david in sweden

I think that there is always the danger of managers going back to " recruit " their former club's players, So far NA has only brought in Jonno Forte... but was he a fee, or released or OOC?... There may be a "hands-off " clause in the agreement when NA moved to us, and he 's not allowed to go back and " poach " contracted players? Still ...the Wright lad may be only " ordinary ", and not worth the deal but at 21 he still has time to develop.

...at least if you listen to their agents ...!

Although the SPL isn't the same standard as the English Prem. I don't think there can be that much difference, and besides it's not down to the players ability/skills if the manager doesn't pick them because they don't fit his style of play. Strachan was...one of the better managers we've had since the Bates /McMenemy era, but he certainly had favourites, he always used Williams at CB and played Telfer regardless, and had no real use for players who didn't fit his "plan"..(thats if he really had one.) ANDERS SVENSSON said in a Swedish TV interview that he liked Strachan but WGS told him (and Fernandes) at one time that they were both good players - but he couldn't play them both in the same game ! He never used Delgado, who was later (apparantly) fit enough to play in the 2002 World Cup for Equador ..and scored ! Hooiveld has played in half-a dozen countries and got hero status a couple of years ago when he played in the AIK side that won the double in Sweden. Player salaries in Sweden are **** and it's no wonder he moved on to other things. Unlike Martin, he certainly doesn't lack experience having played over 160 first team games in 5 different European countries ..so why shouldn't he succeed?. He may become a great success..and being on loan...at least it won't have cost us a couple of £ millions to find out before January.

recently released by S****horpe is apparantly "sought after" (where have I heard that phrase before?).....by a number of clubs. Goes without saying that Nigel Adkins would know all about him..so will we see us trying to sign this 21 year old " hot prospect " ?"

You will have noted that our fanbase is split on almost every player in the club. There's even some who are quick to criticise Ricky Lambert ...(as if 60+ goals in 2 seasons wasn't good enough) Like many before him Oscar Gobern had a good career in our Academy (despite a serious injury the club stood by him) but making a choice of who stays / goes at 18 is a very difficult task. Oscar was amongst the best of his year, but came up against the problem of trying to dislodge established players who were older than him. He's keen to play and I'm sure he'll do a good job for you. If your fans are a bit surprised at the size of the fee, remember he came through one of the best Academy sides in the country, and if he's still a regular with you in 3-4 years time, you'll feel that you got a good deal I'm sure. Good luck to him. Like several others on here, I feel Huddf'd were really hard done by last season and gave us a good run, right up to the final games and deserved to go up ..certainly more so then Peterboro' ..*!!!!! Hope you can keep up with MK Dons as they seemed to have come good just now.

As soon as I read the terrible storyline about Dan Seaborne, I asked my self that question. With Jaidi still injured... we don't have a lot more CB's to choose from, and so do we go for Aaron..or Hooiveld. This is of course, is subject to whether NA is satisfied with his level of fitness, and has integrated himself into the squad well enough by Saturday, but I don't think it's such a stupid q. or one that we should be afraid to consider. If the play Martin (the obvious choice and someone who has surely surpassed all our expectations after moving from EASTLEIGH.) then the new guy will sit on the bench, however..with so few alternatives we have to get the fellow in the mix ASAP. As a journeyman he has certainly been around and maybe a bit of a dark horse, and better than we think..someone just waiting for the right team to play in. We need to know if he is reliable. ...Looking back..I recall Chris Marsden went from utility squad player to legend in the space of a season, and he fitted in that side very well, as did older players like Glenn Cockerill. Ricky Lambert, had a bit of a tour round the lower divisons before settling in at Bristol, where he was hardly the "star player " (though he did score goals, of course). As we have a home game, and the fans need to be "introduced " to Jos, it wouldn't surprise me to see him named (subject to fitness) from the start...and get himself involved directly rather than sit on the bench for three/ four weeks before getting a 10 min. sub chance in some pathetic away match....What do you think ?

I just hope the other end of the deal is that IF Warnock really wants Puncheon in his Prem.side, then the price is £2 million!

mmm

It is a shock to read something like this, and although not (sadly) uncommon... it brings it home when you realise it's someone so well-known, and a key member of team (whether it be Saints, or whoever). Really hope it's not so serious and he may be on the road to recovery SOON. It's " freak occurances " like this (and Lee Barnards case) that make a mockery of the argument that we don't need a deeper squad and what we have is good enough. It's fine if you have 11 players fit and on-form, and they don't get injuries or suspensions ! This is a once-in-a-lifetime happening, but nevertheless is a warning that we can take nothing for granted in life, (or football).

Ugh? ..so what are you saying ?. You are disappointed that we didn't " waste " £6 million on Jay Rod...or, that we were wise not to ?.

Get him " properly match fit " ...and give a place on the bench every and 30 minutes run out , could be worth a few goals. WHY NOT ? Give it a go. I'm not a great believer in " Old Lang Syne " but it would be a nice gesture and get us a few more valuable points at vital times in the season, and al least someeeeone who might cover for Lambert in emergencies. Kevin Phillips is 38 and scoring every week for Blackpool !

Wow!... you really are a prophet ...The 9. Hooiveld was signed LAST NIGHT, and De Ridder has had a couple of quite good games, whilst Fox has been sub..(twice)? surely the time to judge them would be after they've played a dozen or so games and settled in a bit. I think the current squad...(even without; Jay Rod, Beckford, and Uncle Tom Cobley)..is good enough to go for automatic promotion. Although we will undoubtedly sign some more after the New Year.

Excellent read Canada, even after the Leicester game, there were one or two suggesting we sharpen the axe and prepare ourselves for mid-table oblivion...we have one of the best squads in this division and still they're not satisfied. One or two seemed to think we should have played a weaker side v.Swindon, yet have won by a bigger score ! No team is going to lay down and think of England when they play us. Many " less ambitious sides " lose every other week, yet treat games with us like a Cup Final..and raise their game. We still have too many fans who are disappointed when we "only win 1-0" - but it's still 3 points all the same. They look at the "last game " and don't assess the bigger picture. What is fundamentally the same side has lost only TWICE in the last 20 competitive matches ! We have no " Divine Right" to win every game - even if Nigel wants us to, and the occasional "hiccup " brings it home more than ever.

I can't say I can recall him especially, but AIK had a good season that year and did the double in Sweden 2009 , having said that the standard is scarcely better than CCC even at the highest level. The only thing that looks good about him so far is the fact that he's 6' 4"

RIGHT ! We need to build up a combination of tough CB's who can carry it over to the Prem. next season.. ala ....Ken Monkou, Dean Richards, Claus Lundekvam, and Michael Svensson.

Did I really ? Read me again. I don't think so. I agree that Pardew did a great job in the first season, especially as we started with the infamous -10 pts, and the Wembley trophy was a bit special, too. The " fluke part " was referring to the unfortunate timing of his dismissal (must have been one for the Guinness Book of Records.....Which manager got the sack after winning 4-0 away ?) Fairly obviously the "fall-out " between AP and NC was not related to the Rovers game, but more a case of his (AP) behaviour, methodology in training and that fateful long pre-season that cracked just about everyone before the season started. (Lambert wasn't properly fit until December) I can't deny that NC must have been really pi**ed by the terrible start (excl.the Rovers game by which time NC had decided that AP must go.) I don't think the entire facts have been made public - even now. As previously stated B. Rovers had the relegation look on them from the start and I don't think our 4-0 pounding was their worst defeat of the season either, but just the start. However thankfully ..it ended right side up for once and Nigel took over a budding squad and IMHO really motivated it to a high degree.

AGREED ! It was a bit of a shock at the time, but Cortese must have known what he was doing, and must have had some real concerns to have sacked AP as he did. I wonder when he decided to employ Adkins ?..but it certainly was a fantastic appointment when you consider our previous list of managerial disasters under Lowe. To move from 23rd in Sepember to 2nd place in May shows how effective Adkins is. The Bristol Rovers result was (though well-earned ) ..a bit of a fluke in timing, but we saw later that BR were L1's "cannon-fodder" last season, we just happened to be the first side to turn them over.

....and 110% positive attitude !

Interesting post that .. If we gave you the job .. Do you think you could do a better job than Cortese..or pick better sides than Adkins ?

Do they have newspapers where you are ? Even here in Sweden I've understood that our ambition is promotion-on-the-bounce this season. I don't think Messers. Cortese and Adkins are planning for a couple of years of settling in and then thinking about it later. The present squad is the best we've had ..in the last ..8 seasons? Certainly since the Cup Final season. Even after the disasterous start last year, we nearly overtook Brighton at the finish, we are good enough to go for it now.! (plus a couple of shrewd signings to bolster the squad, in case of the obvious problem of ; injury, Suspension, loss-of-form etc, )

everyone who can read know that we've got £12 million in the bank already, so any eventual transfer fees and salary demands are bound to be ridiculously high ! Trust Cortese to keep a level head in this situation.

all this chatter about a CB.... *!#??**! We need a " Jahdi-clone " . A tough, tall, ball-winning S.O.B. who is built like a brick outhouse and can play in front of the more-cultured Fonte at the back.

No, you're right in one respect - it doesn't. But Cork is a very creative player, and would be wasted at RB (although I'd like to see Morgan in the line-up, too.) The RIGHT BACK should be a tough, no nonsense type with " NONE SHALL PASS " tatooed on his chest ! He should have pace enough to keep up with a speedy winger, and not need a GPS to find his way back - if he occasionally wanders over the half way line in an attacking frenzy. Sorry ! but Jack Cork, at least, is best where he is.

that's life in the Prem. nowadays..if he can improve amid that lot he'll become a really good player . Tough luck Alex.