Time to ship Beaglehole out

[Thracian]

According to the FIFA Rankings, Iran are ranked 44 which is above nations like Australia, Switzerland, Belgium, Wales and some good South American teams. During the recent Asia Cup about half the squad was from sides based in Iran. Obviously its not the best domestic league in the world but to ask whether the standard is better than our reserves or academy leagues is a little disrespectful to a country who are ranked so highly in FIFAs ratings.

As for Gradel, I am "keeping an eye" on his progress like I am all players that we have loaned out and I am doing so with the help of the detailed text highlights on each game he plays. He had what seemed like a quiet game in the league but followed that by being heavily involved in the Johnstones Cup match yesterday. Loads of crosses and shots amongst his personal highlights which was both impressive and encouraging but once again, before we learn to run lets let him walk as its a low standard of football and he needs to shine consistently to warrant a first team place in a club that has aspirations of premiership football next season. The early signs are very good and lets hope he continues to do just that, improve.

Low standard?. It's the same standard as Forest. They gave us a right going over recently and Blackpool beat us at home having just come from there.

This perception of City being a good side in a good League has has no evidence to back it on either count. The Championship looks dire to me and has done for a long time.

Our club has just fought a backs-to-the-wall defensive strategy because they were so fearful of perfectly ordinary bottom-half-of-the-table Plymouth.

So the standard Gradel's playing at hardly needs patronising. And, by the way, who apart from Weso and Kisnorbo is shining consistently in our first team?

[Geo V]

Low standard?. It's the same standard as Forest. They gave us a right going over recently and Blackpool beat us at home having just come from there.

This perception of City being a good side in a good League has has no evidence to back it on either count. The Championship looks dire to me and has done for a long time.

Our club has just fought a backs-to-the-wall defensive strategy because they were so fearful of perfectly ordinary bottom-half-of-the-table Plymouth.

So the standard Gradel's playing at hardly needs patronising. And, by the way, who apart from Weso and Kisnorbo is shining consistently in our first team?

This season, Clemence, McAuley, Fulop, N`Gotty, Hume??? They are playing good football at the moment aren't they?

As for D1, trust you to look at one off cup games on in this case, half game! You should know better to know that even non-league clubs can hold the best teams in Europe like Burton did against Man Utd. Good teams are not lucky cup sides but good teams are those who consistently do well enough to climb up through the divisions. Forest managed to get beat at home by Peterboro in the Johnstones paint so does that make them better than us too or of equal standard??!!

Gradel is playing Division 3 football. He has left us to go on loan to gain experience and if things go as we all hope, he will excel in the lower leagues and come back a more confident and accomplished player. Then he will have to raise his game as he plays a better of standard player in the championship to see if he can sink or swim. I agree with you that this Championship is weak, Ive been saying it all season but Gradel will still be playing better players than he will in the third tier. If they were better they would already be in the Championship and Premiership. Some lower league wide players like Josh Low was in the end of season team of the year and we signed him. He couldn't cope with the standard but seem sto be more at home in D1 now. Thats just the way it goes. Lets hope Gradel is an exception to the rule and manages to be good enough to make his mark for us either later this season or next season.

[The People's Hero]

Our club has just fought a backs-to-the-wall defensive strategy because they were so fearful of perfectly ordinary bottom-half-of-the-table Plymouth.

Sorry - I'm confused. Wasn't this performance under the leadership of attacking total-football die-hard Beaglehole?

Is this another big Thracian contradiction? Or is everyone else missing something?

[James.]

It's ridiculous to draw many conclusions from the Plymouth game - just because we defended deep and didn't threaten often in attack doesn't mean that is how we will play in all our away games.

Equally ridiculous is to suggest that Beaglehole is not an attack-minded manager on the basis of one game semi-in-charge of the first team.

We need to remember this game was on the back of a week of massive upheavel, change and distress. For me it was no surprise the way we played in Devon and I was pleased to come away from there with a point and a clean sheet (more than we get most seasons at Home Park).

[The People's Hero]

We need to remember this game was on the back of a week of massive upheavel, change and distress. For me it was no surprise the way we played in Devon and I was pleased to come away from there with a point and a clean sheet (more than we get most seasons at Home Park).

I absolutely agree with you.

But please bear in mind that for the past 2 years or so, all we've heard is how it would all be a different outlook under Beaglehole, LCFC's supposed messiah.

It's annoying.

[Manwell Pablo]

Low standard?. It's the same standard as Forest. They gave us a right going over recently and Blackpool beat us at home having just come from there.

This perception of City being a good side in a good League has has no evidence to back it on either count. The Championship looks dire to me and has done for a long time.

Our club has just fought a backs-to-the-wall defensive strategy because they were so fearful of perfectly ordinary bottom-half-of-the-table Plymouth.

So the standard Gradel's playing at hardly needs patronising. And, by the way, who apart from Weso and Kisnorbo is shining consistently in our first team?

And we pasted top of the table Watford 4-1, who then went and beat Ipswitch 2-0 the game after, not only that but Ipswitch didn't have a single shot in the whole game, thats not shots on goal thats shots, not a single effort.

They're One off games stop being so blinkered, look at the bigger picture for once.

Also people saying this league is poor, very annoying, no it's not, if you say that you don't know what poor football is. As far as second tier football goes the Championship is about as good as it gets, it's better than alot of top leagues around Europe.

[The People's Hero]

Also people saying this league is poor, very annoying, no it's not, if you say that you don't know what poor football is. As far as second tier football goes the Championship is about as good as it gets, it's better than alot of top leagues around Europe.

Correct.

There are some bloody good players in this division too.

[Hullfox]

Correct.

There are some bloody good players in this division too.

I've signed for Lincoln you know.

[The People's Hero]

I've signed for Lincoln you know.

Me too. I was the guy pretending to be injured, to avoid being sussed out on the training ground.

Were you the guy disguised as a bush?

[Hullfox]

Me too. I was the guy pretending to be injured, to avoid being sussed out on the training ground.

Were you the guy disguised as a bush?

No, I was the oversized cone in the corner

[The People's Hero]

No, I was the oversized cone in the corner

The oversized past it, chosen cone which took the ball off of Louis Dodds on 7 or 8 occasions?

When will these chosen cones stop getting picked in the team at the expense of bright young pretty boys?

[Geo V]

And we pasted top of the table Watford 4-1, who then went and beat Ipswitch 2-0 the game after, not only that but Ipswitch didn't have a single shot in the whole game, thats not shots on goal thats shots, not a single effort.

They're One off games stop being so blinkered, look at the bigger picture for once.

Also people saying this league is poor, very annoying, no it's not, if you say that you don't know what poor football is. As far as second tier football goes the Championship is about as good as it gets, it's better than alot of top leagues around Europe.

I`m not comparing the Championship to the second tiers in other countries when I say the division is relatively poor. I make that assumption when comparing the quality of players that were in the division last year compared to whats left this season. After promotions and the Premier League clubs raiding this division for its best talents, there aren't anywhere near as many "Stars" left IMO. Some examples I can give which don't involve clubs in the Championship buying and selling amongst themselves.

The promoted clubs took some really good players with them. Derby took Giles Barnes, David Jones, Stephen Pearson and Gary Teale. Birmingham had Bentner, McSheffery, Jerome, Muamba, Maik Taylor and Seb Larsson. Sunderland took Carlos Edwards, Ross Wallace, Nosworthy and David Connolly.

They also purchased players from both relegated Prem clubs who arrived weaker or buying the better players from division. Sunderland added Jones from Southampton, Higgingbottom from Stoke, Chopra from Cardiff, McShane from WBA and Etuhu from Norwich. Derby got Earnshaw from Norwich and Claude Davis from Sheff U. Brum mainly bought foreign players or from the Prem so they didn't impact the strength of the Championship with their purchases.

The relegated clubs also sold plenty of players to weaken there prem squads but its pointless mentioning them all as they weren't here last season. What I will add is that not many of the 3 clubs have come down with the players to replace those already departed. Watford have Marlon King but players like Danny Shittu, Job McAnuff and the rest aren't all that. Charlton haven't replaced the likes of Bent, Young, Hreidersson, Rommedahl and Diawarra. They have question marks over so many of their signings like McLeod and Todorov. They have some good players like Andy Reid, Jerome Thomas and Darren Ambrose but again, they aren't all that. Sheff U have faired better in their deals having persuaded James Beattie down to the Championship which is on paper a great signing. The grabbed Billy Sharp and Garry Naysmith who are decent players and didnt lose too much apart from Davis and Jaigielka.

If you add to that list already that the likes of Preston sold Nugent to Pompey, Fulham grabbed Bouazza from Watford and Kuqi from Palace (maybe I should have let that last donkey out of the list) as well as Lee Cook from QPR and Southamptons Chris Baird.

Im sure I have missed some out but thats as far as I go on this mission to finally convince MP that this division is significantly weaker and easier than last season. So many old stagers have been added like JFH, Fowler, De Zeeuw, Pedersen, Okocha (could be a good oldie though this one) and Sherringham.

[Manwell Pablo]

I`m not comparing the Championship to the second tiers in other countries when I say the division is relatively poor. I make that assumption when comparing the quality of players that were in the division last year compared to whats left this season. After promotions and the Premier League clubs raiding this division for its best talents, there aren't anywhere near as many "Stars" left IMO. Some examples I can give which don't involve clubs in the Championship buying and selling amongst themselves.

The promoted clubs took some really good players with them. Derby took Giles Barnes, David Jones, Stephen Pearson and Gary Teale. Birmingham had Bentner, McSheffery, Jerome, Muamba, Maik Taylor and Seb Larsson. Sunderland took Carlos Edwards, Ross Wallace, Nosworthy and David Connolly.

They also purchased players from both relegated Prem clubs who arrived weaker or buying the better players from division. Sunderland added Jones from Southampton, Higgingbottom from Stoke, Chopra from Cardiff, McShane from WBA and Etuhu from Norwich. Derby got Earnshaw from Norwich and Claude Davis from Sheff U. Brum mainly bought foreign players or from the Prem so they didn't impact the strength of the Championship with their purchases.

The relegated clubs also sold plenty of players to weaken there prem squads but its pointless mentioning them all as they weren't here last season. What I will add is that not many of the 3 clubs have come down with the players to replace those already departed. Watford have Marlon King but players like Danny Shittu, Job McAnuff and the rest aren't all that. Charlton haven't replaced the likes of Bent, Young, Hreidersson, Rommedahl and Diawarra. They have question marks over so many of their signings like McLeod and Todorov. They have some good players like Andy Reid, Jerome Thomas and Darren Ambrose but again, they aren't all that. Sheff U have faired better in their deals having persuaded James Beattie down to the Championship which is on paper a great signing. The grabbed Billy Sharp and Garry Naysmith who are decent players and didnt lose too much apart from Davis and Jaigielka.

If you add to that list already that the likes of Preston sold Nugent to Pompey, Fulham grabbed Bouazza from Watford and Kuqi from Palace (maybe I should have let that last donkey out of the list) as well as Lee Cook from QPR and Southamptons Chris Baird.

Im sure I have missed some out but thats as far as I go on this mission to finally convince MP that this division is significantly weaker and easier than last season. So many old stagers have been added like JFH, Fowler, De Zeeuw, Pedersen, Okocha (could be a good oldie though this one) and Sherringham.

The divisions no different some of the "good players" you have mentioned are distinctly average David Connolly being very average and certainly no Premier League player. And just because players like Sharp Keogh etc have come from a lower division does not make them poor, also the promoted teams from League One are up to more than the ones that went down IMO. The average strength of the average team has improved on the whole if anything IMO and we're proof of that.

[Geo V]

The divisions no different some of the "good players" you have mentioned are distinctly average David Connolly being very average and certainly no Premier League player. And just because players like Sharp Keogh etc have come from a lower division does not make them poor, also the promoted teams from League One are up to more than the ones that went down IMO. The average strength of the average team has improved on the whole if anything IMO and we're proof of that.

We`ll have to agree to disagree on this one as to me its clear that so many real quality players have gone and have not been replaced. Someone started a thread in Gen Sport about name the best defensive partnership, best Mid pairing and best strike duo in the league and there wasnt that many responses or real quality pairings. Infact, I cant think of a better central midfield or central defence than ours. Last season you would have had a hell of a lot to choose from.

BTW, I agree that we are the exception to the rule in this due to MM and his spending and thats why where many of us thought that a good season would be mid-table I know think with the lack of real quality in this division that a play-off place is realistic as I haven't seen anything in the opening month that we should be overly concerned about.

[Thracian]

Sorry - I'm confused. Wasn't this performance under the leadership of attacking total-football die-hard Beaglehole?

Is this another big Thracian contradiction? Or is everyone else missing something?

Selective quoting as usual. I said I couldn't recognise it as a Beaglehole team or approach from the commentary/ fans descriptions/shots on goal.

In three years I've never known SB approach a game like that. here may have been a few but I've never seen or been told about them. You are always missin something, usually out of convenience and to suit the spin. It's the way you are.

[The People's Hero]

Selective quoting as usual. I said I couldn't recognise it as a Beaglehole team or approach from the commentary/ fans descriptions/shots on goal.

In three years I've never known SB approach a game like that. here may have been a few but I've never seen or been told about them. You are always missin something, usually out of convenience and to suit the spin. It's the way you are.

I'm about the 10th person you've accused of using 'spin' this week alone.

Have you ever considered that maybe it's you that's spouting absolute sh it?

[Thracian]

I'm about the 10th person you've accused of using 'spin' this week alone.

Have you ever considered that maybe it's you that's spouting absolute sh it?

When I'm one step behind you in that department I'll have something to worry about.

[The People's Hero]

When I'm one step behind you in that department I'll have something to worry about.

I'm not going to allow another thread to descend in to complete farce due to the chip on your shoulder, Thracian.

Deal with it.

BEAGLEHOLE OUT!

[Strokes]

The divisions no different some of the "good players" you have mentioned are distinctly average David Connolly being very average and certainly no Premier League player. And just because players like Sharp Keogh etc have come from a lower division does not make them poor, also the promoted teams from League One are up to more than the ones that went down IMO. The average strength of the average team has improved on the whole if anything IMO and we're proof of that.

[Thracian]

I'm not going to allow another thread to descend in to complete farce due to the chip on your shoulder, Thracian.

Deal with it.

BEAGLEHOLE OUT!

Don't know why - most of your threads go in that direction anyway.

[Hullfox]

When I'm one step behind you in that department I'll have something to worry about.

Can't see him overtaking you actually.

[Thracian]

Can't see him overtaking you actually.

You're nothing if not predictable.

[Fez of Mahrez]

Apexgeo, we won't know who the top players in this division are until later in the season.

This time last year Cardiff had only just signed Michael Chopra from Newcastle. Kenwyne Jones had only scored three league goals for Southampton before last season. Jason Koumas was on strike at West Brom up until the end of August after failing to secure a move to Cardiff. Diomansy Kamara had scored two goals in the Premiership for West Brom in the season before last.

New stars will emerge in time.