Any news on the Leon story

[Les Biehn]

Last season;

Winners against Gillingham, Watford and Sheffield Utd. McGhee says every play played his part in keeping us up.

This season, well until the bust ups he has looked a different player and he is still our top scorer.

Admittedly it is a little bit of spleen venting on my part coz I am fed up with everyone noshing Knight off when he clearly doesn't really give as much of a f*** about Brighton as most of the other players. If he did and actually applied himself he would be a different class.

 

[Icy Gull]

clearly if mcghee thought it would clearly not be in the best interests for knight to be there he would clearly agree, is that clear?

Nope definitley prefer the sitting on the someone's knee option..probably El Turi's

 

[Uncle Buck]

but clearly he couldnt agree as clearly the policy states quite clearly that players have to watch. i would of thought that quite clearly that would have been made clear

The trouble is, you are using clearly, when there is the McGhee factor to contend with, so expect the unexpected.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Admittedly it is a little bit of spleen venting on my part coz I am fed up with everyone noshing Knight off when he clearly doesn't really give as much of a f*** about Brighton as most of the other players. If he did and actually applied himself he would be a different class.

But then to most players, Brighton, or whichever club they play for is just an employer. It is just that we have had a number of local lads turn out for us in the last 2 years that maybe we lose sight of this.

 

[Les Biehn]

But then to most players, Brighton, or whichever club they play for is just an employer. It is just that we have had a number of local lads turn out for us in the last 2 years that maybe we lose sight of this.

This is true, but Reid and FDM are definately not local lads and they seem to be more committed than Leon.

 

[Uncle Buck]

This is true, but Reid and FDM are definately not local lads and they seem to be more committed than Leon.

Just the nature of some players. Also Leon is a creative style player and there is more call for those, so sadly he sits in something of a comfort zone.

I do worry that ultimately Knight is going to end up as one of those players classed as a wasted talent.

 

[Les Biehn]

Just the nature of some players. Also Leon is a creative style player and there is more call for those, so sadly he sits in something of a comfort zone.

I do worry that ultimately Knight is going to end up as one of those players classed as a wasted talent.

That is exactly why I get frustrated with him. Realistically he has got similar pace, finishing ability and technique as Owen and Defoe and he is only a couple of inches shorter. He could be a great player but he is his own worst enemy with his selfish, petulant behaviour.

 

[Uncle Buck]

That is exactly why I get frustrated with him. Realistically he has got similar pace, finishing ability and technique as Owen and Defoe and he is only a couple of inches shorter. He could be a great player but he is his own worst enemy with his selfish, petulant behaviour.

But then is it not the manager's job to straigten these things out and get the best out of him?

 

[Les Biehn]

But then is it not the manager's job to straigten these things out and get the best out of him?

Its the managers job to try but ultimately you can't force someone to change. Why do you think Chelsea got rid of him, why do you think he did shit at Wednesday? It can't always be the managers fault. At some point Knight needs to be held accountable for his behaviour.

 

[Scotty Mac]

But then is it not the manager's job to straigten these things out and get the best out of him?

the way to make him realise that he has to work and srot himself out is by dropping him - unfortunately, rather than showing he wants to be part of the team by staying and offering his support, he decides to storm out

 

[Simster]

But then is it not the manager's job to straigten these things out and get the best out of him?

No. It's the manager's job to straighten these things out and get the best out of THE TEAM.

And judging by the fact that we WON, that is exactly what he did.

 

[Icy Gull]

But then is it not the manager's job to straigten these things out and get the best out of him?

People said that about Stan Bowles, Rodney Marsh, Tony Currie, Gazza. Some players are worth it for what they bring, Leon is not a patch on any of the aformentioned. Just assuming Leon has a similar temprement, is he good enough to warrant the aggro that comes with it . Only McGhee will know, but there does seem to be plenty of baggage attached to the little maestro.

 

[Uncle Buck]

No. It's the manager's job to straighten these things out and get the best out of THE TEAM.

And judging by the fact that we WON, that is exactly what he did.

But then individual man management also has to be part of the managers job. In those few months Coppell managed Knight he seemed to get a lot out of it and Knight seems to have stagnated under McGhee. I am glad this time we seem to have some silence on this airbourne toy issue, as last time McGhee used the press to tell Knight what was expected.

 

[Les Biehn]

But then individual man management also has to be part of the managers job. In those few months Coppell managed Knight he seemed to get a lot out of it and Knight seems to have stagnated under McGhee. I am glad this time we seem to have some silence on this airbourne toy issue, as last time McGhee used the press to tell Knight what was expected.

If someone at your work threw a paddy or stormed out when things weren't going their way they wouldn't last very long. Sure footballers live in a different world so we have to make some exceptions but that doesn't mean we should accept it no questions asked. Knight is on a lot of money, he is what 24? 25? now. Isn't it about time he bucked up his ideas and people started asking questions of him rather than blaming those around him.

 

[London Irish]

But then individual man management also has to be part of the managers job. In those few months Coppell managed Knight he seemed to get a lot out of it and Knight seems to have stagnated under McGhee. I am glad this time we seem to have some silence on this airbourne toy issue, as last time McGhee used the press to tell Knight what was expected.

Your are making the same critical error as Repugnant Toad as basing your opinion of McGhee's man management on the basis of his struggle to rescue the career of one serial malcontent rather than all the other players he manages excellently.

 

[bhaexpress]

Your are making the same critical error as Repugnant Toad as basing your opinion of McGhee's man management on the basis of his struggle to rescue the career of one serial malcontent rather than all the other players he manages excellently.

Here, here.

 

[Simster]

When Coppell had him, we were in the division below. Furthermore, it's debatable whether we as a team would score more with Knight playing his favoured striker's role. Personally, I find that he flatters to deceive at this level. He's simply too lightweight and in any case got himself a deserved reputation as a diver - for which he is now paying (excessively).

Of our attack minded players, I'd say Frutos, Carole and CKR were all better than Knight - and two of them don't play as out-and-out strikers either.

One final thought on Leon. He should take a good look at Bobby Zamora at West Ham. Sir Bob has been dicked about for 18months at West Ham, but patiently worked hard in training, taken the often unfair flack from their whinging crowd, and when asked to play, has done exactly as he's told. Eventually, he's done so well that he's made it very tricky for Pardew to drop him even when Sheringham does return. Not only to managers like that sort of attitude (because their jobs actually depend on results), but so do fans. The fact that our fans have lost patience with Leon despite scoring the play off winner and having a fantastic scoring season not so long ago, says more about him than anyone else.

 

[London Irish]

he has got similar pace, finishing ability and technique as Owen and Defoe

Well, one out of three ain't bad

Leon has excellent technique on the ball, better than someone like Owen.

Alas the step up to Championship level football really has exposed his pace. He is not quick at all over a five- or 10-yard burst and that's why most Championship level defenders can win 50-50 balls played into channels ahead of him.

Finishing ability, that's still up in the air. This was not good last season, he squandered so many one-on-ones it really harmed us. But this season, his goals to chances ratio has been better, so jury out on that one.

The missing ingredient that McGhee is trying to add to Leon's game, which would make him a much better player than he currently is, is more runs off defenders so Leon presents more of a target for our midfield and his lack of pace becomes less of an issue. This is not even an issue of workrate, it's one of footballing intelligence in being able to anticipate openings that your team-mates can make for you.

Until he convinces McGhee he can do this, it will be a bad idea to pair him with CKR, who has similar problems but is at least rolling up his sleeves to work on them.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Your are making the same critical error as Repugnant Toad as basing your opinion of McGhee's man management on the basis of his struggle to rescue the career of one serial malcontent rather than all the other players he manages excellently.

Agree with you on this one re: 'serial malcontent'. Man management skills only work up to a certain point. If an employee has a black dark mood on, or issues completely unrelated to his employment, or has another agenda entirely, then nothing the manager can say or do will make a blind bit of difference.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

People said that about Stan Bowles, Rodney Marsh, Tony Currie, Gazza. Some players are worth it for what they bring, Leon is not a patch on any of the aformentioned. Just assuming Leon has a similar temprement, is he good enough to warrant the aggro that comes with it . Only McGhee will know, but there does seem to be plenty of baggage attached to the little maestro.

Gazza etc played at the top flight course they are going to be better