McGhee - "Leon was absolutely INEPT tonight"....

[Easy 10]

Strong words from MM on SCR tonight. Asked what his thinking was when he introduced Jake Robinson for Leon Knight in the 2nd half, he said "I thought Leon was absolutely INEPT tonight. Jake did superbly well when he came on. "

When Leon was subbed, he trudged off looking totally abject. Leon and McGhee completely blanked each other as he walked past and sat on the bench. In contrast, Jones received a hearty pat on the back and a "face-clutch" from MM with a few words. From the outside at least, it looks like there's a huge rift developing between the two, so quite how we're going to see the best again from Leon Knight, christ only knows.

Leon needs a kick up the arse as he does seem to be going through the motions at the moment. But reading between the lines, I think he's pissed off at the open criticism from MM at the forwards not doing enough, and the latest interview McGhee has given, with the "inept" comments, is not going to help. I'd rather Mcghee sorted this out behind closed doors with the fella with a bit of effective man-management, cos all this public slating is definately having an adverse effect on a player who should be the best striker in the division by a distance.

 

[El Presidente]

I am waiting for the usual killer punch line from you Easy

 

[Bobby's Gull]

Knight did not seem to look enthusiastic about playing in the stripes at all tonight . Do hope there is not a huge rift developing between the two as this would inevitably lead to Knight asking to go on the transfer list.

 

[Trigger]

McGhee is a twat for going public and saying that, i've lost all respect i had for the bloke, sorry but that is my opinion.

 

[Falmer Dream]

Transcript of interview between Andrew Hawes (BBC Southern Counties Radio) and Mark McGhee...

AH: "You made quite a noticeable substitution, Leon Knight coming off and Jake Robinson coming on. What were you looking for? What was the thinking there?"

MM: "Well, I thought that Leon was totally inept. I mean I think that he's come back from a suspension, I've given him the benefit of the doubt and I was looking for someone you know to give us a bit more life up front."

AH: "It's something you talked about before the game, the movement of the strikers. Was there more of that overall or not?"

MM: "I thought Jake Robinson was different class."

AH: "How impressed were you with the sort of build up and him keeping cool if you like for the sending off when he was put through?"

MM: "Well the little lad has - you know, in a sporting sense, I don't want to overuse the word - but he's got great courage. You know he got battered on the sideline there and it hurt the wee lad. And then he got pummelled again but he didn't pull out of that. You know there was no way he was pulling out of that ball. He knew he was going to get clattered or likely to get clattered by the goalkeeper and there was no way he was pulling out of that. You know he was going to try and win the ball and score a goal. Tremendous. You know I mean he's about 4 stone 7, you know, and yet he's as brave as a lion."

AH: "How much potential do you see in him?"

MM: "Well, you've seen it yourself tonight. I think great potential. Some players of his size it would go against them, but he has the ability and he also has the courage."

 

[Beach Hut]

McGhee is a twat for going public and saying that, i've lost all i respect i had for the bloke, sorry but that is my opinion.

My sentiments entirely McGhee = Hoddle school of crap management.

Disgraceful comment to go live with.

 

[Bobby's Gull]

Maybe it might provide the kick up the arse that Leon needs??

 

[Beach Hut]

Maybe it might provide the kick up the arse that Leon needs??

Not going public - never wash your dirty linen in public !

 

[Easy 10]

Sorry El P, I kinda wish this WAS a piss-take report. I'm just shocked at McGhee's words on the radio at the moment. I'm kind of undecided what to make of it. On the one hand, McGhee's got a point - Leons NOT been pulling his weight lately, and hasn't looked like the same player of the first few months of the season. McGhee's clearly trying to give him a very public kick up the arse - but this ISN'T the way he should be handling the situation.

We're going to end up with a pissed off Leon Knight who's going to stick two fingers up at McGhee and say "stuff you then". He looks like turning into a sulker. Now thats entirely down to Leon, but Mcghee is not handling this properly.

Much as I like the look of Jake, he's not yet ready to be starting matches in Leons place. We need Leon firing on all cylinders going into this run-in, but McGhee is fecking that up big-time at the moment.

McGhee - save the slatings for the dressing room, not the radio in future, eh ?

 

[El Presidente]

Very surprised at McGhee taking that approach, he is an expericened manager. Having seen Leon chuck his toys out of his pram last season at Hillsboro' after Chris Turner 'disrespected' him then I think that Leon may go through the motions if we are not careful. He is the type of player that probably does not fancy freezing cold pitches, but he has won us plenty of games this season and we should give him a bit more support

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Not going public - never wash your dirty linen in public !

Quite. Wasn't smart when Tony Adams slagged off his entire team a couple of weeks back - he was forced to retract it shortly after. McGhee's comments are equally unhelpful. Still, I expect he gets a bit frustrated when Leon spends half the time on the deck milking every bit of contact he ever gets - it he looked like he was bowing to Mecca or something at one point tonight tho he was up and running about as per usual within seconds of his bit of pampering off the pitch - while Jake must be about the same size, is considerably younger, goes in where it GENUINELY hurts. Dunno how Leon will react. Sulk most likely. Maybe with twenty goals under the belt he expects a bit more respect. Or maybe he needs bringing back down to earth. Hard one to call. Still, find out soon enough eh?

 

[Trish]

Could it be MM who is inept? Sorry, but I really do feel that remarks like that should be made behind firmly closed dressing-room doors.

 

[Soton Seagull]

Leon has had an attitude problem since day 1. The diving etc is all linked to this. However, it does not detract from the fact he is our best striker by some distance (and probably in the division). Jake is the future, but Leon is the now. I only hope that Knight feels he has a point to prove and bags a couple against the Scouse 3rd team next week.

I just hope this doesn't turn in to a MM Vs LK slanging match. Not what the squad needs.

 

[Dancin Ninja BHA]

Leon will be off at the end of the season, with or with out the criticism for McGhee..........we are so bloody ordinary at the moment, he gets no service, no wonder he looks so pissed off all the time

What a shit match tonight, kinda glad i'm not renewing my season ticket after that rubbish. About £18 a ticket, you're having a laugh. When was the last decent game?

We played better football under Adams in Div3.

 

[Turkey]

Maybe it might provide the kick up the arse that Leon needs??

I reckon so. Leon hasn't been playing well recently and maybe McGhee feels the nice approach isn't working. Sort it out Leon.

 

[Dover]

Question. Have you seen a dirtier player wear the stripes? In my time only one, Freeman. Just think what Blatter has gone on record as saying. If feigning a foul, and then going to ground was a yellow card offence, and for each player that went to ground afterwards was red carded, where would we be?

My biggest problem with Leon is that he will often not look for a simple effective pass. A player with his touch should make a simple pass more often, in order to keep posession, which he simply does not do.

 

[Easy 10]

The trouble is, we're not playing particularly well as a team. How many chances have been created for Knight lately ? He spends most of the time chasing aimless balls down the channels, or watching it fly over his head. He had an argument with Jones when the welsh boy collided with him as he was bringing the ball down under control, he got stone-walled by McGhee when he was subbed. This is a player who is not enjoying his football at the moment, and if we're not careful, he's going to go into his shell completely, and we'll have lost the most potent striker in the division.

McGhee needs to sit him down, in private, and tell him to roll his sleeves up, get stuck in, chase people down, and be a complete pain in the arse to the opposition for 90 minues, and as long as he can see he's giving his all, he'll back him up 100% whether he's scoring or not.

Sadly, I fear McGhee has "lost" the player already though. A rift has clearly developed between the two of them for one reason or another, and thats not going to heal if McGhee gives him the kind of public slagging off he did tonight. Looks to me like its only a matter of time before Leons on his way I'm afraid, which is a great shame. He'd have been twice the player under Coppells careful guidance.

 

[Turkey]

Leon will be off at the end of the season, with or with out the criticism for McGhee..........we are so bloody ordinary at the moment, he gets no service, no wonder he looks so pissed off all the time

What a shit match tonight, kinda glad i'm not renewing my season ticket after that rubbish. About £18 a ticket, you're having a laugh. When was the last decent game?

We played better football under Adams in Div3.

We had a better team in Division 3.

 

[Kenhead]

after the grimsby game i said to ben elton's brother that i think we should sell knight whilst we have the chance (he totally disagreed) i haven't mentioned this before but since mcghee has taken over knight has been half the player he was and i think this is down to knight! beb and poke both thought i was really pissed when i said this and that i was mad and haven't said anythink as i thought id be slatted buthow many goals in open play has knight scored since mghee took charge?

 

[London Irish]

None of you have addressed the point that he made quite strong criticisms of Trev publicly after Grimsby and that has been rewarded with improved workrate and effort from Trev.

Rather than climb aboard an anti-McGhee bandwagon, you should also perhaps consider how many times the point has been made to Leon in private in the dressing room. Perhaps it might be time to adopt a more open approach.

Leon is our best player but there is clearly a temperament problem linked to his maturity levels. I think this comes across quite clearly in some very skilful interviews Andy Naylor has done in the Argus with Leon. You've sensed Naylor almost biting his tongue at times in these pieces.

There are no easy answers how a manager can turn all this round. If your easy answer is to have a cheap pop at McGhee, I'm glad for you. I'll stay off that bandwagon though I think.

McGhee is playing hard cop at the moment, no doubt there are plenty of others within the camp who can play soft cop.