nPower Football League Thread 2011/12

[IAceI]

Doubt it but it would represent another chance for me to get to some matches. I looked yesterday and they all seem to clash with Sunderland matches so I may not get back down to Brunton Park this season unless they make the play offs. They've beat Huddersfield, Sheffield United and Wednesday at home this season as well so maybe it's not completely out of the realm of possibility - but they'd be down by February I imagine if they went up!

League One is Carlisle's level. Wasn't long ago they were fighting in the Conference so to be where they are is a great achievement - not Championship level though, I don't think anyways.

[Adam]

We went from Conference to the Championship.in 5 years and more than held our own for a couple of years. Colchester finished 10th in their first season up, you never know. Plus not many teams would enjoy going to Brunton Park in the Championship.

[lanky316]

Stevenage scored 6... We hardly ever score 2... I do wish we'd done this more often though. Every now and then they click and everything goes in, just wish we'd had some consistency as could've made it up this year. Last place is just about available for the play offs but don't think we'll do enough. Still keep the core in the summer and next year possible.

[Lineker]

Six men, including footballer El Hadji Diouf, were arrested after a nightclub brawl which left a man seriously hurt.

The Doncaster Rovers striker is understood to be one of five men who were bailed until 23 May following the fight at a Manchester club.

QPR's Anton Ferdinand is understood to have been interviewed under police caution but not arrested.

A 33-year-old man is seriously ill but stable in hospital, said a Greater Manchester Police spokesman.

The alleged incident took place at 03:40 BST on Sunday in the Circle Club and the injured man was found close to the Barton Arcade club.

A GMP statement said: "Six men were arrested on suspicion of violent disorder, five of whom have been bailed until 23 May pending further police inquiries.

"Another man has assisted the investigation, which is ongoing."

Mr Diouf, 31, who appeared for Senegal in the 2002 World Cup and has previously played for Liverpool, Bolton and Blackburn, did not play in Doncaster's 4-3 defeat by Portsmouth on Saturday, which saw them relegated from the Championship.

Mr Ferdinand, 27, who was a team-mate of Mr Diouf's at Sunderland and is the brother of Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand, played in his club's 1-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion on the same day.

[IAceI]

Wonder if Diouf threatened to stab Ferdinand again like he did when they were at Sunderland together.

[Matticus]

So all Reading need is to better West Hams result tommorow and they are promoted. If you told me we would be top of the table come april back in october I would of laughed in your face.loudly.

[Adam]

Diouf's a prick, hope he never comes near this club again.

[Lineker]

Huddersfield Town boss Simon Grayson believes the Leeds board's failure to match his ambition led to his exit from the Elland Road club.

Grayson, 42, took over at Huddersfield after being sacked by the Championship side in February.

"You have to improve every year and we didn't spend any money in the summer to strengthen the side," he said.

"If you look at the teams who are doing well in that league they're the ones who've spent a bit of money."

He told BBC Late Kick Off Yorkshire and Lincolnshire: "I think the supporters wanted some money to be spent because they had the foundations of a very good side."

Having helped Leeds to promotion from League One in 2009/10, the former Blackpool boss guided them to seventh in their first season back in the Championship, but he was dismissed following a 4-1 home defeat by Birmingham City.

Grayson continued: "I was disappointed with how it ended because we were in a good place, three points off the play-offs.

"I'm frustrated with one or two things that were said in the papers afterwards that are completely off the mark.

"I suppose when you leave a football club someone has to be blamed and some people shift that away from the people responsible."

Less than three weeks after being relieved of his duties by Leeds, he made the move across West Yorkshire to take over at rivals Huddersfield, an opportunity he says was too good to turn down.

"Huddersfield's a great club and that's the thing that enticed me to go, the ambitions of the chairman, where they are and where they could be in the future," he said.

"Once I met Dean Hoyle my mind was made straight up that I wanted to get back involved and with this club. It was the right club at the right time."

Grayson took over from Lee Clark with the club in fourth position, only four points behind second-placed Sheffield United.

However, after a bright start, the Terriers have struggled for form of late and four defeats in five games mean they now lie fifth, 14 points adrift of United and having to concentrate on promotion via the play-offs.

And with some Town fans concerned about the club's form, Grayson has moved to allay fears that their current form could see them falter at the play-off stage for a third successive season.

"There's always going to be a spell where you're not going to play as well as you can do and it's more difficult because of the great run they were on earlier this season," he added.

"We're focused on what we need to do and once you get into the play-offs anything can happen. It doesn't matter if you finish third, fourth, fifth or sixth."

Martin Allen has replaced Lawrie Sanchez as manager of Barnet with immediate effect.

The Bees, who have won just once in their last 16 matches, are just three points above the League Two drop zone.

Former Northern Ireland and Fulham boss Sanchez, 52, was appointed as Barnet boss in May last year after Allen left Underhill to take over at Notts County.

In a statement Sanchez accused Barnet of a "lack of loyalty" and of "losing their nerve".

He said: "Following the termination of my contract by Barnet FC, I'd like to express my extreme disappointment at the lack of loyalty shown in me by the club.

"It is the same lack of loyalty the club accused Martin Allen of showing when he walked out on Barnet towards the end of last season.

"When I took over from Martin, the club were three points adrift of safety with just four games of the season left and under serious threat of relegation to the Conference.

"However, thanks to a fantastic effort from the players, staff and myself, Barnet took seven points from those last four games and avoided relegation.

"Now, exactly a year since my appointment, the club are three points clear off the relegation zone with three games to go.

"I certainly felt that recent performances would see the club remain clear of the threat of relegation.

"Unfortunately, that confidence seems not to have been mirrored in the boardroom and I am disappointed the club have lost their nerve at such a vital stage of the season."

Allen, who has had two previous spells in charge at Underhill, began his managerial career at Barnet in March 2003, when they were in the Conference, and left a year later to join Brentford, before having spells with MK Dons, Leicester and Cheltenham.

He returned to Underhill in March last year but only stayed in charge for three games, before joining Notts County, who then sacked him in February.

Sanchez took over as a consultant for the last four games of the season, winning two matches and drawing one to help the London side avoid League Two relegation.

But the side have struggled this season, and Allen now has just three games - against Southend, AFC Wimbledon and Burton - to secure the side's Football League survival.

[Matt]

Well, I'm glad he's come out and said what was obvious to half of Leeds fans (and the other half are oblivious to).

Edit: And fans are still slagging him off saying he should have said this while he was in the job. Yeah, cos what you do when you're in your dream job but your boss is an utter cunt who doesn't take criticism well is go to the media and say he's running the business awfully.

[Adam]

Yes, and he only said it now because Guy Mowbray directly asked him the questions on LKO last night. He came across quite well to me mind.

[Adam]

As it stands now a goal for Bristol City (currently 1-1 at home to West Ham) would send both Portsmouth and Coventry down to League One. It would also send Reading into the Premier League.

[IAceI]

Coventry at Brunton Park next season? Bring it on.

EDIT: Twittersphere of the opinion Bristol City need a winner to send the pair down?

Edited April 17, 2012 by IAceI

[Adam]

Coventry at Brunton Park next season? Bring it on.

EDIT: Twittersphere of the opinion Bristol City need a winner to send the pair down?

I said a goal for Bristol was needed . It never came though.

Mikele Leigertwood's header has sent Reading back into the Premier League. The final whistle has just this second blown at the Madejski, they've beaten Nottingham Forest 1-0 tonight. Forest fans should be pleased too as they are now safe along with Barnsley.

[IAceI]

I was obviously so giddy at the thought of Coventry going down.

Ah well, Real Madrid screw up my coupon. Ah well. Reading and Shrewsbury held up their ends of the bargain. Loss for Carlisle too pretty much ruins their chance of play offs, not surprising given they have no strikers. Good - too, they don't want to go up.

[MJB]

Glad to see Forest staying up for another season. I was born in Nottingham so I always keep an eye out for their result, I really hope they can at least stay out of the relegation scrap next season.

[HailtotheYo]

READING IS BACK ! Sure, no Convey or Hahnemann this time around but I grew fond of them the first go round and have liked 'em since. Glad to see them back in.

Coventry going down is shit though.

[Colly]

Liking the look of the Prem next year with Reading, odds are Southampton plus one going up, and (unless I'm being simple) 4 or 5 of the last 6 promoted clubs still in there. Feels like a bit of a shakeup of what was starting to get dull in the bottom half, plus the likes of Newcastle, Swansea, Norwich and West Brom bothering the top half have made it a fair bit less predictable. Fun!

[Lineker]

The Crawley players have been celebrating Steve Evans leaving for Rotherham, and the club has repreimanded them for their actions in this video....

:lmao:

[Matt]

Disappointed Forest stayed up, not because I dislike them but because they need to go and get promoted fairly

[DavidMarrio]

Glad Reading have been promoted. The fact that they have won 12 of their last 13 games (The other being a draw) is promotion form and they managed to hit that run of form at the perfect time.

Congrats to them. Interesting battle though considering if Bristol don't get more than 1 point and either Coventry or Pompey win both games then Bristol will go down. Squeeky bum time at the bottom of the Championship, really want Pompey to stay up though.