nPower Football League Thread 2011/12

[Adam]

Knowing Donnies new transfer policy of bringing in people who are aiming to use them as a stepping stone and get their career back on track, for a split second I wondered if the Robert on their bench was Laurent Robert.

It's his younger brother. I'm not joking.

Well, Adam, you were right... you are marginally worse than us. You should have had that game dead and buried by the sounds of it.

I told you. Saw the goals this morning and well, I can't actually see what we did wrong from the highlights shown on BBC. Bamogo was tremendously unlucky to hit the post with that backheel, Hayter went close hitting the bar. Don't know what the mong on Final Score was on about with Diouf for the goal that he was blamed for, it was a good goal and I see not a lot wrong with Diouf or any of our defence really. Becchio's was an excellent strike as well.

I said when the half time score came in at 3.50 that we'd probably see a Leeds winner at around 5 o clock, and I was dead right. I want this season to just end now. Please.

[Mj3]

This is gonna take some time to get used to.

[Lineker]

Neil Warnock smiling?

[Matt]

Neil Warnock smiling?

That won't last long.

[Adam]

It had better last at least another week! I'm counting on your useless bastards Matt!

[IAceI]

I think he's just passed wind to be honest, lads.

[Mj3]

Neil Warnock smiling?

Soon disappeared didn't it!

He's also mentioned bringing new players in.

They're BACK! >_<

[Lineker]

Former Leeds United manager Simon Grayson is to become manager of League One promotion contenders Huddersfield Town, BBC Sport understands.

Notts County are set to appoint Keith Curle as their new manager on Monday afternoon, BBC Nottingham understands.

A youngster from Stoke-on-Trent has beaten 5,000 applicants to win a one-year professional deal at Swindon Town.

Right-back Chris Smith, 21, had been playing for Stone Dominoes in the North West Counties Premier League.

After impressing in regional rounds, he came up against four other players in the final before being chosen as the winner by Robins boss Paolo di Canio.

"When he [Di Canio] said I was the winner I was stuck for words," Smith told BBC Radio Stoke.

"It was him who rang me and spoke to me on the phone. I was a bit lost for words as I couldn't believe he just rang me. It was the best feeling ever."

As well as playing for Dominoes, who are in the fifth tier of non-league football, Smith is a second-year student at Staffordshire University.

He admits that before entering the competition - run by Samsung - he had almost given up hope of becoming a full-time player.

"I thought I'd missed my chance to turn professional two or three years ago," he said. "I wanted to start a career in coaching or something to do with sport. I never thought I was going to get a contract or I was going to win.

"Paolo must have seen something in me. I don't know exactly why he picked me. Maybe the way I played at right-back resembled the right-back he's got at the moment."

Speaking to BBC Late Kick Off, Di Canio said: "Chris looked older than his age. As a right-back he has a fantastic quality. He's not very tall but when he challenges the opponent he has balance. Also, on the ball he is very good."

You can see more about Chris and his story on Late Kick Off South, South West and West on BBC One from 2305 GMT

[IAceI]

Stone Dominoes sound like a fantastic club. I want to play for them.

[Matt]

Happy for Huddersfield to have got such a top quality manager in, disappointed that Grayson didn't bide his time and get a better job though.

[Jimmy]

Annnnd Simon Grayson is the new Huddersfield manager.

Edit: Annnnd I see people have already discussed this.

Wish Wolves would've taken a punt on him.

[Adam]

I think it could be a masterstroke for him. Give Grayson 1-2 years at Huddersfield and the only 'better jobs' might be Premier League jobs, of which I don't think Grayson right now would be considered for.

[Matt]

To be honest, I don't see why, 7 years as a manager, first keeping a relegation bound Blackpool in their division, then got them promoted and built a squad that was challenging for the playoffs in the Championship (that would then go onto be promoted after he left to join Leeds), then he dragged us from a midtable position into the playoffs before getting us promoted the year after as well as beating Man Utd and taking Spurs to a replay in the cup (and being the better side against Liverpool in the Carling Cup). Then he managed to get us to the brink of the playoffs last season, was going a similar job this season and all this whilst constantly having his best players taken away from him and only being allowed to replace them with free transfers and loans.

For me, Grayson's only real flaw is that when a player hits poor form, he struggles to get them playing well again. Off the top of my head Beckford, Becchio, McCormack, Snodgrass, O'Brien and Connolly all went through spells of a couple of months of just being utterly useless and Grayson couldn't seem to motivate them to get back to their old form.

[Mj3]

To be honest, I don't see why, 7 years as a manager, first keeping a relegation bound Blackpool in their division, then got them promoted and built a squad that was challenging for the playoffs in the Championship (that would then go onto be promoted after he left to join Leeds), then he dragged us from a midtable position into the playoffs before getting us promoted the year after as well as beating Man Utd and taking Spurs to a replay in the cup (and being the better side against Liverpool in the Carling Cup). Then he managed to get us to the brink of the playoffs last season, was going a similar job this season and all this whilst constantly having his best players taken away from him and only being allowed to replace them with free transfers and loans.

For me, Grayson's only real flaw is that when a player hits poor form, he struggles to get them playing well again. Off the top of my head Beckford, Becchio, McCormack, Snodgrass, O'Brien and Connolly all went through spells of a couple of months of just being utterly useless and Grayson couldn't seem to motivate them to get back to their old form.

He's also taking those 2 clowns Snodin and Miller with him. I hope Rhodes has enjoyed his time as a noted goalscorer.

[Adam]

Don't call Glynn Snodin a clown

[Matt]

I don't think Snodin and Miller are bad coaches or in any way a problem, Grayson will turn Huddersfield into a top half Championship side in 3 and a half years time - unless he moves on before then.

[IAceI]

Has Saido Berahino stopped ripping Carlisle apart yet? They said he only played a minute the week before, between him and Jordan Cook for Carlisle starting on the bench I'm wondering whether League One coaches actually know anything about talented players or whether their knowledge is just limited to 'kicking it to the big man' - incidentally Carlisle's big man Lee Miller was suspended last night but that hasn't stopped Abbott keeping the team playing exactly like they would if he was still on the pitch.

I saw quite a bit of that Berahino at the U20 World Cup in Columbia for England and he was clearly quite confident and talented, if not the greediest human being with the ball ever. Don't think he ever made a single pass - but then the whole team were pretty dire anyways.

[Lineker]

Huddersfield Town chairman Dean Hoyle has defended his decision to sack manager Lee Clark last week.

Clark's three-year tenure at the club ended with the Terriers fourth in the League One table.

Hoyle told BBC Radio Leeds: "I had lost faith in his ability to get the club into the top two.

"I had also lost the faith that in a play-off final he could do it. The pressure would maybe have been too much for him."

Clark, whose playing career included spells at Newcastle, Sunderland and Fulham, guided the club to last season's play-off final, where they were beaten 3-0 by Peterborough.

He presided over the longest unbeaten run in the club's history, which saw them go 43 regular season league matches without defeat - a Football League record - before a 2-0 loss to Charlton in November.

Two further defeats, including Clark's last match in charge - a 1-0 home defeat to Sheffield United - saw the gap to the automatic promotion places widen.

Hoyle added: "I fully expected us to have moved on this season, but from mid-December I just didn't see us doing it.

"This season so far we've drawn 13 games from winning positions and we've had continuous squad rotation and I voiced my concern to Lee and his staff well before we parted company.

"Maybe I made a few mistakes myself, I allowed too many players to come in but at the end of the day I sanctioned it and I'm not blaming anyone else.

"At the same time, Lee brought some incredibly talented and gifted players in - we've got an incredible squad now and I don't doubt that they can achieve promotion.

"I still believe we have the best squad of footballers in this division, and that's why third place, 13 points behind first and seven points behind second is just not acceptable."

Hoyle moved swiftly to replace Clark by appointing former Leeds United manager Simon Grayson on Monday.

"We needed to make a change and we needed to give ourselves the best opportunity with the right manager, and Simon's that man for me," he concluded.

OK, so I do kind of get where he's coming from; but it's still incredibly harsh on Clark. Hopefully he'll move on to bigger and better things; namely the next big Championship job which open up.

[Lineker]

Watford expect to sign Manchester United goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak

A real coup at this level if pulled off. Loach has not had the greatest of seasons.

[Adam]

Watford expect to sign Manchester United goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak

A real coup at this level if pulled off. Loach has not had the greatest of seasons.

I don't think it's that big a deal really. Not saying he won't be a good signing like, but he's hardly a huge name in comparison to some of the other players who have come into this league recently.

We tried to sign him earlier in the season, along with Leeds and Sheffield United. Kuszczak wanted to go to Leeds but Fergie said no, so he stayed at Man Utd instead of going to us or Sheff U.

Edited February 21, 2012 by AdamDRFC