hanson are all being released. While Ben Purkiss, Simon Clist, Steve Kinniburgh, Matt Green and Sam Deering remain on the transfer list. Steve MacLean and Ryan Doble will return to Plymouth Argyle and Southampton respectively, although Wilder has indicated he’s like to retain MacLean’s services. However, cash strapped Argyle will be looking to get as much as possible from the lad who has impressed a host of other clubs. Reserve keeper Simon Eastwood has also been released from his contract.
Unsurprisingly 19 goal Wes Thomas has decided to leave Cheltenham on a ‘free’ and the hot shot striker is reportedly being linked with Sheffield United, Crystal Palace and Oxford. I wonder why no-one offered him a contract? Maybe the Robins don’t need the money.
Meanwhile at Hereford Jamie Pitman’s cull has started. Richard Rose, Sam Gwynne, Ryan Valentine, Daniel Stratford, Sam Malsom, Adrian Patulea and Aidan Thomas are all on their way while skipper Janos Kovacs and Sean Canham are on the transfer list.
Rumours coming out of Sixfields are linking Northampton boss Gary Johnson with young striker John Akinde who was released by Bristol City this week.Johnson took Akinde to City from non-league Ebbsfleet while in charge of the Robins and so will know all about him.
Finally, Bristol City keeper David James is making noises about still being available for England, although you’d have to think that - even though Ben Foster has decided to quit international football (for the time being) - James is unlikely to get another cap.
Buckle has been in charge of the south coast outfit since the summer of 2007 and steered them back into the football league in 2009. He has an excellent reputation within the game, although how this move would affect midfielder/club skipper/end-of-season player-manager Stuart Campbell is anyone’s guess. Campbell indicated he wanted the job on a permanent basis, but didn’t fancy making up the numbers in a new look management team. He also has one year left to run on his current playing deal.
Swindon Town are reportedly preparing to announce the name of their new boss next Wednesday with former West Ham striker and ‘referee-pusher’ Paolo Di Canio being strongly linked to the job.
There is a clear-out going on at the Bescott where Walsall manager Dean Smith has told club captain Darren Byfield along with Steve Jones, Paul Marshall, Clayton McDonald, Aaron Lescott, Tom Williams, Jonny Brain, Alex Hickman and Sean Geddes that they are all surplus to requirements. Either they have a bloody good youth team or expect to see a flurry of signings in the coming months.
Down at the Kassam, Oxford boss Chris Wilder is also wielding the axe. Jack Midson, Jimmy Sangare and Mitchell Hanson are all being released. While Ben Purkiss, Simon Clist, Steve Kinniburgh, Matt Green and Sam Deering remain on the transfer list. Steve MacLean and Ryan Doble will return to Plymouth Argyle and Southampton respectively, although Wilder has indicated he’s like to retain MacLean’s services. However, cash strapped Argyle will be looking to get as much as possible from the lad who has impressed a host of other clubs. Reserve keeper Simon Eastwood has also been released from his contract.
Unsurprisingly 19 goal Wes Thomas has decided to leave Cheltenham on a ‘free’ and the hot shot striker is reportedly being linked with Sheffield United, Crystal Palace and Oxford. I wonder why no-one offered him a contract? Maybe the Robins don’t need the money.
Meanwhile at Hereford Jamie Pitman’s cull has started. Richard Rose, Sam Gwynne, Ryan Valentine, Daniel Stratford, Sam Malsom, Adrian Patulea and Aidan Thomas are all on their way while skipper Janos Kovacs and Sean Canham are on the transfer list.
Rumours coming out of Sixfields are linking Northampton boss Gary Johnson with young striker John Akinde who was released by Bristol City this week.Johnson took Akinde to City from non-league Ebbsfleet while in charge of the Robins and so will know all about him.
Finally, Bristol City keeper David James is making noises about still being available for England, although you’d have to think that - even though Ben Foster has decided to quit international football (for the time being) - James is unlikely to get another cap.
Wednesday 11 May 2011
Manager of the Year
Okay so I’ve limited the candidates to the chiefs of the clubs I write about on a regular basis, but the short list is as follows; Keith Millen (Bristol City), Jamie Pitman (Hereford United) and Dean Smith (Walsall).
All three men have something in common – they took over during dodgy patches for their clubs and steered them to safety.
You could argue that Gary Waddock as manager of Wycombe (the only side on my patch to achieve promotion) deserves a mention and so he does. The Chairboys were excellent this term and fully deserved to go back up to League One, but in my humble opinion, the three candidates I've identified had a harder job.
Millen picked up the reins at City after Steve Coppell had jumped ship at the start of the season and left the place in turmoil. Even though he was already well liked in and around the club, he had to convince both players and fans alike that he had what was needed. Interestingly the local media appeared to be on his side from the outset and that always helps.
There was a point in the season when things were looking bad for Keith. I asked him how he was coping with the pressure and how it compared with other managers who he had worked with at City who had then gone on to lose their jobs. He didn’t blink and insisted that they were all in it together and fully focused on survival. Five minutes later in the car park one of the non-playing subs Christian Ribeiro told me exactly the same thing and added that every player was fully behind Millen. And so it turned out.
The coming months will show us whether Keith has the ability to take City a step further. Personally I think he can and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them pressing for the play-offs next season.
Walsall was a disaster waiting to happen when Chris Hutchings lost his job, but Dean Smith took over and inspired what had been a team hurtling towards League Two. On the last day of the season the Saddlers managed to stay up by the skin of their teeth – the same side I’d seen being given the run around by non-league Fleetwood Town in the Cup.
It will be difficult for Smith to build on this escape act next season as the club don’t have a great deal to invest in players, but I’d be surprised if he didn’t steer them to mid-table respectability.
But my manager of the year award goes to Jamie Pitman at Hereford.
Like City and Walsall, the Bulls were all over the place when Simon Davy was in charge and playing the sort of football that depressed everyone – both on and off the pitch. They had won only one game in eleven and lost eight and relegation was already on the cards back in October.
Hereford aren’t one of football’s fashionable sides. They don’t have a lot of cash and don’t attract big crowds, but former player and physio Pitman took to the job immediately ... and, more importantly the players took to him.
The club were in serious danger of dropping out of the league when he took the job on and it’s fair to say that if bigger clubs like Oxford, Luton and Wrexham struggle to find their way back, little Hereford might never manage it again. Thus, league survival was imperative.
I also saw Pitman grow from a novelty appointment (as far as the media and most non-Hereford fans were concerned given his step up from club physio) to a fully paid up member of the gaffer’s union. The passion he showed was there for all to see and he has a toughness about him that will stand him in good stead in the future.
Pitman will be hamstrung by the lack of funds available to him, but he has enough about him to see Hereford finish higher up the table next season.
A special shout out goes to Chris Wilder at Oxford and Mark Yates at Cheltenham who also did good jobs at their respective clubs.
Wilder will be hoping to build on this season’s consolidation back in the league while Yates has already started reshaping his squad for a push at the play-offs next year.
At this point it remains to be seen whether Bristol Rovers will appoint Stuart Campbell to the role of manager in a full time capacity, but his brave if ultimately unsuccessful attempt to keep the Gas in League One also deserves a mention.
Northampton boss Gary Johnson will be glad to see the back of this season and the Cobblers faithful will be relieved to still be in League Two, but once he has developed his own squad in the summer, you can expect them to be battling at the other end of the table next season.
And the less said about Swindon this season, the better.
All three men have something in common – they took over during dodgy patches for their clubs and steered them to safety.
You could argue that Gary Waddock as manager of Wycombe (the only side on my patch to achieve promotion) deserves a mention and so he does. The Chairboys were excellent this term and fully deserved to go back up to League One, but in my humble opinion, the three candidates I've identified had a harder job.
Millen picked up the reins at City after Steve Coppell had jumped ship at the start of the season and left the place in turmoil. Even though he was already well liked in and around the club, he had to convince both players and fans alike that he had what was needed. Interestingly the local media appeared to be on his side from the outset and that always helps.
There was a point in the season when things were looking bad for Keith. I asked him how he was coping with the pressure and how it compared with other managers who he had worked with at City who had then gone on to lose their jobs. He didn’t blink and insisted that they were all in it together and fully focused on survival. Five minutes later in the car park one of the non-playing subs Christian Ribeiro told me exactly the same thing and added that every player was fully behind Millen. And so it turned out.
The coming months will show us whether Keith has the ability to take City a step further. Personally I think he can and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them pressing for the play-offs next season.
Walsall was a disaster waiting to happen when Chris Hutchings lost his job, but Dean Smith took over and inspired what had been a team hurtling towards League Two. On the last day of the season the Saddlers managed to stay up by the skin of their teeth – the same side I’d seen being given the run around by non-league Fleetwood Town in the Cup.
It will be difficult for Smith to build on this escape act next season as the club don’t have a great deal to invest in players, but I’d be surprised if he didn’t steer them to mid-table respectability.
But my manager of the year award goes to Jamie Pitman at Hereford.
Like City and Walsall, the Bulls were all over the place when Simon Davy was in charge and playing the sort of football that depressed everyone – both on and off the pitch. They had won only one game in eleven and lost eight and relegation was already on the cards back in October.
Hereford aren’t one of football’s fashionable sides. They don’t have a lot of cash and don’t attract big crowds, but former player and physio Pitman took to the job immediately ... and, more importantly the players took to him.
The club were in serious danger of dropping out of the league when he took the job on and it’s fair to say that if bigger clubs like Oxford, Luton and Wrexham struggle to find their way back, little Hereford might never manage it again. Thus, league survival was imperative.
I also saw Pitman grow from a novelty appointment (as far as the media and most non-Hereford fans were concerned given his step up from club physio) to a fully paid up member of the gaffer’s union. The passion he showed was there for all to see and he has a toughness about him that will stand him in good stead in the future.
Pitman will be hamstrung by the lack of funds available to him, but he has enough about him to see Hereford finish higher up the table next season.
A special shout out goes to Chris Wilder at Oxford and Mark Yates at Cheltenham who also did good jobs at their respective clubs.
Wilder will be hoping to build on this season’s consolidation back in the league while Yates has already started reshaping his squad for a push at the play-offs next year.
At this point it remains to be seen whether Bristol Rovers will appoint Stuart Campbell to the role of manager in a full time capacity, but his brave if ultimately unsuccessful attempt to keep the Gas in League One also deserves a mention.
Northampton boss Gary Johnson will be glad to see the back of this season and the Cobblers faithful will be relieved to still be in League Two, but once he has developed his own squad in the summer, you can expect them to be battling at the other end of the table next season.
And the less said about Swindon this season, the better.
Friday 6 May 2011
Chairboys and Saddlers
It promises to be a tense and exciting weekend for at least two of the clubs on my patch.
Walsall are one point ahead of Dagenham, but face Southampton away and the Saints will be looking to finish their promotion campaign on a high in front of their own fans.
There's no doubt that the Saddlers have shown a lot of spirit since the sacking of Chris Hutchins, but I've got a feeling that their fate will depend on how Daggers get on away from home at London Road.
Peterborough's season is still alive after clinching a play-off spot and there is no way Darren Ferguson will allow his troops to go into the end-of-season lottery half-cocked. They need to get some momentum going and this could be Walsall's saving grace and spell the end of gutsy Dagenham's first spell in League One.
In League Two Wycombe are going fo that lsst automatic promotion spot.
The Chairboys need a win. Sure a point or even a defeat might still see them over the line, but they must go for it to be absolutely certain.
If they lose at home to Southend and Shrewsbury draw with Oxford then goal difference will count against them.
If they draw and Shrewsbury win, they drop into the play-offs.
It's going to be a very interesting afternoon in Buckinghamshire, but I think they have two men who hold the keys to success in manager Gary Waddock and skipper Gareth Ainsworth.
Waddock's stock answer that they will take each game as it comes has frustrated the media this season, but he knows better than to get over-excited and so you can see why he likes to keep things low key.
Ainsworth has been a revelation this season and has lead by example both on the field and of it. He's in the form of his life even if he is about 67 years old! It will probably be his final chance to win something in professional football even though he fancies another season. He's such a nice fella and a good honest football man, that I hope that he takes the Chairboys into League One.
Walsall are one point ahead of Dagenham, but face Southampton away and the Saints will be looking to finish their promotion campaign on a high in front of their own fans.
There's no doubt that the Saddlers have shown a lot of spirit since the sacking of Chris Hutchins, but I've got a feeling that their fate will depend on how Daggers get on away from home at London Road.
Peterborough's season is still alive after clinching a play-off spot and there is no way Darren Ferguson will allow his troops to go into the end-of-season lottery half-cocked. They need to get some momentum going and this could be Walsall's saving grace and spell the end of gutsy Dagenham's first spell in League One.
In League Two Wycombe are going fo that lsst automatic promotion spot.
The Chairboys need a win. Sure a point or even a defeat might still see them over the line, but they must go for it to be absolutely certain.
If they lose at home to Southend and Shrewsbury draw with Oxford then goal difference will count against them.
If they draw and Shrewsbury win, they drop into the play-offs.
It's going to be a very interesting afternoon in Buckinghamshire, but I think they have two men who hold the keys to success in manager Gary Waddock and skipper Gareth Ainsworth.
Waddock's stock answer that they will take each game as it comes has frustrated the media this season, but he knows better than to get over-excited and so you can see why he likes to keep things low key.
Ainsworth has been a revelation this season and has lead by example both on the field and of it. He's in the form of his life even if he is about 67 years old! It will probably be his final chance to win something in professional football even though he fancies another season. He's such a nice fella and a good honest football man, that I hope that he takes the Chairboys into League One.
Thursday 5 May 2011
New Bristol Rovers Manager
Even though I'm not in the UK at the moment, I've been checking up on the local sides via the web and was surprised to see Rovers chairman Nick Higgs musing over his next managerial appointment. Surprised because the only man who has managed to get the team playing with belief and passion this season is already holding the reigns.
Stuart Campbell nearly pulled off the great escape* when no one thought it remotely possible and has publicly stated he wants to manage Rovers back from League Two. Given his inexperience, Campbell will be a lot cheaper than an established name as well. What more incentive does Higgs need?
If Higgs gets this decision wrong - as he and is directors have got many others wrong this season - it could backfire and send the club hurtling towards the Blue Square Prem.
Campbell has shown another side to his character in Rovers battle to survive and even managed to turn himself into mini-Mourinho when he wound up the normally placid Chris Powell with the Charlton boss ending up watching from the stands.
Powell was disgusted with Campbell's attitude that day, but desperate times called for desperate measures and Stuart was doing anything he could too keep his side alive. Would he have acted differently if it had been a mid-table tussle? I'd like to think so.
Give Campbell the job Higgs, he deserves a shot.
* At least the Rovers PA won't be playing the theme tune for the Great Escape anymore this season ... I can't get the sodding tune out of my head after hearing so often at the Mem recent weeks.
Stuart Campbell nearly pulled off the great escape* when no one thought it remotely possible and has publicly stated he wants to manage Rovers back from League Two. Given his inexperience, Campbell will be a lot cheaper than an established name as well. What more incentive does Higgs need?
If Higgs gets this decision wrong - as he and is directors have got many others wrong this season - it could backfire and send the club hurtling towards the Blue Square Prem.
Campbell has shown another side to his character in Rovers battle to survive and even managed to turn himself into mini-Mourinho when he wound up the normally placid Chris Powell with the Charlton boss ending up watching from the stands.
Powell was disgusted with Campbell's attitude that day, but desperate times called for desperate measures and Stuart was doing anything he could too keep his side alive. Would he have acted differently if it had been a mid-table tussle? I'd like to think so.
Give Campbell the job Higgs, he deserves a shot.
* At least the Rovers PA won't be playing the theme tune for the Great Escape anymore this season ... I can't get the sodding tune out of my head after hearing so often at the Mem recent weeks.
Monday 2 May 2011
Bristol Rovers 1 Sheffield Wednesday 1
Two penalties in the first twelve minutes of this game ensured both sides ended up with one point apiece and Rovers were finally consigned to at least one season in League Two.
The Gas (players, staff and fans) gave it their best shot, but it really was too little, too late. The club has been all over the shop this season and only started settling down after it's fourth manager - caretaker Stuart Campbell - was appointed.
The good thing for Rovers fans is that Campbell still has another year left on his playing contract and he also wants to take the gaffer's job on as a permanent role next season in order to help the club straight back up.
Many of the players have contracts extending beyond the end of this season as well and, after seeing the way they have fought for Campbell, this augers well for the 2011/12 campaign.
One player who won't be turning out for the club in August is Will Hoskins. The striker scored his 20th of the season from the spot in the 12th minute to cancel out Wednesday skipper Tommy Miller's own penalty nine minutes earlier.
I caught up with Hoskins after the game and while he claimed not to know where he'd be playing next season, he was obviously hurting. He's an honest hard-working lad though and I suspect that he'll get a warm reception whenever he does return to the Memorial Ground. Most Gasheads aren't daft. Hoskins is too good for League Two (in fact he's too good for League One in my opinion) and without his goals they would have been down in February.
One thing he did point out w that Rovers have a pretty good bunch of kids that have experience of first team football. As the Rovers' captain said:
"No-one wants a relegation on their CV and there are thirty-odd players in that dressing room who are hurting. Some of them are pretty good kids and what I'd say is use it. Use the experience to drive you on to better things. That's what I'll be doing."
And midfielder Wayne Brown revealed that the squad wanted Campbell as boss "100%" which is encouraging news for the manager. Unfortunately the people who make the decisions are the same people who have appointed four different managers this season.
Campbell would appear to be the logical choice for me.
At some point next season Rovers will have a dodgy spell as most teams do, but the fans will give him longer than most to get it right. If the club can keep the core of this squad together, the players will back him too. And the local media like him which won't do him any harm.
I also wish Stuart well. He's an honest, approachable man. That doesn't mean to say he wouldn't kick his own granny for a point or two and he's no-one's fool, but I think he's the right man at the right time.
Meanwhile Wednesday chief Gary Megson revealed that work has already started on rebuilding his team this summer and that he has spoken to his Chairman about "bringing in six new faces".
I had a chat with striker Neil Mellor before the team bus headed back to Yorkshire and he is really hoping Megson makes his season long loan deal a permanent move. He said:
"I'd be delighted if I was one of the six. I love the club and think we can do something next season and build on the finish we've had. That's now one defeat in seven I think and if we'd managed a couple more wins we'd have been challenging for the play-offs at the very least.
To his season obviously hasn't gone as well as we'd have hoped and this club should be playing at a much higher level."
My clipping from The Sun
The Gas (players, staff and fans) gave it their best shot, but it really was too little, too late. The club has been all over the shop this season and only started settling down after it's fourth manager - caretaker Stuart Campbell - was appointed.
The good thing for Rovers fans is that Campbell still has another year left on his playing contract and he also wants to take the gaffer's job on as a permanent role next season in order to help the club straight back up.
Many of the players have contracts extending beyond the end of this season as well and, after seeing the way they have fought for Campbell, this augers well for the 2011/12 campaign.
One player who won't be turning out for the club in August is Will Hoskins. The striker scored his 20th of the season from the spot in the 12th minute to cancel out Wednesday skipper Tommy Miller's own penalty nine minutes earlier.
I caught up with Hoskins after the game and while he claimed not to know where he'd be playing next season, he was obviously hurting. He's an honest hard-working lad though and I suspect that he'll get a warm reception whenever he does return to the Memorial Ground. Most Gasheads aren't daft. Hoskins is too good for League Two (in fact he's too good for League One in my opinion) and without his goals they would have been down in February.
One thing he did point out w that Rovers have a pretty good bunch of kids that have experience of first team football. As the Rovers' captain said:
"No-one wants a relegation on their CV and there are thirty-odd players in that dressing room who are hurting. Some of them are pretty good kids and what I'd say is use it. Use the experience to drive you on to better things. That's what I'll be doing."
And midfielder Wayne Brown revealed that the squad wanted Campbell as boss "100%" which is encouraging news for the manager. Unfortunately the people who make the decisions are the same people who have appointed four different managers this season.
Campbell would appear to be the logical choice for me.
At some point next season Rovers will have a dodgy spell as most teams do, but the fans will give him longer than most to get it right. If the club can keep the core of this squad together, the players will back him too. And the local media like him which won't do him any harm.
I also wish Stuart well. He's an honest, approachable man. That doesn't mean to say he wouldn't kick his own granny for a point or two and he's no-one's fool, but I think he's the right man at the right time.
Meanwhile Wednesday chief Gary Megson revealed that work has already started on rebuilding his team this summer and that he has spoken to his Chairman about "bringing in six new faces".
I had a chat with striker Neil Mellor before the team bus headed back to Yorkshire and he is really hoping Megson makes his season long loan deal a permanent move. He said:
"I'd be delighted if I was one of the six. I love the club and think we can do something next season and build on the finish we've had. That's now one defeat in seven I think and if we'd managed a couple more wins we'd have been challenging for the play-offs at the very least.
To his season obviously hasn't gone as well as we'd have hoped and this club should be playing at a much higher level."
So that's it then. I type this piece as I fly across the Atlantic and so will miss next week's final weekend. Good luck to those who still need it (Walsall in their fight against relegation and Wycombe in the scrap to join them in League One via an automatic promotion place).
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