Max Gradel

[STUHILL]

Why mock Tharcian for trying to push himself in something that he obviously has a talent for? I often apply for jobs that on paper I'm under qualified for and most of the time I don't hear anything.

HAHA OMG!! This is just beyond a joke. I can accept Thracian crazy posts as I'm used to it but for people to actually support his application for manager of Leicester City after being a squash player is just bonkers!! The World has official gone mad but thanks, you gave me a good laugh guys!!

[Thracian]

People are basing it on the fact that Pearson simply appears to refuses to play him, and they trust his opinion.

Some of those same people trusted Levein's opinion and Kelly's opinion. They'd trust almost any manager.

Unlike his recent predecessors there are times when Pearson has well justified being trusted.

But at other times, if he's honest, he will be, first of all, critical of himself and the decisions he made.

Even in the paper he admitted we were perhaps four points shy of where we should be this season....exactly my own views of some two weeks ago but I was chastised for being reactionary.

The reason we're four points shy is that, sometimes ,City have not done justice to their own ability.

Thankfully, unlike our other bosses as I could see, Pearson does seem to at least try to analyse why things might have gone wrong. Then, instead of making the same mistakes twice, he does try to effect repairs...my main reservation being that sometimes his seemingly cautious nature perhaps doesn't allow him to be positive enough.

And when that happens why shouldn't someone say so? Or are we supposed to sit in the stand like adoring idiots pretending that all is well with our team when it's not?

[Anish]

Havn't posted for ages in here, all gets too frustrating for me BUT I always keep up to date with all your posts. Some excellent posts in this thread. I think Babs is talking some great sense here. Maybe Thracian doesn't quite demand perfection but it's not far off and what's wrong with that you might say?! Well, it's very easy to say this would work or this player would do better etc etc. It is funny for people to talk about the 'chosen' men occasionally. Tharacian clearly has his, as he has harped on about them in nearly every thread since I've been a member here.

It's strange to think where some of his chosen men are now though.. Porter? Dodds? Gradel also struggling, King having indifferent games. It always amazes me how many people follow Thracians ideas, I guess because he writes well and could probably talk himself out of jail if he ever had to. To me though, I see past his long, repetitive posts, and see only the definition of an arm chair fan who if ever put in charge of day to day running of a Professional Football Club, would quickly find out that perfection or even near perfection on the pitch is almost a myth and players like for example Porter simply don't add up to the high expectations one demands.

So I have no doubt Thracian will continue to boast about his credentials and continue to write well and therefore carry on deluding people of how easy it could be to win ever match if only we played certain players and a certain way. How I wish everything in life could be so easy as winning football matches....

You sir, deserve a medal. As does Babs for the excellent points he made earlier.

[Thracian]

I'm sorry but i did at that!

You had a stint as a player manager of a semi-professional club, why would you take the time and effort to apply for a post you had zero chance of landing?

Or maybe there was a tiny shred of arrogance(?) in you that honestly believed that you could be the man to take the club forward, and that they would see through the total lack of relevant experience and hand you the reins anyway?

Frank McLintock was an outstanding wing-half for us and a seasoned Scottish International yet he became an embarrassing disaster as a manager for all the supposedly relevent plusses that got him his job.

Call it arrogance or otherwise but I had no doubts whatsoever that I could improve our results. And never did in all the years I managed and coached sports teams.

I just had a way of communicating with people that got the best out of them. I was lousy at lots of things, and quite prepared to admit it, but getting footballers and squash players to believe in themselves and scale new peaks was never a problem whether anyone believes me or not.

I've spent my whole life being a communicator. It's as easy to me as fixing computors would be difficult.

That's not arrogance. It's honesty.

[marbelladave]

Wow..... :o :o

Just read the last page or two of this thread, I am so glad I have been too busy to stay in touch and post!

But then witch hunts are always so damned enthralling, love it!

I know we live in a society that loves to bully and denigrate anyone who is not part of the omniscient majority and I would dearly love to join in, you know as one of the lads!

But unfortunately, I know how he feels, I was roundly castigated during our last campaign in this division for pointing out, as early as January/February 2007, some of the problems that eventually caused our relegation, but as we all know the mob is always right and the bearer of bad news, even if it turns out to be correct, is the one who gets the kicking.

[Thracian]

I'm well aware when there are problems, I've mentioned quite a few already in relevant threads. The difference between myself and people like you and you alter ego Marbella Dave, is that I don't go on and on and on and on and on about them. I'm also prepared to give people a certain amount of time to fix major problems, if you were in charge of the club managers would be fired after one game.

Just because I don't become all dramatic and whine on like an old fish wife doesn't mean I can't see faults. I'd already said to Dave in one post that I thought we were 3 good players away from being the team he thinks we should be NOW.

• Berner and Neilson are limited in their abilities and we will only ever get so far with them.

• We don't have one winger who is good/consistent enough, this means we are choping and changing every week trying to find the answer. I prefer a settled side.

• I like Brown, but he is error prone and his distribution is shite meaning we surrender possession to quickly.

• Gallagher is a big problem, the manager doesn't know where to play him. He is trying to shoe horn him in the team at any cost, because of it we are losing our shape.

• Howards lack of goals is a problem, we are lacking goals from midfield this year so carrying a non scoring striker is a luxury.

That's the most refreshing assessment I've ever read from you and I wouldn't disagree with a word of it from the dots downwards. Can't imagine how I missed it previously.

But can you really deny that you've remained loyal to managers long after they've shown themselves to be woeful.

And no I wouldn't sack managers after one game. Because I wouldn't appoint managers I'd want to sack after one game and they certainly wouldn't be setting up negative teams.

Kelly sent us out against Stoke in the Cup to bore the pants off the paying spectators.

Even now and in these columns we complain about the press viewing us as unfashionable.

Little wonder with that sort of approach or having a team with eight defenders like we played at Burnley on one particular occasion.

I'll never condone that sort of sacrilege.

Pearson could have done that against Middlesbrough. But, no, he at least sent us out there with some forwards and some scoring potential. And collected three points, thanks very much.

[Joe.]

I really can't understand where the Gradel love-in has come from ever since he broke into the first team. I have my suspicions that it's because of his excellent spell at Bournemouth a couple of seasons ago, but apart from that has he ever been remotely consistent for us? The lad clearly has talent, but most of the time it's wasted through his frustratingly erratic performances.

However, with the situation currently as it stands on the wing, you'd have surely thought a place on the bench at the very least would be his. I don't find it odd that he's not in the first team because I honestly don't think he'd improve us a great deal, but he's worth a shot on the bench surely.

[marbelladave]

Babylon

You said that "we are just 3 good players away from being the team I wish we were" and you are absolutely spot on!!!

However what you fail to point out is that I believe that these 3 players are already at the club!

I strongly believe that we have the players who, properly prepared, playing in their best positions and decently motivated would be a match for any in this division. We have already seen our team beat Boro and come close to getting a point at St James Park, supposedly two of the favourites for promotion and even our worst performance, against Preston, was primarily down to poor team selection and awful tactics.

[Thracian]

It's strange to think where some of his chosen men are now though. Porter? Dodds? Gradel also struggling, King having indifferent games. It always amazes me how many people follow Thracians ideas, I guess because he writes well and could probably talk himself out of jail if he ever had to. To me though, I see past his long, repetitive posts, and see only the definition of an arm chair fan who if ever put in charge of day to day running of a Professional Football Club, would quickly find out that perfection or even near perfection on the pitch is almost a myth and players like for example Porter simply don't add up to the high expectations one demands.

1) Football has nothing to do with where Porter is.

2) I never claimed anything about Dodds other than that he deserved a chance to play ahead of the people we were using at the time like Geoff Horsfield and Danny Cadamarteri. Subsequent events have proved that opinion to be well founded with Dodds scoring far more goals than the others for whatever reason.

3) Gradel struggling? He's hardly had a kick. If you've seen a better right winger in our camp perhaps you'll tell me. Because, so far, while he's been okay in the centre on odd occasions, N'Guessan has looked totally unconvincing out wide.

4) King having indifferent games? Fat lot of good we've done without him lately and a lot better we looked when he did turn out at Middlesbrough. King was our biggest contributor to our promotion last season and the statistics relate emphatically how "indifferent" he was.

This season he started with a dead leg and later had an ankle injury but has still managed to play a part in eight of our league matches.

The results of the League games he played a part in read:

Won, Drew, Drew, Won, won, Drew, Drew, Won. If that's indifference I'll take some more cos at that rate we'd be firmly in the play-off places and the lad's still not fully fit as yet.

We've lost just two League games so far this season and King didn't play in either.

[Raj]

The thread question is

Where is he?

I did state that i seened him outside reception just before the PNE game.

Hence i deduce from that,the answer to the question at the time was.....Just outside reception.....

[Babylon]

Babylon

However what you fail to point out is that I believe that these 3 players are already at the club!

The fact you think we should be around the top 2/3 would automatically point out that you think we have the players, so there wasn't really any need to point out he obvious.

[Babylon]

But can you really deny that you've remained loyal to managers long after they've shown themselves to be woeful.

It's like going around in circles with you. Looks back over the previous discussions we've had, I'm not repeating myself again.

[teblin]

Gradel reminds me a little bit of Franz Carr. Quick direct and can beat a man but then goes back an try and beat the man again instead of putting the ball in. He doesn't put enough early balls in when he creates the space.

I like gradel but he is frustrating but i guess a lot of wingers are.

[marbelladave]

The fact you think we should be around the top 2/3 would automatically point out that you think we have the players, so there wasn't really any need to point out he obvious.

Firstly I have never said that I feel we should be in the automatic promotion places, my position, stated on numerous occasions, is that "to be in the mix for a playoff spot come April would be a great season".

To achieve this we need to play to our potential, and get the best out of the players we have, something that I do not think we have yet come close to doing. Yes we will lose games this season, sometimes to teams that we surely should be beating, but that's football and I have no problem living with that. (once I have got over the initial disappointment.. )

What I have a problem with is the persistent use of players and tactics that are stopping us from playing to the standard we are capable of, which resulted in the kind of inept display that we put in against Preston. Poor team selection, rotten shape and players who simply did not appear to believe in what they were doing.

When I see this my heart sinks and I have to reach for the laptop......

[marbelladave]

Gradel reminds me a little bit of Franz Carr. Quick direct and can beat a man but then goes back an try and beat the man again instead of putting the ball in. He doesn't put enough early balls in when he creates the space.

I like gradel but he is frustrating but i guess a lot of wingers are.

This is certainly the case with our wingers.

Dare I suggest that this is because they are being played as wide midfield players with onerous defensive duties?

Dyer, N'Guessan and in all probability Gradel are all far better players when receiving the ball 20-25 yards out where they can directly attack the defense and make things happen. At the moment they are getting posession much deeper, 40-45 yards out where they have to beat several covering players before they can even take on the back 4.

Clearly this is not effective. Why not change the way we play?

[teblin]

This is certainly the case with our wingers.

Dare I suggest that this is because they are being played as wide midfield players with onerous defensive duties?

Dyer, N'Guessan and in all probability Gradel are all far better players when receiving the ball 20-25 yards out where they can directly attack the defense and make things happen. At the moment they are getting posession much deeper, 40-45 yards out where they have to beat several covering players before they can even take on the back 4.

Clearly this is not effective. Why not change the way we play?

A way that has got us to 8th in the league? level on points with 5th and a win tomorrow would put us 3rd?

I agree there are still problem but i believe pearson knows that and will iron those out, the biggest issue is trying to fit gallager into the team in my opinion.

[Babylon]

Firstly I have never said that I feel we should be in the automatic promotion places, my position, stated on numerous occasions, is that "to be in the mix for a playoff spot come April would be a great season".

We are in the play off mix up at the minute though, so I'd imagine my impression of you expecting us to be top three comes from you being rather negative still (rightly so in come cases), even though we are already having a "great season" by your own standards.

Anyway, my point still stands... there was no need to point out what I considered the obvious.

[CosbehFox]

b) Do you want some more credentials?

I moved out of football in my mid-20s but, in my chosen sport of squash I'm quite sure both my playing experience (opponents included two world number ones, Jonah Barrington and Qamar Zaman and the world top-10 rated Ahmed Safwat) together and my appointment as one of only nine national-grade coaches, would have compared reasonably well with Pearson's. But I've really no wish to elaborate. My sporting light has long dimmed to nothing.

We are talking Football here Thrac......

If we are using the same 'management' yardstick, give Dean Thomas, the Manager at Leicester's top restaurant and Wilkinson's Saturday superviser an interview next time the opportunity comes up.

[marbelladave]

A way that has got us to 8th in the league? level on points with 5th and a win tomorrow would put us 3rd?

I agree there are still problem but i believe pearson knows that and will iron those out, the biggest issue is trying to fit gallager into the team in my opinion.

It is still early days to be that pleased with our position in the league. It is very tight and It will only take 2 or 3 performances of the Preston standard to put us firmly in the bottom half.

Regarding Gallagher, he is a forward, pure and simple. If you want to play him, play him up front not as some half assed wingback!

Personally I prefer forwards with a little more pace and see Gallagher more as a back up/substitute for Fryatt should he miss a game or need to be brought off during one. He is the kind of player that gives an attack focus and allows others to play around him, in that role I think he could be very valuable!

[Tommy G]

I think Gradel believed his own hype a bit.

he should ditch the lime green boots, knock himself down a peg or two and work harder to get in the team. If NP thought he could do the job then he would be in the team. I trust NP to pick the right team on the day so I'll leave it at that.

We don't see what goes on day in day out at training so it's difficult for anyone to judge really. Never mind, I'm sure the gradel hype will still be around this time next year

[marbelladave]

We are in the play off mix up at the minute though, so I'd imagine my impression of you expecting us to be top three comes from you being rather negative still (rightly so in come cases), even though we are already having a "great season" by your own standards.

Anyway, my point still stands... there was no need to point out what I considered the obvious.

Err..... It's October, just. I believe a "great season" requires us to be in this position in April. Something I fear will not happen unless we sharpen up.

My "being rather negative", as you put it simply comes from having seen us produce some very decent football at times this season, then produce the complete dross that we served up against Preston.

The lack of any kind of consistency leads me to the heretical thought that we are not at all sure about the the best way to go about this league and it is this above all else that is troubling me.

[Tommy G]

Err..... It's October, just. I believe a "great season" requires us to be in this position in April. Something I fear will not happen unless we sharpen up.

My "being rather negative", as you put it simply comes from having seen us produce some very decent football at times this season, then produce the complete dross that we served up against Preston.

The lack of any kind of consistency leads me to the heretical thought that we are not at all sure about the the best way to go about this league and it is this above all else that is troubling me.

Sounds like you are on your last legs mate.

Sit back and crack open a beer and dont worry (actually it's 10am so scrap that)

Take a trip to Marbella andenjoy the sun, don't worry yourself so much about LCFC. There's plenty more important things in life Davey Boy

[marbelladave]

I think Gradel believed his own hype a bit.

he should ditch the lime green boots, knock himself down a peg or two and work harder to get in the team. If NP thought he could do the job then he would be in the team. I trust NP to pick the right team on the day so I'll leave it at that.

We don't see what goes on day in day out at training so it's difficult for anyone to judge really. Never mind, I'm sure the gradel hype will still be around this time next year

By all accounts Gradel produced a MOTM performance in the reserves just the other night, how much harder can he work?

Maxi is one of several players I would like to see given a chance as a striker. Sure he would start off in the wide position, but his role would be primarily an attacking one, both in wide positions and in attacking the box and giving support to Fryatt!

However with Dyer, N'Guessan and Waghorn all possibles in that role he would have some serious competition.

[marbelladave]

Sounds like you are on your last legs mate.

Sit back and crack open a beer and dont worry (actually it's 10am so scrap that)

Take a trip to Marbella andenjoy the sun, don't worry yourself so much about LCFC. There's plenty more important things in life Davey Boy

Please!

This is a football forum so I talk football.

Anyway psychiatric and lifestyle advice I get from elsewhere, my wife mostly... :rolleyes:

BTW Marbella is usually very nice at this time of the year, still warm enough to sit out but the holidaymakers have mostly gone home. Lovely!

I have to be in England at the moment...... :cry: .....and the only good thing is that I can get to games without having to take 48 hours out of my life and spend a fortune on air fares and transfers to do it!

[Bert]

1) Football has nothing to do with where Porter is.

2) I never claimed anything about Dodds other than that he deserved a chance to play ahead of the people we were using at the time like Geoff Horsfield and Danny Cadamarteri. Subsequent events have proved that opinion to be well founded with Dodds scoring far more goals than the others for whatever reason.

3) Gradel struggling? He's hardly had a kick. If you've seen a better right winger in our camp perhaps you'll tell me. Because, so far, while he's been okay in the centre on odd occasions, N'Guessan has looked totally unconvincing out wide.

4) King having indifferent games? Fat lot of good we've done without him lately and a lot better we looked when he did turn out at Middlesbrough. King was our biggest contributor to our promotion last season and the statistics relate emphatically how "indifferent" he was.

This season he started with a dead leg and later had an ankle injury but has still managed to play a part in eight of our league matches.

The results of the League games he played a part in read:

Won, Drew, Drew, Won, won, Drew, Drew, Won. If that's indifference I'll take some more cos at that rate we'd be firmly in the play-off places and the lad's still not fully fit as yet.

We've lost just two League games so far this season and King didn't play in either.

He really wasn't. Both Fryatt and Howard were far superior.

As for the games King has started etc, we wouldn't be in a better position had King played in them all. I really wish you'd take your head out of his bottom.