Made-Up in Sheffield

MADE-UP IN SHEFFIELD

Young Red Conor Coady is learning fast on loan across the Pennines, he tells Aiden Cusick

C

onor Coady hopes his loan spell at Sheffield United will inspire other Reds youngsters to head out in search of first-team football.

The 20-year-old, who recently extended his stay at the League One outfit until the end of February, believes spending time at another club is “something you’ve got to do” as a young player coming through.

“You’ve only got to look at players who’ve been out on loan and gone on to play first-team football (at their parent club),” he says. “There are loads that do it - the likes of Andre Wisdom at Derby who are absolutely flying at the minute. It’s a fantastic move for him and he’ll no doubt come back a better player.”

But Conor also stresses the importance of testing yourself at Under-21 level first, something he did ahead of his move to the Steel City, adding that loans are more beneficial if you do them at the right age.

“I think you need a year or two in the U21s to bring you on, especially at a club like Liverpool. The amount of staff they’ve got there can really help to develop you as a player.”

His belief is that, ultimately, the new academy system (U21 and U18 and no reserve-team) will see better players coming through at first-team level. “It’s definitely aiding player development. The environment is a lot different. In the reserves you were just playing games, you never really knew what was going on, whereas now you’re fighting for your place in a league and it’s a tough, competitive one, which is good.”

He singles out another Liverpool youngster as a good example of how the system is already working. “Look at Jordan Rossiter and how it’s brought him on. He’s played at that level early and now he’s making the bench for the first team. I think all it can do is help.

“I’d had a couple of years in the reserves so it was time for me to get out there, start playing proper football and learn what it’s about to go and play in the league.”

When the opportunity came - off the back of an Under-20 World Cup campaign with England - Conor says he was “more than happy” to make the temporary switch to South Yorkshire. “Brendan (Rodgers) came to me and said: ‘Sheffield United are interested, we think it’ll be good for you’. I knew it was a massive club and a great place to learn my trade at. I went in that week and I’ve played a few games now so I’m made-up.” His tally now stands at over 20 appearances with a first goal coming in November’s draw with Leyton Orient at the Matchroom Stadium in East London.

Settling in was “no trouble” as several of his Blades team-mates live this side of the Pennines, making his commute to the Steel City slightly more stress-free.

“It was very easy for me (to settle); the lads have been fantastic, a few of them live out Manchester and Preston way so I’ve been living at home and commuting there. We share lifts so I only really have to drive once a week. The night before a game I’ll stay in the hotel that’s by Bramall Lane. The travelling’s not too bad, you know, but it’s always better to stay over and make sure you’re right for the day after.”

On the pitch it wasn’t such plain sailing. After winning their opening match of the campaign against Notts County, the Blades went nine league games without a win - a run which cost manager David Weir his job. The Scot had a big hand in Coady’s switch to the Lane, having come across the 20-year-old during his time spent coaching at Everton, though the Kirkby graduate refused to dwell on Weir’s departure.

“It didn’t affect me much really. Davie Weir was good to me but as soon as Nigel Clough came in we just had to carry on doing what we were doing - working hard and trying to impress him. Hopefully I did that. He’s (Clough) been really good with me; he lets me know what he wants, where I’ve been going wrong and what I need to work on.”

In terms of style at least, the transition between the two managers was relatively straightforward, and Conor credits this as the catalyst in his development over the last six months. “The fact the managers both want to play football has really brought me on. The thing I’ve improved the most is receiving the ball off the back four and automatically looking forward. When you play at first-team level it’s important to look forward at all times, it’s easy to pass sideways so working on getting the ball and ensuring my first pass is a positive one has improved my game massively.”

It’s something which should stand him in good stead for his return to Anfield - initially scheduled after United’s FA Cup win over Aston Villa at the start of January until the two clubs agreed on an extension - where he would relish the opportunity to push for a place in the Reds engine room.

“Central midfield is where I’ve been brought up playing, I like to try and get on the ball as much as possible. I’ve played a bit at centre back for Liverpool (for the reserves and Under-21s) but for United I’ve always played centre mid.”

Both of Conor’s first-team appearances for Liverpool came in his favoured midfield role, including his debut against Anzhi Makhachkala in November 2012 when a youthful Reds side were defeated 1-0. “You always dream of having your debut for Liverpool, the team I grew up with, but to have it out in Russia was superb. It was a mad experience but just to make my debut was absolutely fantastic and I loved every single minute of it.”

Conor also featured as a late substitute in the victory over Fulham in the penultimate game of the 2012/13 campaign, and hopes to be handed more opportunities to show what he can do when he returns. But he has no qualms about extending his spell in the Steel City for the time being, and believes the experience of playing in front of big crowds can only aid his transition to the first team at Anfield.

“That’s been the highlight for me, playing at Bramall Lane. It’s a great stadium. They get very big capacities for a League One side and playing in front of them has been fantastic for my development.”

After their disappointing start to the campaign, Conor is hoping that the remainder of his spell will coincide with an upturn in fortunes for the Blades. “For us now, it’s about taking one game at a time and seeing where we end up come the end of the season. We’ve got to keep on building as a team. For me, it’s all about improving.”

Loans that paid off

Glen Johnson, then 17, joined Millwall on a month-long spell from West Ham and impressed enough for his deal to be extended on two occasions.

Jose Enrique spent the 2005/06 campaign on loan at Celta Vigo from Valencia. His performances earned him a move to then Champions League contenders, Villarreal.

Jordan Henderson’s successful spell at Coventry in 2009 propelled the 23-year-old in to the first-team picture at parent club, Sunderland.

Philippe Coutinho went on loan from Inter Milan to Espanyol, then managed by Mauricio Pochettino, in 2012. He scored five goals in 16 appearances.

Daniel Sturridge’s eight goals in 12 appearances while loaned to Bolton Wanderers by Chelsea in 2011 gave him a stage to display his arch goalscoring ability.

10 Reasons Why Football Manager is Better Than Your Girlfriend

TEN REASONS WHY FOOTBALL MANAGER IS BETTER THAN YOUR GIRLFRIEND

                                                                                                                                                        

Football Manager is more than ‘just a game’; it’s a friend, a good friend, one that comes with an annual upgrade to help it become an even better friend. OK, so you can’t have sex with it but you can still have your cake and eat it. Remember; while a woman will get mad if you reject her to play Football Manager, Football Manager will be understanding of your need for female attention and wait patiently, in perfect silence, until you decide to play with it again. Not convinced? I’ve got a few more:

10. PERIODS

Unlike a lady, this management simulator doesn’t bleed from its vagina, leaving you free to enjoy the bits you really want all month, every month. Likewise, it won’t scream at you - unnecessarily - for trivial matters like leaving the toilet seat up, getting skid marks on the side or the subsequent failure to wash your hands (it was a wonder poo, God dammit!). For those with joint bank accounts, you’ll also save on tampons.

9. SCOUTING

Let’s face it, your missus isn’t going to be best pleased when she finds out you were up until 4am, fumbling around on other girls’ Facebook profiles, hunting for the slightest bit of holiday side-boob. But Football Manager is encouraging of your late night talent-spotting tendencies, and even permits a team of scouts to assist you in your quest to unearth those *hidden gems*. The best ones are often 17, unattached and of South American descent.

8. COST-EFFECTIVENESS

A one-off payment of around £30 is usually enough to acquire the services of this loyal companion for an entire year, while a girlfriend will most likely demand that PER WEEK in ice cream, lifts to the shops and going over on your internet data as a result of trying to occupy your mind with something more engaging than she is. Also, computer games don’t demand Birthday presents, Anniversary weekends away or Valentine’s chocolates with their name on.

7. TEAM MEETINGS

Your girlfriend calls an urgent meeting. You know it’s serious but there’s no way you’ll be able to just brush it under the rug and hope it (/she) goes away. Your assistant however, will try and sit down with you once a fortnight, but he’s not going to force you. Ignore him if you like, it won’t hurt his feelings, neither will he hold it against you in the future. Besides, his only wish was to inform you that one of your full-backs (finishing, 4, composure, 6) should start lobbing the 'keeper in one-on-one situations. Silly old goat.

6. SOCIAL LIFE

“Where are you going? Who are you going with? What time will are you coming back?” - Sound familiar? It wasn’t Football Manager talking, that’s for sure. Football Manager was far too busy trying to (subconsciously, of course) reassure you to “relax, have a good night and don’t worry about waking me up when you’re scratching at the front door at 3am, keyless and covered in kebab.”

5.  STREET CRED

Talking in depth about your partner to pals in the pub will ensure your popularity drops faster than, well, Portsmouth after they won the FA Cup that time with all those players they couldn’t actually afford to pay. However, talking up your managerial prowess over a pint could earn you more man points than an arm-wrestling victory over Adebayo Akinfenwa. Man has spent many a late night discussing his latest save in the local speakeasy, while disgruntled boyfriends look on, enviously, dreaming up next season’s squad-number list in their heads.

4. FREEDOM

You can’t ring up a lady at half-past-one in the morning and invite yourself over to hers just because you have urges (well, you can, but is she really the type of lady you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?), yet when the craving for a spot of late-night, virtual coaching kicks in, Football Manager will be there, ready to give you your fix. When it’s time for bed, you can simply turn it off, safe in the knowledge that no repercussions will ever occur - unless you forgot to press save, in which case all your progress shall be lost and you’ll have no option but to replay every single match of your mammoth unbeaten run, scratching your head as you succumb to a 1-0 home defeat against Wigan Athletic (a team you comfortably beat 3-0 the first time around) with 28 shots on target to their one - and 66% possession.

3. SLEEPING

Women hog covers. That’s a fact. They roll over and cling on for dear life, leaving your entire body exposed to the bogeyman or worse... perverts. But Football Manager doesn’t stand for such nonsense. When it sleeps it doesn’t need a bed, just a few millimetres width on a book shelf, a floor, or underneath the empty glass of milk, biscuit wrapper and used tissues which adorn your bedside table.

2. TACTICAL VERSATILITY

Remember that exciting new position you saw being awkwardly portrayed by a tattooed couple on Channel 5’s Sex Education Show? Well the missus isn’t going to do it, so stop asking. But recall your amazement when Vicente Del Bosque spawned Spain’s revolutionary 4-6-0 formation during the 2012 European Championships? Well you too can have your own ‘Cesc Fabregas’, with the introduction of the ‘false 9’ role to this year’s instalment - whether you’re just being continental for the sake of it, or an injury crisis has left you down to the bare bones of Nicklas Bendtner.

1. TOP TALENT

With a whopping 3,674,821 countries (you’re forgetting all the little ones like Tahiti, East Timor and Wales), 16,712,904 leagues and 6.6billion teams to choose from, you can be absolutely anyone your heart desires. Work your way up from the bottom of the ladder - signing one-time Alfreton Town defenders on amateur contracts - to the top - where world-record fees can be shelled out on all the latest Spanish re-gens. Let’s be honest, you can’t do that with a woman, I mean, look at you. You may have had your fair share of lower-leaguers, but the best you’ll ever get is a six-out-of-ten - which is the equivalent of signing Kieran Richardson for Stoke City.

Saints Setting Shining Example

SAINTS SETTING SHINING EXAMPLE TO THOSE LOOKING TO GROOM HOME-GROWN TALENT

I take a look at the Southampton model and select an XI of Football League players who could replicate the path taken by some of Saints’ stars

Getting an England cap isn’t as hard as it used to be; David Nugent, Jay Bothroyd and Joey Barton all have one, heck, Carlton Cole has seven!

It’s well-documented that our national pool isn’t as vast as our rivals’ and a run of good form for your club can often mean a call-up for a pointless international friendly in November (by which point in 2013, 55% of English players to have started top-flight matches this season had caps for their country, compared to just 14% in Spain). For those aforementioned (Cole aside) that is usually as far as it goes; a reward for your overachievements in the last few months, a present for the grandchildren.

For others, it can provide the platform for a blossoming international career, a test of the water to see if you’re good enough for the next qualifier in March, or in this season’s case, a World Cup Finals. For that reason, it can be a good thing to experiment.

Much was made of the inclusion of Southampton trio Rickie Lambert, Jay Rodriguez and Adam Lallana in Roy Hodgson’s squad for the friendlies with Chile and Germany in November, but the fact that Saints were on course for a Champions League spot at the time justified their selection. For the doubters, there were concerns over Lambert’s age, Rodriguez’s lack of goals and a combined lack of top flight experience. Lallana, at least, has one foot in Hodgson’s 23 after impressing in both games.

Each of them has been instrumental in Southampton’s transition from relegation candidates to European contenders over the last 18 months. But for both Lallana and Lambert, their influence began in the third tier. The former, a graduate of an academy which has produced talents such as Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in recent years. The latter, a million-pound signing from Bristol Rovers, aged 27.

The pair helped fire the Saints to back-to-back promotions under Nigel Adkins and while other key members of that side – such as, Guly do Prado, Billy Sharp and Danny Fox – have been phased out at St. Mary’s, Lallana and Lambert have remained as key players.

Football League talents in the shape of Rodriguez (15 goals for Burnley in 2011/12) and Nathaniel Clyne were added to Saints’ side upon promotion. Rodriguez has his cap; Clyne will no doubt get one sooner or later. The same goes for home-grown stars Luke Shaw and James Ward-Prowse - Southampton are the model which all newly-promoted teams should follow.

There are enough players out there to do it; the likes of Wilfried Zaha, Nathan Redmond and Dwight Gayle were all handed top flight moves following their performances in 2012/13 - the former has two caps already. Step forward Englishmen of the Football League; your caps await you.

Lee Grant (Derby County)

Formerly of Sheffield Wednesday and Burnley, Grant has been a consistent Championship performer for almost a decade now. Still only 30 - an adolescent in goalkeeping terms - it may not be too late for him to make the top flight. England is probably a stretch too far, though beyond Joe Hart there's little competition.

Kieran Trippier (Burnley)

A graduate of Manchester City’s academy, Trippier was named in last season’s PFA Team of the Year and has continued his fine form in to 2012/13 as the Clarets ended the year in second. He’s been the source of many of Danny Ings’ 15 goals so far.

Sam Byram (Leeds United)

Still only 20, the academy product has played over fifty games for the Whites. His versatility allows him to play as either a centre-half or right-winger as well as his natural position as a full-back.

Liam Moore (Leicester City)

The young defender was thrust in to the first-team in early 2013 following an injury to Wes Morgan, having recently completed a loan spell at Brentford. He has since made the position his own and was named Football League Player of the Month in September.

Aaron Cresswell (Ipswich Town)

The former Tranmere full-back was linked with the top flight over the summer but nothing materialised. Only 24, he has a reputation as a set-piece specialist with an excellent left foot.

Tom Ince (Blackpool)

Blackpool have resisted attempts from several Premier League sides to sign their prized asset in recent windows but may finally come unstuck this month with his dad and manager, Paul, under pressure from the fans and his contract set to expire in 2014.

Danny Drinkwater (Leicester City)

A former Manchester United starlet, Drinkwater has settled well at Leicester since joining them in 2012, following a successful loan at Barnsley. Drinkwater has contributed four goals for Nigel Pearson’s side in 2013/14, as they top the standings heading in to the New Year.

Will Hughes (Derby County)

Constantly linked with a move to Liverpool, the 18-year-old has put himself in the shop window with some accomplished performances in the Derby engine room. The Anfield outfit have reportedly agreed a ‘first-option’ on the playmaker, who is valued at more than £10million.

Charlie Austin (Queen’s Park Rangers)

The former Burnley man has hit 11 goals since his £5million move from Turf Moor in the summer and it’s surely only a matter of time before the 24-year-old gets his chance in the top flight. Bricklayer to the Premier League in five years would be some story.

Troy Deeney (Watford)

Deeney has been a revelation for the Hornets since his release from prison in 2012. He’s registered 11 goals in 2013/14 despite his side’s disappointing campaign. Released by Aston Villa as a youth, the 25-year-old will be hungry to prove them wrong in the top flight.

Danny Ings (Burnley)

Austin’s understudy for two seasons, Ings has finally blossomed in the absence of his former teammate, with his 15 goals so far this season dwarfing his tally of just six in the two years previous. The 21-year-old may even beat Austin to the Premier League, with the Clarets a place above QPR, in second place.


Have I missed any? Let me know via @My_Big_Tackle on Twitter.

Anfield Spotlight: Chris Kirkland

ANFIELD SPOTLIGHT:

CHRIS KIRKLAND

Catching up with the keeper who joined Liverpool a dozen years ago and is now approaching 300 career appearances

S

imon Mignolet’s fine form between between the posts for Liverpool comes as no surprise to one ex-Reds goalkeeper.

 "He did great last season in a struggling team,” says Chris Kirkland - who originally moved to Anfield in 2001.

“It’s a big step up coming here - a major step up - but he seems a confident lad. I’m sure he’ll do well and Brendan Rodgers will look after him.”

That’s something Kirkland could always rely on himself when Gerard Houllier was manager. As the form of Jerzy Dudek seemed to dip during the 2002/03 campaign, the Frenchman wasted no time in handing the then-21-year-old an extended run in his first XI.

The former Coventry City man was quick to repay his manager’s faith, helping Liverpool progress in three cup competitions before being struck down with a cruciate knee ligament injury away to Crystal Palace in January 2003.

Houllier was also on hand to reassure the young shot-stopper that he was still part of his long-term plans.

“I flew back with him after the Palace game,” recalls Chris. “He said to me, ‘I’ll look after you and sort you out a new contract’. I already had five years left and he gave me a new six-year-deal!”

Kirkland, it seems, was always in his manager’s thoughts, even when injury kept him out of the 2003 Worthington Cup Final victory over Manchester United. “He gave me his medal, which was great of him. He always looked after me.”

Houllier had been keeping tabs on the future England international long before he made him Britain’s most expensive goalkeeper, eventually pouncing after Coventry’s relegation to the Football League.

“Gary McAllister rang me a few months before and said, ‘Look, they (Liverpool) really like you - just keep doing what you’re doing for Coventry.

“I’d played with Gary before and he came back to train with us for a bit. When he went back up he told Gerard I’d come on leaps and bounds.”

The Reds made their move on deadline day, August 2001, but the ink had barely dried on his Anfield contract when Polish international Dudek joined from Feyenoord.

But Kirkland remained upbeat. “I knew (about Dudek). Gerard had said he was going to sign another keeper and that he wanted to nurture me, but he said I’d get my chance and that’s the way it worked out.”

Despite knowing he’d be set for a spell on the sidelines, the prospect of playing for the team he supported as a boy was too hard for Chris to ignore.

“I’d have only left for Liverpool, they were my team. My dad used to take me up (to Anfield) on the bus from Hinckley.

“I was enjoying my time at Coventry and it was tough to leave but in the end it was an easy decision to make. I don’t regret anything that happened.”

After being sidelined for nine months with the injury he suffered at Selhurst Park, the giant shot-stopper began slowly rebuilding his Anfield career.

He made a dozen appearances in Houllier’s final season at the club and a further 14 in 2004/05, including the crucial Champions League encounter with Olympiacos, under new boss Rafa Benitez.

“It was a great night obviously, the European nights at Anfield always are and the crowd helped no end.”

Fans who read a recent edition of the Liverpool FC magazine might recall Antonio Nunez blaming Kirkland for Rivaldo’s opener, saying he was instructed by his keeper to create a gap in the wall for the free-kick. “I should have done better with that, yeah. It was totally my fault!” laughs the 32-year-old.

But despite the initial set-back, Kirkland remained confident the Reds would eventually come up with the result they needed.

“It was late doors when Stevie (Gerrard) scored. People say that the crowd suck the ball in and they certainly did that night.

“You sort of knew we were going to go on and win the competition. Even 3-0 down against Milan, I was sitting in the stands and you could tell they were going to win, I don’t know what it was. The Olympiacos game was the turning point.”

Sadly, Kirkland suffered a back injury in the derby defeat to Everton the following January and the Leicestershire-born keeper recalls his frustration at not being involved in the remainder of the 04/05 Euro campaign.

“Anyone who is honest will tell you the same; if you don’t play in the final, you don’t feel part of things.

“It was tough not being part of the final but I was delighted as a supporter that we won it.”

Despite featuring in four out of six group games before his injury, the former England international was again left without a medal.

But Kirkland refused to let it dampen the celebrations, describing them as part of a “great night”.

That summer, Benitez brought in Pepe Reina as his new no1 and Chris sensed his days at the club were numbered, with a loan move to West Bromwich Albion soon arranged.

“I struggled after Joe Corrigan left. The Spanish goalie coaches were lovely chaps but I just didn’t enjoy the training. It was different to everything I’d been taught.

“I was brought up on the English way - hard work, repetitions and lots of volleys and half-volleys.”

With his agent still based in the Midlands and Corrigan now working under Bryan Robson at West Brom, a move to the Hawthorns was a logical one for all parties.

Kirkland made just 12 appearances for the Baggies before losing his place to a combination of Tomasz Kuszczak’s form and injury  – a challenge with Bolton’s Kevin Davies left him with a lacerated kidney - and he was on the move again ahead of the 06/07 campaign, joining Wigan Athletic on an initial six-month loan deal.

It soon turned in to six years when the Latics decided to make the move permanent and Kirkland describes the first four of those as the “best time of my career”.

He made his international debut against Greece at the age of 25 – earning his dad around £10,000 in the process, due to a bet he’d placed when Chris was in his teens – though he admits he “doesn’t really like talking about England”.

Despite a poor start to the 2007/08 campaign, Steve Bruce was appointed the club’s new boss and Wigan finished comfortably in 14^th place.

“That’s probably the best season I’ve had in football. I won two awards at the end of the year, it was great.”

But when Roberto Martinez took over in 2009, Kirkland was faced with a familiar problem – a Spanish goalkeeper coach.

“I wasn’t enjoying training. I found my game going, I wasn’t confident and in the end it paid in performances.”

He was released in the summer of 2012, having spent the last two years of his Wigan career on the sidelines. He signed for Sheffield Wednesday ahead of their return to the Championship and admits, he wasn’t exactly spoilt for choice.

“Everyone thought ‘cos I wasn’t playing at Wigan I must have been injured. It wasn’t the case at all, I was out of favour and obviously people put two and two together. They thought: well, he must be injured and it puts people off.”

The towering goalie was a revelation in his debut season at Hillsborough, coming second in the club’s player of the year awards as the Owls escaped the drop, finishing 18^th.

Kirkland believes he “shut a few people up” by playing in all 46 league games for his new club in 2012/13, and points out:

“I didn’t miss any training sessions either; the problems with my back are long gone.”

The former England international has ambitions of being a fireman when he retires, but stresses;

“I hope that’s a few years away yet.

“I’ve always fancied it. My Dad’s friend’s the boss down at a garage in Hinckley, I’ve done a bit of training down there and really enjoyed it”, he adds.

“I’ve got no desire to go in to coaching, as it stands. But you’ve got to do something with your time.”

League One Might Be Nice for a Holiday...

LEAGUE ONE MIGHT BE NICE FOR A HOLIDAY...

BUT YOU WOULDN’T WANT TO LIVE THERE

I predict the next lot of former Premier League clubs plummeting towards the third tier, and six other relegation candidates.

“We’re all going on a League One tour,” I once heard a bunch of Sheffield United supporters sing on a train back over the Pennines from Manchester.

En route from Old Trafford - where I’d watched the FA Youth Cup Final between themselves and Manchester United - I was amused at both their arrogance and ignorance as to the perils which lay ahead of them following their relegation from The Championship in 2010/11, just four years after dropping out of the top-flight.

I knew how hard it was for a so-called ‘big club’ to get out of League One. I’d watched my beloved Wednesday struggle on separate occasions after going down, only to recover the season after - twice promoted at the second time of asking.

But United coped well initially, and were it not for a set of outstanding circumstances – top-scorer Ched Evans jailed for rape with three games to go being one – those Stone Island scallies from the train would have had the last laugh.

Instead, it was Owls fans sharing the sniggers, as Wednesday clawed their way back from eight points behind – having played two games more – to gain promotion, while their Steel City rivals lost to Huddersfield on penalties in the play-off final.

Further play-off despair (it’s becoming a recurring theme at the Lane) in 2012/13, kept the Blades in the third tier for at least another season. Tour of League One? You could manage at least four tours of Afghanistan in that time.

Fortunately (for us Sheffielders), you don’t have to be from South Yorkshire to qualify for the League One club. The likes of Wolves, Leeds United and Manchester City have all slipped in to the third tier within years of falling out of the Premier League.

And with more money than ever being spent on top flight transfer fees and player wage bills, if you can’t bounce back within a few seasons of going down, the chances of you dropping even further down the ladder grow ever more likely.

Others, notably; Nottingham Forest, Leicester, Norwich and Southampton have suffered the same fate. Not to mention Portsmouth - currently rebuilding from the bottom in League Two, five years since they lifted the F.A. Cup.

With a quarter of the season already underway and league tables starting to indicate who may end up where come the end of the campaign, I've done a bit of internet research (not the sort I’m usually prone to, that causes viruses) to see which clubs could be next to walk the plank to League One.

The Big Boys

Birmingham City

The Blues are in to their third straight season outside the top flight and that tally will only increase the way they’ve been going of late.

The thumping of fellow strugglers Sheffield Wednesday and Millwall appeared to have eased the pressure on manager Lee Clark, but the Blues have blown mostly cold for the majority of the campaign so far, sitting just two points above the drop zone in 20^th place.

Only three first-team players remain from their time in the top flight; Colin Doyle and David Murphy are two, while the other, Serbian international Nikola Zigic, is reportedly still earning around £60,000-a-week having penned a four-year-deal at the club prior to their relegation.

As a result, the club had no choice but to sell star players Jack Butland and Curtis Davies in the summer and terminate the contract of last season’s top scorer, Marlon King – probably the first time he’s been sacked for something that hasn’t resulted in prison.

There are currently five loan players on the Blues’ books, a market in which their manager will be forced to utilise given the lack of funds at his disposal.

Bolton Wanderers

It took Bolton until the New Year to properly get going following their relegation in 2011/12, yet only a last minute winner from Leicester City against Nottingham Forest kept the Trotters out of the Championship play-offs come May.

But Dougie Freedman’s side are early strugglers again this year, despite keeping the core of their squad together – Marc Tierney and Jermaine Beckford replacing high-earners Marcos Alonso and Kevin Davies, who departed on free transfers – winning just once so far.

Their biggest loss perhaps, is powerful centre-half Craig Dawson who was instrumental at both ends (this is not a joke about flatulence), netting four goals in 16 appearances on loan from West Bromwich Albion.

As they themselves proved last season, a good run of form can soon catapult you towards the upper echelons of the division, but Bolton relied on January reinforcements last time around and with purse strings tightening at the Reebok Stadium – the club announced debts of £136Million this time last year – this coming transfer window is unlikely to prove quite as fruitful.

Middlesbrough

A 4-0 win over Doncaster on Friday was just what the doctor ordered following the sacking of Tony Mowbary during the week. Summer signing Albert Adomah kept up his scoring streak with a brace to lift them to 15^th in the table.

Among the favourites for the Boro hot-seat are Mike Phelan, Tony Pulis and Ian Holloway, but neither should expect huge funds now the club’s parachute payments have ended.

A new boss can often galvanise an underperforming team such as Middlesbrough, though it did little to halt the slide of Bristol City and Wolves last season, both were relegated despite midway changes.

Boro are notorious for their New Year loss of form as it is – they won just three league matches between January and May 2013 – and their fans will be hoping for a reversal of fortunes this time around.

The likes of Adomah, Jonathan Woodgate and Grant Leadbitter are top players at this level, though plenty of a similar ability have gone down in recent years; Former top flight figures such as Kevin Doyle, Jamie O’Hara and Bakary Sako (top flight in France at least!) remain on the books of Wolves in League One, for example.

The Usual Suspects

Barnsley

Getting the best out of the ‘Derry Pele’ - also known as former Celtic winger, Paddy McCourt - holds the key to the South Yorkshire side's survival hopes. His stunning individual effort helped the Tykes to all three points against Middlesbrough ten days ago before causing all sorts of problems for the Wednesday defence in Saturday’s derby draw at Oakwell.

More goals from strikers Chris O’Grady and Marcus Pedersen – borrowed from Dutch outfit, Vitesse Arnhem – will also be needed if David Flitcroft’s side are planning to continue their record of most seasons spent in the second tier.

Sheffield Wednesday

The 2013/14 season has yielded yet another new low for the Owls (how many more can there be?), still without a win after twelve games. Only the top seven have lost fewer matches than Dave Jones’ side (four), but their failure to turn draws in to wins, especially against the teams around them, has left them rooted to the foot of the table.

With no takeover imminent and chairman Milan Mandaric unwilling to part with more cash (he’s spent upwards of £25Million pounds rescuing the club from the brink), many of the club’s loyal fanbase have began calling for the manager’s head. They need wins, and fast.

Yeovil Town

Gary Johnson told his side during pre-season they’d be underdogs in each of their 46 games this season. The Somerset strugglers used that as motivation for surprise wins against Millwall and Nottingham Forest, they even fought back to draw at Hillsborough despite going down to ten men shortly before half-time.

Five-goal midfielder Ed Upson (that’s not a touchline instruction, by the way - it's his name) has shone so far for the Glovers, but their lack of quality in other areas will eventually tell.

The Prematurely Overestimated

Charlton Athletic

Somehow managed to finish ninth in 2012/13, but like Wednesday they've struggled in their second season back in the Championship. Manager Chris Powell is the longest-serving in the division but could come under pressure should they slip in to the bottom three.

Doncaster Rovers

The new boys have carried on their momentum from last season but it rarely lasts – see Huddersfield Town last season. Have struggled since Federico Macheda returned to Manchester United.

Millwall

The tram-trashers from Bermondsey are currently floating four points above the drop zone, but haven’t improved much since last season where the goals of Chris Wood during his three-month loan, coincided with the Lions’ best spell.

Do you agree with my selections? Leave your comments below or get in touch on Twitter via @My_Big_Tackle.

In Defence of Dithering Dave

IN DEFENCE OF ‘DITHERING DAVE’

A

lex Ferguson fathered many a great Manchester United side; From Bruce, Keane and Cantona to Vidic, Ronaldo and Rooney - via Giggs, Scholes and Solskjaer, he ensured that while one team prepared to fly the nest, another was already being conceived.

The biology wasn’t always spot on, an occasional ugly kid would fall from the womb - the Klebersons, the Djemba-Djembas, the Juan Sebastien Verons to name a few - But Daddy Ferguson would usually triumph through a bigger, stronger, more beautiful bairn next time around. Unfortunately for David Moyes, his current side has few of those remaining.

That sounds silly given that the Red Devils waltzed comfortably, in the end, to their record-breaking 20^th league title just five months ago, but with several key players and a handful more still struggling to reach their potential it’s easy to see why.

Three of United’s first-choice back four – Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra, and Vidic – as well as Michael Carrick, one of last season’s stand-out performers, are entering their early/mid thirties and while the likes of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones may develop in to adequate replacements, Moyes is hardly spoilt for choice in Carrick’s position.

Illustration by Ryan Cusick (@CusickRyan)

Both Tom Cleverley and Anderson have flattered to deceive alongside him in central midfield (Darren Fletcher is still recovering from illness), forcing the new boss to bust £27million in his old club’s direction for Marouane Fellaini – this proceeded the somewhat laughable pursuit of Thiago Alcantara, and in particular, his former teammate Cesc Fabregas.

Perhaps he wouldn’t have had to, had Ferguson done more to prevent Paul Pogba from leaving for Juventus in 2012 - a player who, according to recent reports, is now a £40million target for rivals, Chelsea.

In him, they had a youngster with all the potential to become the complete midfielder – an eye for goal like Robson, the ability to pass like Scholes, combative like Keane. He left, in his words, because Ferguson refused to play him ‘even though there were no other midfielders’.

A point underlined by the Scot’s decision to talk a then 37-year-old Scholes in to putting on his tackling boots for the final time, after initially hanging them up the previous summer. Of course, there were ‘other midfielders’ - like Anderson, who was overlooked despite costing the club a substantial, eight-figure-fee. He was supposedly one for the future – but it’s been six years.

Ferguson’s sides have always been a force from out wide, whether through the pace of a pre-adulterous Giggs or the craft of David Beckham – Dad of the Year nominee. But this side is probably the weakest we've seen in wide areas, and has been since the departure of Ronaldo to Real Madrid in 2009.

Nani, despite penning a new five-year-deal just weeks ago, still doesn’t command a regular first team spot after more than half a decade, while bizarrely beefed-up Ashley Young’s continues to frustrate the club’s following with his inconsistency. Antonio Valencia, the same.

Shinji Kagawa hasn’t yet had a look-in under Moyes' tenure - nor was he a regular under Ferguson - though arguably, his best position is as a ‘number 10’, a role currently occupied by the in-form Rooney. Good  player, but was he really the signing United required at the time?

It’s a club which will always produce talented youngsters - Adnan Januzaj being the latest (don’t tell Jack Wilshere) – but I can’t help but feel that Ferguson’s recruitment of those aforementioned has stalled the transition between those on the decline (Ferdinand/Evra/Carrick) and those coming through (Januzaj/Jesse Lingard/Will Keane).

Fergie, of course, has got a lot more right than he has wrong over the years. When he didn’t get it right, he’d make sure he fixed it next time around. Unfortunately for Moyes, this time around it was he who’d be left to pick up the pieces.

The 50-year-old(and United)’s progress has also been hindered by the departure of Chief Executive David Gill with Ferguson. This left two relatively inexperienced people (in terms of spotlight at least), Moyes and Ed Woodward (Gill’s replacement), in positions of extreme pressure. The former Preston boss also declined the opportunity to retain Sir Alex’s coaching staff, though this is commonplace for most new managers when moving clubs.

Until he achieves substantial silverware at Old Trafford, Moyes will always be the untrustworthy step-dad – a tag he’ll find even harder to shake given the tools he was left. He needed as smooth a transition as possible, unfortunately what he got was far from it.

Himself however, left his successor (Roberto Martinez) in good hands, with Everton in perhaps the best shape they’ve been, both on and off the pitch, for decades. Few Evertonians flinched at the sale of Fellaini, with players such as James McCarthy, Gareth Barry and Romelu Lukaku coming in to the squad at his expense.

They even kept hold of talisman Leighton Baines – with minimal fuss – when he became subject of a bid from his old boss down the M62. Yet, despite an encouraging start to Martinez' tenure, the Toffees will be lucky if they better last season's position under Moyes (sixth).

Ferguson will be forever lauded by most, Moyes perhaps won’t. But sometimes it’s worth considering the bigger picture.

@My_Big_Tackle

Loan Repayment

LOAN REPAYMENT

T

hey’ve called for feeder clubs, B Teams and a minimum number of home-grown players in matchday squads. But Andros Townsend – man of the match on his international debut on Friday - is living proof that a successful system is already in place, it just needs a bit more trust.

It was his determined run down the right-flank which fashioned England’s opener, before he unleashed an unstoppable 20-yard-strike of his own to all but seal the win which moved Roy Hodgson’s side to the summit of Group H.

His pace, power and perseverance – his every touch met by a mass of Montenegrin defenders – should be enough to cement his spot in tonight’s starting line-up, and leave the injured Theo Walcott seriously worried about an extended stay in the ITV studio.

The 22-year-old joined Queens Park Rangers on loan in January, borrowed from boyhood club Tottenham Hotspur to save former boss Harry Redknapp’s new side from the drop.

Rangers’ problems were perhaps too grave for a man with only five Premier League appearances to his name, but a string of assured performances provided him the perfect platform to push for the first team at his parent club.

Ok, there was a bit of luck involved too – Gareth Bale departed and Aaron Lennon got injured – but rather than delve in to the market for more wide-men, manager Andre Villas-Boas handed a starting role to a player who’d been waiting four years for a chance.

Since signing pro-forms at Spurs, Townsend has been farmed out on eight separate occasions to teams lower down the football ladder. He represented the likes of Leyton Orient, Yeovil Town and Milton Keynes Dons in the third tier before Redknapp returned to resuscitate a career that seemed to be going round in circles.

Who knows where Townsend would have ended up were it not for his old boss? I’ll hazard a guess at Tottenham’s reserves followed by yet another loan to The Championship, where he had spells with Watford, Birmingham City and Leeds United. A permanent move to Millwall reportedly fell through in 2011.

There are dozens in the same position: Under 21 internationals Wilfried Zaha and Nathaniel Chalobah flourished in the Football League last year yet one has been rarely used since joining Manchester United in the summer, while the other is on an emergency loan at Nottingham Forest.

After starring on loan for Watford in 2012/13, Chalobah returned to Chelsea in the summer only to find himself back in the second tier following the sale of Adlene Guedioura to Crystal Palace.

The Eagles forked out around three million pounds for the Algerian while Chalobah -surely a cheaper, albeit temporary alternative – sat around watching while Jose Mourinho stuffed his shopping trolley full of midfielders as if he were on Supermarket Sweep.

Naturally The Blues don’t want to sell the 18-year-old, but a season-long loan could have done him the world of good, particularly in a World Cup year.

Playing in The Championship may get you games, but will it get you noticed? By your club – perhaps, but you won’t find Hodgson sat inside the City Ground watching you strut your stuff on a nippy night in November.

The transfer window is flawed in many ways, perhaps no more so than when a player finds himself out of favour post-deadline day. They are left with two options: rot in the reserves or drop down a division.

Of course the latter can benefit some players, take Ross Barkley for example, who spent time with both Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday in 2012/13. He’s now an established member of the Everton engine room and made his England debut back in August.

Roberto Martinez has shown faith in his Scouse starlet and is being duly rewarded. Another manager may have sent him back to The Championship.

Townsend is one of six players who featured in Friday’s victory to have benefitted from first team football at another Premier League club.

Joe Hart used a loan spell at Birmingham to pinch back his place from the experienced Shay Given, Kyle Walker and James Milner spent time on the other side of the second city with Aston Villa (on loan from Spurs and Newcastle United respectively) while Jack Wilshere and Daniel Sturridge have both been borrowed by Bolton Wanderers.

The players are good enough; they just need the platform to prove it.