I certainly don't think Keanes management style suited him, he certainly wasn't a blood and guts defender but seems to be much better with 'friendlier' managers. He had a very good reading of the game and like I said in his last season, he was superb for us, especially as he had to play in a backline with Delaney, Edwards and Kennedy
That's probably why i never took to him to be fair Ptc.............. i like my defenders to be 'Blood'n'Guts'.
Its always easier to give the benefit of the doubt to players when you only see them once or twice a year or on the odd highlights show. You don't get to see the errors unless they happen to have a part in the opposing teams goals. You also don't get to really see their off the ball attributes. Its probably explains why I would take Upson back as part of the squad - mainly because he can offer long range efforts that nobody here currently seems to do. A couple of screamers and a few motm performances for Yeovil doesn't mean he would make the grade here.
You obviously never saw him play Weighty. McAuley was a one man back four at times. Of course he's still cack now up against those top class attackers for West Brom isn't he
do you have to go for the dig hamps? People can have varying opinions and have still seen them play. For me personally I was amazed that McAuley got taken to the premiership and even more amazed that he has done well. When he was here I thought he normally started each season very slowly. His first five or 6 apperances were often very poor. He did improve as the season went on but I would never have considered him to be a one man back four Each to their own though
Have to say he certainly didn't start very well at town and it was a big mistake to make him captain in the first place, he certainly took a while to find his feet but I always thought there was a good player in there, and as I said there were many many players who were in our team then who were very good players but didn't perform and really looked like they had no talent. But agree with Hamps in his last season with us he was phenomenal and was literally a 1 man defence, IMO he and Bullard were the reasons and the bit of quality which kept us in this league that season. I think we saw what he brought to the team the following season and how bad we were at the back, I honestly think the PJ era would've been completely different had McAuley stayed and he has continued his form in the PL with WBA.
Well, lots of varying and conflicting thoughts, but in short there are not too many players that have come through our ranks and performed to a high level. It's been a long time since we saw "one of our own" grace the premiership and do well..hopefully we can slowly get back to producing a few more Dyers, Bents and Brambles - but this time keep them for ourselves when we get back to the promised land of the premier league (probably in the year 2525)
I actually still think our academy has produced some decent players where we've failed is those key years of the next stage of their development, who's to know how well some of these youngster had done say if they would've played in the Burely era. Our club hasn't exactly been stable for them to progress, players like Garvan who when he first came on the scene looked outstanding but wasn't pushed or given the chance enough at that age after he'd broken into the first team and he wasn't the only one, Haynes, Clarke, Upson, Carson, Trotter, Bowditch who'd know how much they could've progressed had they been given more of a chance and if we had a more stable environment and if we'd actually worked to progress them after the academy. Then conversely you have a player like Wickham who I think similarly hasn't developed aswell for similar reasons but in different circumstances in that again because he's gone to a bigger club he hasn't been given the opportunities to play or develop. For me this is a problem throughout all divisions in this country, we actually produce some decent youngsters from academy and at 18 they look promising but then they're just not nutured and don't get enough first team football between 19-23, so many either don't develop as well as they should've done or completely fall by the wayside. This is a big reason why IMO we've struggled at international level. Many of our youngsters have still gone on to make a decent career for themselves in the football league, after leaving and perhaps rebuilding their career but by then the damage has been done and chance gone. It'll be interesting to see some stats but I'd imagine our academy has probably produced a higher percentage of players to go on and have a professional career than most.
Very surprised how MaCauley has performed for WBA. I remember going to Bramall Lane in 08/09 I think. We lost 3-1, Trotter was withdrawn on 65. He was one of our best players that night. The following game, I met him before the 1-0 loss at Ninnion Park. He wasn't in the squad, but went through the 16. We both laughed our heads off that Gavin Williams was starting, with Trotter telling me he was 50% fit at best and hobbling through training the day before. Good player Trotter, should have been kept. Garvan - Waste. Too slow really. Good pass though for sure, however can only play in a 3 man central midfield. Upson - SHOULD have been given a go with us. Very tidy player.
