Exiled in Exeter
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Tony Pulis' Programme Column (v Brighton)
You can bet your life the likes of Ipswich, Wigan and Sunderland will be in the frame when it comes to picking the Championship's manager-of-the-year at the end of the season.
But people should be glancing a bit lower in the table before dishing out the accolades and take a long hard look elsewhere. Brighton, for example.
I think the Mark McGhee and his number two Bob Booker have done terrifically well to lead the club to the brink of safety. How many were predicting relegation for them after they won promotion via the play-offs last year?
They are a million miles away from the big clubs when it comes to their wage bill and resources.
Surviving relegation is almost like winning the League from where Brighton are sitting. That's not being disrespectful, just stating the facts.
I actually think Brighton are a big club potentially and could pack in 20,000 every other week if they had their own stadium.
It's a tribute to the fighting spirit of their directors and supporters that they are refusing to buckle in their pursuit of that new ground.
Several new faces have come into the club in the meantime [Since the Ade Akinbiyi sale] and it has fallen on young Kenwyne Jones to fill the forward vacancy for now.
Kenwyne is still only 20 and is an enthusiastic and refreshing character to have around the place.
He's very off the cuff, but has a great demeanour about him. He walks around the place as if every day is Christmas Day.
Kenwyne enjoyed a great start to life here by scoring on his debut in the 1-0 win at Millwall and then played his part in the 3-2 home win over Leicester.
But I thought he looked a bit jaded by the time we got to Coventry last weekend when we failed to take advantage of their sending-off and subsequent goalkeeping situation.
Kenwyne wasn't the only one looking tired and a bit off the pace, though, and in defence of the lads I would put that down to three out of their previous four games being away from home.
One man distinguishing himself at Highfield Road was Steve Simonsen in goal.
I wasn't exaggerating after the game when I said it was probably as good an exhibition of goalkeeping I'd seen in 15 years of management.
He literally was unbeatable that day, but we all know his performance was no fluke.
He had to bide his time after first joining us from Everton last summer, but he hasn't looked back once an injury to Ed De Goey gave him an extended run in the first-team.
The only worrying aspect is the thought that someone will come knocking on our door to ask about him.
When you think how few top English goalkeepers there are these days, you'd have to say there can't be that many around who are better.
Tony Pulis' Programme Column (v Brighton)
You can bet your life the likes of Ipswich, Wigan and Sunderland will be in the frame when it comes to picking the Championship's manager-of-the-year at the end of the season.
But people should be glancing a bit lower in the table before dishing out the accolades and take a long hard look elsewhere. Brighton, for example.
I think the Mark McGhee and his number two Bob Booker have done terrifically well to lead the club to the brink of safety. How many were predicting relegation for them after they won promotion via the play-offs last year?
They are a million miles away from the big clubs when it comes to their wage bill and resources.
Surviving relegation is almost like winning the League from where Brighton are sitting. That's not being disrespectful, just stating the facts.
I actually think Brighton are a big club potentially and could pack in 20,000 every other week if they had their own stadium.
It's a tribute to the fighting spirit of their directors and supporters that they are refusing to buckle in their pursuit of that new ground.
Several new faces have come into the club in the meantime [Since the Ade Akinbiyi sale] and it has fallen on young Kenwyne Jones to fill the forward vacancy for now.
Kenwyne is still only 20 and is an enthusiastic and refreshing character to have around the place.
He's very off the cuff, but has a great demeanour about him. He walks around the place as if every day is Christmas Day.
Kenwyne enjoyed a great start to life here by scoring on his debut in the 1-0 win at Millwall and then played his part in the 3-2 home win over Leicester.
But I thought he looked a bit jaded by the time we got to Coventry last weekend when we failed to take advantage of their sending-off and subsequent goalkeeping situation.
Kenwyne wasn't the only one looking tired and a bit off the pace, though, and in defence of the lads I would put that down to three out of their previous four games being away from home.
One man distinguishing himself at Highfield Road was Steve Simonsen in goal.
I wasn't exaggerating after the game when I said it was probably as good an exhibition of goalkeeping I'd seen in 15 years of management.
He literally was unbeatable that day, but we all know his performance was no fluke.
He had to bide his time after first joining us from Everton last summer, but he hasn't looked back once an injury to Ed De Goey gave him an extended run in the first-team.
The only worrying aspect is the thought that someone will come knocking on our door to ask about him.
When you think how few top English goalkeepers there are these days, you'd have to say there can't be that many around who are better.
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