Leon Dropped!

[London Irish]

i would like to think that is true, and leon will show his proffesionalism. but i have a feeling mcghee (and im not anti mcghee) will show leon who is boss, thus pushing him closer to the exit door so a transfer fee would be usefull to try and pay for a new target that he already has in mind. Afterall we do have a few strikers. or maybe ckr has just deserved his place more than leon.

I don't see what we'd gain by a transfer.

Leon's market value not high because of 9 goals in nearly 70 games and he's coming to the end of a contract. Plus there is the significant fact of the huge 50 per cent Chelsea sell-on.

Can't see it adding up for us. We would get peanuts at the end of it all. Better to butter him up and get him working for us again.

 

[El Presidente]

I don't see what we'd gain by a transfer.

Leon's market value not high because of 9 goals in nearly 70 games and he's coming to the end of a contract. Plus there is the significant fact of the huge 50 per cent Chelsea sell-on.

Can't see it adding up for us. We would get peanuts at the end of it all. Better to butter him up and get him working for us again.

*cough* player exchange

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Innocent questions here.

Was he not selected for the 11 or for the 16?

Can you fine and discipline a player for not being a spectator?

I just wonder if we're making too much of this.

No you cant, if you can it would be a little harsh

 

[Kylies Stunt Arse]

No you cant, if you can it would be a little harsh

Actually I think you can.

If a part of the clubs first team rules is that all members of the first team squad, if not selected, are to watch the game from the stands, and Leon decided to f*** it all off and go home, then he can expect to be disciplined for it. I don't think it's uncommon for non playing first team squad members to be expected to be at the game watching. I know I've certainly seen some of our lot at Withdean before.

Whether or not anything more from him leaving the ground comes out remains to be seen. A lot of people are speculating on what happened, and no one here can be 100% sure of the truth. For all anyone knows he may have had words with MM about not being in the team/squad but may have been allowed to go.

If MM isn't happy with Leon's training or attitude and feels that he isn't what he needs in the squad then that's up to him. He was vindicated last night as we won. I'm sure the people that want shot of him would have been having a field day this morning if we'd lost.

Personally I hope that Leon and McGhee sort their differences out quickly as we are going to need Leon at his best for the rest of the season to make things easier for us.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Actually I think you can.

If a part of the clubs first team rules is that all members of the first team squad, if not selected, are to watch the game from the stands, and Leon decided to f*** it all off and go home, then he can expect to be disciplined for it. I don't think it's uncommon for non playing first team squad members to be expected to be at the game watching. I know I've certainly seen some of our lot at Withdean before.

Whether or not anything more from him leaving the ground comes out remains to be seen. A lot of people are speculating on what happened, and no one here can be 100% sure of the truth. For all anyone knows he may have had words with MM about not being in the team/squad but may have been allowed to go.

If MM isn't happy with Leon's training or attitude and feels that he isn't what he needs in the squad then that's up to him. He was vindicated last night as we won. I'm sure the people that want shot of him would have been having a field day this morning if we'd lost.

Personally I hope that Leon and McGhee sort their differences out quickly as we are going to need Leon at his best for the rest of the season to make things easier for us.

Fair point, Like you said no one can be sure but I can be sure of one thing If The strike force is with out leon it will make the job twice as hard to stay up. and thats all im going to say on the subject as i cant be arsed

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

CKR stole the show today in Leon's position.

But we will still need the little guy in these hard games coming up in the next few weeks.

Leaving the ground when you are left out of the 16 is not good but I don't think it's a hanging offence.

As long as comes in to train 100 per cent to get his place back, then that's all I care about.

He has been the main guy, it's a big blow to his pride and self-esteem to be dropped from the squad altogether. That's never happened before. People, including McGhee and the management, have to make allowances for this. I'm not excusing what Leon did, what I'm saying is that the art of management is that you have to make allowances for some players who can be their own worst enemies at times.

As long as he comes into train 100 per cent, this is a storm in a teacup.

We saw tonight a wholehearted performance by Big Mac. This shows how a player who makes attitude and discpline mistakes can turn things around.

The squad and the management will get Leon's chin up again and he will come back stronger than ever

Agree with every word of that.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

I hope this gets sorted out quickly.

For all his faults Leon is our most talented player and if we are to stay up I think we need him.

Seeing McCammon get a few nice flicks it was a shame not to have Leon feeding off them because that is what he is best at but credit to CKR, he played well in the second half.

I would like to see CKR and Leon given half a dozen games together to try and forge a partnership, perhaps with Robinson or McCammon coming off the bench for the last 20 minutes of games.

It does seem McGhee has problems handling Leon and he certainly has not managed to get the best out of him in the way that Coppell did.

That said, I hope that both McGhee and Knight compromise because they both come across as being head strong and a touch stroppy.

Perhaps Leon was upset by McGhees comments in the Argus about him not pushing himself in training to get that extra fitness. I can see the argument with CKR not being fully fit which is perhaps why he accepted the criticism and put in a good display but to suggest Leon is unfit would appear a bit harsh.

Also, the way the fans are so quick to turn on Leon cannot help. The pro McGhee brigade are very quick to point out that McGhee should be given more time because he has limited resources and did, after all, get us up in the play offs.

The same people seem to forget about the limited chances we create and also Leon's considerable input into that promotion.

Lets hope for the sake of the club they can sort things out.

 

[Stoaty Ferret]

Harty suggested last night that there might be a deal in the offing with Swindon for Rory Fallon with Leon going the other way. Fallon is a target man by all accounts so would be a good acquisition but would it be worth losing Knight and his skills (when his head is right) out of the squad

 

[e77]

Harty suggested last night that there might be a deal in the offing with Swindon for Rory Fallon with Leon going the other way. Fallon is a target man by all accounts so would be a good acquisition but would it be worth losing Knight and his skills (when his head is right) out of the squad

To be honest they aren't much use to us at the moment!

 

[Bwian]

I hope this gets sorted out quickly.

For all his faults Leon is our most talented player and if we are to stay up I think we need him.

On last night's performance by CKR I'd say LK isn't our most talented player

It does seem McGhee has problems handling Leon

McGhee isn't the only one to have had problems in handling LK is he? Maybe (Shock-Horror) it is Leon with the problems? Sorry, I forgot, we're not allowed to criticise our '9 goals in god knows how many games' striker.

Perhaps Leon was upset by McGhees comments in the Argus about him not pushing himself in training to get that extra fitness.

Those comments were probably directed to him in person and if Leon Knight gets upset at being asked to improve then he deserves all he gets. No matter what line of work you are in you owe it to yourself to try and improve yourself and your performance-for nobody but yourself.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Harty suggested last night that there might be a deal in the offing with Swindon for Rory Fallon with Leon going the other way. Fallon is a target man by all accounts so would be a good acquisition but would it be worth losing Knight and his skills (when his head is right) out of the squad

Rory fallon is not a championship player

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Rory fallon is not a championship player

correct. he plays in league one. you know your stuff.

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

Fallon's an average player ... he'd be okay, but little more. If we can handle Knight well, we've got a player with more talent than the aforementioned could dream of.

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

To be honest they aren't much use to us at the moment!

Take away his five goals & five/six assists, then, as well as his subjectively-measured contributions. I'm sure we'd be flying.

 

[Silent Bob]

Take away his five goals & five/six assists, then, as well as his subjectively-measured contributions. I'm sure we'd be flying.

Don't you know Jake Robinson is better?

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

Sorry ... I must have been repeatedly distracted while he showed his worth to the side this year ...

 

[Bwian]

Fallon's an average player ... he'd be okay, but little more. If we can handle Knight well, we've got a player with more talent than the aforementioned could dream of.

So-how do you propose we "handle Knight well"?

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

It's a simple fact of management that different players need different treatment ... this holds especially true for difficult ones, which I'm not about to argue Knight isn't. A decent manager knows how to bring the best out of all his players, not just the ones who respond to the blood n' thunder-style approach. Roy Keane is a knob, but Ferguson won a shitload with him as captain - to take a less obvious example, Mido had a reputation as a troublemaker when he went to Spurs, but Jol has been able to turn him into a player now realising his potential.

If you really can't live with a player, you get rid of them - but McGhee seems to want Knight, as he gave him a new contract. It's a test of the manager's abilities to handle him well.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

If LK is on the money thats been mentioned then I think its logical to offload him in January as a player swap. If the value of the player coming in is £100k then Chelski dont get a sell on fee from us and the wages wont be so much. I gather the reason he was dropped from the squad is down to his attitude and not mentoring CKR. OGH was put up front to show CKR what is expected from an Albion striker. With Big Mac showing the sort of commitment that will get him a contract renewal at the end of the season , Leon could find himself as 3rd choice if he stays so he may decide to move on before he gets too much of a reputation of upsetting the management. Perhaps Chris Turner at Wednesday was correct and Leon was wrong when they had a run in there. Prima donnas belong on the ballet stage not on the football pitch , at the end of the day the club is paramount not an individual player.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

There were a LOT of times during the game where out forwards, CKR especially, did not put the effort in. The crowd did not bat an eyelid.

Had it been Leon then half of Withdean would have been calling him a lazy little tosser.

The guy is our most creative and talented player. We would be mugs to let him go.

I am sure the other teams down the bottom will be far more optimistic about staying up if they saw a fellow struggler sell arguably their most talented player.