Leon Dropped!

[Shropshire Seagull]

As for Leon and Albert leaving before the game, I said before it may be that they were given permission to leave. [/B]

Insider has told me that both Knight and Jarrett are huge Eastenders fans and begged McGhee not to select them so that they could wizz home and watch the death of Nana Moon on TV.

 

[BensGrandad]

Where perople go wtrong I believe is that they consider that players like LK should do exactly what the likes of Michael Owen Wayne Rooney etc are capable of. If they could they would be playing in the Premiership the reason they aren't is because they are not as good.

What we need to do with all of our players is play to THEIR individual strengths, if that is not possible the only asnwer is to move them on and bring in other players that can react to other players strengths.

Simply we must either play to Leons strengths which are his speed and nippy footwork or if we want to lump the ball up high bring ina 6ft 6in striker to get those balls.

We do not play to LK strengths sufficiently and expect him to play like another Alan Shearer.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Simply we must either play to Leons strengths which are his speed and nippy footwork or if we want to lump the ball up high bring ina 6ft 6in striker to get those balls.

We do not play to LK strengths sufficiently and expect him to play like another Alan Shearer.

Spot on.

 

[Hannibal smith]

I certainly don't recall Steve Coppell lamenting his players in the press every five minutes.

Difficult players can be handled by good managers. We've certainly got one, but not necessarily the other.

People always mention Coppell but he was barely in charge of Knight for more than half a season. I wonder how many bust ups they would have had if he was still here? Whilst we can only speculate, I'd be surprised if they would not have had a falling out - Lets face it Leon upsets a few people.

As for lambasting his players, Mcghee has questioned the desire of 3 players (CKR, Leon & Kerry Mayo) over the past few months in one interview and also the infamous bust up with Leon post subbing. I've never seen him slagging off those who work themselves into the ground (Hart, Chippy, Oatway etc etc).

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

People always mention Coppell but he was barely in charge of Knight for more than half a season. I wonder how many bust ups they would have had if he was still here? Whilst we can only speculate, I'd be surprised if they would not have had a falling out - Lets face it Leon upsets a few people.

As you say, all speculation. But if we do that ever-rare thing on here, and rely on the facts, we can only reflect on the complete absence of even a sniff of trouble. I'd don't see McGhee as a very skilled people-person, sadly.

 

[Beach Hut]

I'd don't see McGhee as a very skilled people-person, sadly.

Agree on that, no man-management skills what so ever.

 

[Hannibal smith]

As you say, all speculation. But if we do that ever-rare thing on here, and rely on the facts, we can only reflect on the complete absence of even a sniff of trouble. I'd don't see McGhee as a very skilled people-person, sadly.

I once went to one of these management bullshit things with Dave Bassett as a speaker. He was asked about Van Hjoodonk (Sp?) and said that when he signed him he thought he would be lucky to get a season and a half out of him and told the chairman so. I fully suspect that similar conversations will take place when Leon goes to his next club. Good player, not a long term solution -I think We've done well to get as much as out of him as we done in 2 and a half seasons.

On the sniff of trouble bit, its only really been with Knight. Not bad for a manager of over 24 people?

 

[BensGrandad]

Although I like Knight and believe that he is an asset to the team and as such we should keep him but play to his strengths it must be said that he had similar problems at Sheff Wed and Huddersfield so are all of the managers wrong and Leon right?

 

[London Irish]

I'd don't see McGhee as a very skilled people-person, sadly.

While I hope this Leon situation is resolved quickly in the interests of the Albion, this kind of smearing of McGhee by the LK fan club on here really is a travesty.

RT, read your own comments on this thread, even you recognise that LK is a very difficult player to manage. Yet you maintain the current situation is down to McGhee.

Not serious and not good enough.

The club have done wonderfully well in ridiculously trying circumstances over the last two seasons and that's principally down to the wonderful team spirit in getting an unheralded and unfancied squad of players to play above themselves. That is soley down to our manager. If McGhee was not a skilled people-person, he would not have lasted a month in a job as difficult as managing the Albion with the worst player budget in this league.

Somewhere along the line RT, you are going to have to judge McGhee by how he handles a squad of 30+ players, not solely on the basis of his success at trying to rescue the career of one player with serial maturity and attitude problems at every club he has been at.

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

RT, read your own comments on this thread, even you recognise that LK is a very difficult player to manage. Yet you maintain the current situation is down to McGhee.

Not at all. Although I'm not a fan of McGhee, I feel the situation is ultimately of Leon Knight's doing. However, I feel with some players, it's worth doing all you can to get the best of of them - if we can maximise Knight's talent, we've got an awesome player on our hands. In this department, I question McGhee.

As for comparisons between Knight and Van Hooijdonk, I think that's some way off the mark - V-H's fellow players loathed him; I've never got the impression that's the situation with Leon.

 

[ditchy]

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.

At the end of the day talent or no talent when the team is struggling you need all hands to the pumps not someone with an attitude problem with his fellow pro's and his manager

 

[Lokki 7]

At the end of the day talent or no talent when the team is struggling you need all hands to the pumps not someone with an attitude problem with his fellow pro's and his manager

Exactly. If the guy can't even be arsed to support his team mates for 90 mins from the stands then he doesn't deserve to be in the team. We need a player of his talent, but we don't have room for any players who think they are more important than the team. I hope MM and LK can sort this out, but if not then I back MM 100% to do whatever is necessary for the good of the team.

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

<sigh> most of you know that much as I want us to stay up this year if we go down battling I won't be too dissapointed. Our squad is made up either of players who are not good enough for the Championship but put in 200% or players who have all the potential but don't train and play to it. having the choice between the two I'd rather have the first because then, like last season, we'll play above ourselves.

Leon is a case in point. No one doubts his potential but he has not shown it... in fact I don't think he ever has. he had all the potential to play for England but he got lazy and now he's becoming a liability. At the end of the day I think it's down to McGhee and the players. If they all believe in leon then let's keep him but do I , Race, detect a sligh annoyance on the part of the players? I hope not.

For the reasons outlined above I'd rather play the reformed big Mac up front than leon and a good example made of leon by mcghee will hopefully stop Albie, Jake and CKR going the same way.

 

[Mr Burns]

most of you know that much as I want us to stay up this year if we go down battling I won't be too dissapointed. Our squad is made up either of players who are not good enough for the Championship but put in 200% or players who have all the potential but don't train and play to it. having the choice between the two I'd rather have the first because then, like last season, we'll play above ourselves.

Leon is a case in point. No one doubts his potential but he has not shown it... in fact I don't think he ever has. he had all the potential to play for England but he got lazy and now he's becoming a liability. At the end of the day I think it's down to McGhee and the players. If they all believe in leon then let's keep him but do I , Race, detect a sligh annoyance on the part of the players? I hope not.

For the reasons outlined above I'd rather play the reformed big Mac up front than leon and a good example made of leon by mcghee will hopefully stop Albie, Jake and CKR going the same way.

What he said above.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Having not seen the game or the goals or anything I can safely say I completely disagree with McGhee if he doesn't think Knight should even make the first 16.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

We won but we were also quite poor in places.

We lacked creativity without Knight and against better teams it will show more.