lb0603

Is it just me who is slightly worried by the fact that Abbott scored those 17 goals over two seasons? I know you're all going to say, yeah but he did it in 31 games, but surely that's an even greater worry. We've signed someone who is only fit for a third of games on a two year contract? You're "goalscorer" can't miss that many games if you're looking at moving up, at any level.

But of how may he's been in for (I think it's 3) how many have just tapped in the rebound. Two. Not the greatest return.

Fleming Eardley Hazell Jacobsen Purdie Smalley Lee Worthington Whitaker Taylor O'Grady In a 4-1-2-2-1 fomation with two wide men (Smalley and Taylor playing off O'Grady) and a holding midfielder (Worthington) I would hope we'd have a new CB, CM and SC by the start though.

His goal-kicking and drop kicking is very good, I agree, but I was referring to back passes and the fact he never seems confident enough to take a touch and play out from the back, especially when we had football playing defenders at the back like Gregan and Eardley (cue all the Eardley haters). Just a note on the penalties... he won't be there to save most of them because he'll have, in most cases, been sent off for giving away the spot-kick...

Have to disagree with you I'm afraid on the Fleming issue. He's merely a shot-stopping goalkeeper and, in a sense, can be considered a liabilty. He's very hesitant and/or very slow off his line which has caused him problems more than once in the few games he has played (Peterborough, Leicester, Leyton Orient) and you can't have him costing us goals at the back because, by the looks of signings, we aren't going to score alot. He's also not comfortable on the ball when he recieves it, and it may just be me, but I like my goalkeepers to be able to play... it's where most attacks start from.

Arsenal Middlesbrough Leeds Rochdale

Leeds will, unfortunately, walk the league this season. They've got the backing and the manager to take them up. Up there with them I couldn't tell you because this league is unpredictable. I don't think we'll do anything to threaten going out of this division in the right direction, but who knows. I'll tell you where we'll finish after I've watched a couple of pre-season frendlies.

Thanks alot, mate. I'll tell my tutor who it was that he can't remember.

I don't know whether he is a graduate or not. My tutor just said a lad called Jobson whose first name he couldn't remember. But I don't recall many Jobson's about at the time (even though I wasn't there) so thought it probably was him. Thanks though.

I was just wondering if anyone knows whether he went to the University of Nottingham for a year because my tutor told me today (after we got talking about football) that he knew one former student - Jobson - was headhunted by Watford during his first year and would like to know if anyone knows if it is Richard Jobson. Thanks.

"If Taylor goes it's season over." I don't particularly agree with that because if you lose you're supposed best players it forces other people, who may have been relying on him to do the business, are forced to up their game in order to compensate. Whether it does happen is another matter. In my opinion, I'd take £750k for Taylor because I don't think he's shown enough to warrant being valued at that and the only reason I wouldn't sell is because, perhaps, we can force it higher because of this "desire" of clubs to sign him. In terms of season over, I can't really see ours getting started because Penney hasn't replaced the released players with any better quality yet and at the minute we'll be starting with O'Grady up front who only made Stockport's team because they didn't have enough players.

I'm getting a little sick of everybody going on about Chris Taylor being the best player at the club and sayin we can get in excess of £1 million for him. He's quite clearly a distinctly average player at best. His final ball is, the majority of the time, absolutely awful, he doesn't gamble at the back post enough (he's always first too late), he has no left foot and no skill or dribbling ability. He also doesn't seem to recognise these weaknesses as he continuoulsy believes there is no need to play the ball to loanee left backs from a higher level (most obvious being Bertrand) as he seems to believe he is the better player. If he was the better player surely he still wouldn't be at Latics? Surely someone would have come in wih this £1 million and taken him onto a higher level? I think his true ability is actually summed up by the fact that Mick McCarthy (can clearly spot a good player) watched Taylor in a recent game and then, the next day, signed a left winger on loan. I am of the belief that a new manager, who can see a talented player, would not consider Taylor the untouchable that Sheridan does and this would ultimately make the squad stronger. With regards to the Sheridan talk in other posts and that he's the best manager we've had in recent years, I disagree. I've mentioned on a previous post about my belief Sheridan ahs an inability to spot a good enough player whereas one Brian Talbot brought in a 17 year old Kilkenny and Lee Croft in on loan to save us from relegation. He was also working on an even smaller budget than Sheridan so couldn't bring in the players he wished adn I personally wouldn't be too disheartened if we gave him another shot, although highly unlikely.

No we're not because we are too inconsisitent which comes down to the fact the some of our players aren't good enough, paticularly the midfield where I do include Taylor. We also won't get promoted because of Sheridan's lack of ability as a tactician and with spotting a talented player (such bad signings like Dabo, Thompson, Kalala, O'Grady). There are too many untouchables in our team currently also which is seen by Sheridan's subs which are ineffective and continuously the same (Maher/Whitiker being the main obvious one) and this makes us an even more predictable team. If we don't go up this season (which we won't) Sheridan has to go and we need to get a manager with more intelligence and who realises how to win a modern football match. Assuming all the teams in and around the top keep hold of all their best players, Leicester will win the league with MK Dons finishing 2nd and the playoff winners will be either Perterboro or Huddersfield.